Each social media platform is different and therefore has different audience demographics. Here are the UK stats:
Snapchat – 57% of users are female. Most popular with 13-24 year olds
Tik Tok – 61% of users are female. Most popular with 18-24 year olds
Twitter – 60% of users are male. Most popular with 18-29 year olds
Instagram – 54% of users are female. Most popular with 18-34 year olds
Pinterest – 72% of users are female. Most popular with 25-35 year olds
Facebook – 52% of users are male. Most popular with 25-54 year olds
LinkedIn – 57% of users are male. Most popular with 30-49 year olds

Every business will have a unique strategy specific to their ideal customer. This can take some trial and error before getting the perfect recipe, however content pillars help make the process easier.
Content pillars are a set of 3-5 topics your content will relate to. They help your feed stay focused. Once you have selected your topic areas you can then rotate them to give a varied profile. Many accounts use the following four content pillars – Engage, Educate, Inspire and Promote.
Other more specific suggestions include:
– Reviews / Testimonials
– This or That / Before and After
– Challenges / Competitions
– Entertain – funny and relatable content
– Did you know questions / Ask the audience
Above all else remember that even if your customers aren’t purchasing through your social media channels, it is effectively your shop window. To make customers stop scrolling it needs to add value and be authentic!

​1. Put hashtags in the first comment on Instagram
Sorry to bust this myth but it won’t help at all. Instagram’s Creators account (@creators) and Head of Instagram (@mosseri) have both said you should use hashtags in the caption and “NOT” the comments.
2. Don’t use emoji’s
Emoji’s are a hugely undervalued tool and they can really help engagement rates. Just be sensible with the ones you choose…
Research has shown that using an emoji in a tweet can increase engagement by 25% compared to without. In a Facebook post, you can see shares increase by 33% and interactions by 57%. For Instagram posts, engagement can go up by 48%!!
3. Add links to social media posts
Social media platforms want to keep you on their app so they actually suppress any posts with links. Sometimes people try to put the link in the comments but this also isn’t ideal. This is the reason you will notice accounts saying “link in bio”.
So that you aren’t having to alter the web link in your bio constantly I recommend setting up a free LinkTree account. You can then easily add all relevant links on your LinkTree as well as still having your basic contact information and website details. You just add the LinkTree web address where you previously had your website information. Please refer to my Instagram account (@cotswoldconnected) to see an example of this and why not give me a follow to stay up to date while you’re there.
4. The bigger the hashtag the better
Quite the opposite in fact! If you are using hashtags with millions of tags your content is far less likely to be seen than a hashtag with a few thousand. It is common for individuals and businesses to follow hashtags, however you will not be shown every post that then uses that #. You will only be shown the top (aka most reacted to and popular) posts within their feed, and, even then, it’s only a small selection.
Here is an example – If you look up #socialmediamanager this has 3.1million posts whereas #instagramexpert has 246k posts. Though both numbers are still high you are far more likely to succeed with the 246k hashtag than the 3.1M. Even better, find ones such as #marketinghack with only 5000+ posts!!
5. Always put a call to action
Yes and no. Adding a call to action within your post caption can be a really good thing for boosting engagement and post reach, however you have to be careful. The last thing you want is for your audience to unfollow because they feel used or ordered to do something e.g. “Buy now”.
6. Buying followers is a good idea
Please don’t!! I have helped so many accounts where the owner has previously bought followers and this is honestly one of the worst things you could do. Social media platforms can spot fake accounts and over time they not only close them down but mark accounts associated with them as spam!
As a customer or a competitor it is also pretty easy to spot. If a page has 10k followers but their posts only get 5 or so reactions the likelihood is they’ve bought followers.

With over nine years social media experience I’m passionate about using my expertise to help businesses grow – both their online accounts and their actual business profits! With over 80% of people now buying online and 85% using social media it’s crucial your business is visible.
Many find social media stressful or too time consuming while they are focusing on their business. Cotswold Connected takes away that stress and time constraint by managing your accounts, creating content and boosting your brands visibility all in one. I maximise your company’s reach while focusing on organic social growth.
If you’re not in a position to have social media management just yet, I also offer 1:1 lessons and power hours. Ensure your business is on the correct track with Cotswold Connected.
Why not get in touch or follow me on social media?
07582 248 380
info@cotswoldconnected.com
www.cotswoldconnected.com
Instagram & Facebook @cotswoldconnected

What a day we had at Meadow Barn, Stratford-upon-Avon!

Shoot Participants - 
Sarah Day - One Day Film Productions - sarah@onedayfilmproductions.co.uk 
Anthony Hall - Anthony Hall Photography - info@anthonyhallphotography.com
Sarah Haywood - Sarah Haywood Photography - hello@sarahhaywoodphoto.com 
Katie Wilber - Cotswold Connected - info@cotswoldconnected.com
Annabel Richardson - Annabel Sarah Bridal Shop - annabelsarahbridal@gmail.com
Dean Carter - Carter Esquire - info@carteresquire.co.uk
Sam Smith - Trust Salons - trusthair@gmail.com 
Di Hassall - Diane Hassall - di@dianehassall.com
Debbie & Bev - The Stratford Park & Golf Hotel - events@thestratfordpark.co.uk 
Lorraine - White Violet Event Dressers - whitevioletevents@gmail.com 
Hannah Harris - Emmie's Den - hannah_harris23@hotmail.com
Laura Mills - The Enchanted Dreamer - the.enchanted.dreamer@btinternet.com
Jo - White Ivy Flowers - jo@whiteivyflowers.com
Bam - Fizzy Fiesta - bam@fizzyfiesta.co.uk
Annabelle Gallagher - Belle Peach Creative - bellapeachcreative@hotmail.com
Shelley - Elite Limo Services - eliteexecutivetransport@hotmail.com
Matthew Hewston - propertyd93@gmail.com
Nick Giles - Giles Fireworks - sales@gilesfireworks.com 
Sam Strecker - Cake Fantastique - cakefantastique@hotmail.co.uk
White Rose Ceremonies
Chris Onslow - chris.btob@googlemail.com

I am beyond thrilled to announce I have been officially approved by the Prince's Trust as a new business!

The trust offers fantastic support to young people throughout the UK. As an organisation they give 16-30 year olds the opportunity to create their own business, join their dream career or re-train.

Over the last couple of months I have been working hard to successfully participate in the trust's Enterprise training and formulate a full Business Plan... very exciting!!

Cotswold Connected has now been fully approved and I have a lovely mentor to help guide me on this wonderful adventure!  

Did you know that as of 2020, more than 84% of individuals claim to be influenced by social media when making purchasing decisions.

With consumers spending an average of 3 hours a day on social media here's how having a social media manager can greatly help you and your business: 


Not enough hours in the day?
As a small business it's normal to find your to-do list is an ever growing mystical beast. On top of this you're juggling competing priorities within your business, working all hours, potentially childcare and the pressure of general life admin.

A freelance social media manager, like me, can take a huge weight off your shoulders (and shorten that dreaded to-do list)! With us around you don't need to worry about consistently posting, having specific strategies per platform, creating content, growing your presence and interacting with your business community. Just think about all that time you'll get back, all for well under an employees wage!

Don't understand social media?
In our current digital age 95% of millennials expect a business to be on social media with 91% of all social media users accessing via a mobile device. Social networks are complex, multifaceted platforms, if you don't know what you're doing be careful otherwise your business may suffer!

Thankfully social media managers (aka me), are avid social network fans. We test features as they are released so our services give you an advantage over your competitors. We know better than anyone how to get results for your business.