_hivesocial

Helping purpose driven businesses be more strategic with their social media marketing.

21/11/2024

Instagram might be your cosy comfy place like a pair of old slippers… but is it still helping your business the way it used to?

Or are you finding it harder to stand out here?

Are you selling to other businesses?

Do you think your audience might be on LinkedIn too?

You may have dipped in and out of LinkedIn, but put it in the ‘too hard’ pile.

But I’m here to tell you that LinkedIn is not what you expect.

➡️ Growth is faster.

➡️ Content is easier to create.

➡️ And engagement can be way better (and more meaningful).

If you find that likes, comments and followers are all you get these days on Instagram (no actual business), then it might be time to reconsider LinkedIn.

I’m sharing everything I wish someone had told me to start with about LinkedIn in, in a one-off training session.

It’s the exact training my 1:1 clients get.

How to increase your visibility and start to generate leads on LinkedIn.

DM me LINKEDIN for the link and it’s got all the info.

15/11/2024

Today’s the last day…📆

…to sign up for my Strategy Sprint. Then the price goes ⬆️

Get my 👀 on your business.

Let’s create a strategy that works for you for 2025, and a plan that you can actually make happen!

What clients say 👇

“I have won new clients as a result of our work together”.

“You’ve been my guiding light. You’ve given me confidence”.

“I felt working with you really helped me gain clarity on my goals and target audience. I thought you really took the time to understand my business and tailor a unique strategy. It felt like you genuinely cared”.

“I often come out of our sessions buzzing”.

“I can really envisage my ideal client now, and I understand how to balance my content”.

“Having clarity around my messaging and audience means my marketing feels more aligned to my business and my audience”.

DM me - SPRINT and I’ll do the rest!

11/11/2024

This is the week...

The week to make a commitment to sort out your marketing for 2025, and start the year as you mean to go on.

❓Have you been feeling overwhelmed with how to tackle your marketing?

❓Using a scattergun approach? Not sticking with anything long enough to really see any benefits?

❓Feeling a lack of confidence in your abilities to stand out in a crowded space?

❓Unsure of how to effectively communicate the value you give to your clients to attract new clients?

❓Do you feel beholden to hiring expensive marketing experts to help you achieve anything with your marketing?

❓ Or maybe you are just sticking your head in the sand and hoping your business will continue to get new clients without any marketing effort on your behalf?

❌ I hate to break it to you, but you can’t afford to stay invisible.

It’s getting harder to stand out from the crowd.

I am helping small businesses to up their marketing game:
✅ Teaching them how to do it for themselves.
✅ Helping them stand out from the crowd.
✅ Giving them the skills and confidence.
✅ With a solid strategy underpinning everything they do.

I work with business founders, coaches and consultants in service-based businesses and I can train other members of staff along the way.

I have space for 2 more clients to sign up before Friday.
To join my strategy sprint, and get them up and running with a marketing strategy and plan by January (with a break for the Christmas holidays).

⏰ There’s still time to make the next month count.
💰 Are you in? Prices go up in January.
DM me SPRINT, if you’re ready to go!

07/11/2024

I get it…marketing feels like a right old slog…

Especially when you’re not sure what you’re doing!

And I’m not saying it’s easy.

There’s no magic tip or trick I can give that’s going to make it require zero effort.

BUT, by having a strategy and a plan, your marketing will help you build credibility, authority, trust and ultimately more sales.

And I’m not talking about ‘giving it a go’ for a few months and then giving up.
Successful marketing should be built into the fabric of what you do.

Year in and year out, moving with the direction of your business, adjusting for changes along the way.

You should be playing the long game.

Which is why you need to get those foundations in place now.

I have 2 final places available before 15th November to work with to get your strategy in place by January. (final 1:1 places for the year, and we will pause for 3 weeks over Christmas).

The price will never be this low again for my Strategy Sprint.

Over the course of the 8 weeks you will have access to:

⭐️ A personalised dashboard that captures everything we work on
⭐️ Specific action points after every meeting
⭐️ Me for support and questions in between our 1:1’s
⭐️ A small community of other business owners also working on their marketing strategy and implementation
⭐️ Live masterclasses with marketing experts to give you a good marketing knowledge and grounding
⭐️ All of my training resources, but I will direct you to the right ones as and when you need them (rather than you feeling overwhelmed!)

