How to create an engaging Instagram feed
Is your brand's Instagram account flatlining? It's no secret that Instagram is one of the hardest platforms to manage and grow at the moment, but there are a few things you can do to get your brand back on track.
Let's get back to basics
Upload an eye-catching profile pic
The profile pic real estate is limited, so use it well! Generally a logo, or an abbreviated version of your logo using block colour works well here
Write a catchy bio
A great Instagram bio should:
- Explain a bit about you / your brand and what you do
- Appeal to your target audience
- Showcase your tone of voice and brand personality to give fans a taste of what to expect
Make sure your contact details are correctly listed
Is your account set to business, and have you linked it with your Facebook page for seamless advertising campaigns?
Now that you've got the basics covered, it's time to develop your Instagram style guide.
Pay attention to your colour palette
Some of the most successful Instagram accounts tend to use a select colour palette for their photos, helping them to create a distinct style.
Keep your fonts consistent
Aspirational/quirky quotes and text overlays are all the rage on Instagram. To create a cohesive aesthetic, make sure you keep your fonts are consistent throughout your feed.
Now that you have your basic design guidelines, you can start creating some content. At this point, we suggest thinking about your feed as a whole, rather than working image by image
First impressions count, and when someone is checking your brand out on Instagram, they’ll most likely look at the first three rows of your grid first. Do your images all work well together? In today’s world, your feed is essentially your business card, so we suggest taking some time to make sure it’s the right representation of your brand.
Filters
If you’re using a filter, trying picking one, and sticking with it throughout the feed.
Using Apps to plan your content
What can you use?
There are heaps of programs on the market that you can use to schedule and plan your Instagram posts. Just make sure you aren’t using one which navigates around Instagram’s API.
Here’s a few programs you can use to plan your Instagram posts:
Later (previously Latergram)
- Re-directs posts through their app, at time you’ve scheduled
- Provides a series of tiered plans to choose from depending on the size of your business, and how many posts you plan to schedule
- Allows you to edit photos from inside the app
- Provides a grid view so you can preview your page before you post
- The media library allows you to store as many photos as you need to help make scheduling even easier
Plann
- Aimed at creatives, Plann is all about creating an aesthetically pleasing Instagram feed
- Grid view allows you to add multiple photos at a time and drag and drop them until they’re in the right place
- Add captions and store hashtags that will be copied to your dashboard when its time to post
- A push notification will alert you when it’s ready to go
So you've got a beautiful feed, but how can you make it engaging?
Only post high quality photos
It may seem like a no brainer, but as Instagram is such a visual platform, it’s important to make sure your image is high quality, and not blurry.
Post a variety of shots and content types
Variety creates interest, and interest translates to followers, and followers become customers. So before you post two coffee shots in a row, stop and think about how you can mix things up. And – avoid duplicating your content within your feed!
Create space within your feed
Creating space in your grid is important to helping the eye move freely throughout your feed. We’re not talking about old fashioned borders, but rather mixing up busy images with more minimal posts.
Pay attention to your captions!
Captions can sometimes be an afterthought on Instagram, but we’re here to tell you they’re still important! Keep them short, sharp and include your call to action within the first sentence.
Avoid overly promotional content
While you can still use Instagram to promote your brand and products, keep your sales content subtle, avoiding posting plain product shots or logos. Break up your branded content with aspirational imagery.
Mentioning an influencer or brand in your post? Tag them!
By sharing the love and tagging those influencers, you’re starting a conversation, which hopefully will lead to them supporting you right back!
What are you favourite Instagram tips and tricks? Share them with us @MelbourneSocialCo
A guide to using hashtags on social media
Hashtags are a way of life in 2017.
In fact, the hashtag is so recognised that it was added to the Oxford dictionary in 2010!
But, despite the fact that we all know what they are, many small business owners are yet to unlock their benefits when it comes to promoting their businesses.
The right hashtag, (or combination of hashtags,) will increase the reach and exposure of your content. And by making yourself more discoverable on social media, you’re increasing your chances of attracting new followers, increasing engagement, and ultimately, increasing awareness for your brand.
Not sure how to make the most of hashtags on social media?
