May 2026

• 23rd May Moving Forward Group (NEW DATE) - Share your wins, ask questions of this supportive group of Startup School for Seniors alumni

June 2026

• 6th June Power Hour. Your opportunity to spend an uninterrupted hour on tasks you may be putting off.

• 20th June Moving Forward Group - Share your wins, ask questions of this supportive group of Startup School for Seniors alumni

Get Work Done Club Events

Workshops

Workshops are FREE for PAID SUBSCRIBERS to GWDC. Your promo code will be in your Welcome email. Otherwise email suzanne@advantagesofage.com to receive the code.

• Getting Started on Social Media with Suzanne Noble
  Online event
  Saturday, 16 May 2026 at 10:00 BST

• Introduction to Using AI with Nicky McKenna
  Online event
  Tuesday, 19 May 2026 at 12:30 BST

• Writing a One Page Business Plan with Mark Elliott
  Online event
  Saturday, 30 May 2026 at 10:00 BST

• Selling on LinkedIn with Mark Elliott
  Online event
  Tuesday, 2 June 2026 at 12:30 BST

• Creative Pricing Workshop with Therese Oertenblad
  Online event
  Saturday, 6 June 2026 at 10:00 BST

  Startup School Workshops

For Paid Subscribers:

Office Hours w/ Mark or Suzanne: Your FREE 15 minute accountability session

19/29th May - MARK

19/26th May - SUZANNE

GWDC Office Hours

Your Daily Kickstart Call

Read more

Read more

As a reminder, here’s the Zoom link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81377538598

Here’s what happens:

You login and share with the group what you want to accomplish in the next hour. We all turn off…

Read more

May 2026

• TOMORROW, 2nd May Power Hour - A dedicated hour to devote to those tasks you have been putting off

• 16th May Moving Forward Group - Share your wins, ask questions of this supportive group of Startup School for Seniors alumni

Get Work Done Club Events

For Paid Subscribers:

Office Hours w/ Mark or Suzanne: Your FREE 15 minute accountability session

1/5/19/29th May - MARK

19/26th May - SUZANNE

GWDC Office Hours

Our final cohort of Startup School for Seniors is on 7th May - 18th June. Would you like to participate again?

We would welcome your support if you’re a former alumni in helping us to spread the work, distribute flyers, post on social media. Or come join us again.

Email me at suzanne@advantagesofage.com if you would like to post flyers for us or receive the media kit with pre-written suggested copy and images for social media.

Sign up for Startup School for Seniors

Your Daily Kickstart Call

Read more

May 2026

• 2nd May Power Hour - A dedicated hour to devote to those tasks you have been putting off

• 16th May Moving Forward Group - Share your wins, ask questions of this supportive group of Startup School for Seniors alumni

Get Work Done Club Events

For Paid Subscribers:

Office Hours w/ Mark or Suzanne: Your FREE 15 minute accountability session

28th April, 1/5/19/29th May - MARK

28th April, 19/26th May - SUZANNE

GWDC Office Hours

Our final cohort of Startup School for Seniors is on 7th May - 18th June. We are hoping to make this our biggest cohort yet, going out with a BANG.

We would welcome your support if you’re a former alumni in helping us to spread the work, distribute flyers, post on social media. Or come join us again.

Email me at suzanne@advantagesofage.com if you would like to post flyers for us or receive the media kit with pre-written suggested copy and images for social media.

Sign up for Startup School for Seniors

Your Daily Kickstart Call

Read more

We look forward to seeing you at 10 am, if you can make it, for the Moving Forward Group call.

As a reminder, here’s the Zoom link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82909406951?pwd=67YemxZ9zgDXR3XnZr4a6QWpHaXbtX.1

Meeting ID: 829 0940 6951

See you at 10 am.

Suzanne & Mark

Read more

April 2026

TOMORROW 18th Moving Forward Group - Share your wins, your challenges, amongst a supportive group of coaches, consultants, and small business owners.

(You’ll receive the Zoom link closer to the date).

