Despite the rise of other social media platforms like TikTok and Snapchat, Facebook still remains an incredibly important marketing channel, boasting over 2.7 billion monthly active users! As such, many businesses will continue to use Facebook as their prime marketing platform for the foreseeable future. However, while Facebook is an excellent place to market goods and services, Facebook marketing strategies and trends tend to change over time so it is important to stay on top of the latest Facebook marketing updates. In this article, we will break down some of the top Facebook marketing trends for 2021.
Here are the top Facebook marketing trends to be aware of for 2021:
1. Video
When Facebook first came out, it was primarily an image and text sharing platform. However, recently, video content has been gaining a lot of momentum on the site. In fact, video content now makes up roughly 17 percent of all content on Facebook. In Q3, 2020, the amount of video content on the platform rose 2.6% from the previous year. Facebook users are demonstrating an increasing demand and preference for video content. Because of this, many companies are now coming up with lots of different creative ways to use and post marketing videos to their audiences on Facebook. These videos can often be created from the comfort of your own home using video creation apps, like Boosted. This trend will most likely continue throughout 2021. Need help formatting your videos for Facebook? Check out this Facebook video guide here.
2. Augmented Reality (AR)
Augmented reality, also known as AR, is a technology that projects computer-generated, virtual augmentations to our reality in order to create unique and entertaining experiences. Augmented reality is different from virtual reality, which involves creating a completely virtual world. In the past year, and especially during the pandemic, many people have been using augmented reality filters in their pictures and video on Facebook, in addition to on many other social media platforms, like Instagram. More and more companies are starting to use their own AR filters to engage their audiences and enhance the experience customers have with their brands. Because users like AR filters so much, it is very likely that brands will use them more heavily in 2021 as it becomes more accessible to create these unique filters.
3. Customer Journey Tracking
In order for marketers to get the greatest possible ROI on their ad spend, they need to be able to fully understand the customer journey and to see which advertising strategies are working and which are not. To help understand this journey, Facebook released the Facebook Attribution Tool several years ago. This tool allows brands to get a complete understanding of their customer journeys. For example, using this Attribution Tool, brands can see if customers are coming more from mobile or desktop, messenger or audience network, Facebook or Instagram, etc. In 2021, the Facebook Attribution Tool is expected to become even more important for marketers as Facebook ad prices continue to rise and the need for high marketing ROI increases. To get a better understanding of Facebook ads as a tool for giving your engagement a boost, check out this guide here.
4. Newsfeed Ads
For a number of years now, newsfeed ads have been both the most popular and the most effective types of ads on Facebook. This is largely because newsfeed ads appear directly in the user’s line of vision when they are scrolling through their newsfeed. It is almost impossible not to see them! Brands prefer newsfeed ads so much that roughly 58.2 percent of all ad spend on Facebook by businesses is newsfeed ads. Newsfeed ads also have an average click-through rate of 1.82%, which is higher than other forms of Facebook ads. Because of the high click-through rates and prominent display areas, newsfeed ads will most likely continue to dominate in 2021. New to Facebook ads? Get started now!
5. Personalization
Personalization is another Facebook marketing trend that will continue to surge in 2021. The reason why personalization is so important for Facebook marketing is because customers simply don’t find generic marketing messaging very interesting. However, when marketing messaging is personalized to their preferences, interests, likes, users are much more interested in the messaging and more likely to engage. In fact, personalized messages are three times as likely to convert as generic messages. For this reason, marketers will continue to use personalization heavily in 2021 most likely.
6. Facebook Stories
Stories have become extremely popular on most social media platforms like Snapchat and Instagram. Now they are also becoming very popular on Facebook. Stories are just brief videos that allow brands to provide updates about their company whenever they want to. Facebook stories can be a type of video marketing – they’re great because they generally require very little production and editing and can be published very quickly. Because Stories are so easy to use, and because social media users love them, Facebook stories will most likely be more heavily used by marketers in 2021.
7. User-Generated Content
User-generated content is quickly becoming a key marketing method for many brands. This is because user-generated content allows brands to reduce their marketing costs by getting quality image and video content for free from their customers. One company that uses this strategy with extreme effectiveness is GoPro. GoPro regularly provides awards to its users for the best user-generated content. This content can be easily distributed on Facebook to increase engagement and interest in the company. User-generated content has become even more popular during these past months when companies are needing to pivot their marketing strategies for a more DIY approach. Check out here how to utilize user-generated content to give your Instagram profile a boost as well!
Conclusion
2021 is coming and your business needs to get ready for the new year! In addition to following new social media content trends for 2021, you will need to jump on the new Facebook marketing campaign tools available. Being aware of these key changes will allow you to take full advantage of Facebook for your marketing needs. If you are already capitalising on some of these Facebook marketing trends, then you are ahead of the game, congrats! However, if you are not currently using any of these Facebook marketing trends, then you should strongly consider starting to use some of them. You can start with just one, or you can use a number of different Facebook marketing techniques. Needless to say, however, the sooner you start using them, the sooner you can start benefiting from them.
Instagram Polls: The Complete Guide for Small Businesses
What is an Instagram Poll?
An Instagram poll is a poll that you can post to your Instagram Story to allow your followers to vote on various topics. For example, a poll could be created to ask followers which product they like better, A or B. The great thing about Instagram polls is that they are completely customizable – you can use them to ask your followers their opinions on just about anything!
What are the Benefits of Instagram Polls?
Instagram polls allow you to view real-time data that is highly relevant for your business. It allows you to better understand your customers and to get feedback from them extremely quickly. You can then use the data from Instagram polls to make smarter business decisions. Everything from product design to marketing can benefit from Instagram polls.
Another key benefit of Instagram polls is that many followers find them entertaining and enjoy participating in them. After all, who doesn’t like having their opinion heard? Polls are also highly shareable and if you create polls that are interesting enough to your followers, there is a good chance that they will share them!
Essentially, Instagram polls not only help you to get extremely valuable feedback from your customers, but they also help to generate attention for your brand and keep your followers and customers engaged. For all of these reasons, your business should be using Instagram polls regularly if you are not already doing so.
How to Use Instagram Polls
The first thing that you need to know about Instagram polls is that they are only available to use through Instagram Stories. So, you are going to have to create an Instagram Story if you would like to use Instagram polls. Don’t know how to create an Instagram Story? We got you covered with this Instagram Story ultimate guide. And while you’re at it, make sure to check out our complete guide for Instagram business categories.
Here is how to create an Instagram poll step-by-step:
Step 1. Create a Story Post
For your Story post, you can use a photo, text or video for your background. However, if you are going to use a photo for your Story post, then you should try to make the image as relevant as possible for the poll. You do not want to use a random photo because that will confuse your audience. You should apply any filters, text, emojis, or doodles before you post the poll. But, make sure that you leave some room in the post for the poll.
Step 2. Add a Poll to Your Story Post
To do this, you click on the sticker icon at the top of the story screen. The sticker icon is the square with the face. Once you have clicked on the sticker icon, click on the poll sticker option. After you have clicked on the poll sticker option, you will be given a choice to add your question and a “Yes/No” poll box will appear. You will then be given the chance to type in your question. You can choose any question that you want to ask. Just make sure that it is appropriate for your audience and complies with all Instagram rules. If you don’t want the responses to be “Yes/No” you can tap on the boxes and write in any responses you want. So, for example, if you want your followers to choose between a red product and a blue product, then you can write “Red/Blue” in the answer boxes.
Step 3. Position Your Poll
Once the poll sticker is created, you will have to position it on your story post. You should pick a spot where it fits and looks good. You can move the poll to any area of the screen and you can pinch it to make it smaller or larger, just like you can do with any other sticker. You want to make sure that the poll sticker is large enough to read comfortably, but not so large that it blocks out the rest of your post. This is especially true if you are using a high-quality image that is relevant for your poll – you want your audience to be able to see the image too. So, make sure to choose a position for your poll and then move on to the next step.
Step 4. Share Your Story and Poll
After you have completed the first three steps, the next step is to share your Story with the poll! You do this by adding it to your Stories. Once you have posted your Story with the poll, viewers will be able to see the post and respond to the poll question. If your followers have never seen an Instagram poll before, then they may even be given a prompt that explains to them what it is when they click on it. Hopefully, once your Story and poll are live, a lot of your followers will share the poll and give their answers. If they do this, then you can get a lot of valuable data from your poll.
Step 5. Enable Push Notifications
Make sure that your push notifications are enabled for Instagram on your phone. This way, you will be able to get a notification when someone votes on your poll. Doing this will enable you to get real-time data on the polls. This is especially helpful if you need the data quickly. For example, if you are struggling to make a business decision that needs to be made ASAP and if you want to hear from your customers before you make the decision.
Using the Poll Data
Ideally, you will get all the data that you need from the poll within the first 24-48 hours. If you have never used an Instagram poll before, you might be surprised at how clear the results are. However, even though polls oftentimes show one answer being the clear winner, sometimes the results are more even.
Instagram Story and poll data are extremely easy to use and understand. All that you have to do is look at the final results of the poll and see which answer won. Then you can take that feedback and use it to influence the business decision that you were trying to make. For example, if you set up an Instagram poll and asked customers if they preferred product A or product B, and if the results showed that they preferred product B, then you can focus a larger percentage of your marketing dollars promoting product B.
Other Helpful Tips
One great way to boost poll engagement is to create polls around topics that are trending. For example, if there is a big sports game coming up, you can create a poll around the sports game. People tend to get very excited and enthusiastic about hot trending topics, so you might be able to increase the amount of poll responses by making the polls about those topics.
Another thing that can increase poll engagement is if you use an emoji slider for your polls. In other words, if you let your poll participants respond to the poll with emojis, this can help to boost engagement. This is because many people like to use emojis on Instagram and would prefer to answer with an emoji as to a word.
Conclusion
Instagram polls are a win/win. You win by getting extremely valuable data from your followers and by creating higher levels of engagement. Your customers win by getting enjoyment from being able to give their opinions on things that interest them. Instagram polls are a great marketing tool and they can help you to get a much better understanding of the opinions of your followers and customers. If you have never tried using Instagram polls before, then you should give it a shot and see how you like the results. Many companies are very happy with the results that they get and continue using Instagram polls indefinitely.
7 Quick Tips to Build an Instagram Hashtag Strategy
In the year 2021, hashtags are a fantastic way to reach new audiences on Instagram. They require very little effort and no cash investment, but they can lead people who may be interested in your content right to you.
But how do you choose the right Instagram hashtags for your post? How many should you use, and where should you put them? Whether you have a sleek video ad or image you want to share, the right IG hashtag strategy, alongside an awesome video maker and story editor can definitely help. Here are some 7 quick and effective tips to up your Instagram hashtag game:
1. Be conscious of the number and placement of your hashtags
In a recent study, SocialInsider examined 650,000 Instagram posts to determine how hashtag use affected their performance. What they found was that overall, posts with 7 or 30 hashtags hidden in the caption got the most engagement.
