How do you know if you're shadowbanned on Instagram?
Have you heard of the term 'shadowbanned'? Let us fill you in.
Since you’ve found yourself reading this article, it’s safe to assume you’re well acquainted with Instagram being one of the most popular social media platforms! With over a BILLION active users worldwide (yep you read correctly), it’s easy to get lost in the crowd. As the algorithm is ever-changing, it might feel like some of your posts aren’t getting the attention they deserve...
Whilst this can be put down to many causes and usually isn’t a cause for immediate panic, in some cases, there could be a more insidious reason behind a notable lack of engagement, and that’s a Shadowban.
Sounds scary, huh? Let us explain. A shadowban is an Instagram practice where an account’s visibility is reduced without the account owner knowing it - hence the notion of “shadowbanned” or “hidden”.
This means the account’s posts won’t appear in hashtags or on the explore page for new viewers, making it harder for a greater audience to discover the account and hindering overall visibility and growth.
So, if you suspect your account is shadowbanned, here are some key signs to look out for.
1. Your Posts Aren’t Appearing in Hashtags
One of the most obvious indications your account might be shadowbanned is when your posts aren’t showing up in hashtags. Usually, when you include a hashtag in your post, it will appear on the corresponding hashtag page under “recent” tags, making it easier for people to discover your content. If your posts aren’t appearing in the recent hashtags tab right after you post, Instagram has likely shadowbanned your account.
2. Your Engagement Has Decreased
Another telltale sign that your account might be shadowbanned is an unexplained decrease in engagement. If your likes, comments, shares and organic reach have significantly decreased, it could be a sign that your account is no longer being made visible to your current followers or new accounts. This decrease in engagement can happen suddenly or gradually, so keep an eye on your metrics.
3. Your Account Has Received a Warning Message
If Instagram has identified any suspicious activity on your account, you might receive a warning message. This message could warn you about the use of bots or other automated services that violate Instagram’s terms of service. In some cases, Instagram might also inform you that your account has been shadowbanned.
4. Your Follower Growth Has Stopped
If your account has stopped gaining new followers or has significantly slowed down, it could be a sign that you’ve been shadowbanned. This is because your posts aren’t appearing on the explore page or in hashtags, making it harder for people to discover your account.
5. Your Posts Aren’t Visible to Your Followers
Lastly, if your posts are no longer appearing in your follower’s feeds, it could be a sign that your account has been shadowbanned. This often happens when Instagram detects suspicious activity on your account, or if you’ve appeared to violate Instagram’s terms of service.
We get it, a Shadowban can be extremely frustrating for any Instagram user, therefore it’s essential to know the signs to look out for. If you suspect that your account has been affected, it’s crucial to review your account activity and ensure that you’re following Instagram’s terms of service (Follow Instagram’s Terms and Guidelines here). If you’re still having trouble, we recommend reaching out to Instagram’s support team for assistance. Remember, creating engaging, unique content and following the best practices is the best way to avoid a shadowban and grow your Instagram following organically.
Want to know more about social media best practice, or work with our team? Get in touch today.
4 go-to tips for creating great social media content
Stuck in a content rut? Creating content that keeps falling flat?
Social media management can be a tricky job (speaking from experience here!) You need to constantly feed the hungry social media beast (read algorithm) with content. But creating content just for the sake of posting every day? It just doesn’t work. Particularly when you’re posting as a brand. Your content needs to have purpose and really resonate with your audience.
Easier said than done right? Well, to get you started, here are a few tips from our team on creating content that WORKS in 2023.
Here are our 4 go-to tips for creating great social media content this year.
- Be clear on your objectives
Every piece of social media content that you create should fit within a greater social media strategy, rather than creating for content’s sake. What are you try to achieve with your content? Be clear with your purpose and create with this in mind.
- Know your audience
Who are you speaking to on social media? Different audiences have different content preferences, and it’s important to create content that your audience will really resonate with. Figure out who you’re speaking to first, and then create content that suits.
- Create with authenticity
In 2023, authenticity is TRENDING. If your brand doesn’t have an authentic voice and content style, you’re likely to be left behind this year. Create content that really speaks to your brand and it’s values. Use a conversational tone and engage engage engage with your audience.
- Play to the platform
No more cross posting the same content across every platform guys! Look at each platforms’ specific algorithm preferences, and tweak your content to suit.
Want to learn more from our team? Get in touch to schedule a consultation session.
Want to see what we're up to? Visit us on Linkedin.
Will AI Replace Social Media Managers?
By now, you’ve no doubt heard of Chat GPT. It’s the AI app that everyone is talking about.
Of course, we’ve been curious, so we thought we’d check it out. We jumped on and asked the AI to write us a blog post on whether or not it’s about to replace us (real life creatives) as Social Media Managers.