May 2026

• 2nd May Power Hour - A dedicated hour to devote to those tasks you have been putting off

Get Work Done Club Events

For Paid Subscribers:

Office Hours w/ Mark or Suzanne: Your FREE 15 minute accountability session

28th April - MARK

21st/28th April - SUZANNE

GWDC Office Hours

Our final cohort of Startup School for Seniors is on 7th May - 18th June. We are hoping to make this our biggest cohort yet, going out with a BANG.

We would welcome your support if you’re a former alumni in helping us to spread the work, distribute flyers, post on social media. Or come join us again.

Email me at suzanne@advantagesofage.com if you would like to post flyers for us or receive the media kit with pre-written suggested copy and images for social media.

Sign up for Startup School for Seniors

Your Daily Kickstart Call

Read more

We would welcome your support if you’re a former alumni in helping us to spread the work, distribute flyers, post on social media.

Email me at suzanne@advantagesofage.com if you would like to post flyers for us or receive the media kit with pre-written suggested copy and images for social media.

Mark these dates in your calendar

April 2026

• 18th Moving Forward Group - Share your wins, your challenges, amongst a supportive group of coaches, consultants, and small business owners.

  (You’ll receive the Zoom link closer to the date).

• 2nd May Power Hour - A dedicated hour to devote to those tasks you have been putting off

For Paid Subscribers:

Office Hours w/ Mark or Suzanne: Your FREE 15 minute accountability session

10th/14th/28th April - MARK

21st/28th April - SUZANNE

Your Daily Kickstart Call

GWDC Office Hours

Get Work Done Club Events

Read more

As a reminder, here’s the Zoom link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81377538598

Here’s what happens:

You login and share with the group what you want to accomplish in the next hour. We all turn off…

Read more

After nearly a decade of supporting over 50s into self-employment — first with Yvonne Fuchs, and for the past six years with — I’m sadly bringing the programme to a close because we’ve simply run out of funding to continue.

It’s hard to put into words how proud I am of what we’ve built.

What began as a small idea has grown into something that has supported more than 700 people to explore self-employment, build confidence, and take real steps towards a different future. Along the way, we’ve navigated changing governments, shifting funding streams, and the constant uncertainty that comes with relying on short-term support.

But what has stayed with me most is the people.

Over the years, I’ve seen so many participants arrive carrying so much more than a business idea. For some, it has been ADHD or neurodiversity. For others, long-term illness, the aftermath of domestic abuse, or the weight of caring responsibilities for children or elderly relatives. For many, full-time employment simply no longer fits the reality of their lives.

That awareness has deepened my respect for every single person who has walked through our doors.

It has also made me realise how much more is asked of adult learning tutors now. We are often expected to support people through challenges far beyond teaching, and while that support matters deeply, it is not something I am trained to carry not being a mental health professional.

Even so, Mark and I are determined to make this last cohort our biggest and best yet.

We want to finish with energy, pride and purpose — and to remind people that over 50s are not past their best. Far from it. They are resourceful, resilient, creative, and more than capable of building brilliant businesses.

If you know someone who could benefit, the course is free for UK residents and anyone earning £28,800 or under, please share this link and send them our way.

https://startupschoolforseniors.com

Suzanne

This month’s dates for your diary:

For Paid Subscribers:

April 2026

• 4th Power Hour

  Book via Eventbrite Here

18th Moving Forward Group

Book Moving Forward Group ticket

Office Hours w/ Mark or Suzanne: Your FREE 15 minute accountability session

21st/28th April - SUZANNE

10th/14th/28th April - MARK

Your Daily Kickstart Call

Read more

We look forward to seeing you at 10 am, if you can make it, for the Moving Forward Group call.

As a reminder, here’s the Zoom link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82909406951?pwd=67YemxZ9zgDXR3XnZr4a6QWpHaXbtX.1

Meeting ID: 829 0940 6951

See you at 10 am.

Suzanne & Mark

• 21st Moving Forward Group - Share your wins, your challenges, amongst a supportive group of coaches, consultants, and small business owners.

  (You’ll receive the Zoom link closer to the date).

For Paid Subscribers:

Office Hours w/ Mark or Suzanne: Your FREE 15 minute accountability session

24th/27th March/10th April - MARK

31st March/21st/28th April - SUZANNE

Your Daily Kickstart Call

GWDC Office Hours

Get Work Done Club Events

Start your day with focus and clarity in our Kickstart Call (weekdays, 8:30–8:55 AM), featuring guided breathing, a personal check-in, and a moment to rebalance for a productive day ahead.

