Social Media

  • Entrepreneurship, Podcast

    Your Email List Is Your Most Valuable Asset (And How to Make the Most of It)

    A post about why your email list is more than just a list of names and email addresses. In this post, we’ll explore why it’s such a valuable asset and how you can leverage it to drive more sales, build better relationships with your customers, and ultimately grow your business.

    Apple Podcasts | Spotify Podcasts

    As a business owner, you have undoubtedly heard about the value of your website, social media channels, and products or services. But what if we told you that there is one asset even more valuable than those? We’re talking about your email list. That’s right, the list of email addresses you’ve collected from your customers and prospects. In this article, we will explain why your email list is so critical to your success, and provide practical tips for making the most of this valuable asset. Whether you’re a startup or an established business, this information is essential to help you build stronger customer relationships, increase sales, and grow your business. So let’s dive in!

    Your email list is a direct connection to your customers

    Your mailing list is not just a list of names and email addresses. It’s a direct connection to your customers. Your subscribers have given you permission to communicate with them directly, which is a rare opportunity in today’s crowded and noisy digital landscape. By leveraging this connection, you can engage with your audience on a deeper level and build meaningful relationships.

    Email marketing generates impressive ROI. According to a recent report by Campaign Monitor, for every £1 spent on email marketing, the average ROI is £45. That’s an incredible return on investment, and it’s not just limited to e-commerce businesses. Service-based businesses, non-profits, and even educational institutions can benefit from email marketing.

    When you send an email, you’re not just sending a message. You’re sending a targeted message to a group of people who have already expressed interest in your brand. They’re more likely to open your email, read your content, and take action. With the right strategy, your email list can become your most valuable asset, driving traffic, sales, and revenue for your business.

    Email marketing generates impressive ROI

    What’s great about email marketing is that when you send an email, you’re sending a targeted message to a group of people who have already shown interest in your brand. They are more likely to open your email, read your content, and take action, which can result in increased traffic, sales, and revenue.

    Your mailing list can become your most valuable asset with the right strategy. Not only does it help you reach your target audience, but it can also provide valuable data about them. In fact, in the next section, we’ll discuss how your email list can be a source of valuable data for your business.

    Your email list is a source of valuable data

    Your mailing list is a source of valuable data. When people sign up for your list, they provide you with important information such as their name, email address, and location. By analyzing this data, you can learn more about your target audience and tailor your marketing efforts to meet their needs.

    For example, if you notice that a significant portion of your email subscribers are located in a certain region, you may want to consider creating content that specifically targets that area. Or if you see that a large percentage of your subscribers have shown interest in a particular product or service, you can use that information to create more targeted campaigns.

    In addition to demographic data, you can also gather important behavioral data from your email list. For instance, you can track open and click-through rates to see which emails are resonating with your audience. This can help you identify what types of content are most effective and adjust your strategy accordingly.

    By leveraging the data from your email list, you can make more informed decisions about your marketing strategy and ultimately see better results. In the next section, we’ll discuss some tips for maximizing the value of your email list and making the most of this valuable asset.

    Tips for maximizing the value of your email list

    By properly utilizing your mailing list, you can increase the value of this asset and reap the benefits of a more effective marketing strategy. Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your email list:

    1. Segment your list: By dividing your email list into targeted segments based on interests, behaviors or demographics, you can personalize your messaging for each group and increase engagement rates.
    2. Use automation: Set up automated emails that trigger based on certain actions, such as a welcome email for new subscribers or a follow-up email for those who left items in their cart but didn’t complete their purchase. This can help you save time and increase conversions.
    3. Test and optimize: Experiment with different subject lines, email layouts, and calls-to-action to see what drives the best results. Keep track of what works and what doesn’t, and adjust your strategy accordingly.
    4. Provide valuable content: Your email subscribers are more likely to engage with your brand if they feel they are receiving valuable information. Consider offering exclusive content, promotions or discounts to your email list to keep them engaged and coming back for more.

    By following these tips, you can maximize the value of your email list and effectively connect with your audience. Remember, your email list is a valuable asset that can help you build relationships with your customers and drive results for your business.

