At Get Ahead, we know there are many benefits of networking.  A strong understanding of networking is key for anyone who wants to buy a Get Ahead franchise. We also love supporting our clients with everything from business cards to confidence so they can get themselves out there.

But we know that not everyone likes networking. Some people say it doesnโ€™t work. Others feel itโ€™s not worth the time away from their desk. And some people find the social side difficult. 

If you know you should be networking but you canโ€™t bring yourself to go, this blog is for you. Weโ€™ll share our top tips and mindsets to help you break down whatever barrier stands between you and networking. 

  • Do your homework

    Think about what kind of networking group would work for you. Would you like a drop-in, like aย Get Connected event, or something more structured? Would you like membership to make sure you go every month, or would you like more flexibility? Breakfast events? Daytime? Evening? Not all networking events are the same.

    See whatโ€™s available in your area and sign up for the one that meets your criteria. 

    • Go with a business friend

      If walking into a room full of strangers fills you with horror, take a friend with you. Go with a friend who also runs a business, or someone you know professionally and get on well with. Just remember to talk to other people once youโ€™ve found your feet! 

      • Set expectations

      You probably wonโ€™t leave your first networking event with ten new clients, or even one! But that doesnโ€™t mean that networking doesnโ€™t work. You might get a call a few days later, or pick up some work at the next event because people have had a chance to think about it. 

      Donโ€™t underestimate the value of just turning up โ€“ every time you say your business name, you reinforce your brand. 

      • Set goals

      Set yourself networking goals, like finding someone who could give you an introduction in another relevant industry. Networking isnโ€™t just about you finding your next client โ€“ maybe youโ€™re looking for an accountant to get your books in order, or another service to help your business level up. 

      If youโ€™re a start-up, networking means that youโ€™ve told people about your business who have never heard of it before. You could make it your goal to tell three people about your business.

      Set yourself a goal – see if your networking becomes more focused. 

      • Keep going!ย 

      Itโ€™s easy to think that networking doesnโ€™t work if youโ€™ve only been to one event. But โ€“ trust us โ€“ keep going. The more people get used to seeing your face over coffee on a Wednesday morning, the more theyโ€™ll learn to like and trust you. Itโ€™s these deeper connections that make our network work. 

      Benefits of networking

      At Get Ahead, we believe in the benefits of networking. Weโ€™re here to help you with networking too and we hope youโ€™ll come along to your local Get Connected event. And if youโ€™re not ready to network yet, we can help you with your brand and marketing collateral, so you can talk about your business with confidence. We can even introduce you to business coaches from our own network.

      See you at networking soon! 

      Networking is a great way of to get your business out there, tell others what you do and take your business to the next level. However, itโ€™s very important to talk to the right people so that every connection is worthwhile. In this blog, we talk to regional directorย Lisa Middletonย about how to be strategic and build a network with people to grow your business.

      Why is it important to be strategic at networking?

      Lisa: When we go to a networking event, itโ€™s really easy to focus on attracting new clients who will book our services directly. Thereโ€™s nothing wrong with doing that, especially if it turns into regular business. However, itโ€™s also worth making the effort to talk to people who can support us in an ongoing way, rather than pay us for a one-off service. This is how to make these events more worthwhile and more sustainable. 

      When Iโ€™m at a business event, I always make myself available to potential clients, in case they want to book a call with me and use Get Aheadโ€™s services to support their business. But I also make sure I connect with others who offer a service โ€“ this can often create more opportunities for future work. For example, I might make a point of connecting with an accountant. Itโ€™s a great starting point for me โ€“ the accountant might have clients who need other outsourced, back-office services like the ones Get Ahead provides. And if the Get Ahead finance experts are at capacity, I have another accountant I can invite to join the team. 

      How could I put strategic networking work in practice?

      Lisa: Think about what conversations you would like to have that would grow your business. For example, talking to others in your sector could give you insights into industry developments so you can adapt your offering accordingly. You can also find the differences and connections between what you both offer. Maybe your services complement each other and you could combine forces to provide an even better service. 

