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Blanford Consulting

Blanford Consulting, LLC offers social media management solutions for business owners.

We help you grow your social media presence through content creation and engagement.

04/02/2025

This seems to be a common thing in my house as of late. It's time for a walk, but my dogs are not interested in being inside. They'd rather stay in their crates than go outside. I mean, we did have a really cold stretch, so I can't blame them.

But...being outside is good for you, especially on social media, yet a lot of business owners don't think about outside engagement.

Sure, most of us are good about replying to comments on our own content. That's engagement 101. But a lot of business owners don't realize the key to growth is engaging outside of their content.

If you're on Facebook, engage with your followers on their content and engage in Facebook Groups with your target audience. On Instagram, engage with your followers' content and engage on content that uses your target hashtags.

There are so many places to engage and only so much time in a day. My suggestion is to first nurture your own audience and then, with the rest of the time you have allotted for engagement, pick a few other places to engage with some content.

Not sure how you can fit in one more thing on social media? Then maybe it's time to rework what you're doing to make time for this so you can grow on social media. That's where The Social Growth Game Plan comes in. I create a personalized social media plan for you, with input from you. I also provide one to one support while you're implementing that plan. Want more info? DM me the word PLAN for all the details!

03/02/2025

Are you a business owner whose 2025 is off to a rough start? There's a lot of craziness in the world and maybe your life has been a little crazy. I know mine has with all the days off my kids have had this month (snow days, holidays, teacher work days)!

First of all, take some time for yourself to relax. No, really, even a few minutes here and there can help.

Second, prioritize and make sure what you're working on for your business is doable for your life!

If you're ready to make social media for your business more doable, then you should check out the Social Growth Game Plan! It's your personalized plan for growing on social media in a way that works for you. It also comes with one to one support while you implement your plan. And...because I want to help you get back on track in 2025, I'm offering it for just $147! LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE! Comment PLAN for more info.

31/01/2025

I'm a firm believer that work should be fun...at least a good portion of the time.

Social media is a great way to have fun in your business - post a poll with a fun question, post a funny Reel, comment on other fun posts, etc.

What is one way you have fun on social media?

30/01/2025

You may have heard that repurposing content can make content creation easier, but what, exactly, does it mean on social media?

There are a lot of ways to repurpose content. Here are some things I do:

1. I reshare a past post (usually something that is a couple months old), with the same image and caption.

2. I repeat the topics I talk about.

3. I reshare a past post with the same caption, but a different image. Sometimes I will slightly reword the caption.

4. I take a longer post and break it up into smaller pieces of content.

Do you repurpose content?

Want some help creating content so you have things to repurpose? I have a FREE content creation guide that makes it quick and easy! Comment below or DM me to get your copy.

29/01/2025

Are you posting them? Do you scroll through them?

Like it or not, Stories are an important feature, especially on Instagram. A lot of IG users spend more time in their Stories feed than their regular feed, so you should make it a point to post there regularly.

Is it challenging to find the time to do one more thing on IG/social media? Then it may be time to rethink your plan. The Social Media Game Plan does just that - you get a personalized plan and one to one support. DM me PLAN below for more info.

28/01/2025

How do you feel about engaging on social media for your business? Is it just one more task on your list?

While engagement is essential, it doesn't have to be tedious or boring. Take the time to get to know people and keep in mind that every comment/reply doesn't need to be all business all the time. Keeping things light (at least some of the time) can be great way to build rapport with people. People want to work with those they know and like, right?

What do you think?

27/01/2025

I really want you to think about this one...

What do you want from social media when it comes to your business? Are you getting it?

Let's hear those answers in the comments!

24/01/2025

How do you feel about content creation for your business? Is it easy or difficult? Do you like it or dislike it?

Want it to be quick and easy? Then comment GUIDE below for my FREE content creation guide. It outlines my 5 step system that I use to create content for myself and my clients.

24/01/2025

You just need to post 5-7 times per week, post 10 stories per day, post daily Reels and spend 2 hours a day engaging.

Ever heard something similar from IG experts? I know I have. While this may yield awesome results for many and may be doable for some, it's not sustainable for most business owners.

That said, all of those things (feed posts, stories, Reels and engagement) have their place for helping you grow on Instagram. The key is to find a way to show up consistently in a way that works for you, your life, your time, your energy, etc.

Not sure what you should be doing with the time/energy you do have? Then you should check out The Social Media Game Plan (also includes FB, if you use that). I listen to you about your time, energy, likes, dislikes, goals, etc and help you come up with a plan for growing...in a way that works for you. I also provide a month of one to one support while you implement that plan. Want to learn more? Comment PLAN to get all the details...and to get in on the introductory price of $147.

22/01/2025

So when you post, you expect to have people comment on your content. Of course you want that engagement because it leads to opportunities to make connections for your business.

But...what about those rude comments? Whether they're flat out nasty comments from trolls or just unwanted advice from some internet know it all, they can be frustrating.

Who has the time or energy to deal with that kind of engagement?