Start your workday with clarity and focus.

Join our Kickstart Call every weekday from 8:30 - 8:55 AM to set yourself up for a productive day. This short yet powerful session includes:
A guided breathing and focus exercise
A personal check-in for your mind and body
A moment to rebalance and set your intentions

Begin each day feeling centred, refreshed, and ready to achieve your best.

The link is here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84459898331?pwd=BsWPMguRirUtxRo0HgiwLFcv5ortIu.1

I hope you found this post useful.

As a reminder, paid subscribers receive:

• Two monthly check-ins:

  • The Moving Forward Group where you have the opportunity to ask questions, share your wins, address your challenges in a supportive, safe environment

  • The Power Hour - a chance to switch off your phone & other distractions and spend an hour completing the task you may have been putting off.

• One 15 minute 1:2:1 Office Hours. Let us help you to unblock whatever is holding you back and set your goals for the next month

• Free workshops - all the workshops we run as part of Startup School for Seniors are available, for free, to GWDC members.

• There is also the opportunity to join the 8.30am GMT Monday-Friday check-in with Mark.

Subscriptions are priced at £14.99/month or £149.00 per year, cancellable at any time. We know this represents good value, but if there’s any service you consider would be worthwhile and we haven’t covered already, we’d love to hear your thoughts.

• 21st Moving Forward Group - Share your wins, your challenges, amongst a supportive group of coaches, consultants, and small business owners.

  (You’ll receive the Zoom link closer to the date).

For Paid Subscribers:

Office Hours w/ Mark or Suzanne: Your FREE 15 minute accountability session

24th/27th - MARK

17th/31st March- SUZANNE

Your Daily Kickstart Call

GWDC Office Hours

Get Work Done Club Events

Start your day with focus and clarity in our Kickstart Call (weekdays, 8:30–8:55 AM), featuring guided breathing, a personal check-in, and a moment to rebalance for a productive day ahead.

Start your workday with clarity and focus.

Join our Kickstart Call every weekday from 8:30 - 8:55 AM to set yourself up for a productive day. This short yet powerful session includes:
A guided breathing and focus exercise
A personal check-in for your mind and body
A moment to rebalance and set your intentions

Begin each day feeling centred, refreshed, and ready to achieve your best.

The link is here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84459898331?pwd=BsWPMguRirUtxRo0HgiwLFcv5ortIu.1

I hope you found this post useful.

As a reminder, paid subscribers receive:

• Two monthly check-ins:

  • The Moving Forward Group where you have the opportunity to ask questions, share your wins, address your challenges in a supportive, safe environment

  • The Power Hour - a chance to switch off your phone & other distractions and spend an hour completing the task you may have been putting off.

• One 15 minute 1:2:1 Office Hours. Let us help you to unblock whatever is holding you back and set your goals for the next month

• Free workshops - all the workshops we run as part of Startup School for Seniors are available, for free, to GWDC members.

• There is also the opportunity to join the 8.30am GMT Monday-Friday check-in with Mark.

Subscriptions are priced at £14.99/month or £149.00 per year, cancellable at any time. We know this represents good value, but if there’s any service you consider would be worthwhile and we haven’t covered already, we’d love to hear your thoughts.

March 2026

• 7th Power Hour

• 21st Moving Forward Group

Office Hours w/ Mark or Suzanne: Your FREE 15 minute accountability session

6th/10th/24th/27th - MARK

17th/31st March- SUZANNE

Your Daily Kickstart Call

Read more

We look forward to seeing you at 10 am, if you can make it, for the Moving Forward Group call.

As a reminder, here’s the Zoom link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82909406951?pwd=67YemxZ9zgDXR3XnZr4a6QWpHaXbtX.1

Meeting ID: 829 0940 6951

See you at 10 am.

Suzanne & Mark

Read more

For paid subscribers only:

February 2026

• TOMORROW, 10AM - 21st Moving Forward Group

• TOMORROW, 10AM - 21st How to Sell Online

Get Work Done Club Events

FREE Workshops

Office Hours w/ Mark or Suzanne: Your FREE 15 minute accountability session

24th/27th February - MARK

24th February - SUZANNE

Feeling overwhelmed in your own business?
FOUR steps to get back from the brink.

