The Social Reef, Burlington, VT (2024)

09/21/2021

Can I be frank? (yes, the tea is piping hot today, folks...)
..the 6-figure mantra that every business coach is spouting off these days is killing your business.

It's creating unrealistic goals, barriers to feeling successful, and taking advantage of your vulnerability as a new (or even experienced) entrepreneur.

And we've heard it a thousand times over, "to get to 6-figures, you need to invest in MY program" and yes... I was actually told that by a so-called "coach" once after rejecting their pitch.

Your goal should not be focused on hitting a certain income level. That's fluff. Your goal should be focused on creating sustainability in your business and developing fundamental marketing strategies.

This repetitive messaging is so toxic that I have seen a countless number of people who started their businesses at the same time as me GIVE UP and throw in the towel because success didn't come to them right away.

Don't let this idea that in order to be successful you need to have a 6-figure business in one year KILL. YOUR. DREAMS.

I always promise no BS and I mean that. Whether you're an online service provider, a small locally-owned business, a business 3,000 miles away from me, when I work with you it's all about creating realistic goals and strategies that will achieve the vision you have for your business.

Ready to ditch the nonsense? Let's work together to make it happen.

09/20/2021

IT'S YA GIRL!! 👋🏼✨🎉

and I am officially welcoming you into this party!

So, I'm sure you followed me for a reason and you got to know who I was for a while. But you haven't seen much of me lately, have you?

Yep. I've been gone girl. But I can explain!

If you're a business owner this is a tale as old as time: I struggled with identifying who I was as a brand. As humans, we build our personalities throughout our lives, but as a business owner it feels like an entirely different ball game.

I tried defining my brand as classic, elegant, and minimalistic... all at different points in my journey. The result? I was never satisfied with the content I was putting out because deep down it was not truly reflective of who I was. So I slowed down the content I was creating. Eventually I was posting only once or twice every month.

But it was so hard. I felt like I was failing my brand, and in a sense I was.

As silly as it sounds, this past weekend I had an epiphany moment: this is my brand and I need to reflect who I am, not present myself as someone I'm not.

I don't need to worry about what other people are doing in their business because in the end, I need to be authentic to who I am. This starts with my branding.

So yes, I am back feeling fun, fabulous, and fresh!

Whether you recognized me or not, I'm not passing any judgement. I just hope you'll join me in the next chapter of my business.

Let's get to know each other again, shall we?

09/01/2021

Are you scared that you're giving away all of your industry secrets away for free?

Here's why you shouldn't worry about that:

People need to know why you're the expert they should be working with. Anyone can talk the talk, but can you walk the walk?

When make purchasing decisions (especially 3 and 4-figure decisions) your audience needs concrete evidence about your knowledge base.

PLUS - the information you put out on your marketing platforms is not enough for someone to take it and run with it. You can't learn all about one topic from a 1,500 character caption. They will still need you.

So STOP being scared that sharing expert knowledge will deter clients from needing you. It won't. I promise. It's more of an incentive for people to say, "Hey, they know what they're talking about!" and slide right into your DMs 😏

07/26/2021

The "business gurus" are at it again...

😇 "You have low engagement because your content isn't good"

🤪 "It's not your hashtags... it's your content that sucks."

😚 "I'm successful because I have good content, just be like me!"

And let me tell you... I AM SICK OF IT!

I see you ALL working so hard on building creative content strategies that are 🔥, using hashtags that have worked wonders in the past, connecting with your audience on such a personal level, and STILL not seeing the results you want.

I want you to know that it's not your content that sucks and anyone who makes blanket statements like that is using fear tactics to get you to listen to them.

It's true that if you post "flops" one of the reasons could be because your content just wasn't connecting with your audience, but that is only one of a million possibilities.

Chances are if you know you worked hard and put out valuable content for your audience, that's probably not the reason your post "flopped."

BIG REMINDER: visibility on Instagram also just kinda sucks right now. For everyone.