Well, as a business owner, it's important that you handle it in some way. You can ignore it. That's ok and may be what's doable for you. You can reply to them diplomatically, which is my favorite way to handle these comments. It shows your audience you handle yourself in a professional manner and brings more engagement to your content. You can also report and block the commenter, if what they said was particularly nasty (I very very rarely do this).

You can also get into it with them, debate, etc. That, however, isn't something I would advise when you're on social media for your business.

So....how do you feel about these types of comments?

21/01/2025

I used to love waking up to snow outside when I was a kid and then finding out school was closed (back in the day when you had to wait for your county to be announced on the news). I even loved it as an adult, both when I taught and when my kids were younger. A day when I got to take a break from the usual? All about it!

These days, though, I just don't feel the same way. A lot of it has to do with 2 things - 1. My youngest has special needs and he's home, he needs constant attention and supervision, so I have less time to get things done. A snow day is just one more thing that takes away from that time to get things done. 2. As a small business owner, I still have things to do. I don't shut down just because it snows. I mean, pretty much everything I do is online.

Anyway...I do my best to be flexible with my plans, goals, timelines, etc since life is unpredictable. Just had to do that last week, when schools were closed for 3 days for snow, followed by 2 delayed openings because of icy roads.

What about you? How do you handle snow days?

20/01/2025

Do you do this? Do you close your business/not work on holidays, weekends, etc?

For me, as a small business owner, sometimes I do and sometimes I don't. It really depends on what I need to get done for my business, what my time prior to those days was like (ie, did I have time to get things done) and what I have going on during those holidays/long weekends.

On this day, I want to take a moment (doesn't seem like long enough, but I digress) to recognize Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and his role in the Civil Rights Movement.

My kids and husband are off school today, but I am not taking the day off specifically for the holiday. That said, with everyone home, I am planning on getting less done than usual. I may do some work, I may not. That remains to be seen.

What about you? What are you doing today?

17/01/2025

I get content ideas from all kinds of places. I use Trello to keep track of them, by the way (you should have a place to keep track of ideas so you don't lose them - the notes app on your phone can work).

Anyway...one of the places I sometimes get content ideas is from other business owners. In this case, I'm not talking about ideas in terms of topics. I'm talking about how to express those ideas. Sometimes I see a post and I really like the concept of how they structured it or the style of the post. I will take screenshots to remind me and save them to my phone - or even Trello, if I remember.

I still try to use wording that is in line with my voice, but other people's content is a great place to get ideas and find inspiration. Just be sure that you're not completely copying what they're saying. It's important to use your own spin on ideas and your own voice.

Where do you find content inspiration? You might just help someone out, so share in the comments.

16/01/2025

It's the first Get To Know Your Customers Day of 2025! This quarterly "social media holiday" provides an opportunity to develop the know/like/trust factor with your audience. People are more likely to work with those they have a certain familiarity with.

So...I'll share 3 fun, random facts about me and I'd love to learn some fun facts about you. So...here goes:

1. I have 4 kids - 3 adult-ish (18, 20, 22) daughters and 1 son (13).

2. I got my first (and currently, only) tattoo when I was 50 years old.

3. I have been to the 2 coldest home games in Baltimore Ravens history - and still had a great time!

So...do we have anything in common? Do you have any similar stories/fun facts? Share away in the comments!

15/01/2025

I really don't understand why people do this - and I'm not talking about leaving cabinets open (I'm usually the culprit for doing that in my house lol).

Why do people put links in their caption in Instagram? They're not clickable, so they just clutter up the caption.

So...I have heard from a few business owners that they just post the same content on Facebook and Instagram via a scheduler, so the link shows up in the IG caption even though it's not clickable. In that case, take a moment in your content creation/scheduling process to make a quick edit to the IG caption.

If you still want your IG audience to access the link, there are several ways to to do this:

1. You can have up to 5 links in your bio, so you can use a call to action directing your audience there.

2. You can tell your audience to DM you for the link.

3. You can share your post to your Stories and put the link in your Stories.

Does this seem like a lot to keep up with? Then it may be time to do one of 2 things - outsource some (or all of) your social media or come up with a doable plan that allows you to take care of these things. I can help with both! DM me to learn which option would be the best fit for you!

14/01/2025

Do you ever have those super busy times when you have even less time than usual to work on things for your business?

That's been me for the last few weeks. Between winter break and my kids having 3 days off (followed by 2 delayed openings) last week for snow, things have been extra busy.

Even when things are extra busy, you can still make connections for your business! Here's how:

1. Prioritize nurturing your own audience. The most important thing you can do is reply to their comments on your content and reply to their DM's.

2. Look at your overall social media plan. If you're spending a ton of time pumping out content and/or you're on a bunch of different platforms, it may be time to scale back on those things so that you have time for engagement. That's how you make connections that become clients!

Need help figuring out where you should scale back or where you should engage? The Social Growth Game Plan is your personalized social media plan that helps you grow on social media in a way that works for you! DM me to learn more and to get in on the introductory price of $147.

13/01/2025

Do you read social media expert advice and feel like there's no way you could keep up with it? Do you read the advice and think that you don't even like doing those things now, so why should you start?

This is your opportunity to make social media work for you...in a way that works for you!

