IGTV & What It Means For Content Creators
For content creators, the biggest news of the day is the announcement of Instagram’s latest development: the launch of IGTV, a video content stream within the app. IGTV is specifically tailored to be more mobile friendly than YouTube, providing content directly from major creators currently on Instagram.
The news was delivered via Instagram’s business page, with the company saying IGTV will bring audiences “closer to the creatives they love”. IGTV has been created around the insights that audiences are increasingly straying from traditional forms of video consumption, towards consumption of online video content via mobile devices. A direct quote from the business page says:
“We're evolving with the times; these days, people are watching less TV and more digital video. By 2021, mobile video will account for 78% of total mobile data traffic. And we've learned that younger audiences are spending more time with amateur content creators and less time with professionals.”
One of the most distinctive features of IGTV is the dimensions of the content (9:16), meaning videos will be made to fit phone screens rather than traditional desktop dimensions (used by YouTube). Snapchat Discover (the closest comparison for IGTV) currently provides videos in a mobile friendly format, however the service hasn’t received the popularity originally anticipated, with several shows being cancelled due to lack of viewer interest.
IGTV will allow content up to 60 minutes long, a major development from the current 60 second video limit on the Instagram app. The app also starts playing content from the moment you open the app, and boasts it’s simplicity with regards to browsing and finding content.
There is currently no ad service within the IGTV app yet, although the brand has indicated that this will be a likely development as the app gains momentum. In the meantime, brands can have a presence on the app simply through content creation. As users become more resistant to traditional advertising, they are increasingly expecting engaging, relevant content from the brands they follow; IGTV being the newest platform for brands to experiment with long form content.
If you’d like to learn more about content creation or how we can connect your brand to your target market, contact us at [email protected].
The Benefits Of A Boutique Agency
Thinking of outsourcing your brand's marketing requirements? Tossing up between working with a large or boutique agency? We're sharing a few tips on why boutique is the way to go!
When it comes to sourcing an agency to best represent your brand, its no secret there is a bit of an oversaturation in the world of marketing and social media.
More than often, it’s tempting to choose a large, well-known company to meet your marketing needs - but what about the alternatives? There HAS to be another option for value, satisfaction and success.
Here lies the secret weapon that is the Boutique Creative Marketing Agency.
With an intimate team of professionals directly at hand, the benefits of choosing a boutique agency are endless.
Direct access to the owner, specialist team members and closer client relationships
Too often the hierarchy at big agencies resembles more of a monarchy than an efficient, innovative space for creativity and client relations to flourish.
In larger businesses, strict structures and reporting protocol limit the contact and input a client can have when it comes to the services provided to them.
At a boutique agency, a smaller team of handpicked professionals can offer a more personal service and creative space for successful client relationships. Your creative team are able to position themselves as an extension of your business, leading to a more authentic content creation process.
Owners and senior members of staff have the ability to directly oversee projects within a smaller team, allowing a client’s input and best interests to be at the forefront of their minds; ultimately producing higher quality work that is the best representation of your business’ vision.
Lower Cost
Instead of the cost of overheads including extra support staff, lavish workspaces and expense accounts that you would find integrated into proposed quotes by larger agencies, outsourcing a boutique agency to market your business can be a much more cost effective option.
With a boutique agency, clients pay only for the team that actually works on a job, meaning no unjustified or hidden costs. Generally a Melbourne Social Co monthly retainer is equivalent to, or less than, the cost of a full time junior salary - a fee that gives you direct access to the experience of an entire creative team.
Faster turn around
Another major benefit when it comes to choosing a boutique agency over a larger competitor is the quick turn around time for projects and content.
Boutique agencies carefully hand-pick a manageable amount of clients they believe they can deliver genuine results to, so your project wont be put on hold or lost in the crowd. This tailored approach smaller agencies employ ensures your campaign will be given the attention and dedicate it deserves, leading to better results!
These are but a few benefits we can recommend when it comes to going ahead with a smaller, boutique marketing agency. For any queries, or additional information on how we at Melbourne Social Co can provide the very best service for your business or project, contact us today - [email protected]
8 Reasons To Hire A Social Media Manager
Thinking about whether to manage your social media accounts in-house or to outsource to a professional?