You will finish the 8 weeks with a bespoke marketing strategy, the skills, knowledge and confidence to push it forward.

DM me SPRINT if you’d like to transform your marketing for 2025!

02/10/2024

You’ll be amazed at what we can achieve in a day. 🤩

A day to focus on the thing in your business that usually ends up on the bottom of the to-do list, but you know that it should really be on the top.

Why should it be at the top of your list?

Because it’s your roadmap for everything else. You can be more impactful, more efficient, and get better results with your marketing if you know what you’re doing!

It will transform your business if you get it right.

I have felt so passionately about doing an in-person version of this for so long.

And it’s FINALLY happening!

I’ve teamed up with the incredible Hester Barnes, so that you come away with a plan of action and also some incredible photography to help you get started.
It’s happening on 15th October, in London. and we already have some amazing business owners signed up.

There are a few spots left if you’d like to join us.

It’s going to be a full day of learning and action taking in an incredible venue.
Booking will be closing soon, so if you want to be a part of this day then book your spot now.

DM me STRATEGY DAY and I’ll send you all the info and booking link.

20/09/2024

Simplify...don’t complicate

Progress over perfection

Stop waiting for the one big momentous win and celebrate the tiny wins along the way.

I’m all about this in business.

It’s been a learning curve.

But this is how I teach my clients about marketing too.

Stop putting it off until everything’s perfect.

Visibility is not about perfection.

Do the groundwork, set your compass and then crack on and no doubt you’ll make some mistakes along the way.

Otherwise, you stay in the shadows and wonder why everyone else seems to be ‘nailing it’ (they won’t think they are by the way!).

My strategy day is for the small businesses that are ready to get started.

I’ll help you set you do the groundwork and set your compass with you.

But, after today the price goes up!

So grab a spot while you can at £297, for an incredible day of learning and doing. (15th October, near Marble Arch).

Come away with a clear idea of where you’re heading, excitement to get started and some incredible bonuses that I’m throwing in too (a brand spanking new headshot from Hester Barnes to name just one!)

DM me STRATEGY DAY for all the details and the booking link.

19/09/2024

What do these all have in common?

An ADHD coach
A telecoms/IT solutions company
A sales consultant and author
A tech company that has developed a key management solution
A branding specialist and website designer
A personalised art company
A food and drink start-up consultancy

This is the list of clients currently in my Strategy Made Simple Programme.

They all needed guidance.

There may have been different aspects of marketing that they struggled with.

But they all needed to go back to the foundations and work out the following:

❓ What is their core objective with their marketing?
❓Who are they specifically targeting (and do they really understand these people)?
❓What channels should they be focussing on to reach this audience?
❓What messaging is going to resonate with that audience?
❓How can they incorporate marketing into their daily/weekly routine in a way that’s sustainable?
❓What are they going to be talking about in their marketing?
❓How are they going to find, nurture and potentially sell to their audience?

For one special day, I am going to be in a room with a handful of small businesses looking at all of this 👆, and how these relate specifically to their businesses.

I’m so excited by those that have signed up already - some really amazing businesses. There aren’t many spaces left, so if you feel like you need this, grab it now!

Not only will you have secured a space, but the price is going up by £100 by the end of tomorrow.

It’s on 15th October, in London from 10am-3.30pm and it’s only £297 (increasing to £397 by the end of Friday).

⭐️ALSO INCLUDES: a mini photoshoot and headshot with the BRILLIANT Hester Barnes, a LinkedIn profile review by me, access to tools I only share with clients, plus lunch and a great chance to meet some other incredible business owners!)

DM me and I’ll send you all the details!

18/09/2024

Clients arrive with me confused, frustrated and often perplexed. Marketing jargon’s been thrown at them, and extortionate numbers quoted for outsourcing and marketing their business feels so hard and confusing that they often just want to hide.🫣

I’m about simplifying all this, figuring out a strategy and turning that into actions that the business owner can actually manage.

I wanted to offer this strategic thinking to a wider group of businesses in an in-person day.

A small enough group that each business can massively benefit, but also enjoy sharing their challenges with each other (I always benefit from discussing my business with a range of other business owners).

