GROW YOUR INSTAGRAM

#1 – Optimize Your Profile

Your profile is the first thing potential followers will see. It’s kinda like your storefront… and if it isn’t inviting they are going to walk right past.

There are four main components to your profile:

    Profile Picture
    Username & Tag Line
    Bio
    Website URL

#2 – Connect With Others In Your Niche

Find similar accounts in your niche and connect with them, and their followers.

What do I mean by this?

Well, if you find other accounts in your niche who have good growth and engagement rates their followers must be interested in the content they are sharing.

SaveWith Emma Louise1Emma Louise | Online Business + Blogging Tips + Grow Your TrafficOnline Business + Blogging Tips + Grow Your Traffic >> withemmalouise.com

And if your content is similar, then those followers may be interested in what you are sharing as well.

Don’t wait for potential followers to just stumble upon your profile – shove your profile in front of their faces!

Another great way to connect with others in your niche is to use the ‘suggested accounts’ that Instagram shows you. These generally pop up when you follow an account, and a list of other profiles will appear.

#3 – Post Regularly!

Instagram is all about consistency, so if you want your account to grow you need to post daily.

Now don’t go overboard and post five times a day, because that will just be annoying and turn followers away.

Quality over quantity!!

Use your analytics or track your engagement to know when it’s the best time to post (what time of the day are your followers most engaged). You need to stay relevant and show your followers they can rely on you for content.

Post one or two quality posts a day, at optimized times.

#4 – Use Relevant Hashtags

I want you to think of hashtags of like your best mate.

They are there to support you on your journey and to keep people engaged in your content.

These are the search terms that people will type in to find relevant photos or accounts to follow. You need to show up where you should, so using appropriate hashtags is vital.

Get specific about what you do as this will attract more targeted followers to your account (people who are actually interested in your content).

You have a total of 30 hashtags that you can use. Mix it up! Use a variety of hashtags that describe the particular photo you are sharing, as well as what your entire account is all about.
.
#5 – Post With A Purpose

To get the most engagement on your posts, you need to have a purpose for their creation.

What do you want the post to achieve?

Is it going to inspire, motivate, inform, sell, cross-promote etc.

Just chucking up any old photo with a quick crappy caption is not going to get you anywhere. This is where strategy comes into play.

Winging it will only get you so far! You need to understand your followers and post content that they are interested in and will engage with.

THANK YOU

19 OF THE BEST MARKETING ACTIVITIES YOU CAN DO IN 1 HOUR OR LESS

If you’re like most bloggers and business owners, you probably feel like your marketing activities are never-ending. Just when you think you’ve done it all, you realise there are a few other things you have to do. Can you relate?

One of the best ways to get a handle on your marketing is to make it a habit and set aside just ONE hour a day for your marketing activities. Is that even possible? It sure is and it’s where I recommend all my clients start out. It’s amazing what you can get done in an hour if you are intentional with your time and have a plan.

Think you need more than an hour to do something productive? Think again! In this post, I’m going to share 19 marketing activities you can do in just one hour or less.

*Bonus: Many of these marketing activities are 100% FREE and some take far less time than an hour!

#1 | START A BLOG

If you don’t already have a blog, this is absolutely where you should start. Your blog is where you attract readers and get social shares and links to your website. It’s key to establishing trust with your audience through sharing relevant, valuable tips and information.

#2 | CREATE YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA GRAPHICS FOR THE WEEK

If you follow me on all my social media platforms, you know how much I love posting eye-catching graphics. Thankfully, there are so many amazing tools out there so anyone can create their own social media graphics quickly and easily. This includes:

• Cover photos
• Profile photos
• Blog post graphics
• Quote graphics

The possibilities are endless!

I personally love using Canva to create my social media graphics for all my marketing activities. Read a tutorial on how to use it here.

#3 | DO A FACEBOOK LIVE

Facebook Lives are a great way for you to connect with your audience in a more casual, personalised way. Here are some ideas for your Facebook Lives:

• Product tutorials
• Interview
• Q&A’s
• Contests and giveaways
• Flash sales
• Behind-the-scenes videos
• Workshops

#4 | CHECK OUT YOUR WEBSITE ANALYTICS

Regularly monitoring your website activity is so important when it comes to marketing activities. It can help you figure out which topics and content-types your visitors ACTUALLY want more of. It can also show you exactly where your visitors are visiting your website from and this can be key to knowing how and where to promote your stuff. Here are some key areas to pay attention to:

• Top site content
• Top landing pages
• Top traffic sources/medium
• Monthly users
• Time on page
• Bounce rate

Discover more about how to use Google Analytics in this blog post.

#5 | WRITE A BLOG POST

Now, not every blog post can be written in an hour or less. But some can. Here are some tips for writing a super quick, valuable blog post:

• Write a list post (10 of the best ways to do XYZ)
• Cut out all distractions while you write
• Create a brief outline before you start writing
• Always remember who you’re writing for

If you keep the problems or issues of your readers at the front of your mind, it can help you write lightning fast.

Bonus tip: Use the Facebook Live tip from tip 3 above and have it transcribed for a blog post. This is definitely smart marketing!

#6 | CREATE A FACEBOOK AD

Facebook ads can be a quick and inexpensive way to increase your page likes, build your email list, and get more traffic to your blog. And keep in mind: I’m not talking about the “Boost Post” button - that doesn’t give you nearly enough flexibility.

#7 | SCHEDULE YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT FOR THE WEEK

Coming up with consistent content to post on social media can feel overwhelming at times. But doing it ahead of time - especially in batches - can make the whole process so much easier and faster.