What worked for the "business experts" in 2020 probably isn't working for you because we are in an evolving Instagram period right now. Video content is being pushed, people are spending less time on their phones, the market is flooded with people selling their services through Instagram.

So yeah, your content probably doesn't suck. Or honestly, maybe it does. Who am I to say?

I debated making this into a post to sell one of my services as my call to action, but I think this post deserves to stand here alone. No shady sales tactics to be found! Bask in it. I'm not going to ask you to do anything but read this post and save it for later so you can come back and feel empowered after you see a post from one of "those" people 😉

07/02/2021

150 HASHTAGS FOR YOU TO USE!!!

🎁 It's my gift to you!

I spent all week researching 150 hashtags for a variety of niches that you can use in your own Instagram strategy.

💭 Remember these important hashtag tips before you use them:

🌟 Make sure that you only use them if they are in your niche and go with the post you are uploading.

🌟 Don't use ONLY these hashtags. You can add these to your mix, but you should have 90-120 hashtags that you continually rotate for each post.

It pays to engage in my stories! I chose these categories based on different people's niches who responded to my story the other day. If you see your niche and you've responded to a question in my stories recently... this post was made for you!

If you want to see more posts like this, leave a comment with which niches I should share next. And SAVE this post for later!

06/29/2021

What if you could read your ideal client's mind...

Let me help you! I'm showing you 3 ways today that you can do a little bit of FREE research into what your audience wants from you

👉🏼 In your stories:

Did you know that one of the best ways to increase engagement in your stories is by offering interactive content such as polls, question boxes, sliding bars, and quizzes?

YEP! An easy way to get information is to use these tools to ask your audience. Run a poll about x, y, or z topics that you've been curious about, ask your audience about what they've been struggling with by using a question box. So much information can be gathered through this method!

👉🏼 In your posts:

Use your CTA for ICA research!! Use some of my prompts on the slide or come up with your own. So much can be revealed through a comment or in the DMs...

👉🏼 In your current clients:

When's the last time you sent out a client questionnaire form?

I like to send one out before I start working with clients, 1 month into working with clients, and then every 2 months or until the end of our partnership.

These questionnaires can reveal so much about your working relationship, but it also reveals what needs you're meeting and maybe what needs are still unmet.

So are you ready to go out there and find out what your ideal clients need? Tell me below which is your favorite Instagram market research strategy! 👇🏼

06/23/2021

What is a niche and why does it matter?

Niche 👉🏼 an area where your business can specialize and meet underserved needs that will differentiate you from your competition.

For example, my niche is women who own service-based businesses specializing in various types of digital marketing or business coaching.

When I first started my business I thought I wanted to work with product-based businesses in the cosmetics industry and local businesses with storefronts because that's what I thought would be easiest. I also had just closed my soap company and felt that it would be a good transition to switch into marketing products for online businesses like mine was.

I was WRONG 🙅🏼‍♀️ I learned very quickly while filling out an ideal client spreadsheet that one of my very first coaches gave me, that product-based businesses are not entirely where my passion is (disclaimer: I still love 💛 working with product-based businesses through consulting, just not full social media management). But I still didn't know who I wanted to work with.

It wasn't until I started working with one of my absolute ☁️ DREAM ☁️ clients that I knew I needed to focus on service-based businesses.

Once I realized this, I finally felt a weight I didn't know I had lift off my shoulders. I felt FREE!

Finding your niche feels like everything is aligned in your business and you can FINALLY start offering your services to your dream clients with no regrets.

Did you struggle with niching down in your business? Tell me about it in the comments!! 👇🏼

06/22/2021

The rebrand... is HERE.

I have always struggled with branding myself and my business. I used to think it was one of the most exciting parts of starting a business, but after a while when you're looking at the same colors day in and day out you begin to doubt yourself.

I realized it was time for a rebrand when I was getting more frustrated in the design aspect of my content than it was exciting for me to share my knowledge with all of you, my audience.

