Nothing stands still in the social media world for long, that’s part of the reason we love it so much – there’s rarely a dull moment. But, just when you thought the trend of here-today-gone-tomorrow content was done with, along comes Twitter with its oddly named Fleets. 

A squished-up version of ‘fleeting moments’, Fleets last just 24 hours, and are to Twitter what Stories are to LinkedIn and Instagram and, more recently, Vanish mode is to Messenger and Instagram. Or what they all are to Snapchat. 

Confused? Let us explain. The boffins at Twitter wanted to give new or shy users the chance to dip a toe in the platform’s conversational waters, without getting bogged down in likes and retweets. 

With us so far? Jolly good. Now, this is where Fleets come in. Users can post text, or reactions to tweets with the tweet attached, as well as photos and videos, all of which can be personalised with snazzy backgrounds or fonts. 

Here’s where you can go a bit cross-eyed if you don’t pay attention. You can reply to Fleets by sending a private Direct Message, but only if you follow the person you’re contacting and they follow you OR if the person you want to reply to has their Direct Messages set to open.

“We’ve learned that some people feel more comfortable joining conversations on Twitter with this ephemeral format, so what they’re saying lives just for a moment in time,” wrote Joshua Harris, director of design, and Sam Haveson, product manager, in a blog. 

We’ll have to wait and see if Fleets bring a host of new blood to the platform, but the feature certainly has got its work cut out for it with the sudden rush of short-term competition. Tell us which are your favourites and we’ll tell you ours… 

We’re 24 fingers, a digital marketing agency and a proud member of the Brentwood Chamber of Commerce, Excel Business Networking Group, the Trusted Business Community and the Organisation for Responsible Businesses. If you’re feeling all fingers and thumbs with your online marketing, use our hands (and hearts and minds) to get extra digits on your bottom line. Book your free strategy call here.

The American author Ken H Blanchard famously quipped: “none of us is as smart as all of us”. That’s a sentiment we hold very dear at 24 fingers. Sharing stories of success – and being honest when things didn’t go our way – with others are some of the best ways to generate new ideas and keep us on our entrepreneurial toes. 

Social media has become a force like no other for groups sharing the same passions to exchange information, bounce suggestions off each other and let off a little steam. But what about the people running a social media group – how do they keep things on an even keel and stop it going all Lord of the Flies?

Sit back and enjoy our eight tips on how to run a successful social media group…

Good intentions

Before you even contemplate setting up a Facebook or LinkedIn group, or a Twitter chat, there are several questions you must to ask yourself: most importantly, what is the group FOR? Will it become a massive time-suck? Are you mentally strong enough to cope with the demands of running the group when it goes live? Is there a ROI to be had? What would prompt you to close it? 

When you’ve asked and answered those questions to your satisfaction you can start preparing to set up a group. 

Check out other groups

Chances are you’re already a member of other social media groups, but managing your own is a different kettle of fish, so dig around the sites to get a sense of what models and methods you prefer.

Now’s also an important time to explore groups beyond your own interests to see whether people participate and interact differently, giving you a heads-up on potential future behaviours. 

What’s in a name?

Your group name needs to be appealing as well as applicable to the people it’s aiming to attract – make it snappy and relevant. That extends to any logos or imagery and the group description, so members not only know what they’re getting into, but also so it aligns with your brand. Invest your time in some great design to attract members. 

Invitation etiquette 

It goes without saying members are the lifeblood of any social media group but choosing the right people is paramount. Two major no-nos at this stage are: never add members without asking first, even if you have a good relationship with the person you’re inviting, and never poach members from another group. 

Instead, let your social media do the work. Post invitations across all your pages as well as your e-mailing list as an opt-in choice. 

Laying down the law

Once members are invited and accepted, it’s down to you to make sure they know exactly what is and isn’t acceptable behaviour within the forum.

From the get-go, establish clear and concise guidelines – no spamming or promotions, for example – and inform everyone, either in a pinned post or even a video, what actions or behaviour will lead to someone being removed from the group. 

