As a consultant and freelancer, I understand the challenges of navigating the ever-changing world of social media. In this blog, I share how I help clients tackle the complexities of social media, strategies for building consistency, and tips on how to find your own rhythm of promotion. Whether you're a photographer, writer, small business owner, or part of a marketing team, if you don't enjoy social media but know you need to promote yourself, start here. I cover discovering your audience, content pillars, and platforms that help my clients stay on top of it all, and most importantly, stay sane.

Accompanying Free Workbook can be found here: Consistency Workbook - Pillars and Goals

Let's be honest, the world of social media can feel overwhelming. One week, you think you have it under control, and the next, the platform you had a strategy for is falling apart, while another one pops up and you're left wondering, "should I start posting there?!”

As someone who has worked extensively supporting marketing teams and managing social media channels for various clients, I've heard a common complaint: the sheer volume of platforms, trends, and content can leave individuals and businesses feeling lost and frustrated.

I hear you. And that is why I am sharing this blog. It is what I go through with clients when they want their team, or themselves, to be more comfortable with social media.

So in this blog, I aim to demystify the realities of social media and focus on a key aspect that can transform your approach - building consistency and finding your own personal rhythm of promotion. The consistency aspect is likely no surprise, but it is one of the toughest parts for most people.

I'll share strategies, insights, and experiences that can help you navigate the social media landscape with confidence. And dare I say, you may even enjoy it once you get going. I promise you can start building an engaged community without unnecessary complexity.

Whether you're a photographer, writer, small business owner, or part of a marketing team, social media is an indispensable tool for reaching leads and clients, or promoting events and opportunities.

I want to be direct and mention that I share affiliate links for Notion and Later in this blog. I use both platforms extensively and couldn’t do my work without them.

Your Client is trying to See You

What I want to make clear is that your future clients have a minimum expectation that they can find you on social media. They want to know who they are working with, and may want to see your location, reviews, and more.

“consumers gravitate to brands that are hospitable, humanized, and relatable, and expect companies to interact with them in a meaningful way that goes beyond an advertisement.”

Let me share my personal experience. I've never invested in ads, yet my freelance career has flourished solely through social media. Depending on my goals, I have chosen where to focus my time over the years, and every client and project has come my way through social media or a referral.

By having a social presence, you also increase the likelihood of earned media - basically, getting people to talk about it without any need for payment or asking.

Now, think about how you decide where to eat, shop, or travel. While many of us used to rely on Google, social media has become increasingly popular as a source of information. For Gen Z, TikTok has practically become their go-to search engine. Even if you still use Google, you might have noticed that it now incorporates social media posts into search results, thanks to SEO.

Google has evolved from being text-heavy to being more visually oriented. It now shows videos, images, social media posts, and reviews with pictures attached, instead of overwhelming users with text only. This transformation has made social media even more relevant to caring about your online presence.

So, why this shift toward social media? Google has realized the importance of authenticity and has started addressing the issue of content cluttered with SEO tricks. A consequence of all those low-value, spammy blogs trying to trick us into clicking is that more people than ever are turning to social media platforms, where they feel a genuine connection.

So rather than compete against social media, they are incorporating it into your search results.

Research indicates that consumers now place a greater emphasis on brand image. In 2022, studies showed that consumers were willing to pay more for products from brands they trust. And what better way to build that trust than through platforms like TikTok or Instagram, where businesses can show the human faces behind their company?

Stop Overthinking Everything

I am about to start talking about tactics and processes that work for my clients. That said, I want you to just suspend your disbelief for a moment and also consider that

• Social can be just that, social. Not everything is about selling. No one even likes that.

• Most of your posts have a short lifespan, overthinking every single post won’t get you anywhere other than stressed out.

• Engaging with other people on social media will get you further than yelling low-value ideas into the void.

So as we jump into the next part, if you have limited time, I want your focus to be consistent and engaging with others. Simple.