We're sharing a few points on why it's a good idea to outsource your social media management requirements to a professional or agency.
1. Content creation
Having a professional manage your social accounts opens the door to amazing, expert content creation. Not only will your content be creative and of a professional standard, it will also be visually consistent and add to the overall aesthetic of your social pages.
2. Stay ahead of the trends
When you work with a professional, you're tapping into their years of broad experience in social media! It's your social media manager's job to stay up to date with all of the latest digital trends and they will adapt this knowledge to your business.
3. Consistent & professional tone of voice
It is very important when managing a social account, that the tone of voice of the account is consistent and professional. If a social account is managed internally and shared around amongst a team, the tone and professionalism of posts will differ. However, if the account management is outsourced, it will prevent variation in tone and keep the entire account consistent and professional.
4. Increase engagement
Managing your social media account is a daily task, but it can sometimes come second to the day-to-day tasks you have when running a business. Having a pro managing your social media means that no comment will go unanswered and social media can stay a priority without taking away time from the business. Not only will this make your business more personable and real, but it will increase your engagement rates, which will lead to your content appearing higher in your followers' feeds.
5. Reliability
Want to remove any unnecessary worry from your day? With a dedicated professional managing the account you can depend on them to post at the right times and provide a reliable account to engage with followers - this includes after hours!
6. It’s a time saver
Who doesn’t love saving time? By hiring a professional to head your social media it’s one less thing you, as a business, need to do. With your social accounts in more than capable hands, it gives you time to focus on other pressing matters.
7. Accountability
The great thing about using a professional to manage your socials is the level of accountability they bring. Clients expect a certain level of responsibility when outsourcing and a professional will record and measure the work their doing. This helps them meet the client’s needs and also holds them accountable for the work their doing.
8. It’s Fun
To put it simply, social media is fun, especially to those who have made it their career. By hiring a professional to manage your social media, you are guaranteed a committed worker who absolutely loves what they're doing.
Ready to outsource your social media requirements to a professional agency? We're here to help! Contact us at [email protected] today.
Finding The Best Stock Images for Content Creation
If you’re running a social media page set up for success, we understand that you want everything you post to look amazing. We also understand the struggle achieving this if you don’t have access to a photographer or stylist, or content readily available. Here is a list of our favourite royalty-free stock image sites, as well as a summary of the Copyright Act for Australian content creators, to help you create stunning posts for your business or personal pages.
Created by yours truly, we have a collection of styled and edited photos available for purchase, which you can adapt to your brand’s needs. Take a browse through everything available here. These photos are particularly tailored for lifestyle, business, blogging, decor and design.
Pexels have a variety of photos and videos, which don’t require any attribution. They have a wide range of images, with some premium options available for purchase. There is no login required, so download is convenient and easy!
Similar to Pexels, Unsplash has a variety of artistic photos available for free download, however this site does not include stock video. The creators also don’t need to be credited, and best of all, everything on the website is free.
Unlike some of the free sites, Stocksy includes several less traditional image options, such as prints and animations, photos of families, workplace and site photos, photo collections and a range of videos. These pieces require an account and payment, and the site includes the ability to search with JPG files.
Another paid site, SC Stockshot provides stylised images which have been used by Vogue Bridal and a wide variety of wedding sites. You can also access 20 images for free by signing up to the newsletter, and the site is unique in categorising various images by colour palettes, along with traditional category groupings.
Copyright law
Understanding Australia’s copyright law can be broad and complicated, so here’s a brief summary of how it works for content creators.
Copyright law applies automatically to every piece of work, regardless of where it was made, provided it is being used in Australia. This applies to unpublished content, regardless of whether it has a copyright notice included, including work you find on the internet.
To use someone else’s work, you need to gain permission, and may need to pay for a licence. You are also legally required to credit the work’s creators, unless they have explicitly waived this right. If the work is in the public domain, or author has explicitly denied the rights of use through Creative Commons Licensing, you may use their work without permission, however it is still polite to credit them. Other exceptions for using material without permission are listed under ‘fair dealing’ in the Copyright Act, which primarily applies to educational, legal and journalist organisations.
