How to Grow Your Business Without Social Media

Will anyone book me if I'm not posting every day?
Will I miss out on opportunities if I don't check in regularly?
Will everyone forget about me if I take a break?

These were the questions I was asking myself 3 months ago when I logged out of Instagram and deleted the app from my phone. As much as I was ready to slow down to prepare for my gargantuan transition to motherhood, I was anxious about what my absence would do to my business. My creative and community-focused brain loves the app, but it's also addicting, time-consuming, and if I'm being completely honest, a tool I've used for validation too often.

Amongst the apprehension was also a feeling of curiosity. I'd been thinking about how obsessed we've become with figuring out the ever-changing algorithms and the pressure to post award-winning content in every square. That combined with the sad fact that Instagram might not deem our content as"worthwhile" or important means the vast majority of our audience might be missing our content completely. #heartbreak

So this intentional break from IG while I'm (kinda) on mat-leave has been a bit of an experiment. Do I miss being on the app? Ya, sometimes. But having that boundary has also forced me to look at new ways to create, connect and communicate. At the end of the day, we have zero control over how social media operates or how it chooses to showcase our work, so it's in our businesses' best interest to spread the marketing love.

With that in mind, here are a few alternatives to social media marketing that you might want to try!

1. Start a newsletter: If you don't have an email list, now is the time to start. If you do have a list, are you utilising it? Your subscribers are your true fans and potential customers. They want to hear from you (*assuming you're providing content that's relevant to them and is educational, inspiring or entertaining.) Don't overlook the power of creating community and helping your audience and customers through regular newsletters.
   
   - This Forbes article highlights 25 ways to grow your email list
   
   

2. Attend an event: *Stay with me introverts* Even if showing up to a room full of strangers is your idea of hell, I suggest giving it a go. You never know who you'll meet or what kind of opportunities will present themselves by calling on your courage and showing up. I hosted a Mix & Mingle night for my Women in Business group a few weeks ago, and plenty of gals showed up solo (and admitted that they almost didn't turn up because of fear). But within a few minutes, everyone had someone to talk to and the vibes were high. In fact, I could barely get everyone to stop talking for a minute so I could welcome everyone and give an intro!

   Find fun events to attend via:
   
   - Facebook groups
   - Eventbrite
   - MeetUp
   - Your local council website
   
   

3. Pitch Your Story & Share Your Expertise: Here are just a few ways to share your business and get in front of new clients....
   
   - Email the editor of a magazine or digital publication (*make sure you know who you’re pitching to and you actually read the publication)
   
   - Be interviewed on a podcast that's specific to your industry
   
   - Write a guest blog for a trusted and established website
   
   - Host a free masterclass or webinar to share your knowledge and teach people more about your work and industry
   
   - Create high-quality, educational content and share it on your blog (this will help make your website more visible to people who are using search engines like Google to find your product or service)

Want even more ideas?

You could start a referral program that gives clients an incentive to share your services or product, optimise your website for SEO (here's a good beginners guide to web optimisation), go old-school and put up posters or flyers in your community or collaborate with other businesses for exposure.

I'd love to know, what's one marketing strategy (outside of social media) you're going to try?

Let me know in the comments!

PS. your business won't fall apart if you want to rest and take a social media break. I promise. 😉