Billie Asmus, Inventor and entrepreneur of the Repaint Tray, is with us to discuss her journey with organic social media as a business owner. This is first hand experience from a product based business owner on how she is leveraging social media to spread the word about her business. We discuss posting frequency, the type of content to share, and more. Tune in today!
Welcome to Business Talk Sister Gawk! In the fast-paced world of social media marketing, finding the right balance between engagement and content creation can be a challenge. In this blog post, we will explore effective strategies for leveraging social media to boost your business, drawing insights from a detailed interview with Billie Asmus, a successful entrepreneur who has mastered this art.
Meet Billie: Inventor and Marketer
Billie is the inventor of the Repaint Tray, a reusable and eco-friendly paint tray liner and lid. Launched on February 1, 2024, the product has quickly gained traction, leading to near sell-out status within months. Billie shares the excitement and nervousness surrounding the launch, noting that initial feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.
With a background in communication and marketing, Billie had to rely on her skills to market her product without a dedicated marketing team. She emphasizes the importance of organic marketing strategies, which she has used exclusively to promote her business.
The Journey of the Repaint Tray
Billie started promoting the Repaint Tray on social media a year before having a fully functioning prototype or a registered LLC. The impetus was a pitch competition, where a potential press release in local newspapers prompted her to make the first public announcement on Instagram and Facebook Live.
She began by updating her audience on the various stages of her business, from the initial idea to the first product sample. Her approach allowed her to build a supportive community early on. When the product was finally ready for sale, this community played a crucial role in spreading the word and generating excitement.
Balancing Personal and Business Pages
Billie mostly used her business page to share updates but occasionally leveraged her personal page for more personal business achievements. This strategy ensured she did not overwhelm her personal followers while still promoting her product.
Defining Organic Social Media Marketing
Organic marketing, according to Billie, involves creating and sharing content without any paid advertisements. This includes posting videos, collaborating with others, and utilizing content to promote the product and the business.
Starting with Organic Social Media
Initially, Billie focused on leveraging her existing skills and discussing trends in the painting market. She shared helpful tips on selecting paintbrushes, understanding roller naps, and choosing paint finishes. This content kept her audience engaged while remaining relevant to her product.
When she had a product to promote, Billie demonstrated its features and integrated these demonstrations with tips and tricks, appealing to both DIY enthusiasts and professional painters. She aimed to hit different demographics by tailoring her content to varied interests within the painting community.
Strategies for Content Sharing
Billie relied on friends, family, and followers to share her content rather than posting directly in Facebook groups, as many groups do not allow business promotions. She also appeared on podcasts and attended local events to spread the word about her product.
Importance of Engagement Rules
Billie follows various accounts that share strategies for staying up-to-date with social media algorithms. She emphasizes the importance of targeting groups you belong to, as this makes it easier to create engaging content. By flipping the script and thinking from a consumer’s perspective, she determines what content would be engaging and useful.
Billie’s strategy involves creating a mix of product-related content and general tips or educational material to maintain engagement without overwhelming followers with constant advertisements.
The Role of Email Lists
While acknowledging the importance of email lists, Billie admits she hasn’t utilized this tool as much as she should due to time constraints. She stresses the need for a balanced email strategy that provides valuable resources rather than bombarding subscribers with frequent marketing emails.
In the ever-evolving landscape of social media, businesses and individuals alike must navigate the complexities of engagement, content creation, and platform-specific strategies. In this blog post, we explore various aspects of maximizing social media impact, drawing insights from industry experts and practical experiences.
Finding the Right Balance: Quality and Quantity of Posts
Posting frequency is a topic of much debate. While some experts argue for daily updates, the reality is that quality often trumps quantity. Aiming for at least four to five posts per week can be a good starting point. It’s essential to monitor when your audience is most active and engaged. For instance, our analysis revealed that engagement peaks between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Central Time. This timeframe aligns with mid-morning routines when people are likely to take a break and check their phones.
Conversely, posts made in the evening around 6 or 7 p.m. tend to garner views but less interaction. The rationale is that while people might be winding down for the day and browsing content, they’re less inclined to like, comment, or share at this time. Therefore, focusing on morning posts can yield higher engagement rates.
Weekend Posting: A Matter of Choice
Opinions vary on whether to post during weekends. Some believe in the necessity of daily updates, while others, like us, prefer to take a break on Saturdays and Sundays. The key is to ensure consistent engagement during the week, which can compensate for the reduced weekend activity.
Content Creation: A Blend of Variety and Consistency
Creating diverse content is crucial for keeping your audience engaged. Whether it’s videos, carousels, or informative posts, variety can cater to different preferences within your audience. Repurposing content is another effective strategy. Revisiting past posts that performed well and giving them a fresh twist can save time and maintain a steady flow of content.
Allocating specific times for content creation, such as dedicating one day a week for bulk creation, can streamline the process. Alternatively, setting aside time in the evenings, post-dinner, can work well for those with busier schedules. It’s all about finding a routine that fits your lifestyle while ensuring consistent output.
Platform-Specific Strategies
Each social media platform has its unique audience and engagement patterns. For example, while Instagram and TikTok cater to younger demographics with higher engagement rates, Facebook tends to attract an older audience. However, younger users are also active in Facebook groups focused on niche interests like DIY projects and entrepreneurship. Tapping into these groups can be beneficial, though it’s crucial to respect group rules regarding business promotions.
The Role of Help and Collaboration
Hiring assistance for tasks like video editing and content ideation can significantly alleviate the workload, allowing you to focus on the core aspects of your business. The next episode of our series will delve deeper into finding the right help and collaboration strategies.
An Unexpected Opportunity
Social media’s power to connect is evident from an interesting interaction we had on TikTok. A seemingly ordinary message from a user turned out to be from a highly esteemed engineer affiliated with Harvard, who expressed interest in collaborating on product design. This encounter underscores the potential of social media to open doors to unexpected and valuable opportunities.
Conclusion
Navigating social media requires a mix of strategic posting, diverse content creation, and understanding platform-specific dynamics. By balancing quality and quantity, leveraging peak engagement times, and exploring collaborative opportunities, you can maximize your social media impact. Stay tuned for our next episode, where we will explore more aspects of social media management and collaboration.
How to Connect
To learn more about effective social media strategies or to see these principles in action, visit the Billie Asmus´ website at Repaint Studios or follow her on Instagram at repaint_tray. You can also find her on TikTok as the_repaintlady.