    In the crowded digital landscape, your email list is a rare and valuable asset. It provides a direct connection to your customers, generates impressive ROI, and offers valuable data that can inform your marketing strategy. By implementing the tips we’ve shared here, you can make the most of this powerful tool for building relationships, driving sales, and growing your business. Remember, your email list is more than just a list of names – it is a community of engaged customers who have entrusted you with their information. Treat it with respect, offer value, and watch as it becomes a key driver of success for your business.

  • Entrepreneurship

    Social Media Detox: Do you need one?

    A post about the pro’s and con’s of a social media detox and whether you might need one.

    If living through the Coronavirus pandemic has taught me anything it has taught me some valuable lessons about the things that are important to me, what I value of high importance in my life and what I need for a more quiet, easy life. With that being said, one of the things I have evaluated is my time online and I have found in most cases, Instagram aside, that social media hasn’t made the cut.

    I’ve thought that I needed a social media detox for an extremely long time and although I haven’t been showing up on every platform for many years now, I kept my profiles and would occasionally dip in and out, and occasionally just lurk. For me, working as a content creator and having your entire business online, taking a social media detox was something I found a little more difficult to navigate because of where my work and content was tied up but instead of using this as a roadblock to taking that detox I instead found ways around it. When Coronavirus swept the globe and we were abruptly stopped in our tracks as we retreated into our homes and cut physical social contact you would think this might be a time where social media really might come into its own, but if you’re craving a detox and want to re-evaluate how you show up online then this article is for you. 

    Why I don’t believe in being everywhere

    You don’t have to be on social media to make an income or promote your business to be touched by the overwhelm to show up on every platform. Many of us will be connected to others via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at least and may even have explored others such as TikTok or Snapchat. Over the years I have picked up many different platforms; Facebook first, then Twitter and in more recent years Instagram. I have worked on all of them for myself and for clients, but also just as a personal user, and I’ve loved and hated them all in equal measure over time. 

    Long before this pandemic took over I had been working on myself and focusing only on the things that bring me joy and serve me in positive ways and social media was one of those. I knew where I loved showing up and I knew what brought me negative energy but it definitely took a while to take the leap and cut ties entirely. 

    I am a strong believer in not having to show up everywhere; I tell it to myself, to my Instagram followers and to my clients. It is not worth showing up on every platform if that is detrimental to your mental health. I would rather show up in one place, that serves me, that inspires me and connects me with like minded individuals, than show up on platforms I find toxic and negative. 

    If you’re growing a business or a personal brand right now I know you’re questioning what I am saying now because it isn’t the norm, right? Social media is the place to be and you can’t grow a business if you don’t have a presence on each and every one of these platforms….right?

    Wrong. Show up where you are inspired, where you find connection and where you feel at home. Show up there and show up well. Tackle one thing at a time because you will find more success in showing up well than spreading yourself thin and achieving nothing. Stop showing up in places that don’t do any of the above, because that is a negative impact on your life that you just don’t need.

    Drop the platforms that don’t serve you

    I knew a long time ago that Twitter and Facebook did not serve me. To me they are inherently toxic places and while they do have a great amount of good to them the negativity ultimately shines through and to me it was something which I just wasn’t prepared to keep in my life. 

    You might feel differently about those platforms in particular, and that’s fine, but I want you to think about your social media platforms and where you feel doesn’t serve you. What platform makes you roll your eyes? What platform isn’t fun for you? What platform affects your mental health negatively? Whatever you’re thinking right now – get rid of it.

    I deactivated both my Facebook and Twitter profiles and it has been the most liberating thing I have done. I have instantly cut that negativity out of my life and with Facebook in particular (because I haven’t had the Twittter app on my phone for months) I know I no longer mindlessly scroll and focus whatever time I was wasting there on something else in my life. 

    Remove apps

    If you don’t quite want to go the whole way and deactivate and wave goodbye to these platforms try removing the apps instead. This can help us mindlessly opening up apps and scrolling, and is great if you find a lot of your time being sucked away this way. You can still access the platforms via your browser but that requires a tad more work and therefore can definitely slow the amount of times you head to scroll.

    Silence all notifications

    This is something I have done for many years and there is honestly so much power in it, and that is removing almost all push notifications from all the apps on my phone, except my phone, text messages and whatsapp (although on the whole I mute most of my whatsapp chats too). This is a great way for keeping some peace in my life, not feeling permanently switched on and not having my phone buzz with notifications every few minutes.

