5 Template-able Jobs For Your Small Business
Want to spend less time doing your business chores, and more time living the life you were meant to live (ahem, sitting on the beach in Bali with a piña colada in hand)?
Sounds dreamy, right?
While I can’t guarantee that templates will transport you to your dream holiday destination, I can promise that they’ll free up your calendar and make life a little easier.
Less headaches
Less time doing admin
and more time for the important things.
What’s that again?
Oh yeah, making your small business profitable.
We’ve all heard about the magic of automation…
How it can transform your small business by taking the tedious out of the everyday. And sure, that’s true to a point.
But I’ve also found that not everything can be automated. The majority what you do as a business needs a personal touch.
According to research by McKinsey & Company, 71% of consumers expect personalisation, and 76% of consumers get frustrated when they don’t find it.
I bet you’ve seen those cringe-worthy bot comments on social media posts, the ones that feel about as personal as ordering your food from a QR code. That’s exactly the kind of ‘engagement’ that makes people feel disconnected, and is not going to help your brand or business in the long run.
Customers don’t just want a product—they want to feel valued.
Customers respond well when a brand shows it’s invested in them as people, not just transactions.
Little things like following up after a purchase, sharing a helpful how-to video, or asking for feedback can make a big difference.
These personal touches help build trust, loyalty, and long-term relationships.
Templates are the perfect in-between–the structure and efficiency you need, without sacrificing that human touch.
‘Cos I know you get just as sad as I do when you’ve spent 43 minutes writing an email to a potential customer, just to have them ghost you.
Imagine how easy your life would be if you had a suite of templates for things like…
Customer emails for all occasions and stages
Call-to-actions (CTAs) for social media posts
Instagram carousel designs and reel covers
ChatGPT prompts for research
Newsletter and email campaign templates
Let’s dive into these five template-able jobs that can make your small business life a whole lot more streamlined.
1. Customer Emails for Every Scenario
It’s 2024 and email is not dead! Actually, your inbox is the gateway to customer relationships, so having pre-written templates for different scenarios can streamline your responses, and save you from scratching your head thinking of what to write. A solid email template library can help get your message across quickly and with a bit of personality, too.
What You’ll Need
Inquiry Response Templates: Give quick, helpful replies to potential customers who are exploring their options, and save your precious time for hotter leads
Complaint & Feedback Response: It sucks when someone’s not happy with your service or product, but having a template on hand makes it easy to move forward.
Thank-You Emails: A great way to show gratitude and encourage repeat business.
Follow-Up Emails: Ideal for checking in with past customers or touching base after a service is completed.
TASK
Build out a suite of email templates that align with your brand tone and cover your most common customer interactions. You can start with recent fabulous emails you’ve written. Keep them saved and handy for quick access, so you’re not reinventing the wheel every time you hit ‘reply.’ Don’t forget to save a subject line, too!
2. Instagram CTA Templates
We all know how social media is a powerful, yet suck-all-time-and-fun-out-of-biz tool for small businesses. One of the easiest ways to improve your workflow AND consistency for your audience, is by creating templates for your Instagram call-to-actions (CTAs).
CTAs help drive traffic, increase engagement, and encourage followers to take action, whether that’s making a purchase, visiting your website, or simply engaging with your content.
What You’ll Need
CTAs are in two parts: the hook is to create interest and set up the CTA, the CTA provides a clear instruction for action.
Examples sound a lot like…
Hook: "Got a friend who could use some extra motivation?"
CTA: "Tag them below to share the love!"
Hook: "Want to stay ahead with the latest wellness tips?"
CTA: "Tap the save button so you can revisit this anytime!"
Hook: "Looking for the perfect gift this season?"
CTA: "Tap the link in bio to explore our holiday collection!"
TASK
Start a collection of CTA hooks and actions, and match each with specific post types. Use these templates in rotation to keep things fresh but consistent. Save them as a note on your phone for quick copy-pasting, and so you don’t forget when you’re creating on the fly.
3. Instagram Carousel and Reel Cover Templates
You do know I’m the biggest advocate for perfectly-imperfect marketing, and stressing less about the look of your profile feed.
But you DO need to be recognisable and professional. Visual and verbal consistency is key on Instagram, and templates for carousel slides and reel cover images can give your brand a cohesive look, making you instantly recognisable to your audience.
What You’ll Need
Instagram Carousel Templates
Create simple slide templates for tips, lists, or how-to’s that you can easily customise with new content. I have a few options for the covers, just 1 template for text-heavy information slides, and then 1 for the last slide with the CTA.
Reel Cover Templates
Design eye-catching, branded cover images for your reels. It keeps your feed looking organised and helps reels stand out in your profile. I have a few options on rotation for reel covers, including 2 with images as a background.
TASK
Use free tools like Canva to create Instagram templates for your main post types. Save and replace text and images to create new content that you’re planning.
This not only looks *chefs kiss*, but makes your marketing process a helluva lot easier. I promise it’s worth the setup time.
4. ChatGPT Prompts for Research
Need to brainstorm ideas, get quick insights, or generate content? ChatGPT can be your best friend, but only if you know how to prompt it. With the right templates, you can get the most out of your AI assistant by making your research faster and more focused.
What You’ll Need
Basic Research Prompts: For when you need broad information or ideas.
Specific Task Prompts: Like prompts for social media captions, email drafts, or blog outlines.
Creative Prompts: To help with brainstorming and content ideation when you’re feeling stuck.
TASK
Draft a series of prompt templates to guide ChatGPT toward providing the answers you need. Use follow-up questions to get the results you’re after, and then reverse engineer by asking it to create a prompt template for you! Save them in a document or note on your computer.
5. Email Newsletter & Campaign Templates
Email marketing is a powerful tool, but writing out each newsletter from scratch can be daunting. By creating a set of email templates for different types of campaigns, you can streamline your marketing efforts and keep your subscribers engaged without spending hours each week.
What You’ll Need
Newsletter Templates: For regular updates, such as monthly or bi-weekly digests.
Promotional Campaign Templates: Design templates for sales, product launches, or seasonal promotions.
Drip Campaign Templates: Set up a series of emails that guide new subscribers on a journey with your brand.
If your content is going to change quite a bit, it’s handy to have a template with ALL of the styles and blocks that you’ll use to design. That way, when you’re starting fresh you can just delete what you don’t need and spend less time on setup. That’s a win in my books.
TASK
Spend time building a few templates that align with your brand’s voice and objectives. Having a consistent format for your subscribers helps them know what to expect and digest the information better. With the basics in place, you can quickly edit and personalise each email before hitting send.
The Power of Templates
While automation has its place, templates are the real MVPs for small business owners who want to save time and still keep it personal. These templates let you streamline your operations without sacrificing that all-important human touch.
Customer emails for all occasions and stages
Call-to-actions (CTAs) for social media posts
Instagram carousel designs and reel covers
ChatGPT prompts for research
Newsletter and email campaign templates
So, what’s stopping you jumping into the New Year by building out your template suite? Start with these five template-able jobs, and give yourself a little breathing room as you grow your business in 2025.
Meet your designer, Ruth
Good things come to those who wait have bold and beautiful branding and websites.
Discover my services or get in touch to see how I can help you smash your goals and grow your business.