Here’s what Chat GPT gave us.
Sure, here's a sample blog post on the topic:
"Will AI Replace Social Media Managers?
As artificial intelligence continues to make advancements in various industries, it's natural to wonder whether AI will replace social media managers. In this blog post, we'll explore the role of AI in the field of social media management and whether it's likely to replace human social media managers.
- Automating routine tasks - AI can automate routine tasks such as scheduling posts, generating reports, and analysing data, freeing up social media managers to focus on more strategic and creative work.
- Improved efficiency and accuracy - AI algorithms can analyse data and make predictions about the best times to post and the types of content that are most likely to perform well. This can lead to improved efficiency and accuracy, as well as insights into how to optimise social media campaigns.
- Limited creative abilities - While AI can automate routine tasks and provide valuable insights, it still lacks the creative abilities and human intuition that social media managers bring to the table. Social media is about connecting with people and creating a sense of community, which requires empathy, emotional intelligence, and the ability to understand the nuances of human behaviour.
- The importance of human interaction - Despite the advancements in technology, there is still a strong demand for human interaction on social media. People want to connect with brands and other users in a personal and meaningful way, and social media managers play a crucial role in facilitating these interactions.
In conclusion, while AI can automate routine tasks and provide valuable insights, it is unlikely to replace human social media managers. The importance of human interaction, creativity, and emotional intelligence in social media management make it unlikely that AI will fully replace human social media managers in the near future. However, it's important for social media managers to stay up-to-date with AI developments and to understand how they can work with AI to optimise their efforts and achieve better results."
So there you have it, the AI is telling us that it’s not here to (totally) replace us any time soon. Or is that what it wants us to think… Only time will tell!
In the meantime, if you'd like to work with a team of human, talented creatives - get in touch with us today. Or, check out our latest work on Instagram.
Want to see what others are saying about us? Check out our agency profile on Design Rush here.
A Guide to User Generated Content
What is User-Generated Content?
User-Generated Content (UGC) is any content—text, videos, images, reviews, etc.—created by people, rather than brands, featuring or discussing branded content. In its most organic form, UGC isn’t paid for by a brand, it is a genuine and honest recommendation being shared by followers and fans.This not only exposes your product to their audience; it provides a source of content to post on your page, website or other marketing channels. Being mentioned or having content shared by a brand is often fun and exciting for consumers or a source of income and products for influencers. It is a symbiotic relationship, a win-win for both parties when done correctly.
Why is it important?
When it comes to social media marketing, UGC is becoming increasingly valuable to brands. It promotes authenticity and trust, as consumers are more likely to perceive user-generated content as authentic and trustworthy, over brand-created content. Seeing another consumer enjoy the product or service eliminates risk in the minds of consumers – it’s a visual positive review. Increasing trust and authenticity greatly influences consumers’ purchase intentions; the more trust a consumer has the more likely they are to purchase the product. As UGC increases awareness, it reinforces the products’ different applications, stylings, adaptions, and uses in “real world” situations and increases the viability of consumers of making that final purchase.
How to Use It Successfully?
Now that we know why it is so important – how can your business be successful in using user-generated content? Let us tell you.
Bring Purpose and Value to Your Customers
All content you post must have a purpose, especially user-generated content - whether that’s being inspirational, showcasing how to use a product, sharing in-real-life reviews, or helping your followers decide on their product choices. UGC isn’t a sales pitch, you need to think of it as a stand-alone piece of content that can really be of benefit to your audience.
For example, if you were a make-up brand you could use your USG posts as an opportunity to educate your customers on what products were used in the look to showcase what your products look like in action.
Create a Sense of Community
What do all your followers have in common? They follow you! User-generated content is a great way to create a sense of community amongst your followers by stimulating discussions and connecting with your current and future customers. This is best illustrated by camera brands,who set challenges for their followers to take a photo with a set brief. The camera brand then shares entries, showcasing what their products can do and stimulating discussion and creativity amongst their followers. By sharing tricks and tips from on a post to get that photo - what camera did they use, which lenses, which settings – can stimulate discussion and provides value to your followers. This is a great way to engage with your followers and create brand loyalty as a bonus.
Create an Incentive
It is important to encourage and remind your followers to create and tag you in content that features your products. The incentive you pick depends on the type of followers you have, for example: if you’re a company that sells art supplies, then sharing followers’ art is incentive enough. Whereas, other followers may need more of a push. For example, to get followers to showcase your product in their posts you may want to offer a gift or promotional code.Whichever method you choose, it’s important to acknowledge the original source, and thank the creator to make sure they feel appreciated.
Need help?
Do you want some help creating an amazing user generated content campaign for your brand? Get in touch with our team today!
Want to learn how to become a digital marketing pro? Check out our social media masterclass.
