It’s been quite hot in the United States this past week! Here are some cool and important new social media updates you should know about!
Instagram’s test of removing like counts is getting closer to becoming a real thing globally as it is being expanded to more nations! Last week, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Ireland, Italy, Japan, and New Zealand had like counts removed. This is on top of like counts already removed from those living in Canada.
Instagram is looking at removing like counts as a way to bring more positivity and health to the app as many look at the competition of likes in an unhealthy way. This change will impact brands and influencers who rely on “like counts” as a measure of “social proof”. This will be important to watch because it will change marketing on Instagram from a popularity metric based on public “Likes” to one based on engagement (comments) and true influence via impact.
Instagram is making changes to their policy for disabling accounts. Before it was only based on the percentage of violating content, now they are adding that they will also remove accounts with a certain number of violations within a certain period of time.
Instagram is trying to keep the platform clean and it’s important to know the rules! Most marketers should not have any problems with this but it’s good to know.
You will be able to appeal deleted content, but as a business owner you will have faster access to appeal. Just remember if your content knowingly violates Instagram’s policies, don’t expect it to come back with an appeal.
Starting August 19th, Facebook’s mobile News Feed ads “will be compressed in order to match the look and feel of the new Facebook Design earlier this year.” This change aligns with the app redesign unveiled at its F8 conference at the beginning of the year, as well as, creating a more uniform presentation across Instagram and Facebook.
The two major changes that will be coming are:
These are important changes to be aware of as it can affect what your target audience sees. Adapting your ad text and visuals to these changes will be crucial as a large majority of Facebook users view content on their mobile device.
Due to the criticisms of Facebook’s ad tool and lack of transparency over the last year with a UK lawsuit, Facebook recently rolled out a new anti-scam ad reporting process in the UK as a part of their settlement of the lawsuit.
This new feature is not terribly different than other anti-scam features available elsewhere; however, it will provide users with an additional way for users to submit feedback on any ads they see as scammy in their feeds with an option to ‘send a detailed scam report.’ When selected users can add specific details and a new specifically trained team will review the ad.
Again, not something that should impact the vast majority of marketers but you want to keep up on the details.
Pinterest now allows you to add video directly to their platform using Pinterest video tools! Yes, you will begin to see a video tab on business profiles where you can view featured videos.
Before you could pin YouTube videos directly on Pinterest and with the addition of this new tool, people will now be able to upload their videos directly to Pinterest. This will likely expand the content being shared on Pinterest and continue to make it a top social media platform as video continues to become the more popular form of content to share. We’ll need to watch and see if they do what Facebook did and get precedence in search and display to their own video over YouTube videos!
That’s a wrap this time around on social media updates. We’ll keep you posted if Instagram does indeed remove the “Like” count from videos.
Spring is just around the corner here in the U.S. and it is the season of new growth and a time to start embracing the new! Here are some of the latest social media new updates in the social media world for you that are important for marketers to be aware of.
As noted in the TechCrunch article, Facebook wants to make it easier for users to share events and coordinate with friends before an event starts by now allowing sharing of events in Stories. Facebook users will go to a Facebook Event page and below the date, you will look for the "share" option. Simply tap on "share your story" to get it going.
Stories are growing in use and significance and this is another way to keep users engaged and to provide options for easily adding content to Stories. It’s a tool for sharing that you can recommend to fans when you are hosting an event to help those coming get the word out further.
Facebook is rolling out a new feature, that mainly targets deep-pocket advertisers, and it allows for “online video and TV ad buyers to participate in the upfront selling cycle” to help reach target audiences. Showcase video ads are now available for campaigns targeting US audiences and are included for those with the following products: in-stream reserve, in-stream reserve campaigns, and sponsorships.
Do you typically do ads on TV to reach your audience? Facebook’s Showcase video ads would then be a great tool for your business to use. This tool helps you reach your target audience and get in front of the correct demographic. If you are already creating premium content but are not getting the results you are looking for this might just be the tool for you. While not in the wheelhouse for small businesses, it’s nonetheless important to be aware of because many ad types start out for the big corporations and then they trickle down with solutions for the small business arena. So stay tuned for possibilities.
Instagram is testing a new in-app local business profile page. This is great news for businesses. It can help build your presence on the platform. Similar to Google's local knowledge offering, these profiles show a company's address, hours, phone number, URL, price range and type of business. Business owners can "claim" a profile page, and if you manage a Facebook account for that same business, you can then edit any inaccuracies. It’s still in beta at this point.
We will keep you updated for when this feature is officially out but remember that it is best to fill out all the information so your customers know exactly where to find you! This will be another way to be discovered on the app and be found by “close by” potential customers.
Instagram is working to expand influencer campaigns by creating a new ad format that allows brands to partner with influencers in a more financially beneficial and transparent way. They are working on a new type of ad called branded content ads. These ads “will let brands sponsor posts created by celebrities and publishers, and then promote them as they would their other ad efforts.”
This will essentially streamline the process that brands are currently using to have influencers sponsor their content. It may not affect you directly but it is always good to know about the new features for businesses on Instagram.
Pinterest keeps ramping up there eCommerce in preparation for going public later this year. They added new product catalogs and personalized shopping recommendations to maximize business potential on the platform. A ‘More like this’ option is beneath each pin and shows other items that are visually similar. There is also a ‘More from’ option which shows more products from that specific brand or business.
These two new features are great for businesses to utilize to maximize their exposure on the platform.
That’s a wrap on this round of updates! As noted, sign-up to get my blog updates via email and these social media updates will be delivered to your inbox!
Wow! February has gone fast and there have been quite a few new updates in the Social Media World. In this review, I’ll look at a few of the key ones for marketers...
Most of us see the need and value in Facebook Ads. At the same time, it can be time-consuming and tedious, right? Do you have multiple ad campaigns for different accounts on Facebook and need help managing all of it? Great news! There is now an add-in on Excel for Facebook Ads Manager where it lets you create one report that will show you the performance and other breakdowns for your ads across different accounts.
This tool is great for anyone using Facebook Ads as it gives you the data you want from one or multiple accounts all in one report. It is great for comparing different ad campaigns and also just to simplify your reports for your Facebook Ads. You can filter by a variety of options and personalize your template to show you only the data you want to see.
This tool will save you from having to export each ad report every week/month from every account. You won't need the help of a developer to create these reports -- you can build beautiful reports all on your own.