However, they found that the number, placement, and visibility of hashtags for optimal performance varied according to the profile size. Here are their profile-size-specific recommendations:
Number of followers
Number of hashtags
Placement
Under 5k
6
Hidden in caption
5k-10k
5
First comment
10k-50k
2
Hidden in caption
50k-100k
8
Hidden in caption
100k+
6
First comment
2. Hide your IG hashtags in the caption
If your brand is in any of the categories where hiding your hashtags in the caption is most effective, you may be wondering: how does one hide a hashtag?
Instagram limits the amount of text shown on your feed and hides additional text behind a “show more” link. Your goal is to get your hashtags to appear after that link. The problem is, when you’re keeping your captions short and sweet — always a good idea — how do you add enough text to keep your hashtags hidden?
The trick is to add line breaks. But this is a little harder than it sounds, because the Instagram app tends to wipe out line breaks added to text inputted directly to the caption editor.
The solution is to type your caption in a different text editor (like a note-taking app), then copy-paste. Type a character (a period is most inconspicuous, but you could also use asterisks or anything you like), then a line break, then another character, then another line break, until you have at least 5 lines. Add your hashtags underneath, and then copy and paste the whole thing into the Instagram caption editor.
Check out this example to see how it is done:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CK6Ymo_MZyN/
3. Find popular hashtags related to your brand
Check out what hashtags influencers and brands like yours are using. People interested in related content will be searching those hashtags and will therefore be more likely to come across your content. It’s a great way to ensure your posts are reaching appropriate audiences.
When you type a hashtag into the caption editor, Instagram will automatically tell you how many posts exist that use that hashtag. You can also use a hashtag finder or generator tool to help you discover hashtags related to your content.
4. Search Instagram hashtags before using them
Before you use a hashtag on Instagram, make sure search it yourself to see who is using it and what kind of content comes up. Just because a popular influencer or brand used it, doesn’t mean it’s appropriate for your content.
5. Combine popular IG hashtags with smaller niche hashtags
It’s the eternal dilemma of online advertising: should you use a popular search term/category/hashtag, which may have a wider reach, but a lot more competition? Or should you use a smaller niche one, which may not appeal to as wide an audience, but is more likely to be seen by people looking for that specific kind of content?
The answer is: both!
Popular photography hashtags can certainly put you on the map, but there are a lot of other Instagrammers on the map. Niche or location-based hashtags help you stand out to the audience that is most relevant to you. Use a combination of both in every post.
6. Keep a list
You don’t have to reinvent the wheel every time you post something on IG. Compile a list of hashtags relevant to your brand. That way, when you create a post, you can consult the list and choose appropriate hashtags without having to conduct exhaustive research all over again. You can also mark on this list how many times you’ve used each hashtag.
7. Switch it up
Varying your hashtags makes it possible to reach a wider and more diverse audience. People who search #sailing are not necessarily the same people who search #sailboats, but if you’re a sailboat rental company, it’s a good idea to reach all of them. Using different hashtags in each post gives you the opportunity to try out lots of different hashtags and see which ones get you the most engagement.
Remember that Instagrammers use hashtags to find content that interests and inspires them. By employing these tips and using a variety of relevant hashtags, you’ll help the people most interested in your message find you — and hopefully, become devoted followers and customers.
Check out how this post switches it up with the hashtag use in post and in the comments for a great variety of hashtags!
https://www.instagram.com/p/CKMoQi1hxND/
Instagram Hashtag Strategy Action Items:
1. Tweak the amount of hashtags you use, as well as the placement of your hashtags, according to the chart above. 2. Research hashtags relevant to your brand & industry. 3. Get organized. Keep a list of the hashtags you’re using and plan to use different hashtags for each post (remember to combine popular hashtags with smaller niche hashtags). 4. Check your Insights regularly to see how well your hashtag strategy is working. Within your Post Insights, you can see how many Post Impressions came from the hashtags you used.
How to Create a Killer Social Media Content Strategy for 2021 & Beyond
By: Cori Widen, Product Marketing Lead at Boosted by Lightricks
In the past decade or so, social media has been an exciting new frontier in marketing. It has so much going for it as a marketing platform: it’s (mostly) free, it’s audience-driven, it’s fun, and it can be extremely effective.
But if you want to use social media to grow your business, it’s not enough to post whatever you feel like, whenever you feel like. Having a well-researched, social media content plan means the time and resources you invest in social media marketing won’t go to waste.
This guide will teach you how to create an effective social media content strategy that will help your brand flourish in 2021.
Align your social media content strategy with your target audiences
Marketing always starts with identifying and understanding your target audience. Who are the people who need your product or service most, and how can you reach them? An accurate customer profile will guide you throughout the rest of the process, and the only way to create one is to do your research.
Gather as much information as you can about your most loyal customers. Some questions to include:
What is their age range?
Where do they live? Both location and time zone are valuable to know here.
What language do they speak?
What are their interests?
What’s important to them?
What challenges do they encounter that are related to your product?
The more specific a buyer persona you build, the more effectively you’ll be able to target them on social media.
Analyze the performance of previous social content
If your company already has active social media accounts, you have some valuable data at your disposal right now. Take a look at the analytics of that platform and pinpoint what’s worked well and what hasn’t. Identify the highest-performing pieces of content and analyze the elements they have in common: what type of content was it? Images? Video? Text? What was the tone? What kind of message did it convey? When was it posted?
Once you’ve delved into the analytics, make sure to tweak your social media content strategy accordingly. Let’s say your company is focusing on its Instagram content strategy. If you have an Instagram Business account and are studying your account’s Insights, take a look at: Insights > Audience > Followers. There, you can analyze both Hours (the average times your followers are on Instagram on a typical day) & Days (the days of the week when your followers are the most active). Study when your audience is most active and then plan your future Instagram content for the hours and days when your audience is most likely to engage:
For more information on understanding your Instagram Insights, check out this blog.
Additionally, don’t be afraid to reach out to your existing audience about whether they’re enjoying your current content, as well as what type of content they’d like to see in the future. You can poll your followers to find out, like @EliseDarma did via Instagram Stories recently:
Research competitors and influencers in your field
Competitors, influencers, and complementary business accounts can provide a lot of useful information and inspiration for your own social media content plan. Some tips on when researching competitors’ social accounts include:
Be sure to analyze:
Which social platforms they’re active on
How many followers they have on each platform
Their posting frequency
The types of content they’re posting
Which content receives the highest engagement
Their feeds can also give you ideas for content of your own to develop (just be sure not to copy from them).
You may also discover gaps in types of content provided by brands in your field, pinpointing a niche that your company may be able to fill.
Another benefit of getting to know your competitors and social media influencers in your field is that you can reach out to them for mutually beneficial partnerships. Arrange social media takeovers of each other’s accounts to cross-pollinate your audiences or collaborate on giveaways. Instagram is the prime platform for creating collaborative content like this.
Choose your social media platforms
Before you start churning out content, you should make sure that you’re using a platform where your target audience actually hangs out. Different social media platforms attract different demographics. Research which platforms are most popular with people who match your customer profile.
Here are five of the world’s most popular social media platforms that you should keep in mind when planning your social media strategy in 2021:
Another thing to consider is whether the platform supports the type of content that best showcases your work. Some platforms are more text-based, while others are image or video-based.
Also, remember that your following on one platform may be completely different from your following on another platform. This is great, because it widens and diversifies your reach, but it also means you need to strategize differently for each platform. Be sure as well to look out for new and emerging platforms to incorporate into your social content strategy.
For more in-depth and platform specific guides, check out these social media content strategy guides here to guide you in 2021:
Facebook content strategy: Mapping out a Facebook content strategy can make your Facebook engagement more meaningful for your brand.
TikTok content strategy: TikTok content is a new frontier but with the right content strategy you can grow your TikTok brand exponentially, despite video time limits.
LinkedIn content strategy: A solid corporate content strategy for your LinkedIn company page can bring your many new eyeballs and customers.
Instagram content strategy: Instagram engagement is more than just likes; a brand needs a clear content strategy in order to succeed in the busy waters of Instagram.
Snapchat content strategy: Snapchat may not be the leading social platform anymore, but it still has a serious presence: your Snapchat content strategy should not be overlooked.
Pinterest content strategy: Pinterest has a TON of new customer potential if you can sharpen your content strategy to bring the right type of Pinterest user to your brand page.
Reddit content strategy: Reddit is a combo message board and social platform, but there is indeed a way for brands to utilize various content strategies on Reddit.
Quora content strategy: Quora might look like a quirky FAQ portal, but you’d be surprised at how many brands are killing in on Quora simply because they have a clever Quora content strategy.
Medium.com content strategy: Medium is the online magazine that every brand should be aiming for, as a thought leadership platform that can raise a brand’s web presence to many new relevant audiences.
Determine your social media content style
The look, feel, tone, and voice of your social media content should stay consistent with those of your brand. Decide what type of content is a good fit for your business: what are the topics your posts should address? What messages or information will be most valuable to your customers, and how can you convey those things in a way they’ll find engaging?
Set out your SM goals and objectives
A solid social media content strategy requires concrete goals and objectives. What is it you’re hoping to achieve with your social media accounts over the next week, month, or quarter? It’s a good idea to set goals for overall performance — such as increasing your following or website traffic — as well as goals for each individual post, such as click-through rates (CTRs), conversion rates and engagement.
Additionally, it is a great practice to set a meeting at the end of each month to check in and see if your brand is reaching its goals and to assess your brand’s ROI on social media. See this blog for recommendations on how to effectively measure this.
Gather the right resources for high-quality content
Your social media accounts are the interactive online face of your brand. They need to look and sound professional as well as reflect the personality of your brand.
You’ll need well-designed videos and/or images, as well as concise, crisp copy that’s in line with the voice of your business. Make sure you have the resources to produce high-quality posts — and that may include staff members who specialize in creating and managing that content as well as a budget for outsourcing, paid ads, and professional tools for management and design of social media content. And of course, a high quality video maker for ads.
If you don’t have a design team or much of a budget for design, don’t be intimidated – it is very possible to execute an effective social media content strategy without breaking the bank. Here are some tools that you can use on your own to create high-quality social media content:
Use Boosted to create social videos that look professionally produced. You can use your own footage or select stock footage, and then add text and other elements. Here are some examples of the type of content you can create with Boosted:
Unsplash is a great resource for free, high-quality images that you can share across social media.
Now that you’ve collected all this information, it’s time to draw up a social media content plan.
You can develop a weekly or monthly plan, depending on your needs. Chart a content calendar based on what you’ve learned about your target audience behavior and responses, incorporating ideas you’ve gathered for content that will engage them. This outline will serve as your guide for what and how often to post, and should include concrete concepts that your team will be able to turn into content easily.
