In this episode, I share how tutors and education business owners can make social media sustainable and effective. I guide you through choosing the right platform, planning your content and repurposing posts so marketing feels easier. I also explain how to delegate or use AI while keeping your authentic voice.

These are the strategies I have used to grow my own businesses, and they can help you stay consistent, support sales and build a strong online presence without feeling overwhelmed.

Enjoy :-)

Sumantha

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👋🏽 Hello! I'm Sumantha McMahon, and I've supported over 100 tutors and education business owners.

As a teacher 'dropout' turned professional tutor, combined with my 20+ years as a business owner, I'm in it with you! Yes, I'm qualified too :-)

My training leans on tried-and-tested methods that are completely tailored to our niche.

Work with me to breathe life into YOUR definition of success:

#1 Bespoke 1:1 Mentoring

High-touch 6-month programme for tutors who want to make their business more lucrative, in a sustainable way for the future, while protecting the impact they make.

#2 The Tutors' Mastermind

The leading membership for tutors that combines tailored training (live and recorded), a community of like-minded business owners and exclusive discounts.

#3 The Group Class Course

Get lifetime access to this self-paced course designed to help you launch, grow and refine your group classes. Includes teaching ideas too.

This podcast is recorded using Riverside. Sign up for your account here (free plan available)

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Sometimes, I share links to resources and apps that I recommend. They are all based on my experience - if I don't love them, I don't recommend them. In some cases, I earn a small commission for my recommendation, at no cost to you.

© 2024 Sumantha McMahon

Hello and welcome to another episode of the Upgrade Your Education Business podcast. I'm your host, Sumantha, and today we are diving into something that is always a pretty popular topic, and I haven't done one of these for a while. I know it feels like a bit of a minefield because for many of us social media is this thing, it's this thing that we know we need to do and we try and do, and we manage to do for a while, but find it really hard to stay consistent.

We sometimes find it very noisy, so it's a difficult one now. There's no shortage of advice out there about platform updates and the algorithm and what you're meant to do, and sometimes you question whether your effort’s even worth it because you have to do so much, it feels, just to get even a small result.

Now, as someone who has built two businesses on social media organically, but I don't wear that as a badge of honour because I don't think there's anything wrong with paid ads, but as someone who’s done that, I am an advocate for social media. I do feel like as a business person, it is worth it.

So if you feel the same or you want to explore whether this could be the same for you, today I want to specifically focus on how to make sure that it's sustainable. Because like anything, it's only worth it when you do the right things. It only feels sustainable and it only feels like you're getting results if you do the right things. And that's exactly what we're going to tackle in this episode.

How can you really refine your social media strategy so that it's effective, consistent, and tailored to what works for a tutor, all in a way that doesn't take over your life?

Alright, so before we dive into my tips, I've got a little task for you. I want you to just audit how you feel right now, right this moment, about social media marketing. Is it something that you really love? Is it something you feel very motivated about right now?

Or is it something that always feels like it's weighing on you a little bit? Like, I know I should do it, and I really need to pay attention to it, but you're not feeling very motivated. Maybe until recently you felt motivated and now you're going through a dip. So just identify where you're at right now.

Maybe it's something you're scared of or intimidated by. Maybe it's something you haven't tried yet. Maybe it's something you hate, and if you do hate it I presume you haven't pressed play on this episode anyway. So that's your starting point. Take a moment if you need to pause this episode and identify where you're at right now.

So that as I go through the strategies, the tips and techniques, you take from it exactly what you need based on where you're at. If you're feeling galvanised and motivated, you'll use this to refine. If you're not feeling motivated, you'll take from this what you need to get that motivation.

So let's start. The first thing is to choose the right platform. Notice I said platform, singular, not platforms. If you try and focus equally on multiple platforms at the same time, it’s a sure-fire way of social media feeling like it's a full-time job.

It's also impossible to master every element of each platform and really be present if you're on multiple platforms. You're spreading yourself very thin. That doesn't mean you can't be on more than one, but it's really worth hyper-focusing on one at a time.

Something I often do is go in three-month cycles. I focus on one platform for three months, then keep that ticking along while focusing properly on another one. When deciding where to focus, think about where your target audience are most active.

Where are they consuming the kind of content you create? Where are they looking for people like you? When you do that, you can really leverage the strengths of that platform because you're meeting your audience where they already are.