      You can also talk to others outside your sector who might be able to give you an introduction to a wider group. If you have a product that would benefit a particular market, networking could give you a valuable inroad.

      Itโ€™s a good idea to think about this before you leave for the event. Networking is time away from your desk and you should use it as efficiently as possible. 

      Networking in your local area

      Get Ahead hosts regular networking events at Metrobank. These events are great ways to meet other local businesses, expand your business family, make connections and find more work. Explore our events page to find out more โ€“ weโ€™d love to meet you! 

      One of the most common questions clients ask us is โ€œhow often should you post on your social media?โ€ Weโ€™d love to give you a simple answer but unfortunately, there isnโ€™t one! But what we can do is give you a bit more information so you can make the right choice about your own social media. And if you want toย outsource social media, we can help there too.ย 

      Letโ€™s take a closer look.

      How often should you post on your social media?

      The internet is full of articles telling you to post multiple times a day across all your social media channels. We love the theoryโ€ฆbut seriously, who has the time?! Instead, prioritise sharing fewer posts while making sure each one is worth reading.ย 

      In general, itโ€™s a good idea to post at least three times a week on social media. Of course, if one of your posts performs exceptionally, or you put a great deal of work into it, a smaller number of posts might be effective.ย 

      Itโ€™s also important to remember that different platforms have different norms. On LinkedIn, for example, you might share a lower number of posts but each one will be targeted, authentic and worth your followersโ€™ time. But on X, Instagram and Pinterest, itโ€™s usual to post several times a day.

      How do you stay consistent on social media?

      Most social media managers agree that consistency is more important than frequency. Posting consistently shows that youโ€™re serious about what you do. Any potential clients or customers visiting your social media channels will see that your business is active right now. This means theyโ€™re considerably more likely to convert than if the last post were from six months ago.ย 

      Many of our clients choose to schedule their social media in advance, so they know it will appear online even if they donโ€™t have time to post in real time. Whether they produce their own content or outsource it to one of our social media managers, the content is usually scheduled a month in advance.ย 

      A huge advantage of scheduling is that you and/or your social media manager can do all your planning at once. You donโ€™t have to jump out of a heavy finance meeting straight into an upbeat Instagram post. Instead, you can put yourself into your social media groove and plan all your posts at once, then let them roll out in a timely fashion.

      Doing all your planning is easier when you come up with a strategy and follow it. Maybe you create regular posts about different areas of your business, like a client spotlight, a product focus and a business tip every week. When you manage your social media within a strategic framework, youโ€™ll soon see your content schedule fill up! And if youโ€™re really stuck, think about what posts have worked well in the past and recreate that success.ย 

      Itโ€™s important to be consistent in your interactions as well as your posts. Remember to block off time each week to visit your social media channels, reply to comments youโ€™ve received and interact with other accounts. If thought-provoking, insightful comments go unnoticed, your followers will stop typing them and your online community will dwindle. Fortunately, you can keep up the momentum with regular interactions.ย 

      Outsource social media

      If you love the idea of creating stunning, effective, consistent social media posts but simply donโ€™t have the time, our social media managers are here to help. Explore our site to find out more on how to outsource social media.ย 

      We donโ€™t just talk the talk โ€“ we walk the walk too!ย Follow us on social mediaย for great insights, rolling out consistently across the working week.ย 

      Social media is a fantastic tool for marketing your business. Itโ€™s free, easy to use and a great way to engage directly with your customers and clients. You can also outsource social media, winning back time and gaining dedicated support. But what social media is best for business? 

      In this blog, our social media expert Chloe talks us through the different platforms to help you decide which social media platform you should prioritise.

      What social media is best for business?

      Chloe: the best social media platform for your business depends on a number of factors, like who your audience is and what kind of content you share. 

      Different platforms are suitable for different kinds of content. For example, if video is the strongest way of marketing your business, itโ€™s a good idea to put YouTube or TikTok at the centre of your social media marketing. And if your services lend themselves to long-form content, choose a platform that supports links to blogs like LinkedIn or Facebook.

