The secret to winning at holistic marketing: A Coffees and Content podcast

Pictured above: Loren Tomlinson.

Looking to up your social media game? Loren Tomlinson, host of the Coffees and Content podcast shares her top tips on social media for SMEs.

‘Coffees and Content’ is a new podcast diving into social media and digital marketing with host Loren Tomlinson, owner of marketing agency The Social Collective.

Following the release of one of her most popular podcasts, ‘The Secret to Winning at Holistic Marketing’, Tomlinson sat down with NZBusiness for a discussion on social media and how businesses can get the most out of their digital marketing efforts.

In the episode, Loren explores how holistic marketing can transform your business, ensuring your brand stands out and resonates across all customer touchpoints. Learn how to boost your visibility, engage more effectively with your audience, and drive better results in today’s competitive market. Tune in for great insights that can help revolutionise your marketing strategy and help your business thrive online.

Q&A with Loren Tomlinson

How did The Social Collective come about?

After graduating university, I spent a few years freelancing as a social media manager, but I kept noticing the same problems cropping up for clients – putting all their eggs in one basket (all in social media, all in advertising, etc.) along with jumping into the digital marketing space with no strategy. I saw a gap in the market for someone to jump into the social media space and share the impact holistic digital marketing can have on your business, your brand awareness, and your bottom line.

The Social Collective started as a project to support a few small businesses with their marketing to see if I could make a difference while I was working for a few other agencies. Within a year, I’d taken TSC full-time and was working with enough clients of my own to leave my other roles and focus on expanding this business. Fast forward to now, three years in business, and we’re a team of five incredible female marketing experts, all with complementary strengths and a common passion for working with business owners to help make their marketing efforts go further while working smarter, not harder.

We’ve helped brands like DoPaw and Pink Pony Creative grow their presence and achieve impressive results through our holistic approach. Our commitment to strategic planning and innovation has positioned TSC as a trusted partner for businesses looking to thrive in the digital space. We’re proud of the community we’ve built and the positive impact we’ve had on our clients’ success.

How do you help SMEs with their marketing efforts?

We help SMEs with their marketing through what we call ‘The Trifecta’, social media, advertising, and public relations. These three areas aren’t always tackled in a specific order; they work together to support and amplify each other. We build a strong social media presence to connect with your audience and showcase your brand, which is essential for building trust.

At the same time, we use paid advertising to ensure your brand reaches the right people and drives sales. We also enhance your visibility and credibility through strategic PR efforts, securing media features that broaden your reach. By integrating these three services, we create a cohesive strategy that turns curious clicks into loyal customers.

What do you love about social media?

I love that social media lets you amplify your message and connect with people you might never have met in the real world. It breaks down barriers and opens up so many opportunities for engagement and connection.

What excites me most is how it empowers us to take a brand’s message and really make it shine online. It’s amazing to see how a well-crafted post or campaign can reach and resonate with a global audience, building a loyal community around a brand. Social media is where creativity meets strategy, and the impact can be truly transformative.

Why should business owners love social media?

It’s a space to share your passion with the world! We get into business because we’re excited to bring something new to the world, right? Social media is a tool that allows us to tell our audience why we love this thing that we’ve created and how it’s going to change their lives. It’s a space to amplify your message and get your business in front of people that may not otherwise have had the chance to see it – without it, we’d be relying on word-of-mouth and print marketing .. and that would take a lot longer to get your name out there.

Is social media for everyone (in business)?

Yes! Many business owners still don’t see the benefits for their business, but they’re often looking at places like Instagram on their own – whether a visual online presence is what your business needs, or if it’s something different like Google advertising to boost your website visits and search rankings, there is always something in the social media/digital marketing realm that will be able to support your business.

What’s 3 pieces of advice for SMEs looking to up their social media game?

1. Be patient with your results: Don’t expect the results to come overnight. It takes time for the algorithms to understand who you are, what you offer and who would be interested in your business, and once you have those results it takes time for you to analyse them and create content to combat what’s not working.
2. Be open to trying new things: What worked five years ago doesn’t necessarily work today. The social media space is an ever evolving space and if you’re not open to experimenting with your content and you want to stay stuck in your ways, chances are your competitors are going to get ahead of you and occupy more social real estate.
3. Have fun with it: One of the most common comments I receive from people is that they find it hard, but it doesn’t have to be. If you create content you love, that will always to 10x better than if you’re creating content because you think your audience will like it, but you’re not loving it – people can see right through that, and authenticity will always come out on top!

What is the secret to winning at holistic marketing?

The secret to winning at holistic marketing is understanding how everything works together in sync to generate amazing results for your business. It’s about seeing the bigger picture and being open to trying different combinations of efforts to find what works best. Flexibility and creativity are key to making it all come together for maximum impact.