The case for building a marketing ecosystem

The social media landscape has changed significantly since I started working in social media back in 2017. I would argue that it’s changed a ton since I started Britt Does Social in 2022.

In case you haven’t heard my backstory, I got my first social media role in professional sports by replying to a tweet on Twitter. I did on-site video capture for the soccer league I grew up watching, and that role evolved into a work from home part time role where I covered games remotely and shared news to Twitter. I knew the soccer side, they taught me the social media side and I also took online courses to hone my skills I was learning on the fly. Then, in 2022, I launched Britt Does Social to help business owners and entrepreneurs with their social media.

Without getting on my soapbox, Twitter is not the supportive community it once was. I actually removed the app from my phone recently because the standard of posts has fallen so greatly that I saw something incredibly offensive (racist, homophobic, transphobic, etc.) almost every time I opened the app. Many of the people I had connected with there had left for other apps, but because of work reasons I can’t fully leave the app. I need to be up to date with functionality and it still hasn’t been matched when it comes to live sports updates.

One day I realized that so much of my business is built around Instagram, and that if something happened to that platform, my livelihood would be at risk. I’m not saying that the latest comments from Mark Zuckerberg necessarily means that Meta is heading towards the same fate as Twitter, but it’s definitely another drop in the bucket of concern. This is where my focus towards building a marketing ecosystem was born.

Moving forward, there’s a chance that social media is going to have major changes, but one thing that won’t change is a business need to get in front of new potential clients. Instagram has been great for that top of funnel activity of visibility, but it doesn’t have to be the only way to get new eyes on your business. I would argue that Instagram is a great place for visibility, nurturing and sales, so here are methods I’m continuing to build in addition to remaining consistent on Instagram:

• Newsletters: I have a goal of two emails a week to my list, which is great for nurturing my audience. When I stay consistent with this, I’m top of mind for social media support (and hopefully visibility support as I continue to pivot), and they get to know-like-trust me along the way. I’ve built my list mainly through bundles and also through freebies.

• Podcast: This one I’m working to get back into since we moved a few months back. 2024 was wild to say the least, and I’m looking to get back into a batching rhythm with podcasting. I have been told by clients that they found me because of my podcast, so it’s a great way to be seen by new folks.

• Blog (hi, hello!): This one I’ve tried in the past and I’m looking to revive it. This is all about SEO and building that authority with your content. Let people know that you know what you’re talking about.

With all of these things, I’m looking to share my message across multiple platforms to be seen and build that connection with my ideal clients. I’m also setting a goal of finding 5 visibility opportunities per month outside of my own ecosystem by signing up for things like bundles, podcast guest spots, blog swaps, etc.

If this is something you’re looking to start, you don’t have to pick all the things! I would recommend an email list because of that ongoing idea that your email list is something you own and an algorithm can’t change that. I would also recommend one long form type of content, like a blog, podcast or YouTube channel, that you can repurpose into different other types of posts.

All of this is going to be covered in my upcoming group program, Content & Community, plus you’ll get a custom strategy and 1:1 call to review before the program even starts. You can learn more and sign up here!