We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Linda Vogt a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Linda, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

The first thing most people say to me when I tell them what I do? “I HATE social media!” For many small business owners, managing their social media feels like the worst part of running their business.

The “free advice” about social media is completely overwhelming. One person says that you need to post 7 days a week, 2 times a day and another “expert” claims that Mondays and Wednesdays are the only days worth posting. There are always a whole bunch of people talking about how they’re making “10K months” with their social media, and others oversharing about every aspect of their lives for likes.

Small business owners are trying to run their businesses, make and sell their products (or services), AND figure out how to have a social media presence that actually works for their business. Trends, dance routines, and keeping up with ever changing platforms are frustrating to business owners trying to do it all.

Small businesses, creators, coaches, and solopreneurs are valuable contributors to our local economies. They often give back to the communities in ways that big business can’t (or won’t). They want to share ideas, benefit people within the community, and are looking out for their families and neighbors.

These small businesses need a social media presence that benefits their business, and helps them to grow and to reach their ideal audience. The goal of LV Social is to provide clarity around social media, plus practical ways to implement the right kinds of actions, so that these businesses, creators, coaches feel like their businesses are benefiting from the investment in social media.

Linda, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m a social media manager and strategist for small female-owned businesses, creatives, and soloprenuers who want to grow their businesses – not just their follower count! – on social media. I specialize in Instagram strategy, but can help you to grow your business using almost any social media platform.

I started my business, LV Social, in 2022. Before that, I’d used social media on and off personally, but wasn’t actually all that interested in it! My friend started an online boutique in 2020, and I started helping her out with some behind the scenes tasks. We both had an interest in our local community and really wanted to help small and micro women-owned businesses thrive and grow in our area.

During this same time, I also learned that two of my kids were neurodivergent, and social media became an important resource for my family. I realized that social media marketing, when done well, could make a huge impact on businesses AND the people those businesses were trying to reach.

I have worked with a wide variety of clients – all of whom have one core thing in common: They are PASSIONATE about what they do and how they can help others. Our goal is never to go viral or gain 10 thousand followers, but to make sure that they are reaching the right people with the right message, so they can truly make an impact.

It doesn’t matter if you’re selling jewelry, providing counseling services, or promoting local artists. The work you do is worthwhile and matters to the right audience. Showing up strategically and consistently will lead to the right people knowing about your product, service, or organization, and can truly be life-changing for your audience.

I love helping my clients develop strategies that make an impact on their business and get results, all while removing the stress and overwhelm of content creation and the tasks that come with social media management. Writing captions and editing videos aren’t the most exciting, but these are the small things that can make a huge impact for someone’s business and the people that they are serving.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Maybe because of the way that I was raised – but more likely because of my own personality – I really prefer to do things that I know that I’ll be successful in. I’m naturally a bit risk adverse, and, like lots of people, I really don’t like to fail. Obviously, the big drawback to this is that it’s hard to try brand new things, because you simply don’t know if you’ll be successful at them!

When I taught elementary school, and now with my kids, we talked alot about growth mindset, and the idea that it often takes more than one try for us to be “good” at something. Never have I felt this more intensely and had to be more intentional with my thoughts then in starting my own business! Entrepreneurship is a complete rollercoaster, and when business is down or things aren’t going well, it’s too easy to slip into the “I’m failing/ I’m not good at this” mentality. I worked a lot on using the words “yet” and “I can”; like, “I am not good at doing this YET” and “I CAN learn about something else to help me to be successful next time.”

Reframing my thoughts has allowed me to push through when things are difficult and to remember how I’ve been able to learn and grow in the past.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

I’m a social media strategist/ manager and so often in online groups other social media managers will ask this question: How are you all finding your clients?

Because we live in the digital world, it’s easy to want to “hide behind the screen”, but I think the best way to grow clientele is to go beyond social media. I do find clients through social media only, or through website inquiries, but more often, I’ll meet a client “in real life” and they’ll comment how they follow me on social media and are now ready to book a call. As I tell my clients: people want to buy from real people, so be real online. Share real parts of your life and business, show your face, and get to know your audience.

As my business grows, referrals, networking groups (digital and in-person), and my digital marketing all continue to be key ways that I find clients. What works for your business might be different, so don’t be afraid to try some things! I’ve joined some groups that weren’t really for me, and I’ve had random Facebook conversations turn into important partners.

I think we grow better when we do it together and strongly believe in business community, so I encourage you to find your people! There are more than enough clients to go around, so lean into collaboration and leave competition behind.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lvsocialcontent.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lvsocialcontent
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lvsocialcontent
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/linda-vogt-033206247/

Image Credits
Amanda Otero