Since IGTV launched last year it hasn’t taken off as well as hoped, but do not dismiss it. There is a lot of potential yet for IGTV and some of the new features Instagram has for IGTV are moving the needle in a positive direction. Recently, Instagram added IGTV promo videos into the main IG newsfeed and now Instagram updated the layout for IGTV. The new layout allows for improved channel suggestions, search, and profile layout.
Instagram is not solely a video streaming platform....yet, however, with Instagram having over a billion active users a month, IGTV is a great place for you to create and post video content that can reach a large audience base. With IGTV’s new layout and promo videos in the newsfeed, it has a huge potential to reach large audiences and provides new opportunities to promote content on Instagram. The promos in the newsfeed is a HUGE win and one marketers want to be aware of for their potential shift to increased use of IGTV.
Instagram is looking at expanding private collections to be made public. This would change the way people can save and share the content they love. The feature would have the possibility of being like Pinterest as a way to create collections of ideas, travel destinations, products, and more.
We don’t know anything further for testing or if this feature will be launched to the public but it could be a great way for businesses to create shoppable boards and collections for products or other ideas. This potential feature gives a glimpse into the direction that Instagram is taking to have more eCommerce related ambitions.
A new feature was recently released on LinkedIn for its sales navigator to help find and manage sales prospects. The sales navigator helps teams identify the right buyers, track key leads, engage with potential prospects on LinkedIn. This new feature allows businesses to filter through leads faster by making custom lists and excluding items from search to ultimately make more sales.
This new tool is geared towards helping a business make connections to make more sales. The new features in the Sales Navigator allow you to refine your search and collaborate easier with teams to close more sales. LinkedIn is the premier business social network and while you may not have used Sales Navigator, you might start thinking about it more now!
Boom! Not a new feature update but something to pay attention to this year. Pinterest has filed for their IPO. As the company is going public and giving up some ownership to shareholders it could have significant effects on the company and how it operates.
Pinterest has tried to distance itself from being referred to as a social media platform more recently but refer to it as a search engine for ideas and products. This could help with it going public though there is always more scrutiny when a company goes public. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. Watch the roll-out and let’s see if it’s an affordable stock option with growth potential!
That’s a wrap for February 2019! Make sure you sign-up for email updates to get these updates in your inbox 2x per month!
Happy Valentine’s Day! On this day of love we share the love about some great new social media updates you need to know about!
Let’s dig into the biggest recent news…. LinkedIn is launching a live video option! This will give people and organizations the ability to broadcast real-time video to select groups, or to the LinkedIn community at large.
Launching in beta first in the U.S., LinkedIn Live will be invite-only at first. In coming weeks, LinkedIn will also post a contact form for others who want to get in on the action.
Live video has performed well on Facebook and Instagram, and with YouTube rolling it out with success, it only makes sense that the premier business social network would get in on the action. Live video is becoming a staple, something businesses need to explore and use. If you haven’t tried any live video, it’s time to experiment because this trend is becoming a standard with these types of moves.
Facebook has a new feature that allows for a much easier process of responding to messages from Instagram. Page admins can reply to Instagram Direct Messages from their Facebook Page inbox. So, now you can respond to all messages from Instagram and Facebook in one place.
This is great! Now, all it takes is going to your Facebook Admin page to respond to messages from your Facebook and Instagram pages. You can save time by answering all the questions from two platforms in one! It’s another powerful cross-platform tool, one of many more you will see from Facebook with Instagram and What’s App in the coming year.
Facebook’s goal is to bring people together and one way they do this is through groups and communities. As a way to let groups collaborate, Facebook is launching a pilot program which will expand subscription groups to more partners and allow relevant Pages to join their communities.
Last June subscription groups were launched. This new feature will expand these subscriptions by allowing different groups to collaborate and grow their communities. It’s one to watch. Facebook wants to continue to see what will inspire users to stay and spend more time, and so they will test ideas like this continually to see if it takes off.
Do you like adding filters and lenses to your images? Now you can use all filters and lenses in already EXISTING photos that you have. This is a great way to reuse photos you have taking up storage and create some new content to draw people’s attention.
With Instagram having over 500 million users, it important to have a social media presence on the platform. By using the filters and lenses on Instagram Stories you can help create unique content for your business to stand out among the rest and draw people to your page. It’s a page taken from SnapChat and one that pushes SnapChat even further from our business minds.
Just like Facebook’s Charitable giving, which has raised over one billion dollars for nonprofit organizations, Instagram will soon be getting a sticker in Instagram Stories that will allow people to donate to and support nonprofits.
The charitable giving on Facebook has been a popular way for people to raise money for non-profit organizations they believe in. Now that Instagram has added this similar donate button sticker to Stories it will be a great way to reach even more users to raise money for non-profit organizations. Adding a donate button to Instagram Stories, may lead Instagram Stories to become an ever more present way to expand other e-commerce activities.
Pinterest is a great discovery tool to find ideas and products. They just announced a new development that will improve the ‘Shop the Look’ tool. Pinterest is going to automate the tool to add more buying options for products that you view on the platform. Automating the tool will increase the coverage as a whole.
Pinterest has carved themselves a unique niche that makes them stand out differently from social media platforms. It is a way for brands to gain new leads from their ideas and products and their tool ‘Shop the Look’ is a way directly connect people to make purchases of products they find. Utilizing both social media platforms and Pinterest can be a great way to gain new followers and then retain them.
That’s all for now folks! Are you subscribed to my list to get these updates in your inbox every 2x a month? If not, sign-up today!
Another year has come and 2019 will bring some new social media updates into the world. It’s off to a quiet start on social media updates here early in the year. As always, these updates come out 2x per month and are aimed to keep you as a digital and social media marketer informed and educated on the latest updates in social media and how you can use them to your advantage in marketing.
Here are a few to start off the new year:
Facebook has added a call to action button for Facebook Page Stories. You can now add buttons such as shop now, book now, call now and get directions to drive more people that follow you to take action.
As Stories are becoming more popular than news feeds, it is important for your business to utilize Stories. Facebook’s new call to action button can help drive your followers to take action such as linking to your Facebook store, getting directions, or calling your business. Begin experimenting with them to see what your followers react to.
This is a good addition for marketers and gives you a clear business marketing pathway to move traffic from Facebook to your website which is highly recommended. The key is to have a lead capture call-to-action on your website to follow-up!
Over the holiday Instagram rolled out and then rolled back a new tap through newsfeed similar to Stories. It is believed that this was accidentally rolled out to everyone instead of just to a small pool of users which is why the rollback occurred; however, this could mean a lot for the future of Instagram and the way we view our news feed.