#8 | DO SOME KEYWORD RESEARCH

Many bloggers and business owners think SEO and keyword research is a long, involved process. And while there are definitely aspects of it that can take a while, basic keyword research isn’t one of them. Take an hour to pinpoint a bunch of topics and keywords, and keep them in a document or spreadsheet for future blog posts.

#9 | SEND OUT AN EMAIL TO YOUR LIST

The weekly letter that I send out every Tuesday always takes me 30 minutes or less. So, don’t assume you need to spend hours slaving away at your newsletter in order for it to be effective. Here are some ideas for your next newsletter:

• A weekly roundup of what’s happening in your industry
• A flash sale
• A note of support or encouragement
• Repurpose an old blog post
• Give a list of industry-related tips or tricks

#10 | CREATE A QUICK OPT-IN/CONTENT UPGRADE

Some opt-ins will take longer than an hour to create. But creating a simple one or two-page guide, checklist or template shouldn’t take you more than an hour. Here are some ideas for your opt-in or content upgrades:

• Cheat sheet
• Worksheet
• List of tools
• Script
• Tutorial
• Industry report
• Survey responses
• Quiz
• Resource list

#11 | FIND OUT WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT YOU ONLINE

It’s super important that you regularly set aside time for social listening when it comes to your marketing activities and online reputation management. Whether people are saying good or bad things about you, you NEED to know so you can respond. Be sure to search for keywords like your full name, business name, product name...and even your competitor's names.

#12 | FIND TOPICS FOR FUTURE BLOG POSTS

There’s nothing worse than sitting down to write a blog post and having ZERO ideas. To avoid this, take 30 minutes or so to brainstorm topic ideas you want to write about in the future. Here are some ideas to help trigger your inspiration:

• Note down popular keywords when doing keyword research
• Look at top sites in your industry to get inspired
• Do some searches on BuzzSumo to see which topics have already proven popular
• Read through your blog and social media comments to look for common questions
  
  
  FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK AND PINTEREST FOR MORE FREE TIPS

   

10 Video Ideas for Small Businesses + Video Tips

 

Practically everyone wants to create video content for their social media channels, but that’s often easier said than done! Video tends to require high-quality devices, video editing software, and lots of storage on your computer, not to mention experience. However, it doesn’t need to be this way! Chances are if you have a smartphone in your pocket, it’s probably all you need to record videos for your social media channels. Find some basic video tips for recording on your phone, then start making some videos from this list to increase your engagement and reach on social media!
Basic video recording tips:

• Lighting: If possible, record in a room with lots of natural sunlight. If that isn’t possible, make sure the room is well-lit with artificial light. The best kind of indoor lighting is white light that’s pointed onto the ceiling, rather than directly in your face (which creates lighting that’s too harsh).
• Background: Pay attention to what’s in your background. Nice backgrounds include bookshelves, tidy office spaces, or plain walls (black is better than white because white often washes people out). If you’re using an empty wall, try to take a few steps away from it to reduce your shadow.
• Audio: Consider closing your door if you have kids running around or dogs that might bark. If you’re recording in an empty room, add some pillows/blankets to absorb the echo. I advise against recording outside because wind, cars and lawn mowers can all make it difficult for the audience to hear.
• Camera placement: I recommend placing your phone somewhere stationary and eye-level rather than hand holding it. This will keep your camera steady and allow you to use your hands freely while looking directly at the camera. If you’re creating the video for Facebook or YouTube, record it while your phone is horizontal. If you’re planning on using the video on Instagram Stories or IGTV (Instagram TV), record it vertically.
• Content over quality: Your videos don’t need to be perfect. Many viral videos are of low quality, but the content is what makes them shareable. Do you remember the “Charlie Bit My Finger” YouTube video? As of April 2019, it had over 868 million views on YouTube. The video is pretty poor quality, but the content is humorous and shareable. If you share valuable, interesting, or funny content, your audience will appreciate it, even if it wasn’t recorded professionally.

 

  video ideas:

1. Create a product: Show your audience what steps you take to make your product.
2. Explain product uses: Describe the different ways customers can use your product.
3. Discuss an upcoming event: Promote your event by telling your audience what’s in it for them to attend.
4. Answer your audience’s questions: Create a post asking your audience to post their questions and that you’ll answer them later in the week in a video.
5. Create a slideshow: Facebook has a built-in slideshow feature that allows you to select images and they’ll automatically turn them into a video. Pretty awesome, right?
6. Perform your service: Show your followers how you help your clients.
7. Educate: Record yourself sharing tips related to your industry or business that help your audience.
8. Create a Boomerang video (or many!): This fun, short videos can be applied to practically anything, and are a super easy way to create a video, even if the situation is otherwise better-suited for a picture. They’re often used to show excitement or food. How to create a boomerang video: Open the Instagram app to the camera and select “Boomerang” along the bottom. Press and hold the button while you record one movement. The video will play forward then backward (similar to a boomerang) repetitively.
9. Customer sightings: Did a cute puppy stop by? A kid wearing one of your products? (Make sure you get the legal guardian’s permission before posting a minor’s picture or video.) Take a video of the puppy, and a Boomerang (see above) of the kid doing something, such as putting his/her hands in the air.
10. Office happenings: Record interesting things that happen in your workplace. Did the office sing happy birthday to a co-worker? Share it online wishing your employee a happy birthday!

These tips and video ideas should help you create quick video content to improve your social media game. Remember, do the best with what’s available to you, and don’t be afraid to whip out your camera when something unusual is happening!