    These days you will only find me on Instagram, blogging on my website and quietly pinning over on Pinterest – so Instagram is the only social media platform I am on, and even that can sometimes feel like a bit too much. 

    Listen to yourself and listen to what you need. Don’t show up where is doesn’t feel 100% right and only commit time to the things that are important to you.

    Do you have any other tips for social media detox tips?

  • Entrepreneurship

    Building a brand: Why less is sometimes more

    Social media is exploding and more than ever building a brand and building a business are hand in hand with sharing yourself, your passions and who you really represent as a person. This can sometimes mean showing up as your whole self online and can leave you burnt out and wondering how to do it all. There are so many social media platforms out there combined with so much pressure to feel as though we need to show up everywhere and never does this feel more overwhelming than when we are building our brand online.

    Whether it be to work for ourselves, to share our creativity and content with the world, or while building our empire we know social media presence is important but what if we didn’t have to do it all in order to succeed? Today I wanted to come to you, with a little a revelation I have had since coming back from maternity leave, about finding deep joy in the power of saying no and the realisation that when it comes to developing your own brand sometimes less really is more.

    Why can less be more on Social Media?

    Since the emergence of social media and the evolving understanding on how important it can be when building a brand or business online we’ve tried to do it all. We’ve tried to grow a Facebook page, build up and Instagram following, grow our Twitter reach and so much more. Businesses, brands and content creators around the world have come to the conclusion that they *need* to be on social media without really reliving into how to do it all effectively. I was no different and diligently set up a Twitter profile, Facebook page, Instagram account and more recently I briefly dipped my toe into the world of Tik Tok (and then quickly retreated) and tried to figure out each platform at mostly the same time, posting appropriate content for each one, spreading myself thin, making myself stressed and, for most, unable to excel in any one place. 

    So, what did I do?

    If I have learnt anything over the last 14 years it is this: Less is always more. Three years ago I decided enough was enough with my social media game, I was going to stop spreading myself so thin, stop ploughing my time and work into platforms that I didn’t love (Facebook I am looking at you!) and start using my time to build my brand not only productively but intentionally too. If you would have asked me a decade ago what my favourite social media platform was I would have probably said Twitter (and I’ll always have a place for it in my heart as it is where I first connected with my husband). As time has moved on, the social media space has become more varied, platforms have come and some have gone and the world of social media is a vastly different space than it was 10 years ago. Now, my favourite spot on the internet is Instagram; its the place I love the most, it’s the place where I have connected with some of the best humans and it’s the place where I have thoroughly enjoyed building my brand. I am a creative at heart and therefore I think Instagram is my natural social media home. It allows me to marvel at other peoples beautiful photos, connect with other mama’s who are going through this crazy journey of motherhood alongside me, read the in depth stories behind the photos, keep up with friends every day lives and create and curate the beautiful content that I love for myself.

    I very much find my joy in creating beautiful photos (I’m no photographer but I do my best), sharing my own story (because everyone has a voice) and serving with integrity. Instagram is my passion project when it comes to social media and I have carved my own corner of the internet just for me. It is where I work, play and serve and I’ve been so lucky that I am now able to share my knowledge with others with the pre-release of my 5 days to level up your Instagram free course. Aside from Instagram as my social media platform of choice you can also find me here on my blog and curating and saving on Pinterest, but you won’t find me many places else, or at least you won’t find me active anywhere else. For me, for enjoyment and growing an online brand, I only commit to spending my time doing things I love and that I am passionate about. For me, less is most definitely more.

    So how can I start?

    Focusing on one social media platform, at least at first (there is nothing to say once you have cracked one you can’t move onto being awesome on another), gives you the ability to do it and do it really well. I don’t know about you but I would rather see success in one place than see little success because I have to spread myself too and thin and end up overwhelmed. I know many of you feel it too and I just want to say that it is ok not to be everywhere, it is ok to have focus in one or two places and it is absolutely ok to rock one platform before moving onto figuring out the inner workings of the next. Not only is it ok but you heard it from me: I encourage it. It will strengthen your brand, your voice, your exposure and most importantly it will go some way to supporting you, the creator, in not getting overwhelmed and burnt out. 

    But can I really be successful if I am not everywhere?

