Behind the Scenes: The Reality of Creating Social Media for a Small Business

If you follow Craft & Canvas on social media, you might see a finished post, a Reel, a pretty painting or a little behind-the-scenes video and think, “Oh, that looks easy enough!”

Well… let me tell you a little secret.

It isn't always quite as easy as it looks!

One of the things I've been trying to improve over the past year is my social media. When I first started Craft & Canvas, my posts were pretty much just images. Photos of a painting, photos from a session, a graphic I'd made, post done. 

And honestly, there was nothing wrong with that. It was what I could manage at the time.

But as Craft & Canvas has grown, I've realised that social media is such an important part of letting people know that I'm here, what I actually do, and what Craft & Canvas is all about.

So I've slowly been trying to build up my content and learn how to make little videos and Reels as well.

And when I say slowly, I really mean slowly! 

I'm learning as I go

The thing about running a small business on your own is that there isn't a social media person sitting next to you saying:

"Right Amy, this week we're going to film these five things, edit these three videos and schedule everything for next month."

It's just me.

I'm the person running the sessions.

I'm the person creating the artwork.

I'm the person replying to emails.

I'm the person doing the admin.

I'm the person buying the supplies, packing the car, setting up, cleaning everything afterwards…

And then I'm also the person thinking:

"Oh… I should probably film something for Instagram!"

Sometimes I have a brilliant idea for a video and then completely forget to actually take the footage when I'm in the middle of doing the thing I wanted to film.

Other times I remember, but by the time I've finished the session, packed everything away and driven home, the last thing I feel like doing is going through 47 tiny video clips trying to work out which ones are actually usable.

And then there is the editing...

Most of my video editing happens in bed

I'm not even joking.

A lot of the time, I'll get into bed thinking I'm going to have a nice relaxing evening, and then think:

"I'll just quickly put that Reel together."

Two hours later…

I'm still there.

Still editing.

Still moving clips around.

Still trying to decide whether that transition actually looks good.

Still trying to find music.

And don't even get me started on royalty-free music! Why is finding a song that works for a 17-second video somehow one of the hardest parts of running a small business? I feel like there should be a much better system for this! But I work with what I've got and keep learning.

And the funny thing is… you never really know what people will like

This is probably one of the hardest parts of social media. I'll sometimes spend ages putting together a post and think:

"YES. This is going to do really well!"

And then… crickets. Meanwhile, something I threw together quickly because I needed some content for my socials and without much thought, actually gets better views and reactions. Or I'll post something that I personally really love and it doesn't get much engagement at all. And then something completely unexpected gets people commenting, sharing or sending it to their friends. Social media really does have a mind of its own! But I'm learning not to take it too personally because the purpose isn't just to make posts to try and get them to go viral, although that would be nice, not gonna lie.

Why I keep doing it

For a small business, staying visible really matters. I want people to be able to find Craft & Canvas. I want someone searching for a Paint & Sip in Perth to come across my business. I want someone planning a kids' birthday party to realise that I can come to them. I want someone organising a hens party, baby shower, fundraiser or team-building event to see what I do, and I want people who have never heard of Craft & Canvas before to be able to scroll through my social media and quickly understand "Oh! THIS is what they do."

Social media helps with that, so does keeping my website active and continuing to add content. I want Google to know that Craft & Canvas is still here, still active and still creating. Because behind every post is a real business that is actually out there doing these things every week.

I have SO many ideas

This is probably another funny part of running my own business. I have so many ideas sometimes my brain is absolutely full of them. I'll think:

"Oh, I could make a video about that!"

"I should do a post about this!"

"That would make a really funny Reel!"

"I could show people how I make this!"

And then life happens, a session needs preparing, an email needs answering, artwork needs designing, an invoice needs sending and suddenly it's three days later and I've completely forgotten what that brilliant idea was.

I'm slowly getting better at writing things down and trying to actually capture more of the behind-the-scenes moments as they happen but I'm definitely still learning.

Followers, likes and paid advertising

This is another part of social media that I'm still trying to work out.

I don't have thousands and thousands of followers. In fact, I'm still building my following, and sometimes I look at other businesses with huge numbers and think, "How on earth did they get there?!" 

Of course, I could spend money on advertising to get Craft & Canvas in front of more people, and I am looking at ways to use paid advertising to help grow the business.

But I also really want to build my following organically. I'd rather have 1,000 people following Craft & Canvas because they genuinely like what I do, want to see my paintings, enjoy my videos, are interested in creative ideas or might actually book a session one day, than have thousands of followers or likes from people who don't really care about the content at all.

There's a big difference between having a big number on your follower count and having an audience that actually wants to be there, and that's what I'm trying to build.

I'm not interested in buying followers or likes just to make the numbers look bigger. What's the point in having 10,000 followers if hardly any of them are real people who are interested in what you're doing? I'd much rather slowly build a genuine community of people who actually want to see what Craft & Canvas is creating. Of course, that takes time, and patience. Two things that aren't always my strongest qualities!

So I'm experimenting with different types of content, trying to work out what people enjoy, learning about advertising and trying to find that balance between reaching new people and building a genuine following.

So if you've ever wondered why you see more videos from Craft & Canvas now…

That's why! I'm trying new things, I'm learning how to film better, I'm learning how to edit, I'm learning what people enjoy watching, I'm learning what works for my business and I'm figuring it all out as I go.

I'm definitely not an expert at social media, and I'm certainly not pretending to have it all figured out. Most weeks I sort out my post on the day it goes out, if I actually have time to plan and get it organised beforehand that's a luxury I don't get often. I'm just a small business owner trying to keep learning and improving while also doing approximately 847 other jobs at the same time. 

And honestly? I'm quite proud of how far I've come, I may have started with a few photos but now I'm making little videos, trying new content ideas and slowly getting more comfortable putting myself and the business out there.

There is still a LONG way to go, but that's okay, I'm learning as I go, and I'm enjoying the process.

And if you're another small business owner who is also trying to work out this whole social media thing, please know you're not alone! If you've got ideas, tips, tricks or just want to have a chat about business, I'm always happy to talk. I genuinely love chatting to other small business owners about what they're doing, what's working, what's not working and the whole messy journey that comes with running a business. Because sometimes you don't need someone to tell you exactly what to do. Sometimes it's just nice to know someone else is figuring it out too. 

Thanks for being here Behind the Brush! This is where I share the journey honestly—the moments that inspire, the moments that challenge, and all the colourful little bits that make it worthwhile. Until next time, keep creating!

 – Amy

There’s always a reason to get creative!