The reason I started this account and this business was because of my PASSION for social media marketing and my desire to help other serviced-based biz owners like me optimize their accounts and put their best foot forward in the world of marketing.

If I was missing that because of my branding troubles, something needed to change.

I have to give a hugeeee shoutout to .urbanski who absolutely nailed my vision for my branding and logo design (which is saying A LOT because even I didn't have a clear vision of what I wanted). I couldn't be happier with the results.

Investing in your business can be SCARY and that's why it took me a long time to feel comfortable making this investment into my business.

But working with an expert will help elevate your brand and your business in the long run so don't be scared! There are so many levels of investment (and not just with branding). Do your research and work with someone who fits your vibe and vision ✌🏼

What's holding you back from investing in your business?

06/21/2021

Okay so maybe you didn't miss me, but I sure missed you all!

Being a SMM means batching so. much. content. for so many people which can be tiring. On top of all the other busyness that has been going on behind the scenes, I just haven't had time to keep up!

But a business only grows if there is hard work being done in the background which is why I have committed myself to posting 3 times per week again. I am stepping into my CEO role and working on my business again rather than just in my business.

I have some exciting biz news coming your way early tomorrow, do you have any guesses as to what it could be? 👀 Drop your guesses in the comments!

05/18/2021

There is NOTHING like hearing this from your client 🙌🏼

After working with .daus for almost two months, I could not be happier with the partnership we have created which will continue to THRIVE for months to come!

My favorite part of my biz is working with my DREAM clients because it just makes me love my job more and more every day. And those badass dream clients of mine deserve to work on their favorite parts of their business too!

What does this mean? Outsourcing those *ICK* tasks that leave you exhausted and burnt out. What a RELIEF it is to finally offload a piece of your business that just isn't your passion. And hey, what isn't your passion is probably somebody else's!

For me, that was outsourcing my branding. I was fighting with what I wanted for MONTHS before I finally pulled the trigger and hired someone! Although the rebrand isn't here yet... it's coming soon 👀

Are you looking to outsource your socials? BOY OH BOY, do I have something to tell YOU!! I am adding ONE extra spot in July for full-service 1:1 social media management! 🎉

Want IN on this fresh offer? Drop a 💛 in the comments or send me a DM and let's chat!

05/13/2021

I’m taking a 3 week vacation away from my business while STILL PAYING MYSELF 🙌🏼

How am I doing it? A LOT of planning (I’m not kidding 😭). This has been a few of the most stressful weeks leading up to my vacation. Not only do I have final exams, but I am prepping to leave my business flying solo for 3 weeks.

I am entirely a one woman show 🤪 which can be so freeing most of the time, but during times like this I sometimes wish I had an extra set of hands and eyes on my business.

This is how I’ve prepped to leave my business in the hands of... well, itself for 3 weeks:

➡️ I let my clients know WELL in advance that I was taking time off so we could plan everything through the time I’ll be gone. Letting your clients know ahead of time reduces so much stress AND you can work together to make the process go as smooth as possible. I promise your clients see you need a break just as much as you do!

➡️ I have been content batching for my clients through the end of my vacation (and then some) since I won’t have time to actually create content while I’m gone (hello, vacation time!) All grid posts will be scheduled out before I leave so it’s automated and any story content will be fully created and in the hands of my clients to post when I’m unable to.

➡️ I’ve carved out time in my schedule during my vacation to do engagement for my clients. Since I will be between 6 and 9 hours ahead timezone wise while I’m away, I will be able to continue engagement and just do it in the evenings! Engagement is one of the only business activities that I can’t prep for or automate 😢 BUT, I think it’s a small price to pay in the long run.

➡️ I’ve shifted client meeting times to before and after my vacation while still making sure they are getting the same amount of 1:1 that we’ve always had.

Yes, taking a paid vacation means more prep work, but it’s showed me how efficient I can be! It’s also empowered me immensely and inspired me to continue scaling my business.