      Itโ€™s also important to remember that different demographics use different social media platforms. B2B businesses often share content on LinkedIn, for example, while lifestyle brands attract followers on Instagram. That said, there is some overlap โ€“ amazingly, Innocent Smoothies have gained loads of traction on LinkedIn while B2B brands have done well on Instagram and Facebook. Consider who your audience is and which social media platforms they useโ€ฆbut keep an open mind too.

      How do I know who my audience is?

      Chloe: Social media is free to use, but itโ€™s still important that the time you invest in it is well spent. When we target the right audience, we can be sure that weโ€™re using our time efficiently. 

      I encourage my clients to imagine their ideal customer โ€“ how old they are, what they do for a living, whether they have a family, where they live, what matters to them and even what their names might be. With this information, you can work out which social media platform they are most likely to use. This is the platform where you should focus your energy. 

      What content should I share?

      Chloe: Instead of asking what content to share, think of the kind of content that best showcases your offering. If you specialise in tailored consultancy work, itโ€™s important that you come across as someone who thinks in detail and understands the nuances of the industry. LinkedIn and X are great platforms for diving deeper into common questions and seriously analysing current issues. 

      On the other hand, you might have a retail business or a lifestyle brand, in which case Instagram is a great platform for you. Share photos of your latest product or short videos of the experiences you offer. 

      Decide what content best tells your story, and which platform is the best place to share it. Then consider which platforms your customers and clients use. They should overlap! This overlap is the platform where you should concentrate your energy.

      How many social media platforms should I use? 

      Chloe: I never want my clients to feel under pressure to use every single social media platform. Instead of churning out content on lots of different platforms, I believe itโ€™s more effective to focus on the platforms where youโ€™re able to post regularly. For example, if someone is researching you on Facebook and you havenโ€™t posted for several months, it could look as if youโ€™ve gone out of business (even if you havenโ€™t). Youโ€™ll only find Get Ahead HQ on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram โ€“ weโ€™ve weighed up the pros and cons and decided where to focus our efforts.

      When you remember that effective content is tailored for the platform where it is posted, itโ€™s easy to see that using too many channels is a waste of resources. Most businesses donโ€™t have the capacity to adapt their message for every platform โ€“ particularly if it doesnโ€™t grow your business. 

      If youโ€™re trying to work out which social media platform is the right one for you, Get Aheadโ€™s detailed guide can help.

      Outsource social media 

      Outsource social media and benefit from consistent posting, expert content creation and regular analysis of your interactions. Youโ€™ll also gain back loads of time โ€“ no more labouring over graphics or getting distracted online. 

      If youโ€™re ready to outsource social media, we hope youโ€™ll consider Get Ahead. Read more about what we offer here, or follow us on LinkedIn to see us in action. 


      A SWOT analysis is an overview of your business, identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Taking time to do it properly, involve the right people and learn from your findings gets business growth off to a great start. In this blog, we consider the question, โ€œwhat is a SWOT analysis?โ€ and look at how you can use yours to grow your business. 

      What is a SWOT analysis?

      SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. A SWOT analysis is your opportunity to look at each of these areas in turn, identifying points under each heading for your specific business. Used correctly, itโ€™s a great business development tool. 

      The strengths and weaknesses should be the good and bad things found within your organisation. They cover matters like personnel, premises, strategy, focus and product quality. Because they take place within your business, you have the power to address them. If you find your business lacks a team member with marketing knowledge, for example, you can either train someone up, recruit or outsource. 

      Opportunities and threats are the good and the bad things happening outside your organisation. They include local matters like who your competitors are and the character of the area you serve. But they also include huge international concerns like supply chains, wars and global economics. While you cannot control the opportunities and threats themselves, you can control how your business responds to them.

      How can I use a SWOT analysis to grow my business?

      Once youโ€™ve done your SWOT analysis, the next step is to examine your findings. 

