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October 16, 2017 0 Comments

5 Tips for Instagram for Business

As Instagram continues to be one of the biggest players in social media, it only makes sense that you’d use it for business.  According to Wordstream.com, 6 in 10 adults have Instagram accounts, while there are 15 million registered businesses using Instagram business profiles.

It’s an important place to be, and there are many things you can do to improve your presence on the platform to reach more people and share your knowledge.

Use Stories

We’ve all heard of Instagram Stories by now, which is Instagram’s answer to Snapchat.  According to Techcrunch, Instagram Stories are now doing better than Snapchat, with Instagram Stories at 250 million daily users compared to Snapchat’s 166 million.

Stories are a way to share behind the scenes content, everyday life, and more of a personal look at yourself and your business.  People do business with those they know, like, and trust, and stories are a fun, unfiltered way to show this off.  Give your followers a day in the life of your business, show them your favorite things, or some of your top tips and tools in doing business.  If you have employees, allow them access to post about their days in the business as well.

Another great thing about Stories is that it keeps you at the top of the page as you post content, so you stay on the minds of your customers and prospects.

Connect with Others

It’s great to utilize Instagram for posting, but it’s also important to interact with others! Take some time everyday to seek out other users and posts, adding thoughtful likes and comments as you see fit.

Go outside of your industry as well, since you’re more likely to find customers this way.  You can simply spend 10 minutes per day liking, following, and building up network on Instagram; this will make a big difference in your follower count and engagement.

Use Hashtags

Hashtags are important ways to be found on Instagram.  You can – and should – use hashtags on your own Instagram Stories and Instagram posts, but you can also use them to find others.

In your own posts, it’s best to post your normal post and caption, then include hashtags in a separate comment.  You can use up to 30 hashtags, and they should be a mix of generic tags (i.e. “#success”), more specific tags (“#hiremymom”), and location-based terms.  Location-based tags (i.e. “#palmbeacheventplanner”) are especially important if your business is local or brick and mortar.

Search hashtags daily to find others that are posting similar things to you, or seeking your services.  Offering a simple like or comment can lead them back to your profile, increasing the likelihood of a connection – or a sale.

Be Consistent

As with all social media sites, consistency is king!  Think beyond business posts too – your audience wants to get to know you.  Participate in #FollowFriday, a fun Friday event on Instagram where you introduce yourself to your followers.  You can include little-known facts and other information about how you got your start in business.  These types of posts keep you relevant while providing content.

Do your best to post on a consistent schedule in a way that’s feasible for you and your schedule.

Keep an Eye on Quality

Instagram is still a visual platform, so quality photos are a must on your main Instagram feed.  Instagram Stories can be much more informal, but do your best to edit your regular photos to be as nice as possible.

People like to look at beautiful images, so do your best to keep your feed looking good.  Also, the top 9 images on your Instagram feed are the most viewed, so always ensure that they’re reflecting you, your business, and your brand as well as possible.

To succeed as a business on Instagram, include some items that aren’t simply business, connect with your audience, and be consistent!

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January 9, 2017 0 Comments

4 Top Tips for Using Facebook for Business

Facebook is an important and useful tool for promoting and sharing as your business.  Whether you’re a business owner, post content for other companies, or simply promote your services via social media, using Facebook effectively is key.

Read along for some top tips to ensure that you’re utilizing Facebook in the most effective ways.

Stay consistent

Consistency is key, and it’s the way to keep your readers engaged with your brand and its content.  If you’re posting very sporadically, no one gets to know you.  Try to avoid posting five times per week, followed by once per month, followed by 3 times per day.  Get into a routine that suits your content and schedule, and make sure that it’s realistic.

To start, figure out how much time you have to create content.  If it’s one hour per week, determine how long it takes to create each post.  You’ll also want to factor in consistency here and determine if this will be feasible as an ongoing schedule. From here, create a content schedule that includes the content that will be posted with the date and time.  If you’re able to do this weeks or months in advance – even better! Do what you need to do to establish a routine that is consistent and doable for your schedule.

Visual appeal

Your posts can’t simply be informative, they must also look nice. Articles can simply use the attached photo or a stock image, but your quotes, tips, and customized posts need to look their best and match your branding.  Facebook is a very visual platform, and posts containing graphics often per

You can utilize programs such as InDesign or Illustrator to create graphic posts, or simply use free online tools like Canva, Pablo, or PicMonkey.  These sites allow you to upload images, add text and/or shapes, and so on.  You’re able to create stunning posts in a matter of minutes, and it’s much better than constantly borrowing graphics from others.

Avoid selling

If you have a business, your first reaction in using Facebook for business is likely for sales.  Unfortunately, this isn’t the best course of action for social media.  It’s tempting, especially with a large, engaged audience, but it’s not ideal.  This doesn’t mean you can never feature your products and services, but they should always include the benefits to your prospects.  Additionally, you’ll still want to keep these posts to a minimum.

Your goal, in using Facebook for business, is establishing a presence, as well as establishing yourself as an expert in your line of work.  Provide a generous amount of valuable information to your readers, and they will realize that you have a lot of knowledge in your area.  You can also provide tips, advice, product usage information, benefits of using your type of services, inspirational quotes and information, and much more.  Keep your information varied and interesting, but ensure that 75-80% is valuable versus salesy.

When you do post something that could lead to a sale, your audience will be more likely to receive this favorably, since you are the expert and they’ve valued your free information so much so far.

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