Simon Scholes

PODCAST TIP 1 YOU DO NOT NEED LOADS OF EXPENSIVE KIT Perfect content is not important. When it comes to all content, it’s so important you give value, but it being perfect doesn’t matter. This is the same with a podcast, it’s such a powerful tool in your social media marketing belt but so many people put off starting as they need the right kit or want it to be ready. Stop making excuses and get started. Most of you reading this will own a phone, old or new. This is likely to have a voice recorder on it, so record your first podcast. Get it done, give value, start recording today using the most powerful tool in your arsenal……your phone. Yes, in the long run, a phone is quite expensive but it’s all you need, you don’t need soundproofing or a mic etc. etc. So, grab your phone and use that voice of yours. Facebook live cheat sheet: http://perceptionstudios.co.uk/cheat-sheet/ Hi, I'm Simon and welcome to my podcast. I am the founder & creative director of Perception Studios UK, and award-winning visual

In today's podcast, I chat with Mr Productivity himself Mark Struczewski. We speak all about what people procrastinate on, why, how he's used social media himself even though it's a huge time-waster for many people too. If you want to find out more about Mark visit some of the links below Website: https://www.markstruczewski.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/officialmarkstruczewski/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarkStruczewski LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markstruczewski Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markstruczewski/ Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mark-struczewski-podcast/id1257109620

Optimise your blog site for search engines The first few tips consisted of making your content great for readers and spreading the word to your amazing potential audience.. While this should be your first priority, it’s important to remember that you also need to write for search engines as well. Using an SEO tool like Yoast for WordPress will help you optimise your blog posts so search engines understand how to index your site properly.

Answer Questions for Your Audience It seems obvious, but the best way to create a readership for your blog content is through giving them compelling, informative and value driven content. I always try to respond to every question my readers come up with, and when I’m posting about my content on other social media channels I actually ask for peoples feedback, get them to leave comments etc. asking questions. After all the more interaction your content gets, the better it will perform. Just don’t forget what this post is all about, be sure to respond to every single comment you get, answer their questions, or point them towards an answer if you don’t have it (you don’t have to know everything after all). If you’re truly passionate about your blog’s area of expertise, you can successfully grow your audience and continue your own learning through answering all the unanswered questions.”

BLOG GROWTH TIP 7.........FREE INFO ON BLOGS…….. I think this is probably EVERYONES favourite four letter word. I have a few others I tend to use from time to time, but, this one is still my favourite…..especially as I’m a tight Yorkshireman. So, when I tell brands and businesses I give away all my best content on social media for FREE, they do tend to think I’m a little bit crazy. In fact I’m normally asked straight after “So, how the hell do you make any money” People are sadly very short term in their way of thinking, there’s very little to no patience when it comes to making cash. Most businesses want to see a return right now, and not wait, or have the patience to wait for that R.O.I. However, the ROI of social media doesn’t happen fast, it can’t, the whole point of social media is in it’s name…….to be social. It takes hard work to build a level of trust with your audience, so you can get to the point of the ASK…..That moment you can potentially convert that raving fan into a customer. So, learn an e

BLOG GROWTH TIP 6 BE ORIGINAL We’ve all heard the line “Imitation is the highest form of flattery”, but in the blogosphere, it’s just plain and simple copying. Don't be a copycat, it's all well and good covering the same subject matter as someone else, but, make sure you give it your own slant. People want to consume your value, not someone elses. If you do copy, it’s not going to help your online reputation, people can see right through it, especially if they consume your content on a regular basis, as they can read the different tone of voice etc. Yes it’s hard to produce your own content, but, that’s where the planning comes in to make sure you have your subject matters in mind. So, remember, it’s fine to share someone else blog, but, don’t say it’s your own, always be original with your own content.

BLOG GROWTH TIP 5 WRITE WHAT YOUR AUDIENCE WANTS TO READ Don't forget, we live in a society where people are hammered constantly with sales messages. You need to write content full of value for your audience, and also check out trends etc. so you're writing about what people have already proven to enjoy as a subject matter. You can use tools like Google Alerts or Talkwalker Alerts to help you with seeing about blog topics or find popular content on BuzzSumo which helps you see which topics are getting great traction Whichever topics you cover, keep your audience at the heart of your content and focus on solving their problems. Facebook live cheat sheet: http://perceptionstudios.co.uk/cheat-sheet/ Hi, I'm Simon, and welcome to Daily Perceptions. I am the founder & creative director of Perception Studios UK, and award winning visual marketing agency, based in Andover Hampshire, in the UK. I also specialise in working with small businesses, and brands in helping them understand how they can grow their