Roll out the social media red carpet

Everyone loves a warm welcome, and new members should be @tagged and asked to introduce themselves to the group. You can also ask them to post about their area of expertise, or what they aim to get out of joining, but above all, make it clear they’re among friends. 

Keep those chins wagging

A common interest or business may have got your group started but now you’ve got to keep that conversation ball rolling – by any means necessary. Specific daily or weekly themes can be a great way to engage members, encouraging them to post regularly.

Asking questions or posting a short survey can also generate discussion, and don’t be afraid to tap your members if the well of ideas starts to run a little dry. “None of us is as smart as all of us”, and all that. 

Get ‘app’ helping hand

Running a group can be time-intensive but it doesn’t have to gobble up every single moment of your day. There are a slew of apps and technologies that can help you schedule posts, organise events and keep an eye on the group while you’re on the go. 

Still interested but not sure about moving from social media group member to manager? Don’t stress – we at 24 fingers can help you make the leap without missing a step. 

Proof, as if it were actually needed, that social media really can live up to its name, came as Emma recently got a hefty dose of positive energy when she put our questionnaire to Facebook friend and transformational coach Cynthia Moore.

24 fingers: Hi Cynthia.

Cynthia: Hi, how are you?

24 fingers: I’m all right. Cynthia’s really brave and she’s going to be our, well not that brave, because my questions aren’t that difficult or tricky, but she’s going to be answering our 24 questions today. I met Cynthia through my Facebook group, 24 Piggies, that I run with the lovely Kathy Ennis, and I put a call out to say, I’ve got some gaps and slots for interviews and Cynthia kindly put her hand up so, thank you Cynthia, I really appreciate your time. Shall we begin?

Cynthia: Yes, let’s do it.

24 fingers: Okay so, without any preparation, what’s your favourite word?

Cynthia: Yes.

24 fingers: I like that. What gets you up in the morning?

Cynthia: The possibilities that a new day brings. I love that, I’m excited about that.

24 fingers: This is all becoming very positive Cynthia, this is inspiring at half past four, on what is it, Wednesday afternoon? This is amazing. Tell us, what do you truly, honestly think of social media?

Cynthia:  I used to love social media, but now, it feels so much more involved. And some of the platforms are starting to feel a little bit disingenuous, but I still like it, I still use it, in fact, I’m on it about 10 hours a day so.

24 fingers: Just the 10 then? Lightweight. Kindles or books?

Cynthia: Books but in reality it’s a Kindle.

24 fingers: Yeah, I can’t get to grips, I’ve got to feel the paper myself, I don’t feel like I’m truly relaxing, unless I’ve got a bit of paper between my hands in the bath. Plus I would never take my Kindle in the bath.

Cynthia: No, well this is it, I do love books, I prefer books, but the Kindle is convenient.

24 fingers: It’s easier. So, what do you think is the biggest challenge in your industry right now? You’re a coach aren’t you? What’s the industry looking like nowadays?

Cynthia: I really love what I do, but I think the biggest challenge, is around maintaining quality. Coaching is a real trendy hip word, the minute it gets bandied about a lot, and not always in the right way. There are standards, so coaching is not a regulated industry at the moment, but there are standards that coaches adhere to, and work towards, and not everyone is sort of aligned to that, so there’s a quality issue that I’d love to raise. Yeah.

24 fingers: You can see me nodding, by the fact that I could not agree with you more, and it’s something that Kathy and I talk about a lot, in terms of being qualified to give advice, whether you’ve done it yourself, whether you’ve got the experience, and whether you’ve got the kind of theory as well, and all of that combined, could be a really great package. But when you’re only picking little bits out of things, that you’ve read somewhere, or someone else has told you; I couldn’t agree with you more. People spend a lot of money on this stuff as well.

Cynthia: Yes, and I think it gets really confusing because a lot of people that call themselves coach, but they are actually consultants. But coaching is the hip, trendy word so it gets really confused, and people don’t get confused about what coaching actually brings them. Coaching doesn’t give them the answers, coaching helps them find the answers for themselves. 