I’ve got Hester Barnes, a brilliant branding photographer coming along to capture the afternoon and take headshots for all attendees, so not only will you leave with a much clearer idea about your strategy, but you’ll come away with a shiny new headshot too!

Not to mention a delicious lunch, an incredible venue and I am also throwing in a LinkedIn profile review so your profile is optimised.

All this for just £297, BUT the price GOES UP ON FRIDAY! So book now by messaging me ‘STRATEGY DAY’ and I’ll send you a link with all the details and booking link.

17/09/2024

Typically it’s the first two sessions that I have with clients where they experience the biggest shift in how they are thinking about their marketing.

They come away with clarity they’ve never had before.

This upcoming in-person strategy day is going to be exactly that.

It’s a whole day in a gorgeous venue, with me and a handful of other businesses, who will all be experiencing the same challenges as you.

I’d love you to join me.

It’s in London, on Tuesday 15th October, early bird price £297 (going up to £397 after Friday).

Places are limited so don’t wait!

DM me and I’ll send you all the details and the link is in stories too!

12/09/2024

When’s the last time you did this? 👇

I mean really sat down and thought about exactly who might be your potential clients.

❓Who exactly are you writing for when you post?

❓What do you want them to take away from your marketing?

Hearing potential clients say ‘You’ve totally nailed how I am feeling right now, this could have been written about me’.

It’s amazing when you do get to that point.

But it doesn’t happen by creating generic content.

It happens when you truly understand how your potential customer or client feels, and you can empathise with that and can effectively communicate how your business can help them.

Stepping out of your shoes and into theirs is powerful.

It’s a process to get to this, and it doesn’t happen without concerted effort.

This is usually one of the most powerful steps I take my clients through - new businesses and old, you’d be surprised at how few established businesses have actually done this.

This is just one of the elements I’ll be incorporating in my upcoming in-person Strategy Day.

I’ll be going through all the foundational elements you need in place for your marketing to be successful.

A day in a beautiful venue in London, with me and a handful of other small businesses.

You’ll come away with:

💥 Clarity around what you’re trying to achieve with your marketing
💥 Practical, actionable steps to take - some of which we’ll take together in the day.
💥 A new, much more systemised approach to your marketing and an understanding of how your marketing can and should be generating leads for your business
💥 A sense of excitement instead of panic/overwhelm when you think about marketing your service-based business.

PLUS:

A gorgeous headshot thrown in, by the incredible and talented Hester Barnes

A profile review by me

Access to my content planner to take away your content planning headaches

It’s on Tuesday 15th October and the Earlybird price is £297 until 20th September (rising to £397).

I’m so excited to make this strategic help much more accessible to small business owners.

DM me STRATEGY DAY for all the details!

11/09/2024

Starting a business from nothing but an idea and a passion can be daunting.

There are so many steps to turning that idea into a viable business.

If you don’t have any marketing know-how then how do you go about creating an impactful online presence?

Where do you invest your money first? Where do you start?

This is exactly where Bean was when I met her.

She was a certified transformational coach, but unsure how to move forward with her business.

So I held her hand through the process. With my help, she made the leap from marketing novice to creating an impactful online presence.

Step by step I created a strategy for her.

Once we were clear on her objectives and goals, and we had clarity on her audience, I then put her into the trusted hands of my partners so she had a strong brand identity and website (Alison Leon), and incredible brand photography (Jade Alana).

Then we worked on building her marketing knowledge, skills and confidence so she could start building an audience on two platforms.

By investing in the right things at the right time, Bean accelerated her business growth and established a meaningful presence online.

If you’re wondering where to start, my in-person strategy day could be the springboard you need.

Whether you have a new or established business, the steps I’ll take you through in the day will help to clarify where you should be shifting your focus.

Come away armed with an actionable plan and clarity around how you want to use your marketing.

📆 It’s on Tuesday 15th October, I’m deliberately capping it at 12 people so that everyone gets maximum value from the day.

📸 It’s at a gorgeous venue in central London, including lunch and a mini headshoot from the amazing , plus a profile review by me!

🤩 It’s incredible value for all of that at £297, until 20th September. (Price will go up to £397 after that if it’s not sold out already).

👉 Message me ‘Strategy Day’ for full details, or head to my bio.

09/09/2024

I’ve been thinking about doing this for a year now… and I’m finally doing it!