Our friends at The Social Co Academy and sharing their top hashtag do’s and don’ts in a new eBook. Click here to download it now.
How to use Instagram to build brand awareness
By now, we're sure you know why Instagram is a must-have tool to grow your business.
With over a third of social media users on Instagram, it’s an essential social media platform for not only connecting and engaging with existing consumers, but marketing to new people as well.
However, using Instagram to build brand awareness is so much more than creating an account and posting pretty pictures.
Need help getting started? Try these four tips:
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Use Instagram stories:
When Instagram decided to jump on the Snapchat stories trend back in 2016, consumers got excited. Nearly 100 million people use Instagram stories daily, to showcase live updates on their personal lives, share behind the scenes content or promote products and services.
So if you haven’t already started posting stories on our business account– we’re here to tell you to join the trend! Instagram stories are a great way to get your content in front more people, tap into location stories and engage existing followers (especially since the new algorithm is making it harder for your content to be visible in the feed.) The trick? Keep consumers interested by posting useful and engaging content that isn’t too promotional or 'salesy'.
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Host a competition:
What better way to increase awareness for your brand than by hosting a competition? Instagram competitions that use a follow and ‘tag a friend’ approach, help to get your business name and account in front of new people who are likely to also be interested in your product or service based on what you’re giving away.
Just ensure you have an engaging graphic, simple entry method and back it up with paid ads. If you're ready to take your Instagram competition to the next level, why not partner with a relevant influencer to cross promote your competition to their followers?
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Run paid ads:
Instagram advertising is a great way get your great quality content in front of a highly-targeted audience. You can now run Brand Awareness ads through Facebook’s Ads manager which places your ad in front of people who are the most likely to recall it, and then optimises it accordingly. You don’t have to spend a fortune on these ads, as little as $5 per day can make a world of difference!
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Collaborate collaborate collaborate!
Whether you choose gifting campaigns, influencer takeovers or sponsored collaborations, one of the most effective ways of building your brand awareness on Instagram is by tapping into the large followings of Instagram bloggers and celebrities. Just ensure you choose influencers who are suitable for your brand as their followers are likely to pay attention when they post about your business!
Do you need help building your business’s brand awareness on Instagram? Speak to our social media experts at Melbourne Social Co today!
Call us on 1300 386 165 or send us an email at [email protected].
5 Things Every Business Owner Should Do Before 7am
Ready to make a big difference to your day? It all begins with your morning routine!
The first few hours of your day can have a huge impact on your overall mental and physical state so it’s vital to implement some easy morning tasks to reduce stress, increase happiness and encourage productivity and motivation for the day ahead.
Get your alarm ready and try these 5 things every business owner should do before 7am now:
- Get up early:
For those of you out there who aren’t naturally morning people, we’re here to encourage you to set your alarm that little bit earlier and get up and get moving.
Waking up early is a great way to find extra time to fit all those little tasks in that you run out of time to do, including exercising, cleaning the house, reading a book, or getting on top of your to-do list.
Use this time before the phone starts to ring, or your kids get up to do something positive. We guarantee it will help you feel less stressed and more motivated for the day ahead.
- Exercise:
There’s nothing quite like getting those endorphins going first thing in the morning!
Starting your morning with regular exercise can help reduce stress, clear your mind and increase your energy for a busy working day ahead! Plus, it’s great for your physical health by helping you combat obesity and health concerns like heart disease.
Try a walk or run around the block, a weight session at the gym or even yoga exercises in your lounge room. Every little bit counts!
- Set your goals and priorities:
If you’re struggling to get through your never-ending to-do list, spend some time before you head into the office to write your goals and priorities for the day.
This will help you begin your day with purpose, so you can increase your productivity and focus on the tasks that really matter.
We recommend putting the hardest and biggest tasks at the top of your to-do list, so you can tick them off first thing in the morning when your mind is fresh.
- Do something that you love:
Sometimes with the craziness of our day-to-day lives, we forget to take time out to do the things that we enjoy. So why not spend those early hours before 7am, doing something for you. This is sure to kick-start your day on a positive note.
