Networking is about Connection

Real Alternatives to Social Media

Why are so many freelancers and business owners seriously looking for alternatives to social media marketing? Is it a mere coincidence that this topic has come up regularly in my conversations and interactions recently? Or is there something else going on at grass roots level in the business world?

What are the arguments?

While there are of course individual reasons why so many are talking about quitting social media, there is a distinctive red thread running all the arguments. And that red thread comes down to this. Apart from the fact that it’s rather negligent to put all your eggs in someone else’s digital basket, investing time and effort on social media marketing today, especially for freelancers and small businesses, obeys the law of steep diminishing returns.

For the ‘average’ professional, freelancer or small business owner It no longer makes business sense to invest time, energy and money heavily in a social media presence. And the reason it doesn’t make sense is twofold. Firstly, the sudden outages in recent years have shown us just how unreliable the various social media platforms are.

Secondly and crucially, the algorithms have turned social media into a terrain of constantly shifting sand with no hope of solid ground in sight. One long-term freelance friend explained why he has already begun his exit manoeuvres: “It’s become a game and just when you’ve learned the rules, the rules change. I’m done playing that game.”

Is there a Real Alternative to Social Media Marketing for Freelancers and Small Businesses?

If the halcyon days of social media marketing are well and truly over for the ‘average’ freelancer and small business owner, what’s the next step? Where do we find more effective and dependable ways to market our business that don’t devour our energies for an ever-diminishing Return on Effort?

The internet is bursting with tips and advice – just google ‘alternatives to social media marketing’ for the latest cheat sheets to get some ideas. A word of caution here. There are many lists and some of the lists are long. You could easily end up going down a very long rabbit hole only to end with no suitable and workable alternative at the end.

There are NO silver bullet solutions to quitting social media for your business.

Simple and Effective Alternatives to Social Media Marketing

Whatever the strategies and tactics you decide to use, they have to be aligned with the needs of you and your business. More importantly, they have to connect you with those who need your services in a simple, effective and straightforward way. I’ve written about alternatives to social media marketing for introverts here.

Even if you don’t consider yourself an introvert, most of my suggestions are relevant to solopreneurs, freelancers and small-scale businesses who are looking for a reliable, customised and cost-effective alternative to social media marketing. Here are my top three suggestions. As they generally fall into the category of ‘slow marketing’ or ‘ethical marketing’, they will not create immediate alternatives, so patience and testing are required. However, the long-term ROI is excellent.

1. Optimise and update the SEO on your website and blogs
It’s important to remember that an updated, developed and optimised SEO is a long-term strategy. However, once you’ve got it working for you, it’s very effective and far less time-consuming than social media marketing.

2. Word-of-Mouth Marketing (aka Referrals)
This is so effective if you invest in it. Investing in word-of-mouth marketing means that you constantly give your clients such great value, they are happy and willing to refer you to those who need your service. However, you also have to initiate a simple referral system with your ex-clients.

3. Networking, both on- and off-line
Again, this is one of my top strategies that gives a huge ROI once you use if effectively. For tips on how to network effectively, check here. You can also build an affiliate network with those who work in your general area of specialisation. this works because people talk about you and your work to those who need to hear it. This is also know as building relationships.

One last piece of advice about quitting social media

Don’t just quit overnight. Think ‘quiet quitting’ instead. Develop strategies that are easy to integrate into your day-to-day business, then test and tweak as you go. For example, if you don’t enjoy writing blogs, then explore other ways of reaching your audience – maybe video or podcasting are better alternatives.

Whatever you choose, ensure it’s simple to implement, it connects you with the right audience and it can be easily customised for your particular business needs. Ideally, pick just one or two alternative to begin. You can add more if necessary once you’ve got the current ones working effectively. Remember the Golden Rule – quality over quantity. It’s not about how many strategies you use, it’s how well you use them.

In the world of marketing, less is usually more!

Coping with Corona

A Response from the Irish Business Community in Germany

I wanted to take the pulse of how my fellow Irish Business Network members are coping with the effects of the coronavirus on their business as we step into 2021. The responses to the questions below are from professionals, small business owners and employees right across Germany.

I           What are the biggest challenges facing you right now? 

Two major challenges emerged immediately (that are obviously connected):

• On-going uncertainty was mentioned by everyone
• Financial issue by 90%

It’s not just businesses dependent on travel and physical presence that are financially challenged. Even those that managed to ‘switch’ online are as well.

II          What kind of support would help you deal with these challenges?

There was an overall consensus on two issues:

◆ The need for more direct and indirect government-backed financial support

◆ The need for more personal and professional support

The personal and professional support required includes:

• informal chats with friends & colleagues
• professional advice on dealing with pandemic-related problems, such as training on how to manage staff working from home
• support in creating more networking opportunities for the Irish business community

The supportive role of the IBN’s bi-monthly, online event, Thursday Cuppa, organised by Edmond O’Donnell, was mentioned by 60% of respondents. As Róisín Russ points out, “It’s one of the upsides of the pandemic. I love how we can connect with Irish business communities across Germany and present ourselves in our professional capacity as well.”

