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Articles Tagged with: Instagram

Beyond Facebook: Six ways to diversify your digital marketing strategy

Do you have more than one way to communicate with your customers and team? If the Facebook outage in October taught us anything, it’s that we are very heavily reliant on the FB… oops, we mean Meta… family of social media apps — Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp. It also likely (re)inspired business owners to diversify their digital marketing efforts. Because… what if it happens again? Or worse, the apps become obsolete? *shudder*

The network was down for a whopping six hours. While this may not seem like a big deal for a casual user, the prolonged gap in services affected businesses big and small around the world.

As a business owner, and after some initial panic, you possibly got productive in other ways. (Your inbox hasn’t been this organized in years, right?) Or you took the outage as a sign to back away from your computer, put your phone down, and get outside. Or you read an actual book. And when the apps were back up, you rejoiced. But again, we ask you: What if it happens again? (It did, a few days later, but for less time.)

So let’s look beyond the blue F at other platforms that can diversify and bolster your content strategy. Be sure you can communicate with your target audience at any point!

1. Email marketing

Your email list is G-O-L-D. It’s yours and yours only. It’s really the best way to communicate to your customer base and get mega ROI for your efforts. Why? To give you one example, for every $1 you invest in email marketing, you can expect to make $42. We’ve shared three top email marketing tips for clicks and conversions here.

2. LinkedIn

In our humble opinion, LinkedIn is underused and underrated. It’s truly a brilliant place for small businesses to share info and connect with potential customers, partners, and collaborators. Don’t be afraid to use it as a sales tool and shine bright with your industry knowledge.

3. Twitter

Facebook has a Twitter account. That’s how they communicated during the outage, keeping people on track with what the heck was going on. Twitter is the place to share quick, concise info. And any time Facebook goes down, we picture Twitter as Mr. Burns tapping his fingers with menacing delight.

4. TikTok

The power of video content is mighty enough for TikTok to have gathered 1 billion users and grown faster than any of its big brother and sister apps. More and more brands are utilizing this platform in creative ways and it’s ultimately about how you can make it work for you. (Don’t feel like you have to keep up with the TT influencers — you do you!). Take a trend and make it your own, or create a new one altogether. The platform rewards creativity. It’s also important to note that while TikTok videos and Reels are similar, they are very different.

5. Internal Comms Tools

For any business owner who uses Messenger or WhatsApp for office group chats and to communicate internally and/or with customers, the FB outage wasn’t great news. Slack, Microsoft Teams, Skype, and Google Chat are all great alternatives — with most included in your business software, or free. (As are good old text messages.) As for keeping the channels of communication open with customers, click here to scroll back up to email marketing. but more so an internal comms backup tool.

We stand by our stance that you don’t need to have all social media apps — it doesn’t make sense for every business. But the need to have more than one network to communicate with your customers is clearly there. Diversify your digital marketing so you don’t get caught short (again).

6. YouTube

As mentioned with TikTok, video is a powerful engagement tool. YouTube is a great channel to sprinkle into your marketing efforts but can seem a bit daunting. See our checklist to effectively set up your YouTube channel.

Did the Facebook outage make you amp up another channel or app? We’d love to know your experience — share in the comments below. And if you need support in diversifying your digital marketing, we can help! Pop us a note here.

Six creative ways to use carousels for your social media strategy

While Instagram is focused on becoming a video-first platform, carousel posts still see the highest engagement! Carousel posts are one of the best ways to get creative with your Instagram and Facebook content, and engage your audience.

Don’t believe us? The engagement numbers don’t lie:

Videos: 1.45%
Still images: 1.74%
Carousels: 1.92%

That last number actually jumps to over 2% when all 10 carousel slides are used! Not only are they super engaging, but they give businesses and personal brands a chance to get creative.

Here are six of our favourite ways to utilize carousel posts:

*Don’t feel like reading? Watch the video!*

Consolidate images

Rather than spamming your followers with 10 feed pictures of the same event or product, put it all together in one post. Think of it as a storytelling tool: a swipe-through post can make your audience feel like they’re actually there with you in whatever you’re doing. This is also way more reliable than posting individual pictures — and crossing your fingers that the algorithm pushes them to the right people.

Repurpose blog content

If you’ve got a content marketing strategy, chances are you’re putting a good amount of effort into your blog content. So milk it with carousel posts.

Let’s say your latest blog post has five main points. Break those points into five images or graphics and toss them in a carousel post. It’s quick to read, highly shareable, and enticing to save — all of which boost your place in the algorithm. The best part is, if your audience enjoyed it, they’re likely to go read the original blog post. All of these things build more trust and communication with your audience, which equals more loyalty over time.