Here are 4 few different options for creating your social media content calendar (pick the style that works best for you!):
Google Sheets
A project management tool like Trello
You can try out a social media content strategy template, such as HubSpot’s
Additional social media content strategy tips: Facebook + Instagram
As mentioned above, the top global social media sites are Facebook and Instagram. While we do not recommend that your small business be active on every social media platform, these two dominating platforms are likely to be at the center of your social media content strategy. Here are 3 content strategy tips to keep top of mind for both Facebook and Instagram.
3 Facebook content strategy tips
1) Utilize Facebook Groups – Facebook Groups are a great platform for building a digital community. 1.4 billion people use Facebook Groups in 2021! Managing a Facebook Group involves creating content, starting conversations, commenting & offering your expertise, and moderating the posts and comments from the community.
Here are some helpful guides you can refer to when building your Group:
2) Try out advertising on Facebook – Many businesses have Facebook ads at the center of their Facebook content plans. More and more brands are turning to targeted ads to boost their Facebook business pages. Facebook’s targeted advertising platform utilizes its advanced pool of data to send your message to the people who are most likely to want to see it. Check out our guide here for practical tips on how to get started with Facebook ads.
3) Use Facebook as a customer service tool – Facebook is one of the first places customers go to check out a product or service – as well as to share their thoughts about said product or service. Make sure to reply in a timely manner to comments and messages – 42% of people who have reached out to a brand, product, or company via social media for customer support expect a response within 60 minutes.
3 Instagram content strategy tips
1) Switch to an Instagram Business account – Switching to a business account is fast, free and will provide numerous benefits for your brand – including access to Instagram Insights, swipe up links for Stories, as well as contact links for your profile (phone number, email address, and directions). Check out our blog on the topic here for full insights.
2) Share more video content – Although Instagram started out as an image-driven platform – in 2021, video is more than dominating. The options for where to share video to Instagram include Stories, Feed, IGTV, Live and the newest addition, Reels. Here are 3 easy ways to get started with video on Instagram, no matter what your level of experience is.
3) Focus on engagement – On Instagram, it’s better to have 1,000 engaged followers than 100,000 silent followers who don’t interact with your content. A brand can have the most thought-out, impressive Instagram content plan – but without engagement, the strategy will prove to be ineffective.
For optimal engagement, respond daily to: Feed post comments, DMs & Story reactions. Also be sure to engage with others – comment valuable thoughts & insights on posts from accounts you follow & admire. For more tips on how to increase your Instagram engagement, here are 3 Daily Habits you can easily implement.
Keep in mind: While Facebook and Instagram stand as the world’s biggest social media platforms in 2021, TikTok is very much on the rise. Below you’ll find insights about the platform, and you can check out our guide here for tips as you build out your TikTok content marketing strategy.
15 content ideas for your social media strategy
By now you understand the value of creating a social media content plan – but what types of content should you be filling your days with? Here are 15 ideas that you can incorporate into your social media content calendar:
1. Seasonal holidays – there’s a holiday on every day of the calendar year. Obviously there are the big ones like Christmas and Valentine’s Day, but there are also fun niche ones like National Spaghetti Day (January 4th). To find today’s unique and engagement-boosting holidays, visit a site like Days of The Year or Time and Date. Find the days relevant to your brand and create content for them.
There are a number of Boosted templates you can use to celebrate seasonal holidays, such as this template for International Women’s Day:
2. Weekly hashtags – these include: #MondayMood, #TuesdayTips, #WednesdayWisdom, #ThrowbackThursday, #FridayFeeling etc. Two perks of creating a weekly content series using one of these hashtags: 1) consistency 2) if you create compelling content, your audience will continually look forward to the next weekly installment.
3. Regularly share deals & promotions – Try to advertise your sales creatively – for example, create an engaging Boosted video to notify your audience about your upcoming holiday sale, like the following:
You don’t want your entire social page to be self-promotional, so brainstorm how to incorporate your promotions in exciting, eye-catching ways.
4. Plan a live session – At least once a month, try to host a live session for your brand on social media, either on Instagram or Facebook. Remember that live videos are meant to be “raw” and unpolished. Live sessions are also a great way to build social media engagement. For more insights on the topic, check out our blog here.
5. Blog content – Sharing your blog content across your social platforms is a great way to drive traffic to your site. The insights from your blogs can be continually repurposed on social media. Two ideas for how to achieve this include: creating an infographic of interesting stats from one of your blogs or creating a quote graphic of a meaningful saying from one of your blog posts.
6. Create a tutorial – Tutorials are a great medium for content marketing. They showcase your product or service and have the potential to position you as an expert in your field. Check out our guide here to learn how to create a tutorial with Instagram Stories.
7. Share customer testimonials/reviews – Set a time once or twice a month to share positive reviews on your social media accounts. Doing so enhances social proof and builds trust with your audience. This can be a screenshot of a review from a different social platform, a share of a Story you were tagged in or a DM.
Here’s some Instagram inspiration from realtor @maegan_sold_it:
8. User generated content – Share some UGC, whether that’s a Story you were tagged in or a photo or video of someone utilizing your product or service. For more insights on how to incorporate UGC into your social media marketing content strategy, check out our guide here.
9. Run a contest or giveaway – Giveaways on social media are a great way to boost brand awareness, increase engagement, and build your following. In fact, an Instagram contest or giveaway can help you grow your followers 70% faster in 3 months (compared to holding no contest at all). For insights on how to run a successful giveaway, check out our blog here.
10. Inspirational quotes – #MondayMotivation and other types of inspirational content are continually trending on social. Pick once or twice a week to provide your audience with a #qotd. Monday works best; as it provides an opportunity to fuel your followers with inspiring words to kickstart their workweek. Also, try to avoid quotes that are either overused or irrelevant to your brand.
Here’s a Boosted template featuring a motivational quote that you can customize for your brand:
11. Ask me anything – Invite your followers to ask you any question that’s on their mind. If you have a large following, set a specific time period where you will be responding to comments. AMAs work especially well on Instagram Stories, utilizing the question sticker, or on Twitter:
12. Behind the scenes – Regularly give your audience sneak peeks into your day-to-day life. Show them your workspace, your favorite coffee shop; whatever you think will help them get to know you better. This content style works especially well for Instagram Stories.
13. Provide regular updates – Introducing a new product? Business changing locations? Update your audience on social regularly, as these changes occur. This will help your audience feel ‘in-the-know’ and connected with your brand.
14. Instagram ideas (both feed & Stories) – Here are 50 Instagram Story ideas you can use for your brand, anytime, as well as 37 engaging feed post ideas. Many of these content ideas can be adapted for your Facebook content strategy, and for your other social media platforms as well.
15. TikTok content ideas – if you are working to build up your brand’s presence on TikTok, here are 41 ideas to help get you started.
Pro tip: As you move forward with your content schedule and chart out your ideas, you may want to try out content batching. This process involves planning out all of your content in one sitting. Block out a day (or a solid section of one) and plan out your copy, along with your accompanying visuals. Then, use a social media scheduler to schedule out your content for your selected amount of time (generally 1 week, 2 weeks or 1 month). Many marketers & small business owners find this to be a much more productive system than trying to create content every day or ‘when they find the time to get around to it.’
Thinking ahead: 4 social media content strategy tips for 2021 & beyond
While it’s impossible to know exactly what will happen in the realm of social media marketing in 2021, there are a number of predictions that can be made, based upon current social media trends. It is key to keep these trends in mind as you brainstorm your social media marketing content strategy for the year ahead. Here are 5 social media content strategy tips for 2021:
1. TikTok will dominate
With 800 million active users a day, TikTok is on track to reach the 1 billion user mark in 2021. At this pace, TikTok is set to have as many users as Instagram! To paint a picture of this rising platform, here are a few eye-catching TikTok statistics you should know about (source):
TikTok has been downloaded over 1.5 billion times on the App Store and Google Play.
TikTok ranked as the most downloaded app in the App Store for Q1 2019, with more than 33 million downloads.
TikTok users spend an average of 52 minutes a day on the app.
90% of all TikTok users access the app on a daily basis.
TikTok is available in 155 countries.
Still not sure if you should be using TikTok for your business? 41% of TikTok users are aged between 16 and 24. If your target audience is on the younger side — teenagers and young adults — TikTok should be at the center of your social media content plan. TikTok has the potential to provide your business with a great ROI. You could start your own channel & create content, work with influencers or advertise on the platform.
Even if Gen Z only makes up a small portion of your target audience – or perhaps you aren’t targeting this demographic at all – our recommendation is that it’s still worthwhile to grow your presence on the platform. While it probably shouldn’t be the main social media platform you focus on for your brand, creating an account and producing weekly content will give you an opportunity to establish yourself in your niche as the platform grows.
Here are a few reasons why you should consider growing on this rapidly rising platform as we head towards 2021:
It’s fun and casual – Unlike other social platforms, TikTok content is casual and spontaneous (think: lower production costs!)
Content can be easily repurposed – Any content you create on TikTok can be easily shared across different platforms right from the app, or you can download your content as a video or GIF to use however you like. This means more video content that you’ll be able to add to your overall social media marketing content strategy.
Drive traffic to Instagram and YouTube – You can link to your Instagram and YouTube accounts directly from your TikTok profile. That means that anyone who visits your TikTok page will instantly be able to follow you on those other platforms.
TikTok is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon, and is on track to continue dominating in 2021.
2. Instagram will continue heating up
In addition to TikTok, we predict that Instagram will continue to be one of the hottest social media platforms in 2021.
Although it’s been a popular platform since 2010, Instagram continues to gain momentum – and users. Instagram currently sees 1 billion monthly active users, and this amount is expected to steadily rise. One of the reasons behind this is that Instagram is continually evolving. In 2020 alone, they have released countless updates to the platform. Here are a few new features that have been added:
“Support Small Business” Sticker for Stories – This sticker makes it easy for users to give a shoutout to their favorite local businesses. When the sticker is added to a photo or video and then shared to Stories, a preview of the small business’ Instagram account appears.
Today we’re launching a “Support Small Business” sticker in stories so you can show love to your favorite small businesses.💓
Use it and your photo or video will be added to a shared story where friends can see which businesses you support. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/D68cAthCtq
Co-Watching – Co-Watching allows users to “hang out” with a friend on video chat and scroll through Instagram posts that one person has liked or saved.
Instagram Direct Messages on Desktop – Instagram has recently made it possible to send DMs through desktop computers and web browsers. Traditionally, the ability to send a Direct Message was only possible via Instagram’s mobile app but now, users can read and send messages, share photos and react to responses through desktop
Instagram’s users appreciate that the platform is anything but stagnant and is constantly innovating to keep up with current trends. Looking to the year ahead – it will be more important than ever to focus on your Instagram content strategy.
3. Rise of video
Video content marketing has become an integral part of every successful social media content plan. In 2019, internet users spent 6 hours and 48 minutes per week watching videos online – a staggering 59% increase from 2016. In 2021, the global average of daily video consumption is expected to hit 100 minutes per day (source). That’s the equivalent of watching 25 videos per day!
