Instagram’s stories is often called the disappearing story feature, but don’t let the fact that it disappears after 24 hours fool you.  Instagram stories is a great way to capture your digital target audience and avoid clogging up your carefully created Instagram profile with not so relative stories.

Often your audience and followers may like to see what else is going on with your brand or get a sort of behind the scenes view of who they’re following, this is where Instagram stories must be a part of any social media marketing strategy.

With an impression count of one billion daily active users, Instagram has certainly become one of the most important social media marketing tools. And the Instagram stories offers another cool way to engage your audience and create a lot of opportunities to gain more followers.

To keep up to date with Instagram and other social media marketing trends it’s a great idea to complete a social media marketing course.

Instagram page vs Instagram stories

So, what’s the difference between an Instagram post and an Instagram story?  Which one is better? How do you know which approach to take for your social media marketing campaigns?

The first thing you need to take into account when considering these questions is that get followers through your Instagram feed, in other words from posting on your profile page.  So, using the Instagram feed as a starting point is an important part of getting the most out of your digital marketing efforts on Instagram.

In a nutshell, Instagram stories should be used to complement and not replace your Instagram feed.  Instagram stories are an entertaining way to grab your audience’s attention, which should never be overlooked in your social media marketing campaigns.

How to use Instagram stories

Instagram stories were launched in 2016 and since then have become a very popular part of social media marketing and definitely are a great tool to engage your audience.  But as with every social media marketing strategy there are best practices and proven strategies that must be taken into account when building your Instagram stories platform.

There are only two ways of adding your content to Instagram stories, which are via your profile page and the second way is by navigating to your main feed and clicking on the camera icon.

Engaging your audience with Instagram stories

A staggering amount of 500 million people use Instagram stories every day, that is mind-blowing.  Another really encouraging fact is that one in five stories receives a direct message from their audience. Now that is a powerful engagement.

Here are some tips for creating great Instagram stories:

• Keep it short – Short and sweet is key yet valuable. Do include a strategic headline.
• Keep text to a minimum –Avoid cramming your Instagram story with too much text or subtitles which can quite easily ruin great content.
• Don’t come across over selling – Do not include excessive promotional text.  Your story should be entertaining, and any selling point should be subtle.

Building your Instagram stories audience

The absolute beauty of Instagram stories is the variety of content that can be used in your story, which brings endless possibilities to get your message across and engage your audience.  You can now share videos, images, time-lapses, live streams and boomerangs.

Types of Instagram stories

The world of social media marketing is always evolving – this trend is no different with Instagram stories and it can be a confusing when starting out which type of Instagram story to use.

The main goal of your story is to cut through the ever-increasing noise on Instagram to not only build your audience but to increase valuable engagement with your followers.

Below are a few Instagram stories to choose from, but with practice you’ll soon learn what works best for you and your brand.

• Simple colour background with added text.
• Add music to your image and you can even decide on the point you’d like your track to start.
• Going ‘live’ on Instagram stories has become a popular choice especially for events or launches of any kind.
• People love boomerangs, which is a setting that takes a burst of photos which loop to create a short animation.
• Superzoom allows you to create a funny or dramatic video clip.
• Stop-motion is a setting that allows you to create short animations.

Do you know how many users are on social media networks? If you thought maybe a billion, think again. By the end of this year, there will be circa 2.77 billion social network users and it’s never too late to start your SMM.

Businesses that have taken advantage of social media have seen their ROI (Return On Investment) improve by up to 119%.

So here are our 10 top 101 SMM tips for businesses with no idea what to do and where to do it.

1.  Stick with the platforms that work

Making the most of social media doesn’t mean your business needs to be on every single platform.

Less is definitely more in this case.

There are different social media platforms for a reason. Each of them has its own uses and benefits that work with a variety of businesses and industries.

For example, really visual products and retail businesses work well on Instagram – because it’s designed as a photo sharing platform to sell through images. Similarly, LinkedIn is designed as a professional platform, which means it performs well with B2B businesses.

Before you start planning your social media strategy, make sure your business is on the right platforms.