24 fingers: You heard it here first, I love that definition Cynthia. What did you want to be when you were growing up?

Cynthia: Oh god, a million and one things but, definitely a historian, so that didn’t quite work out, and I was very inspired by Wall Street, and maybe Dallas, and I thought I could be be a big successful business woman, with big shoulder pads and a little briefcase.

24 fingers: Alexis Carrington?

Cynthia: Yeah, I don’t know what I’d be doing, but that was what I was wearing.

24 fingers: You’d just be walking around, you’d be having lunch with all your minions. So your favourite word was yes, could you use it in a sentence?

Cynthia: Yes, I can.

24 fingers: I knew you were going to say that. Can you make it rhyme?

Cynthia: Yes I can, let’s make a plan, hot off the press, let’s say yes.

24 fingers: My god, it goes on, this is brilliant, you’re the first person that’s done a four-line rhyme, that’s brilliant. What advice would you give to your younger self?

Cynthia: I would definitely tell my younger self to stop worrying so much, you know. It’s a waste of your time and your energy, you’re actually fine, your legs aren’t falling off, your arms aren’t falling off, you’re okay. Stop worrying. Just do the next thing.

24 fingers: Tell us the best thing anyone’s ever done for you?

Cynthia: Shown me this great kindness by observing something that I did, that was good about me, that I did well, and actually pointing it out, and saying it out loud. We’re so quick to always just criticise, and this person actually just pointed out, she observed something that was really positive, and pointed it out and to me, that opened up a whole new world of possibilities, it was amazing, the impact a split second comment had.

24 fingers: I love that. Kathy and our good friend Myra, we were talking yesterday about the power of women working or collaborating together, where you can genuinely say to the other person, “do you know what, you’re amazing at that, I really admire that about you”, rather than that constant kind of comparison or kind of bitching behind the scenes. When you’ve got that true genuine, admiration, for someone else’s qualities yes, tell them, because it makes such a difference. As you say, we’re so quick to either criticise ourselves, or kind of judge others that when you don’t do that, like you know, life’s great isn’t it?

Cynthia: Absolutely. It just made, at the time, it just made me realise, and this is the impact that we can all have on someone else, what you are actually capable of, which is amazing, yeah.

24 fingers: Well I’m gonna kick off then by saying, I think your Zoom background’s brilliant, and I like your positivity, so there’s two, that’s covered for me for today and tomorrow. You might not have had it yet, but tell us what’s been your career-defining moment?

Cynthia: Oh that’s a tricky one, I’m not sure it’s happened yet. I had a corporate career for many years, and I did well with that, you know, it was good. It was hard work, and I didn’t feel like it was the right thing for me, in terms of making the impact that I wanted to make. And we actually, my husband and I, we actually ended up selling everything we owned, we quit our corporate careers, and we actually travelled around Europe for a little while.

In fact, that’s where we were, that’s what we were doing in March when, you know, things changed, so now we’re back in the UK. But really I think, for me, the big pivotal moment was when I finally took the plunge and started my own business, working for myself.

24 fingers: Well watch this space about what comes next, but I love that story, and about actually going, do you know what I’m not making a big enough impact, in what I’m doing, I’m not serving enough people actually, or I wanna change, so I really admire your bravery there. Tell us, if you won a big award of some kind, who would you thank?

Cynthia: I’d have to thank my husband, for being my absolute rock. I know, he’s a really good guy and he really works, he’ll do anything to help me, so he’s an amazing support, I’m really lucky there. I would also thank my parents, they spent years and years and years working really hard, to give me and my brother, the best opportunities possible, they wanted a different life for us and  that was their real goal, and they did that, so that was awesome. And my Aunty as well, who instilled in me a real sense of can do and independence. Yeah.

24 fingers: Can you give us a time saver of the day? Is there something that you use to manage your time?

Cynthia: There’s a few things actually, but the biggest thing you can do to help yourself, no matter what theoretical techniques you’d like to use, is to actually focus on what you can do right now and drop all the busy thoughts of what you should be doing, and all this, drop all the busy thinking, and do what you actually can do now.