Here are some tips to choose the right platform. Ask yourself: where are your ideal clients most active? If you work with parents of younger children, Facebook or Instagram might be best, depending on their profile. If you work with professionals, LinkedIn might be ideal.

Also think about what type of content aligns with your strengths. If you love video, TikTok or YouTube could be a great fit. Even Instagram, because reels are doing well at the time of recording. Use all of that to start with one platform.

This is especially great if you're not very motivated or you're at the beginning. Start with one and establish a rhythm, then consider branching out later. I've got training for most main platforms in the Tutor’s Mastermind.

If you're in the Mastermind, ask me and I'll direct you. If you're not, head to tutorsmastermind.com and you'll find the link. Starting with one platform makes it much easier to create content that connects, because you're focused and you learn what works there.

My second tip is to have a plan. In my Mastermind and my one-to-one programme, this is one of the most useful tools we use: a one-year plan. It's not about mapping every post for 12 months, it's about setting a structure that allows you to be effective.

You’re selling at particular times, you're batch-creating, you're scheduling according to what’s relevant. I rely heavily on this. I know what I want to focus on at different times in the year and it really steers my content.

It saves me hours because when I sit down to batch-create, I already know what I want to talk about. The only thing I don’t batch in advance is this podcast. This podcast is based on what I want to talk about or what’s been requested.

Here are some steps to create a plan: map your year based on notable dates and what's relevant to your clients. If you’ve got a niche, this is easier. If you’re more general, plan around the academic year and seasonal events.

Then consider how your audience are feeling at that time of year. My GCSE students in January feel very different to my year nines, for example. Then look at your calendar and block time for batch-creating content.

You can do this in stages. For example, with social media I open Canva and create the images first with notes in the comments. Then I schedule everything. That’s my process. But you might prefer doing it all in one go.

Whatever your preference, having a system ensures social media doesn't consume your life while still keeping you consistent. And a little tip: being present on the platform makes a difference, but that doesn't mean you need to be on it constantly.

I post on specific days. On days I don’t post, I treat them as my days off social media. I don’t even open the platform on those days. It creates space and avoids overwhelm.

If you're not experienced with scheduling, there are loads of apps: Zoho Social, Hootsuite, Meta Business Suite for free, and even the native scheduling tools on platforms like LinkedIn.

My next tip is to repurpose content, but do it wisely. I prefer multiplying content rather than repeating it word for word. Some people repost the same post across platforms, which is fine, but I like to vary things.

Another method is having evergreen content. These are posts that are relevant all year. You can repost them every few months, either exactly or with tweaks. Then you can layer seasonal or spontaneous content on top.

Always look at your analytics. Look at the metric that matters to you: likes, comments, inquiries. Reuse the content that delivered what you want. Be intentional.

If you’re wondering how to repackage an idea, it’s easy. Turn a post into a carousel or a short video. Create a content bank—store your best posts or ideas so you can dip in when you need something quickly.

Repeating your core messages isn’t lazy. It’s essential. Repetition is how your audience understand your brand and recognise what you stand for.

Now my next tip is delegating without losing your voice. If you have the budget, delegating can save huge amounts of time, but it’s not just about posting for the sake of posting. You want results.

Create a brand voice guide: adjectives that describe your tone, your colour palette, and your core messages. A tip I used with my first VA was creating Pinterest boards with ideas for each day’s content type.

My VA would create two weeks of content in Canva with captions in the comments. Every two weeks I’d approve everything in five to ten minutes, and it got quicker over time.

Staying true to your voice is non-negotiable whether you're outsourcing or using AI. That leads me to the next tip: using AI.

I personally don’t use AI for social media, not because I don’t like it, but because I enjoy writing and AI sometimes shifts my tone. But it’s a brilliant tool if used strategically.

Tell ChatGPT who it should sound like. Specify tone. Train it by feeding it your past posts. I once uploaded 50 of my posts to help it learn my voice. Outline your post structure clearly to stop it drifting off-tone.

Use AI as a starting point, then add your own nuances or experiences. Social media can be an incredible tool for growing your business.

It’s not just about sales or visibility. Without social media I wouldn’t have met friends who began as professional connections. I wouldn't have built my businesses in the way I have.

By focusing on the right platform, planning ahead, repurposing wisely, and staying true to your voice—whether you delegate or use AI—you can create a strategy that works for you without taking over your life.

Thank you as always for staying with me. If you found this useful, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts and hit subscribe on YouTube. You’ll hear from me on Wednesday.