Show off your products

If you run an e-commerce shop, carousels are an awesome way to show off your products. Imagine you’re a clothing store with a new line dropping — a carousel can get that message across in a cohesive way.

Be sure to connect your shop to Facebook and Instagram beforehand for best results.

Storytelling

We’ve all heard that a picture is worth a thousand words. And well, every brand has a story to tell. Imagery is one of the best ways to say a lot without actually saying much.

Use this space to communicate your brand feel. Tell your audience about your values. Share mood boards. Show off the process of creating your new logo. The possibilities are truly endless.

Aesthetic Management

Do you have a photo you want to share but it doesn’t exactly fit in your feed? Carousels help you maintain your aesthetics. Start with a branded post that fits into the overall look of your feed, then follow with the image that doesn’t “fit”.

This is a great tip for industries that aren’t exactly sexy. Let’s say you’re a plumber who wants to show off a bathroom piping job. Start with a related image — like your truck or some staff — that draws your audience in, then move onto the practical stuff.

Before and afters

B&As are used in a ton of industries to show off talent: interior design, home renos, organization services, hair salons, you name it. They’re really effective at showing your audience what their life can look like if they use your service — so use carousels to humbly brag about your fantastic work.

We suggest starting with the after shot to maintain a cleaner feed and show off your talent right off the bat, then move into the before. Or, use Stef’s favourite technique from tip #5: start with a branded post, show us the before, and end strong with the after.

That’s the beauty of carousels — they’re versatile, so use them in a way that works for YOUR brand and YOUR industry.

How are you incorporating carousel posts into your social media strategy? We’d love to hear from you in the comments! For more marketing and branding tips visit the blog.

Why we love Creator Studio for all things Instagram and Facebook

Instagram and Facebook are always giving you tools to up your content game and get the algorithm on your side. A BW favourite is Creator Studio: a scheduling tool that helps users schedule and manage their content. Today, we dive into why a scheduling tool is essential for running every kind of brand — business or personal. There are a ton of benefits, so let’s get right into it.

*Don’t feel like reading? Watch the video below!*

1. Benefits of a scheduling tool

Content and time management

A scheduling tool will simplify your content management so you can focus on other things — like running your business. Getting your content planned, scheduled, and out of the way in one go will free up a ton of your time. Which in turn will make you feel more on top of things. When it comes to your content, it’s all about being proactive rather than reactive.

Brand management

Scheduling tools also allow you to zoom out and see your content from a bird’s eye view. Remember: content is a direct reflection of your brand. Viewing your content in a calendar helps you get a clear vision of the brand story you’re telling.

2. Benefits of Creator Studio

Algorithm boost

It might not seem fair, but Instagram and Facebook will favour content that was posted by their own tool. That means the algorithm is more likely to boost content posted through Creator Studio over other tools like Later or Hootsuite.

Geo-tagging and Alt Text

Another awesome bonus is that Creator Studio allows you to take care of those nitty gritty details like geo-tagging and alt text. These small but mighty features can go far in expanding your brand’s discoverability.

Schedule different kinds of IG content

Creator Studio gives you the option of scheduling not just still shots and videos to IG, but also IGTV and carousels. It’s a variety that other scheduling tools haven’t caught up to yet. And we can’t wait until we can schedule Reels [link to Reels post]!

Available on Desktop

The best part is, you can do all of this right from your desktop! No more hunching over your small phone screen and the risk of getting sucked into distractions. You can also engage with comments, etc.

How Creator Studio works

We’ve included a walkthrough in the below video, so be sure to watch for all the details. But here are a few tips:

Toggle between Facebook and Instagram

Once your Facebook and Instagram accounts are connected, you can easily toggle between them to check out ALL of your content. You can also take a peek at your engagement on published posts and stories.

Remember to schedule a Facebook time when scheduling IG

Creator studio gives you the option of scheduling a Facebook post at the same time as Instagram — and we love the convenience. But remember to separately schedule the time and date you want as otherwise, your Facebook post will go live immediately.

Go back and engage

Social media is for being SOCIAL. So don’t just set it and forget it — go back to those posts and communicate with your audience by liking comments, responding, and keeping the conversation going.

We always set our clients up for success with Creator Studio. It’s a no-brainer way to free up time, strengthen brand presence, and widen discoverability. Are you using a scheduling tool as part of your marketing strategy? Let us know about your experience!

For more social media and branding tips, head over to our blog.

Instagram best practices in 2021

Instagram’s best practices are always changing and it can be overwhelming to keep up. We’ve got you covered. This is a topic Stef has touched on before, but we’ve got a few new strategies and tips you can use to get the Instagram algorithm on your side.