And internet users aren’t viewing just any type of video content – 54% of consumers would like to see more videos from a brand or business they support. Here are 5 practical tips for implementing more video content into your social media marketing content strategy:
Video marketing can be cost effective.20% of marketers don’t utilize video for marketing because it costs too much. If you share a similar concern, it’s time to turn that thought process around: from tools like Boosted to platforms like IGTV and Instagram Live, there are a myriad of ways to create social content in 2021 without breaking the bank. For more inspiration, check out our guide here.
Keep your content short and sweet. When it comes to video content marketing, less is usually more. In 2021, viewers will want a video that will provide them the information that they need, faster than ever before. Plus, shorter videos can also be shared easily across more social media platforms!
Add captions! Most social scrollers listen to video without sound (an astounding 85% of people watch Facebook videos on mute!). Add subtitles to ensure that everyone watching will have a seamless viewing experience.
Don’t get overwhelmed by the need to go “viral.” Remember: Viral is an organic outcome, not a marketing strategy or goal. If content of yours happens to receive millions of views – celebrate the milestone, but don’t bank on it happening again.
Check out our guide here for more video marketing tips as you brainstorm your video content marketing strategy.
4. Stories are the way to go
Social media stories have been skyrocketing in popularity over the past few years, and are expected to continue to do so. Stories show the authentic side of businesses and influencers. Brands are expected now more than ever to have an approachable digital and a relatable voice. When consumers see the day-to-day, real side of your brand, they are more likely to want to build a connection with you.
Looking ahead, it will be greatly beneficial for your business to emphasize stories as part of your social media content plan. In 2021, Instagram will continue to prove to be the most popular platform for stories – the feature is used by 500 million users every day (source: Instagram). While Instagram should be at the center of your strategy, be sure to remember that other social media platforms have robust story features as well, including:
Whatsapp Stories (Whatsapp Status) – 500 million daily users
Facebook Stories – 500 million daily users
YouTube, LinkedIn and Twitter are developing story features as well, which you’ll likely be hearing more about in 2021.
Experiment and be flexible
Start implementing your plan — but stay flexible! It takes time as well as some trial and error to learn how to create a content strategy that works.
Keep an eye on analytics, and test different practices to see what works best. Sometimes a little tweak to the timing of your posts, their frequency, or the number of hashtags you use (see 7 Quick Tips to Build an Instagram Hashtag Strategy for insights) can make a big difference.
Social media is constantly evolving and your content strategy should evolve with it. If you do your research and stay organized, you will be sure to see social media marketing success! You’ll create a stellar social media content strategy that will grow your digital presence and generate leads as you move forward with your business.
Social Media Content Strategy Action Items:
Do a short target audience brainstorm. Who are you creating content for? What’s most interesting to them and why?
Set aside time in your calendar to review your previous content. Jot down some notes: where do you seem to be getting the most social engagement or business results? What are the common threads between your best performing posts?
Take an hour to browse the competition and influencers in your space. Write down any content ideas that come up as you research.
Decide which platforms you’ll be focusing on this year. Think: where is your target audience most likely to be?
Create Goals! What do you want to accomplish with your social media content in 2021? Create 2-3 main goals and make sure that you can measure them along the way.
Block off time to create your content calendar. Investing the time now means less time later!
Cori Widen is the Product Marketing Lead at Boosted by Lightricks. She has been leading product marketing campaigns and doing qualitative market research in the tech industry for 10 years.
25 Best Advertising Quotes To Revolutionize Your Business
In the world of modern business, marketing and advertising are two distinct avenues that have barely changed since they were first invented.
In fact, since the early days of their inception at the beginning of the 20th century, the most important advertising techniques and principles have basically remained the same. The marketing and advertising techniques used by Henry Ford and Albert Einstein closely resemble those used by today’s moguls, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg.
Below, you’ll find a comprehensive list of some of the most powerful quotes from some of the most innovative minds to help inspire you to revolutionize your advertising and business mindset.
1. “The difference between the almost right word and the right word is the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.” – Mark Twain
When it comes to marketing and promoting a company, using the right words at the right time often means the difference between a successful campaign and a complete flop.
In fact, something as simple as a blog’s tone of voice can really influence those who will read it.
With that in mind, anytime you’re creating written content, blogs, or website copy for your business, make sure that you always take your specific target audience’s interests and behaviors into consideration.
This information can be used to help you find the right style, tone of voice, and language that will resonate with your audience, thereby increasing your chances of a positive reception!
2. “Creativity is intelligence having fun.” – Albert Einstein
For most people, algebra and trigonometry are boring topics. However, if you’re able to take these topics and present them to your target audience in a relevant, interesting and educational manner, you’ll find your audience engaged regardless of the content.
This quote from Albert Einstein emphasizes the importance of creativity and how that creativity can actually lead to intelligence if harnessed correctly. The trick, according to Einstein, is to infuse fun into your intelligence; to experiment with new and innovative ideas.
When we learn to let go and let our imagination and intelligence run wild, there’s no telling what type of creative ideas we’ll come up with for our businesses!
3. “Making promises and keeping them is a great way to build a brand.” – Seth Godin
Branding for your business can take a lot of planning. Creating and establishing a brand at a level that will resonate with your consumers can take time. In order to build a brand and establish it as a leader in its industry, you must set definite goals for both your business and also for the prospective customers.
In 2019, global digital ad spend rose by approximately 17.6%, bringing the global market up to a staggering $333.25 billion.
As such, it’s crucial to understand exactly how much your advertising campaign will cost in order to properly compete with your competitors before you begin. This will take in depth planning and foresight to properly execute your ad strategy.
The good news is that a properly planned, implemented, and executed advertising campaign can often double your money! According to ValveAndMeter, for every dollar spent on a Google Adwords campaign, most businesses can generate an average revenue of $2, or an ROI of 100%.
5. “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” – Leonardo Da Vinci
Leonardo Da Vinci single handedly helped shape our current world thanks to his countless inventions and ideas, including the parachute, the diving suit, and armored vehicles. While these inventions may seem complicated, they are simple solutions to complicated problems – and not the other way around!
Similarly with advertising – anytime you’re planning an advertising strategy, try to keep your other marketing efforts as simple as possible. In the pursuit of simplicity, make sure to periodically step back and make sure you’re not over-complicating your ideas.
Especially when it comes to marketing and advertising a brand, no matter how complex its products or services may be, it’s crucial to keep your strategy as simple as possible.
6. “Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken.” – Oscar Wilde
You’ll often hear marketers talk about the importance of analyzing competitors to help determine what strategies work and which don’t.
Although competitive analysis is an important business strategy, it’s even more important for brands to first determine their own USP, or Unique Selling Points. Once a brand has figured that you, make sure to prioritize your USP and not simply copy competitor strategies. Each brand should be completely unique in itself.
It’s important to focus on what makes your business stand out and then use this uniqueness to your advantage when creating ad strategies. You’ll stand out from your competition, instead of blending in.
7. “A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well.” – Jeff Bezos
This advice from Jeff Bezos, the owner and founder of Amazon, will continue to ring true in the world of business for many years.
In today’s digital era, where online reviews can make or break a company’s reputation, it is important to remember your brand will constantly need to build up authority. This authority will ultimately help your brand maintain a positive reputation.
With Amazon, Jeff Bezos challenged himself to allow consumers from all over the world to purchase any product virtually, from the comforts of their own home. Bezo’s marketing strategy was planned so meticulously, that today almost everyone has made at least one purchase from Amazon.
8. “Only a fool learns from his own mistakes. The wise man learns from the mistakes of others” – Otto von Bismarck
While many of us learn our lessons the hard way, this quote is a reminder that we don’t always have to make things that hard.
Today, there is so much information available online that you never need to feel that you have to figure it out by yourself.
Especially in the world of marketing and advertising, there are countless online communities that are constantly teaching and helping others learn more marketing tips – straight from leaders in the field!
Anyone who is new to advertising should begin this journey by finding a mentor or some successful leaders in your industry, whom you can learn from.
These industry leaders, who have already gone through the trials and tribulations of advertising, can teach you the ins and outs and help you avoid making the same mistakes.
9. “Think like a wise man but communicate in the language of the people” – William Butler Yeats
Everyone wants to create wise, clever advertisements. But, that doesn’t mean you should overcomplicate your approach in order to get in a witty line.
This quote reminds us that no advertisement will resonate with your audience unless it is communicated in plain, clear, and concise language.
Most people are already hesitant to look at or click on ads in the first place; a complicated advertisement will only exacerbate this hesitation.
Alternatively, when you create simple, readable and understandable ads, you’ll see that the simplicity will actually help you capture the consumer’s attention.
10. “People spend money when and where they feel good” – Walt Disney
Walt Disney is a name that’s known by virtually every young child in the world – so you know he was extremely talented at advertising!
If you’ve ever watched a Disney movie, you can see that Disney took this advice and applied it to all of his videos: each Disney movie presents a crisis, but always ends on a positive note, leaving the audience happy with the story, characters and even about themselves!
As a brand in modern society, it’s important to make your customers feel good. This positive feeling will increase your brand’s chance of a successful advertising campaign.
Although the main goal in advertising is a positive ROI, it’s still important to try and make your audience feel good when they come across your advertising campaign. Make them laugh or share good values – and you’ll be rewarded with more business!
11. “Build something 100 people love, not something 1 million people kind of like.” – Brian Chesky, co-founder of Airbnb
With the popularity of social media and influencer marketing, it’s easy to think that you need millions of followers to be successful in business.
However, Brian Chesky, the co-founder of Airbnb, reminds us that it’s better to at least create an idea that only a few people really like rather than creating something that millions of people only kind of like.
By focusing exclusively on your intended audience and your unique selling points, you’ll be able to find the people that truly love what you do – instead of only “kind of” liking it. For tips on building a killer social media profile in 2021, check out this article.
12. “Give them quality. That is the best kind of advertising.” – Milton Hershey, entrepreneur
Hershey’s chocolate is one of the most popular chocolate brands in North America – and all around the world.
But what distinguishes Hershey’s from other similar chocolatiers? What really helped distinguish the brand from its competitors? Hershey differentiated his chocolate brand from his competitors by continuing to refine and perfect his chocolate product until he found the absolute highest quality recipe he could come up with.
In Hershey’s opinion, this quality itself was what helped set his brand apart.
13. “Social media creates communities, not markets.” – Don Schultz, marketing pioneer
For anyone looking to advertise on social media, always keep this quote in mind – it is extremely important!
It is crucial that advertisers remember that social media is about community involvement, it isn’t primarily a marketplace meant for advertising and selling products or services.
Of course, that’s not to say that you can’t advertise and promote yourself on social media. In fact, because of how many people use social media, advertising on these platforms can definitely be one of the profitable ways to advertise.
But, it is first and foremost important to remember social media is intended as a community building platform, rather than a way for businesses to find consumers for their products.
The key to remember is that only once a brand has established a community can marketing campaigns become more natural to the audience.
It’s been said that knowledge is the most powerful weapon.
