What to do in Quarter 3 on your social media: Suncream, sea and social media strategy!

Where is this year going?!

Quarter 3 is just around the corner, starting in July. Whilst you might be thinking about jetting off on holiday, trying to come up with activities to entertain the kids or hoping for a summer without a sun burnt neck, its important to keep your social media going at the same time.

Now is a great time to refocus, make the most of the summer months and get ready for Autumn and the sales season leading up to Christmas. Here, I’ll look at how to stay visible over the summer, build a presence and get the basics right.

Now, I’m not usually an advocate of looking back on things, but in this case it’s important to reflect on what’s worked well so far.

Take a look back at your insights for Quarter 2 – which posts got people talking? Were they stories, videos, carousels? Did your posts encourage new followers and link clicks? Was there anything that didn’t work so well? Why was that? Do any patterns emerge?

This will give you an idea of what to keep and what to adjust this time around. If something has done well, could it be repurposed? Could a carousel be made into a reel or set of stories perhaps?

You don’t need to come up with a brand new idea every time you make a social media post – can you remember what you saw on Instagram three months ago? I can barely remember three minutes ago these days! (although its likely to consist of me saying to my toddler something along the lines of ‘please stop licking the television'!)

Having said this, July and August do bring some seasonality – school holiday juggling, sun lounger scrolling and a desire for some ‘lighter’ content. How can you match what your audience wants with the content that you’re able to provide?

Here’s a few ideas. Do you have any summery colours in your brand? Now’s their time to (sun)shine! Bring a fresh feel to your content, and if you have any seasonal products in your shop, let them have their moment. Perhaps you’ve been working on candles with a summery scent, stained glass items that would look perfect with the sunshine behind them or seasonal British flowers that will brighten up any home.

Within your boundaries, you could also show what a day in the life looks like for you as a business owner. Do you have a primary school aged apprentice coming to work with you or are you answering emails whilst enjoying some holiday views? People love to see what’s going on behind the scenes and these ideas all help to build the connection you desire with your dream audience.

To help you build that dream audience, have a think about how you can increase awareness of your brand. Could you collaborate with another relevant brand? Run a competition? Investigate print advertising or being featured in community social media groups?

You want new eyes on your content now — so by Q4 (aka sales season), they already know, like, and trust you.

Not sure where to begin? Take a look at my services page to see the range of ways I can help you, and drop me a message to get started!

Awareness days in 2025 for UK creative businesses

Are you aware of awareness days?

There's an awareness day for everything - whether it's odd socks or orange juice, shrimps or squirrels. We all know its Valentine's Day on 14th February and St George's Day on 23rd April, but, for example, did you know about World Art Day on 15th April?

Having said this, they're not all going to be useful for your social media marketing. It's important to sift through the ones that aren't going to be useful for your business or aren't relevant to your country - make sure that the awareness day is British or international.

This may all feel a bit overwhelming, but never fear - Steph is here!

I have searched high and low, and come up with awareness days for all you creatives out there. Whether you're a maker or baker, florist or artist, there's something for you.

Let's take a look...

Florists
14th February Valentine's Day
28th February Floral Design Day
20-24th May Chelsea Flower Show
3-9th June British Flowers Week
8th June National Florist Day

Makers
9th March Made in the UK Day
3-26th May Brighton Festival
1-7th July Create Week
3rd August World Calligraphy Day

Bakers
27th January International Chocolate Cake Day
15-23rd February Real Bread Week
18th May World Baking Day
27th June National Cream Tea Day
July National Picnic Month
7th July World Chocolate Day
11-17th August Afternoon Tea Week
26th September - 12th October British Food Fortnight
6-12th October British Egg Week
14 - 20th October National Baking Week
21st October Apple Day

Artists/Photographers
15th April World Art Day
29th June World Camera Day
29th June - 7th July Children's Art Week
25th October International Artists Day

And the nuggets of wisdom don't stop there! Once you've collected the awareness dates that are right for you - add them into your brand new content calendar, which you can find here.

To save you even more time, how about outsourcing your social media templates to me? I can create you a set of six editable Canva templates, that are on brand, streamlined and clear. How about a set of templates for six awareness days through the year?

I look forward to hearing from you!