The Social Growth Game Plan is for the business owner who needs to make the most of their time and energy. You'll get a personalized intake to learn about your likes, dislikes, needs, wants, time, energy, etc. From there, you'll get a personalized plan for growing your business on social media, along with a month of one to one support while you implement the plan.

I have limited openings at the introductory price of $147, so DM me to learn more and/or sign up. Also, if you know someone this may help, feel free to pass it along! I want to make social media easier for business owners.

10/01/2025

Content creation is an important part of using social media for your business. Having helpful tools makes it easier for you to create more and therefore get more exposure for your business.

Here are my 3 favorites:

1. I use Sendible to create and schedule content for myself and my clients ahead of time. This helps me stay consistent.

2. I use Trello to keep track of posting plans and as a place to put content ideas when I think of them. It's also a great place to make hashtag lists.

3. Canva is my go to for creating graphics to go along with content. It's user friendly and really pretty intuitive, if you ask me.

The best thing you can do to make content creation easier is to have a system. I have a FREE content creation guide that shares the exact 5 step system I use to create content for myself and my clients. Comment below or DM me to get your copy.

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Let me know if you've also experienced this - You get on Instagram with the intention of engaging for your business, but then you come across a funny Reel that you have to send to a friend or family member. You're on Instagram just to casually scroll and you get an idea for your business. Both of these things happen to me on a regular basis and that's ok. The key thing is to not get too far off track when you're on IG for your business. Send the Reel and then get back to making connections for your business, coming up with content ideas, etc. So...mixing work and fun on IG - yay or nay? #instagramforbusiness #instagramtips

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. It's an opportunity to bring more awareness to mental health issues and remove the stigma associated with them. Social media can affect your mental health in both positive and negative ways. It's a great place to connect with others. At the same time, it can bring about unwanted problems - negative comments, feeling the need to compare and more. It is really important to be mindful of your mental state when spending time on social media. This is true not only for those times when you're on it for personal use, but also when you use it for your business. How does social media affect your mental health? Let's discuss this important topic in the comments. #blanfordconsulting #mentalhealthawarenessmonth #mentalhealthawareness

You sit down to create content and just can't think of new ideas. Guess what? Not every piece of content needs to be some new and innovating idea. It is ok to post about the same things on a regular basis. There is not an unlimited supply of topics when it comes to your business. You will end up talking about the same things a lot. How can you do this and not be super repetitive? First off, have a basic content rotation of different topics. That way you will always have variety. Secondly, when you do post about a topic again, change it up just a little. Change the graphic to a picture or vice versa. Change up the wording a little. Either way, it does take people seeing things multiple times before they take action, so repetition is not bad. How do you come up with content ideas? #blanfordconsulting #contentcreation #contenttips

If you use Facebook Groups to make connections for your business, you want to read this. I use Facebook Groups to make connections on a regular basis. There are times when someone posts something, comments on a post or replies to my comment with something that intrigues me to learn a little more about what they do. So, what's the first thing I do? I click on their name to check out their profile. However, when I get to their about section, there is no information about their business. Sometimes their profile is so locked down that their business information isn't accessible. At that point, I almost always lose interest. Facebook gives you space to give a brief description of your business and post links to your business accounts. You need to take advantage of that and be sure your personal profile is optimized. You don't need to give the public access to everything, but if someone goes to your personal page, they should be able to learn something about your business. Is your Facebook profile optimized? #blanfordconsulting #facebookforbusiness #facebooktips #facebookmanager

Think about your goals on social media - are you just concerned with getting more? More followers? More likes? More clients? More sounds good, but that shouldn't be your main focus when creating content and engaging on social media. Provide value with your content - educate, entertain, etc. Provide value with your engagement - offer your input, helpful tips, commiseration. If you do this, you will make the right connections with the right people. Focus on value and success will follow. Have a question about social media? Here's your chance to ask. Comment below. #blanfordconsulting #socialmediastrategy

Social media content made easy

I went Live in Shauna Leigh Van Mourik's @doodlemommablog 's Facebook Group (Authentic Copy & Content for Coaches, Mentors, & Influencers) to talk about social media for small business. Watch this video to learn my 5 step method for easy content creation and drop any questions you have in the comments. #socialmediaforsmallbusiness #socialmediacontent #contentcreation #contentcreator #contenttips #contentstrategy #facebookcontent #instagramcontent #contentcreationtips #socialmediamanagementservice #blanfordconsulting

Evaluating your social media strategy

☕️ That coffee kicked in and I’m ready to go! 🎞Used the energy to film some Reels. 👩🏼‍💻Now time to get that client work done! 👇Drop an emoji if your coffee kicked in already! #morningcoffee #caffeinated #socialmediamanagerlife #momlife #momof4 #boymom #girlmom #specialneedsmom #autismmom #momofteens #smallbusinessownerlife #coffeegram #makingreels #ladiesandgentlemenshesback #andbadderthanever #coffeereels #instareels #reelsvideo #reelstrending #explorepage #foryoupage #healthandwellness

2 things keeping your business from growing on social media

What you need to know about working with a social media manager

Holidays and keeping up with social media

Why perfection and overthinking can be your enemy on social media

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