BLOG GROWTH TIP 4 Collaborate and network with other bloggers We’ve all heard the saying, “It’s not about what you know, it’s who you know.” The same can be said about blogging. If you start to connect with and be part of the blogging community, you’ll be amazed at how your engagement, traffic and even shares of your content could increase. It’s time to start being SOCIAL on SOCIAL MEDIA. So how can you start getting to know other bloggers in your niche? * Engage with other bloggers on social networks – Especially sharing other people’s content if it’s useful to your audience and also responding to them in comments or status updates. * Leave helpful comments on other blogs – This is best done on personal blogs where the owner responds to comments. This is a sure-fire way to get noticed providing you don’t start selling with your comment and focus on leaving help. You give value in your content, so if you can help, do so. * Become part of a thriving community in your niche – Online communities are a g

BLOG GROWTH TIP 3 Just get started Achieving top-tier blogging status can seem like a long shot. But every successful blogger started somewhere. Create Create Create, practise writing every single day, and get those blogs out for people to consume, giving them loads of value in your content. It doesn't have to be perfect for people to read it. Get feedback, adjust, move on. Without creating and putting your product or service out there, no one will find you and hire you. Just start. For content ideas, try a brainstorming worksheet to collect ideas this is where planning really does come into it’s own. Once you know what you’re talking about then you’re onto a winner. So, get creating, have some fun Facebook live cheat sheet: http://perceptionstudios.co.uk/cheat-sheet/ Hi, I'm Simon, and welcome to Daily Perceptions. I am the founder & creative director of Perception Studios UK, and award winning visual marketing agency, based in Andover Hampshire, in the UK. I also specialise in working with small

BLOG GROWTH TIP 2 How much planning do you do? Having a plan for your blog content in place will make life so much easier when it comes to creating the content. If you just sit down in front of your computer, the chances are writing a blog will take you hours on end, most of which will be deciding what to write about in the first place. Plan your content each month to make it easy. You don’t want to be that creator who is always saying “OH CRAP!!!!” How often do you say those words when you realise you’ve not posted anything on social media for a few weeks, so then you end up posting something on instagram, then something different on twitter and a video on youtube about a totally different subject matter again. You cannot approach marketing in a scattergun approach. Look at what the big brands do with their marketing, and understand that what they’re doing will work for you, just maybe needs a little modification as they already have a name and followers, you, on the other hand, may not, YET, but

BLOG GROWTH TIP 1 HAVE YOU MADE TIME? The blog is the first content you create in the “How to 9 x your social media” process. I call it the doorway to content, as this one piece will help you with so much more. According to a recent survey, a typical blog post takes two and a half hours to create. The same study reveals that a large number of bloggers write outside of regular “work hours,” including on weekends and at night. So basically, it takes time to create your blog. And writing blog posts is just the beginning; in addition to creating content, bloggers must optimise for search engines, make time for social media, market their content, network, and engage with readers, just like with all forms of social media. Not being fully committed is what separates amateur bloggers from the pros. I think the main mistake I see in new bloggers is not being totally committed to what they’re doing. As @garyvee says, you can’t be half pregnant, go all-in on your content and start with a blog. Facebook live c

I often get asked about my story, what got me to a place where I want to simply help brands and especially mindset and life coaches take their brand from local to national for free. This is my story, told at a keynote I gave recently at a UK based networking event.

It's time for another interview on the social media podcast, and this week I'm speaking to Kat McLead. Kat Mclead is the creator of the Stay at Home Mom Entrepreneur: *the* proven framework for creating a highly profitable business that you love while working 2 hours a day. She started her first multiple 6 figure business 20 years ago, and hasn’t slowed down since — not even after having kids. A fun fact: That business’s profits meant that she had way more money than her husband when they first got married, and was able to pay the entire $450,000 down payment on their home. Not that he minded! She fully planned on being a pampered Stay at Home Mom, but once her son began preschool, and she actually had ME time again for the first time in years, she became restless. So she came out of “retirement” and started coaching her friends just to give her a little extra buzz. Since then, she’s helped numerous Stay at Home Moms find fulfilment and independent income outside of motherhood all while staying Mom firs

SOCIAL MEDIA DOESN’T SWITCH OFF FOR THE WEEKEND So, it’s time for my final tip to help your Instagram growth. Yes it’s the WEEKEND, and we all know what that means, I’m about to spend two days telling you how social media doesn’t work a 5 day week. That’s right, the weekend is a fantastic opportunity for you to keep talking to your amazing audience, and keep giving them value that your competition probably isn’t doing. How do you keep them interested on a weekend, well why not run polls, get them involved in a quiz on your instagram stories, or simply go out and speak to them on their content as well as posting your own stuff. Just don’t forget, the weekend isn’t always a chance to switch off, but more so, a chance to really get 4 or 5 steps ahead of the competition with a few simple social media posts and a bit of being social on social media. If you want to chat to me more about this, just drop me a line (link in my profile) and I’d be happy to have a chat. Facebook live cheat sheet: http://perceptio

HAVE YOU EVER PAID FOR A POST? Instagram has 1 billion monthly active users. 500 million of those users are engaging daily on the platform. And they’re not just engaging with their very best of friends. They’re engaging with brands, too, 10x more than they do on Facebook. So, as Instagram is owned by Facebook (and has access to all of that data), it allows for awesome targeting if you know who you’re trying to reach. Sponsored posts are also not in your face on Instagram, so they’re less likely to be ignored than a typical online banner ad. Sponsored Instagram ads can have a massive impact when they’re well-targeted and take advantage of Instagram being a visual medium. Make sure your sponsored posts are some of your most visually appealing work.