Like other social media updates, what this means is that Instagram may not be done with this idea yet. As we have seen the increasing importance of stories, we may see the stories concepts merging into our newsfeeds. Note, however, that the feedback from users was largely negative so there may be some testing that Instagram needs and wants to do before approaching this again publicly!
LinkedIn has improved its Help Listings by adding contextual prompts to make them more relevant and user-friendly. This should help people get the right assistance faster without going to a different section on the platform.
This is one of those social media updates that is a small update but one that is focused on helping you get the help you need faster and easier in hopes of making the overall user experience better.
As I noted, not a lot of big news as we start the year but that is expected. What for updates to begin coming out in more serious measure later in January and through the winter. Subscribe to this blog to get the latest updates in your inbox!
See you in 2 weeks.
It’s the last week of 2018, and 2019 is just around the corner. Here are the latest social media updates you should know as a social media marketer going into the new year.
Facebook is rolling out Facebook Stories for Facebook Groups. In addition to being able to share stories to your Profile or Page, you can now share them with your Groups.
Stories have been an easy way to encourage engagement on your profile or Business page and now you can share stories in Groups. This could be tips, fun moments, upcoming events, or reminders.
Stories for Groups will have admin tools to allow you to manage Facebook group Stories. It’s another opportunity, and an increasingly popular one, to stay top-of-mind with your community.
Instagram rolled out a new feature that allows you to send voice messages in Instagram Direct.
As Instagram voice messaging is only out to profiles at the moment, in the future the voice messaging feature can be used to answer customer questions. It’s another way Instagram in expanding the ways you can keep in context with your consumers/audience. This can offer a way to personalize a message, a way of cutting through the clutter and building trust with your followers.
Need a recommendation for music or want to get feedback during a live video? Well, Instagram added two new features to let you do just that.
There is a new music icon in the stickers of Stories. You can post this on your story and add a comment or question and your followers can respond with a song. You can view the responses and test out the songs right there.
Instagram also added a feature where you can add a question sticker to your Live video. This gives you another way to interact with the viewers instead of just the comment stream. You can get the feedback and address the question in the Live video.
With Instagrams growing engagement and popularity, these new features continue to expand the ways you can interact with your followers. Use the tools to “wow” your community and communicate in the “way of the web” today!
YouTube is rolling out auto-plays on YouTube videos.
With so many people publishing videos you have to find ways to stand out and catch the viewer's attention. Showing a brief portion of the beginning of a video is a way to entice viewers to watch the whole video making it important to have a good intro for your video. Is it good? Will viewers like this? We’ll see.
In a blog post previously in the year, we talked about AR and things that were to come. Well, here it is! On Snapchat Adidas has a new ad campaign that lets you pick a pair of shoes which are placed on the ground via the camera. Using the camera you can merge them onto your feet to “try on” the shoes.
Giving users interactive experience with your product is a great way to enhance your advertisements. Brands and Businesses can utilize Snapchats Lens Studio to create engaging and interactive experiences for the app’s young audience. This is beyond most small businesses at this point but it is something to watch and be aware of and we look ahead to 2019.
Which do you prefer; algorithm-defined new feed or most recent tweets from who you follow? Well now on Twitter the new ‘Sparkle’ button lets you opt-out of the algorithm-defined feed if you prefer to see most recent tweets first.
For those engaging on Twitter, the algorithm was sometimes a pain in the a**! This gives you an option to view things in order which can be very helpful for time sensitive or specific tweets you don’t want to miss.
With that, it’s a wrap on social media updates for 2018! Have they been helpful? It changes quickly and consistently and the only way to perform well in social media marketing is to keep up-to-date on the latest tools and tactics.
See you next year!
Christmas is just over a week away! Here are some of the latest social media updates you should know about through December 13, 2018.
Facebook is rolling out a new feature which allows users to share a collection of posts, videos, Marketplace listings or ads. This new feature is perfect for sharing gift ideas, to plan an event, and to share a collection of your best Facebook posts to your fans.
Sharing a collection of your top products, tutorials, recommendations, or other posts makes it easier for your customers to find and view a campaign. You can create your own collections or you can invite others to collaborate. It’s a win for marketers. Watch for it rolling out.
Instagram is rolling out the ability to share Stories with specific close friends. To do this, Instagram has a new feature called ‘close friends list’ in the Stories area where you can add friends to this list. The list will show up under as a green badge on Stories, so when you want to share an Instagram story with your close friends you tap the green badge icon.
The new features allow for you to share more personal moments with a smaller group of users and this way they get to see your updates. Marketers could have a “VIP” group of “close friends” and share specific content or offers just to that group. It’s a way to build a deeper connection with your most raving fans.
Youtube is launching Stories for creators. It appears they’ve seen this “Story” concept be popular on other platforms (haha!) and decided to copy it. This is similar to Instagram stories but has a few differences like the stories last seven days, appear for subscribers and non-subscribers, and creators can respond to fans that interact with their stories. Right now Stories are only available for channels in the Youtube Partner Program.
Most social media platforms have added a version of stories and have seen active use of the feature. It is a great way to engage with fans and develop a deeper connection, instead of just through comments. If you are eligible for YouTube Stories you’ll want to experiment with this. For the rest of us, it should be a matter of time and we’ll have the option as well.
Linkedin has launched a new feature giving users the ability to upload slideshows, PDF’s, documents and more on your LinkedIn profile, group, or company page.
Sharing your content can drive more discussions and engagement, and you can showcase files you made or presentations you have given. This is a big win for marketers to go deeper and share more resource-rich content on Linkedin. Be creative in ways you can share information to drive users to even more content on your website. In the words of Gary V, “Think jab, jab, then hook.” It’s another “jab” opportunity!
That’s all for now! We will see you after the holidays for more Social Media Updates!
Happy Thanksgiving! As the holiday is upon us I wanted to thank you all for your faithful reading and support! Here are some of the latest social media updates from the past two weeks.
Communal (think “Group”) video viewing has been important for Facebook as a way to potentially connect users together and increase time on the platform, and they are testing another new video feature in Messenger. This feature would allow the members in the chat to receive a notification when the co-viewing is starting, see who’s watching, and control the video.
This is a key test by Facebook to see how group video content can work on the platform. Not just content, but group video viewing. It’s like watching a TV show together but you may not be in the same physical space. Of course Facebook will want to monetize it so we’ll have to see how ads may be used, but businesses should view it from the angle of the video, (can you do video offering like this that attracts groups?), and from the potential ads destination perspective.
