To celebrate International Women’s Day and interesting Sussex women, Dee Blick, commissioning editor at Sussex Exclusive, talks to social media guru, Michelle Betts of By Jove Media.
I’ve known Michelle Betts for years. She’s as creative and inspiring as she is practical, a veritable fount of knowledge on what is working in social media, what to avoid and what to embrace. You can trust what she says because it comes from hard-won expertise and experience. She is also an exceptionally gifted writer of fiction books and writes the popular Sussex Scroll for Sussex Exclusive. It was a joy to catch up with her in celebration of International Women’s Day.
What brought you into social media as a career?
It was completely accidental. I was working in an estate agency, writing website and newsletter copy, when someone suggested I should “faff about with the social media” because “this thing called Twitter looks like it might be big.” Facebook had also just opened up business pages. I started experimenting and very quickly saw the potential. I began studying, gaining qualifications and testing everything I learned. The estate agency won a social media award and ranked at number five in Zoopla’s Property Power 100 for social media, alongside national and international firms. Local business owners saw this and asked me to train them, and then to manage their accounts.
Gradually, this evolved into a client book and I established ByJove Media, which turns 18 this year.
Do businesses have unrealistic expectations about social media?
Sometimes, yes. People still think you can do one post, and clients will pick up the phone or buy the product. This is just not the case. Platforms are increasingly restrictive when it comes to pushing traffic off-platform. Organic reach is different to what it was even a year ago. Yet expectations are often still centred around followers and website clicks. It’s now about visibility, searchability, positioning and trust. Part of my role is education on what success looks like. Instead of asking why a single post didn’t sell something, we look at the bigger picture. Is the content building authority? Is it nurturing an audience?
When you measure the right things, the frustration reduces dramatically.
How do you begin working with a new client?
Having created a bespoke package for the client, we complete a detailed strategy document together. This maps their business objectives against realistic social media activity. This becomes the foundation for a content plan aligned with business goals. I also audit their accounts from a discoverability perspective. Often, small adjustments to bios, keywords and messaging create meaningful improvements.
Is there one go-to platform every business should be on?
In a word, no. It depends on the audience and the outcome you’re seeking. A consultant may see excellent results on LinkedIn. A lifestyle brand might thrive on Instagram. A local business may find its community in Facebook groups. The better question is where your audience already spends time and how they behave once they’re there.
What are the biggest mistakes you see businesses make on social media?
Two things currently stand out. Using AI without understanding how to use it properly. AI is a brilliant tool, but businesses are publishing content that sounds identical to everyone else. The tone is generic, the phrasing is predictable, and there’s no real personality behind it. If you’re using AI, it should enhance your voice, not replace it.
Then, posting without a plan. There’s often no narrative thread, no clear positioning and no connection back to business objectives. Social media works best when there are repeatable themes and a clear framework, consistency becomes manageable, and the content actually works.
How do you stay sharp and up to date with the changing terrain of social media?
Social media evolves constantly. If I’m advising clients, I must evolve with it. I attend industry conferences, invest in ongoing training and actively test platform changes using my own accounts. Social Media Marketing World in California is widely regarded as the pinnacle conference in our industry and attending events like that keeps my knowledge current and strategic.
Tell me about the awards you’ve won…
In 2019, I was named the Most Influential Woman in Social Media Marketing in the UK. At the Digital Women Awards, I won Highly Commended Social Media Manager of the Year in 2024, was a finalist again in 2025, and was in the Top 50 Digital Women to Watch in 2025. ByJove Media won the Excellence in Content Distribution Award at the 2024 Business Awards for a client campaign. These awards are fantastic milestones, and it’s wonderful to receive recognition, particularly from my peers.
You’re also a dab hand at writing fiction books. Reveal all…
I have always loved reading. As a child who enjoyed horse riding, I devoured horsey books, and that habit of disappearing into stories never really left me. Something in real life sparked an idea for a story, and so under my pen name, Michelle Plater, I wrote my first romance novel, Smoke and Mirrors. This launched as an Amazon Top 50 bestseller, no mean feat given the number of books on the platform. I’m currently finalising my third novel while the fourth is in development.
What does the future hold for Michelle Betts and Michelle Plater?
For ByJove Media, continued growth in training, thought leadership and speaker opportunities. Plus, I’m writing a non-fiction social media book, so watch this space! For Michelle Plater, I’m building a contemporary romance catalogue of standalone yet inter-connected novels. Film adaptations would be my ultimate dream; my Christmas novel would make an amazing festive film!
If you could have an alternative career…
Something completely different; I would have loved to be a police officer. I’m fascinated by investigations, true crime and psychological thrillers. Understanding behaviour, motive and detail appeals to me. Therein lies a thread that probably connects back to marketing and writing!
Who inspires you to dig deeper?
My children. They’re focused, ambitious and genuinely believe that anything is possible. They approach life with drive and optimism, and I’m incredibly proud of them. I want them to be proud of me, also.
You can find out more about Michelle at www.byjovemedia.co.uk
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