This not only involves picking platforms that work well for your company but also knowing what your customers use and interact with.

Think about it. Are your customers on Pinterest? No? Then you shouldn’t be either. It’s that simple.

Done right, you’ll not only reach your customers but save yourself a lot of time and effort running social networks that you really don’t need to.

2.  Write for your audience

This tip applies to your marketing as a whole, but can sometimes be forgotten when it comes to social media.

To improve your performance and create content that your customers will interact with – you need to write to them.

Don’t try and include everyone with general messages that miss the mark. Write to your customers and only your customers.

These are the people who buy from your business. So what are you gaining from trying to target everyone else?

3.  Keep it relevant and give your customers value

Okay, so you’ve got your social profiles up and running.

Don’t make the mistake of posting any old thing to stay active though.

Every piece of content that you put out needs to be relevant to your business.

For example, if you were a plumbing business – why would you post about landscape gardening? They have nothing to do with what you offer and more likely than not, aren’t something your target audience is interested in.

Your content doesn’t just need to be relevant though, it needs to be consistent with your branding and provide value to your followers.

Not sure what that means?

Answer this simple question: what do your customers get out of following you?

Once you know the answer to that, you’re on your way to providing top-quality content that your customers will engage with.

4.  Don’t forget to share your news

Got an important piece of news? At an event? Or just have something good happen around the office?

Let your followers know about it!

Social media are the exact channels to share this piece of information.

If you’re attending an event, posting updates won’t just help drive people to meet your business – it will also help you connect with everyone else who was there.

Whatever it is, don’t forget to share it. Even if it’s something as mundane as your employees treating themselves to doughnuts in the office.

It may seem like a small thing, but it actually helps humanise your business and give your customers a glimpse into the real faces behind the company.

This is amazing for building trust and a relationship between you and your customers. In turn, this will help reinforce their loyalty and return custom.

5.  Post when your audience is online

Want the most engagement and get the best results from your social media?

There’s a simple solution – make sure you post when people are most active, online and likey to see and engage with your content.

Most importantly: post when your customers are online.

Not sure when these are

You can find out the best times to post on social media and increase engagement by following the guidelines.

6.  Use hashtags wisely

Hashtags are a searchable and clickable way for users to find content on a particular topic or area. When used correctly, they’re a great way for new users to find and interact with your brand.

But be warned: not every platform uses hashtags in the same way.

Here are some general guidelines for hashtags for different social accounts:

• Twitter. 1-2 hashtags per tweet.
• Instagram. 9-11 hashtags per post.
• Facebook. Hashtags are rarely followed and used in on this platform – and should be avoided unless you’re promoting a specific event or occasion.

Remember to select your hashtags carefully.

You don’t want to appear in non-relevant searches or get a spammy reputation for constantly taking up a particular hashtag.

This is particularly true when using Instagram, as if you use the same hashtags, in the same order, for all your posts – Instagram will shadow ban your business. This means they’ll prevent your business from appearing in these searches, without telling your business.

7.  Make use of social platform tools

You don’t have to waste hours manually sending out your updates and posting on social media.

There are countless tools out there that will allow you to schedule posts, monitor and track your results and keep on top of all your engagements and replies.

Ready to save your social team time and effort? Sign up to platforms like SproutSocial, Buffer or Hootsuite today.

8.  Capture a wider audience with advertising

Social media is a great marketing tool that connects you with countless potential customers.

However, one of the biggest problems is the sheer amount of people and businesses that are on here. They provide a constant stream of noise – giving you added competition just to get seen and noticed by your followers.

Luckily, there is a way to cut through that noise.

Welcome to social media advertising.

Paid advertising on social is a way of ensuring that your content doesn’t get lost amongst a sea of voices. It guarantees that your business is seen – giving you a better ROI and the results you need.

9.  Start remarketing on social

If you want to make the most from social media advertising, remarketing ads are one of the best tools you can use to boost your ROI.

Why?

Because you’re advertising to people who already know about your brand. To people who’ve already got an interest in your products or services. To people who have already started to develop trust in your brand.