Just in time for the holiday season, Instagram has launched three new features: shopping collections, shop on business profiles, and shopping tags in videos for on-platform shopping.
Shopping collections is a new section added to your profile where you can save products you're interested in. This is just like Instagram’s ‘Save’ feature but with a focus on shopping. Now it’s easy to save items for later and keep your wish list up to date.
Instagram’s business profiles have a new ‘Shop’ tab that features all your shopping-tag enabled posts. This allows users to be able to browse products in one area instead of scrolling through all on the posts.
Similar to shopping tags for images, Instagram now allows businesses to have a listing of the products featured in the video. You can tap the shopping icon in the bottom left corner of the video to see the featured products and learn more about them.
Social commerce continues to grow! What it, learn from it, and be ready to see how your business may be able to jump in as the tools and adoption evolve.
Snapchat’s new Discover channel ‘Shop and Cop’ is out just in time for Black Friday. This channel “will highlight app-exclusive eCommerce deals from chosen brands and enable on-platform purchasing of those items.”
The deals on Snapchat’s new Discover channel ‘Shop and Cop’ appear for a two-hour time limit. Users will be prompted to subscribe to channels to be made aware of the offers in “Shop and Cop.’ This new channel adds another way to build your audience’s awareness for your product and boost engagement. It’s another foray into e-commerce for SnapChat and another advancement or attempt at mobile commerce. Mobile commerce in apps is growing and it’s good to stay alert and in touch with this trend.
Want to stay on top of the latest topics, movies, slang and more? Snapchat’s younger audience tends to have a large influence on key topics and content that flow through other platforms later. This latest update of trending topics can also be useful for your business to stay alert to news and trends.
By staying on top of what Snap users are discussing you can use that data to determine the content your business/product uses to reach younger audiences. Since they are early-adopters it can give your business insight into coming trends and opportunities or changes your business may want to consider.
New LinkedIn Pages now have updated sharing options and improved management tools. Mobile management tools now allow you to post via mobile which had been limited in the past.
Since LinkedIn has given more access to management tools and sharing options, it gives you more ways to follow your LinkedIn performance and engagement.
That’s a wrap on some of the latest updates from the last 2 weeks in the social media realm. It’s been a busy one!
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It’s crazy that this is just the beginning of September but pumpkin spice latte and pumpkin spice this and that are already out in full force! Here are the latest social media updates you need to know to adapt to your digital marketing to continue to be effective in the ever-changing world of social media and online marketing.
There is banter from secret sources leaking information that Instagram is in the process of developing an app that allows you to view goods from merchants you follow on Instagram and purchase them directly on the app. Instagram has not confirmed anything, but with over 25 million businesses already on Instagram, this would be a great way for them to break into e-commerce and expand their opportunities. The Verge covered this news and gave the details they have as of now.
If Instagram can pull off having a separate app for merchants to sell goods directly, it could be beneficial to b-2-c businesses because the consumer could purchase the item they are interested in directly on Instagram shopping and not have to leave the site. As we all know, sales online are always impacted by ease-of-use. The less friction and steps, the more sales go through. This could help increase businesses sales along with making a wide variety of products available to prospective consumers all in one place.
How can you prepare? Cultivate an active following on Instagram. Get experienced with posting, stories, videos, and also using hashtags and commenting on followers comments. It’s about engagement at the top of the funnel!
Stay tuned for more on an Instagram Shopping app!
Twitter has been testing a Facebook-like reply threading and status indicators in efforts to be more conversational. This is a direct look-a-like to what’s common on Facebook. Facebook users are experienced with threaded comments and anyone using Facebook Messenger is aware of the “green” status icon alerting you that this person is online now.
A pro and a con in my opinion. First, the pro. Threaded comments are a “finally” feature for Twitter when they fully roll out. Too many tweets disappear and it’s hard to follow them. This will hopefully bring more engagement and longer conversations to the Twitter-sphere. Again, it means your brand must be ready to comment, respond, and talk with followers. This is the new marketing world….engagement and dialogue.
And now the con. I don’t want everyone knowing when I’m online and reaching out to me just because they see a green light! Social is already so 24/7 that giving online status indicators is in my mind a bad thing to do. Let’s see what happens with this one and if there is an outcry from others as well.
A year ago Facebook Watch was released in the U.S. and it has given people in the U.S. a place to find shows, live events, video creators, and basically, watch “TV” in another format. Now in the next phase, people around the world can interact with each other through videos on Facebook Watch.
Facebook Watch is a way businesses can post regular video content that people globally can view and interact with. Video is becoming increasingly more and more important as viewers prefer video content to text and even images. So with it going global, it can be an opportunity for many businesses to increase their audience and potentially grow their business market. This makes Facebook Watch going global an important new update.
That’s your weekly dose of social media updates that matter!
Speaking of Instagram...if your business is needing either a starting guide or a next step more advanced guide to getting going on Instagram, I’ve got you covered! I’ve got ebooks for both just released with updated content.
See you in 2 weeks with another update!
As I just had my birthday at the beginning of the week, I have been reflecting on the past year and I always amazed at the speed of change online, and particularly in social media. It will not stand still! Changes occur, updates are made, algorithms adjust, and to be effective we have to keep “in the know” and adapt.
Here’s your latest dose of social media updates through late August and what you need to do to adapt with your business and marketing.
As more people and businesses compete for limited News Feed time, Facebook has rolled out some new updates on Facebook Business Pages. Some of the changes include making reservations, booking appointments, placing orders easier and more. As well, recommendations are more prominent, there are improved features for events, the job application tool expands to worldwide, and visitors can browse a local section in your app.
These are HUGE changes to Pages with the intent to drive more people to your Page, not just to hopefully see your posts in the News Feed.
With over 1.6 billion people on Facebook, the 80 million businesses with Pages on Facebook have to compete for limited News Feed time. The new updates for the Facebook Business Pages are set to help small businesses and local businesses better connect with people.
Currently, most interaction with a Page is done in the News Feed and few people go to the Page itself. Now, you will see more traffic to the Page with the features and tools being integrated within the Page. Definitely, you must review the features Facebook is recommending, review the Page Template they are recommending, and set up some of these new features to be able to take advantage of the opportunities Facebook is giving.
We’ve been waiting for it and it looks to be in roll-out and available to all soon! You will be able to cross post from your Facebook business Pages to your Instagram business profile. This feature was available from Instagram to Facebook, but soon you will be able to do it the other way too!