I decided to hold an in-person strategy day on the 15th October! 🎉

I don’t know about you, but I miss these in-person events, so I wanted to create something unique and accessible to help small businesses with their marketing strategy.

It’s the kickstart you need to get your foundations in place.

After testing the idea with a group of business founders, I found what they really want is a day of both learning and applying.

This will be a day of action-taking!

This is for you if… 👇

👉 You are a service-based, small business.
👉 You’ve been feeling decidedly ‘meh’ about you marketing:
👉 It’s too hard and you don’t really know where to begin
👉 It’s too time-consuming and you need a focus
👉 It fills you with dread
👉 You know you can’t rely on word of mouth forever and need to get your act together
👉 You’re getting left behind by your competitors and need to take action
👉 You lack confidence and you need someone to guide you

I want you to come away from the day with:

💥 Clarity around what you’re trying to achieve with your marketing
💥 Practical, actionable steps to take - some of which we’ll take together in the day.
💥 A new, much more systemised approach to your marketing and an understanding of how your marketing can and should be generating leads for your business
💥 A sense of excitement instead of panic/overwhelm when you think about marketing your service-based business.

The day will take place in a gorgeous central London Venue (x+why in Marble Arch)

It will include:
🥗 A delicious lunch
💬 Some networking time
📷 Mini headshot session with the incredible Hester
📽 A LinkedIn profile review from me (after the day)
📕 Access to some of the tools and resources that I share with my clients (like my brilliant content planner that they all use and love!)

EARLYBIRD PRICE of £297 runs out on 20th September and then it will go up to £397 - SPOTS ARE LIMITED TO ONLY 12!

DM me ‘STRATEGY DAY’ and I’ll send you full details. Or head to my bio…

02/09/2024

Things that worked this summer holiday and things that didn’t…

✔️A lot of lovely family time and time with the kids.

✔️Lots of different trips, from the mountains in France to camping in Gloucester. We didn’t have long stretched with the kids bored at home.

✔️A proper 2 week break from LinkedIn - only good stuff came from that break

✔️I carried on working in between trips, and had the space to come up with some great ideas, even though I wasn’t working long hours.

✔️I feel excited to hit September with plans for the rest of the year formulated.

What could have been better…

❌ I didn’t get half the business development stuff done that I was planning.

❌ Hard to get sales calls booked in or to get new clients lined up for September.

❌ I worked from home and barely made it into the office. The upside being that I was around for the kids. The downside also being that I was around for the kids! They want to ask me questions every 2 minutes!

❌Trying to maximise those early morning hours of quiet to be productive (when you’re not a morning person), also trying to squeeze in some fitness too was hard.

❌Probably on my phone too much, but sometimes when you’re trying to do all the things this is how you end up ‘working’. On your phone quickly checking messages etc. Ugh - hate my phone!

I’ve come to accept there is no perfect August, but I felt closer to it this summer than any summer before.

How was your summer work juggle? What worked and what didn’t work for you?

Follow me for more practical and realistic tips around marketing your small business successfully.

22/02/2024

❓Are you looking for quick wins?

I know, we all are.

There’s an immediate pressure which is stopping you from thinking about the long game.

So you’re throwing spaghetti 🍝 at the wall to see what sticks.

You’re absorbing every hack, tip, trick and tactic in that you can get your hands on.

But it means that next month, and the month after you won’t have really moved forward.

It’s scary to take a pause, go back to the basics and rebuild you foundations.

But often that’s the only way you can really move forward and start feeling like you’re getting somewhere.

I’ve had to do this a number of times (because you should never stop questioning, reviewing, rethinking your direction). This is where I start with clients (however established they are):

❗️I always go back to firstly reviewing your objectives
❗️Your key marketing messages - do they still feel right?
❗️Has your target audience changed? If so, then who are they now?
❗️Have you got content pillars in place? Do these still make sense (taking into consideration the changes that may have happened above?)
❗️Do your marketing activities still align with everything above? Or have you got stuck in a few ruts along the way?

Businesses evolve, because people evolve.

What was right for your business last year is not necessarily right for it this year.

➡️ Follow me for more tips on creating an effective, lead-generating marketing strategy for your business.

