You'll gain more followers on Instagram this week by doing these things

Instagram follower growth isn’t impossible. You shouldn’t feel overwhelmed if you’re not gaining new followers. Sometimes it may come down to you missing a few details or not using certain strategies. Below are several things you can do to really attract new followers and build a strong brand.

Respond to all direct messages and comments

If you’ve ever reached out to a brand but didn’t hear back, you probably were frustrated since you may have felt like that brand didn’t care. You can show that you care by responding to all direct messages and comments you receive on Instagram. It’s really easy to do and a little bit of goodwill goes a long way. Don’t hesitate to communicate with your followers. When you respond, you invest in your relationship with your customers. They will be more likely to talk about your brand because they know that you care.

Like and comment on related posts

Engaging with relevant posts is an effective way to get more people to check out your Instagram profile. You can consistently increase your daily profile visits by liking and commenting on related posts. Related posts are posts that are from brands or people who are connected to your business. This connection can often be through either industry or geographic location.

Add hashtags

A simple way to increase your chances of getting discovered on Instagram is by using hashtags. You can include hashtags on your Instagram Stories, posts, and IGTV posts. Instagram allows up to 30 hashtags per post. You might be tempted to only share a 2-5 hashtags but don’t. Sticking to a handful of hashtags reduces your chances of new Instagram users finding your account. Be sure to use hashtags that are specific to your industry. You’re more likely to be found by users who will buy from you.

Share user-generated content

User-generated content will help you quickly increase follower loyalty when you use it. It makes the creator of the content happy and it shows other people the benefits of your products/services. The reason it’s so effective is because someone else is doing the talking for you. You’re not having to speak for yourself. Remember to ask your fans for permission to share on your feed! This simple courtesy goes a long way.

Collaborate

Another way to find new followers and grow your community is by collaborating with relevant accounts. There is a lot of power in collaboration because you’re combining your efforts with the efforts of another brand. Here are a few ideas you can tailor to the needs of your brand:

• Stylized shoot with a model, wedding dress designer, wedding photographer, and floral designer

• Fitness instructional IGTV series with a nutritionist and yoga instructor

• A three-part series of Instagram posts with a tax accountant and financial planner on saving for retirement

One of the benefits of collaborating with other brands is you are able to earn the attention of the followers who love the brands you are partnering with. Are there any brands you’re thinking about and want to reach to? Go for it! The worst thing that can happen is you get turned down.

Post consistently

If you want to be forgotten, don’t post consistently. If you want to build a brand and increase sales, post consistently. It’s really easy to do. Posting on a regular basis has never been easier thanks to the creation of scheduling tools for Instagram. In fact, you can use Facebook’s new Creator Studio for Instagram to plan and schedule posts. Creator Studio allows you plan out posts for your feed and upload IGTV videos ahead of time so you’re not sitting on your phone waiting for the right time to post.

By posting consistently, you’ll give yourself more chances to be discovered and more opportunities to generate sales.

Now that you’ve finished reading this blog post, you’re guaranteed to gain more followers by following the tips above! Do you have any questions about social media marketing? Email Josh at josh@jamiascreative.com!

10 content marketing ideas that will improve your brand

Content marketing is a proven way to build your brand and increase sales. 59% of content marketing budgets are spent on content creation and distribution according to Target Marketing Mag due to the return on investment. The best brands in the world have developed long-term relationships with their customers through consistent, quality content. In an age when we consume countless amounts of content through various social platforms, content marketing can be what you need to scale.

Content marketing educates and empowers your customers.

What makes a piece of content valuable? How do you know if the content you’re producing is valuable. Your content is valuable if it helps your target audience solve real problems.

Here are 10 content marketing ideas that will improve your brand and gain the trust of more paying customers:

1. Evergreen educational blog posts

   This is type of content has produced a great deal of success for companies all around the world. For those who don’t know, what does evergreen mean? Evergreen content is content that stays true and still provides value over the years. For example, a dentist writing a blog post on the top 10 foods to avoid for a better smile will never get old. A physical therapist might create a blog post on 3 stretches that will help people with tight hips. Evergreen blog posts provide you with content you can share over and over again.

2. Industry predictions

   One way to set your brand apart from your competition is to share your thoughts on the direction of your industry. You can share your insight through different types of content such as video, infographics, and blog posts. Here are a few ideas you can use and customize to your business when it comes to content focused on industry predictions:

   • Here’s what every HR director needs to know with the new California state laws

   • 10 things you need to try with your YouTube marketing in 2019

   • This is how VR will change real estate sales

   • Avoid tax penalties by doing these 7 things in 2020

   • Here’s what China’s new tariffs will mean for small businesses

3. Share your knowledge on Instagram Stories

   Instagram Stories are a quick way to educate your followers and gain organic engagement. Stories don’t stay forever unless you add them to your highlights. By using Stories, you can share industry updates and tips. You can use Instagram Stories to run polls and quizzes to better get to know your followers and help them make better decisions.