    The simple answer is of course you can and this is why you will see that people may be doing particularly well on Instagram but not so much on Facebook, or someone will come along and take a platform like Tik Tok by storm. My advice here is not to leave other platforms entirely (although that is totally your call) but to just take them one at time or in a way that feels authentic to you. For example, like I said above, Instagram is my passion project on social media and it is the place I want to be and I enjoy being. I have profiles in other places that I don’t use or rarely use so my brand is visible, Maybe when I feel like I have Instagram, Pinterest and Blog all where I want them to be I might move onto Twitter and/or Facebook, but the point being that you don’t have to do it all, have it all and make time for it all. Find one that you love, work hard, grow and serve with authenticity and integrity and see where that takes you.

    So which Social Media platform’s do I pick?

    This is going to be a different answer for everyone because we all have different passions and skills, and what works for one person/business/brand won’t necessarily work for another. The biggest piece of advice I can give you is whether you’re a business or individual you want to start showing up and growing a true brand on social media. A brand where people recognise you for your authenticity, honesty and the way you show up. Being who you are will always be more important on where you are.

    Social media isn’t supposed to be a chore and I cannot emphasise enough the power in saying no to some and only indulging in those that bring you joy. It’s ok to not have the same passion projects as others in your industry and it is ok to pursue your own things. If you can show up on your chosen platform, excel there and share and serve in an authentic way then this is your first step to finding your way as a true brand online. 

  • Entrepreneurship

    A Social Media detox and why you might need one

    If living through the Coronavirus pandemic has taught me anything it has taught me some valuable lessons about the things that are important to me, what I value of high importance in my life and what I need for a more quiet, easy life. With that being said, one of the things I have evaluated is my time online and I have found in most cases, Instagram aside, that social media hasn’t made the cut.

    I’ve thought that I needed a social media detox for an extremely long time and although I haven’t been showing up on every platform for many years now, I kept my profiles and would occasionally dip in and out, and occasionally just lurk. For me, working as a content creator and having your entire business online, taking a social media detox was something I found a little more difficult to navigate because of where my work and content was tied up but instead of using this as a roadblock to taking that detox I instead found ways around it. When Coronavirus swept the globe and we were abruptly stopped in our tracks as we retreated into our homes and cut physical social contact you would think this might be a time where social media really might come into its own, but if you’re craving a detox and want to re-evaluate how you show up online then this article is for you. 

    Why I don’t believe in being everywhere

    You don’t have to be on social media to make an income or promote your business to be touched by the overwhelm to show up on every platform. Many of us will be connected to others via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at least and may even have explored others such as TikTok or Snapchat. Over the years I have picked up many different platforms; Facebook first, then Twitter and in more recent years Instagram. I have worked on all of them for myself and for clients, but also just as a personal user, and I’ve loved and hated them all in equal measure over time. 

    Long before this pandemic took over I had been working on myself and focusing only on the things that bring me joy and serve me in positive ways and social media was one of those. I knew where I loved showing up and I knew what brought me negative energy but it definitely took a while to take the leap and cut ties entirely. 

    I am a strong believer in not having to show up everywhere; I tell it to myself, to my Instagram followers and to my clients. It is not worth showing up on every platform if that is detrimental to your mental health. I would rather show up in one place, that serves me, that inspires me and connects me with like minded individuals, than show up on platforms I find toxic and negative. 

    If you’re growing a business or a personal brand right now I know you’re questioning what I am saying now because it isn’t the norm, right? Social media is the place to be and you can’t grow a business if you don’t have a presence on each and every one of these platforms….right?

    Wrong. Show up where you are inspired, where you find connection and where you feel at home. Show up there and show up well. Tackle one thing at a time because you will find more success in showing up well than spreading yourself thin and achieving nothing. Stop showing up in places that don’t do any of the above, because that is a negative impact on your life that you just don’t need.

    Drop the platforms that don’t serve you

    I knew a long time ago that Twitter and Facebook did not serve me. To me they are inherently toxic places and while they do have a great amount of good to them the negativity ultimately shines through and to me it was something which I just wasn’t prepared to keep in my life. 

    You might feel differently about those platforms in particular, and that’s fine, but I want you to think about your social media platforms and where you feel doesn’t serve you. What platform makes you roll your eyes? What platform isn’t fun for you? What platform affects your mental health negatively? Whatever you’re thinking right now – get rid of it.