This means that knowledge is one of the most useful tools you can use to leverage your brand’s advertising and marketing strategies.
Although many brands think that advertising is simply a chance to sell themselves and their products, this simply isn’t the case. If your brand creates information marketing and advertising campaigns, the information can actually engage the audience and make them more likely to purchase your product.
15. “Good content isn’t about good storytelling. It’s about telling a true story well.” – Ann Handley, head of content at MarketingProfs
Anybody can spin a fanciful story, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to help your brand connect with its audience.
Although brand storytelling is one of the most effective copywriting techniques, it’s more than just writing a story. Successful copywriting will tell your brand’s story in a truthful manner that your audience will also engage with.
16. “Advertising works most effectively when it’s in line with what people are already trying to do. And people are trying to communicate in a certain way on Facebook – they share information with their friends, they learn about what their friends are doing – so there’s really a whole new opportunity for a new type of advertising model within that.” – Mark Zuckerberg, creator of Facebook
Mark Zuckerberg, the owner and founder of Facebook, reminds us that the Facebook platform is actually relatively new to the world of advertising.
But, that doesn’t mean that advertising on Facebook isn’t a good idea…..
Much to the contrary, in 2016 alone, the platform’s advertising revenue maxed out at a staggering $6.239 billion in only the second quarter (Q2). This number has only increased since then!
Additionally, advertising on Facebook is simple, cost-effective, and can hyper-target an audience. This is why Facebook ads boast an average click-through rate of about 1%.
17. “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” –Maya Angelou, poet
Maya Angelou has moved thousands of people in her lifetime by evoking powerful emotions in her poetic works.
Poetry aside, her statement rings true in today’s modern advertising environment.
Next time you’re planning an advertising campaign, make sure not to spend too much time focusing on how the ad looks – rather, focus on the emotions the ad will convey to your audience. These targeted and careful throughout emotions can help make your ads more relevant and relatable to your viewers.
18. “Less is more. Keeping it simple takes time and effort.” –Jeff Bullas, digital marketing influencer
It’s easy to overcomplicate things, especially when planning a large marketing or advertising campaign.
However, as one of the industry’s leading influencers reminds us, less is often more. Even in advertising and marketing! So, make sure to simplify your campaigns. It works! Just ask Jeff Bezos.
19. “Brand is just a perception, and perception will match reality over time.” –Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla.
Successfully branding and advertising a business doesn’t happen overnight.
Branding is the end goal, while advertising is the tool that brands use to establish themselves and authority in their industry. This authority will ultimately help brands attain their goals.
It is crucial to establish your brand and set specific guidelines in line with your brand before planning and implementing any type of advertising strategies.
Once your brand has been created, you can then use advertising and marketing strategies more effectively to help you boost your brand and it’s image.
20. “If people believe they share values with a company, they will stay loyal to the brand.” –Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks
Howard Schultz, the CEO of Starbucks, reminds us about the importance of tapping into human values in advertising.
Starbucks often does this by offering ethically-sourced coffee and products, which makes consumers feel good about spending their money at Starbucks.
When a brand shares the same values as its audience, it’s easier for people to relate to the brand and increases the likelihood of people buying from that brand over other competitors.
21. “Too many companies want their brands to reflect some idealized, perfected image of themselves. As a consequence, their brands acquire no texture, no character and no public trust.” –Richard Branson, founder of The Virgin Group
Perfection is only an illusion, even in the business world.
That’s why it is vital to make sure that your advertising efforts don’t portray overly perfected or unrealistic expectations about your brand.
Consumers will either see directly through these false expectations, or when they find out that advertising campaigns were simply falsified, you can be certain that next time they’ll use another, more honest brand to source their products.
22. “Google only loves you when everyone else loves you first.” –Wendy Piersall, writer & blogger
When it comes to advertising and promoting any brand online, it is important to rank well on Google.
Marketers often spend much of their time optimizing their websites to rank well on Google, but they forget that they need their websites to also appeal to real, live humans!
In the past, it was easy to trick search engines by simply stuffing keywords into your posts or pages. However, those days have passed, and today Google is now able to understand context of the keywords better.
If you’re building a website or creating content that isn’t well-written or informative, Google will see directly through your efforts and your website’s rankings will suffer.
Creating quality content that people spend time reading and looking at, will signal to Google that you offer high quality content and your rankings will benefit.
23. “The best marketing doesn’t feel like marketing.” –Tom Fishburne, “marketoonist”
When you know that a person is trying to sell you a product, how often do you actually pay attention to what they’re saying?
Typically, you’ll smile and nod along, but you won’t have any interest in buying.
But, this all changes when marketers emote feelings and emotions in their ads; consumers are more likely to effortlessly relate to these types of ads, in turn increasing the likelihood of a positive reception. Relatable and emotional ads make people more likely to click on your ads without feeling as if they’re being hounded for their money.
24. “If it doesn’t sell, it isn’t creative” – David Ogilvy
If you want success in advertising, make sure that your ads are as creative as possible. You want to stand out from your competition, not blend in!
You need to make sure that your ad content is fun, engaging, yet informational as well.
In order to make your ads stand out, it’s crucial to go the extra mile and ensure that your ads are creative and unique.
When people see innovative, creative ads, they’re more likely to engage with that brand vs. a brand that creates generic or overused ad content.
25. “Sell the problem you solve. Not the product you make.” –Unknown
While this last quote comes from an anonymous source, is nonetheless just as important as any others on the list.
Most consumers are already fed up with advertising well even before you launch your campaign. An estimated 70% of consumers find ads annoying and would rather not see them at all.
Therefore, when planning your next advertising campaign, you need to avoid making it all about your brand.
Instead, your ad content should be tailored to your target audience and always geared towards your specific audience. To make your ads effective, emphasize how your brand’s products can solve your audience’s problems.
By doing this, you’ll be showing them how your product can change their lives; how your solution can make it much more convenient.
This ideology will transform your ads into information that your customers are actually looking for.
Modern Advertising In The Digital World
Modern digital advertising can be a complicated and overwhelming place. However, with the quotes compiled here, you can learn from the best how to navigate all the advertising noise. And who better to take advertising advice from than those whose names are known exactly for their marketing prowess.
7 Secrets For Entrepreneurs to Get The Most Out of Instagram Stories
By: Cori Widen, Product Marketing Lead at Boosted by Lightricks
Once you get the hang of it, Instagram Stories is an easy (and fun!) feature to help grow your business – but are you getting the most out of your Instagram Stories? We’ve rounded up 9 Instagram Story secrets that every entrepreneur should be aware of to give your Instagram Stories a design boost, increase social media reach and ultimately drive more sales. Keep reading to learn all about the latest Instagram Story updates, secret social media tips, engaging content ideas and more.
1.Check Out The New Font Options If you’ve ever wished Instagram Stories had a few more design options you are in luck! They’ve recently rolled out several new, beautiful font options. Make sure you’ve downloaded the latest Instagram app update to see the new Instagram fonts and give your Instagram Stories a design boost. If your Instagram account has access to the new fonts, you’ll see ten font options at the bottom once you’ve started typing your text. Not sure where to start with fonts? Here’s ‘5 Ways to Make Your Instagram Stories Stand Out’.
2. Use Fun Elements Like Music Possibly the easiest way to give your Instagram Stories an immediate boost of personality is to use fun features like music! Instagram offers a huge selection of songs to perfectly fit with all of your Instagram Stories. Tip: If the original audio isn’t great quality in a Story, simply turn ‘sound off’ and add in music to instantly improve your Instagram Stories. Need some more cool Instagram Story content ideas? Check out this article ‘50 Engaging Instagram Story Ideas for Your Brand’.
3. Promote Your Own Content Often Want to drive more sales for your business? Start promoting yourself more! Every time you post on Instagram, share your own post to your Instagram Stories and encourage your followers to check out your latest post and engage with your content. Tip: You can also re-share old posts you’ve posted in your timeline that are still relevant. This will help boost your engagement rates and help you re-purpose high-quality content. Want to revamp your Instagram content? You’ll want to check out our ‘21 Ideas to Revamp Your Social Media for 2021’.
4. Repost Customer Content Not only should you be posting your own Instagram posts to your Stories… you should also be featuring your followers’ content as well! Any customer sharing a photo or review of your product or services should get a shout-out. Reposting your followers’ content lets them know you see their posts and tells them you appreciate their support. Also, when your followers see how often you repost their shout-outs, odds are you’ll start to see a lot more posts about your business! Tip: Want to increase DM’s from your customers to drive sales? Here’s ‘8 Easy Ways to Get More Instagram DMs From Customers’.
5. Add Cute GIFs Okay so you might already be using GIFs in your Instagram Stories but have you discovered the secret to finding the best ones yet? Yes, there is a little trick the most savvy entrepreneurs use to give their social media a quick upgrade. Instead of searching by a term like ‘happy’ or ‘funny’ to find a GIF, try searching the name of a designer who creates GIFs to find all of their best ones. Check out this blog post for tips to find cute GIFs and this blog post to find unique GIFs on Instagram Stories.
6. Create Story Highlights Okay, so you might be sick of hearing how important it is to use Instagram Story Highlights but we’re including this Instagram strategy again because it’s one of the best ways to ensure you are getting the most out of Instagram Stories for your business. Instagram Story Highlights offers your business a prime location to feature all of your most important and best quality content for your followers to easily access. Read next: ‘How to Use Instagram Story Highlights Strategically as a Small Business Owner’.
7. Use Hidden Hashtags We all know how important it is to use hashtags on Instagram posts to increase the reach of your posts but did you know this strategy also applies to Stories? We saved our very favorite Instagram Story secret for entrepreneurs for very last. You can use all of the same hashtags you would use on your Instagram posts on Stories without anyone knowing. Insert hidden hashtags into all of your Instagram Stories by typing out your hashtags, reducing the font size then make the font the same color as the background OR simply hide them behind a GIF or photo.
Instagram Stories can already be a powerful tool to help entrepreneurs grow their business. However, with these secret tips, content ideas and growth strategies in hand, we know your business will get even more out of Instagram Stories than ever before!
Cori Widen is the Product Marketing Lead at Boosted by Lightricks. She has been leading product marketing campaigns and doing qualitative market research in the tech industry for 10 years.
33 Inexpensive Ways to Market Your Small Business in 2021
Marketing for small business is not an easy thing for most small business owners. With the actual business operations taking time and effort, there simply isn’t enough time, manpower, or budget to fully realize the potential of ‘how to market a small business’
33 Classic & Original Ways to Market your Small Business:
However, with the right amount of direction, understanding, technology (apps), and such, marketing your small business is not beyond reach. In this post, we offer curated 33 inexpensive & affordable ways to market your small business in 2021:
1. Take advantage of free Google marketing tools for small business
Climbing up the ranks on Google searches organically can be tough, but luckily Google gives you several great tools to help you do it on your own. Google Analytics, for example, lets you see how visitors interact with your website and where they are coming from. This gives you the tools to create content that is better targeted at those sources, and focus your efforts on the websites, blogs, and other places where your audience is coming from.
