Blanford Consulting (2025)

26/04/2025

Trying to create content isn't always easy. Sometimes it's extra challenging for me because of my "helpers." (see pic lol)

You know what does make it relatively quick and easy? Having a system. I have one that I use every time I create content for myself and my clients.

I have a FREE content creation guide that shares that exact system with you. Who wants it?

24/04/2025

Do you feel like social media for your business is overwhelming? Do you feel like it's time consuming? Do you feel like it's just not working for you?

Then it's time for a social media plan (or a new one, if you currently have one). The Social Growth Game Plan isn't your run of the mill social media plan that comes from some guru who thinks you have all the time in the world or the budget for a social media team. The Social Growth Game Plan is a personalized plan for growing your business in a way that works for you. I create that plan based off of lots of input from you - your likes, dislikes, time, energy and goals. I then provide one to one support while you implement that plan.

Now is the time to get started. Just 7 days left to get in on The Social Growth Game Plan for just $197. The price WILL go up in May. DM me now for the link (more info and sign up) to get your spot for this month.

23/04/2025

Today is National Take A Chance Day.

Trying something different on social media is a great way to reach more people so that your business gets more exposure.

What's something you'd like to try or do differently on social media?

22/04/2025

I'm smiling because I'm back to routine today. My son went back to school after being home for 10 days of Spring Break. So...should I jump right in and go back to my usual schedule of posting and engagement this week?

While it may be tempting to jump right back to where you left off before a break from your social media, it's ok if you don't. Sometimes the best course of action is to ease in and give yourself grace if you don't get right back to your usual schedule.

For me, not only am I trying to get back to my usual schedule on social media this week, but I also have house stuff and paperwork I need to catch up on. So, if I don't get everything done this week that I would on a typical week, that's ok. With my social media plan, I'm still showing up consistently.

Could you use some help showing up consistently? DM me for more info on a personalized social media plan that helps you grow in a way that works for you.

22/04/2025

Experts might tell you to check your insights to see when your audience is most active. Or they might list optimal times of day to engage. You might try to engage at all of these times so you can maximize the connections you make for your business.

But...the recommended times might not really work for you and might add a lot more to your plate. When that happens, you're likely to burn out and not be consistent. You might even stop engaging altogether.

As long as you're being consistent, the best time to engage is when you have the time.

Feel like you're not really being consistent? Then it's time to rework your social media plan (or make one, if you don't have one). Get a personalized social media plan and one to one support with The Social Growth Game Plan. DM me for more info.

18/04/2025

At first thought, this might seem like cheating, but I really don't think it is.

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.

17/04/2025

Do you want more of your audience to become clients? Well, then you need to do more than just promote your offers. It's important to take some time to develop trust by having conversations and getting to know your audience.

It's this quarter's Get To Know Your Customers Day. I always like to use this day to share a few fun facts about myself and then find out what we may have in common. So...here goes:

1. I love social media, but I have to limit my time on it. Whether for personal or business use, I feel like when I spend too much time on it, I end up doom scrolling and randomly scrolling. That's not a good use of my time or energy, so I'm working on being more mindful about my social media use.

2. I used to be a night owl, but these days, by 9:30pm, I like to wrap up whatever I'm doing and start getting ready for bed. Between my dogs and my special needs son, my day often gets started on the early side. I find I am happier and more efficient when I'm well rested, so I'm working on controlling what I can, which is going to sleep at a decent time.

3. I like learning from "experts" (I'm not really a fan of this word, but it's the best one I can come up with as I type this) about things related to my business and my life, but I take their advice with a grain of salt. Everyone is different. Everyone's day to day life looks different. We don't all have the same time and energy. So, I take what works for me, maybe tweak some things and leave the rest.

Can you relate to any of these? Let me know in the comments.

17/04/2025

Before you ask or comment, no, I am not calling you out. I'm not saying you're not doing enough unless....
...you're not nurturing your audience. Even during super busy times, you should take the time to reply to comments on your content.

Sure, outside engagement is key to growth, but some days there just isn't time for that. On those days, be sure to nurture your audience, even if you just take a few minutes here and there throughout the day.

Does it seem like you rarely have time to do more than reply to comments on your own content? Then it's time to come up with a different social media plan. Maybe you need to post a little less so that you can make that time.

If you want some help sorting that out, check out The Social Growth Game Plan. I take into consideration your time, energy and more. I use that information to help create a plan for showing up on social media. I also give you one to one support while you implement that plan.

Comment PLAN for more information.

15/04/2025

I don't know about you, but I definitely don't have time to spend hours each day (or even week, for that matter) on social media. I'm guessing you don't either. For some people, that means they might outsource some or all of their social media. If you're looking to go that direction, let's talk about working together.

If you're not ready or don't want to outsource, I totally get it. Everyone has their reasons. At the same time, it may seem difficult to keep up with your social media, you might not be very consistent or you might not even know if you're wasting your limited time on social media.

That's where The Social Growth Game Plan comes in. You give me input about your time, energy, goals, likes, dislikes and more. I use that input to create a personalized plan for you to grow on social media in a way that works for you. And...I provide one to one support while you implement that plan.

For the rest of this month, you can get your personalized plan and support for just $197. I have 5 spots available this month. After this month, the price will be going up, so now's the time to grab your spot for this month!

Who wants more info?