This means making a point to comment when you have a tidbit to add or can appreciate someone else's work. It means replying to a question on your feed or the main company feed. It means following accounts of your dream clients or like-minded people in the community and engaging with them. It means being social on social media. Shocking, I know.

The thing is, I am amazed at how many people (brands) want to be on social media but do not actually participate in it. If you want engagement, don't you think that a low-hanging fruit is to be engaging?

For platforms like Instagram, when I ask clients to focus on engaging, they begin to grow. There is nothing worse than messaging someone a question or commenting with a genuine idea or thought, only to have it ignored.

Just take the perspective of the real person you are trying to reach and create for them. Treat them how you would want to be treated.

Decide What You Want to Share: Your Personal Pillars

What are content pillars? You simply choose what to talk about. When someone follows you, you enter into an agreement with them. If they follow you because you post about running but suddenly stop and only start posting about baking muffins, you shouldn't be shocked that your followers unfollow you and your engagement drops. This doesn't mean you have to be static and not evolve.

I want you to also look at this as a way to free your mind from overthinking everything. If you are running an account to grow your client base, it makes sense that you talk about your work, where they can find you, and a little bit about yourself.

By knowing what to focus on, you can create meaningful content and stop guessing. It simplifies your plan, speeds things up, and makes it easier to be consistent.

When working with brands, we always choose 3-4 pillars we want to talk about that also align with the brand's goals. You can have up to six, but I will show you why we typically aim for 3 and how they can overlap to build levels of interest, complexity, and opportunity for evolution.

Know Your Audience

The reality is that you are creating content for humans. If you don't know who you are trying to communicate with, it will be difficult to create content that is valuable to them.

If you have multiple audiences in mind, you will need to consider how you can overlap your content and speak to all of them, potentially in different ways. However, I recommend not getting too caught up in this. Look for topics that can overlap and ask yourself:

• Values: Do they share common values, such as wellness, the environment, or relationships?

• Interests: Do they belong to certain communities or have hobbies they care about, such as running, writing, or photography?

• Pain Points: Are there issues they need help with, such as how to run, how to publish a book, or how to edit a photo?

• Your Product or Service: Will you support them, add value, or in some way fit into their life?

• Content They Like: Do you see a preference? Are they engaging more with one type of content over another?

You may need to adjust how and to whom you speak on different platforms, which we will discuss later. However, it is good to note if they are already invested in any particular social media platforms.

Gather Intel

It is fine if you don't know the answers to those questions right away. You can do a little research to help you build a better picture of your target demographic.

• Review past social media posts and take an honest look at their performance.

• Experiment with new content and learn what resonates with your audience.

• Take a peek at your competition. You can learn a lot from their successes and opportunities but do not copy and paste. It is obvious.

• If you are selling on a website, look at your sales to see which content converted and generated leads.

• Don't hesitate to ask your favourite clients how they heard about you, or if you do regular updates, how they perceive them.

Plan to Evolve

The reality of social media is that it will change. So, although we are currently selecting pillars, take a moment every so often to check whether what you are doing is effective in supporting your goals and whether you are still connecting with the right people.

Making small adjustments to stay attuned to the world and your needs is acceptable. By doing this consistently, you will grow with your audience. Another way to view this is that you are optimizing your content. You want to achieve the best possible result for the effort and time you put into social media.

Consider Social Media Platforms

I will always encourage clients to repurpose content to reduce their workload. However, this does not mean copying and pasting without thinking. Also, your strategy does not have to be different for every platform where you post.

That being said, each platform has its own flavour or style, and you may adjust how you want to connect with people there. Personally, I love the chance to showcase what I am reading and other photographers on Threads, while focusing on my lifestyle content on Instagram.

So when I say "consider which social media platforms they are on," I mean be realistic. You don't have to be everywhere; focus on the ones that make the most sense for reaching them. Then, be aware while creating your content of how it can come alive on the different platforms.

