This week’s Social Mum of the week is Lauren who is a member of our Social Mums London Facebook Group. She tells us what she finds most challenging about marketing her small business on social media as well as a great tip she’s picked up along the way!
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your family.
A mother of two (girl aged 3 years and boy aged 9 months), we live in London but will be relocating to the Essex seaside very soon. I have been a primary school teacher for the past eight years and love nothing more than a cup of tea and biscuits… or a glass of wine and crisps… I’m not fussy!
What is your business?
Primarily, I make children’s clothes at That Little Outfit – from everyday leggings to fancy occasion dresses and everything in between. I’ve recently been making a few bits for the mums too and even a tie for a dad recently! As my brand grows, lots more opportunities have been offered to me so I have a few events lined up, which I will be speaking at and running workshops, as well as some freelance seamstressing for some up and coming brands!
What inspired you to start your business?
While on maternity leave with my daughter, I spent a small fortune on handmade clothes for her – some were beautiful, but many were made to such a poor standard, often with cheap fabrics, that I decided that I could do it better! I had some sewing lessons, spent many an evening following YouTube tutorials and then opened my own little ‘shop’ on Instagram!
What social media platforms do you use and why?
I largely use Instagram, which is by far where I have the biggest following. It’s the perfect platform for showcasing items, as well as being tagged by customers in their photos of little ones in the clothing I’ve made! I do have Twitter and Facebook (and probably a few others!) but tend to post quite sporadically so it’s never really taken off with either of them.
What do you find most challenging about marketing your business on social media?
The biggest challenge about marketing That Little Outfit is time management – it’s so easy to end up on Instagram for hours, engaging with customers and potential customers, which is brilliant, but it’s sometimes difficult to find a balance between that and actually sewing the clothes!!
What is the best social media tip you have picked up for your business?
Without a doubt, it is to show ‘behind the scenes’. Engage with your followers and show them the person behind the brand. The stories feature on Instagram is perfect for this!
What have you found most useful about being part of a Social Mums Facebook Group?
It has been great to network with others in a similar position, collaborate and share ideas of how to grow our businesses, so thank you!
Where can we find you on social media?
You can find me on Instagram here:
You can find me on Facebook here:
You can follow me on Twitter here:
You can find out more about our local Facebook Support Groups here.