      Think back to your opinion of your business before you did the SWOT exercise โ€“ how accurate were you? If you were right then well done! But if you thought you were doing better than you were, do you need to invest more time in your business or deepen your understanding of how to run it? And if your initial opinion was pessimistic, could some business coaching help you improve your confidence? 

      Then itโ€™s time to look at each section in turn and note down action points.

      Strengths

      Strengths wonโ€™t necessarily give you many action points. These are things that are already working well. However, itโ€™s important to note that they probably didnโ€™t happen by themselves. If you have a strong team member, for example, think about what you did to recruit them and consider whether you could replicate the process to find another high-calibre employee. Also consider what you might have to do to keep your best team members so they remain a strength of your business.

      Weaknesses

      Weaknesses are the issues within your organisation that you have the power to control. So if you have identified that you need some new software, for example, you can solve the problem by investing in what you need. Even if you cannot afford it now, seeing the business weakness should help you plan ahead for the future spend. 

      Opportunities

      The list of opportunities should spur you into action too! Maybe you offer customer service training and a new shopping centre is about to open near you โ€“ could the retailers become your next clients? Or maybe you run a hotel by the sea โ€“ would businesses like to hold conferences there in your low season? Youโ€™ve identified the opportunities and now itโ€™s time to act on them.

      Threats

      Some threats are easier to address than others. Professional bodies representing specific industries may respond to threats on behalf of their members, as happened with the rise in employersโ€™ NI contributions. Joining one of these bodies will strengthen their voice and increase the chances of turning the tide.

      Even if you canโ€™t take direct action, identifying threats can help you be more aware of them, and manage how you respond. If, say, prices rise, examine your business and work out if you can make savings in other areas. 

      The bigger picture

      Acting on strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats will help you take control, tackle problems head-on and ultimately take your business forward. Incorporate them into your business strategy and goals โ€“ theyโ€™re your road map to success. 

      Outsourced business support in your area

      If your SWOT analysis has highlighted areas for improvement, Get Ahead can help. And if itโ€™s time to take your business to the next level, take our quiz โ€“ reflect on your current processes and gain valuable insights to help your business grow. 

      Personal branding is an intentional move to shape how others see you. With a strong personal brand, others will start to value you for what you bring, helping you grow your business and further your career.

      In this blog, we talk to branding expert Amy, who explains โ€œwhat is personal branding?โ€ and how to make it work for you.

      What is personal branding? Is it the same as reputation?

      Amy: Itโ€™s easy to confuse personal branding and reputation but theyโ€™re actually different. Your reputation comes from the impression you make: how good your work is, how you treat others and how you cope in a crisis. But your personal brand is something more intentional. Personal branding is consciously putting forward the qualities you want to be known for, like creativity, the ability to motivate others or the commitment to see a project through. 

      Your personal brand starts to matter when you decide you want more from your role. Maybe you want to attract new investors or clients. Or if youโ€™re employed, maybe you want a promotion or to move to another organisation entirely. When we see a new opportunity, our personal brand will show others what we have to offer and why we deserve to achieve. 

      How do I build my personal brand?

      Amy: Your personal brand has to be authentic to you. Think about who you are and what you do well. Why would you want to work with you? If thatโ€™s too big a question on its own, break it down. I encourage my clients to ask themselves these questions:

      • What motivates you? Are you naturally conscientious or are you excited for what a new project could bring? 
      • What sparks your curiosity? People? Industry innovations? 
      • Where do you want to get to? What do you want to learn? 

      You might also think about some attributes that are often included in a personal brand and which ones you have. Think about your current role โ€“ not your job title, but the contribution you make by being the person you are. You might be an idea-generator, or a listener, or a problem-solver. You might be adaptable, committed, principled, or even courageous or entertaining. 

      Decide which words best describe youโ€ฆand start using them! 

      I have a personal brand โ€“ what should I do with it?