Consider your Analytics

If you have already been posting, it makes sense to look at what works and what does not. Also, make a note of whether you are currently attracting the clients or the audience that you want. For example, if you are trying to attract runners and weekend warriors, but instead you are attracting nutritionists because your best-performing posts are about meal prep, you may want to take that into consideration.

• Check your analytics. Some platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram, already have ways for you to see your analytics. You can also use platforms like Later for a user-friendly summary.

• Compare your various channels. Knowing what works well is important. You also want to be aware of where your efforts are successful. For instance, if you personally love Instagram but all your clients are actually coming from Facebook, you shouldn't abandon the channel.

• Competitor research. Don't forget to look around! This is especially necessary for anyone who is just starting out or perhaps doesn't have a large following. You may not have enough information from your posts to make an informed choice on "what works" and what doesn't.

Accompanying Free Workbook can be found here: Consistency Workbook - Pillars and Goals

Craft your Content Pillars (finally)

I am going to give you a couple of ways that have helped my clients achieve this. Most of us are not fortunate enough to have someone hand us an in-depth brand guideline, which is really the way brands accomplish this. You and I, we are going to figure it out ourselves.

Based on the legwork, or thumb work if you were doing a lot of scrolling, by now you should have some idea of the following:

• Audience pain points

• Their interests, hobbies, perhaps where they live, and generally what they have in common

• How your service or product solves a problem for them

• What they care about or value

• What content do they already like to see, even if it is based on your competition

Content Pillar Example: Regulated Business

I work with a wellness brand that sells CBD products, which are heavily regulated. Therefore, we not only have to attract new clients through our posts, but we also have to ensure that we do not break any laws. We cannot discuss the product while making any health claims. As a result, we have divided our focus into two pillars: education on ingredients and the stand-alone product. We have been creative with our pillars and have broken them down as follows:

1. The science behind their product - think ingredients

2. Products - launches, availability, doses

3. Values/Lifestyle - what their ideal audience cares about

I want you to look at these and see that there is often an overlap, and there is room to play.

Really, what we are looking for is generating content that you will want to create consistently, while also speaking to your ideal client. It has to align with your goals, stay on topic, and be on brand.

Content Pillar Example: Freelance Content Producer

As a professional photographer, designer, and brand strategist, I have to juggle a lot. I often make tough choices and check in to ensure I'm still aligned with my goals. I also decide where to place different types of content. For example, this blog falls under my first pillar, "Inside the Studio," as it's based on the work I do to support clients when we choose their content strategy. I believe it could be useful for other creative entrepreneurs as well.

1. Inside the studio: This is where I put anything that aligns with consulting, the conversations that help other creatives and thought pieces.

2. Outside the Studio: This gives me a chance to let people get to know me a little better. I live on Vancouver Island and enjoy being outdoors, exploring, taking my dog to the beach, and travelling. I want to attract clients who share my interests and build towards personal goals that I have set for myself.

3. Reads & Resources: This is where I get to share the how-to knowledge I have and also collect emails.

But how did I figure these out for myself?! I kept it very basic:

• I wrote down who my ideal client was.

• I wrote down my career and work goals.

• Then I wrote down what I want to show and am comfortable talking about.

I asked myself questions like:

• Am I currently attracting the types of clients I want?

• Am I creating content for my future career goals?

• Do I enjoy creating the content I am currently making?

• What will help me grow professionally?

• Am I wishing I could branch out? Ie write more, video, share my expertise in a different way?

If you are a visual person like me, you can also do an easy exercise. Pick a photo of yourself that you love and start brainstorming around it. Begin jotting down what you want to be known for and what you want to talk about. As you write these down, ask yourself if they support your goals and if you can see yourself creating content around the topic.

You do not have to overcomplicate this part. I am in fact trying to give you permission to be more of yourself and consider people come to you because not only do they trust your expertise, but they like you.