COLLABORATIONS When you’re in a photo with multiple other people or businesses, do you tag them in the photo? This is an excellent and easy way to collaborate without specific content. Those businesses will see the tag in their feeds on whichever channel you’ve tagged them and most importantly, potentially share that content to their feed, for their audience to see and hopefully come to see your profile and get value. So, next time you post a pic after a meeting or a networking event, etc. make sure you tag fellow businesses and people in the photo to help increase your reach. PS That doesn’t mean just randomly tagging people and businesses, not in the photographs, that just cheeses people off. Facebook live cheat sheet: http://perceptionstudios.co.uk/cheat-sheet/ Hi, I'm Simon, and welcome to Daily Perceptions. I am the founder & creative director of Perception Studios UK, and award winning visual marketing agency, based in Andover Hampshire, in the UK. I also specialise in working with small busin

This week it was announced that M&S had dropped out the FTSE100. It is the end of an era for Marks and Spencer, which has been relegated from the FTSE 100 index of Britain's biggest listed companies. It is the first time the retailer has not been a FTSE 100 member since the index was launched in 1984. Based on the closing price of its stock on Tuesday, its market value fell below the threshold for inclusion. The official announcement was made on Wednesday night, with the decision implemented on 23 September. The food and fashion giant has had a hard year, with its shares down 40%. This was something I called last year, here's what I had to say Facebook live cheat sheet: http://perceptionstudios.co.uk/cheat-sheet/ Hi, I'm Simon, and welcome to Daily Perceptions. I am the founder & creative director of Perception Studios UK, and award winning visual marketing agency, based in Andover Hampshire, in the UK. I also specialise in working with small businesses, and brands in helping them understand how the

In this episode, Simon talks to Adam Kipnes. Adam has been working with business owners for the past 20 years. His focus is business and marketing strategy and how to successfully grow without spending more money on advertising. 22 of my clients have crossed $1 million in annual revenue and 4 have gone from under 6 figures to over 7 figures. Here we chat about how he brings his clients the strategies, tips, and secrets to growing. Facebook live cheat sheet: http://perceptionstudios.co.uk/cheat-sheet/ Hi, I'm Simon, and welcome to Daily Perceptions. I am the founder & creative director of Perception Studios UK, and award winning visual marketing agency, based in Andover Hampshire, in the UK. I also specialise in working with small businesses, and brands in helping them understand how they can grow their social following and brand for FREE....my favourite four letter word. However, it does take hard work and patience, so if you think you've got what it takes, let's start the journey with this video.

GIVE INSTAGRAM STORIES A TRY If you’ve ever thought about using Instagram Stories for business, now is the time! Not only are Instagram Stories fun and creative, but they’re great for growing your engagement, building brand awareness, driving traffic to your website, and even making ecommerce sales! We’ve all at some point watched a form of reality tv, be it back when Big brother was actually a social experiment, or the more recent series of Love Island and everything in between. We live in a voyeuristic age, where people love to see behind the scenes, real life stuff. So, this is what I suggest using stories for at first. Give people an insight into your life, almost like a daily vlog, but, it’ll only last for 24 hours in peoples streams, it’s also a chance to really put vertical video to excellent use, but, we’ll discuss landscape v’s portrait tomorrow. Until then, start putting Instagram stories to good use in your business, give that behind the scenes look as well as giving value in a way that remo

IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME ?? We’ve all seen the amazing film “Field Of Dreams” (if you’ve not get hold of a copy, it’s pretty awesome). The above lines are prevalent all the way through, and it’s something marketeers seem to have tagged onto massively in recent years. However……WHAT A CROCK OF SHIT. Too many people have in mind that just because they do a spot of social media content the audience will come. The number of brands and businesses I’ve spoken to recently who tell me they’re doing blogs but don’t have any more business yet is quite amazing. I feel it’s my place to help brands and businesses and especially “entrepreneurs” understand that building a social media audience, in fact any form of digital audience is hard work, and doesn’t happen over night, especially building a group of raving fans who give a shit about your content, and will be happy to share it to their audience. So, don’t just assume because you’re doing a blog it will bring an audience. Think about what else you could do with