⭐️ Strategy Made Simple is for business founders, coaches and consultants like you to give you the marketing strategy, training, tactics, support and accountability you need to create the income you want.

📅 I am running a special offer in February to celebrate launching my full programme. DM me ‘STRATEGY’ if you’d like to find out more.

12/02/2024

3 mistakes people make when creating an income 💰 generating marketing strategy…

❗️They lose sight of their original objectives and get too focussed on the how instead of the why (getting caught up in tactics).

❗️They neglect their target audience and become so absorbed in their business they forget to look at it through an outsiders perspective.

❗️They get stuck in a rut and don’t objectively review what they are doing and what it’s achieving regularly enough.

What’s the solution?

💥 Have a solid strategy in the first place.

💥 Have regular reviews in place.

💥 Get an expert in with a fresh perspective.

💥 Never fear scrapping something if it’s simply not delivering (or finding a way to do it better!).

My 6 month programme helps to focus you on the activities that will help increase income, with a plan and a framework in place, and the confidence and skill to execute it.

For the month of February I am re-launching my full ‘Strategy Made Simple’ Programme, with 🌟 £1000 ⭐️ off the full price.

I already have a group of brilliant small businesses going through programme with fantastic feedback.

If you’re ready for your marketing to start helping to increase leads and sales then DM me the word SIMPLE!

Address

Beaconsfield

Website

http://www.hive-social.co.uk/

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Videos

I’m back! Dragging myself back to the laptop and back onto social media after a pretty epic break over Christmas in sunny Australia. If I can make it through the week without too many naps, snacks or sneaking off to binge-watching ‘Bad Sisters’ then I’ll be winning! Taking it easy this week, catching up with clients and getting my head back in the game. Are you coming back to earth with a bump this week too? Looking forward to catching up - drop me a comment or a message to say hi! #marketingstrategist #marketingplan #digitalmarketing101 #smallbusinessmarketing

‘I’m really not into the whole selling thing - I found that very hard…’ ‘I used to open my laptop and think ‘What am I going to post about?’ It used to take me an hour to write a post.’ ↓ Cut to now... ‘Now I look forward to creating content.’ I’ve realised selling doesn’t have to be uncomfortable.’ ‘It takes me 10 minutes to write a post instead of an hour.’ I’ve definitely won clients as a result of using what I’ve learnt working with you.’ This is what I love to hear! ❤️ @alisonleonstudio was a joy to work with! If you’re running a business and you’re tired of the content hamster wheel, or you’re avoiding your marketing completely because it’s too overwhelming, then I’ve got the perfect opportunity for you. 👇 I am looking for 3 business owners who want to get more strategic about their marketing. Is this you? 👇 👉 You want to remove the stress and uncertainty around your marketing, and instead simplify it so it feels manageable. 👉 You want to maintain or increase your visibility for the longer term, and build new habits around marketing, as well as building your skills and confidence. 👉 You are happy to put the effort in and work collaboratively with me to make this happen. 👉 You want to see your marketing efforts translate into new business and ultimately a more successful, less stressful experience. If that’s you, I have a special rate for 3 businesses to start work with me before 15th November, we will work for 8 weeks (with a pause for Xmas), to set up your new strategy and plan, so by the New Year you will have a whole new outlook when it comes to your marketing. After that, I will continue to be your Chief Marketing Cheerleader and Advisor to keep you on track and continue to develop your marketing success into 2025. 📩 If this sounds good, DM me READY, and let’s chat! #marketingsimplified #contentcreationtips #uksmallbusiness #digitalstrategy #marketingstrategycon

Are you worried your marketing is about to drop off the edge of a cliff? Here are my biggest tips for getting through the summer without marketing stress… ✅ Get that strategy in place to give you that bigger picture view, so you can be very intentional over you summer activity ✅ Know what you want to achieve, get your key dates in the diary for Sept and Oct now ✅ Batch create content - emails and social media posts. Get ahead of the game now! ✅ Prioritise - just pick one or two channels to focus on ✅ Reduce but don’t stop. Agree with yourself/team members, a do-able level of content for the summer and stick to it. ✅ Schedule posts ahead of time ✅ Keep it EASY - repurpose where possible. By doing this you will avoid: ❌ The inevitable September panic ❌ The scramble to make Oct and Nov count ❌ Losing connection with your audience ❌ Loss of confidence and momentum by September (it’s haaard to come back!) ❌ Looking like your business has shut up shop for the summer (unless that’s exactly how you’d like it to look!) I think it’s virtually impossible for any business owner to get the balance totally right! I’d love to know if you’ll be staying visible over the summer? What’s your biggest challenge? If you’re thinking about getting a strategy and a plan in place but don’t know where to start then let’s chat. 👇 ⭐️The Strategy Made Simple Programme is for business founders, coaches and consultants like you to give you the marketing strategy, training, tactics, support and accountability you need to create the income you want. #digitalwomen #digitalstrategist #socialmediastrategytips

