Plans to Continue Moving Forward

COVID-19 continues to impact our daily lives. Mask mandates, testing, social distancing, and quarantines are things we will probably be seeing for a little while longer. But the introduction of vaccinations against COVID-19 are making the move towards a return to normalcy. As this happens, businesses have begun to open back up, provided they keep up with the new guidelines and regulations… while continuing to serve their clients and customers in the best way possible. Still, you may find that while you’re able to resume some or all of your business operations, your client load may be less or you might be seeing fewer customers come through the doors.

But with a bit of social strategy, you can write up a prescription that not only helps you roll with the punches, but creates some new business too. Remember, putting yourself and your business out for the world to see on IG introduces you to new customers looking for your services. Crafting a solid social media strategy will be essential in communicating new updates, information, products, and services with your tribe through this next phase. Here’s what goes into an IG strategy and my tips on how you can put one together:

An optimized profile.

Like we covered in Chapter 3, your IG posts should be directing followers to your profile and/or URL, so make sure they find current and valuable info when they get there. If you haven’t already, now is a great time to complete the Instagram Account Assessment on page 36.

Research.

Since you’re likely new at using IG for your business, it’s incredibly important to research what other businesses are doing on the ‘Gram. You’re not the first small business owner (and you won’t be the last!) using this social platform to reach your customers. Use the notes section in the back of this book and start a list of all the things you see that inspire you or resonate with your business. This could be ideas like putting on a virtual event, running a special sale, hosting a giveaway, or finding trendy songs and audio for your next Reel. It’s totally ok to have a few “mentor” type profiles to follow (think of someone who’s using IG well in your industry), but also expand your search to other industries as well.

Spreadsheets and calendars.

These are two of the simplest yet effective tools that I just can’t run my social media campaigns without. First, create a spreadsheet that will house all of those ideas you were researching, as well as your notes on which of your sales, products, events, etc. you could apply to each idea/post you were inspired by. Then, check the calendar for other holidays or notable events. Assign each post idea to a date.

Get posting.

It’s totally normal if some of these things feel new, uncomfortable, or just plain out of the box for you. But staying off IG isn’t a solution that is going to benefit your ailing business right now. Take a deep breath and let’s jump in together! Head to page 37 for seven templates you can use for your next (or first) week of posts!

Tips to Be Successful

• At the beginning of the week, take an hour to plan out a week’s worth of posts. • Use a note in your phone or a spreadsheet to keep your post details organized. • Set a reminder in your phone for each day to post. You can post at the same time each day, or experiment with a different time on different days. • Use up to ten relevant hashtags. Try hashtags like your hometown, your industry, and even branded hashtags like your company name or slogan. Put hashtags in the comments section after you’ve hit post.

Use a spreadsheet to keep track of hashtag ideas.

Post Ideas and Strategies

Here’s a roundup of common ideas, trends, and strategies that you can implement into your feed.

Before and after pics.

These posts are great for contractors to show home renovations, hair stylists to show off a client’s new look, or for fitness trainers to show off a client’s results.

Behind the scenes.

Getting an exclusive look at how something was made or put together is always interesting. Use your IG Stories for this. Posting a recipe? Post a picture of the finished product to your feed. In the comments direct follows to click your stories button where they can see a video tutorial on how to make the recipe.

Meet the team.

Highlight a team member or staff member, showcase what they do, and even a fun fact about them. Are you a solopreneur? Have fun and introduce your pet, family member, or best friend.

Create a contest or giveaway.

Giving followers the chance to win something is fun for them plus it can drum up a lot of engagement.

#FBF and #TBT.

Who doesn’t like to reminisce? Participate in these trendy hashtags to get exposure to more accounts. (*Not sure what #FBF and #TBT mean? Flip to my Instagram Dictionary on page 41 for definition on these and other IG lingo.)

Instagram Trends for 2021

Just as we couldn’t have predicted the events of 2020, it’s almost impossible to know what’s next. The pandemic, the politics, and the social activism… what you see on social media can change overnight. In my opinion, social media usage isn’t declining any time soon. So, there’s no doubt that jumping into 2021 brings on updates, trends, and new strategies small businesses can take advantage of to grow their brand. Here’s which trends I think will make the most impact for your feed this year...

