Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Honestly, idk if that’s true… but I know what WILL drive a business owner to insanity real quick.
The Marketing Mistake Most Business Owners Make
You’re not lazy. You’re not bad at this. You care about your business.
So you post when & what you can. You’ve saved 87 reels to “remake later” and just as many with “tips & hacks.” You’ve Googled best times to post, woke up with ideas at 2am, and still… it’s not going well. Or worse, some likes, maybe a video really pops off here ‘n there, but no real growth. No conversion or consistency. No traction.
And that’s because you’re stuck in a cycle. A cycle that looks like this:
- Post randomly and hope it lands (or is at least enough to keep your locals or lil community satisfied)
- Get discouraged when it doesn’t
- Try something trendy, cross your fingers
- Still doesn’t convert
- Go silent for a bit out of burnout or defeat
- Repeat
Now read this & re-read it. Your content isn’t converting because it’s not connecting.
I say re-read it because I know you’ve heard that. It’s like hearing John 3:16 if you grew up in church. Duhh, you know it’s true and you know what it means. But, I want you to actually listen to what I mean, why that is, and how to fix it.
My Theory: Consumer → Follower → Community → Customer
There are 4 stages every potential buyer goes through. And your content has to meet them at each stage:
- Consumer: They stumble upon your post. You’ve got about three seconds to grab their attention.
- Follower: They care enough to hit follow, whether it’s because your content resonated with them, you made them feel something (typically funny), or they liked your product.
- Community: They relate. They trust you. They feel like you “get it.”
- Customer: Now they’re ready. Your offer aligns with what they need, and you’re top of mind.
Most businesses skip straight from “consumer” to “BUY NOW!” and wonder why they’re not making sales.
Here’s the problem with that: People don’t buy from businesses they scroll past.
They buy from brands they feel connected to. (whether they know it or not. Typically not btw).
So What Do You Actually Need?
If you’re only posting when you remember to, if your content is giving ✨ mom’s facebook page ✨, or if you’re relying on trends without telling your story… your people aren’t gonna feel that connection.
You don’t need to dance. You don’t need to post every day.
You do need a strategy that walks people from stranger → buyer.
You need to:
- Use storytelling that mirrors your audience’s real-life problems
- Create content that builds trust, even if they never like or comment (because a lot of times your best ‘consumer→customers’ don’t!)
- Design posts that work even in the quiet. Because not everyone engages, but many are watching
- Stop talking at your audience, and start speaking with them. AKA align with their values (good example is Patagonia, Nitro Bar, Poppi) and make content that gives that ‘dopamine aha moment’ when you position yourself as the bridge between where they are right now, and where they want to be.
A Note from Experience
I’ve worked with boutiques, restaurants, outdoor gear companies, and more. And they all want the same thing:
Not to BLOW up per se; sure that’d be cool, everyone wants to be that brand that sells out as soon as they post, or people travel to see. But what they want is to just go to bed or wake up without that pit in their stomach about social media marketing. Or at the very least, one less thing off their mind or just a night off – like MENTALLY off. Not just take the night to watch a movie, but take the night to watch a movie and not be thinking about all they could be doing instead.
If that’s you, I want you to know: your content can feel like you, connect with your audience, and actually grow your business. You just need the strategy to back it up.
Want Help?
I built Social Spark because I was you. I’ve lived in the overwhelm, I’ve tried doing it all, and I’ve figured out what works.
If you’re ready to stop posting just to post—and start creating content that connects and converts—you can book a call here.
Or if you’re not there yet?
Download my free Content Strategy Template to start understanding your brand and shifting your content with intention.
Let’s stop doing the same thing and expecting different results. Let’s build something that actually works.
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