A Chat with Rik Courtney, CEO at Social Media Marketing Consultancy: Be More Social Group

Be More Social is a social media marketing consultancy and franchise based in Doncaster and London, UK.

We work with businesses nationally to educate them on the power of social media and coach and guide them in their journey to social media success. Be More Social gives customers access to their own digital guru, live webinars, a private Facebook community, accountability dashboard and quarterly social media planning sessions.

Our approach is designed to help businesses increase sales through social media, educating and inspiring business owners to transform their social media presence or create tailor-made content through their done-for-you approach. The team prides itself on Be More Social’s proven formula for creating impact for your business by using social media.
I founded Be More Social in 2010 and since pivoted the business from being an agency to a consultancy and social media franchise – one of the first of its kind in the UK. I personally deliver social media marketing sessions to customers through dedicated events and workshops.
 
 
Be More Social - Social Media Made Simple
 

How did you come up with the idea for the company?

 
Ever since I saw Mark Zuckerberg talk about Facebook in 2005, I knew this digital space was going to be a big one and here to stay for a long time. So, I decided to dive deep and learn everything there is to know about social media and your online presence.

Be More Social is designed to entertain, educate and inspire people to take action with their social media, ultimately improving results and giving business owners more opportunities to grow their business.

It started with me giving my time as a consultant and providing training for teams and directors alike. I soon realised that this wasn’t a profitable model so I created the accountability dashboard and launched our modified framework through this. This allows each Guru to look after up to 120 clients through one system – delivering 1 hour a week of group sessions and a 30 min one-to-one each month.
 

 

How has the company evolved during the pandemic?

 
Last year the business grew by 610%.

2020 was tough for many businesses, including ours. In March we lost 80% of our customer base and the MMR went down to less than £5000 per month, with 10 members of staff and a whole lot of questions, I didn’t know what to do. Fortunately, due to the lockdown, the majority of businesses had to adapt and ensure they were visible online. This was where we came in, working alongside the Federation of Small Business, we delivered a series of webinars to educate people in the social space which in turn, led to our incredible growth.
 

What can we hope to see from Be More Social in the future?

 
The vision is to eventually become a household name as the UK’s leading social media educator. We hope that we can continue to grow Be More Social, build the franchise, expand into other areas and continue to get business owners the best results from their online platforms.