    I deactivated both my Facebook and Twitter profiles and it has been the most liberating thing I have done. I have instantly cut that negativity out of my life and with Facebook in particular (because I haven’t had the Twittter app on my phone for months) I know I no longer mindlessly scroll and focus whatever time I was wasting there on something else in my life. 

    Remove apps

    If you don’t quite want to go the whole way and deactivate and wave goodbye to these platforms try removing the apps instead. This can help us mindlessly opening up apps and scrolling, and is great if you find a lot of your time being sucked away this way. You can still access the platforms via your browser but that requires a tad more work and therefore can definitely slow the amount of times you head to scroll.

    Silence all notifications

    This is something I have done for many years and there is honestly so much power in it, and that is removing almost all push notifications from all the apps on my phone, except my phone, text messages and whatsapp (although on the whole I mute most of my whatsapp chats too). This is a great way for keeping some peace in my life, not feeling permanently switched on and not having my phone buzz with notifications every few minutes.

    These days you will only find me on Instagram, blogging on my website and quietly pinning over on Pinterest – so Instagram is the only social media platform I am on, and even that can sometimes feel like a bit too much. 

    Listen to yourself and listen to what you need. Don’t show up where is doesn’t feel 100% right and only commit time to the things that are important to you.

    Do you have any other tips for social media detox tips?

  • Entrepreneurship

    How I edit my photos + my first Lightroom presets pack

    When I first starting uploading photos to Instagram all those years ago presets, filters, themes and aesthetics were the last things on my mind and if you’re a casual Instagram user then you’re probably thinking the same thing. Since I started using Instagram around 5 years ago I have slowly grown my account to where it is today and although I mostly use it for personal memories and our day to day life, I also use it as my platform to share, educate and inspire, and more recently to share my online content creation business and everything that comes with that. The creative part of me loves taking photos and making them look beautiful while not falling into the trap of the “perfect” Instagram feed because life isn’t perfect. It’s a platform I like to show up on as my honest self, sharing our life and sharing the ups and downs that we encounter every day. I take a lot of pride in the content I create and it certainly isn’t perfect but thats life and I love that about my account. A question I get a lot is about how I edit my photos (which let me tell you, is very minimal and very easy) and today I want to come and share with you all about how I edit them plus introduce you to a fun project I have been working on: My first preset pack release. So lets jump in!

    handing holding phone with photo of instagram grid

    What apps I use to edit my photos:

    Instagram doesn’t have to be full of edited photos if you don’t want it to be but if you are partial to an extra nice looking photo or love to follow a theme or an aesthetic on your feed then by all means go ahead. As with anything Instagram related my advice is always to do what you love on your own Instagram feed and preserve your memories and share your life/business/blog in anyway you see fit. What works for one won’t necessarily work for another so definitely follow your heart with this one. 

    Other than using a preset filter, where the colours are just slightly edited to bring up brightness (because I love a crisp looking photo), I don’t mess with my photos at all so for that reason I use Adobe Lightroom Mobile. I have my own filter (which I will be releasing soon) and every photo I apply one of the group of four filters to. This helps to keep my feed all looking pretty similar and for me a pretty looking Instagram grid is something I love to look at. 

    Why I like to edit for Instagram:

    Like I said, I love to keep things real on Instagram and you’ll probably never find me more real than in my stories but I also do love to create content (it is my job after all) and I love creating and producing beautiful photos. Over the years I have found great joy in taking photos, setting up photos, capturing content and creating a beautiful end product that I myself find aesthetically pleasing. I guess you could say I love to create beautiful content that I love; from writing, blogging, filming and taking photos. I am far from a photographer (and wouldn’t want to be) but it’s just a little passion I have found that I quite enjoy. Running my own online, social media based business has encouraged me to create a colours that associate me and my social media to my overall brand.  

    The big launch!

    With all this said; My love for creating, my love for beautiful photography and loving to look at anything that is aesthetically pleasing on the eye I decided to dip my toe into the world of Lightroom presets. I have been using Lightroom for many years now and I have been busy creating some presets of my own (including the one I use for my own photos).

    So here is my first ever Lightroom preset launch with my first pack of six presets in a dark, moody tone. I am so excited to launch these to the world and you guys can currently get your hands on them for 30% discount as a thank you for all your support for me and my business thus far. I am working hard on other preset packs and hope to launch these out into the world soon.