The feature rollout will only start with crossposting one photo from Facebook to Instagram.
Crossposting from Facebook to Instagram can be a great feature to take advantage of for your business simply in terms of efficiency of time and effort. Just keep these things in mind when crossposting:
LinkedIn has been on the move the past 6 months or so with a number of nice changes for users and marketers. The most recent is a significant change to LinkedIn Groups. Boosting engagement and enabling vibrant discussions in your groups is important, so LinkedIn has prioritized features that support this including:
LinkedIn Groups can be a key community building and top-of-mind awareness tool that positions your company as an expert and thought leader by your hosting a group or participation in a group. Groups had fallen into less use over the years and now this will bring attention to them back to the forefront.
LinkedIn wants people to stay on the platform and use it, and the new Groups is a way to help that. This helps users that will be intentional about cultivating a group they host and bringing attention to them when they are active in a group.
That’s a wrap on the August Social Media updates for 2018! As always, my goal is to keep you quickly informed so that you can adapt and get on with business!
Summer is going fast! In my world, I wish it would last longer. I just got back from the beach in North Carolina and I’m wondering what it would take to live there year ‘round!
Enough of my ramblings, August is here and we have some new social media updates to share with you!
As part of Facebook’s ongoing efforts to protect user privacy and data, Facebook has implemented a new approval process for apps connecting to Facebook groups. Facebook implemented changes on August 1, 2018, that they had announced in April. Facebook has changed the way Facebook Groups can be managed by 3rd Party Tools like AgoraPulse, Hootsuite, Buffer, and more. In order to post to a Facebook Group with a 3rd party tool like those mentioned and more, you now must add the app provided by the 3rd party tool to your Facebook Group (in the group settings) before you authenticate and connect the Group in your 3rd party tool.
Here's how to add a app to a Facebook Group >
Instagram and Facebook are both rolling out a tool to allow you to manage the time you spend on their platforms. This tool is currently only available from their respective apps and is part of the effort to improve our mental health. This new tool has a dashboard where you can see your activity in a bar graph along with a daily average of your time spent, a daily reminder so you don’t go over the allotted time you set and notification settings where you can limit the notifications you receive.
We all get busy throughout the day with many tasks and events. This tool can help business owners focus on a task or even take a break by setting time limits. Be more efficient with your time spent on Instagram and Facebook and cut into family and in-person time less!
From the Instagram app, tap on "Your Activity." On Facebook, tap on "Your Time On Facebook"
You will see a bar showing time on Instagram or time on Facebook. You can also tap on "set daily reminder" to alert you when you've reached the time you allow yourself for these platforms or tap on "Notification Settings" to mute push notifications for a period of time that you specify.
Facebook is always working to improve the data they provide so you can improve the content you post.
One way they are improving is by no longer including a rewatched video as a video view. Facebook is adding Oracles Moat data tool to verify the new video plays metric which will allow you to see the actual video plays. Facebook will also be adding 3 second and 10-second video counts, new video plays, and removing 30-second video views and video percentage watched.
The new Facebook video ad metrics should be helpful to businesses who run Facebook Ads. It will provide more accurate data to improve the videos you upload to Facebook.
Snapchat rolled out the Snapchat Ad Marketplace to Discover partners and brought commercials to Ads Manager. The new ad marketplace will help a select group of Snap partners monetize their content.
As a business owner, if you use Snapchat, once you become a Discover partner, you can start to tap into these new features. The new Snapchat ad marketplace will help a select group of Snap partners monetize their content. If you wanted to purchase six-second video commercials, you had to do that through Snapchat but now you can do all of this through Ads Manager.
That’s a wrap on some of the newest updates and social media changes for you to be aware of! I’ll see you in two weeks.
We have hit the spot in summer where there’s not as much breaking news in Social Media. That’s kind of a nice mid-summer thing to have! I do have one update and some important Twitter and Instagram stats to share with you!
Instagram rolled out a sticker with the ability to ask open-ended questions on within your Instagram Story. Previously, the poll or emoji bar stickers where ways to ask questions within Instagram Stories and get a response. Now, you can ask a question and your followers have the ability to respond.
This is a great way for businesses to interact with their followers and get insights on different things! This is a huge step forward in Story engagement and is a simple call-to-action method for businesses to use. It’s rolling out so what for it and explore open-ended questions on Instagram Stories!
I’m always on the lookout for key Instagram stats and other social trends and I’ve found a good one on Instagram. Check out this Instagram User Engagement Article! It does a great job of breaking down Instagram stats for user engagement as to why there is such a large percentage of user engagement on Instagram in comparison to other platforms. As well, it explores how and what makes Instagram so engaging, and who (as in industries and profiles) get the most engagement.
This is a “must read” to stay up on the growth and importance of this social media platform!
Tweets with videos are 6x more likely to be retweeted than Tweets with photos! Did you know that? It’s a fact and it’s all here plus a lot more in this nifty ebook by Twitter.
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That’s a wrap on updates this round. Go back and check out a number of key updates in the Social Media world throughout 2018 to ensure you are up-to-date by clicking on any link below!
Summer is in full force and we are experiencing quite the heat wave on the East Coast! Here are some of the HOT new updates in the Social Media World!
Would you like to know how many Ad’s your competitors are running? You can!
Facebook recently launched the “Info and Ads” tab for all Business Pages. This new feature shows the different advertisements the page is running on Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger. The feature doesn’t show the amount of money spent on post boosts but it can give a sense of different publishers approaches to Facebook Ads.
As a business owner this transparency may hold value with accountability for having ads visible to the public and other competitors, however; with competitors able to study your ads all in one convenient location it’s less than ideal. Even though there is that downside, seeing how other publishers run advertisements for their pages will provide further insight into ad strategies and could expand the way ads are run.
It’s interesting, to say the least, but part of Facebook’s transparency plan that businesses will need to flow with.
We talked about IGTV and it’s roll-out in our last update but it needs more! Instagram is making it easy to shoot a quick video with your phone and turn it into a show/channel. Videos can be up to 10 minutes in length in this new area and the format is to be more like a “TV” network.
Since IGTV is a very new tool that rolled out, you may have questions about how to set it up and the best way to use it. Well, we’ve got a FREE 48-page guide that you can download to help you!
It will cover the full details of IGTV setup, specifications for video and more.
Now you can express important moments or how your feeling with music in your Instagram Story!