- Avoid phone time:
While it may be tempting to roll over and scroll through your social media channels or check your emails as soon as you wake, it’s important to try limiting access to your phone for at least the first 30 minutes to an hour when you wake up. By looking at your phone first thing in the morning, you’re more likely to start your day in a stressful and negative mind frame, then if you have some sacred time to focus on doing something positive for your mind and body.
Are you a business owner who gets up before 7am? What are your essential morning tasks? Comment and let us know.
Creating a productive and inspiring workplace environment
We’ve all arrived at work on a Monday morning, unmotivated and uninspired to begin the working day.
That’s why it’s up to you as a business owner to create the right kind of workplace environment to encourage yourself and your team to work hard and do their best every day.
Unsure where to start? Here are our top tips for creating a productive and inspiring workplace environment:
Have the right kind of set-up:
Believe it or not, the space you work in can have a huge impact on your mental focus, productivity and workplace culture.
So why not adorn your desk with things that motivate you, whether it’s an inspirational quote, beautiful flowers or pictures of your loved ones. You spend most of your time at your desk, so you want it to be a place you enjoy working at.
Aside from your personal desk space, it’s also important to note the layout of your office to ensure it’s maximised for productivity and caters to all workers and tasks. Ensure you have an area for private work when you really need to knuckle down to business, as well as large tables for brainstorming, meetings and teamwork.
Other workplace essentials include:
- Having plenty of natural daylight
- Fresh flowers and plants
- Lots of fresh air
- Images/artwork that is inspiring and motivational
Encourage relationships:
There’s no greater support than the support from the people you work with so make sure you encourage relationships and a great team environment within your organisation.
Ways to do this include:
- Assign team work
- Have a weekly team meeting
- Organise monthly team lunches
- Plan work social events (from dinner, to bowling or the movies!)
By encouraging communication and fostering relationships within the workplace, you and your employees will not only enjoy coming to work, but everyone will be more productive by easily communicating and working together to get the job done!
Embrace technology:
It’s no secret that we love technology here at Melbourne Social Co and we believe it can be great for helping workplaces to be more productive!
Instead of organising countless face-to-face meetings that eat into your day, invest in a project management system. This will help everyone to keep track of their daily, weekly and monthly tasks without the need for endless emails or meetings – yes please!
Now that you’ve got your workplace sorted, it’s time to take your business’s social media marketing to the next level. If you’re unsure where to start, contact our team of digital marketing experts today. Contact us on: e: [email protected] – P: 1300 386 165.
4 ways to organically build your social media following
If you’re currently using social media for your business, you would have noticed the increasing difficulty of growing your ‘likes’ or followers on social media organically. This is particularly frustrating for businesses who put time and effort into producing great content that then doesn’t get seen by the people who need to view it the most.
If you’re struggling to grow your social media following, there are a few things you can try today:
- Work with influencers:
Working with digital influencers is one of the most effective ways to grow your social media accounts. Through collaborations such as sponsored posts, influencer take-overs or competitions, you have the opportunity to tap into the thousands of followers of key influencers and in turn entice them to follow your business’s accounts.
- Host a competition:
At Melbourne Social Co, we are big fans of competitions for many great reasons! Competitions are a great way to encourage people to ‘like’ your Facebook page, or ‘follow’ your Instagram account as consumers have an added incentive of winning something. Hosting regular competitions will also help to increase your engagement rate, by encouraging comments and shares – all things that put your brand’s social media content in front of more people.
- Use the power of hashtags:
Hashtags are used for a good reason – they allow consumers interested in your business’s content, products and services to find you. The trick? Ensure you post at least 11 – 20 hashtags on every post and pick popular hashtags that potential followers could be searching. If you’re unsure where to search, try browsing through posts containing a hashtag you’re already having success with. Look to see if there is a trend of any other hashtags you could use and start using them!
- Post great content:
Along with influencer marketing, competitions and using the correct hashtags, it’s important to also post great content so that your new and existing followers want to stay connected to your business and engage with it on social media. To do this, ensure you are posting unique high-quality content that is suitable to your channels and do this on a regular basis. High-quality content could include original images, videos, flatlays and quotes that are relevant to your business and that provide value to your consumer.
Do you need help growing your social media following? Here at Melbourne Social Co, we are experts at growing your social media platforms and keeping your audience engaged with unique and high-quality content.
