The New Social Media Guide For Rural Creatives :)
Welcome to Episode 22!
“Being social” according to Google means you crave companionship, belonging, community. Human nature is this, isn’t it. We love to feel connected. It makes us happy. And in our rural lives, we rely on social media to connect with the “outside world”. To keep us social and give us that little hit of dopamine.
However, I would strongly argue the point that the social media we know today has been named incorrectly. Because even though at first glance it might seem that way - that it allows people to be social, and create lasting connections, make everybody friends - it actually has many differing qualities that would prove otherwise. Instead of promoting social behaviour, it feeds off our survival instincts that look for the negative information that might protect us, it is fuelled by our lack of confidence and comparing nature, and it loves our need for external validation. It thrives on it.
When used incorrectly, social media becomes a tool for manipulation, affliction and worse.
So what does this have to do with running a rural creative business? I mean, we don’t want to manipulate or hurt others. We just want to create, to help people with our ideas, and to use social media to promote what we do. Simple.
But, it might be a shock for you to learn… you could be among the many rural creatives who are using social media incorrectly.
I don’t think we realise how powerful our posts really are. How much of an impact our stories and reels have on others. How what we put out into the social media world, is actually feeding and shaping the future of the online space.
YES - what you put into your feed, shapes the future of the online space, and impacts someone's life in some way whether good or bad.
The edited, preset perfect photo that you post, doesn’t really show who you are, does it? Think about that. Social media platforms have made it so fun + easy to manipulate what we look like - and I am a photographer. I should know!! What once used to be a technique photographers studied to learn, is now being used as an easily accessible tool that with a click of a button can produce an image that looks nothing like the person being photographed. And our kids use these platforms. As a society we look at that image and think “wow, look at them!” Even though we know about presets and filters, we still compare ourselves to the highlight reels of someone else. Why do we do that?
Ai is this magical tool that can help anyone write the most perfect anything. It has some really cool qualities and can help small business owners with lots of different tasks. But, nothing beats human connection. Real life experiences. Life lessons. Words from the heart. YOU and YOUR unique perception. Do we really stop to think about that Ai generated post - that used a standard prompt that gave the same information not just to you, but the next business owner in your industry asking it the same question too? Write a post about newborn photography. And make it fun, quirky and keep it short. People read your words. Are they representing you truthfully? Are they representing your values? Or are they just words to fill your feed because you needed a post tonight?
I want to bring your awareness to the tool that you use every single day. You use it because it’s free. And people tell you it’s the easiest way to reach an audience. You are constantly seeking out the answers for how to bust the algorithm, for how to get the most likes, for how to convert your engagement into sales. But, you are blissfully unaware of the responsibility you take on when you create that business page in the first place, that platform for impact.
Reality really hit me over the Christmas break after watching a television show with my hubby and it made me realise something.
The way I have been teaching workshops, the way I have been using social media, I have been adding to the problem. And it’s about time I do something about that.
When used MINDFULLY, social media IS an incredible tool to impact… to help…. + to create community and share light + joy in the world. It can help you promote what you do, why you do it and who you do it for and build a community of like minded souls who value your presence and input. And that’s what I want to share with you today.
I wrote down a few thoughts on how one might use social media in a more mindful way. A way that doesn’t mean we’re adding to the problem and the noise. But instead, a way in which we can use social media to share our creativity whether that’s products, service or thoughts, for a positive change! To fuel companionship, belonging + community.
Here are the 5 things I am changing about my social media strategy for 2024.
STOP POSTING FOR THE SAKE OF POSTING - Ok, let me explain a scenario real quick. You finish work for the day - if that is even possible as a business owner (yes it is if you chose it - but leet me get back on topic) and you start to make plans for dinner, get the kids ready for the night time routine and then it hits you. You forget to schedule a post for today and you don’t have anything going out. OMG, you need to post something because you read somewhere that if you don’t post everyday the algorithm will push your posts to the back of the line and you will lose your engagement + interaction and inevitably your business will fail. All your hard work gone. So you scroll back through your phone, find a photo of something random, quickly whip up words that could resemble a post and hit publish. Thank god! You did it. Back to the nighttime routine.
Little do you know, your post gets added to the sea of content that gets scrolled each and every second. That sea is ever growing with content that means nothing. That takes away from meaningful moments. That makes it harder for us to be social because we’re too busy navigating the ads, the posts that just want to sell us something, the posts that make us feel worse about ourselves, make us compare to others. That show us what we are missing out on in life.
Now, im not saying that your quick post is doing that, but I am wondering if you are posting meaningful content that is impacting someones life in a way that makes them want to keep seeing what you have to say. Or are you posting just for the sake of posting.
It’s ok if you don’t post every single day. Guess what, your business isn’t going to break. Over the Christmas break, after I discovered the television show, I went off socials for 18 days and my business did not break. I still received enquiries, bookings. Clients still messaged me. I still delivered my service.
Don’t post for the sake of posting, post for the sake of having something impactful to say. Make it worth someone’s attention. Make it mean something. And make sure it reflects your values. Think about what you post before you hit publish and answer this question - will this add value to someone else’s life in some meaningful way. If you’re answer is yes, then hit that publish button.YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGE IS NOT YOUR BUSINESS - There is this default in the small business world, that you haven’t started a business until you start a social media page. Not at the time of registering your business name, getting an ABN, or even just deciding that you are going all in on your idea. Nope - it’s at the time you create a social media page.