You can add music to your photo or video in Stories by tapping the music icon when adding a sticker. This will open a library of songs you can browse through to find the right song for your story. Fast Forward or rewind to choose a certain part of the song for your story. There is also a new option under the record button labeled “Music” where you can choose a song before capturing a video with the Instagram camera. Lastly, there is a sticker that you can add to your photo or video that allows your friends to see the song title and artist name.
Instagram continues to roll-out innovations that help marketers produce better content. We need to experiment with them and use them!
As a way to make connections with new clients, co-workers, and people you meet around the world LinkedIn recently added the ability to see translations of posts written in another language. LinkedIn Translations now support up to 60 translations to prevent languages from being a barrier to expanding and maintaining meaningful business relations.
This allows businesses and people to expand their relations and audiences on LinkedIn to connect with or influence more people. It’s a positive help, particularly for those needing to interact globally and increase the local need to reach people in more than one language!
That’s it for this early July update! I’ll be back to keep you informed again at the end of the month. Never miss new updates by signing up here on my site to get my blog posts in your inbox!
Finding the ideal recruit for a position can be tough -- and also expensive. On sites like Careerbuilder or Monster, a posting that runs for a month cost at least $500, and that's still without the assurance of getting suitable candidates.
But why spend that when you can use social media? Aside from the obvious choice LinkedIn, you can use Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and similar sites to find fresh talent. Why? This is where people look for new careers. They use their networks to expand their horizons and tap into other industries.
But to reach them effectively, you must:
Don't ask applicants to reveal the password to their social media accounts; otherwise, you run the risk of violating the Federal Stored Communications Act. Also, take note that different states have different laws, so what's okay in California may not be okay in New York. And even though it's not unnecessarily illegal to check someone's tagged photos, it's best to look at what the candidates are posting on their own timelines to get an accurate view of how they wish to present themselves.
Don't be boring on social media. Whether you're posting, share something that's unique and current. Also, it doesn't hurt to show everyone what makes your organization stand out. Do you have a thriving and vibrant workplace? Share short video tours and wacky behind the scenes. Is your organization involved in community projects? Post photos of your recent efforts. And of course, put up job postings.
Don't just say that your organization is the best. Show it through your posts. If it's dynamic and innovative, the projects you're working on should speak for themselves. If you're fun and youthful, your posts should reflect those qualities. Your audience is smart. They'll figure out your message without it being shoved down their throats. And if they like what you have to say, they'll be drawn to your organization.
A good compensation package still plays a big role when it comes to attracting top talent, but first impressions can't be taken for granted. And in this digital world, social media is where people form their first perceptions of you and your organization. So make sure you leave a great impression.
Sometimes you can benefit most from consultant that works with leadership development or personality profiles. A independent consultant can offer your business a professional and key way to accomplish find a specific type of new team member without any long term commitment.
How to Hire Using Social Media
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Today, there are many web-based apps on the market to help companies and individuals with social media management. While each caters to a specific aspect of social marketing, a rising star with top features for social media management is AgoraPulse.
AgoraPulse covers basically everything you could possibly need for social media marketing, monitoring, and management.
Focusing on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram currently with more networks set to roll out shortly, it helps small businesses that are on tight social media marketing budgets have a complete tool like the Fortune 500 companies!
AgoraPulse has tools for everything from moderation to competitions. Most importantly, though, it's sold at a price that most any business can afford. Below I’ll review some of the key aspects of AgoraPulse.
The analytics tools found in AgoraPulse are very similar to what you'd find in Facebook Insights. The difference here is that AgoraPulse's tools are a lot easier to read.
Besides the interface, AgoraPulse also includes all kinds of reports that you won't find in Facebook Insights. This includes post recommendations, average fan profiling, reach and engagement breakdown, page views, export into Powerpoint, ROI analysis and competitor analysis.
These tools allow companies to get more information on the people viewing and engaging with their business, so they can reach and serve their target audience better.
Originally the core feature of the tool, Facebook contests are still offered but have less prominence in the interface. It’s pretty easy and straightforward to setup and deploy a contest. There's no CSS editing or extensive text formatting.
Practically everything is preconfigured to make it quick to create and launch. This is great for companies that want a simple process to launch contests on Facebook.
Creating and publishing content is key on social media networks and the management of this process is important. AgoraPulse does this well. Check out some of the reasons why below:
When it comes to moderating Facebook, it can be a bit tricky. Facebook lets you block specific words (like curse words), and sends notifications when a follower leaves a comment.
This is problematic for those large companies that have a huge following. With AgoraPulse, you can switch up the moderation rules based on the user's' comments. You can assign specific moderation tasks to different individuals. This gives you a strong administration role.
You can assign an account administrator that hand's out moderation tasks manually, or you can have AgoraPulse send a notification email to the person you choose. This offers a quality way to manage comments and interactions.
One of the keys that in my opinion sets AgoraPulse apart is the powerful and slick mobile app. Available for Apple and Android users, the app has some great features. It allows easy publishing and scheduling.
As well, it offers access to on-the-go moderation and ability to enable notifications so that app users can be alerted immediately of key things such as comments and replies.
As mentioned previously, AgoraPulse is affordable for small businesses. It costs as little as $19 a month for a small business that wants to manage one Facebook Page and Twitter account. This pricing can change depending on the AgoraPulse plan you choose.
AgoraPulse has a free trial option so individuals can try out this system before purchasing a plan. The trial lasts 15 days and allows you to try all the features so individuals get a true feel.
I’m blessed to count AgoraPulse founder Emeric Ernoult as a friend of mine. In the past, we’ve had friendly competition in the Facebook contest space with TabSite but I’ve got to say that the transformation of AgoraPulse to a complete social media management tool has been impressive.
They are a small team going up against big firms like NapoleonCat, Brand24, Hootsuite and Sprout Social and they’ve done a great job carving out key user features that set them apart. The whole user interface makes all tasks quick and easy. Everything is laid out well. It's also very quick to duplicate required posts and then edit if needed.
One of the best features is having the ability to adjust copy between platforms without having to start a new post. I learn new things about this program all the time. It has really helped my productivity in the way that it saves me time.
"The whole user interface of AgoraPulse makes all tasks quick and easy. Everything is laid out well. It's also very quick to duplicate required posts and then edit if needed. One of the best features is having the ability to adjust copy between platforms without having to start a new post. I learn new things about this program all the time. It has really helped my productivity in the way that it saves me time."
Neal Taparia, of Imagine Easy Solutions, a portfolio of educational software services that reached 30M students annually. He sold the business to a public company, Chegg, where he was an executive for three years. His new initiative, spider-solitaire-challenge.com
If you’re starting to use Instagram to market your business, you know the importance of creating the perfect image.