4. Facebook Live videos with a guest expert

   An effective way to increase your organic reach on Facebook is by using Live videos. To get more fans and engagement, team up with a guest expert on a topic in your industry. The video doesn’t need to be super long. It could even be a 5 minute chat on a trending topics. For example, if you run a mixed martial arts (MMA) school, here are a few different experts you can team up with:

   • Strength and conditioning coach

   • Sports psychologist

   • Nutrition expert

   • Amateur MMA champion

   • Muay Thai champion

   • MMA referee

   When you team up with experts in your industry, you organically increase your reach and engagement because they have their own following.

5. Infographic explaining how to use your product/service

   It’s not uncommon for a business to receive negative reviews from customers who don’t understand how to properly benefit from a product or service. It’s not fair to an appliance company’s online reputation to take a hit from customers who don’t use their products properly. It’s not fair to a tax accountant to deal with a complaining client who doesn’t send the tax accountant all of the information needed to file taxes. An infographic can help customers be more empowered. When customers are empowered, they will be happy and be more loyal to your brand.

6. Email marketing campaigns

   Another way to regularly connect with your followers is with email marketing campaigns. There are many different things you can share via email from notifying customers of discounts and sharing blog posts with them. Remember that one of the keys to successful email marketing is consistency.

7. Polls on Facebook

   Do you want to gain a better idea of your audience’s knowledge? Do you want to know their opinions about the features of new products? Facebook polls are a simple way to gain quick feedback. Here’s how to create a poll on Facebook that people will engage with (link). You can gain more information on your audience in an organic way.

8. Instagram Live ask-me-anything (AMA)

   An AMA Instagram Live event is an effective tool if you regularly receive a high percentage of engagement on your Instagram Business Profile. This content marketing idea can be a great way to develop relationships with followers especially if you have a large following. Industry thought leaders can gain new followers and further establish themselves as experts after an effective AMA session.

9. Guest blog post collaboration

   Like the Facebook Live videos with industry experts, the power of a guest blog post is in the collaboration. Your guest should be from a company whose products and services compliment your business. Doing so will create more opportunities to pass business to each other. Another benefit of a guest blog post is improved SEO. You’ll be able to earn more backlinks to your website.

10. Educational workshop

    One way to increase brand awareness while creating more opportunities to increase sales is by running a workshop. Workshops give your followers and fans a chance to interact and actively learn together. You’re able to better empower your customers by helping them gain more knowledge.

    The workshop you host could be an hour long. It could a few days long. The important thing is that you focus on providing value the entire time.

Always provide value by helping your target audience solve their problems.

Always keep in mind that content marketing is about the long game. It’s important that you’re consistent in your content production and that you continue to share your knowledge. Your investment in content marketing will put you in position to be an industry leaders and will help you develop long lasting relationships with your customers.

For any questions you might have about content marketing, email Josh at josh@jamiascreative.com!

4 best practices to get more out of your Facebook videos

Facebook videos are one of the most effective ways to reach your target audience and increase sales. More and more Facebook users are consuming video content due to the engaging nature of videos. According to a study by Locowise, Facebook videos engage 5.49% of the audience reached compared to 4.67% of audience reached by photos.

Facebook videos are an effective way to engage with your fans.

Have you already been producing Facebook videos but you’re not getting the views you expected? Nothing is more frustrating than putting in a lot of work but no one is watching your videos. Here four things you need to do to get the most out of your Facebook videos:

1. Headlines matter

   The headlines you create make a difference. Focus on sticking to headlines that clearly explain the value your video provides for your audience. Lists and how-to videos tend to do well organically so if that’s the type of video you’ve produced, make sure your headline reflects that. Remember to be honest in your headline and not mislead Facebook users who choose to watch your video. It’s one of the fastest ways to lose trust and credibility.

2. Add captions

   One way to get more views is by paying attention to people who watch videos with the sound off. Not everyone consumes video content with the sound on so captions enable viewers to still engage in silence. A great tool available on Facebook is the auto-caption generator. We use this tool to save us a lot of time from having to write individual caption for each part of your video. While Facebook does generate captions automatically, we recommend you review the captions for accuracy.

3. 3 minute minimum

   Believe it or not, the Facebook algorithm favors videos that are at least 3 minutes long! This is especially true for your videos that are focused on generating ad revenue through YouTube. On the other hand, if you’re releasing a high quality video, then a minimum of at least a minute is key. While a 3 minute minimum is a best practice, it’s up to you to figure out the perfect length of video for your followers. Some Facebook users have no problem regularly watching videos that are 5-10 minutes long while others only stick around for videos that are 90 seconds in duration.

4. Clear call-to-action

   Do your video viewers know what to do after watching your video? A call-to-action helps your viewers understand the next step they should take after watching your content. Whether it’s to buy your product or to get them to start eating healthy, there should be no doubt as to what needs to happen. Include your call-to-action in your video and also in your video description.

What do you do now?

Get more people buying your products with a clear call-to-action.

Now that you’ve learned four best practices to get more out of your Facebook videos, which practices are you not doing? Which practices are you already implementing in your videos? Stick to what you’re already doing and start using the tips you haven’t been using. You’ll be able to increase your organic reach and engagement.

Do you have any questions about Facebook video marketing? Email Josh at josh@jamiascreative.com with your questions!