Working a portfolio career with multiple strands it can feel that I’m juggling with too many balls, all the time. Together with family illness, moving house, relationships, then this can seem too much all too often. Clients not paying their bills, extra expenses. OMG I can feel my own stress levels rising.

So here’s what I do to rescue myself from overwhelm. It’s based on MindMapping, and you can start with just a pen and some scrap A4 paper. I take about two hours, but you can feel the benefits after thirty minutes. It comes in 5 simple steps.

1. Map It Out

I take a sheet of paper and write On My Plate or STUFF or ARRRGH, in the middle and ring it. I then write the things (topics/tasks/activities) that are on your mind. The diagram is hierarchical, so when topics prompt other subtopics, then link them to the major topic. Start with the big things that are causing you stress, and write associated tasks. Do this without reference to your project plans, lists, emails, do this from what is worrying you. Include your personal things too, I’ve not, to share my blushes.

Put everything down on paper, write it out.

My first attempts are always really messy, so when I’ve finished, say 20 minutes, re-write this and cluster them under topics or projects that make sense to you.

Use this diagram for the next steps. I sometimes draw on paper, I sometimes use MindNode by Ideas on canvas.

• How did that feel getting those things on paper?

• Are they as serious as you thought?

Guess what’s on my mind. Yes, giving away my time for free. So with my more organised version, I’ve identified what I am happy giving free/Pro Bono, identified more paid consultancy clients, but I’m still fairly annoyed.

2. What have you forgotten?

Now I look at my existing project plans, to-do lists, emails, client lists. I see what I have left off. Adding the things that I have forgotten, the projects, tasks and topics that have slipped my mind (normally because they are going ok).

Red might mean danger. I sometimes use green, just to relax.

This is the busiest bit, because now everything is reflected on my MindMap. I like to colour code things together.

• Is there a reason that these elements are not top of your mind?

• Do they need a higher/lower priority?

3. What needs more planning, more action? What needs less activity, less priority?

I add to my to-do list, and scrub those things off which are no longer important. This often involves follow-up contacts for me, and also grouping tasks together (like my social media) which actually puts things in more perspective.

I use MindNode, as it integrates with my task software

• Are there parts of your mind map that have been woefully neglected?

• Are there elements that warrant more attention that you can spare at the moment?

4. Forgive yourself

There is a lot in this MindMap, that is why I am so close to overwhelm. It is not possible for someone to do all of it, so I will be wise, forgiving and patient with myself.

I can start to tackle those tasks that I can control, and those which are most out of control. Those giving me the most stress. So I’ve sat myself down, and reminded myself what I say to people who ask me to work for free. No, thank you.

When I have tackled a difficult task, I like to keep going, alternating with tasks that give me joy.

I use specialist software (MindNode) to document my MindMaps, because they become tidier more quickly and I can replicate them at ease. For me just this one process was worth the expense of buying the software.

I hope you found this post useful. Like everything else, writing a weekly blog takes time to create and me and Mark want to make sure it adds value to your existing subscription.

As a reminder, paid subscribers receive:

• Two monthly check-ins:

  • The Moving Forward Group where you have the opportunity to ask questions, share your wins, address your challenges in a supportive, safe environment

  • The Power Hour - a chance to switch off your phone & other distractions and spend an hour completing the task you may have been putting off.

• One 15 minute 1:2:1 Office Hours with me or Mark. Let us help you to unblock whatever is holding you back and set your goals for the next month

• Free workshops - all the workshops we run as part of Startup School for Seniors are available, for free, to GWDC members.

• There is also the opportunity to join the 8.30am GMT Monday-Friday check-in with Mark, starting in February. Email: mark@startupschoolforseniors.com for more info.

Subscriptions are priced at £14.99/month or £149.00 per year, cancellable at any time. We know this represents good value, but if there’s any service you consider would be worthwhile and we haven’t covered already, we’d love to hear your thoughts.