*Not up for a full read? Watch the video below!*

Let’s recap

In our last IG 101 video, Stef shared her tips for you to work with the algorithm and boost your content. Here’s a recap of what we covered:

Follow relevant accounts
Vary your feed posts to include still photos, videos, and carousels
The first hour after posting is the most important — engage, engage, engage!
Share your feed post to your Instagram story to let your followers know about fresh content
Add Alt Text to your feed posts to help with indexing
Like the comments on your previous post
Use both relevant and niche hashtags
Use all of Instagram’s features

We highly recommend watching that video to get caught up or to refresh your memory on the above. Let’s dive into updated Instagram best practices and tips for business!

Stories

Did you know 79% of users open stories before they scroll? That’s a massive number, and it means you have the chance to capture eyes as soon as they get into the app. So how do we do that?

Get in the habit of posting

Try to post at least one story per day. I know, it can be awkward or we can feel like we don’t have anything exciting to show off — but it’s all about getting in the groove. Think of posting stories like a muscle. A muscle can’t grow if you don’t exercise it.

The algorithm favors posting 3-5 stories per day. That might seem like a LOT in the beginning, but the more you post, the easier it gets to spot those “postable” moments.

Make the most of Story features

As you’re posting, remember to use all of Instagram’s Story features like music, polls, questions, gifs, and any stickers that can apply to your business. Not only will the app boost your stories, but it’ll help keep your content varied and increase your engagement with your audience.

Reels

Reels are still new(ish). Let’s de-mystify them. If you’re wondering what they are and why the heck they’re important you can watch my initial video on Reels here.

How often should you post reels?

Instagram recommends posting 4-7 Reels a week. Yes, that’s a LOT. As for most things when it comes to social media, I say stick to quality over quantity. Sure, you could pump out 5 Reels per week, but are they valuable to your audience? If the answer is no, decrease the quantity and up the quality.

Reels are not TikToks

Reels and TikToks are similar, but their intended audiences are different and at the end of the day, the companies are competitors. So keep them separate. Remember: you wouldn’t eat a Big Mac in a Burger King — so I don’t recommend duplicating your TikToks onto Instagram. But if you’re going to cross-post, be sure to remove the watermarks to avoid having your engagement dinged.

While TikTok gives you up to a minute for videos, keep Instagram Reels to 30 seconds max.

Check for final touches

Be sure to keep all the text within the feed frame and choose a thumbnail that will still fit your on-feed aesthetic.

NOTE: Reels are a great way to increase your following and get your content in front of new, applicable audiences. Just like TikTok’s For You Page, users can continuously scroll through Reels that the algorithm deems relevant to them.

Direct Messages

Your DMs are another tool you can use to build real relationships with your followers. When it comes to messages, authentic engagement is key! Lucky for us, Instagram has a ton of features to help us connect with our followers.

Slide into those DMs

Don’t be afraid to slide into someone’s DMs! This is especially easy when someone has already opened a channel for communication by reacting or replying to your stories or commenting on your feed posts.

Use DM features

Stef always says that Instagram is a SOCIAL media app, and your messages are one of the best ways to get social. You can even switch things up by using voice notes. Not only will Instagram reward you for maximizing their features, but it’s a highly personal way of connecting with someone on the platform. On that note, you can do the same by sending direct pictures, videos, or links in the chat. Your DMs are also great way to also send your engaged followers to your website, a landing page, or even a purchase link!

At the end of the day, it’s about making an authentic connection and building your network!

Have you tried these Instagram tips for your business? We’d love to hear about your experience in the comments.

How to use Instagram stories to boost your engagement

Did you know that 79% of the time, people tap through Instagram stories before scrolling through their home feed? If you’ve been following my content, you’ll know why I share so much of my life through Instagram Stories. Because they work, period. They’re an effective way to capture an audience, boost engagement, and convert. So how can you make them work for you and your brand?

Instagram Stories are outlets to show off your brand personality — the side of you that people really connect to. So don’t aim for perfection. Be authentic instead. Use those moments to repeat content, re-engage, and remind your audience without over-saturating your feed with the same posts.

Here are my top eight tips for using Instagram Stories to boost your engagement.

*Don’t feel like reading? Watch the video!*

Set your goals

Setting goals for your IG Stories will give you a game plan and help you commit to posting consistently. What are your priorities are for each post? Sometimes it’s to drive direct conversion, and others, it might be to tell a brand story or show off your personality.

No matter what kind of content you’re putting out, make sure it’s backed with a crystal clear strategy.

