We used to offer social media years ago, but we don’t anymore. We experienced serious social media burnout from creating our own content, let alone content for clients! But this is our guest’s zone of genius.
We’re so excited to introduce you to Kennedy Smith, founder and head of digital marketing at KSC Agency. She’s a social media manager, strategist, and consultant who helps small businesses improve their online presence.
What We Talk About in This Episode:
- How did you get into social media marketing and content creation?
- Why are people getting frustrated with social media?
- Why is a strategy so important?
- What types of content perform best for small businesses?
- How have you seen AI enter the social media space?
Posting With Purpose
We’ve definitely fallen into the trap of feeling we have to post something on Instagram and scrambling just to get something out there. There’s no strategy behind it, and it flops. Have you ever done that before?
We’ve probably all done that at some point in our entrepreneurial journeys. A lack of strategy and direction turns social media from fun to exhausting.
Kennedy always compares not having a strategy to just running around like a chicken with its head cut off. If you don’t have a strategy to create posts and videos, do you even know why you’re posting?
Who are you actually speaking to? What is the actual goal of posting?
If you’re not entirely sure who you’re speaking to or what they want from your content, you probably won’t drive engagement on your platform or traffic to your website.
How to Create a Social Media Strategy
Kennedy’s recommendation is always to nail down the strategy first. That looks like:
- Goals of posting on social media
- Target audience
- Demographics
- What your audience expects from you
Sometimes we forget that, when creating content for social, we want it to be a fun space. It definitely can be, but we also have to realize we serve our audience. That could be by:
- Educating
- Solving a problem
- Answering a question
- Being a resource
At Duo Collective, we run surveys on our Stories from time to time. It’s super helpful for us to hear directly from our audience.
Here are some examples of questions we ask?
- Are you enjoying the content that we’re creating?
- Is it resonating with you?
- Are we solving problems you’re having in your business?
- What are some other things you want to learn from us?
Pillar Content
When you’re figuring out what to post, it helps to break it down into three main pillars. Kennedy believes this model applies to most businesses. The point is to diversify the types of content you’re posting.
To keep things fresh and not too predictable, rotate between these types of content:
- Educational awareness
- Trends/day in my life
- Company/service/product awareness
Having all three of those content types in your strategy is a great way to keep your people entertained and coming back to your page. Always put yourself in your audience’s shoes when creating content to ensure you’re providing value.
How Much is Enough?
Small business owners often feel really overwhelmed by how much content they should be producing (we’ve been there!) Social is a beast.
A lot of people feel overwhelmed because they feel like they constantly have to push out all this content to feel any real growth. Sometimes we start to feel exhausted before we see any growth, and we just give up.
So, how do you define enough content for real growth without that burnout or exhaustion?
Over the last few years of working with clients, Kennedy has found that a minimum of three posts a week is the sweet spot. It’s not too much or too little. Get as much short-form video content in those three posts as you can, then throw a few stories up, and you’re good.
Look at your analytics and see which days get the most engagement.
Launch Strategy on Social
If you’re in the middle of a launch, the more content the merrier! Just make sure it’s strategic and not too repetitive. A mistake many business owners make is pumping out content for their launch that feels too salesy.
A great example of a launch strategy comes from Rosalia, a Spanish artist. She just launched a new album, and the marketing was absolutely insane.
She started teasing the album a couple of months before, and she did it in a super creative way. She would post musical notes for some of her new songs without a caption, and musicians would start playing them on their instruments. It got everyone wondering whether she would release a new album.
Then she would post pictures of the vibe of her album, which was very spiritual, leaving everyone wanting more.
When she got into the actual launch phase, everyone just lost it. She took her audience through this emotional experience.
Content Creation Framework That Feels Genuine AND Strategic
It really just comes back to your why. As a business, why are you doing what you’re doing? What do you want to accomplish?
Content creators face a greater challenge because the industry is so saturated right now, and it’s only going to get more saturated. Being able to stay true to your passion and to your why is really important.
We’re all posting on social media because we want to grow our business, gain more visibility, and attract more clients. Your why is how you differentiate yourself and understand the reason behind the effort you put into social media.
Ask yourself:
- Why am I doing this?
- Why did I start doing this?
- What is my goal?
- Do I want to impact lives?
- Do I want to inspire people?
- Do I want to motivate people?
- How am I unique from other content creators?
Capitalizing on your own uniqueness is the biggest thing you can do.
How AI Has Changed the Social Media Landscape
Kennedy has a love-hate relationship with AI (we do, too!) She doesn’t use AI to write captions because her agency is centered on authenticity. She loves using the brain’s power for creativity. She mostly uses AI for brainstorming.
But Kennedy has been loving the Canva AI tool. Within Canva, you can ask it to create any image. It spits out some pretty good stuff, but sometimes you can tell it’s AI, which Kennedy doesn’t love. It’s getting so hard to tell what’s real anymore. She tries to limit it with her clients, but for conceptualizing and brainstorming, it’s a useful tool.
Can I Just Outsource Social Media?!
Of course! That’s why agencies like Kennedy’s exist. They become your partner in creating high-quality, effective content for your social media channels. You give them the reins if you truly don’t have time to do anything on social media.
However, Kennedy thinks that when the business owner is active at least a little bit on social, the account performs better. Your audience wants to see YOU! You’re part of the team, and even a quick talking-head story is enough of a contribution.
If you’ve been feeling burned out or unproductive on social media, connect with Kennedy to outsource your social media strategy and management!
More About Kennedy!
Kennedy is the Founder and Head of Digital Marketing at KSC Agency. Over the past 5+ years, Kennedy has worked with a variety of industries, including Mechanical Sealing Solutions and Wealth Management, as well as Plastic Surgery Clinics and Medspas.
KSC agency offers Social Media, SEO, Email, Design, and Paid Ad services to B2B and B2C companies. At our agency, we’re committed to exceptional client service, consistent growth, and the personal touch you won’t get at larger companies.
Links:
IG handles: @kennedyshaysmith & @kscagency
Listen to Our Convo With Kennedy!
Apple Podcasts | Spotify
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Abbey Oslin and Courtney Petersen are Minnesota-based marketing experts with over 20+ years of combined experience working with big brands. They are educators and co-founders of Duo Collective; a boutique organic marketing agency specializing in SEO, branding, and custom websites for women-led small businesses and creative entrepreneurs.
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