      Amy: The next step is to share your brand with those whom you think could help you move forward. A great start is to update your social media profiles, describing not just what you do but who you are. Writing your personal brand down like this will also help you crystallise it and give you some pithy phrases you can use in person too.

      Once youโ€™re feeling confident about your personal brand, reach out positively to the right people. You might ask someone in your organisation for a one-to-one, or meet a potential investor for lunch. Donโ€™t be nervous โ€“ all you have to do is be yourself! Youโ€™ve identified what you have to offer and you should be proud to advertise it. 

      Further down the line, you might find that your personal brand helps you to up your game. The more you show people youโ€™re a creative innovator, or a compassionate listener, or a focused organiser, the greater the value of these qualities. And when we feel valued for what we offer, our offering becomes even stronger. 

      Branding support from Get Ahead

      If youโ€™re feeling inspired to create a personal brand, Get Ahead can help. As well as Amy, we have a strong team of branding experts ready to help you find yourself and share it with the right people. With a strong personal brand, you can reach out and grab the next opportunity โ€“ what are you waiting for? 

      If youโ€™ve got a lovely summer holiday coming up, you know itโ€™s your chance to switch off completely and restore yourself after months of hard work. But for you to get the most out of your holiday, youโ€™ll need to know your business is in safe hands while youโ€™re away. In this blog, we look at how to do a holiday handover to reduce stress before and after your break.ย 

      What should you hand over?

      Of course, there will be some things that only you can do, like nurturing a client relationship built on a personal touch, or financial responsibilities where youโ€™re a named signatory.  

      However, there are plenty of other responsibilities that others can pick up on your behalf. True, the other person wonโ€™t do it in exactly the way that you do, but they will keep things ticking over so you donโ€™t have a double workload to come back to. These tasks include:

      How to do a holiday handover โ€“ what should I consider?

        Handing over your work before your holiday creates a great opportunity for someone else in your organisation to take on more responsibility and gain more skills. Keep your handover positive โ€“ remember, itโ€™s an investment in both your wellbeing and the growth of your business.

        Making time for your handover should make your pre-holiday work week less stressful. It should also mean you donโ€™t have to send last-minute instructions from the airport. 

        Pick someone whom you trust โ€“ this can be more important than their experience.  Choose someone with good judgement who will know when to take the initiative and know when to ask for advice. 

        You are probably only going away for one or two weeks, so the person you hand over to doesnโ€™t need overly detailed instructions. In fact, if you make the handover too detailed, you risk overwhelming the other person so they canโ€™t do their best work. 

        Find out what the other personโ€™s knowledge gaps are and focus on filling them. If thereโ€™s a process they donโ€™t understand, this is the time to explain it to them. Let them ask questions. Try not to be critical if they ask you something you thought they already knew!

        Can I outsource my work while Iโ€™m on holiday?

        Yes! You might be surprised at just what you can outsource. For example, you probably know you can outsource back-office tasks like admin, payroll, marketing and diary management. But did you know you can also outsource your core work? 

        For example, if you run a creative agency, you can outsource design, branding and marketing to Get Ahead. Or if you offer HR or recruitment, you can outsource some of your processes to our team of experts. Your clients will receive a seamless service and you get the full benefit of your holiday into the bargain. 

        You can also outsource to a team of experts. We can assemble a team to cover whatever you need, whether you need email management and graphic design, or social media and business development.

        Explore our site to find out more, follow us on social media, or get in touch for an informal chat. 

        There are always lots of things to do at work before taking a holiday, particularly if you run your own business. Fortunately, when we know what they are and we manage our time well, we donโ€™t have to bookend our holiday with two stressful weeks.ย 

        Weโ€™ve caught up withย virtual PAย Amanda who shares her list of things to do at work before taking a holiday.

        What should we do at work before going on holiday?