In my ongoing effort to drink my own Kool-Aid this week, I’ve been down the YouTube rabbit hole, figuring out how to maximise one of my channels so it’s easier for viewers to find what they’re looking for. I’ve come to this fairly late in the game, having already produced over 800 videos that now need cataloguing. It’s a sharp reminder of how important it is to understand the platform you’re posting to, and how people actually search on it.

The Power of Playlists

With YouTube, much like Instagram Highlights, you can create playlists to curate similar content. You can do this in YouTube Studio by searching for relevant topics, selecting the appropriate videos, and adding them to a playlist. Of course, that assumes your titles are clear and descriptive enough for YouTube to understand what the content is about in the first place!

Deciding What to Prioritise

I used ChatGPT to identify the most searched topics within my content and to explore what might help generate more subscribers. That exercise alone was revealing. I was asked to decide what I wanted to prioritise when creating playlists:

• Search traffic?

• Authority positioning?

• Sponsorship revenue?

• Subscriber growth?

It forced me to think carefully about what I actually wanted from curating my content. In the end, I chose authority positioning and subscriber growth. Based on that, I was given a list of suitable subject headings to use.

Curating with Intention

From there, it was a matter of reviewing my videos and assigning the most relevant ones to each playlist. I also created an additional playlist specifically for first-time visitors, guiding them toward the most popular and representative content on the channel.

Once the playlists were created and curated, I moved to the channel editor to redesign my homepage layout. It’s now much easier to navigate, thanks to the playlists and the removal of some default YouTube sections that didn’t make much sense, such as featuring a popular but very niche video as the first thing visitors see.

It will take time to implement everything properly, but if it makes the channel more accessible and helps attract more subscribers, it will be well worth the effort.

Curation Beyond YouTube

And it’s not just YouTube that allows you to curate content to make it easier for visitors to explore. Substack, for example, has its own tagging system. Using the theme editor, you can organise your content according to the tags you use. The key is to keep your tags limited and consistent, ensuring each post is properly tagged in the settings.

Instagram Highlights work in a similar way: they sit at the top of your profile, organised by topic, allowing you to assign and group relevant content under each heading.

Start with Structure

If you’re getting started with one or more social channels, it’s worth thinking from the outset about how you’ll organise your posts so readers can easily find what they’re looking for. Consider how each section or category might solve a specific problem for a viewer. What question are they arriving with? What answer are they hoping to find? Structure your content so it guides them there quickly and clearly.

Do as I say, not as I do. 😊

Don’t wait until you have hundreds of videos or posts before you start categorising your content. Put a simple structure in place now. Future you, and your audience, will be very grateful.

Dates for your Diary

For paid subscribers only:

February 2026

• 14th Writing a One Page Business Plan (FREE to paid subscribers)

• 17th Selling using LinkedIn (FREE to paid subscribers) - Lunch & Learn

• 21st Moving Forward Group

• 21st How to Sell Online

Get Work Done Club Events

FREE Workshops

Office Hours w/ Mark or Suzanne: Your FREE 15 minute accountability session

24th/27th February - MARK

17th/24th February - SUZANNE

As a reminder, here’s the Zoom link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81377538598

Here’s what happens:

You login and share with the group what you want to accomplish in the next hour. We all turn off…

Read more

For paid subscribers only:

February 2026

• 7th Power Hour - come join us at 10am and complete those tasks you may have been putting off

• 7th How to get Started on Social Media (free workshop for GWDC also at 10am)

• 21st Moving Forward Group

Get Work Done Club Events

Office Hours w/ Mark or Suzanne: Your FREE 15 minute accountability session

6th/10th/24th/27th February - MARK

17th/24th February - SUZANNE

What are you getting out of Social Media Growth Courses?

Over the years, I’ve paid for more “expert” advice than I care to admit.

I’ve taken LinkedIn course.
I’ve joined ’s paid subscribers for Substack growth training. (And paid for workshops. Twice).
I probably own an Instagram course I’ve never opened.

To be fair, Justin and Ana are excellent at what they do — clear, tactical, and worth every cent. But after a few rounds of growth training across different platforms, I started noticing a pattern that no one talks about enough.

The Growth Gurus Are Mostly Selling the Dream

Many of the “experts” teaching social media growth are best at one thing: selling the idea of social media growth, mostly to people who also plan to teach others how to grow.