Start now — they don’t have to be perfect

It’s time to show up for those goals and do them! They don’t have to be movie-production quality. They just need to be engaging and speak to your unique audience. It might feel like a slow or awkward start, but the more often you post, the more natural it’ll get.

Make it easy on yourself by setting up a content calendar that outlines which Stories are going live on which days. Then, fill in the blanks with on-the-go Stories that make sense for your brand. Keep an eye out for shareable moments that’ll pop up naturally as you go about your day.

Be conscious of your brand aesthetic and voice

Show up online the same way you would in a meeting, on your website copy, in emails, and in all of your assets. Remember, every piece of your branding is connected. So while it might seem like a small detail, how you speak in your Stories ties into how you present yourself. Communicate with your audience in a way that’s relatable and understandable for them.

The good news is, Instagram has upped their game on customization — so you can make your Stories your own, and make your brand stand out. Play with fonts and colours to find the best fit for your brand. Then, stick with that typography and colour story.

Use the in-app features

Instagram is constantly rolling out new features to help you engage your audience. Try to use as many as possible! Not only will Instagram love you for it and boost your engagement, but it keeps things fresh.

Features like Questions and Polls can be used in a practical way to get feedback from your following. Wondering how your audience feels about your new product? Use Questions and ask them directly!

Add media

Things like GIFs, Stickers, and Music are all there to make your Stories unique and engaging. Play with media and drop in elements that make sense for your brand personality.

Engage with DMs and sticker replies

As you use Stories more often, you’ll start getting replies and direct messages from your audience. This is exactly what we want! More engagement, more conversations, and more chances to have a two-way conversation. As I always say, Instagram is a SOCIAL media platform. So get social and keep that conversation going. Always engage back with people who write to you — and as you do, don’t forget to speak in your brand voice (read tip #3 for a refresher).

Maintain a variety of content

Keep a rotation of different kinds of content to keep things interesting. The last thing we want is for our audience to eye roll after posting the same thing for the millionth time.

Test different forms of content like straight to camera, product shots, or showing off the talented members of your team.

Post your feed posts to Stories in a conversational way

After posting on your feed, go ahead and share it on your Stories. Not only will it spark conversations with your audience, but it also boosts your algorithm. Check out my Instagram 101 blog post for a deeper overview of this.

Are Instagram Stories part of your content calendar? Let me know which of these strategies work best for you!

Get the full scoop on Instagram Reels

Just when you think you’re getting a grasp on your Instagram content, they throw another feature at us: Reels. Reels are 15 second video clips shared to your feed and new Reels page, offering up new brand-building initiatives.

How is it different from Stories, IGTV, or umm, TikTok? That’s what we’ll run through today.

*Scroll to the bottom of this page to watch the video*

What is Reels?

Instagram Reels are <15 second videos that will be housed in a new icon on your profile page between your Feed and IGTV. These 15 second videos can be created and shared in real-time a la Stories, but can also be created by uploading a video or multiple videos. Reels offers features like music, filters, and stickers to bring your storytelling to life.

Unlike Stories, Reels won’t disappear from your account in 24 hours, and will stay on your Reels feed. Reels aren’t meant to be super polished, but rather a glimpse at your brand’s personality with quick-to-social creative.

So yes, Instagram Reels is Facebook’s clap back to TikTok. But it’s way more than that, too.

Why did Instagram add Reels?

From January through March of 2020, TikTok had more app-installs than any company had ever seen in a single quarter. Proving further what we already knew to be true: video content is queen! Video engages followers — which builds trust, brand loyalty and community.

While Gen Z were undoubtedly the early adopters of TikTok, millennials now account for the highest population of TikTok users. Not because Gen Z has fallen off, but because their slightly older cohorts have also taken on the quirky, roughly-edited way video content is being brought to them. Instagram’s win here is that they have a whopping 1 million users, so this new feature will bring the people what they want, in a place they already are.

Editorial staff have known for a long time that written content is mostly consumed in snack-sized pieces or long form. This is proving true in the world of video as well. Instagram took a page out of Vine’s book with Stories, it’s coming for YouTube with IGTV, and here we see them again using their mammoth user base to maintain their market share over TikTok.

How do you use Reels?

For a straight-up tutorial on Reels, I recommend checking out Later’s post. I want to dive into the strategic side.

Reels are your opportunity to show the human side of you and your business. If you take nothing else away from this post, let it be that. We connect with humans and the human experience. Maybe your brand is funny, or relaxing, or motivating, it doesn’t matter. So how you use Reels should be raw and authentic to that story.

