A SPOONFUL OF SUGAR

Mary Poppins was right, y'all...it's way easier to get a person to invest in something they need ("medicine"- AKA your product or service), by first giving them something they want ("sugar", baby).

Picture this: It's lunchtime at work and like every other office-bound-human taking a break, you're scrollin' through the 'gram. You come across a picture that catches your eye, so you click on the profile. You dig the photos and you start looking through their feed, but as you do, you notice that EVERY CAPTION IS TRYING TO SELL YOU SOMETHING. 

Gross, right?
You promptly exit out of that feed- no like or follow for them, and especially no website click! 
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Question: "But, Kelsey!" you say, "I'm a BUSINESS. How do I do business on Instagram if I'm not SELLING things in my posts?!"

​Short Answer: SUGAR.

​Long(er) Answer: Nobody likes to feel like they're being "sold" something.  So how do you avoid that when you're trying to use social media to help increase your business? Well, for starters, there are a couple different kinds of "sugar" that help the medicine go down...

One kind of "sugar" is: FREE STUFF.
Now, by NO means do I want you to give away your best material/products for free! However, a few well-placed, fun freebies present an amazing opportunity for you to a) strut your stuff a bit and give a preview of what you offer, and b) turn an observer into a CLIENT by saying I trust you enough to give you this freebie knowing that if you try it, you're gonna like it.

There are many examples of what a "Freebie" can be! For me, it's this blog (hello, free advice!) and free inspirational phone wallpaper I design, make, and post every Friday on my IG stories.

Some other examples?

• A discount code
• A contest with a prize
• A cross-promotion with another small business (free advertising meets word of mouth!)
• A pre-written email program
• Free shipping
• Discount off a future order
• A consultation
• A re-gram or shoutout on your social
• A song request that you sing on IG stories! (real thing that has happened)

The possibilities are endless...but the most important thing is, it should relate to your dream client and give just enough away to leave them wanting more. Kinda like a great "little black dress".

Another kind of "sugar" is: YOU.
Remember my very first #TeaTimeWithKelsey post: You Can Only Be Who You Are? Well, it's still true. You are your own magic sauce. And when people feel like they KNOW you, they feel more comfortable BUYING from you.

Let's use an example to illustrate the second type of "sugar" that everyone knows and loves:
GIRL SCOUT COOKIES.

Option 1: You walk by a table of random Girl Scouts selling cookies outside XYZ grocery store. You may pause and think, "Man, that sounds good," but on second thought you don't need the temptation in the house (Real Talk: we all know that if Thin Mints are in the pantry, they will be gone in one sitting). You smile and walk by, maybe even wishing them good luck as you go inside to buy vegetables.

Option 2:  Your neighbor is a Girl Scout. Even though you don't know the family super well, you always say hello and chat a bit whenever you see each other. You know that she plays soccer and her parents told you she made honor roll the last couple of years. She even dog sat for you once. When SHE comes knocking asking if you'd like to buy some cookies, GUESS WHAT? You DO! Because you know her. And you like her. And you want her to do well in her little Girl Scout contest. And also, you definitely want that box of Thin Mints tonight.

Moral of the story? Share authentic bits of who you are on your social media, and people will actually get to "know" you. Don't just talk about your business; pepper posts about your biz with strategically placed posts on small things that let people get a glimpse of who you are. Your adorable dog, for example. Or your love of tea. Or your not-so-secret obsession with Frasier...see where I'm going with this? 

So next time you're planning your social media for the week, be sure to add in a healthy dose of "sugar" so you can give people the medicine they didn't even know they needed!

**Need help identifying your "sugar"? Shoot me an email and let's talk about it over tea.***

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