III         What effects, both positive and/or negative, have you experienced since March 2020 that are directly related to the coronavirus?

On the positive side, the benefits of remote working are in the forefront & include

• the time and money saved on travel
• the flexibility it offered, particularly for those with family responsibilities
• Over 50% remarked on how the exponential improvement in online tools is making the shift to remote working easier and more productive

On the negative side:

• 70% mentioned the isolation and how that has negatively impacted on motivation & moral
• new communication challenges, ranging from the slower pace of problem solving with colleagues to difficulties connecting with current & new clients
• 50% of the responses mentioned how quickly ‘zoom fatigue’ has replaced in-house ‘meeting fatigue’!

The Personal Effects of Corona

I asked specifically about the effects of the coronavirus on their business. What emerged in the responses is how quickly the coronavirus has erased the divisions between the personal and the professional.

“The pandemic has prompted many to re-examine their identity” was how Margaret Haverty summed up the consequences for the Irish community living in Germany. Margaret, a Historical & Cultural Anthropologist, is writing her PhD on this topic at the University of Tübingen and began her research in March 2020.

According to Margaret, for over two decades the Irish in German-speaking Europe have lived what sociologists term ‘transnational lives’, i.e. they live in two countries. The arrival of Corona put an abrupt end to the “hopping between homes”, as Joanne Galvin describes: “I’ve always had the feeling since moving abroad that I somehow lived in 2 countries and did not have to decide for either! 2020 turned that thinking on its head!” 

Margaret’s research is highlighting how “this seismic shift is forcing the Irish to re-negotiate their lives in Germany”. The parameters within which they are doing that are currently …  uncertain.

The Road Ahead?

In times of uncertainty, moving forward also calls on us to check our rear-view mirror for orientation.

According to our Celtic ancestors, the beginning of February marks the festival of Imbolc, or it’s Christianised name St Brigid. The significance of Imbolc is that it falls between, what farmers called, ‘the freeze and the thaw’, meaning deep winter is almost over, but spring has not yet arrived.

On a practical level, this in-between phase (lasts until the 21.3) is the perfect time to prepare, to organise, to do the spring-cleaning, to put our house in order for when the thaw is complete. It’s a time to prepare for the changes that are coming; for the emerging ‘new normal’.

How can we apply the ancient wisdom of Imbolc to the current challenges we face at the beginning of 2021? And how can it help us cope with the effects of the coronavirus on our business?

Your Route Planner

Here are a few simple steps on how to use this time wisely to anticipate the road ahead & ready your responses:

• Organise your physical working space (office, desk & computer)

De-cluttering gives you back a sense of control and order in your personal space, which in turn helps clarify ideas, activate motivation, improve productivity & ignite creativity.

• Optimise & Streamline

Have a look at your technical systems & business strategies. Ask yourself what do you need to upgrade or replace? Is this the time to pivot?

• Build Bridges

We’ve discovered the importance of belonging to supportive groups in 2020. Now is the time to strengthen and expand our networks.

• Be easily Found, Seen & Heard

When ‘spring’ finally arrives – and it will! – it’s crucial that your business is perfectly positioned to cut through the clutter of noise that will be released. Now is the time to clarify your marketing message, update your ‘pitch’, revise your content (presentations, profile, website, etc.) and select the most relevant communication channels to connect & engage with the right audience.

Imbolc is a time of stillness AND a time of preparation.

It’s the time to get ready!

Essential Networking Tips

Many years ago I attended my first formal networking event. It was a baptism of fire on many levels. I came away from it with a number of essential networking tips on how to communicate in a business setting and beyond.

During the first half of the evening we sat around tables in groups of 8 and introduced ourselves – a kind of warm-up for having to do it later in front of the whole room.

I introduced myself as a Storytelling Strategist. The man sitting next to me responded by assuring me he would never need my services as he was a “natural born storyteller”!
For the next hour he told us story after story after story … about himself. He interrupted others, he didn’t listen when others spoke. His endless anecdotes were of no relevance to us or the event.

Ever been in the company of someone like that?

When his turn came to pitch to the whole room, he swaggered to the front and talked & talked & talked … about himself. He went over his allotted time of course. He sat down next to me and proudly announced “See, I told you I’m a natural storyteller!”

In the mix & mingle session afterwards he floated from one group to the next, to the next, shoving his business cards into the hands of everyone he came in contact with. 

The essential networking tips I learned that eventing:

The same tips apply to networking online. The form is different, but the behavioural norms are still apply. The advantage of online networking is we can discreetly disconnect!

Then some people wonder why they don’t find networking effective or useful!

When we net-work we are creating a net, a web of connections in our field that will help us in a variety of ways.  

I connected with two people that eventing and I’m still in contact with both of them Neither became clients of mine. One became a trusted mentor and friend. The other has referred clients to me over the years.

It was a very successful networking event for me on two counts:

• the networking tips learned
• the two lasting connections I made that eventing.