I have been posting content for three weeks. I don't know yet what works, so this is where I am.
TikTok is slow
I spent some time about a year ago posting travel content on TikTok. I think it takes a while to learn what sort of audience you are trying to reach, so my reach there has not been as good.
Instagram has been great
I have great engagement and hundreds of new followers. So many entrepreneurs and business owners in Exeter have reached out to say thank you for talking about these things. They had not realised there were other entrepreneurs in the South West. So there is definitely a place for this.
What I have realised
Most importantly, I am really enjoying it. I enjoy creating the videos, talking to the camera and sharing what I am doing.
The pace
It is hard to keep up. I am posting across multiple platforms every day, sometimes twice a day, and now trial reels, this blog and LinkedIn as well. It is a lot. But I think it is one of the most impactful things that can happen for my businesses. Whatever I decide to do, growing a following and a personal brand feels like the best way of getting there. It is time consuming, but I am improving my workflows, getting better at producing content in bulk and enjoying the process.
The people I know
It takes getting used to, posting for everyone you know to see. There has not been much support from people I actually know. It is mainly strangers, which is what most people say happens when they start. Everyone you know is watching, but they are not liking, commenting or messaging. They are watching in the shadows.
It is a strange thing humans do. I would like to think I would loudly support my friends doing something like this. Maybe that is wishful thinking. If you are not crushing it and a friend is doing really well, perhaps that is not easy to see. I don't know if that is just me being cynical.
The bit I am less sure about
It is too early to tell what works. There has been no direct correlation with business growth so far. My following is mostly younger entrepreneurs looking to get started, rather than business owners looking to buy our services. But reach is reach.
Anyway
I am going to keep posting. Stay tuned.