Social Media Presence

Introduction

Following on in this series on how to get started in business – this week we want to take a look at your Social Media presence.

Getting social

Back when you were getting ready to start your business we recommended that you secure your chosen name across all the Social Media platforms that were a match for your business, these might include some or all of the top 7 in 2020:

  • LinkedIn – great for B2B & connecting with the movers and shakers
  • Facebook – still the No1 in size with an audience for just about any business type
  • Instagram – fab for targeting under 35’s & for product based businesses
  • X (Twitter) – great forum for marketing, sports, political & entertainment based business
  • Pinterest – if your audience is predominantly female this could be for you
  • Snapchat – this is where the young teens hangout so if that’s your market…
  • Reddit – being one of the top 20 most visited sites with acres of diverse content, ideal for niche markets!

Top Tip

*Use an app such as IFTTT (If This Then That) to repost your content to multiple sites and save yourself time!

Getting social

There’s mixed opinion on how much of a presence you should have on social media, the general rule of thumb is that its better to be on one or two platforms with really good & regular content, than to spread yourself too thin – after all, although these platforms provide a fabulous, free billboard, you still need to factor in your time!

Remember that each platform needs a slightly different approach when posting, so one post doesn’t necessarily fit all!

Keeping regular

Once you’ve decided where is the best fit for you and your business, you need to do a good bit of background research and make a plan of how often and when to launch your posts.

There’s nothing worse than carefully curating some wonderful content, only to see it languish for want of impressions & engagement, just because you posted it at 10am Wednesday, when actually 6pm Thursday would be optimal for your audience and line of work! These times will likely vary for different businesses, audiences and for each of the platforms.

Social Media is run by Algorithms – broadly they all reward invisible brownie points to those who follow a regular posting routine, who engage across their whole platform, who post varied content, who use great, well edited images & who change up their use and number of hashtags. The more the algorithm likes and understands who you are and what you do, then generally, the more it will reward and promote you!

Top Tips

  1. Research and make a posting plan for each platform.
  2. Keep a list of well researched hashtags in your notes and vary their use and number posted.
  3. Find an editing tool or preset that you like and stick with it to produce a branded, consistent and curated feed.
  4. Allocate some time each day to engage with each part of the platform – be careful you don’t fall down a rabbit hole though – use a timer!
  5. Keep an eye on your best performing posts and take note of when it was posted, what sort of post it was (i.e. Video, Article, Promotion etc), what hashtags were used, who engaged with it.
  6. Be consistent – if you decide to post once a day, 3 times a week or once a week – stick to it!
  7. Remember no one wants to be bombarded – keep your main feed for well crafted and edited posts – anything else less considered or informal should be on stories or not there at all, its always best not to over-post!

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Interior Design

We can also assist with interiors specifications — for example, kitchen layouts, bespoke joinery, finishes, and fittings.

We can prepare a tailored quote based on the level of detail and input you’d like from us. The more information we specify upfront together, the smoother the build process will be, and the more accurate your contractor’s costings will be, helping to avoid unexpected costs.

This scope would be agreed under a fixed fee.

Pre Application

If the proposed scheme is particularly large, complex, or potentially contentious, we may recommend submitting a pre-application enquiry to the local planning authority before proceeding with a full planning application. This can help clarify requirements, identify potential issues early, and improve the chances of a successful outcome.

This scope would be agreed under a fixed fee.

BREGs

After planning approval, the final stage is Technical Design, where we create detailed Building Regulation Drawings (BREGs).

A few important notes:

  • You’ll need Building Control sign-off for the build. This can be done through the local authority or privately, with fees paid directly to Building Control.

  • We can introduce you to trusted local structural engineers, or we’re happy to collaborate with any chartered engineer of your choice. Their fees are separate and payable directly to them.

  • We can also introduce you to reputable builders we regularly work with, if needed.

Our fees are split into two payments: 50% upon instruction and 50% upon issue of the drawings to Building Control.

Planning

Once you’re happy with the proposed design, we’ll prepare your planning application pack.

A typical planning submission includes:

  • Location & Block Plan

  • Existing Plans & Elevations

  • Proposed Plans & Elevations (including coloured elevations)

  • Proposed Site Plan

  • Design & Access Statement

We’ll handle the submission on your behalf and liaise with the council throughout, keeping you updated every step of the way.

Our fees are split into two payments: 50% upon instruction and 50% upon submission of the application.

Concept

This is the exciting part — shaping a design that’s perfectly suited to you.

After our initial consultation, we’ve prepared a brief and a list of drawing deliverables. Here’s how this stage works: We start with a site survey to produce accurate existing plans and elevations. We then develop proposed design drawings based on the agreed brief. Once ready, we’ll invite you to our office for a design review. We’ll refine the design based on your feedback and issue a final drawing pack for you to sign off. Our fees are split into two payments: 50% upon instruction and 50% upon issue of the drawings.