What an Orchid Can Teach Us About Digital Marketing
I wonder if there’s an orchid on your windowsill? Have you ever thought about how it connects to your digital marketing?
Probably not, but in this post, that’s exactly what I’m going to share!
But first, let me tell you a little story about Odelia the orchid. Odelia was adopted after David and I decided we wanted to add another indoor plant to our small (perhaps now growing) collection. Odelia grabbed our attention with her beautiful flowers. We brought her home, and found her a special place on the top of a cabinet.
After Odelia had shed her flowers, her growth seemed to come to a standstill. We gave her water and hoped that she would soon perk up. Sadly, no new growth seemed to appear. So we moved Odelia to the windowsill in our little office room. Although Odelia had a wonderful view of the world going by, something just didn’t seem quite right. After searching online (and on TikTok), I discovered that perhaps, in order for our little orchid to grow, some pruning needed to be done. I also discovered that it’s actually best to let orchids grow authentically, rather than keep the giant support sticks in the pot that she came with.
After snipping the stems down, I also discovered that the windowsill wasn’t necessarily the place where Odelia wanted to be, and so, she began her journey down the stairs and into the conservatory. Although it took some time to find the correct spot, Odelia very quickly began to let us know that this indeed was to be her new home. Fast forward a little, Odelia began to flourish.
This whole process made me think about digital marketing (as you do!), and how a few simple steps and a few little changes can bring new growth to our small businesses and social media platforms, and in return, help them to bloom and flourish too. Digital marketing doesn’t need to be complicated or overwhelming. It’s why I’m a huge advocate for a slower, simpler, and more down-to-earth approach. There’s also so much we can learn from nature!
For new growth, sometimes you need to cut back and prune
Just as my little orchid needed cutting back and pruning to encourage the process of new growth, the same is true for our digital marketing. Sometimes it’s a good idea to step back and to reassess what’s working well and what isn’t working so well. Sometimes we need to cut back those things that are hindering new growth.
When I first launched my small business, I was promoting on just about all of the different social media platforms I had. There’s nothing wrong with this, but it was leaving me feeling drained and overwhelmed. I wasn’t prioritising where my energy was needed the most. So I cut back on which platforms I was using specifically for my business, and you know what, it gave me a burst of new growth, enabling me to promote my offerings, and all things business-related, effectively, without leaving me feeling overwhelmed. Just like the moment when my orchid found its happy spot, pruning and cutting back has brought the joy back into my digital marketing.
Knowing which platforms are right for you will help you to bloom in the online world
As I mentioned above, in the past I used to post on all the platforms I had accounts on: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Pinterest and more, not to mention my website and mailing list too. So when I decided to cut back, I made a conscious decision to choose just two platforms, the two which I knew would serve my small business well, and were where my target audience was to be found. These were the platforms where I could connect with potential new customers effectively. For me, those two platforms ended up being Facebook and Instagram.
Just as Odelia needed to have the right conditions and the right environment to grow, bloom, and flourish, it’s the same for our digital marketing. We need to know which platforms will promote growth and allow us to embrace joy. Where’s your target audience? Will you be able to reach potential new customers on that platform? Will it bring you effective outcomes without leaving you feeling overwhelmed?
Make way for new opportunities by removing that which no longer serves you
After ceasing to post on the platforms that no longer served my small business’ digital marketing strategy, I began to see new opportunities emerging. Instead of spreading my energy across lots of different platforms, of which not all really suited my business or my digital marketing strategy, I focussed my energy on the two platforms that were serving me well.
I found further wisdom from Odelia the orchid when she shed one of her once vibrantly green leaves. As my little orchid began to settle into her new home in the conservatory, I noticed that one of her big leaves had begun to transition to a pale yellowy brown colour. I’ll admit that at first, I was pretty concerned about this, but I also noticed that in the middle, a new bright green leaf was emerging. After a quick search online, I found out that what my orchid was actually doing, was removing one of its leaves as it produced new growth.
As I was able to spend more of my energy on growing and nurturing my Facebook and Instagram pages, the opportunities this brought enabled me to connect with more and more people, it increased my reach, it continues to build up and nurture my online community, and it’s helped my business to grow and blossom.
Bloom where you are planted; be authentic
Authenticity helps you to remain rooted to who you are, what you do, along with your core values, purpose and brand identity. Sometimes it can be easy to just do what everyone else is doing because we think that’s what our audience wants. I know this from personal experience, and I’m sure you do too. In actual fact, your audience follows you because they want to get to know the real you.
After removing the giant support sticks from my orchid, it’s been amazing watching Odelia grow authentically, allowing her to grow and bloom in the way which suits her best. She’s finding her own way, and is not being restricted by being told which direction to go in.
What you offer within your own digital marketing is wonderfully unique. Some of my best posts have been where I share little snippets of my day, show my face, and share my own personal experiences.
Nurturing will bring long-lasting results
By nurturing my two social media platforms, it’s brought great results which I am still experiencing today, and it’s bringing me increased growth too. Just as my little orchid, or any plant for that matter, needs consistent care and attention, so does our digital marketing.
But it’s not just our platforms and our digital marketing that we need to nurture, it’s our audience too. Just as Odelia needs my care to make sure that she continues to get what she needs to grow, we must also do the same for our audience. I like to spend time each day connecting with and engaging with my audience. Even just 10-15 minutes a day can produce a bountiful burst of growth and some amazing connections.
No matter what stage you are at within your journey toward growth, sometimes a little help and encouragement goes a long way
If it wasn’t for the online content that I found on how to care for my little orchid, Odelia would probably still be sitting on the windowsill upstairs, not very happy and unable to grow. Our digital marketing offers us the opportunity to ensure our small businesses thrive. But not just our small businesses, it could be a project that we are launching, it could be a blog that we’d like to grow, or an email list, or even to expand our audience on social media.
Even as someone who runs a digital marketing business, I still need a little help and encouragement, and I still need to seek inspiration. It’s what has helped me to realise and understand what works well for me within my digital marketing strategy. It’s one of the reasons why I created my small business, to help other small business owners, individuals and kindred spirits, to create an effective online presence through their digital marketing, to share all that I’ve learnt along with my own experience.
Never feel afraid to ask for help no matter what stage you are at on your digital marketing journey. A little help and encouragement can go a really long way. Just like Odelia needed a few simple changes and a helping hand along with a little encouragement, she grew much faster and bigger than even I anticipated!