For content creators, you may use a portion of someone else’s work without permission, provided it is not an important, integral or distinctive part of their work, and the guideline for this is 10% of the piece. The wording on this clause is very broad, so we recommend seeking permission and licenses for whatever you use to avoid infringement.
If you’d like to know more about content creation and how we can help, contact us at [email protected]
Why social media content must be engaging in 2018
Why creating and sharing engaging social media content is more important than ever
We are living in a day and age where our train ride to work, lunch time smoothie and evening workout are projected into the digital world. And brands have moved into the world of Instagram and Facebook as a means to further their influence and increase engagement. So much so, that our social media feeds are now flooded with ads and promotions, frustrating users to the point where there has been a decline in usage, particularly on Facebook.
In retaliation, both Facebook and Instagram have changed their algorithm. The algorithm affects where your posts appear on the feed, who sees your content, and therefore your reach and organic engagement.
Through the altered algorithm, the social platforms intend to show content that will encourage meaningful interactions between users. The posts appearing on our social media accounts are now arranged according to the content you are most likely to interact with. This change in the algorithm penalises brands that come across as overly promotional, therefore pushing them to work harder on gaining customers and potential clients attention. Many aspects of user’s online interactions are taken into consideration within the algorithm, but ultimately, content needs to be engaging to further reach and gain followers.
So, what makes a social media post engaging? How can you influence your followers and encourage them to interact with your content? And hence, how can you grow your following and further your reach?
Know your target audience.
And work hard on providing them with content they will take an interest in.
Ensure images, captions and comments are all “thoughtful”. This is vital in maintaining an identifiable persona. “Thoughtful” content is the kind where followers can see the authenticity, value and quality within each online interaction. Your account is a reflection of your brand, consequently, your online interaction must echo your accounts personality.
Encourage interactions on your account. The more interactions occurring on a post and the longer users engage with it, the more people who will see it. Prompting users to comment on your post, through questions or content they can relate to, will encourage conversation within your account.
Utilise your social platforms. Facebook and Instagram will reward you for this and it will also add dimension to your digital identity. Create stories, send messages and comment on other account’s posts. Videos gain more engagement than images and live videos gain 6x more interactions than regular videos on Facebook.
Social media is constantly changing and evolving. Staying informed of the latest changes will help in maintaining a strong digital presence. But, perhaps most importantly, ensure your online interactions reflect the essence of your brand.
“Social media is a way that businesses can humanise their brand. By creating and sharing really engaging content, both internally and externally with your customers, you put a face to your brand which helps develop trust – be it among your team or with your customers." says our Director Shelley, in a recent article.
Make sure every post, comment and like is made with intent and speaks to who you are as a business. Genuine interaction and engagement will always follow.
Want help creating engaging content for your brand? Find out more about our content creation services by getting in touch today.
How To Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions
New Year, new you. How many times have you said that to yourself? Every year? Us too! So many of us set unrealistic resolutions each year and end up breaking them. The key to setting reasonable New Year’s resolutions that you won’t break is to make them measurable and achievable. We’ll leave your personal resolutions up to you, but to help you get on track for a more productive year at work, here are some of our top productivity tips!
- Address must-do’s first
Have you ever put of a big project in favour of smaller, less critical ones? We’re all guilty! Although you may get the smaller tasks done faster, you could find yourself running out of time to complete the big project. So, to ensure they get done on time, always work on the more important projects at the start of the day. Your future self with thank you.
- Take breaks
Try to figure out when your productivity begins to drain and take a break. Go for a walk around the block, grab a drink or snack. When you sit back at your desk, you’ll feel more alive and ready to tackle your to-do list. Also, taking time out of each day for a bit of mindfulness will do wonders for your productivity.
- Stop multitasking
It’s a myth, okay. We all think it’s possible but really it’s not. Instead of jumping between multiple tasks at once, commit your focus to one task at a time. You’ll be surprised how much faster you get them all done simply by tackling one project at a time.
- Schedule email time and turn off notifications
These are two infamous concentration breakers. Having a set time to check emails means you aren’t getting distracted throughout the day. Set aside time in the morning and afternoon to read through and respond to emails. As for notifications, turn off the insignificant ones to allow yourself to focus on the job at hand. Nothing is more distracting than a snapchat notification popping up on your phone!