    I hope you love this pack of presets as much as I do – they have been a labour of love to create but also I have thoroughly enjoyed every minute and can’t wait to create more. If you want to be one of the first people with these presets and grab a whopping 30% off then head to my shop and download them today.

  • Entrepreneurship

    Why less is more when building your social media brand

    From Instagram to Twitter, Facebook to Tik Tok, Blogging to Freelancing – there is so much out there that we feel a pressure to explore. Never does this feel more overwhelming than when we are building our online brand; whether it be to work for ourselves, to share our creativity and content with the world or while building our empire. We know social media presence is important but what if we didn’t have to do it all in order to succeed? Today I wanted to come to you, with a little a revelation I have had since coming back from maternity leave, about finding deep joy in the power of saying no and the realisation that when it comes to developing your own brand sometimes less really is more.

    hands holding mobile phone with instagram grid open on social media
    Photo by Georgia de Lotz on Unsplash

    Why can less be more on Social Media?

    Since the emergence of social media and the evolving understanding on how important it can be when building a brand or business online we’ve tried to do it all. We’ve tried to grow a Facebook page, build up and Instagram following, grow our Twitter reach and so much more. Businesses, brands and content creators around the world have come to the conclusion that they *need* to be on social media without really reliving into how to do it all effectively. I was no different and diligently set up a Twitter profile, Facebook page, Instagram account and more recently I briefly dipped my toe into the world of Tik Tok (and then quickly retreated) and tried to figure out each platform at mostly the same time, posting appropriate content for each one, spreading myself thin, making myself stressed and, for most, unable to excel in any one place. 

    So, what did I do?

    If I have learnt anything over the last 14 years it is this: Less is always more. Three years ago I decided enough was enough with my social media game, I was going to stop spreading myself so thin, stop ploughing my time and work into platforms that I didn’t love (Facebook I am looking at you!) and start using my time to build my brand not only productively but intentionally too. If you would have asked me a decade ago what my favourite social media platform was I would have probably said Twitter (and I’ll always have a place for it in my heart as it is where I first connected with my husband). As time has moved on, the social media space has become more varied, platforms have come and some have gone and the world of social media is a vastly different space than it was 10 years ago. Now, my favourite spot on the internet is Instagram; its the place I love the most, it’s the place where I have connected with some of the best humans and it’s the place where I have thoroughly enjoyed building my brand. I am a creative at heart and therefore I think Instagram is my natural social media home. It allows me to marvel at other peoples beautiful photos, connect with other mama’s who are going through this crazy journey of motherhood alongside me, read the in depth stories behind the photos, keep up with friends every day lives and create and curate the beautiful content that I love for myself.

    I very much find my joy in creating beautiful photos (I’m no photographer but I do my best), sharing my own story (because everyone has a voice) and serving with integrity. Instagram is my passion project when it comes to social media and I have carved my own corner of the internet just for me. It is where I work, play and serve and I’ve been so lucky that I am now able to share my knowledge with others with the pre-release of my 5 days to level up your Instagram free course. Aside from Instagram as my social media platform of choice you can also find me here on my blog and curating and saving on Pinterest, but you won’t find me many places else, or at least you won’t find me active anywhere else. For me, for enjoyment and growing an online brand, I only commit to spending my time doing things I love and that I am passionate about. For me, less is most definitely more.

    So how can I start?

    Focusing on one social media platform, at least at first (there is nothing to say once you have cracked one you can’t move onto being awesome on another), gives you the ability to do it and do it really well. I don’t know about you but I would rather see success in one place than see little success because I have to spread myself too and thin and end up overwhelmed. I know many of you feel it too and I just want to say that it is ok not to be everywhere, it is ok to have focus in one or two places and it is absolutely ok to rock one platform before moving onto figuring out the inner workings of the next. Not only is it ok but you heard it from me: I encourage it. It will strengthen your brand, your voice, your exposure and most importantly it will go some way to supporting you, the creator, in not getting overwhelmed and burnt out. 

    But can I really be successful if I am not everywhere?