24 fingers: Well that’s okay, we’ll have to adopt that one. Where do you see your industry in 24 months, I know we spoke about more regulation and more quality, do you see that changing in the next two years?

Cynthia: I don’t realistically, just because it hasn’t for many years, so realistically, I’m not sure that that will change, but what I do see, and this is really exciting, is that there’s a real global movement of using coaching to raise awareness, person by person, and company by company.

I was listening to someone speak this last week, and what she was saying is we’ve tried governments, the religious institutions have lost their clout, if you like. What we see is really, where we can make the change, raise the awareness in companies and in people, so there’s a real movement of levelling up that way. Which I think is exciting.

24 fingers: Interesting. Where were you 24 months ago?

Cynthia: So, this time of year, is actually my parents’ birthday, and I’m from the Netherlands, originally, so I was in the Netherlands, two years ago. I was not working, and we were travelling mostly, so that was it.

24 fingers: Tell us an interesting fact about your company?

Cynthia: I find it really hard to look at myself and my business as a company, because it feels more like a cool place I hang out, with people I care about. I love spending time in it as well so, you know, I am excited when I get up in the morning and much to my husband’s annoyance, I find it hard to stop in the evenings because I’m just loving it.  

24 fingers: What’s an interesting fact about you?

Cynthia: I think, I don’t know, one of the most interesting things is just that, we took that leap, to really simplify our lives, and give up all, because you know, we didn’t have children, we had two careers, we gave it all up, and we just really stripped everything out of our lives, that wasn’t really essential to us. So, the things that turned out were important to us, was going out for the odd cup of coffee, with a bit of cake and, other than that, I think life is good you know, you don’t need a lot to be happy.

24 fingers: Me and my son live really simply and we don’t need a lot of stuff, do you know what I mean? And it takes the pressure off.  So if you can have a 24-minute Skype chat with anybody, or Zoom call, I might change that question now, who would it be?

Cynthia: That’s a tricky one, I think professionally, right now, it would be Michael Neill. I’m really interested in what he says and how he says it, he’s an amazing coach, so I’d love to have 24 minutes with him, and in fact, I’m pretty sure, I will have a lot more time than that in the future, because it’s one of my goals. Personally, I’m intrigued by Kate Middleton, I’d love to have a 24-minute conversation with her.

24 fingers: Really, what are you intrigued about?

Cynthia: Well, I think that she comes across so perfect. I don’t know if you feel that, she always looks amazing.

24 fingers: Very poised.

Cynthia: I really want to just talk to her because, it must feel like a lot of pressure in the public eye, in this strange role in the Royal family, and I would love to know how she copes and manages with that.

24 fingers: You might get her on a call, and she might get completely drunk and go: “this is how I cope”. I doubt it, but she might. What is one word you’d like people to describe you with?

Cynthia: Oh that’s tricky. Impactful, that’s one of my key drivers, making a positive impact so, I would have to say impactful.

24 fingers: Million percent agree with that. Would you mind taking a selfie for us, if you smile, I will take a screen grab? Brilliant, done. What’s your favourite Twitter handle, or social media campaign? Have you got somebody that you like to follow, or somebody that you recommend we all follow?

Cynthia: I really like the Be Kind Twitter hashtag campaign that goes on. I do wonder you know, if we’ve collectively as a society, have forgotten what that really means. Where we’re a bit wrapped up in ourselves, and being kind a real difficult thing, and especially in this time, you can see it all around, there’s so much opinion and judgement, that there’s no conversation possible, so I think the Be Kind campaign, is one that I wholeheartedly support. 

24 fingers: Because for me, it’s that person to person isn’t it? It’s that human, heart to heart bonds, that’s how we make a difference, and then that kind of ripples out. What’s one quote that defines your work ethic?

Cynthia: I think it has to be the one that I’ve got plastered all over my front page on my website, which is that your mind is the biggest obstacle you ever have to overcome, and once you overcome that, you can do anything. By Les Brown, I believe.