- Know when it’s time to delegate and outsource
Many business owners think they can tackle everything on their own, and this is when they become overloaded and overworked. Learning which projects and tasks can be outsourced and which ones require your input is a skill. By outsourcing jobs to other professionals, you’re freeing up your time to focus on more important jobs.
Here’s to a greater, more productive work year for you and your team!
If you find your workload increasing and think you may need to outsource, whether it be with content creation, branding and strategy, or community management, our team is here to help! Shoot us an email to book a consultation.
Running an effective social media competition
Running social media competitions are a great way to increase engagement on your channels and get your consumers actively involved in your business!
By asking your audience to participate in a contest or competition, you help to drive brand awareness and grow your followers while providing a little something extra for your fans that we know they will love!
Are you wondering where to start? Here are our top tops for running an effective social media competition:
Know your objectives:
In order to determine the success of your competition, it’s important to know what your objectives are in the first place. Common objectives could be to increase your followers, grow your email marketing database or increase brand awareness.
These objectives will help you to determine the right call-to-action to include in your competition so you can get the results you’re after!
Be aware of the rules:
Facebook in particular has some strict rules when it comes to hosting a competition on its social media platform, so it’s vital to know the guidelines before starting.
Rules to note include ensuring you don’t ask people to “share” the competition on their timeline, citing T&Cs in the post and acknowledging that the promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook.
You can view the full list of rules here.
Create engaging artwork:
There’s no denying that all our favourite social media channels such as Facebook and Instagram are crowded with competitions and posts from many other brands and businesses, so to really make your competition stand out from the crowd, you need some engaging and creative artwork. Bold text and an enticing image will go a long way in encouraging people to participate!
Keep it simple:
People are busy and time poor, so it’s best to make the entry requirements for your competition as easy as possible. Simple things like asking them to “like” the post and comment why they want to win are easy ways to increase the number of entrants.
Add an advertising budget:
Now that you’ve put in all the hard work in creating a great competition concept and accompanying artwork – it’s time to make sure people see it! Boosting your competition post with a Facebook and Instagram advertising budget can significantly grow the post’s reach so more people can enter!
Do you need help coming up with engaging content on your social media channels? Here at Melbourne Social Co we are the experts! Call us today to find out more about our services or visit our website.
e: [email protected] – P: 1300 386 165
5 Reasons Why Your Social Media Marketing Isn’t Working
As we all know, social media marketing is an essential part of any business marketing strategy, as it’s a great way to connect with your consumers, increase brand awareness, drive sales and a whole lot more!
However, implementing social media for business takes time and effort and requires a strategy to ensure you engage your audience, build a following and direct the right people to purchase your product or service.
If your social media marketing has been a little lacklustre lately, here are 5 reasons why it may not be working:
You’re not consistent:
One of the biggest downfalls of social media marketing is not being consistent enough across all existing social media channels. Whether you’re too busy to post regularly, or your content and tone of voice isn't consistent across platforms and the rest of your branding, your social media will suffer. Consistency is required to develop trust, engage your consumer and get results! This can be done with an experienced social media manager who can create engaging content on a consistent basis and distribute it at optimal times.
You’re posting overly promotional content:
We get it! You love your business and you want the world to know about your amazing product or service, but unfortunately not everyone wants to engage in your promotional content all the time. That’s why it’s best to scale back on your promotional content and introduce content that engages and entices your audience into your communications strategy. A great question to ask yourself before posting is, “would my audience find this interesting?” Here at Melbourne Social Co we feel that if you offer your audience engaging content that adds values to their daily lives, they're going to be more likely to follow and trust your brand, and consume your sales message when you do post it.
You’re not on the right networks for your target audience:
Too often businesses think that they need to be across all social media platforms to be effective. However here at Melbourne Social Co, we believe it’s important to choose the right channels (even if it’s one or two) and to do them really well!
A digital marketing expert (like us) can help narrow down your target audience and recommend the best channels to reach that audience so you can get the best results.
You don’t have an advertising budget:
If you’ve created some amazing content but no one is engaging in it or your reach is really low, then you may need to think about your advertising budget. Recent studies have shown that only 3-6% of your audience will see your content on Facebook so it’s more important than ever to invest in advertising to get your content in front of the right people! Facebook and Instagram advertising is a low-cost advertising option that will really make a difference to your social media marketing.