Does creating content feel easy or hard? 🤷‍♀️ When your messaging is not clear it tends to feel very hard. When you can’t picture who’s reading it and how you want them to feel….then it’s hard. When you don’t have a clear idea of what you’re trying to achieve with each piece of content…it’s hard. When you haven’t worked out a good mix of things to talk about (that will appeal to your audience)… it’s hard. If you haven’t got your strategy figured out then it’s like running a race with your legs tied together. Everything’s twice as hard. When nothing’s aligned and it all feels disjointed, it’s impossible. If you feel like something’s missing, but you’re not sure what, then I have the answer for you. Take my short but effective quiz and it will identify which area you need to focus your energy on. Let’s make it more fun! It takes less than a minute. DM me QUIZ and I’ll send you the link! #digitalstrategy #buildyourbusiness #businesscoaching #ukbusinesswoman #businessstrategist

If you’re maintaining visibility, chances are you feel like a bit of a pest now and again! 👀 We are in a crowded space, it’s hard to stand out. Your audience needs nurturing. Sometimes it might take a year or more for someone to be in the right space to reach out. If you’ve just relied on them following you on social media, they may well have drifted off to newer pastures by then! You need to be consistently nurturing that relationship from different angles. Popping into their inbox, getting them to join a live or a masterclass. Offering them something of value now and again. Then…. when/if they are ready, chances are you’ll be the one they think of… It might make you feel like an annoying pest sometimes… But trust me, they will only see a fraction of what you put out there, so keep going! Are you persistent enough? Are you playing the long game? Try taking my quiz to see if you’re on the right track… DM me QUIZ and I’ll send you the link! It takes less than a minute and will quickly diagnose where you might be slipping up... #femalefounderscollective #femalefoundersleadtheway #supportasmallbusiness #digitalmarketer #digitalmarketingexpert

Loved this live chat with @heytanyaedgar about common fears around selling. I know so much about this because I suffered from a chronic dislike of sales when I started my business! Here’s what we talked about: ➡️ Scared of being too salesy ➡️ Worried about tumbleweed ➡️ Expectations versus realities of selling ➡️ Fatigue from being in sales mod too often I’d love to know what other fears or worries you can add to this, happy to answer your questions below. I have invested heavily in this area and now I have a lot of sales strategies I call upon to help grow my business. I hope you enjoy this quick chat!

I don’t get up at 5 am lightly, or do a 6-hour trip return train trip in one day for just anyone. Or spend my Friday night on a train eating an M&S sandwich for dinner 🤔 But I’ll do it for this lot! They’ve been instrumental in my business adventure over the past year. Thank you @chrisjamesonline , @thevickihandley and @littlegreenduck . #businesscommunity #smallbusinesscoach #brandstrategists #marketingstrategist

Stop trying to do all the things…😬 I can’t tell you how many times I speak to business owners and they are spread across so many channels. None of which are really working well for them. A key trend we will see in 2024 is less is more. Be more selective around which channels or platforms your using - and let your audience guide you on what these should be. You may love Instagram, but if your target market aren’t here then what’s the point? Choose what’s right for your business, don’t worry about what everyone else is doing. Stick to your lane, do what’s going to get you the results you need and get rid of the distractions. Regularly re-assess, what’s working and what’s not? Adapt accordingly. Are you spreading yourself too thin? 👋 Hi I’m Katie, a social media strategist that likes to talk about the realities and practicalities of running your organic social media successfully. 🔔 Follow me and hit the bell for more useful tips and advice for getting better results from your social media. #2024trends #smallbusinesscoach #digitalmarketingconsultant #contentmarketer #purposedrivenbusiness