24 fingers: I was talking to again, Myra, I was talking to her about shifting mindset and, I’ve made some changes in my life fairly recently, that I’d never thought was possible, and it only took one little switch in the brain, to go no, actually, you don’t need to think that, and you don’t need to behave like that.

Suddenly life’s like, all right okay, and that was like, 10, 20,30,40-year habits that have been ingrained, so again, I agree. I literally agree with everything you’ve said on this call, Cynthia. We’ll have to do a sequel, and find out more that we agree on. So, what’s been the best part of your day so far?

Cynthia: Well actually this, is really good fun.

24 fingers: Thank you.

Cynthia: I love all the questions, this is awesome, I absolutely enjoy this, and also before this, I had an awesome client call with a great lady and that was awesome as well, so yeah.

24 fingers: Thank you very much. Finally, anything to plug?

Cynthia: I think what I would say on that actually is, I’ve spent the last two months or so, doing a lot of pro bono work with small businesses and entrepreneurs to try and keep the lights on, keep the motivation and the momentum going, keep them in the game, keep their heads in the game, and now, it feels like we can sort of see the light at the need of tunnel, whether that’s a real light or just, or not, I don’t know, but people are starting to look ahead again, which is exciting.

A lot of people, I’ve noticed, have used this time of enforced quiet, to be inspired with ideas, having a lot less noise in their heads, to come up with some really great ideas, and I’ve started working with people on creating, making those ideas a reality and creating whatever it is that they want. So if anyone is interested, if anyone has had some ideas like this, or any inspiration and you kind of want to get started with it, but maybe you’re getting in your own way, or you think you can’t, get in touch, let’s have a chat. No strings attached at all, let’s just have a chat and explore it and we’ll see what we can do.

24 fingers: How do people find you Cynthia?

Cynthia: I am on Facebook, I have my website, I’m also on Instagram. You can contact me on all those channels, I have e-mail facilities, message facilities on the website, as well as Facebook Messenger on the website, and on Facebook and messaging on Instagram as well.

24 fingers: I think we’ve got everything covered for you, which every good coach should. So, thank you Cynthia, it’s an absolute pleasure, and I’ve learned a lot on this call from you. Thank you very much and you’ve definitely inspired me.

Cynthia: Thank you so much for having me Emma, I’ve really enjoyed it, thank you.

Emma kicked off our latest 24 question series by getting to the bottom of a curious naming mystery when she chatted to Lisa Appadurai of The Wellbeing Musketeers, which she runs with her partner Tracey Bloss. All for one and one for all! 

24 fingers: For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Emma Goode of social media agency 24 fingers, and today I’m joined by the lovely Lisa Christmas LongSausage, and I’m sure she’ll be able to tell us why she’s called that on Facebook, because I promise you that isn’t her real name. How are you today Lisa, are you okay?

Lisa: Hi Emma I’m fine thank you. 

24 fingers: You can tell us that now actually. I usually start with what’s your favourite word but feel free to share. 

Lisa: I was rather inebriated one evening watching TV and watching the credits roll on the end of a programme. Somebody’s name rolled past whose surname was Christmas, I made the chance remark that I’d love to be called Christmas. The LongSausage part, I’ve no idea where that came from, I think it got tagged on that same evening. That was 10, 11 years ago and just kind of stuck really… 

24 fingers: I love it. Lisa, what’s your favourite word?

Lisa: My favourite word, for this year anyway, is progress. It stems from my holiday I had just before lockdown, which I took as an opportunity to try and think about what I was going to do this year, how things were a bit up in the air in a few areas and I needed to formulate a plan while I was on holiday, think about the future.

I had also coincidentally managed to snap a beloved silver ring I’d been wearing for years and decided to replace it. While browsing in a shop on holiday I was looking at some lovely jewellery and there was this pretty little ring with the word progress written on it in the Thai language. It just seemed so appropriate so I thought “d’you know, I’m going to have that as it sums up what I’m thinking about at the moment”. 

24 fingers: Life’s too short, buy the ring: that’s my motto. What gets you up in the morning?