Content Pillar Example:

Let’s put this into practice for a wellness professional, someone like a run coach.

Possible Pillars:

1. Educational Content: Run basics (form, cadence, training schedules). This can include the most common questions you get or things you wish your clients knew. Imagine this as a wealth of information you can reference or even forward to your clients when the ask a question. You are specifically creating for them, and focusing on the value of the information.

2. Local Love: If you are trying to attract local in-person clients, let’s say for your run clinics, it makes sense that you would be finding ways to become visible to local people. It can be as simple as showing your favourite trails, and post-run coffee hangouts. If you are trying to be seen in a community then start engaging with it.

3. Client Testimonials: I will be upfront and say that most people are not good at sharing reviews. However, reviews are important on Google, and people care about them. So, always encourage reviews.

   When it comes to social media, share their story instead of a basic review. Share how you helped them, the before and after, and stick to stories because they are memorable. Think about the times you see a static post of a 5-star "testimonial". Do you care, and do you believe it? Instead, a running coach could share a journey towards a personal best for a client, or how running changed how they feel about themselves and the strength and resilience it helped them cultivate while working with you.

Business Goals for Your Social Media:

When I am talking to a client, in the end, they are trying to grow. Social media is seen as part of the marketing investment. It isn't "just for fun". However, not all businesses have the same needs for their social media strategy.

Knowing these may help you choose which pillars align with your business goals. A common issue I see is small businesses or entrepreneurs either selling too much or not enough. So look through the goals and see if anything is new to you, a good fit for your goals, or perhaps a gap in your pillars thus far.

Drive Revenue

Clear cut. You want to lead to converting social fans into paying clients.

Build Brand Awareness

A good social strategy can take your brand from being virtually unknown to being at the top of customers’ minds. Building brand awareness is one of the most important goals a business can have. It’s the first step in familiarizing your audience with your products of services. Social media is often seen as the start of a relationship with your client. They will likely have to see you many times before clicking to buy or book.

Generate Leads

Social media is a great place to generate leads. Once you've grown your list of leads, you can implement targeted marketing strategies. If the business ever wants to run ads or invite potential leads to an event, you need to know who you are inviting!

Drive Traffic

A strong social strategy can direct your audience to your website, blog, online store, or wherever else you want to send them. Driving web traffic is another top reason why marketers use social media. It’s the best way to direct users to your business’s web content, like blogs. If this is one of your needs, make sure you include ways to share direct links, like a link in bio, Later offers one in their plan.

Customer Support

Social platforms are a great place to manage questions and feedback from customer - it’s also one of the first places they’ll look for help.

Social Media Platforms

There are many platforms available. I will explain how I generally use them with clients, but I will focus more on consistency and ways to make your life easier.

All these platforms are what we consider to be on the periphery of the funnel. I want to make that very clear. Someone may have to follow you for a while before they decide to book or buy. So when we create content and look at the different platforms, we need to be mindful that we cannot make every post about selling. In fact, some content is better suited for different platforms.

What I may post to my IG may be a little different from what I share on LinkedIn. On Instagram, people like my travel, running, and creativity posts, while on LinkedIn, I am more likely to share my thoughts about social media platforms, interesting work I have done, or even tips on relaxation and my favourite coffee.

In the end, I want you to consider what you are most likely to stay consistent with.

If you personally hate photos, it doesn't mean you cannot post on Instagram. You may opt to go for a graphic feed. If you love video, you can create reels and maybe post them on YouTube. If you love writing, lucky you, Threads just launched. You can also write a blog, chop it up, and post snippets of it on Instagram.

My personal focus is to write a blog, populate it with photos, and then share it on my social channels. I also have long-term goals that require me to write and think beyond photography, so having a blog makes sense.

Instagram [Nurture]

This is where you focus on being engaging and connecting with your audience. You should expect DMs, and comments, and continue to find ways to reach out and connect with them.

TikTok [Discovery]

It feeds people your content, so you may grow quickly but remember you need to get them to convert eventually.

