Why female entrepreneurs should get off social media in 2023 (and start creating 'proper' content again)

When I started to grow my online business, back in 2014, I fell in love with content marketing. The idea of creating high quality content that could help your ideal customers/clients find your products/services online - for years to come - seemed like a bloomin' good way to invest your time.

As a journalist, I was excited by the idea of learning new skills - like writing copy for search engine optimisation (SEO), sales pages and email marketing copy. And I devoured endless books and podcasts on these topics.

I even started a podcast. My voice sounded all weird and plummy at first. But I got better as time went on. After 400+ episodes I ended that podcast and started a new one. Every few weeks someone finds the old one, downloads the whole back catalogue...and sends it shooting back up the podcast charts past my new one. Which is annoying...but also 'proof' content marketing works, right?

But as more people got wind of the whole online business, 'passive income' thing...something changed. Suddenly online 'gurus' weren't teaching content marketing. They were teaching people how to build audiences in Facebook groups, on Instagram and every other flippin' social media platform that had been around for more than five minutes (remember Clubhouse anyone?).

Trouble was...they were teaching content tactics instead of content strategy.

Content Tactics versus Strategy (and why it matters)

Suddenly wannabe online business owners were agonising over whether to start a podcast or a YouTube channel. Or whether to focus on Instagram or Facebook. And/or fretting about the best time to post on social media? and/or which scheduling tool to use. ?

And following 'experts' whose knowledge of content marketing could fit on the back of a postage stamp.

Which is when things started to go wrong (in my opinion).

Badly wrong.

Because creating an effective content strategy isn’t about which platform you post on, or how often, or what time. It's about publishing the right content, at the right time -? to get the results you need.?

Case in point: earlier this year, I generated ￡31k in sales of a ￡47 digital product in seven days (Pre-Orders of my 2023 Courageous Content Planner & Content Kit).

I published a detailed launch debrief - which includes all the geeky conversion stats and how many emails I sent etc. But the response I got kinda depressed me. Because instead of asking me about my strategy, people seemed obsessed with my 'flippin chat bot. And whether they should be using one too. And/or which email marketing provider I use and what time I sent my sales emails. All examples of content tactics - not content strategy.

And here's the thing.

I could have aced that launch in many different (and far less 'sexy') ways.

Because the tactics I chose are irrelevant. The part that really made the difference (as it does in any launch) was the strategy - my waitlist strategy in particular. Which I know worked brilliantly - because the majority of sales came from my waitlist (and sales increased 10% on the previous year). Which I know because I track my data like a Proper Old School content marketer.

And here's another thing...

You don't need fancy sales funnels

When you run a business, your aim should always be to provide the shortest route to sale. Not build stupidly long and complicated sales funnels. Just because some Online Business Guru says you should (and sells slogan T Shirts about it).

Because again...that's about tactics - not strategy.

And when you focus on content tactics instead of strategy you can end up wasting time on things you don’t need to do. For example, a common mistake I see coaches/consultants make is creating email lead magnets and complex marketing funnels to sell 1-2-1 coaching/services. When they could achieve the same result with a few personalised emails (and save themselves a heck of a lot of time in the process).

If a client asks me what kind of email lead magnet they should create...the first question I ask is: do you actually need one? Maybe they do - if so I'll help them create one (and a funnel to go with it)...but some don't. And too many female entrepreneurs have stopped asking themselves the important questions...'cos they've been too busy chasing trendy content tactics.

That aside…your personal preferences matter.? For example, if you don't like creating video - or find the tech intimidating - you'll almost certainly struggle to do it consistently (even if all the 'gurus' are telling you to get on Instagram Reels/TikTok. Ditto if you're trying to build a messenger bot ('cos your mate's got one) but you hate tech. Which is why jumping onto the latest content tactics can be an almighty waste of time.

As someone who specialises in content strategy - and sells a content planner - it's been a frustrating few years watching people get bogged down in whether they should be on YouTube, TikTok or running a Facebook group. And wearing themselves thin in the process.

Why 2023 will be different

But (thank God!) I think the tide is turning. And in 2023 I predict we'll see less so-called experts teaching content tactics. Along with a return to the things that really matter: having a solid content strategy and creating quality evergreen content.

Hallelujah!

Don't get me wrong...I'm not saying you shouldn't be on social media...I love social media! And it's great for raising awareness of your 'evergreen' content. But that's not where you should be building your audience. Or if you are...you'd better also be sending them to your website (and have some decent content to keep them there).

If you want to build a sustainable business - one that will still be around in 5 years - you also need to create evergreen content that will help your customers/clients find you for years to come i.e. content you publish on your website. It doesn't have to be a blog - it could be a podcast or a YouTube videos. And you might not be brilliant at first...but you will get better.

But honing your skills in blogging, podcasting or creating engaging videos - content you can publish on your own website. And learning about how to get more people to visit your website (aka SEO) is a far better investment of your time (and money) than another social media course you probably won't finish.

Janet Murray is a content strategist who helps businesses and brands generate engagement and sales from their content. Her 2023 Courageous Content Planner & Content Kit has helped thousands of businesses/brands with content strategy and planning. You can save 30% on yours until Monday 28 November with the code BFL30.