It’s also vital to react to events in real-time, as they can help you get more eyes on your social media posts. Google Trends is a free Google tool that helps you stay on top of buzzwords and trending topics so you can join larger conversations while drawing attention to your business.
Finally, Google My Business is a simple feature that enables customers to find your business on Google Maps, access your hours, and learn more. GMB, as it’s known, is a great way to improve your visibility, get more information about who is looking for your business, and even improve your SEO and AdWords strategies to get more out of every dollar spent.
It’s hard to build a marketing strategy as a small business owner. Between the million things you need to do every day and the administrative concerns, getting creative with advertising and social media may seem like a waste of time. Even so, marketing can help you work smarter, not harder, by reaching receptive audiences through mediums and messaging they love.
2. Make your own video ads
Video is a central part of marketing today, as more consumers prefer to watch short clips and make purchasing decisions based on them. Even so, they may seem a bit out of your price range. Nevertheless, while marketing teams and video shoots are expensive, there are some great tools you can use to make great video ads on your own.
Your smartphone’s camera can capture excellent footage in HD, and once you’ve edited it, you can use a business marketing video maker app like Boosted to turn your clips into professional, fully branded, and fun videos that help you engage with potential customers
Boosted lets you create short videos from your own clips and its library of stock footage, as well as add text, visual effects, and different layouts. You can build your videos and upload in a few minutes without paying a single penny. Make sure to use video marketing analytics to understand and benefit from your video’s performance.
For some inspiration, check out these creative video advertisement commercials:
3. Stay active on social media business pages
Social media is a great way to connect more directly with customers and show off the more playful side of the business. These platforms give you a chance to respond to customer feedback in real-time and show how much you care about their experience with your business. Posting frequently to your social media channels also keeps you relevant and at the top of your audience’s minds. Even a small comment or update can refresh your presence, and it shows your commitment to communicating directly with your customers.
You can also demonstrate your know-how while simultaneously promoting your business by commenting on other individuals’ and businesses’ social media posts. Follow Facebook pages that have to do with your type of business to answer questions, or even join silly Twitter threads that can give you greater exposure and introduce you to new audiences.
4. Advertise discounts and promotion with affordable email marketing
Even though it’s not as fast as social media or instant messaging, email remains at the top of most marketers’ toolkits. Nearly 50% of customers enjoy getting weekly promotional emails, and there are lots of tricks you can use to increase sales via email. Inexpensive email tools like MailChimp or GetResponse give you much greater control over your campaigns.
This includes letting you segment your audiences on a variety of factors, schedule automated emails, and even see how well each email performs. This way, you can focus on tweaking your email offerings to get more clicks back to your site, and eventually more conversions.
5. Publish a small business-themed blog
While traditional advertising is still alive and kicking, the majority of consumers would rather learn about a company through an article, not an ad. Blogging is a way for you to drum up interest in your business by sharing some industry wisdom or stories about your company in a particular voice and style that people will come to associate with your small business.
In terms of blogging, more is more. Sticking to a publishing schedule will make your business seem reliable and will also make it easier for your team to commit to publishing on time. If there’s no one on staff with adequate writing skills, you can outsource your blog content for as low as $20 per post to companies that have the SEO skills to help your content organically climb the search engine ladder and reach potential customers for your business.
6. Create fun & creative graphic content
Blogs and long-form content are great to get readers on your website to stay, but sometimes shorter, more easily digestible content can help get them to your site. No matter how long you’ve been in your business, you probably have some interesting tips and explanations you can share with consumers.
Packaging this content in fun, new ways can help you demonstrate your expertise, and make readers curious. Using free design tools online, you can create unique infographics, images, and other visuals you can easily upload to social media and even embed on your blog.
Even if you’re working on a shoestring budget, there are great ways to get your company’s name out there to your viewers. Marketing is hard, but it should never be expensive enough to stop you from doing it. Focus on finding the free and affordable tools that let you do more with less, and start your journey from anonymous small business to household name.
One inexpensive marketing tactic for small business owners is to vlog their daily lives, running their businesses. Check out how to make a successful vlog here.
7. Contribute An Article To An Industry Magazine Or Website
No matter how big or small your business is, advertising, especially in mainstream media, can quickly become one of your biggest expenses. And not only is it expensive, but just because you advertise your company in a magazine, that doesn’t even guarantee you that you’ll get any return on your investment.
You could literally dish out thousands of dollars in ad spend and get a $0 return on your advertising efforts.
So how can you get your name out there, maybe into an industry-leading magazine or website, without spending a fortune on running an ad?
The answer is easy; simply contribute a relevant, informative article to an industry-leading publication, which can usually be done at absolutely no charge to you.
In fact, virtually all magazines and websites accept guest contributions, and most of them will even let you advertise your small business in the author’s bio.
Talk about a great way to market your business, without spending any money on marketing.
8. Host Or Co-Host An Event
Whether you already have a large following on social media, or you’re simply looking to drum up a bit of interest, hosting or co-hosting an event or contest can be a great way to get people interested in your brand.
This can either be done on your own, possibly by promoting a discount or sale that you’re putting on, or by running some sort of contest, where contestants have the chance to win a free gift basket.
The keyword here is to offer something free, which almost guarantees that your audience will feel like they’re getting some sort of value out of their interactions with your brand.
One popular strategy is to contact other similar businesses in your industry, and to suggest co-sponsoring a contest or a giveaway together. In turn, this helps drum up interest in both co-sponsor companies, which allows both parties to reach new potential customers.
9. Launch An Affiliate Program
Affiliate marketing refers to the practice of promoting and selling other people’s products or services in order to gain a commission when a sale is made.
As the affiliate, this allows you to earn money by making sales, without actually having to own any of your own products or services.
And at the same time, the company running the affiliate program will benefit from having other people do their advertising for them, only needing to pay when a sale is actually made.
So essentially, if you’re able to launch an affiliate program for your small business, you’ll be able to get people to promote and sell your products or services without having to do any of the work.
In other words, your affiliates will be doing all the hard work of marketing and promoting your products or services, and you’ll only have to pay them a commission for their work when they actually make a sale.
As long as it’s designed and implemented properly, running an affiliate program is basically a win-win scenario for any small business simply because it guarantees an increased marketing effort, where you’ll only need to pay when those efforts are effective at making a sale.
10. Begin Hosting Webinars
It can be a bit expensive to host webinars for your company. But, when done successfully, small businesses are able to generate a significant amount of online interest by hosting these types of live events.
Essentially, a webinar is a workshop that’s performed via a video feed. Sometimes, but not all the time, webinars are presented to a live audience.
However, the important distinction between a webinar and an infomercial is that a webinar isn’t about selling anything. Instead, webinars are meant to be used as an unscripted, interactive way to provide information to your audience.
By providing your audience with valuable information, you’ll be able to work towards building trust, which is, in today’s world, one of the absolute best methods of marketing your business.
11. Create Facebook Groups (And Stay Active)
When trying to market your business on a shoestring budget, joining Facebook groups, as well as groups on other social platforms like LinkedIn, can be an extremely budget-friendly method for generating a bit of buzz around your business, without needing to spend a single dime.
The goal here is to join these groups, and then to offer up valuable information and advice to your peers for free.
The idea is that as other group members begin to see the true value in the information that you’re providing, they’ll gradually begin wanting to learn more about you, your business, and what you have to offer.
Consider using a Facebook video ad maker app to help produce promo videos to share in Facebook groups, as a great and inexpensive marketing tool for small businesses.
12. Narrow In On Your Target Audience
The more you know about your audience, the easier it will be to market your business in an effective manner.
Being active on socially media and on your company blog is great, but you need to be sure that you’re creating content for the right type of people, that is, if you want your business’ content to resonate and connect with all of your potential customers.
To learn about their target audience, most marketers work at creating semi-fictional representations of their potential buyers, which are known as buyer personas.
A buyer persona is used as a strategy to help businesses understand the needs, wants, desires, and concerns faced by members of its target audience.
Basically, by understanding the concerns of your audience, you’ll be able to better craft your brand’s digital content to meet their needs. In other words, you’ll be able to offer them the informational content that they’re actually looking for.
And by doing this, you’ll be able to build trust with your audience, establishing yourself as a thought-leader in your industry. In turn, making it more likely that you’ll be able to effectively market your business to your audience.
13. Pinpoint Your Audience Perception
In order to market your small business and its products or services properly, you need to know your own goals in terms of positioning. In other words, how do you want customers to see your business and the benefits that you offer?
A customer’s perception of your business can be derived from a variety of everyday resources including media outlets, business reviews, features, packaging and presentation, retail, word of mouth, etc.
Also, learning about the way that your audience perceives your brand will help you be able to pinpoint your unique selling proposition or USP. Essentially, a brand’s unique selling proposition is its ability to be able to distinguish itself from its competitors in one or more ways.
What do you do better than them? What do you solve more efficiently than them? How do you differentiate from your competition at the very first impression?
When there’s little to no difference between you and your competitors, but your competition has taken the time to position themselves as the more appealing, they’re likely going to be the ones that your audience members turn to.
Therefore, it’s important to know your audience’s perception, which, in turn, will allow you to clearly identify your brand in a unique way that your audience will relate to.
14. Demonstrate with Instructional Videos
Whether filmed for those considering buying your product, or those who have already done so, instructional videos are a great way of providing your customers with the knowledge and information that they really want and need.
Always focus on being educational, but don’t forget to allow for some creativity as well.
With most smartphones today having enhanced video cameras, a videographer isn’t even necessary in order to create great video content. Which is great news for small businesses on a tighter budget.
When filming videos, always make sure that there’s enough light in the room, and natural light is always best.
Make sure to clear your backgrounds and foregrounds of clutter and other distractions.
And don’t forget to script out what you want to say, which will help you not miss any major points, without causing you to feel like you have to memorize and repeat it word for word.
Remember, you want to sound approachable and real, not robotic. So be prepare, but again, don’t be scare to let loose a little bit of that creativity I know you have inside!
15. Build Your Reddit Karma
Reddit is an online community, filled with user-generated forums, which are known as subreddits. When it comes to subreddits, there’s pretty much a subreddit for every niche, topic, or industry you can think of.
And I mean everything!
While many of these subreddits have become immune to blatant self-promotion, thanks to forum-specific rules, you can still build yourself up as an expert in your field by contributing to the conversations in other ways.
Essentially, when using Reddit, you’ll want to engage your audience by joining conversations or by starting them yourself. Then, slowly but gradually, you’ll be able to establish yourself as an expert, and the other Reddit users that you interact with will be more likely to visit your website or support your brand.
Host an AMA (Ask Me Anything) or search your most relatable subreddits for questions and answer when possible.
These two tactics add to your Reddit karma, which is a points system attached to your username.
Also, make sure that your profile is properly filled out just in case other users want to look further into who you are and what you have to offer.