You don’t have a point of difference:
The internet is flooded with businesses just like yours, so it’s vital to determine a point of difference across all of your digital marketing content. Points of difference could be beautiful imagery, unique aspirational quotes, captivating videos… the options are endless! Let your high-quality and engaging social media content separate you from the crowd.
Are you struggling to cut-through with your social media marketing? Or are you having difficulty creating consistent high quality content that engages with your target audience?
Get in touch with your digital marketing experts at Melbourne Social Co today.
e: [email protected] – P: 1300 386 165
Want to learn how to put together your own professional social media strategy?
Take our Social Co Academy Short Course
The anatomy of a great website
Whether you are a startup company or are in need of a business refresh, an important component of any digital marketing strategy is a great website.
Why? Essentially, all content marketing strategies begin with a website. This is where you host important info about your brand, and create content to share across your social media channels.
Having a great website will not only optimise leads and increase enquiries for your brand, it will also engage your potential consumers and encourage them to revisit your site time and time again.
Unsure what your website needs? Read on below for the anatomy of a great website.
It’s easy to navigate:
Approximately 55% of consumers spend around 15 seconds on a website which means you need to be able to captivate them instantly and not lose them amongst menus that are difficult to navigate, unnecessary visuals or information. The key to a great website is to have a straightforward and succinct menu, so when your consumer lands on your website they know exactly what to click on to find what they are after.
It’s responsive:
If there’s one thing that you must do when fixing up your existing website or creating a new design it’s to ensure your website is responsive and mobile friendly! More than 60% of people browse the internet on their mobiles and tablets now, so it’s vital to ensure your mobile site looks great and works well. That includes ensuring it fits nicely on the screen, is engaging, captivating, has social sharing buttons, easy navigation and everything else required for a great website.
Great content:
So you’ve got people to your website (congrats!) now you have to keep them there! That’s where great content is invaluable as it helps to keep people on your site longer as you have something engaging and useful for them to read, watch or connect with. Great content includes about pages, information on landing pages including product and service descriptions and of course a great blog. A blog is one of the most powerful ways to captivate your consumer, generate sales and increase SEO.
Social Networks:
Now that you’ve got all of the above essentials it’s time to make sure your website and its content can be shared easily on social media networks and that visitors know where to find you on social media so that they can follow along. Why not put sharing buttons above all images and include visible social media icons on your website so consumers can join your online community.
Is your business in need of a new website? Whether you are starting from scratch or are wanting to update your current site, get in touch with Melbourne Social Co today and we can create the perfect website and content to suit your business.
Content Marketing For Business
Here at Melbourne Social Co, we are big believers in the importance of content marketing for businesses. Why? It helps to increase SEO, it builds brand awareness and provides extra value to your consumer.
Are you ready to start using content marketing for your business? We've listed the key reasons why you should…
It increases SEO:
If you want to increase your website’s SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) then high-quality and search-friendly content is a must. This content should be unique and original and should include relevant keywords which will boost your ranking on Google, so you can continue to attract more visitors.
It provides value to your audience:
As consumers become more and more savvy, it’s important that you give your brand a point of difference, and offer something via your digital strategy that will add value to your consumers' daily life, encouraging them to keep coming back for more. This is where content marketing comes into play. Think of engaging blogs, eye-catching imagery and emails filled with tips and tricks as ways to entice your consumer to stay engaged with your business.
It helps to build brand awareness:
Content marketing is all about creating and distributing relevant content to attract and increase your consumer engagement. This increase in consumer engagement means more people are listening and connecting with your business and in turn are more likely to buy your product or your service. Types of content marketing you could use to increase your brand awareness include blogs and email marketing, which help to capture the attention of your consumer, increase brand awareness, provide value, generate sales and increase SEO! Sounds perfect right?!
Are you ready to take the next step and build your business’s content marketing? From website content, to blogs, engaging imagery, email marketing and creative copy for your social media channels, Melbourne Social Co does it all.
Get in touch with us to find out how we can help your business today.
Want to learn how to get that great content of yours 'out there'?
Take our Social Co Academy short online course.