Contact us today to find out more about the services we offer e: [email protected] – P: 1300 386 165.
The rise of video marketing
If there’s one social media trend your business needs to tap into in 2017 it’s video marketing! From Facebook Live, Instagram stories to the cute and quirky Boomerangs on our Instagram feeds, the options on how to engage with your consumer on social media with video content are endless.
Ready to start including video in your digital marketing strategy? Read on below for more insight into how video content will lead the way this year:
Facebook Live:
Facebook Live is a great way to captivate your audience, create an engaging conversation with your followers and connect with them instantly. Facebook Live gives you a range of options to market to your customers, from demonstrating a product or service, answering FAQs or showcasing some great behind the scenes content. The trick? Prepare in advance, you only get one shot at going live!
It’s all about the stories:
From Snapchat to Instagram stories, businesses now have the opportunity to continue to give their customers updates on their business in ‘real time’ with content that only last 24 hours. These stories are a great way to showcase some engaging behind the scenes content including the day-to-day running of your business or an event or photoshoot. As the stories aren’t permanent, you can be as ‘real’ as you like and don’t have to focus on aesthetically perfect imagery, rather on uploading content that keeps your fans interested.
The power of multiple platforms:
Perhaps one of the best things about video content for businesses is that you can share it across all of your social media platforms! Recent statistics have shown that 85% of adults aged 18-49 use multiple devices at the same time, meaning you have the opportunity to share your video content to someone on your YouTube channel, who is also scrolling through their Instagram feed and checking Facebook all at the same time!
And the best part? Your consumers want to watch it:
There’s a reason video content is becoming so popular, and that’s because your consumers actually want to watch the content. Four times as many consumers would prefer to watch a video about a product than to read about it, which means your consumer is already open to looking at your content, you just have to captivate them!
Are you ready to start including video content into your social media marketing plan this year? Contact your team of content creators at Melbourne Social Co today.
e: [email protected] – P: 1300 386 165
Why every business needs email marketing
Deciding where to best invest your marketing budget is a tough decision for many businesses. However, if you’re currently at the stage where you are considering whether or not to include email marketing in your digital marketing plan – here at Melbourne Social Co, we want to convince you to!
Read on below for our top reasons why every business needs email marketing:
You stay front of mind:
With so many businesses out there, it’s important to stay at the front of your consumer’s mind, and what better way to do that then by sending them marketing emails straight to their inbox?
With 91% of online users checking their email every day, you have the opportunity to speak directly to your consumer on a regular basis and in a way that can generate some great results.
You generate new leads:
A well-thought out email will generate new leads and sales for your product or service. Email marketing has shown to be the #1 most effective online marketing tool for lead generation for businesses (Ascend 2). The trick? Consult a digital marketing specialist who can create an effective strategy to optimise your email marketing content, captivate your consumer and help generate sales of your product or service.
You can analyse your data:
One of the best parts about email marketing is that you can track and analyse everything! It offers insights into how each email is performing including open and click rates, link clicks and engagement so you can ensure you are continuing to market to your consumer in the most effective way possible.
It’s the most effective way to communicate:
Despite the continued rise and importance of social media, email marketing is still one of the most effective ways to communicate with your consumer. Research shows that email marketing is almost 40 times more effective than Facebook and Twitter combined in helping a business acquire new customers (McKinsey). So what are you waiting for?
A few tips for sending effective emails include:
- Ensure your emails are of value to your consumer
- Make your emails engaging and not overly promotional
- Send your emails out regularly. Approximately every fortnight is best for optimal results
Do these things and you are sure to get the results you’re after!
Are you ready to incorporate email marketing into your digital marketing strategy? Get in touch with your team of digital marketing experts at Melbourne Social Co today.
e: [email protected] – P: 1300 386 165
5 things your social media manager wants you to know!
Whether you are a start-up company or an established business, we all know that having a social media manager is an important part of any digital marketing strategy.
However, when working with a social media manager, there are a few things they want you to know.