    The simple answer is of course you can and this is why you will see that people may be doing particularly well on Instagram but not so much on Facebook, or someone will come along and take a platform like Tik Tok by storm. My advice here is not to leave other platforms entirely (although that is totally your call) but to just take them one at time or in a way that feels authentic to you. For example, like I said above, Instagram is my passion project on social media and it is the place I want to be and I enjoy being. I have profiles in other places that I don’t use or rarely use so my brand is visible, Maybe when I feel like I have Instagram, Pinterest and Blog all where I want them to be I might move onto Twitter and/or Facebook, but the point being that you don’t have to do it all, have it all and make time for it all. Find one that you love, work hard, grow and serve with authenticity and integrity and see where that takes you.

    woman laying on bed surrounded my photos for social media

    So which Social Media platform’s do I pick?

    This is going to be a different answer for everyone because we all have different passions and skills, and what works for one person/business/brand won’t necessarily work for another. The biggest piece of advice I can give you is whether you’re a business or individual you want to start showing up and growing a true brand on social media. A brand where people recognise you for your authenticity, honesty and the way you show up. Being who you are will always be more important on where you are.

    Social media isn’t supposed to be a chore and I cannot emphasise enough the power in saying no to some and only indulging in those that bring you joy. It’s ok to not have the same passion projects as others in your industry and it is ok to pursue your own things. If you can show up on your chosen platform, excel there and share and serve in an authentic way then this is your first step to finding your way as a true brand online. 

  • Entrepreneurship

    Create your own Instagrammable walking tour of London!

    A post about how you can create your own instagrammable walking tour of London and get all those photos you’ve been dying to snap.

    Where to start with your Instagrammable walking tour

    Can you believe this is even a thing? Ha! But if you’re like me and love to capture beautiful photos and sometimes share them over on Instagram (I say sometimes because I have so many unused photos that I just loved at the time) then you might be interested in this little tour around London.

    There are so many beautiful places throughout London where you can take amazing photos and I have no doubt that as time goes on I will be adding to this list. Today I am going to focus on a few key areas, some more touristy than others, but all equally as beautiful when you are looking to get that shot.

    Southbank

    The hustle and bustle of London’s Southbank is not to be missed, whether you arrive by tube or across the Millennium bridge (which is another cracking spot to take a great photo) you won’t be disappointed with what greets you at Southbank. Quirky bars, food trucks, restaurants, street art, and amazing views. We found this gorgeous flower wall too which is perfect for those Instagram photos. Keep your eyes peeled for brightly coloured walls and artwork.
    Tube: Waterloo, Blackfriars, Temple

    Shoreditch

    Home of street art, you will find yourself in paradise if a beautiful wall is what you are looking for. Many of the street artists do tag their own work so keep an eye out and credit them where possible. You will find independent cafes, restaurants and bars, quirky side streets and more stuff to Instagram than you can swing your smartphone at.
    Tube: Old Street

    Covent Garden

    Covent Garden is always beautiful in my opinion and at different times of year have different things you can take photos of. More recently there were some wonderful flower installations (which looked amazing on Instagram!) but I am certain you can find a few amazing places to photograph any time of the year. Covent Garden is often busy with tourists but well worth the trip.
    Tube: Covent Garden

    girl in front of flower wall

    Neals Yard

    This tiny little yard right near Covent Garden is beautiful. Bright little shop fronts, unique boutique style shops and a quiet haven away from the hustle and bustle of London. Just a stone’s throw from Covent Garden you can only enter Neals yard via a small alley, so definitely one to use Google maps for. It can get quite busy but people generally move through quite quickly.
    Tube: Covent Garden

    Notting Hill

    Home of beautiful, expensive and colourful homes, Notting Hill has long been an Instagrammers paradise. Having visited recently it was nice to see the beauty of Notting Hill and take photos from afar. Please remember, as beautiful and aesthetically pleasing the outside of these houses are, many of them are private homes. I was so sad to see signs on so many asking people not to hang their clothes on the railings or stand on their doorsteps. By all means, head along and take pictures from afar, or even on the street, but make sure you respect people’s privacy too. While in Notting Hill be sure to check out Biscuiteers, not only do they have the most wonderfully beautiful cookies that taste incredible but they have a gorgeous shop front too. 
    Tube: Notting Hill Gate, Ladbroke Grove

    There are so many other places in London which are Instagrammable too so I will definitely be writing up a sequel to this at a later date. Where are your favourite places to take beautiful photos in London?