Lisa: My filter coffee and my daily gym work out – or at the moment my home gym workout. I can’t do without either of those. 

24 fingers: What do you honestly, truly think of social media?

Lisa: I’m loving social media for the fact I’ve got lots of friends and family in far-flung countries so it’s amazing for being able to keep in touch and see birthdays and photos and the like going on. I’m also slightly addicted to it at the moment as for the past few weeks I’ve been working from home a bit more, so I’ve had more time to scroll, but I’m not loving the noise you get from social media. Being bombarded with endless rubbish and adverts, and the amount of quite nasty comments in different groups. People are on quite a short fuse. 

24 fingers: Keyboard warriors I believe they’re called. Kindles or books?

Lisa: Books, definitely for the smell and feel of them. 

24 fingers: 100%. What do you feel is the biggest challenge your industry is facing right now?

Lisa: It’s not just a “right now” thing, I think it’s been for a long time, it’s just changing people’s perceptions. People come with the idea they want a diet plan or a pill or some funny green powder to drink and suddenly they’re going to be thin and beautiful and feel wonderful. That’s not how we work, personally. It’s trying to get them to see there’s a different way and one that can be successful for them in the long-term. 

24 fingers: I have to say I’m a convert of funny green powders, but I absolutely agree with you, it’s got to be a long-term solution. I’m very much “I want fixes  right here right now” and get very frustrated when I haven’t achieved my goals tomorrow. I phone my coaches up and say “I’ve done X,Y,Z and want it to happen now” and they say “slow down, there’s been decades of abuse”.

Lisa: I think it’s wishful thinking for people, and I’m like that myself. I hope if I try something new that it’s going to happen instantly but I know in my heart and head I’ve learned probably that it’s going to take a while. 

24 fingers: What did you want to be growing up?

Lisa: I wanted to be a veterinary nurse, and I became one so I was very lucky. 

24 fingers: So what led to you founding The Wellbeing Musketeers?

Lisa: I had a long passion for health and fitness and nutrition since the age of about 17. I qualified as a fitness instructor and massage therapist, and then about 10 or 11 years ago I saw an advertisement for an open event for a new scheme being set up in Southend. I went along and chatted to some of the management of that new team and got an application form, and was one of the lucky ones to get a job as a health and wellbeing practitioner and it led on to this. 

24 fingers: Now you’re favourite word was progress: can you use it in a sentence?

Lisa: Yes, though this isn’t me, it’s George Bernard Shaw. He said “progress is impossible without change and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything”. I think it’s very apt for the type of work I do. 

24 fingers: It’s interesting about mind shifts – I’ve had a few lately and the difference to how I used to think – just take one thing and suddenly it was like a switch going off in my brain. Now, can you make it rhyme?

Lisa: Yes and this is also appropriate: it’s progress, don’t regress. 

24 fingers: Very good. I’m going to steal that one. What advice would you give to your younger self?

Lisa: I would tell myself not to worry about what other people think of me, their opinions of me, know I can be confident and bold enough to speak my mind, as long as I’m not horrible. Be a bit more bold, really. I was a bit of a frightened rabbit growing up. 

24 fingers: What’s the best thing anyone’s ever done for you?

Lisa: Bought me a lovely pair of Gore-Tex running gloves, which were very unglamorous, but without me saying anything, he noticed how cold my hands got when we went for a run together. Then out of nowhere, he produced these lovely gloves which back in the day – this was quite a few years ago – were actually very expensive.  I was quite overwhelmed that someone had actually noticed without me saying anything and I’ve still got them to this day. I still wear them in the winter. 

24 fingers: If you won a big award of some kind, who would you thank?

Lisa: My teachers at school, first and foremost, because they wrote me off. I was off sick quite a lot at school and had glandular fever a couple of times, and my teachers told my parents I wouldn’t pass my exams or get anywhere in life and I feel I’ve proved them wrong.  I’d also thank my lovely clients I’ve seen over the years. They’ve been amazing on the whole and trusted me with a lot of their woes, and they didn’t know me from Adam when they first met me, but they really made me feel quite humble and grateful that I was able to help them. 