Written By Ebony Jones
Quality Instagram Content Over Vanity Metrics
If you run a business or work in marketing you've no doubt heard the news - Instagram has removed visible 'likes' in Australia, in a new trial to combat mental health issues, making the sharing of high quality Instagram content more important than ever.
What does this Instagram change mean for business?
Don't worry, it's not the game changer you may think it is. Take a step back and remember why you're marketing your business on social media. Is it so that others can see how many likes you have? No, of course it's not! It's to promote your brand, and achieve your business objectives, such as driving traffic to your website, sharing your company's culture, and selling your product and/or service.
Instagram content is still king.
When it comes to digital strategy, we always encourage our clients to focus on high quality, engaging content, over chasing vanity metrics such as cheap likes or follows.
Yes, your stats may look like they've gone down a little this month. We have seen a bit of a drop-off in engagement across the board following this platform change. But that being said, we're still seeing strong conversions across our portfolio of clients. The things that really matter, such as taps through to website, purchases on shoppable products, story views and more are as strong as they've always been.
Is removing visible ‘likes’ actually a positive for business?
It may be too early to tell, but the general consensus at Melbourne Social Co HQ is that there are some serious positives we can take from this move, particularly for small business. By removing the ability for people to see how many likes a post has achieved, smaller accounts will be able to better compete with established accounts that have built up large followings already. The focus will now shift back towards the quality of your Instagram content, and the real conversations you create with your community. Your business will now no longer have to compete with businesses who buy ‘fake’ likes for appearances sake, and you'll be able to request more transparency with the influencers you engage with, by potentially having access to their back-end analytics.
Want to chat to our team about the latest social media trends and what they mean for your business? Get in touch with our team today.
Want to learn how to master social media marketing from the comfort of your couch? Check out our social media masterclass here.
Creative Agency VS In-House Employee
Creative Agency VS In-House Employee - What is the right fit for your business?
Are you looking to recruit a marketing and social media superstar? Take a minute to consider if an in-house employee is the right fit, or if you should instead, consider hiring a creative agency.
Did you know, that the cost of working with a premium boutique agency such as Melbourne Social Co is generally equal to, or sometimes even less than, that of a junior in-house employee?
Melbourne Social Co’s team of fifteen is made up of specialist digital marketers, brand strategists, content creators, social media managers, web developers and PR gurus. Our team is increasingly sought after by businesses seeking a dedicated digital employee – because we’re able to provide the creative skills and expertise of an entire team at rates comparable to a single employee.
In our experience, it's really difficult to find one employee who can cover all aspects of the marketing and social media space, from strategy, through to creating content (photography, videography and graphic design,) managing online communities, running ad campaigns, engaging influencers, analysing results and more. (If you do happen to find this person, hold on to them!)
As part of your monthly package with Melbourne Social Co, you gain access not only to our entire team and knowledge base, but to our industry connections, our software programs, our training platform, our studio and extensive props department and more. We can also extend our service to you well beyond the traditional 9-5 confines, meaning you have coverage across the clock on social media and your brands’ digital assets.
When you engage our team, you work closely with a dedicated Account Manager, who position themselves as an extension of your team. Coffee date? Count them in. A quick text message to run an idea past them? Fire away! Weekly phone catch-ups to discuss progress? Of course! Your Account Manager will get to know your business like it’s their own, and will become a passionate advocate for your brand.
Here at Melbourne Social Co, we don’t waste time. As a creative agency, we know how to work efficiently and productively, as every hour we work is accounted for. We’re used to working in a fast-paced environment, we buzz with creativity and we love to get results. We genuinely love building relationships with our clients, and enjoy nothing more than being a part of, and celebrating their successes.
Because you only pay for the work you commission, what you won’t find us doing on your time is; sitting behind a desk in your office from 9-5, scrolling online shopping sites, taking extended lunch breaks, calling in sick every month – the list goes on! (And yes of course we scroll online shopping sites and we love to lunch in our own time, we’re Melburnians after all!)
Almost convinced? We’d love to shout you a coffee and chat further about why a creative agency is the way to go - reach out to us and we’ll pencil it in.
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.
Build your email database through social media
Is your email list looking a little dismal? Do you desperately want to turn your social followers into subscribers who will then become loyal customers? Sounds like a dream right? Not anymore! Here we share some of our top tips to building your email database through social media.
Share an incentive for those who subscribe
Make it worth their while for signing up! Many e-commerce stores offer a discount of 10%-20% on the next purchase. Alternatively, you could offer a free sample, a coupon or exclusive content. These are great ways to encourage people to subscribe because hey, who doesn’t love a discount or freebie!