It’s not a scam, exactly. But it does start to feel like an MLM of content creators. Everyone’s teaching the next person how to get followers, while few are actually applying those strategies to businesses outside the “teaching growth” niche.

You start seeing copycat businesses, each with just enough personality to look original.

The Real Business Equation Hasn’t Changed

At the end of the day, real success still comes down to a simple formula: solve a big enough problem for a big enough group of people.

Maybe you build a high-end service for a few, or maybe you cater to thousands at a lower price. Either way, it’s still about product-market fit, not clever positioning or viral content.

Finding and keeping your audience, though. Now that’s the hard part.

Finally, Someone Who Walks the Walk

While living in Chiang Mai last week, a friend pointed me to a YouTube growth workshop.

It was run by Megan, a travel YouTuber who creates content for “Tom, 65 — the guy who wants to stay informed about travel advisories without spending his day on Google.”

Not another “how to be a YouTuber” creator — but someone mastering her niche by serving a real audience.

She has over 307,000 subscribers and earned $215K last year.
She’s built a $3K/month system of tools, editors, and freelancers that helps her release one powerfully optimised video each week.

No other platforms.
No repurposing.
Just one channel — done extremely well.

One Channel. Full Commitment.

Megan spends her time where it counts: studying analytics, testing thumbnails and titles, and refining scripts with help from AI and her creative team.

She’s built a machine that works and now she’s tweaking it to adapt to YouTube’s emphasis on Shorts and AI content.

That was my biggest takeaway: if you want to grow on any platform, you have to go all in.

Study the top performers.
Understand the algorithm.
Test, iterate, and use the tools available.

And once you find a channel that rewards your effort — double down.

Why I’m Back on Facebook

Lately, Facebook’s algorithm has been shining on my content. My posts are reaching new audiences, and I’m gaining about 1,000 new followers a week, now creeping up to 40k.

That momentum gives me more shots at going viral and since I’m part of Facebook’s monetisation program, that reach now earns me around $200/month.

Not huge, but it’s real growth and the kind that can scale.

If you’ve ever bought a social media course what’s the one takeaway that’s actually changed how you produce or grow content? I’d love to hear real examples in the comments.

I hope you found this post useful. Like everything else, writing a weekly blog takes time to create and me and Mark want to make sure it adds value to your existing subscription.

As a reminder, paid subscribers receive:

• Two monthly check-ins:

  • The Moving Forward Group where you have the opportunity to ask questions, share your wins, address your challenges in a supportive, safe environment

  • The Power Hour - a chance to switch off your phone & other distractions and spend an hour completing the task you may have been putting off.

• One 15 minute 1:2:1 Office Hours with me or Mark. Let us help you to unblock whatever is holding you back and set your goals for the next month

• Free workshops - all the workshops we run as part of Startup School for Seniors are available, for free, to GWDC members.

• There is also the opportunity to join the 8.30am GMT Monday-Friday check-in with Mark, starting in February. Email: mark@startupschoolforseniors.com for more info.

Subscriptions are priced at £14.99/month or £149.00 per year, cancellable at any time. We know this represents good value, but if there’s any service you consider would be worthwhile and we haven’t covered already, we’d love to hear your thoughts.

For the past three years, I believed I was saving time and covering all my bases by using a software tool called Repurpose.io. The concept is straightforward, you create workflows that decide where each piece of content goes. For example, I might upload a short video to TikTok, and Repurpose.io would automatically publish that same video as a Facebook post, an Instagram Reel, and a YouTube Short.

Note: The platform does not support Substack and I treat my work here entirely separate from all the other channels on which I appear.

At $349 per year for the basic starter package, it isn’t cheap. Still, I justified the expense because it seemed to save me a significant amount of time compared with repurposing content manually.

The problem is that this “set it and forget it” approach comes with several drawbacks:

1. Broken mentions. References to collaborators or accounts using the @ symbol are often removed if the account names don’t match across platforms. This results in captions with missing or blank references that have to be fixed manually anyway.

2. Reduced reach. I’m convinced that platforms owned by Meta, Instagram, for example, can identify content that didn’t originate on their platform and quietly reduce its reach. (I have far fewer follower on Instagram than any other channel).