Carousel posts with text. One great reason to create a post for Instagram is to educate or inform your followers. The best way to do this is by literally spelling out your content to them via a carousel post that has text. When followers see a carousel post, the temptation to swipe left is hard to deny. Results? Carousel posts with text can see two or even three times the amount of engagement and reach.

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Click here or scan the QRCode for an example.

Reels. I’ll be the first to admit, when I saw Reels introduced last year, they seemed super cheesy to me. Pointing and dancing to bubbles of words? It just wasn’t me. Instead of disregarding the new feature all together, I challenged myself to think out of the box on how I could use Reels to authentically share content. Try sharing a behind the scenes or a step-by-step video that incorporates short bubbles of words describing what you’re showing. See what I came up with: click here (https://www. instagram.com/p/CJUp6nqlozr/) to see a Reel I did as a teaser for an upcoming announcement, here (https://www.instagram.com/p/CJObfynlEUR/) for my Reel showing off a holiday tradition, and here (https://www.instagram.com/p/CI887YrB48N/) to see a step-by-step recipe Reel. What happens to my engagement when I post these types of Reels instead of shaking my hips and waving my finger? My reach has expanded to the thousands and my number of comments doubles.

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Instagram Shopping. In an effort to support businesses needing to shift their sales model during the COVID-19 crisis, IG announced a new shopping experience right inside the app. In app purchasing makes the buying process easier and quicker. Interested in using Instagram Shopping to pivot your business right now? Click here for more info.

Click below or scan the QRCode for an example.

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IG Stories. Instagram Stories originally debuted in 2016 and has consistently grown in popularity. I definitely recommend using your IG Stories A LOT this year. According to Instagram research, they’re reporting that nearly 500 million users are active each day on IG Stories. So how do you leverage IG Stories for your business? Create your own videos that tell stories about your business or products, share other people’s posts or stories (being sure to credit your source!), and don’t forget to add your own post into your stories for maximum exposure. Get even more engagement by using the question and poll stickers inside stories. When your followers see a poll or question in your stories, they’re easy to respond to with a simple one tap for voting.

Accessibility and Inclusivity. What’s the ultimate way to be a strong brand that goes way beyond your company’s IG feed? Be inclusive and accessible. But let me be clear – intentionally developing content that highlights diversity, equity and inclusion is not a passing trend. Your business’ image, values, and social media presence regarding global, social, and political events is a pertinent consideration, always.

Communicating consciously requires a heightened sense of awareness and should not be done carelessly. Stay away from excluding entire groups of people from your content by starting with simple solutions like this:

• Use imagery that represents a mix of the spectrum of people who make up our world – genders, ethnicities, disabilities and ages. • Start your caption with “Trigger Warning” when posting about sensitive topics. • Add captions to your videos / IG Stories for the hearing impaired. • Think globally by acknowledging different holidays and languages.

Serving up conscious content on all of your social channels leads to inclusivity and accessibility, which leads to brand loyalty and strong customer connections. Social media can change quickly. Stay aware, learn, and adapt as you move forward!

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See you on the ‘Gram!

Before I let you go, I want to leave you with a piece of real talk. We’re all experiencing the effects of coronavirus on so many different levels. I know adding one more to do item to your list, like posting to Instagram, might feel stressful. But I’m certain you can use this info I’ve provided in this book to take some confident first steps towards Insta-success. Keep turning these pages – all the worksheets, checklists, and bonuses are after this page!

I want to encourage you to dig deep into what you do know – your business, and why you’re doing it. You’re in business because you know your craft and there’s no one out there that can do it the same way as you can. Only you can make that widget, bake that dish, color that hair, sell that house, or lead a fitness program in your own unique style. And the world needs you to deliver that gift! Social media is just a tool at your fingertips to lead you to your tribe and make an impact – do not let it intimidate you! You’ve undoubtedly crossed many hurdles as a small business owner in a pandemic, I know you can totally handle this, too.

I can’t wait to see your business and your posts on Instagram. Make sure to share your happenings with me @KristinRosynekHassan. Got questions? Feel free to send me a DM at any time! Stay healthy, stay focused and stay consistent… You’ve got this!