Ultimately, you’re advertising to people who are more likely to buy.

10.  Monitor your results

Whatever you do on social media, remember to track and monitor your results.

This doesn’t just apply to your paid posts, but to your organic posts as well. Look what works and what doesn’t work and learn from it.

Get a lot of traffic when you post a certain type of content? Great! Use this to your advantage and build a strategy that works for your business.

The key lessons to remember

Let’s recap. To make the most out of your social media, you need to remember these key tips:

• Only use social media platforms that work for your business.
• Keep it relevant, on-topic and valuable for your customers.
• Talk to your customers and post when they’re online.
• Use advertising to cut through the noise and ensure your business is seen.
• Monitor your results and use it to better your campaigns.

Follow them, and you’ll be on your way to social media success.

Instagram started off as a simple photo and video sharing platform just for fun. It has since grown to a serious marketing platform turning little know individuals to celebrities called influencers. Influencers are Instagram users that have a significant following that well-known brands crave to have them mention their products on their pages.

Influencers can be just normal people with a massive following or celebrities like soccer players or movie stars. You can now make money simply by documenting your daily life activities. There is a whopping 2.38 billion budget for this particular sector.

Getting a massive following is not that easy, but it is possible if you are patient and persistent. While some opt to use bots such Instagress clones to get a following, it would be better if you start from scratch and build up a loyal following that will be participating actively in your campaigns. It is better to have a small engaging following than a large dormant one. Here are some hacks you can use to grow your following and become an influencer.

Focus on Influencing Others

Becoming an influencer is not as difficult as you would like to imagine. It is true that a while ago brands went only for those with a massive following. Today, there is a new category of micro-influencers. Most companies have realized that it is easier and cheaper to work with individuals with a small but an engaging following. You can start pitching to have brands pay you to market their brands even with just 1000 followers. So, focus on creating an attractive account rather than buying followers.

Identify Your Niche

If you want popular brands to come for you, try and focus on one field when curating your account. This allows you to build an authentic account that companies can have confidence in. Lay a foundation of your brand by engaging and posting about things that you have a passion for. If you love traveling, then let the world see your escapades from your images, captions, and videos. You grow a more loyal following if people are able to identify with what you do.

Post Quality Content Regularly

The key to growing a following that will make you an influencer is posting quality content on a regular basis. People will check your account and make a decision to follow you if they have something they can see on your account. If you have decided that fitness and health is your path to influencer marketing, then let people see what it is you can offer in that particular field. Try and stay true and passionate about your cause to maintain and grow a loyal following. You do not need to fake anything.

Focus on Increasing Engagement

As I mentioned earlier on, these days, brands focus on micro-influencers that have a stronger and more active reach to their followers. Brands know that it is easier for such influencers to convince their followers to try certain products due to their direct reach than those with a massive following without active engagement. So, make sure you actively engage your following by participating in their conversations, and responding to questions and suggestions.

Follow Other Influencers

Identify other influencers that share the same passion as you and work with them. Make sure you do a background search of those influencers to ascertain their credibility. Some are just individuals with no passion and with so much fake following. Such would be detrimental to your work rather than boost you. But, if you find authentic influencers, then they can guide you on even getting your first gig.

Try to Be as real as Possible

Instagram users like to relate with real and authentic people. If you come off as perfect with everything set in place, individuals might be scared of you and feel intimidated by your lifestyle. Try to connect to people with small and simple activities and make people feel like they are a part of what you are doing.

Look for Contacts

With your account set and your brand taking shape, and having built a loyal and engaging following, you now have to reach out to varies companies to monetize your brand. Again, do not focus on the money, but on letting the product you will be promoting known and used by your followers. Send direct messages to companies requesting to work with them. It is good if try out companies whose products you already use.

Your Twitter is failing, if you don’t have a strategy and strong brand image behind it.

That’s where your Twitter voice comes in. It’s the strategy and tone that should flow easily through your entire profile. Want to know how to find yours? Read on below.

What Is a Twitter Brand?