24 fingers: You might not have had it yet, but what’s been your career-defining moment so far?

Lisa: It was when somebody told me that I’d changed her life. She did that herself and may well have done it without my help, but she said that to me and that was wonderful – it made it all worthwhile. 

24 fingers: You obviously gave her the tools to change her life.

Lisa: I hopefully planted a seed there somewhere. 

24 fingers: Definitely. It germinated. I know you’re up early, can you give us a timesaver for the day? 

Lisa: I always put my makeup on and get dressed while the coffee’s brewing, so I have to be quick about it. I also always make sure if I’m going to be out at lunchtime then I prep it the night before. It’s a life-long habit. 

24 fingers: Amazing. You’re a better woman than me. Where do you see your industry in 24 months?

Lisa: Well it’s going to be growing I think, because people are going to be looking to better themselves health-wise and so on, but I’d like to see more people embracing long-term change. Moving away from a visit to the doctors to get more pills, when perhaps other changes they could make might make an improvement for them, and just look to the future and embrace the fact that they can make change if they’re patient, and not throw it all away if it doesn’t work in the first few minutes. 

24 fingers: I will remember that. Where were you 24 months ago?

Lisa: I was still employed doing a similar health role and very happily so. I had a wonderful small team of colleagues to work with and a wonderful  client base too, so I’m very grateful for that. At the time I was thinking of striking out on my own at some point in the future but it was never really a serious thought I don’t think at that point. 

24 fingers: And yet you did it. What’s an interesting fact about The Wellbeing Musketeers?

Lisa: I don’t know if it’s interesting but it is a fact. Tracey and I could be any one of our clients. We’re both in our fifties now, Tracey’s a single mum of five and a nanna as well, I’ve had mental health issues over the years, I’ve had problems with food. So we really can relate to the struggles our clients have, we’re not just sitting in a higher position preaching at people and saying “well you should be like us”, because we understand how time-consuming these things can be to sort out and the damage you can do mentally as well as physically. 

24 fingers: I don’t think there’s anything better than talking to someone who listens and gets it, rather than judging. I think that’s a huge thing. I know the people I’ve worked with in the past have been empathetic and not tried to rush me. 

Lisa: We try to make our client experience really chilled out. We don’t wear a uniform or even wear a T-shirt with our logo, anything that would make us stand out as an official kind of person.  We’re not medical people, we’re mates you have a chat but maybe we’ve got more knowledge in a certain area that benefits the client. 

24 fingers: Brilliant. If you had a 24-minute Skype chat with anyone who would it be?

Lisa: It would be my grandma, who passed away when I was 13 and my grandad, who unfortunately I never got to meet. 

24 fingers: What’s one word you’d like people to describe you with?

Lisa: I’d like to be known as kind. I hope I am, most of the time. 

24 fingers: Would you mind taking a selfie?

Lisa: Hair and eyebrows – not good at the moment!

24 fingers: What’s your favourite social media campaign or group you follow?

Lisa: I follow and I’m part of the Myprotein Facebook community. I probably shouldn’t be plugging a supplements company, but it’s one I buy from and I was invited to join their VIP community and it’s absolutely wonderful. I’ve made what I feel are really good friends, though I’ve not met any of them. Everyone’s super-supportive. I don’t understand Twitter or Instagram I’m afraid, I’m a bit of a dinosaur. 

24 fingers: Twitter’s the best. What’s one quote sums that defines your work ethic?

Lisa: I saw this online, I don’t know who it’s from but it sums things up for me. It’s: If you have a passion for what you do, regardless of status or income, you’re a winner in life. I find that to be true – I really love what I do. If I could afford to do it for free I would, but sadly I can’t. 

24 fingers: Not yet. What’s been the best part of your day?

Lisa: Today’s been the workout this morning and later on it will be putting on my pyjamas as I’m not going out again. 

24 fingers: I’m envious now you can put your pyjamas on at 5 o’clock. Finally, anything to plug?

