Social media can be really hard and it can be really overwhelming.
Elizabeth Gray knows that feeling first hand. Just a few years ago she found herself posting what she thought people wanted to see and not what felt authentic and true to her.
But when Elizabeth decided to change that and start posting about things that were important to her, her instagram account @thegraytergood REALLY started to blow up.
Now, thanks to what Elizabeth refers to as her “sweet spot”, she is now lettering full time!
In this next video, Elizabeth will help you find YOUR voice and show you how to connect with people.
Why is having a “secret sauce” so important?
- Consistency: Your audience likes to know what to expect! Be consistent with your message.
- Accountability: It keeps you accountable to them AND yourself
- Inspiration: If you have your voice and theme, you’ll always have something to talk about and draw from.
Pick a certain number of topics (“buckets”) you can talk about consistently, and your message will stay consistent.
When you have a certain number of topics and themes, there’s less chance of becoming overwhelmed when deciding what to create!!
Now, when you are able to figure out what your audience likes (Instagram analytics can help with that!) AND what you enjoy to create, you’ve got the winning combination!
AKA: YOUR SWEET SPOT!
And when you work at this combination, continue to create within that theme and develop your own style, your work (like Elizabeth’s work) will become instantly recognizable.
So how do you find your Sweet Spot?
- ONE: Brain dump a list of things that are unique to you and your life! Things you like, things you don’t like. Your favourite animal, your favourite colour. Things that are important to you and make you happy…those are the things that you can bring into your theme.
- TWO: Go over your list and identify the ones you can use as categories on social media. Choose the ones that are authentic to you. Which ones are broad enough for you to talk about them over and over again.
- THREE: Do the dang thing and start posting about those topics! You don’t have to be perfect. You WILL get better as you practice.
- FOUR: Rotate between your topics for your social media posts. You can follow an order if you like, or you can go back and forth!
P.S. If you need help scheduling your posts (so that you don’t post from the same buckets in a row, you can use a scheduling app like Later, Planoly or Plann!
- FIVE: Analyze and experiment. After a month (or more) see what’s working for you, see what topics are drying out and might need to be replaced…But have fun with it!
But remember this: Even if a theme is going well on social media and you’re getting loads of engagement and likes but it just doesn’t feel right with YOU, ditch it.
Elizabeth also shared one of her big social media no-nos: No “post and ghost”!
“Post and ghost” is when you post to social media and then don’t interact with your audience. But if someone is willing to take time out of their day to write a comment on your posts or send you a direct message, they deserve your appreciation.
Bonus Tips:
- Have consistency in the look of your feed (you can achieve this with a colour theme)
- Have consistency in your editing style (filters)
- Think of posts as storytelling and use your caption effectively!
Now that you know Elizabeth’s 5 steps to finding your sweet spot, “do the dang thing” (as Elizabeth would say!).
Thanks so so much Elizabeth, for taking the time to share your time with us!
If you’re interested in seeing more of Elizabeth, be sure to give her a follow on her Instagram account, @thegraytergood!
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