Blog [Core content + SEO]

I personally love to advocate for blogs as they are a way to create what I call Core Content. If you like to write, or even brain dump, you can focus on creating content that is SEO driven. Then chop it up and share it across social platforms.

LinkedIn

Share your blogs, thoughts, and be approachable on LinkedIn. You can also share other thought pieces or information with your own perspective. Personally, I had to be realistic and start being active on LinkedIn. Just as I show my photography on Instagram, the person who hires me for my work or consulting is likely on LinkedIn and more receptive to hiring me there. While Instagram may inspire other photographers and clients, ignoring LinkedIn didn't make sense for me in the long term.

Pinterest [ Drive traffic to web + IG]

A great place to inspire people and drive traffic to your blog or Instagram. Think of Pinterest as less of a social media platform and more as a search engine.

YouTube [SEO + longevity]

This one is fun. If you are always sending someone a how-to explanation, what would it look like to just send them a video you created one time? I have a client who is mildly active on her YouTube channel as a yoga teacher and has over 30k subscribers because she posts things there that she wants to share with people for free. She uses these videos as parts of embedded emails and over time has had clients trickle in by posting them there.

YouTube once again should be treated as a search engine. Your content will have a longer lifespan here.

Bandwidth for Content

Ok, let’s get real now.

As someone who creates content for other brands, I can feel tapped for ideas or just plain tired when it comes to my own self-promotion by the end of the day. This means I am not on every social channel.

You should focus on the places you can be consistent, support your goals, and show up in a way that also is manageable for you.

So if you were to ask yourself these questions:

• What do you love creating [write, photo, video]

• Where will you login [you already are active there or would like to be]

• What can you manage weekly [be realistic, better to be consistent in one or 2 places than spread thin]

• Where is my ideal audience already?

Where would you be promoting yourself?

For most people, it will be Instagram, now possibly Threads. Some may want to sprinkle in a blog, or LinkedIn if that is already an interest to them. Facebook is still alive, I don’t list it as, if you are using IG, you have the option to automatically post to your Facebook. But for now, I am not asking anyone to manage a business page there, though it could be a valid traffic driver for some.

I want you to also consider niche platforms for your work. For instance, Behance may make sense for showcasing your work if you are a designer or photographer. It also will force you to show your work if you are not the best at updating your portfolio, and it can make it easy to share a link.

Becoming Consistent with posting on Social Media

The good news is, it is possible with a little prep to find a rhythm that works for you. Our goal will be consistency first. Once you find the mix that works for you, you’ll realize consistency is easier than you think.

Ways to stay sane:

Track your Ideas:

Track all your ideas as they pop up - I promise you won’t actually remember when it is time to make content.

How to Track

• Notion: This is my main way, and how I am able to not only stay on top of my clients’ needs, but also mine.

• Notes in your phone.

• Low tech, just write it down in a journal.

Core Content

This may not work for everyone, but I want to share it because it has helped several of my clients and me. As a photographer, I find that I sometimes "forget" to post things on social media. So, I write a blog about a topic, which forces me to address topics that are more SEO-focused, and then I share it across my social media. Alternatively, if you prefer writing, sitting down to brain dump on one idea is easier than thinking about ten smaller ideas. So, delve into something that you find interesting or that will help a future client of yours. Then, chop it up as much as possible before creating any videos, photos, or graphics.

Batch Plan

Either use a Notion Calendar, Later, or your day timer, to help you see when and where you are posting things. It can be as simple as crossing them off your list.

Personally, I tend to make core content and then use Notion to help me spread it across platforms. Core Content for me is also a photo or video shoot, which may generate multiple images that I want to get the most out of.

Batch Create

This can look different for everyone. Some people need to focus and set aside the same time every week to create their content, while others will get inspired in the moment and want to take action right then and there.