        Amanda: If you do nothing else, tell the people you work with that you are going away and when. Even if you own the business and you donโ€™t have to apply for annual leave, itโ€™s a good idea and common courtesy. Telling others means that they can manage their work accordingly, whether thatโ€™s asking you about matters now before you go on holiday, or taking the initiative so they donโ€™t interrupt your break. Let anyone outside your business whom youโ€™re collaborating with know too.ย 

        ย Amanda: Weโ€™re all used to out-of-office replies now โ€“ theyโ€™re a very handy invention. If youโ€™re in danger of forgetting to set yours, write it now and schedule it for your holiday period.ย 

        While youโ€™re automating emails, take the opportunity to set up the โ€œfocusedโ€ and โ€œotherโ€ inbox system that Outlook provides (if you havenโ€™t already). This can make things smoother when youโ€™re back from your holiday โ€“ the messages that need your attention should be easy to find.

        Some of my clients ask me to manage their inboxes while theyโ€™re on holiday โ€“ itโ€™s a great solution. I create folders for different types of email and I can even field them out to others in your organisation. You wonโ€™t come back to thousands of emails and you will be able to pick up where you left off.ย 

        Amanda: If youโ€™re going to use, say, social media scheduling software to cover you while youโ€™re away, test it out first. If you trial it while youโ€™re still in the office, youโ€™ll have time to iron out any wrinkles so the system runs perfectly in your absence.ย 

        Amanda: Writing things down is a great way to get them out of your head, even if you canโ€™t deal with them immediately. I always encourage my clients to write their to-do list for their first day back. Not only does it mean a more organised return, but it gives them more freedom to enjoy their holiday!

        Amanda: How you cover bigger projects depends on many factors. However, itโ€™s important to remember that everything wonโ€™t grind to a halt without you. You might choose to put work on hold while youโ€™re on holiday. Or you might choose to set it up in advance so it can run well in your absence.

        ย If youโ€™re a good employer or collaborator (and Iโ€™m sure you are!) your team should feel empowered to carry on without you and act on their own initiative. Maybe the team could use your holiday time to address the areas that donโ€™t need your specific input, like the actual printing of a new publication. Or maybe you could set up a task in your last week and they could use your holiday to put it into action.ย 

        Virtual PA services from Get Ahead

        Get Ahead has built up a team of nearly a hundred virtual PAs, VAs and sector experts to support your business while youโ€™re away on holiday. Weโ€™re here for when you get back too! Follow us onย social mediaย to find out how we work, andย get in touchย whenever youโ€™re ready.ย 

        How do you know itโ€™s time toย rebrand? Well, that depends on a number of things. Crucially, we donโ€™t believe you should ever be afraid of rebranding. Yes, it sounds scary but it doesnโ€™t have to be as big a deal as you might think. Several years ago, we went from โ€œGetAheadVAโ€ to โ€œGet Aheadโ€ โ€“ not only did we survive but it proved to be a very good move for us.ย 

        In this blog, we look at some of the signs that it might be time for you to rebrand your business.

        1. Youโ€™re thriving

        Deciding to rebrand doesnโ€™t mean youโ€™re failing. On the contrary, most businesses that successfully rebrand are in a secure position when they do so. When your business is thriving, you can stop firefighting and find enough time to reflect on your business and what it does well. These reflections can help you pin down your brand identity and create something newer and stronger.

        2. Youโ€™ve changed what you offer

        When you first set up a business, itโ€™s natural that you should offer a range of products or services. Youโ€™re testing the water and you want to see what works. And when youโ€™ve found what works, you can use it to drive your business growth.ย 

        Of course, this also means that there are some aspects of your offering that will fall by the wayside. Rebranding will reflect your fresh focus and highlight what you offer right now.ย 

        This is what led to us deciding to drop โ€œVAโ€ and market ourselves as โ€œGet Ahead.โ€ We recognised that our differentiator from other virtual assistant agencies is that we offer specialist services like graphic design and HR, in addition to day-to-day admin support services. We still offer VA services but our change of name shows that we are more than just a VA agency.ย 

        3. Your client base has changed

        Savvy business owners know that they canโ€™t please everyone all of the time. However, itโ€™s also natural that you started your business hoping to appeal to as many people as possible! Now, as time has gone by, you might find that you know your clients a lot better than you used to. And now you need a brand that reflects them as much as your business.

