Like it or not, your audience wants to see more of you. The more you share, the stronger your community will grow and the more trust you'll build in your brand. People are nosy by nature, and the want to know who you are, what is important to you and what sets you apart from the others who do what you do. Behind the scenes content can do all of that (and then some).
Let's start with the WHY:
1. People buy from brands they trust
As a small business, we don't have the recognition the big brands do and we need to find our own way to build that trust. By sharing more of who we are, what we do, and why we do it our audience feels like they are a part of our inner circle: they can see where we work, what our process is, what our personal life is like and who we are as a people. By sharing more of you, you're giving your brand and face- and people like to support people.
2. Stand out from the crowd
As a small business owner your greatest strength is that you are the only you. Set yourself apart by showing your audience what makes you you- and what makes you different from the competition. Your style, your approach, your personality- they are all unique to you. Show your community how colourful you are.
3. Be more relatable
People relate to honesty and authenticity- the more open and honest you are about who you are, what's important to you, and what you find challenging, the more relatable and trustworthy you become.
4. Show off your personality
People want to work with people they like: people who are relatable and likeminded. Sharing some of your personality gives your audience an idea of what it might be like to work with you and determine if you're the right fit.
5. Share how hard you work- and how passionate you are about what you do
When you share your process, what your job entails, what you require to create your product and service and how much effort goes into it the value of your work goes up. Your audience will grow a stronger appreciation for you and what you do.
Hopefully I have you convinced that sharing more of yourself, and more of your behind the scenes, is a good thing for your business.
So let's move on to the HOW:
With behind the scenes content: we are going for honesty, authenticity, and personality: the more real (and imperfect) the better.
Here are a few ideas for sharing interesting behind the scenes content in your social media (with examples of my own behind the scenes to show you that I practice what I preach! ):
1. Share a part of your creative process
You don't have to give away all of your secrets, but you can give your audience a glimpse into what you do. If you make physical products, share one stage of the process, or a series of photos that show every stage, or if you're really feeling brave a video that let's us watch your product develop. If you provide a service, let us see you in action: how do you do what you do? How do your clients react? This shows us what it might be like to work with you- and it's invaluable in building trust.
2. Share a photo or video of your workspace
People are curious to see how others work- and where they do what they do. Share a photo of your desk or workspace, some action shots from your studio or workshop or even some detail shots of the things that inspire you: knick knacks, house plants, your favourite mug. Art or motivational posters you have up on the wall. Thank you cards from past clients and customers. You can share so much about what takes you tick this way!
Sidenote: we are in the midst of lockdown in the UK right now, and we have all had to learn to adapt to working at home with kids and dogs and chaos in the background- a great opportunity to show your changed workspace and that you are still managing to work despite these added challenges!
3. Share some of the tools of your trade
What tools do you need to make your products or provide your services? People are always interested to see what the pros use, especially if it's something they are particularly interested in themselves. Share a photo of your equipment and talk about how you use it to share some of your process. Talk about how often you update your tools, and the cost involved, to show your audience that you invest back into your business. You could share a tutorial of how those tools work or demonstrate them in action to create engaging video content. Or you could share some of the ingredients or products that go into making your wares- along with info about why you chose that particular material. Apart from feeding curiosity, you're also demonstrating your brand values and your industry professionalism.
4. Share a photo of you doing what you do
Let your audience see more of you and get to know the face behind the brand. Share photos of yourself in your own space, or out doing what you do, or showing off some of your products. Post video of you talking about your brand. Create content that helps: DIY tips or techniques that your community can try themselves. The more you show of yourself creating and making, the more trust you'll build with your community- and the more they will appreciate the skills and experience that go into what you do.
5. Share some of your personal life
Don't be afraid to share a little bit of your personal life too- just don't go overboard with it. Your business account should still look professional, but with some personality and real life stuff in there too. You could share photos of your partner, kids or pets. Of the things you like to do in your spare time, your favourite places to visit, your hobbies and interests and the things that inspire you. Your audience wants to know who you are when you aren't wearing your entrepreneur hat too!
I hope that's given you some new ideas for creating behind the scenes content for your social media, and convinced you to get in front of the camera more!
Looking for some help creating behind the scenes content? Get in touch for a complimentary zoom consultation: hello@smallfishglasgow.co.uk.
Not sure if your content is working for you? I can help! Get in touch for more information about a visual brand audit: hello@smallfishglasgow.co.uk.
And if you'd like to see more examples of what I create and share for behind the scenes content, check out my instagram posts & stories here.