What are you moaning for? It was you that put all your eggs in one basket

On a regular basis I have clients or group members complain to me about the changes on Facebook, the lack of support, the reduction in reach of their posts and awareness of their brand.I hear it so often in fact and I am no longer surprised. I may not be surprised but I continue to be disappointed with the moaning and total lack of accountability.

What the hell are we moaning for?

Would you be moaning if someone had given you a retail space in a building on a busy street, a street that has all your potential customers coming up and down the road outside? Would you complain if it was rent free and all you had to worry about was to fill it with stock and advertise it.

NO.. no we bet you wouldn't be.

So why do we hear it all the time, it baffles us. Facebook has created a platform free of charge, that gives a business user a customer list of 1.6 billion people.

It even tells you their interests, their age and location.

Not to mention how much they earn and what they like and don't like.

Tell us when was the last time a user went into the open market and tried to buy data of the same quality and value?

We will tell you from experience - £3.00 a lead .. Yes that is the industry standard cost to get data that is as current, and as accurate as the customer data that Facebook allows you free of charge.

What does #Facebook cost you ?

• Does it cost you to advertise your product as it does on Ebay or Amazon, No

• Does it cost you to record a live video detailing your service or product, No

• Does it cost rent space on the server, pay for hosting, as if for your website or email, No

• Does it cost to create a group & charge you a subscription for the amount of members No

• When you want to post an update does it charge you as a newspaper would , No

We could go on, but we won't.

What it does cost you, is your time. Your #time on a free #platform, state of art platform, intelligent marketing platform.

It costs you time, in thinking about your messaging, your communication to your clients.

I haven't had time to plan my posts

Please, can you hear what that sounds like. "I haven't had time to sit down and think about what I want to say and give a couple of my hours to enter it on to this free of charge, state of the art social platform, I am not really thinking about my customers or potential customers, I am just thinking that it is too harder work and I don't know what to write!"

We understand of course, that come companies are busy, they need social media reach but just don't have the time or the they aren't skilled in that area, so they recognise this and engage a company like ours to do that for them. That's still making an effort. That is thinking about the value of the return and the value they want in sales conversions, and engaging an expert to make the most of it for them. Engaging an expert can bring around far faster results.

Engaging Facebook Developers and Practitioners like us does cost money each month, but it also delivers results that are so high in quality and reach that it is the cheapest return on investment a business can make. So our clients are thinking about it and they are putting in the investment.

Rather than investing time, they are investing money. A very good , sensible business marketing strategy decision. But you may not have the budget to do that, we understand that.

" I am only a start up, I do not have the budget". Yep, absolutely accept that, it's a genuine objection.

But you haven't got 2 hours a week to set aside and plan your messaging either on this free platform that is tailored to your business and customers?

At The Consult Centre we record free video tutorials for Facebook, we do Q & A sessions, even live video Q & A to help people. We have even created free areas on our website where you can download documents to help you or watch free videos.

Yes we agree there may be more exciting things you can spend your time on, but if you are seriously thinking of growing your business, then your investment of time starts now and it starts with understanding how Facebook can work for you given your effort.

At the end of the day, if you have decided to put all your eggs in one basket, the least a user can do, is take the time to crack a few eggs and get on with making an effort.

The Consult CentrePhoto credit Photo by Dayne Topkin on Unsplash

Stop saying yes to everything: how to set boundaries for your business

Credit to Chichi Eruchalu

Get paid on time, take a day before responding to emails, and say no to clients who aren’t a good fit – clear boundaries can help you succeed

Chichi Eruchalu is a mum of two who didn’t want to be chained to her laptop all the time. She admits she lost some business but says boundaries have helped her business to grow.

Business strategist and coachI like helping people. The vast majority of entrepreneurs do. As a coach and strategist I spend my days troubleshooting with clients, mapping out strategies and giving advice and support. I also have a web design business.

At the beginning of my entrepreneurial journey in 2012, I was overly excited. I said yes to all kind of projects, even ones I didn’t really enjoy but that paid an income. I worked all the time, worked with anyone, never took any time out and struggled to recharge properly. Needless to say juggling this with a full-time job, a young family and a partner often working away, I didn’t last long. This went on for close to a year, until I had to take a six-week hiatus while I regrouped.