Lisa: Just us, Tracey and myself as The Wellbeing Musketeers. If you want to make a lifestyle change, and have been thinking about it for ages or you’re trying lots of different things that aren’t working, we can help you. We want you to feel empowered and confident and help to improve your current and future health. This isn’t about looks as much as your actual state of health and how you can manage it better and avoid developing long-term conditions.  

24 fingers: How can people find you?

Lisa: They can find us through Facebook. No website as yet but hopefully in the pipeline before too long. 

24 fingers: Talk to me about that. Thanks very much Lisa, I really enjoyed our chat. Inspiring. Carry on the good work. 

Lisa: I will, thank you. 

It’s the start of the year, and, indeed the start of a decade, and if you’re looking to plan your social media campaigns for this year (and you so should be), you may well want to know what the future of social media looks like.

And 2020…sounds pretty futuristic, right? Well, some of the trends for next year will follow that futuristic feel but with a bit of understanding and forward planning everyone can jump on board and make social media work for their business. Boooooom.

1. Stories will continue to create excitement

The growth of Instagram and Facebook Stories in recent years is incredible and will continue to grow well into the new decade. Everyone loves a bit of behind the scenes action and the more authentic insight that content created on the spot can give, so it’s easy to see why so many social media users are enjoying Stories.

Why not use Stories to your advantage this year? Often the pull of watching stories is the classic FOMO feeling (Fear Of Missing Out), so why not tease your followers with a little ‘blink and you’ll miss it’? They’re a great way to give your loyal followers – who will learn to regularly watch your stories – both an insight into your business’ personality as well as any offers which are only available for a certain time.

We’ll be running another Instagram Stories workshop next year. Don’t get all FOMO on us – register your interest by email.

2. Brand discovery via social media will grow

There has been a definite rise in people using social media to research brands in recent years. Hands up those of us that stalk follow certain brands on social media ready to get the first glance of any new products, or to get a feel for the company and  products before buying? This is definitely going to continue, and indeed, grow, in 2020.

In order to sell on social media in 2020, aside from having a clear, consistent look and feel to your feeds, make sure that you’re also using product tags in both Facebook and Instagram, as well as the in-built product galleries. In a world where you don’t have to leave your favourite social app in order to buy a product, if you rely on social media to sell your product, you need to make sure that you’re pulling out all of the stops – and pulling out all you can in terms of social media shops – in 2020. How’s that for futuristic? (Ed’s note: Indeed.)

3. Customer service via social media will improve

When it comes to customer service via social media, you need to ensure that you’re on it. This means replying to comments and messages in a timely manner and using chatbots where applicable. For most people nowadays, the first port of call when they have a complaint is social media. As customer service shifts more and more towards social, a brand who can handle comments well will always fare well in the eyes of its customers.

Read our top tips to online customer service here.

4. Video will be king (and queen)

Video has grown and grown in recent years and will continue to do so into 2020. With 80% of social media content predicted to be video-based next year, it’s time to release your inner Steven Spielberg.

Whether you’re looking to deliver information to your customers via Facebook Live, or are more interested in a YouTube or IGTV video, the variety of options available on social media will mean that there will be a format to suit you and your business needs.

We’ll be hosting a workshop showing you how to create engaging videos for social media soon. *Watch* this space.

5. Social networking will become more meaningful 

There’s a definite move away from people using social media to share the minutiae of their everyday lives and seeing it as more of a leisure pursuit, sharing things that connect them with friends over everyday details. Yes, people still share photographs and big moments aka morning cappuccino but you only have to take one look at your Facebook memories (Ed’s note: cringe) to see that the things we used to share on social media years ago, well, we just wouldn’t even entertain posting now.

Make 2020 the year that you discover your brand’s social media personality and use this to create shareable content which actually means something and provides value to your customers and new prospects. They’ll love you for it. Actual fact.

Whatever your social media style is in 2020, the future of social is bright. And if you need some extra fingers to point you in the right direction? Step into the 24fingers’ time machine and hang onto your laptops: we’ll happily take you into the future of social. Book your free discovery call and tell us what’s got you all fingers and thumbs.