3. Audience mismatch. Each platform attracts a different audience. A caption that works well on one channel may not resonate on another. In addition, each platform has its own requirements for tags, account mentions, categories, and formatting, details that tools like Repurpose.io don’t adequately account for.

4. Formatting and frequency issues. Content doesn’t always transfer cleanly between platforms. A portrait video on YouTube, for instance, may be displayed in a landscape frame with black bars on either side. There’s also the issue of volume, I post a daily video on TikTok, but I don’t necessarily want every one of those videos published on YouTube.

In the end, what looked like a time-saving solution created its own set of problems, many of which still required manual attention.

After reviewing what is and isn’t working for me, I’ve come to the realisation that repurposing content has more drawbacks than benefits. So here’s what I’m planning to do instead.

First, I’m going to focus on the channels that best reach my target audience and optimise them for depth and reach, rather than spreading myself too thin. For now, that means prioritising YouTube. I’ll be creating YouTube-specific content and spending more time on thumbnails, titles, tags, and descriptions to attract subscribers and improve my monetisation prospects. I’m also experimenting with a tool called TubeBuddy to support this process, I’ll report back on how that goes (should their customer support respond back to me in a timely manner!).

For short-form content, I’ll be focusing primarily on my Facebook page, where I currently see the highest engagement and generate the most income of all the platforms I use.

Recently, I recorded videos in a studio using two cameras, one in portrait and one in landscape, so I can reuse similar content across formats, although the landscape version will require more editing.

As for TikTok and Instagram, these are the platforms where I see the least engagement from the audience my videos are aimed at, despite having over 150,000 followers on TikTok. I’ll likely continue posting there on an ad hoc basis, but without the same level of focus or expectation.

Finally, instead of using Repurpose.io, I’m going to try a scheduling tool called Followr, which I purchased through a lifetime AppSumo deal and is far more reasonable than Buffer or Hootsuite, which perform similar functions. It will allow me to bulk upload videos and schedule them, along with captions, weeks or even months in advance, while still tailoring the content to each platform.

When you’re considering your own social media channels, it’s worth thinking about a few key questions.

• Which platforms does your target audience actually use on a regular basis?

• What level of posting frequency does each platform prefer? Substack, for example, may work well with a weekly post, but that same cadence is unlikely to be sufficient for platforms such as Instagram or LinkedIn.

• How can you optimise your reach on each channel? One tactic I’ve recently started using is the Collaboration feature on platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook when I share interviews with podcast guests. This allows posts to appear on both my channel and theirs, significantly extending the reach of each piece of content.

• Finally, scheduling posts in advance can dramatically reduce the amount of time you spend on social media day to day. Just make sure the content you schedule is not time sensitive, or likely to feel out of date by the time it goes live.

Social media takes time, and making your posts effective requires real effort. By focusing on the channels that best reach your target audience, that effort becomes worthwhile. Ultimately, it’s through trial and error that you discover where the greatest opportunities lie to create the impact you’re aiming for.

In the end, the goal isn’t to be everywhere, it’s to be effective where it matters most.

The Get Work Done Club: A Smarter Way to Stay Consistent and Focused

I hope you found this post useful. Like everything else, writing a weekly blog takes time to create and me and Mark want to make sure it adds value to your existing subscription.

As a reminder, paid subscribers receive:

• Two monthly check-ins:

  • The Moving Forward Group where you have the opportunity to ask questions, share your wins, address your challenges in a supportive, safe environment

  • The Power Hour - a chance to switch off your phone & other distractions and spend an hour completing the task you may have been putting off.

• One 15 minute 1:2:1 Office Hours with me or Mark. Let us help you to unblock whatever is holding you back and set your goals for the next month

• Free workshops - all the workshops we run as part of Startup School for Seniors are available, for free, to GWDC members.

• There is also the opportunity to join the 8.30am GMT Monday-Friday check-in with Mark, starting in February. Email: mark@startupschoolforseniors.com for more info.

Subscriptions are priced at £14.99/month or £149.00 per year, cancellable at any time. We know this represents good value, but if there’s any service you consider would be worthwhile and we haven’t covered already, we’d love to hear your thoughts.