If you start noticing positive engagement with your posts/answers, don’t be shy to drop a link to your site, or mention your product or services in other ways, but only when it seems appropriate to do so.
16. Host a Virtual Party
With health and safety both being a major concern for business owners and customers alike, a comfortable, and super affordable way to reach a large number of potential customers is by hosting a virtual party!
These can either be exclusive or public, and you can use a range of video networking platforms to host scheduled your event, consisting of interactive experiences like a location tour, product demonstration, product giveaways, Q&A, etc.
Try to think of a virtual party as a webinar, but with a much more casual, and far less scripted atmosphere to it.
These events can also take place on live social network platforms like Facebook Live and Instagram Live.
In today’s world where social distancing is becoming a routine part of everyday life, virtual events are the perfect way to keep your brand front-of-mind when customers can’t physically be wherever your store or location is.
18. Create an Infographic
All consumers have different wants and needs, and this includes the way they absorb information.
Some people can easily hear something and remember every word, some absorb knowledge better through long-form reading, and finally, others are simply visual learners, who just need everything laid for them for a quick glance in order to be able to sop it all up.
And for those who are better at absorbing information visually, the infographics is here to save the day!
Infographics are visual graphics combined with correlating bits of text info. Essentially, an infographic is used to present must-know or fun-to-know information in an easy to read format, that’s also aesthetically pleasing.
Plus, you can even go one step further when creating infographics by using colors that match your brand style or personality. In turn, this creates an even greater connection between your business and the people you’re trying to connect with!
19. Recycle Old Content Into Newer Evergreen Content
For businesses that have been established online for some time, there’s a good chance that you already have a good stash of old content that hasn’t been updated, reviewed, or otherwise looked at, since it was first published.
If you’re looking for new content ideas, it’s never a bad idea to go through some of your old content to see if any of it can be improved or updated.
Many times, newly recycled content can perform just as well as a completely new piece of content.
This is because when you’re recycling old content, you’ll be taking that existing information, and then you’ll be adding even more information on top of it. In turn, this provides your audience with content that’s even more valuable, and even more informative than before.
Plus, this also works to establish your brand as an expert in your subject matter.
So it’s really a win-win for both you and your audience to periodically sift through old content and see if any of it can be refreshed.
20. LinkedIn (Posts and Groups)
LinkedIn groups are often overlooked as a marketing opportunity, but if you play the angle properly, they can be a huge source of leads. Although the platform caters to business and professional audiences, both B2B and B2C businesses can cash in by using LinkedIn.
Communications on LinkedIn should always be formal and professional, with content that generally caters toward the informative and educational sectors. Items like eBooks, articles, and webinars are perfect examples of content formats that generally perform well on the platform.
Currently, groups on the platform can only be used by individual accounts, and business accounts can’t interact or engage within groups.
However, as an individual business owner, joining groups can help build your brand, by connecting your profile with the rest of your industry. In turn, you can use this positioning to help you establish your reputation as an industry expert.
Always remain professional, polite, and courteous within groups, even if you have a differing opinion. And remember to prioritize authority and tone of voice, over trying to be persuasive or starting arguments when posting on the platform.
21. Customer Referral (Non-Affiliate Programs)
Use current customers to grow your business by incentivizing referrals. After all, one positive customer experience can bring in plenty of customers, especially with the right incentives.
This can either be a one-time referral incentive, where customers are rewarded with free products, discounts, or other incentives for successfully referring a new customer, or you may decide to create a long-term referral/loyalty program instead.
Rewarding existing customers is especially beneficial because it encourages new customer growth for the business since they’ll be motivated to bring new faces to the company for you.
On the other hand, incentivizing new customers prompts these pre-interested individuals to commit to their purchase since they’ll likely be receiving a reward along with it.
These incentive ideas work in virtually all business types, although substantial resources may be required to cover the initial cost of starting an incentive program.
22. Apply for Awards And Spotlights
Consider applying for any industry awards or spotlights that are solely merit-based. Just keep in mind that many industry awards are “pay to play”, sometimes requiring substantial donations on your part, and making them less valuable to you as an achievement.
Always investigate an award’s reputation and how it will impact your business before applying or being nominated. If it’s a highly-regarded and recognized award, it’s definitely going to help you considerably more than an award no one has heard of before.
Also, ask yourself if winning will directly influence your business. Will it impress your customers or convince them to purchase? In terms of your business, is applying for an award or professional spotlight worth it?
23. Guerilla Marketing
Although it might sound a bit complicated, guerrilla marketing is a great technique for small businesses, which simply refers to any marketing tactics that involves a surprise or unconventional method of reaching out to an audience.
So if you’re looking for an out-of-the-box option for advertising, consider using non-traditional methods to get your brand noticed.
Basically, if you’re willing to invest a bit more time and creativity into promoting your products or services, guerrilla marketing is a simple tactic that’s proven to work time and time again.
This somewhat edgy tactic can put your brand in front of hundreds of new customers quickly, especially if you’re able to come up with some type of unconventional idea that piques a lot of curiosity.
Guerilla marketing does carry some risk, however, especially knowing that your brand will be front and center. As much as you’ll be using this tactic to attract good publicity, you might also drum up some bad publicity at the same time.
24. Mobile (Vehicle/Truck) Marketing
According to guerrilla marketing, the easiest way to get in front of new customers is to showcase your brand when they’re least expecting it.
Mobile marketing is the advertising of your business on a wide array of vehicles, which can be either a static advertisement or video graphics.
For an interactive customer experience, brands can even hire display trucks that are immersive, geared specifically for these types of demos and advertisements. Of course, hiring vehicles to display your brand name isn’t necessarily a free or inexpensive tactic.
However, in some high vehicle or pedestrian traffic areas, mobile advertisements like this can often help you reach a considerable number of new, potential clients, making the investment well worth it in terms of ROI.
25. Attend Networking Events
If you’re looking to build your brand, getting in front of many like-minded people at networking events is something to consider. These types of events force you to step out into the business realm as a business owner and face your own self-doubt head-on.
In most interactions, you’ll have no more than 20 or 30 seconds to highlight who you are, how your company stands apart, and what you do.
Even for the most introverted business owners, by the end of an evening of networking, you’ll be polished and practiced at getting your message across, which means you’ll be more confident the next time you speak to someone about your business and what it can do for them.
Plus, the first-hand connections you make at events like these can also be a gold-mine or future partners, and prospective customers.
26. Frequent Networking Apps (Ex. Bumble Bizz)
Just as online dating has become a new norm, networking apps are a small business owner’s best friend for networking. Platforms like Bumble Bizz and Shapr work to connect like-minded individuals that are already located within a certain vicinity from one another.
These apps can be a powerful tool to use when you’d like to grow your professional network, but aren’t sure how to meet new people.
Similar to online dating apps, you simply join the platform and enter in a few details about yourself and your business to build a profile, and then you’re free to connect and interact with other users on the platform.
With Bumble Bizz, you’ll be able to see see the profiles of other business professionals and can choose to swipe to make contact. If both contacts swipe “yes” to making contact, then, you’ll be given access to a messaging system to chat directly.
Although face-to-face contact with a business is a fabulous marketing technique, it’s easy to understand the benefits of networking apps.
Access is simple, easy to use, and available anytime. So if you’re trying to get your brand in front of a larger audience, this may be the perfect revenue to do just that.
27. Event Sponsorships
Organizations often seek sponsorship to help fund various events, such as conferences, fairs, tournaments, or competitions.
Although business owners may not necessarily see direct conversions from running an event, for a small business, planning, organizing, and running these types of events can be extremely beneficial for helping to develop your brand exposure.
Running the right event is the most important aspect to consider when you’re doing this. For example, if you sell educational children’s books, you might want to consider sponsoring a family-friendly book-themed event in your city.
Then, during the planning phase, you can reach out to a wide range of local businesses to seek sponsorship funding for your event. Local grocery stores, radio stations, and union halls are good organizations present in almost any city that are likely to agree to offer their sponsorship in exchange for a bit of free advertising.
The key here is to ensure that your event idea is relevant to the type of business or industry that you’re apart of.
By doing this, those that attend your event will naturally see your brand as a friendly, approachable organization since they’ll see you actively running and organizing events in your community.
28. Create Media And/Or Sampling Kits
Although a media kit is a tool originally strongly connected to event coverage, the online era has seamlessly connected brands and this age-old form of journalism.
Essentially, a media kit is everything a journalist needs to write a story about your brand.
Most media kits are PDF files that can be downloaded directly from your company website, although you’re welcome to email the files to any news outlets or individuals that might be covering your business or event.
The contents of the media kit depend on your business, but typically, they should always include the following:
Your company information and contact details: Including a contact name and access point (phone number or email), business name, address, and website URL.
Up-to-date information about the company: Keep the information about your company brief and to the point. Highlight the most important facts, but don’t include excessive details.
Media release: Provide details of the event and any relevant quotes or information from your contact person.
High-Resolution images: Most journalists require high-resolution photos to include with their stories.
Product samples: If your company creates products, try to provide a few samples along with the media kit. Not only is this a great way to earn a new potential customer, but you’ll be putting your product in the hands of a person who has the ability to spread the word about your product and expand your reach.
29. Indulge In Trade Show Season
By gathering industry experts and leaders, like-minded enthusiasts, and media under one roof, a tradeshow can be highly beneficial to any small business owner looking to get their foot in the door.
Especially for anyone in a highly competitive industry, attending the next tradeshow in their city can be an extremely simple way to market and promote their business.
With many industry professionals attending these types of events, you’ll benefit from the increased brand awareness that’ll come from these events.
Just make sure that you bring along some captivating media material, such as posters, banners, flyers, and business cards if possible. And these should always include your company logo, URL, message, and social media.
Use the event as an opportunity to develop business relationships with industry experts since you’ll have the opportunity to speak face-to-face with potential partners and allies.
A tradeshow is where you’ll find countless highly targeted leads for your company. Every person that walks through the doors is a potential buyer that’s likely already interested in your industry.
So make sure to showcase your product and capitalize on the atmosphere of these trade shows.
30. Joint Ventures with Other Small Businesses
It may seem counter-productive but forming an alliance with other small businesses, especially indirect competitors, is a fantastic way to capitalize on building your brand.
Teaming up with other individuals or businesses can help you in every aspect of your brand, from marketing through outreach and production.
By forming a joint venture with one or more businesses, you’ll be able to extend your market reach, by having double the exposure, without too much additional effort. This means your company can reach new markets that wouldn’t otherwise be accessible, build its credibility, and generate additional revenue.
Joint ventures allow each business to keep their own personal property, normally joining together for a particular project or event.
As such, you and the strategic alliance you form can share expenses, pooling your resources together to provide a higher level of customer service that couldn’t be achieved individually.
31. Influencer Marketing
You’ve probably heard the term influencer a lot lately, but if you haven’t, let’s take a second to explain what an influencer really is.
Simply put, an influencer is an individual with a large, active, dedicated social media following. These individuals are viewed as experts within their industry, who boast a high level of trust with their followers.
