Business
Hey there, my gorgeous listener, welcome to episode 73 of the Small Business Made Simple Podcast. Thank you for lending me your ears today – I know you have lots of choices, so I sincerely appreciate me being one of them! If you’re a first time listener, super super welcome, I am so pleased to have you here. I am your host Jenn Donovan, and, it’s my job, via this podcast, social media and everywhere else actually, to make your business life simpler. Business can be lonely and hard and complicated and it’s hardly ever easy, but it should be simple or at least simpler, so that’s my commitment you to on the Small Business Made Simple podcast! One way I help to make your life simpler is by having a group of like-minded business owners all in one stop. To ask questions, get answers and enjoy the journey of business! If you haven’t joined the Like Minded Business Owners Facebook Group, then hope over there after this episode and join! Simply search Like Minded Business Owners in Facebook or come to the show notes for the like. Show notes are at www.socialmediaandmarketing.com.au/73 www.facebook.com/groups/LikeMindedBusinessOwners One thing that I love to do inside my business, and in life, if I’m being honest is analyse things! People, things, ideas, thoughts – just love listening, observing and analysing – not in a bad way – but in a “always learning” way. I’m the first to admit, I’m a lifelong learner. Also reading (*ahem listening) to a good book, mostly business related, sometimes not, a podcast or reading articles, blogs etc. So now I’ve set the scene, I wanted to share with you 3 things I learnt from a single LinkedIn post I did other day. I’m sharing this with you because there’s lessons in what I learnt – lessons for me and perhaps for you. Some are “eye-rolling” “yes, I’ve heard that before Jenn” lessons – but I’m going to tell you anyway – because as the saying goes, when the student is ready, the teacher appears. I know that’s true from experience, from hearing the same thing over and over and over again, but finally hearing it for the first time with “that” mindset – and it being a game changer. So, off track I go …. 3 things I learnt from a single LinkedIn post. Firstly, let me tell you why, this particular post is what I want to tell you about. It was by far my most popular recent post – not the best ever, but the best in Covid-19 with over 3000 views, 50 comments and many likes and reactions. I did it on a whim – not really thinking too much about what I was putting up there – just thought it was a good question to ask and I thought perhaps I might get one or two potential guests from the responses for my podcast! So, the post read “If someone were to interview you, what topic would it be about?” So, what did I learn from that post: People’s favourite subjects is themselves That’s not meant to be a derogatory thing, it’s just a reality. Ask people what they do, and they will tell you. Ask people what they are best at, and they will tell you. Lesson: If you’re short on engagement or content, think about how you can ask a question to engage people by asking someone about them – again, everyone’s favourite subject is themselves. Some don’t know the answer. Some people who commented did not know what they could be interviewed about. This is a professional platform, LinkedIn, and therefore about business doing business with business. Some people didn’t know what their elevator pitch was. An elevator pitch is being able to tell someone what you do, why you do it and who you do it for, in the time taken to ride an elevator. Very scientific timeline! It’s totally fine that people don’t know their elevator pitch – I so get that – and I’m not looking at it from that perspective – I looking at it from a content perspective – perhaps I need to put out some content to help people articulate what their interview topic/elevator pitch is. See marketing hat on – there’s content right there for me in the future – listening to what the market is telling me. But if you couldn’t answer that question – or you have 100 different answers to that question – what would your topic be – then perhaps your USP or unique selling proposition is something you need to do some work on. Episode 4 – yep that long ago – we all about knowing and owning your expertise – it’s worth a listen and there’s a great little unique selling proposition exercise in that podcast too! Link is in the show notes or go to: www.socialmediaandmarketing.com.au/4 LinkedIn is still my favourite (and best) platform If you’re following along my journey, you’ll know that I am putting in a big effort into Pinterest this year – it’s the platform I am conquering in 2020 – well not me exactly, I am paying the super wonderful Kate Wilkinson to do it for me. I have also been trying hard to turn up more often in Instagram stories and feed. It’s a battle – it’s just not my favourite platform – but I am powering through! Instagram is definitely building and giving me leads. But I put this same post up on Instagram stories and didn’t get the same result. Yes, there’s lots of factors that would contribute to that, but the fact that my posts do better on LinkedIn, consistently, and the result of this post reinforcing that, clearly, my people are hanging out on LinkedIn. So although I won’t stop putting my energy into any other platform, that would be silly, they are serving different purposes and goals within my business, but this post just reinforced what’s best for my business, when it comes to the goal of building network connections, building expertise and having social serve it’s purpose inside my business. Oh and a little side note, of the 50 odd who commented, about 60% were already connections – so that gave me the opportunity to start a conversation with people who didn’t know me or weren’t connected to me prior to this post – that’s a win for me – new connections – new conversations. So, my questions to you after my 3 little discoveries: Do you know your elevator pitch? Do you know what you would love to be interviewed about? Of all the people who do what you do, why should someone choose you – choose to spend their money with you – that’s the big question at the end of the day. What social media platform is best for your business? Do your social media platforms help you reach the goals you set for them? Do you have goals around your social presence? If not, why not? Short sharp ep today! But hopefully still some gold in there for you – there was certainly some for me when I took time to analyse that post – something I thought was worth sharing with you. So, that’s all for episode 73, I’ll be back next Thursday with another great episode to help you simplify your business in 2020. If you’re enjoying this podcast, which if you have listened to here – you hopefully are, don’t forget to subscribe, share this episode with another superstar business owner who’s doing the daily grind and would appreciate someone making their business simpler, and leave a rating or review to show how much you are loving this free weekly content. Massive love coming your way if you do! See you next week on the podcast for episode 74. But in the meantime, let’s hang out on social and get social on social – you’ll find me on Instagram, Facebook and my fav LinkedIn. But whatever you do, ……..remember small business peeps, as my opening song says, there’s no point in dreaming small!