        7. Your original brand isnโ€™t strong

        If your business logo is something you cobbled together to go on your first website five years ago, it probably needs updating. This is because your business deserves a strong logo and clear brand guidelines. Not only is it more professional but it makes life easier for you and your employees. If youโ€™re putting together a banner for an expo, for example, youโ€™ll have instant access to the right colour palette and design templates.ย 

        Outsource branding and logo design to Get Ahead

        If our blog has got you thinking about a rebrand, weโ€™re here to help. Check out ourย graphic design case studies to find out more, orย follow us on social media.

        If youโ€™re a regular on social media โ€“ and if youโ€™re a business owner, you should be โ€“ you know how important it is that a post catches the eye. Instagram is an obvious example, standardising picture-led posts and creating instant visual appeal. But even posts on wordier platforms like LinkedIn and X should have their own graphics. In this blog, we talk to Get Aheadโ€™s experienced graphic designerย Kateย about why visuals matter on social media. She also shares her top tips how to makeย social media graphicsย that look great and drive conversions.ย 

        Why do visuals matter on social media?

        Kate: We all know that social media posts that include pictures gain more traction than ones that donโ€™t. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words! Any post with a picture on it can immediately convey more information than one that is purely text. A picture brings the words of a post to life, giving potential customers a better idea of your products, or showing that you uphold the values listed on your website.ย 

        Itโ€™s important to remember that we take in information from pictures faster than from words. So if you want someone to read your post, grab their attention with a picture first.ย 

        I always think that a picture is another opportunity to reinforce your brand. You could put your logo in the corner, or choose highlight colours from your brand palette.ย 

        Itโ€™s also important to remember that different people take on information in different ways. Some people respond better to words, others to pictures. When we include a graphic on a social media post, we widen that postโ€™s appeal. The words people can learn from the written section of the post while the pictures people can learn from the graphic.ย 

        What are your top tips for making graphics for social media?

        Kate: Platforms like Canva make it easier for business owners to make their own graphics. If you enjoy doing it and it doesnโ€™t take up too much time, DIY social media is a great way to save money and stay authentic online. But remember, itโ€™s only a real saving if the graphics you produce work hard for your business.ย 

        Hereโ€™s how I go about making graphics for social media that get results

        1. Keep it simple

        Most of us absorb visual information more quickly than the written wordโ€ฆbut only if the design is simple. If your message is lost in a forest of colours, shapes and fonts, try cutting back on some of the design elements to make something more engaging.

        2. Stay on brand

        Reinforce your brand by using the same colours, fonts and logo that appear on your website and other touch points. Creating a social media template in your design platform can help keep the appearance of your posts consistent.

        3. Check it makes sense!

        If youโ€™re creating a visual of your business values or an inspirational quote, donโ€™t let the design take over. Reread it after youโ€™ve created it and make sure the words have the same power now youโ€™ve combined them with graphic design.

        4. Be aware of proportions

        Social media platforms change the proportions of pictures from time to time. If Instagram caught you out recently, youโ€™re not alone! Make sure that whatever you create will work on your intended platform.

        5. Make sure your design fits the platform.ย 

        Scheduling software like Hootsuite makes it easy to make one post and then share it across all our social media platforms. But itโ€™s not a perfect solution, so remember to keep your wits about you. You donโ€™t want to lose valuable information because the platform crops the image, for example. Itโ€™s also important to make sure that the image suits the culture of the platform. For instance, a celebration of your morning coffee might work better on Instagram than LinkedIn.

        How to make social media graphics that really work

        We hope Kateโ€™s top tips will help you make more powerful graphics for your social media platforms! And if theyโ€™ve made you wonder whether you should leave it to the experts, we are here to help. Get Ahead has a great team ofย graphic designersย andย social media managersย ready to share your brand and increase your visibility. Explore our site to find out more, orย follow us on social media.