Here are some ideas that would make engaging, storytelling videos:

(Important: keep in mind we aren’t after perfection)

BTS of a photoshoot, great way to tease products or launches
Meet the team or in-office happenings, to promote talent acquisition
Tutorial videos to elevate your expertise, this could be styling, stretching, skin care, changing a faucet!
Before and after ideas, everyone loves a transformation
New arrivals or products
Routines, recipes, funny animals, chubby babies, jokes… honestly, you name it!

As I said above, Reels will be its own tab on your profile but I’d like to add that sharing a new Reel to your Stories and previewing it on your feed is the best way to get the most views.

What are the benefits of Reels?

I’ve heard from clients that the addition of Reels feels like another task in their already hectic lives. And I get it. But, this is a great time to take stock of what marketing efforts you’re putting in and which have room for improvement. Reels is still in its infancy, and is already offering up a lot of value:

1 billion Instagram users: while they don’t all follow you, this app has the most eyeballs
Reels has (proportionately) very little content on Instagram so far, this is a great time to capture a new audience
You don’t need high-quality video budgets: they truly don’t need to be perfect, just engaging
It’s simple video content! (See above)
All editing can be done right in your

More than anything, for me, this is an opportunity for you to build a loyal following and client-base. I’ve said this before and I will again, and again — you are your biggest superpower. You don’t have any issues when a customer walks into your shop/office/studio, but putting yourself out there online is scary! Remember, there are hundreds or thousands of competitors in your area, so breaking that third wall and letting people get to know you is critical.

If you aren’t doing it, they will. Sorry.

Should you be using and creating Reels?

Reels should sit naturally into your content calendar — remember my golden rule about not forcing content!

“Content is like a fart, if you have to force it it’s probably $#!t.”
~ Moi

***

If you’re still feeling a little lost in the world of Instagram Reels, that’s OK. I suggest spending some time in Reels as a user to grasp it from the audience perspective. What do you like? What grabs your attention? What kind of content are other people creating?

Don’t forget, you can always book a free consultation with me if you have questions. Or we can go for a fancy a coffee.

The Instagram story hack that will change your social media life

The Instagram stories swipe-up feature allows brands with more than 10K followers to direct link viewers. This provides insightful tracking and conversion. But you might wonder how you maximize the views on your stories while still growing your audience. It’s a valid question, and the answer is simple. Watch my video for the Instagram hack I even have clients with OVER 10K followers use.

This method gives you all of the benefits of the swipe-up feature (driving sales, increasing conversions, website and landing page visits, and more). Plus you establish a personal connection with your audience, and you can increase the metrics you track about who engages with your story.

Was this Instagram hack helpful for you? Let me know in the comments below! For more digital marketing and social media tips, visit the Biz blog.

Growth Hacking: Why you SHOULDN’T do it

My clients constantly forward me sales pitch emails from growth hacking companies with the promise of an overnight audience boom. Sound too good to be true? That’s because it is! The truth is, there is no such thing as overnight growth.

Growth hacking can be super detrimental to your brand as companies use bots for engagement — and Instagram knows… Let’s dive into why that is, and what you can do instead to attract the right audience.

*Scroll down to watch the video.*

Instagram wants users to spend as much time as possible in their app

It’s no surprise that Instagram wants users to get on their app and stay there. That’s why the algorithm watches closely for engagement activity like commenting, liking, saving, and sharing.

Think about user behaviour

We want to find our audience wherever they are. How are they using the app? When are they most likely to engage? Now put yourself in their shoes. What would you want to see in those moments? This is the kind of content we want to create for our following.

So, we know Instagram’s goal is to keep us on the app. And we know what keeps our own audience in the app. How can we make this work for brand growth and engagement? Hint: growth hacking isn’t the answer.

When we approach with growth hacking run by bots and algorithms, we completely lose the humanistic touch. What the bots deliver is purchased followers, unengaging comments, and likes from people who don’t fit our target audience. This signals to Instagram that you’re not using social media in a social way, and the app responds by dropping our ratings — doxing future engagement and making it really hard to build a loyal following.

Let’s combat this.

Engage, engage, engage

The real way to ‘growth hack’ is to engage. Interact with your audience in an authentic way! Use all of Instagram’s features and get social. Check out my Instagram 101 video for more tips on boosting your followers and engagement.

Tune into how the app responds to your actions

Think about how you use Instagram. The people always popping up at the top of your page are the people who you naturally engage with comments, back and forth tagging, and DM-ing memes. Take that knowledge and apply it to your audience interactions. When you speak like a real human, Instagram takes note and rewards you for it.

What’s driving you nuts about Instagram these days? I’m curious to know. Drop a comment below and let’s chat about it.