Three epiphanies I've uncovered in social media marketing

Today is Epiphany, the day in the Christian calendar when the Three Wise Men arrived to visit the baby Jesus. The word Epiphany comes from the Greek meaning 'to reveal', so I thought it would be timely to share some of the epiphanies I've had whilst working in social media for business.

We all know the world of digital marketing is very fast-paced, which can feel very overwhelming, but there are some elements which remain consistent and help you to communicate and engage with potential customers and turn them into a loyal following.

Being authentic

One of the most important things I have come to realise is that authenticity is incredibly important. Its far more valuable to write and share information about topics I'm knowledgeable about and am passionate about, rather than trying to compare myself to other people's businesses. I came across a wonderful phrase last year, that I find myself chanting on a regular basis: 'comparison is the thief of joy'.

I would love for my social media presence to have a feeling of 'community' and for my audience to feel a connection to me and my brand, and work with me or buy from me because they can picture the happy dance I'll do as a result. When you browse through my social media you'll find me talking about my family and the reason why I run my business.

So much of the social media we consume is happy and shiny, but lately I have spotted more raw posts talking about struggles they've had, things that aren't going so well and other topics that don't stereotypically feature on business social media.

Social media is a two-way street

A crucial epiphany for me and many other business owners is that social media needs to work both ways. If someone said hello to you in the street, would you ignore them and carry on?

It's the same principle with social media - rather than just using it as a 'fire and forget' tool, try using it to have conversations, build relationships and interact with other businesses and customers. This will all help to create your community, show that your account is active and relatable and build trust.

Could you spend a few minutes each day commenting on other posts in your feed? Perhaps you could compliment a cake or bouquet that comes up, ask a question about a product that is displayed or add a review if its a product or service that you've used.

You don't have to be everywhere

As a mother, I have tried (and failed) to be everywhere all of the time. The same principle applies with social media - I have tried various different social media platforms, some have worked for me and some haven't. It is much better to focus on one or two platforms and use them well and consistently.

When potential clients come to me, they have often got themselves into a bit of a tizz as they believe they should be on every platform that is available to them. My response to them is to think about which platform(s) are best suited to their business - if you have a visual product, then perhaps Instagram would work best or if you provide a service then it might be that Facebook groups are the best option.

Conclusion: embracing the epiphanies

Social media marketing continues to evolve, but these epiphanies will remain consistent. They'll help your brand to stand out from the crowd, show your audience that you can relate to their pain point and create an invested community.

Three ways to make the most of social media before Christmas

What's the key to standing out during one of the busiest and most competitive times of the year? Harnessing the power of social media and using it as your digital shop window.

Here’s some quick wins to help you build sales over the festive period and foster long-term relationships with your audience.

Get organised with a content calendar

Planning your content for the next few weeks will help you to create social media posts that are relevant and useful to your audience, and perhaps most importantly means that you’re less likely to panic.

Here’s a few ideas to get you started…

To help you get prepared for 2025’s social media – how about purchasing my content calendar template? This will start you off with a few key dates, and each box is clickable, so perfect for adding in awareness days bespoke to your industry! 

Promoting special offers

At this time of year, you’ll find yourself surround by special offers and discount codes. I love a special offer, but I’m also an advocate of only doing what you can afford to with your business. PLEASE – don’t feel pressured to do something just because your competitors are. Remember, comparison is the thief of joy.

If you do want to engage with special offers, you could hold a time sensitive promotion to create urgency – perhaps “20% off for the next 24 hours” or “orders placed before 14th December will include a free gift”.

My special offer is all-year round: I’m pleased to be part of The TN Card, which promotes shopping locally with small businesses - take a look here.

Sharing User Generated Content

When customers purchase from you, they love being part of your story, and this is a great thing to encourage. You could create a hashtag bespoke to your business, for example #LoveHighWealdMarketing, and ask customers to use this in their posts when they share your items in use.

User-generated content not only builds a sense of community but also acts as social proof, showing potential customers that real people enjoy your products. You can repost customer photos and testimonials, which is a great way to build trust and engagement.

Conclusion: The Power of Connection

For small businesses, the run-up to Christmas isn’t just about making sales—it's about connecting with your audience. By being festive, creative, and responsive, social media allows small businesses to form deeper relationships with their customers during this joyous time.

So, whether you’re promoting a discount, engaging with festive content, or sharing your brand story, social media is your perfect companion. With a little planning and creativity, your business can stand out this season and build a loyal customer base.