Nine Easy Communications Wins for Small Businesses

Nine things you can do in house, for free, to improve your business communications.

Here’s a secret that a lot of people on LinkedIn don’t want you to know… you do not have to pay huge amounts of money each month to an agency for support with social media, newsletters, blogging and general communications. There are ways to run your communications strategy yourself, or with ad-hoc support if you need it; don’t allow anyone to make you feel like you need to be making huge numbers on TikTok or spend hours making YouTube videos if it doesn’t serve you and your business. Of course, if that’s something you want to do and you’re fully onboard with, then that’s a-ok, but we’re here to let you know that there are ways to do this yourself, or on a smaller scale, if that’s what you want to do.

We’ve put together nine ways you can work on and manage your own in-house communications strategy to give you the tools and confidence to put your business out there.

Create a content plan

Ok, we know that sounds overwhelming but stay with us. This does not have to be a huge task - it can be as simple as having a monthly calendar in front of you, writing down key dates for your business and then writing in when you want to post social media posts, blogs and newsletters, as well as any product and website updates. You don’t have to use a bunch of different tools to do this, just use what works for you, whether you prefer a Google calendar, a specific app, or trusty old pen and paper.

Work with the time you have

This seems obvious, but we all know that communications is one of the first things to fall by the wayside when time is tight. You neglect Instagram, your latest blog idea stays gathering dust in your notes app, and that newsletter you had big plans for isn’t going anywhere near your customers’ inboxes. We know it seems like a big ask, but creating a clear content plan and creating content in bulk is a great way to manage this issue. Set aside time each week where you write social media posts, blogs and newsletters and then you can use scheduling tools to ensure everything goes out throughout the week, reaching your audience. Meta has scheduling tools for Facebook and Instagram, content management systems such as WordPress have their own scheduling capabilities, and newsletter platforms allow you to set the date and time that you want to issue to your mailing list.

Give yourself permission to quit

Trying to be all things to all people is only going to cause you headaches and probably mean you’ll start off with the best intentions but quickly get overwhelmed and want to give up. There is no point in using tools and platforms that aren’t serving you. It’s ok to ditch TikTok if the thought of doing it fills you with dread, you have permission to give up on anything that isn’t serving you. It’s better to channel your time and energy into things you can do well and are invested in rather than stretching yourself too thin. Sit down and think about the platforms that you enjoy using and where you get the best engagement, and then create a content strategy based around making those successful.

Get specific

Having a general approach seems like a good idea; surely you’ll reach more people by trying to appeal to to as many customers as possible? Well, no. Getting specific will help you to reach the people who are really interested in what you do, and it will also help you to build a community. There is so much out there for people to choose from that finding a way to connect with your audience is key, and getting specific about the little things will help to set you apart.

Look at what works

Simple data analysis can help you to develop a number of the points above. By looking at insights and analytics, you may be able to determine what times of day to post, or what type of language encourages people to click through. This will require time and the ability to find this information, but it is all there for you to discover and use as you require. Don’t be intimidated to ask your website provider for information on analytics; in the same way that you track your product inventory, you can track the performance of your online output.

Use your voice

People connect with people, so using your voice to talk about your business will help set you apart from anyone else. Only you can tell your story and sure, on the surface, there might be hundreds of other people selling the same product as you or providing the same services, but you are the point of difference for your business. Showcase your story, introduce your team, talk about the things that you find interesting and people will connect with you. If they learn they can trust you, then you’ll find customers for life.

Create repeatable content

You don’t have to come up with brand new content ideas every day! Creating a repeatable format that you can use each week saves time and energy. It might be a featured product of the week, a recipe of the week, or a recommendation from the team (or all of the above!). This type of content is great for showcasing who you are and what you do without chewing up too much of your time.

Discover user-generated content

If you’re struggling to come up with ideas, check out what your users / customers have been saying about you. Reviews make great graphics, and you can search posts that you’ve been tagged in on Instagram so sharing these images is a great way to generate content and engage with your customers. If you work with suppliers, they can be a good way to find content too - ask if they have images and resources that they are happy for you to share; cross promoting with businesses you know and trust is another easy way to show your customers who you are and what you’re about.

Use stock images

We say this with caution, but using stock images can be a quick and easy way to create content. Perhaps it’s a hand holding a glass of wine, of a picture of the Lake District; don’t be afraid to use stock imagers. Just make sure that you have the rights, credit the photographer where possible, and avoid using an image that clearly isn’t relevant to you or your business! Sites like Unsplash are a great place to start.

So, there you have it. A few ways to help empower you to work on your communications planning and strategy without having to fork out loads of money each month. That being said, if you want more information or a helping hand to get you on the right path, get in touch with us today. We’re here to give you the tools and confidence in building a communications plan or your business.