If you’re looking to capitalize on building your business, consider connecting with an influencer to help market your products or services.
In fact, a recent study suggests 89% of marketers feel the ROI from this marketing strategy is comparable or better than many other strategies.
To get started, research some well-known influencers within your target market. Various platforms have different contacts, so try to find an ideal fit for your product or service. Most will request free product from you in exchange for a recommendation.
However, for longer-term, ongoing collaborations, be prepared to pay for it as some influencers charge extremely high prices for their services.
32. Pinterest (As A Small Business Search Engine)
Pinterest is unique in that it uses photographs as the sole source of engagement.
These photographs are organized by boards, allowing users to save images or products they like on their own profile while continuing to browse, which means that you could be offering up thousands of products available to your potential buyers, at any given time.
If your business sells products, connecting with customers can be as simple as creating boards and pinning them your product images. Make sure they look neat and professional in high-resolution if possible.
For companies without a product, consider using Pinterest to broadcast your blog posts or company updates. For this, you’ll need to make sure that your blog posts have photographs attached to them. Then, simply pin the photo to a board and write a brief description of the post using a few high-quality keywords.
33. B2B Cold Calling
Cold calling is an effective marketing tactic, especially if you’re trying to find new leads within your industry. To successfully cold call, you’ll need to learn how to handle rejection well because it’s going to happen, and unfortunately, it will probably happen a lot.
Keep in mind that the key to cold calling isn’t always just what you say, it can also be what you don’t say.
In other words, the goal of cold calling isn’t to get a sale, it’s to arrange a meeting or to get your lead interested in your product or service, so that they, at the very least, want to learn more about your company or brand.
In fact, nobody wants to hear a pre-written sales script. So if you’re cold calling and reciting cold hard facts from a cue card, you’re not going to have very much luck.
On the other hand, if you’re friendly, genuine, and not pushy, cold calling can still be an extremely beneficial method from marketing and advertising your small business in 2021.
How to Create a Social Media Content Calendar: A Guide for Small Business Owners
By: Cori Widen, Product Marketing Lead at Boosted by Lightricks
As a small business owner, you might be asking yourself ‘Do I really need a social media content calendar?’ The reality is that you’d be surprised at how important they are and how easy it can be to create a social media content for your business.
So what exactly is a social media content calendar? It’s much more than a typical calendar where you’d jot down a few notes. A social media content calendar is like your master-document when it comes to everything related to your business’ social media. Creating a social media content calendar is a rewarding task and a powerful tool to help you brainstorm, plan, manage, schedule and post content to your social media platforms.
Keep reading to learn why your small business needs a social media content calendar and how to build one in just a few quick steps.
Why Small Business Owners Should Create a Social Media Content Calendar
Be on Brand: When you plan out your content in advance and schedule all of your posts at once, you can instantly see what your social media platforms will start to look and feel like. This is a good chance to review each post and ensure they support your brand goals –– both visually and within your description.
Save Time: It’s definitely going to take some time upfront to create a social media content calendar, but we promise that it’s going to save you time. By spending some time at the beginning of each week or month planning out your content, you will actually save time every day since your content will always be done and ready to post. Here are some tips on how to streamline your content creation:
Achieve Goals: Instead of posting in the spur of the moment, it’s important to share content that is aligned with your business goals. Planning your content ahead will help you ensure your social media content is optimized to help you achieve all of your big goals.
Stay Calm: It might seem stressful at first to plan out (and create!) an entire month of social media content, but once you’ve done that, you will be much less stressed the rest of the month now that you no longer have to scramble to figure out what to post on social media each day.
BeConsistent: Have you ever been so busy that you totally forgot to post to social media? If you create a social media content calendar and organize all of your posts ahead of time, you will be able to consistently maintain your social media platforms – which is key to social media success.
How to Create a Social Media Content Calendar for Your Small Business in 5 Easy Steps
1. Make a Plan: Before you get started creating a social media content calendar, there are several things you need to decide on in order to move forward. For example, will you be planning out your social media content weekly or monthly? Are you going to create your own calendar document or download a premade template?
2. Hold a Brainstorming Session: Now, here comes the fun part…brainstorming! Take a look at the week/month ahead and take note of any upcoming holidays, product launches, etc and begin brainstorming some content ideas for your social media platforms. Come up with a few ideas for each platform and start thinking about how you will execute those ideas.
Pro Tip: When researching upcoming seasonal holidays, head to Boosted’s ‘Seasonal’ category to see which holidays are coming up. You can then customize the seasonal templates of your choice and incorporate them into your social media content calendar.
3. Plan Out Content: Once you’ve reviewed all of your ideas and have nailed down exactly what type of content you would like to post, start mapping out what content you plan to post on each day and for each platform. Focus mainly on your top platforms, such as Facebook or Instagram. By planning out the order of your posts, you will have a better idea of exactly what type of content you should create for a balanced social feed.
4. Create Content: Now that you’ve mapped out what you want to post for that week/month, it’s time to actually start creating the content! It might sound like a ton of work to create a whole month of photo and video content at once, but it can be even harder to try to get into a creative groove every single day. Check out 7 Creative Ways to Use Video on Social Media for tips on how incorporate more video content into your content calendar.
5. Schedule/Post: And the final step is of course posting! You can use a scheduling tool to schedule out all of your social media posts or you can go into your calendar each day and post manually. Just make sure to include all of the important details for each post including a caption, photo or video assets, a link, any hashtags to include, the date to post and which platform/s to post on.
We hope these tips have inspired you to create a social media content calendar for your business! If you are looking for more ways to improve your social media platforms for the new year, check out 21 Ideas to Revamp Your Social Media for 2021.
Cori Widen is the Product Marketing Lead at Boosted by Lightricks. She has been leading product marketing campaigns and doing qualitative market research in the tech industry for 10 years.
Instagram has become a must-have marketing tool for everyone from small businesses to corporate giants. Influencers and brand pages have the potential to grab tens of millions of followers by posting the right content consistently for their target audiences. These huge followings boost brand awareness and visibility, which are key elements in successful marketing.
The trick to replicating the Instagram growth that some of these brands and influencers have achieved is to first identify your target audience, and then to post what they want to see, while maintaining your unique brand personality.
Here are 8 of the fastest-growing Instagram Pages and the engagement strategies they use to keep growing.
Brands, Influencers & Engagement Strategies from the Fastest Growing Instagram Pages:
1. ASOS
Asos (@asos) is a British clothing retailer with over 10.5 million followers. Their Instagram page is plastered with user-generated content that shows real people strutting their stuff in Asos gear, and looking pretty good doing it.
High-quality, user-generated content is the ultimate weapon in Instagram marketing. There is simply no better way to represent your audience than with your audience. Seeing real people enjoying your product or service shows consumers that they’ll enjoy it too. For more insights, check out our guide on the topic here.
2. Chubbies
Chubbies (@chubbies) is another clothing and accessory line that targets men between the ages of 18 and 40. They currently stand at just over 500k followers. Their major stroke of genius was in developing a brand voice that engages that audience. On Chubbies’ Instagram page, you’ll find a whole lot of bro humor, memes, and a massive positive response from their followers.
If you want to reach people, you have to speak their language. Your brand voice should already be developed around your target audience, so be sure that your posts reflect that voice as well. Don’t be afraid to be funny, genuine, intellectual – or whatever it is that your audience will connect with. Just make sure that your brand voice is consistent so you don’t confuse your existing following.
3. Vans
As a well-established brand with 17.9 million followers, Vans (@vans) hardly needs an introduction. The official shoe of the skater boy since the 60s, Vans came to Instagram with an already large and dedicated following, which they keep engaged by posting content that speaks to the skater boy soul. Visit their page and you’ll find high-quality adventure shots, user-generated content, and sick skateboarding stills.
Don’t just post images of your products in front of a nice, clean, white background. People want to see your stuff in action. They want to see where your product will take them. Snatch up some good UGC or get out there and shoot your own images and videos of your product in its natural habitat.
4. Under Armour
Under Armour (@underarmour) is a mega clothing brand that could probably get by just fine by sharing UGC and quality imagery of their sports line in action, but they go the extra mile to grow their following by providing actual value in their posts. They achieve this with a series of IGTV workout videos that you can do at home with little to no equipment. It’s no wonder they have more than 8.1 million loyal followers and counting.
If you’ve got knowledge or skills that are relevant to your brand and audience and easy to convey in video, use them! A little effort goes a long way on a social media platform where everyone’s attention spans are in hyperdrive. Break your wisdom up into short tidbits and post them weekly or monthly to boost your following with people who are likely to be interested in your products and services. For tips on how to create more video content for Instagram, check out our blog here.
5. M.A.C. Cosmetics
MAC (@maccosmetics) is a make-up brand with no gimmicks. What you’ll find on their Instagram page is a lot of close-up shots of their makeup along with captions that provide clear product details. They also post a lot of tutorials – which their audience loves to engage with – but it’s those high-def close-ups that show off the quality of their products to their 23.4M followers.
Take your Instagram audience from followers to customers by showing them not just your products, but the value of your products up close with images and videos. Be sure to provide all the details they’ll need in order to make a purchase. Even an interested buyer isn’t going to sift through 20 Instagram posts to find your details.
6. H&M
A mega clothing brand with 35.6 million followers, H&M (@hm) maintains a simple approach to Instagram: professional-quality photos. Whether they’re lifestyle photos, staged product shots, or collages, every photo on H&M’s Instagram is pro-quality.
If you’re posting user-generated content, it’s likely that not every image is going to be super high-quality, so make sure you’re regularly posting images and videos that show off your products in the best light.
7. Strashme
After winning an influencer competition hosted by James Charles, Ashley Strong (@Strashme) gained an impressive 800k followers on Instagram. Her following continues to grow as she posts quick, edited tutorials on mostly bold makeup looks and occasionally how to take killer Instagram pics and videos. Making use of captions to elaborate when necessary, she keeps her videos short and to the point.
Deliver big value without losing your audience’s attention by editing your videos to remove any unnecessary fluff or dull moments. That doesn’t mean you have to condense everything you post, but adding some quick tutorials or humor is a great way to keep your followers clicking on your content.
8. Noah Beck
Noah Beck (@noahbeck) is the latest hot topic crossing over from TikTok to Instagram and showing 143% gains each month in followers. He currently has 4.4M followers. While his looks don’t hurt any, his flash fame is attributed more to his charming, chill, and genuinely kind personality.
Brand personality is what humanizes your businesses to your audience. On Instagram, it is conveyed through your brand voice and your visuals. Make sure your brand personality is relatable to your audience and do your best to keep it consistent.
Other Effective Strategies for Fast Growing IG Pages
Some other tactics seen on these pages and on some of the other fastest-growing Instagram pages include: shoutouts and reviews, as well as giveaways and competitions that draw the audience in. Behind-the-scenes images and videos help the audience connect and relate to your brand, as do motivational posts and underdog stories.