To define what a Twitter brand is, let’s look at someone who’s rocking their own unique one. That brand…Wendy’s. The other-wise and previously non-opinionated chain makes a splash on Twitter.

No one was expecting them to “come after” other burger chains or even individual users like they do. It made a lot of people not only laugh but respect Wendy’s more.

And due to the way they conduct themselves on Twitter, we know Wendy’s doesn’t mess around with sub-par ingredients and practices.

Like the time they tweeted about using never frozen beef, unlike other big chains. A twitter user (who has since deactivated their account) tweeted them back saying that was impossible.

Wendy’s fired back a tweet saying something like “don’t blame us because you forgot refrigerators exist”.

A harmless comment in the long run, but it got the point across. We could write a whole article about Wendy’s tweets, but we’ll leave you with one more before we move on.

In a response to Bailey (@Mr._Anderson 36) tweet “@Wendy’s Where’s the beef?” The account replied:

“@Mr_Anderson36 In our cheeseburgers and on our timeline”. In case you’re behind on the times, beef is another term for a drama or disagreement.

Not into the catty stuff? Smart Circle tweets are inspiring, instead.

Defining Your Own Twitter Voice: How to Do It

First thing first, you need to understand yourself as a brand. What’s your image? What’s your brand definition? What’s your mission? If you are or you work at a well-established business, this is probably all wrapped up in your past work.

That means the about page where your mission statement and purpose are, but also the tone in past articles and publications. Even your Instagram captions define and describe your brand.

So if you can’t write out who your brand is and describe it in three ways, do some research. That’s step one.

Step 2: Find Your Audience’s Interests

Wendy’s is lucky in that they have a pretty wide audience. They know that they’re the “one” different competitor between McDonald’s and Burger King. At least that’s how they’ve always marketed themselves.

And they know that their followers see them that way too. If they didn’t, they’d go to one of the other chains instead of Wendy’s. So it was easy for Wendy’s to know that poking fun at the other brands would go over well, as a marketing tactic.

But you may not have that clear cut of an audience and there’s no one secret to finding out what they like. Okay, there is – research and hard work. Check out your current followers and audience. Who do they follow?

Who do they retweet? What tone are those tweets? That’s where you should aim to meet them (where they already are).

Step 3 (The Final Step): Be Consistent

Wendy’s doesn’t always tweet mean things, but if you look through their Twitter, you can definitely see their attitude. You don’t have to be catty or clever all the time but sprinkle those tweets through.

You want people to expect that from you. Deliver it more than or at fifty percent of the time.

Follow these steps and you’ll find your Twitter voice. It’ll take research and practice, but you’ll come off as and be more authentic along the way.

Want to know that we practice what we preach? Follow us on Twitter.

Social media started out as an online platform for people to share personal photos and communicate with others. However, it has systemically evolved to become the holy grail of marketing.

Recent research reveals that social media is playing a major role on influencing buying decisions. This means that it’s about time that companies start paying more attention to their social strategy.

It’s unfortunate to see companies diving into social media marketing without any clear strategy. These firms only end up with disappointment. There’s strong evidence that shows that if social media is approached correctly, it can influence people’s buying decisions. But, how does social media influence buying decisions?

Buying Decisions

In order for you to understand how social media influences buying decisions, you should comprehend the psychology behind decisions. Buying decisions are much more complex than you think. Social media has gained a lot of traction for influencing consumer decisions because of these reasons:

Emotions can Influence Decisions

Buyers are influenced by emotions. People make buying decisions using both the right and left regions of the brain. They aren’t robots, so it’s highly unlikely that they’ll make decisions based only on analytical and logical basis. Think about when you’re buying a smartphone. You may have seen a photo of a cell phone on a social media post by the company selling it and then rationalized your buying decisions by checking its specs. This can happen with anyone.

Indeed, many people who purchase something say that they landed on it and had not thought about buying something like it. The reason is that emotions can sometimes affect our decisions and we can end up buying something we hadn’t planned.