Photoshop gurus can create the perfect photo but even they struggle with Instagram because they'd have to transfer their masterpiece from their computer to their mobile to upload onto Instagram.
But if you don’t have the time or the patience to learn Photoshop and do the file transferring, or if you want to edit your images on the fly, there are a lots of mobile image editing apps that can help.
This is a neat app for Apple and Android smartphone users. It allows you to dress up images to share on social media by easily adding text.
Offering a variety of fonts and styles, Phonto is a good choice for creating quote images to share or adding a bit of text to your own photos.
The app also offers stickers and stenciled letters as well. For free, this is a great app to consider for sprucing up your images!
Yes, Photoshop for your mobile device!
For basic image editing, Photoshop Express is a good choice. It’s free, it’s easy, and it works on Android, iOS (iPhone), Windows Phone, and Windows 8.
It offers all the features you use most often—crop, flip, rotate, straighten, etc.—plus a handful of more advanced options.
You can adjust brightness and contrast; hue, saturation and temperature, and more. It offers multiple built-in effects and allows you to import photos or take them directly in the app.
If you want a great all-purpose app, Aviary is it.
On top of the basics, it offers Tilt/Shift and cosmetic fixes like blemish removal, red-eye removal, and the ability to whiten teeth.
It also adds a ton of Instagrammable features like stickers, photo effects, and the ability to add text and create memes. Aviary is available for Android or iOS and is one of my recommended "go to" apps.
This is simply one of the easiest ways to add text to an image. It does one thing very well.
With Quick, you can add text to an existing photo, or take a picture from within the app and add text. Then, after adding simply choose a font style, position it, and share it on Instagram, Facebook, or other social channels.
It’s that easy. I like the quick scroll through fonts making it a snap to see how each font would look on the image. Available for iOs and Android. This is a great app for creating shareable quotes.
WordSwag is another "go to" in my mobile app bucket. At a cost of $2.99 it's not the cheapest app out there for editing, but it's one of the best!
Like Quick, it's designed to help you quickly create text on images. With a number of great templates and styles it adds design flare to any quote you want to create.
You can use your own images or select from a wide array of free image they offer. Simply select your photo, add your text, select your text layout, and create! Yes, it's free and for iOS users at this time.
FlipagramDifferent than the others, this great little app lets you combine photos and create a slick slideshow video that can be shared on social media, including Instagram.
It connects to your phone photo album and lets you select a series of images or even video and then add music to create a "photo-story" that can communicate really well on social media, including Instagram. It's available free for iOS, Android, and even Windows.
So go ahead and download a few of these mobile apps are start taking your Instagram marketing to the next level!
What apps do you use to enhance your Instagram images? Tell us in the comments below.
Considering if and how your business should use Instagram?
Wondering how other small businesses are using it?
In this episode, I interview Sue B. Zimmerman, aka “the Instagram Expert". Sue helps businesses use Instagram to attract and engage their ideal customers. She’s used Instagram herself to increase traffic to her Cape Cod retail boutique by 40% in only 12 months.
In this "Instagram for business" podcast episode, you’ll learn how to take advantage of using photos and short videos on Instagram and examples of how specific businesses are having success. For example, businesses like EarthWeb.com are seeing success in the Instagram automation and growth sphere.
This is Sue's second time on the Halftime Mike podcast and we address specifically the small business perspective on Instagram. I’m thrilled that Sue B. will also be a speaker at my Doable Social Summit online conference this September. Sue is a frequent speaker at some of the largest social media events around the world, and she performs training programs as well as consulting.
Listen in on this episode with Sue B. Zimmerman and leave with my promise: New insights, actionable info you can use, and doable tips to help you in your business!
Subscribe: Halftime Mike on iTunes | Android users via RSS | Listen on Stitcher.
Sue B. Zimmerman, aka the #InstagramGal and #TheInstagramExpert, is a master at Instagram for Business. She's a speaker, coach, and author on how powerful Instagram for business can be. Sue B. has a online Instagram course Insta-Results, a #1 ranked eBook: Instagram Basics for your Business. In short, she's a high-energy, fun-loving, serial entrepreneur!
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I'm a Indiana Hoosier native where basketball is the top sport. Every team heads to the locker room at halftime to evaluate the first half and create a updated plan for the second half. That plan includes adjustments based on reviewing what worked and what didn't. The "halftime" is a key review point where the game stops, the team pulls away to huddle in the locker room away from the fans, and they come out prepared and ready to succeed in the second half.
That's what this podcast is all about, taking the time to pull away for bit to evaluate, learn, and set some strategies for your business to succeed in the second half.
Subscribe via iTunes: Halftime Mike on iTunes | Android users via RSS | Listen on Stitcher.
I'm big on your "next doable task". Take one point from today's podcast and make sure you go out and do it right away!
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If you have a smartphone, you've likely seen and used various photo collage apps that allow you to add multiple photos that are then combined into one image collage. There are many to choose from and they all work about the same.
The PicPlayPost app allows users to create video segment stories, then customize them, including ability to add music, and publish into a unique and one-of-a-kind video collage!
Just like images, video conveys more depth than text. It captures the attention of viewers and draws them in. With YouTube being the second most used search engine in the world, and with the rise of video consumption on Facebook, Instagram and in tools like Twitter's Vine app, video continues to grow in use online.
Whether to tell a story from your vacation much better, or to use for business marketing as a way to demonstrate the power and possibilities of your product, video communicates so much stronger than text and can be more powerful than images.
Not so long ago, producing videos was out of the reach of your common person. Today, however, tools like PicPlayPost have brought simple, yet quality video production to the average smartphone user! With studies showing that people can process imagery 60,000 times faster than text, it makes sense to use these simple and yet powerful tools to communicate better to your audience.
Available in the iTunes store as well as Google Play for Android, PicPlayPost is a simple tool to use. To use, simply download the app (free and $1.99 version with more features) and choose from one of the 36 collage designs.
Each collage "frame" has varying layouts.
Next, select your final image aspect ratio such as square (great for Instagram), rectangular or related. Then insert images or videos from your phone or tablet albums and position each in the collage frame of choice. You can change colors and thickness of borders, shrink, or magnify each image or video.
Lastly, you can add optional audio to play with your videos from selections offered or your own music library.
Key to the power of the app is the ability have both images and multiple videos in one collage!
As well, you can adjust the videos, edit the images in size, color, and filters, and edit the music clip selection. It's a powerful tool in the palm of your hand!