There should always be a differentiation between your paid and unpaid clients

What I needed were some business boundaries. Strong boundaries set expectations and lead to a much happier experience all around because people know where they stand. As a recovering people pleaser, this was challenging. I hate to let people down and find it hard to say no, but I have had to learn to put myself first.

I have learned to walk away from clients who I know aren’t a good fit, even if that means I have to refund their money.For you to successfully grow your business and support the people who are truly committed to your work (ie, paying clients), you must first acknowledge that you cannot help everyone. Your time is precious and must be attributed where it is needed most. You must get clear on what is and what isn’t acceptable to you, and stick to those boundaries.

As a mum of two under five who did not want to be chained to my laptop all the time, I had to make changes. I had allowed a number of clients to pay me late. I was taking my phone to bed, checking it in the night and as soon as I woke up, in the fear that I had missed something important. I was doing work for free, and giving attention to people who constantly wanted to pick my brain. This did not respect my time or expertise.Technology has made it easier for the self-employed to connect, grow communities and build their businesses.

But it also makes you immediately contactable at the touch of a button, and many clients come to expect a fast response. From email and Whatsapp, to Twitter, Facebook and phone calls – if people want to reach you today, they can.

All work and no pay: creative industries freelancers are exploited

But how you respond is up to you. I used to think that I was being efficient answering emails as soon as they came in, but it set an unrealistic expectation and my clients then wanted an immediate response. Your clients and potential clients treat you how you teach them to treat you.

If you are readily available and allow people to have instant access to you (especially those who are not paying for your services), you will create a rod for your own back. Now I commit to a 24-hour turnaround for clients and 48 hours for everyone else.

There should always be some differentiation between your paid and unpaid clients. If there isn’t, you do a disservice to the people who keep you in business.Boundary setting is an ongoing exercise that evolves as your business develops. Clear communication is essential, as is having contracts in place to clearly define what is and isn’t included in your work.

Just because you’ve delivered on a project does not necessarily mean you’re forever on hand for future queries or endless tweaks.Have I lost business because of these boundaries? Sure. Some clients won’t like the fact you’re not as accessible as you once were.

But at the same time, I’ve found others to be more than accommodating. Done right, boundaries bring much greater freedom and fulfilment to your business, freeing you up to the work that matters.

Facebook's news feed to prioritise 'meaningful interactions' over branded content- updated January 1

Shares in the social media giant fell after the changes were announced in a post by founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg. By Andy Hayes, News Reporter - content - SKY NEWS Facebook is changing the way its news feed works to encourage "more meaningful social interactions" and reduce the amount of content from "businesses, brands and media". In a post on the social media site, chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said branded content was "crowding out the personal moments that lead us to connect more with each other". Shares of Facebook were down 4%, after he said the shift was likely to mean that the time people spend on the site would decrease in the short-term.

Mr Zuckerberg said that "video and other public content have exploded on Facebook in the past couple of years" meaning there is "more public content than posts from your friends and family". That has shifted the balance "away from the most important thing Facebook can do - help us connect with each other".

Mr Zuckerberg said the company had examined academic research on social media. He said it showed that when sites such as Facebook were used to connect with "people we care about", they can improve well-being.

"We can feel more connected and less lonely," he said, "and that correlates with long-term measures of happiness and health." In contrast, "passively reading articles or watching videos - even if they're entertaining or informative - may not be as good"

Branded content will not only be reduced - its content will be "held to the same standard" as posts from friends and family. "It should encourage meaningful interactions between people," Mr Zuckerberg said. There have been serious concerns about the effect social media can have on people's mental health, particularly children and teenagers. A Facebook vice president, John Hegeman, said advertising on the site would be unaffected.

Facebook is the largest social media network in the world, with more than two billion monthly users. Don’t worry The Consult Centre will post a video for you all to learn how to combat the changes coming our way in Business, so keep your eyes peeled on our group https://www.facebook.com/groups/The... for your free content guide this weekend !