How do you plan for vacations as a biz owner? Do you continue paying yourself?

05/11/2021

I'm serious! It's all about building an authentic network full of your target audience. Build that trust, engage with your niche, and work some magic ✨

Take it from me. I've mentioned this before in some of my recent posts, but I have been hovering in the 800-900 followers range for MONTHS now.

And guess what? During that time I have tripled my business income, signed new clients, started the process of scaling up, and I'm getting ready for a brand refresh. All that WITHOUT growing my follower base!

And the other kicker? Right now Instagram is my ONLY form of lead generation. I don't have an email list and I don't have a website (I am ready to get chewed out by all the biz coaches and lead gen strategists 😂).

I'm not saying it's easy. You still have to work hard, but I want to reiterate the fact that your follower count isn't an essential metric to growing your business.

Remember: put authenticity before vanity and good things will come 💛 🙌🏼

04/26/2021

Sell, sell, sell, sell, sell. We've all seen THOSE accounts constantly selling their service or their product on your feed. Your reaction? Typically one of these:

😬 Why am I even following them?

😒 I've seen this a million times before.

🖱 *unfollow*

As a business, however, sometimes it's hard to remember to not constantly promote that AMAZING offer you have. Even though you could be presenting the world's best service or product, your audience doesn't want to hear about it like a broken record.

If you're guilty of constantly selling you may have noticed that your engagement is down and you keep losing followers. Switch your strategy!

Build trust through educational, relatable content. Position yourself as an expert in your field. If you have a solid foundation of trust with your followers they will be WAY more likely to purchase your offer when you announce it.

Are you guilty of overselling?

04/22/2021

I know you've heard it a million times:

"Show up on stories EVERY DAY!"

"Post 6-7 days per week"

"REELS- if you aren't using Reels, you aren't doing it right"

Well, I am here to tell you NONE of those things today. Yes, these habits will help you grow and they might even help you grow FAST. But, if that doesn't feel authentic for you, why sacrifice who you are?

I am not someone who can show up in stories every day. I am a full-time student and actively participate in extracurriculars outside of the classroom. I also have full-time clients with who I am constantly doing work. It's not easy for me to remember to schedule a time to talk in stories when I am working 14-16 hour days almost every day. And you know what? That's okay!

When people tell you that you have to grow your account to a certain number of followers in a certain amount of time as you start your business, they are just flat out WRONG.

I will admit I grew my account "fast" in the first few months, but then life happened! I went back to school, grew my business, and tripled my income. The entire time my account has hovered between 850-880 followers. And I don't care.

➡️ The bottom line is that I am still generating leads WEEKLY and I have even had to turn clients away in the last month. I am happy with where my business is at and it's still growing behind the scenes even if my vanity metrics don't show it.

Keep doing you, being authentic, and nurturing your business behind the scenes and growth will follow you at your own pace ☀️

02/26/2021

Hey, there 👀 ... notice anything different?

Yup! We got a facelift 🤩 I figured with spring cleaning just around the corner that I would get a head start with my brand.

I want to reflect on some realignments I have made within my business and be a little more vulnerable with you all.

1️⃣ I started saying "NO" to things that weren't worth my time, undervalued me and my expertise, or just didn't fit with who I am. This was difficult for me as I am a people pleaser and always said yes to everything even if it meant sacrificing my own standards or beliefs. That was the old me, but this is the new me!

2️⃣ I have started doing consulting on top of SMM services! What that means for you: If you don't need full-on social media management but still feel like your social media needs a boost, let's chat! We'll work together to help you NAIL your Instagram strategy and ways to get your Instagram account 🔙 🔛 🔝. Send me a DM or drop a 🌟 in the comments and let's book a free discovery call!

3️⃣ I'm in the beginning stages of building a website! 🎉 This project has been a long time coming and I keep putting it off, but I am FINALLY getting it done. No more excuses! (Even if I do have some VERY valid ones 😅)

What has everyone else been up to lately? I want to hear about your wins!