Regardless of your style, my recommendation is that you schedule engagement and content creation into your week. It took me setting aside Friday afternoons, as they tend to be slow, to finally get on top of completing the content I need for my own promotion and client acquisition.

For those that want to focus on more graphic and type-based content, you can use things like Canva or Adobe Express to generate multiple slides and posts in one sitting.

Batch schedule

If you have a creator or business account with Instagram, you are able to schedule your content in advance. I do this once a week for myself, as it helps with using in-app music. I still use Later for anything that goes beyond a week, and personally, I prefer visual scheduling.

For clients, we use Later to schedule content in advance. This method is great for anyone who wants to "set it and forget it" for more than one week in advance. I have scheduled whole months like this. In Later, you will be able to drag and drop your content not only to Instagram but also to TikTok, Pinterest, and even schedule Instagram stories.

I sit down once a week to schedule everything for myself, so I don't have to think about it during the week. Anything else that comes up is organic and fun. That's how I'm currently treating Threads, for example. I work on blogs and ideas, and as I finish them, I add them to my Notion calendar and schedule them at the end of the week.

Becoming Consistent and Finding your Ryhtem

This won't be a one-size-fits-all solution. Sorry.

You may need to try a couple of options until you find your rhythm.

Here is what works for me:

• I track my ideas in Notion. I return to them when I have time to complete them. I often need to set aside a couple of hours to finish a blog post or idea.

• I create. Depending on the medium, I may write in Notion or take photos and videos and edit them.

• Once the content is generated, I take Friday afternoons to begin planning the posts. I like to use a Notion calendar to take a core piece of content and break it up into as many pieces as possible, and then spread it out on various platforms. I do this before scheduling because I like to see the bigger picture, and I admit I personally need this to make sure I don’t forget anything! I may be so focused on a blog I wrote that I forget I need to showcase client work.

• Once the content is created and broken up, I schedule it. If you plan to be on several platforms, or prefer a desktop view, I recommend using Later. I schedule directly on YouTube. For blogs, once they are posted, I go to Pinterest and create pins from my website to link back.

• I revisit and check how things performed the following week as I prepare for my next round of content.

For clients, we take a similar approach, but with longer timelines as we factor in approvals and product timelines. Therefore, it can take anywhere from 2 weeks to 3 months! We track our ideas, look at our goals, and then create. Once everything is approved, we schedule and switch gears to engagement and tracking.

What to Ask Yourself Before You Hit Post or Schedule

Ok, you could say this is also an earlier filter, but I am listing it at the end for this reason. If you take nothing away from this blog and information, and you feel satisfied with your current system, use this basic and well-loved marketing filter to help you focus on creating content that brings value to you and your ideal audience.

If you are going to use some or all of the information of this blog, still use this. As you you generate content, you may get caught up in the details, or be thinking big picture, only to loose site of the fact that you are creating for other human beings. Make sure whatever you create, it has value for them.

Ask yourself, is it:

Entertaining? (

• Relatable

• We are similar

• We have the same humour

• We care about the same things

• We are paying attention to the same things

• This is emotion driven.

Educational?

• Stick around for content that helps you

• Appeal to their rational side

Inspiring?

• Content that resonates

• Lifts them up and gets them into action

• Opens up new possibilities

• Stories that stick

• Can be transformative

• This is emotion driven.

Convert?

• Take a course (free or paid)

• Sign up for newsletters

• Purchase a product

• Book a service

This is in addition to your pillars. It isn't about voice, but rather making sure we are not creating content just for the sake of posting something. We want to remember that we are creating for real people who are being flooded with other content. Why follow us? Bring value to everything you create.

Value can be to make them laugh, to inspire them to try something new, or show them they can get further help or support by buying from you.

References

Gitnux Blog. Small Business Social Media Statistics.

Sprout Social. Social Media Trends.

Yoast Blog. Social Media: The New Search Engines.

Forbes. Are Brands Wielding More Influence in Social Media Than We Thought?