With ability to then share your masterpiece on Facebook, Twitter, Email, Instagram, MMS, and YouTube you've got access to the major social sharing networks easily, as well as access to the video file itself.
So whether you want to create a personalized birthday digital "card" with a photo and music, or whether you want to create a catchy product highlight video for your business, PicPacPlay is a recommended tool to have in your smartphone toolbag!
Have you tried it yet? Let me know how it goes!
Check out PicPlayPost on Instagram to see more examples in action....
Does your business use social media marketing as part of your online marketing strategy?
Have you felt limited by the "mobile app only" option for Instagram?
If so, then I've got some GREAT news for you!
Schedugram is a web-based tool ideal for businesses using Instagram.
It's a fact that there are many options to choose from in order to schedule Tweets, Facebook posts, LinkedIn shares and even Google+ company page posts. But for the longest time Instagram, even though it's one of the fastest growing social media platforms, has had no options other than the mobile app to post your brand images.
Not anymore! If you knew you could schedule out your key company, product, and event images to reach followers at key times of high traffic and wanted a way to spread out your posts in a more orderly fashion to fit with your marketing campaign, then the online tool ScheduGram may become your new best friend!
ScheduGram is an easier way to manage Instagram marketing. It's totally web based and brings the power of planning and scheduling to your Instagram accounts.
Each social media network has peak times when a shared post is likely to get the most views or interactions. Instagram is no different, but marketing managers are not always available at the appropriate times and are even more limited if they have a personal Instagram account on their phone and need to switch to the company account to post a image for their brand. That's clunky!
ScheduGram solves this totally by allowing small businesses to schedule Instagram photos one at a time or in bulk to publish at set times!
ScheduGram works by allowing marketing managers and small business owners to control their Instagram account through an online interface. The Australian team has created a great web-based software where you can schedule all of your Instagram photos and videos ahead of time, something really useful for marketing campaigns where you want to sequence images and videos out in a orderly sequence that tells a ongoing story with more information.
As well, it offers ability to manage multiple Instagram accounts through the one interface without having to constantly log in and out. So this solves the personal and business account problem, but as many businesses are finding, it can be of value to have unique Instagram accounts for your different product lines and so ScheduGram covers you for this as well!
In many cases, the best way to get the word out about a new product or offering is via the Internet.
However, small business owners are also incredibly busy managing their business and do not have the time to sit at a computer all day to post Tweets, Facebook posts, and Instagram photos. By utilizing the help of online social media scheduling tools, it cuts the work of the small business owner way down. All they now have to do is sit down for an hour each day—or maybe even week—and write all of the necessary social media posts, schedule them, and then reap the benefits that come with scheduled posting.
Add ScheduGram to the mix of your social tools and you now have a great asset in your time management plan! ScheduGram allows posts to be scheduled in 15 minute increments, a spacing minimum that is designed to help businesses "keep it real" and to adequately space out there posts to not inundate followers.
Note, it doesn't replace engaging and responding! A central key to Instagram is the active commenting and social interaction that takes place and a business should NOT think that a tool like this is the only thing they need to do. This is best as a supplement and for planning out campaigns but the real key and success to Instagram is still the commenting and interactions. It's about being social!
Here are some posts with ideas that I've shared before:
Do you manage multiple Instagram accounts and spend your time logging in and out? Would you like the option to be able to schedule some images ahead of time?
Let me know what you think in the comments below!
Check out ScheduGram here >
I believe that all professionals should know how powerful Instagram for business can be.
However, just having an account isn’t enough. I’m here to share 6 ways to improve your Instagram account and help you develop a powerful Instagram presence. It’s important to make your Instagram profile as easy to view and navigate as possible if you’re looking to gain an audience and network on and offline. My goal is to aid you in representing your brand in the best way possible and increase traffic to your profile—and subsequently, your business.
NOTE: Sue B. Zimmerman will be a speaker at my September event, the Doable Social Summit. She's one of a group of trusted leaders sharing practical tactics to grow leads and sales online. Sept. 15-26. All online, includes a LinkedIn private group and video recording of each session. Learn more about the Doable Social Summit.
Included in your bio should be a concise description of what you or your business does. This, combined with your photo content, is how people will decide whether to follow you back or not, so you want your description to be engaging and a strong representation of your business.
Don’t forget to include a link in your Instagram bio. You can change out the link whenever you choose to promote different aspects of your business, for instance a newsletter sign up or your Facebook fan page.
You are allowed up to 30 hashtags in the caption of an Instagram post, so take advantage of it. Create a custom hashtag for your business to curate the images you and your customers share. To get more hashtag ideas, go into your ‘explore’ section (the compass button) and try typing in different keywords to see what yields content that most closely aligns with your brand. To extend the life of your post, add the hashtag as a second comment of your post. If you want to refresh your post, delete that comment and add new ones. Remember to never add a punctuation to your post, because the hashtag will not be live. Use these tips to cure your Hashtag Headache.
Leaving the privacy setting on is like having a closed sign on your front door!
Your account should be public, making it easier to view your content and follow your account. The more accessible you are, the more people you will reach.
Within Instagram you can easily edit your photos. But if you want them to really stand out, a simple filter will not always be enough! Some of my favorite applications for this are Word Swag, Rhonna, Flipagram, Videohance, Diptic, and Canva.
Use Geo tags when posting from your office or business and encourage customers to Geo Tag when they’re visiting your storefront or restaurant.
By clicking on your Geotag, you can see the user generated content that your customers have produced. This creates yet another place to curate photos related to your business and increase visibility of your brand!
Ideally, your Twitter and Instagram handles should be the same. If your Twitter or Instagram name is taken, then try using periods, your middle initial, or a number to keep both handles as similar as possible. It’s also a good idea to have the same or similar profile pictures across platforms so that you are quickly recognizable. Encourage users from one platform to follow you on another by posting a call to action and sharing your link as well.
By using these tips, you should now have an #InstaAwesome and complete profile. Now it’s time to start interacting with your followers. People will repost your content if it is worthy of sharing to their followers, and this will give you a much larger reach. Post interesting and relevant content and don’t forget to hashtag!
Finally, be sure to like posts and respond to comments and messages. Instagram is an awesome place to show a more personal side of your business—Follow the hashtag #InstaGalLive to be a part of my amazing Instagram community and see these tips and tricks in action!
Reminder: Catch Sue B. Zimmerman at my September event, the Doable Social Summit. Learn more about the Doable Social Summit.