Email only offers
Supplying exclusive, premium content in exchange for an email address is a tried and tested technique. For example, offering early access to a mid-season sale or a new e-book would be perfect. This creates excitement and a need to be ‘in the know’. Current subscribers might share this with their friends and family, which will lead to more subscribers. Winning! Additionally, to make this exclusivity known, make the followers on your social channels aware that they’re missing out on amazing offers. This should entice them to sign up!
Host a competition
Hello freebies! Hosting a giveaway is a great way to grow your subscribers. If you’re thinking about running the contest on Facebook, make the call to action a sign up to the mailing list. You can promote the competition on your other social channels too; just make sure to add a link to a page where the audience can subscribe. Here is one way to run the competition; anyone who provides his or her email address will receive a competition entry. You can also encourage your followers to share the competition with their network, possibly offering them additional entries for doing so.
Implement a Facebook sign-up button
If you haven’t already, you should add a sign-up button to your business Facebook page. This call to action button will take the user to a landing page on your website where they can subscribe to your mailing list. The sign up button is near the top of the page so its easily visible to your audience and they’re more inclined to click on it!
If you’re looking for a little more help when it comes to email marketing, shoot us an email and we can give you a helping hand.
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
10 reasons why businesses need a Social Media Manager
We all know why social media is important for business. But do you think you need a social media manager for your business?
One thing we hear regularly from our clients is that while social media is a must-do and a huge part of their marketing strategy, it's more often than not the last thing on their daily to-do list. And we can understand why, when you're running a business you've got a million things on your mind, without even thinking about social media strategy, target audiences, analytics, content creation, community management - the list goes on. And yep, that all falls under the umbrella of the 'social media manager'.
But while you're ticking off your daily tasks to keep your business running, you may be neglecting the one thing that has the potential to take your business to the next level - social media.
Why is professional social media management important?
Firstly, the person managing your social media accounts is effectively the ‘voice’ of your business. If you wouldn’t put that person in front of 1000 people to promote your business on your behalf, you shouldn’t put them in charge of your social media voice - which potentially reaches a far greater audience on a daily basis.
Secondly, strategy, quality, consistency, engagement and innovation are the keys to social media success. Without these key points, your social media efforts will be in vain. By outsourcing the ongoing management of your social media channels to a dedicated strategist, you can ensure your business is not only utilising social media in a strategic manner designed to produce real results for your brand, but they're producing high quality content and distributing it a consistent, targeted manner, aimed at increasing engagement and reach for your business. (Or in other words, getting you 'seen and heard' online!)
Here are 10 reasons why businesses need a Social Media Manager:
- To develop a social media strategy. Without a great social media strategy in place, your efforts may be in vain. Your social media manager will set out a strategy for you that is geared towards achieving success online.
- To create amazing content. In 2017, your social media manager is no longer just that, (or at least at Melbourne Social Co they're not!) They are photographers, writers, stylists, publicists, community managers - you name it, the list goes on. And as part of our role, we will create and source amazing content for your brand. Because let's face it, in the crowded social media market place, you need amazing content to stand out from the crowd.
- To boost SEO (search engine optimisation): A Social Media Manager understands search engines (or knows someone who does!) and can create content that is optimised for this purpose.
- To communicate in a unified voice: A Social Media Manager will get to know your brand, define your audience and create a unified social media message to appeal to your target market.
- To manage the online community: The Social Media Manager acts as a 'brand ambassador' by listening to your customers on social media and responding in a timely manner. Social Media Managers can also be excellent PR agents, by reaching out to news outlets and bloggers who can help your business grow.
- To save time: Social Media Management takes time. Having people contribute to the process without a defined schedule or strategy won't help your marketing efforts and is often an afterthought. A Social Media Manager is dedicated to managing the digital marketing of your business - it's his/her job.
- To handle social media automation/scheduling: A Social Media Manager knows how to get the most out of social media by using a variety of tools and techniques. These methods can help grow the business and save money in the process. Do you know what is the best time of day to post particular content online? Your Social Media Manager does and can schedule posts accordingly.
- To have someone with business knowledge: Social Media Managers not only know social media, they also understand all facets of your business. They know what's important and which trends to follow because they interact with the various departments. They can confidently act as the 'voice' of your business as they are on top of what's going on.
- To track campaigns: A Social Media Manager can measure and track campaigns to see what works and what doesn't, and then adjust as necessary.
- To stay abreast of trends and technology: People who know the basics of social media may not be as informed as a person who works in social media marketing day in and day out. Just because you post on Instagram daily and love to use Pinterest doesn't necessarily mean you will be able to strategically manage your businesses online profiles.
So, now you know why a Social Media Manager is important, what should you do?
If you're looking to outsource your social media management, we can help.
We'd love to chat to you about your digital marketing needs, so that we can put together a custom full-service solution for you.
Please contact us for more information: [email protected]