We Are Naturally Suspicious

Sales representatives usually find it hard to convince people to buy. That’s because we’re naturally suspicious. Strong emphasis must be placed on establishing trust and credibility with customers before one can pitch their idea. In this regard, social media is extremely effective as people trust a product when they see that their family or friend have bought the same. They’re influenced by people they can trust.

Crowd Mentality

People feel safer to move in large groups. That’s because human beings generally have crowd mentality. Thus, it’s easier to sway people when they’re in group. That is one of the reasons social media is so powerful in influencing buying decisions. People will be convinced to buy something if they see their peers purchasing the same. All a company has to do is show them how their friends and peers have benefited from the same product. Thus, positive customer reviews are extremely important for social media marketing.

These are just a few of the ways in which social media influences people’s buying decisions. If you’re looking to promote your product or service, you should consider using social media as it has the ability to reach potential customers and influence their purchase decision.

Social media is an essential marketing tool for startups. It’s a great way to get your message out there for not much money, although it does take some effort to get noticed. When you launch your business, it’s a good idea to establish a presence on social media as soon as you can.

Stretching yourself across every social media platform isn’t really possible, especially when you’re short on time and money, so choosing the best one or two platforms to focus on is smart. There are several big name players in social media, and choosing between them take some thought.

Does One Social Media Platform Work for All Startups?

The first question that you might have is whether there’s one social media platform that will work for all startups. If there’s a king of all social media, you want to be on it. However, there isn’t exactly one social media platform that will work for everyone. Each platform has different benefits and it suitable for various content and differing audiences.

B2B brands might find that professional network LinkedIn is the best option for them. Fashion retailers could find a highly visual platform like Instagram to be the right choice for them. You can expand your social media presence later, but if you want to start with just one, you need to think about which one is best for your startup specifically.

What to Consider to Choose the Best Network

You might want to take the overall numbers of each of the highest performing platforms. If you’re looking for the biggest audience, you’ll find it on Facebook where more than two billion people can be found each month. It’s followed by the likes of YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram and Tumblr. However, numbers aren’t everything. It’s not just about founding the most users, but also the most suitable audience for your startup. When you’re trying to decide which platform to start with, you should consider the demographics of your target audience.

Younger social media users are increasingly choosing platforms like Instagram and Snapchat over Facebook. Pinterest has more female users than male, while LinkedIn is clearly better for targeting other businesses and professionals.

You need to think about your goals before you choose a social media platform. What sort of content will you be sharing? How do you want to communicate with your audience?

The Benefits of the Major Players

Every social media platform offers different benefits to startups. It’s important to know how each one could help you to reach your audience and promote your startup business.

Facebook

Facebook has the most users of any social network, but it’s important to recognize that things are starting to shift. There’s a great range of users across different ages, locations and genders, but younger people are starting to move away from it. Facebook is excellent for posting a range of different content, from links and text posts to images and videos. It also has its own PPC advertising platform, and you can pay to promote your posts too.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is best for any startups trying to reach professionals and other businesses. If you’re promoting a B2B business, looking for staff or perhaps trying to connect with other business people for funding purposes, LinkedIn is a great choice.

Twitter

Twitter can help you to get in touch with professionals, but it’s good for B2C brands too. The short posts can be good for conversation and banter, and several brands have found success with humorous Twitter interactions. Twitter doesn’t have the highest user base, but there are still plenty of people on there.

Instagram

Instagram is a visual platform, perfect for sharing photos, videos and Stories, which lets you share a series of photos or video clips. The audience on Instagram is a little younger than some other platforms, so it’s ideal for finding a younger audience.

Using Social Media Together With Your Blog

Blog posts provide the perfect content to share on social media. A business blog is an essential content marketing strategy, so get started by setting up a blog on your website. By writing regular posts and sharing them on your social media channels, you can bring more people to your site. When you share on social media, for example by creating a Facebook post or tweeting a link to your blog post, you can use social media tools to monitor the performance of your post and see how people are engaging in it. For example, Facebook offers you analytics so you can see how many people have clicked on your link, on your post or on your page.

You need to choose the right social media platform for your startup by considering your audience. Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn may be better for sharing blog posts than more visual networks.