Wondering what they are? Read on below:
1. Social media is one part of a larger marketing strategy:
While social media can no doubt have an invaluable effect on growing your business and driving sales, it’s not the only part of your marketing strategy that needs consideration. Social media should be included as part of a larger overarching plan that aims to achieve your long-term business goals. Other marketing strategies that work together to grow and build your business could include digital and print advertising, in-store promotions, events, PR or influencer collaborations.
2. Social media is not for business promotion only:
We know you love your business and want to promote it to the whole world, but unfortunately your social media audience doesn’t want to be marketed to all the time! That’s why it’s important to let your social media manager devise the right strategy that combines a mix of your business promotion and general interest content that provides value to your consumer. This strategy will help keep your customers engaged in your business and keep them coming back for more!
3, You don’t have to be on all social media networks:
With a vast selection of social media networks out there, it can be easy to feel like you have to be on every social media platform. But here at Melbourne Social Co, we live by the rule, if you’re going to do something, do it well, so sometimes it’s best to select a couple of platforms and focus on building those followings and engaging those audiences before you continue to branch out.
Once these social media accounts are growing, then perhaps it’s time to consider expanding to new trending networks that are a good fit for your business and your target audience.
4. It takes time to build and grow your social media profiles:
While we all wish there was an overnight recipe for social media success, unfortunately social media results take time. Building a great online community for your business requires many things, including a mix of a great strategy, unique and engaging content and above all consistency! These things must be repeated over a significant period of time in order for you to see the best results
5. There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach:
What works for some brands may not work for your business and that’s ok! This is just one of reasons why you should work with a team of digital marketing specialists who can assess your business, goals and objectives and create a social media strategy and plan that best suits you.
Do you need help shaping a social media strategy or managing your social media accounts? Here at Melbourne Social Co we have an expert team of social media specialists ready to help your business!
Get in touch with us today by sending us an email at [email protected] or calling us on: 1300 386 165.
5 ways to de-stress at the end of the week
There’s nothing worse than finishing a stressful week of work and not being able to unwind during those two glorious days we call the weekend. Taking our work home with us is an easy thing to do, but it’s important we give ourselves time to switch off and rejuvenate before we start another crazy week.
If you can’t get work responsibilities off your mind and you’re struggling to de-stress, here are five things you should try to get the most out of your next weekend.
Get up early and exercise
It’s tempting to sleep in after a busy work week, but waking up early to fit some exercise into your day will help you clear your mind and use those precious work-free days to the best advantage.
Exercise is a tried and tested, scientifically proven form of stress relief and will help you focus on the day’s tasks while having some extra endorphins in your body. Plus, going for a walk or run is a great distraction no matter what’s on your mind, so you have nothing to lose except that lingering work stress.
Unplug and unwind
Technology is kind of like a new born baby. On the one hand we’re incredibly blessed it exists and without it our world would be entirely different. On the other, it constantly demands our attention, takes up all of our time and can, let’s face it, be extremely irritating.
Turning off your phone and computer will stop you from reading work-related emails, wasting time and energy mindlessly scrolling through your social media channels, and will give you the space you need to truly breathe after a chaotic week.
Grab coffee with a friend
Your friends can be the perfect distraction when you can’t seem to switch off, and even better sounding boards when you need to vent about work. Grabbing a coffee or a bite to eat with a friend will get you out of the house and talking to someone other than your work colleagues. Plus, focusing on someone else’s life is a great way to forget about all the things that are stressing you out.
Spend time on something completely unrelated to work
Finally start that veggie garden you keep putting off or try your hand at some DIY candle making. Whatever it is, spending time on a project outside of work will keep your mind busy and give you something completely unrelated to work to focus on. And, for those of us who aren’t very good at doing nothing, it’s also a great way to unwind while still staying productive on the weekends.
Treat yourself
It may sound shallow, but research has proven that occasionally treating yourself actually makes your brain happier. While you probably shouldn’t treat yourself all the time (even though you deserve it), mixing up your everyday life by doing something you usually wouldn’t is a legitimate way of relieving stress.
So, in case you needed an excuse to take a four-hour long bubble bath or buy those shoes you’ve been staring at through the shop window, now science has given you one.
What’s your favourite way to de-stress at the end of a busy week? Let us know in the comments below!
Written by Penny Robinson-Brown