BUT, your business is not a social media page. I mean, you can absolutely argue this point. But, you’re here listening to this podcast, which means you are a rural creative. YOU are your business. Your success is not measured by your likes, the comments you receive, or the shares that you get. Yes, all of these things can help!!! But they are just a tool to help you build your business. They aren’t your business. In the hands of someone with the wrong mindset, the likes, the comments, they become vanity metrics. Metrics that are there to make you feel good when something gets attention and to feel crappy when it doesn’t.
How about instead of placing so much importance around the likes and comments we receive, we start using social media for what it actually is. A tool to be social with our audience. OUR audience. To connect with our tribe. The people who actually want to hear from us. And while we’re at it, why not place more value in meaningful content + conversations.BUILD YOUR COMMUNITY ON AND OFF SOCIALS - So, like i have said already - social media is there to be SOCIAL right. But, what if you are wanting to share more in depth information with your audience. What if you are wanting to have more meaningful conversations?
There are so many different ways to build a community and share value with your audience that not only includes social media as a great starter for conversation, but platforms that allow you to go in depth. Blog pages, email lists, podcast episodes, youtube videos, even good old fashioned in person conversations, flyers and postcards. Don’t forget that when creating a community and sharing your light with the world, that connection is formed in more ways than one.
As a rural creative, one of your best assets is the fact that you are part of a small community. That means that people know you, your family or know of you. In nearly every small town there’s a buzzing coffee shop or bakery. There are chambers of commerce. Brekkie meetings. Market days. Small towns are a hive of activity when it comes to bringing people together. It can be lonely living rurally, but we have always been really great at creating community.
Social media can act as a bridge for the distance between us and our community. Don’t just use it to begin the conversation, try using it to continue the conversation. It might just have more meaning that way!DON’T BREAK THE ALGORITHM, BREAK THE ADDICTION - “Mum you were on your phone again and you didn’t hear me.” These were the words a rural business owner said to me that hit most when she told me what led to her decision to sell her business. She felt torn because she loved what she had created, but felt it took time away from her family.
How often do we feel guilty because we are on our phones yet again doing work, writing a post, responding to a comment, when we want to be spending uninterrupted time with our family. How often do we say 5 more minutes that turns into an hour and everyone’s cranky at us. How much do we miss out on so that we can build a successful business in this day and age of a fast paced, online world where instant gratification wins.
Well, I’m here to declare that this point is one I want to make proudly. I don’t want to break the algorithm anymore, I want to break the addiction. I never feel prepared enough to step away. I always feel like I need to be accessible at any given moment in case I miss a client. But that’s not what life is about for me. And I’m guessing it’s probably not what life’s about for you either?
A little word play that I put together to remind myself of the incredible tools I have learnt throughout my journey that help with this is…
BSB… And I’ll share it with you too in hope that it helps you to break the addiction. BSB stands for - BATCH, SCHEDULE, BOUNDARIES
BATCH - Set aside dedicated work time to Batch content creation. That means you write out your content for the week, for the month, whatever you can do, all in one go. It takes time, but indirectly it saves you time and stress. AND as a creative we often have bursts of creativity that can last for hours and hours. Use that energy to batch your content creation + see what you can come up with!
SCHEDULE - Then, you schedule. No, scheduling posts does not hurt your engagement in my experience. If your content is impactful enough, saying the right things to the right audience for you, then it will still make an impact regardless of if it was live posted or scheduled. Use the scheduling features to bring ease into your life once again!
BOUNDARIES - Then finally, the most important. Set boundaries. What time will you dedicate to your marketing, or what day will you dedicate to content creation. What are your work hours? Tell your audience this, and while your at it… tell them how long it takes for a response from you if they email or message. Be honest, and upfront and this will help you to stay true to your boundaries and expectations for your business.CHANGE STARTS WITH US - You know this. Because you learnt this when you decided to start your own business.
But, here’s the thing. As creatives when we first start out we typically don’t have someone telling us what to do, checking our work, or letting us know that we’re doing it right. We go by trial and error A LOT. And we make mistakes….
Along the way, we doubt ourselves, we lack the confidence to do something, we lose faith In who we are, we hide our opinions, and we forget that we have our own unique way of seeing the world. That’s when we forget that change starts with us.
You have the power to make a change. To impact someone’s life in an incredible way. I know you don’t believe this, but you really do. You have the power to brighten someone’s day. To create a community. To uplift. To inspire. To connect others. You have the power to give joy. And to provide something to the world that wasn’t there before.
If there is something that you are too frightened to say because you’re worried about how how many likes, or lack there of it will receive - stop looking at the numbers. You may not be the only one thinking those thoughts. And your unique words, and beautiful outlook on life might be just the thing that someone needed to hear today. Change starts with us. No matter what platform we use.
So there you have it. The 5 ways I am changing my social media strategy for 2024.
To recap:
To stop posting for the sake of posting and trying to stay ahead of the algorithm.
My social media page is not my business and it isn’t yours either.
Build community on and off social media.
Don’t break the algorithm, break the addiction to being on social media and being accessible 24/7
Change happens with me. And it happens with you too :)
I want to hear your thoughts on this topic!!! I want to know how you feel about social media. How you use it. How it affects your life. Send me a DM and let’s start a more in depth conversation :) Click here to chat xx
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