15/04/2025

My younger 2 are off from school this week for Spring Break. I have to tell you that I don't look forward to those school vacations like I used to. When I was a kid, when I was a teacher (yes, I taught high school once upon a time), and even when my kids were younger, I liked those breaks from school.

Not so much these days. A lot of that has to do with the fact that my youngest has severe autism. He requires constant attention and supervision when he's awake. So..when he's off school, that makes it hard to get anything done during that stretch of time - business stuff, self care stuff, house stuff, etc.

While you might not be able to relate to having a special needs child, everyone has times when they have a little (or a lot) more going on than usual. How you handle those times can make a difference, especially when you're using social media for your business. Consistency is key to growth, but what happens when, well, life happens??

So, here's what I do. I always have my content scheduled in advance, so whether it's a planned time off for my kids or a snow day, I am still showing up in some way. Then, I try to find pockets throughout that time when I can show up for engagement and for some additional content, like stories and reels.

But...here's the key. I don't let these times derail me. It would be easy to say, ok, I'm just not going to show up this week. That's ok if you can get back on track. The key is to get back to it (it being social media) once things aren't so hectic. The way I make that happen is by having a doable plan that I can implement most of the time.

I'd love to know how you handle your social media when life gets busy. Share your strategies in the comments.

11/04/2025

Happy National Pet Day!

Do you have any pets?

We currently have 2 dogs (American Hairless Terriers) and one guinea pig (an Abyssinian, though we've had up to 4 guinea pigs at a time in the past).

I'd love to hear about your pets, so share away in the comments!

10/04/2025

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. Who wants it?

10/04/2025

You've probably heard that you should use the social media platforms where your target audience is active.

But...have you also heard that you should use the platforms that you like? Ok, while it's not helpful if your target audience isn't on that platform at all, using platforms you like is an important consideration when creating a social media plan.

Why? Well, if you like them and are comfortable with them, you're more likely to show up consistently. Consistency is what leads to growth.

So, which social media platforms are your favorite? Which ones do you use for your business?

08/04/2025

Controversial opinion time!

Some may not agree with me on this, so I want to know where you stand.

When you engage for your business, is it all about the sale?

Yes, ultimately we are all using social media to get more clients and make more sales. But, to me (and many other business owners, based off of what I've read), if you're only all about the money when you engage, it's kind of a turnoff.

Are there people who are all about you cutting to the chase and letting them know how you can help them? Sure, but most people prefer to work with people they know, like and trust. So, keep that in mind when you're engaging for your business. Take time to get to know people and let them get to know you.

Is it challenging for you to make time for engagement? Then maybe you're trying to do too much on social media. Having a doable plan allows you to grow your business on social media in a way that works for you. The Social Growth Game Plan helps you do just that. I work with you to learn what is doable, create a customized social media plan based off of that information and then provide one to one support while you implement the plan. Want to learn more? DM me or comment below.

08/04/2025

I have something I'd like to share about showing up on social media for your business and this graphic really makes the point for me. A friend of mine posted this last week. It really spoke to me, not just for everyday life, but also for using social media for your business.

When you're on social media for your business, stop trying to be something you're not. If you're not super formal in real life, don't show up that way for your business. If you don't like making dancing videos, then don't do them. If you prefer posting shorter posts, then post those instead of forcing longer posts.

When you show up as your authentic self, you're not only more likely to connect with people in general, but you'll connect with the right people. Those are the people you're meant to work with.

Are you allowing yourself to be truly authentic when you show up on social media for your business?

05/04/2025

Mixing up the type of content you post is a great way to reach more people and keep your audience engaged. Instagram and Facebook make it easy with all of their different features - feed posts, Reels, Stories and Lives.

I tend to use the first 3 multiple times every week. That last one (Lives) I tend not to do very often. It's not really my thing. That said, when I get an invite from someone to go live with them, I love to go for it.

Last week I went live on IG with my friend Adina O'Neill. I've known her for a while via another business owner and then following one another on IG. Go check out the replay on my page and let me know what you think. Also...if you would like to go Live together, let's chat! DM me so we can talk about how we can make that happen!

03/04/2025

Have you heard that likes are a vanity metric?

While that is true, they can be an effective part of your engagement strategy.

If you're short on time, likes are a way to let people know you acknowledge their content. Don't underestimate this. People often pay attention to who likes their posts/comments. That attention can help develop connections with your audience.

Likes are a way to help bring more attention to your content. If you comment/reply to comments during one engagement time and then like those same comments/replies another time, it shows up 2 different times in someone's notifications. That brings you more attention.

Do you like posts, comment or both?

02/04/2025

Happy National DIY Day!

Is it weird that I'm talking about you managing your own social media when I'm a social media manager? Shouldn't I be talking about outsourcing?

Well, the truth is that there are many reasons people don't outsource their social media. Either it's because they don't want to or they're not in a place to do so. I totally understand both points of view.

So, that's the main reason I share practical social media tips with you. I want to make social media easier for you! So, if you're not already following me, I'd suggest you do for helpful tips and some fun Reels.

And...if you're looking to make the most of the time you do have for social media, you should probably check out The Social Growth Game Plan. It's a personalized plan for helping you grow on social media in a way that works for you. Comment PLAN for all the details!

Blanford Consulting

26/04/2025

24/04/2025

23/04/2025

22/04/2025

22/04/2025

18/04/2025

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11/04/2025

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