Tag : instagram

29Aug

Business, Local Marketing, Marketing, Social Media

For the rest of the summer, the Go! Agency blog will focus on the social media habits of different industries. For each week in August, our first blog will explain common mistakes made by an industry; our second blog will explain how to fix those mistakes.

As we discussed in our previous blog, the fitness industry has some work to do when it comes to social media marketing. Thankfully, the common issues have easy fixes. Let’s take a look at one fitness studio that needs some more coaching on their marketing techniques! (Note: The following example is a hypothetical case study that combines features from several different situations. Names, locations, and other details have been changed to protect the privacy and anonymity of source examples.)

Ferris Fitness is a small boutique fitness studio that specializes in spinning and pilates. CEO Carol Ferris wants her studio to be a space where people can feel comfortable and get healthy. She is busy enough with the day to day operations (and keeping head trainer Hal from throttling Guy, a spin instructor), so she leaves the social media operations to Kyle, the receptionist and de facto office manager. Kyle likes that this duty enables him to flex his creative muscles (his degree is in graphic design), but he doesn’t know a lot about marketing.

Bad Visuals
Carol wants to show off their gorgeous layout, so she’s taken lots of pictures of the studio. Always when it’s empty, of course–why would you want people in the way? Pilates teachers Jessica and Simon will frequently snap candid pics during workouts, and sometimes even take (admittedly shaky) videos of group classes.

Solution: Polish your image.
We’re not saying that you need to make your trainers wear full make up so that you can take pictures of the class, but you need to look polished. Pay attention to lighting and composition of your shots. Take time to actually set up your photos. And enough with those sad pictures of empty gyms: people won’t be impressed by the space, they’ll be confused by your lack of clients.

Too Perfect
Spin instructor John wants to take before and after photos of clients, but Carol worries that asking would offend or embarrass them. Right now, their photos are mostly shots of the trainers during their own workouts.

Solution: Embrace reality!
You need to show the “before” picture if you want the “after” picture to have any impact. People want to see what your gym could do for them, and the best way to do that is to show a person who is at the beginning of his/her fitness journey. More than that, people want to to relate to others. Ask your clients if any of them would be comfortable sharing before and after photos. Ideally, you should present a mixture of all different ages, sizes, and body types.

Strictly Business
Ferris Fitness has an eclectic bunch of employees. Guy volunteers with the Special Olympics. Jess and Simon co-emcee a popular karaoke night at a nearby bar. The staff includes two retired veterans: Hal (USAF) and John (USMC). Sadly, no one would know any of this by looking at any of the gym’s social media channels.

Solution: Get personal.
Show off your staff! No one who’s seen Guy yelling at cyclists in his lunchtime spin class would ever think that he’d be great with children, much less children with special needs. Jess is so quiet during classes, but she’s effervescent on stage. Happy-go-lucky karaoke night Simon likewise bears little resemblance to stern trainer Simon. Hal and John don’t like to flaunt their military service, but they wouldn’t mind being mentioned on Veterans’ Day. By showing the human side of your trainers, you allow your audience to connect.

Ferris Fitness has one advantage that too many businesses lack: an owner who was willing to learn. After Kyle mentioned their social media issues, Carol did some research on her own. She had thought that her fitness studio was average in terms of social media, but she quickly saw how much she was missing. Carol decided to contact a small social media management firm. She felt doing so would be the best for herself and her staff–and the results have been great!

Don’t do all the heavy lifting of digital marketing by yourself! We can help you optimize your marketing strategies. Contact us today for a free consultation!

Social Media Marketing Evaluation: Fitness Studios

27Aug

For the rest of the summer, the Go! Agency blog will focus on the social media habits of some of our favorite industries. Every week, our first blog will explain common mistakes made by an industry; followed by a second blog that will explain how to fix them. Think of this series as What Not to Wear for social media marketing!

Fitness studios are booming right now, notably spinning, pilates, Crossfit, and other so-called “boutique fitness” specialities. According to an industry survey by American College of Sports Medicine’s Health & Fitness Journal, high intensity training and group training are the two biggest fitness trends in 2018. Unfortunately, many of the smaller studios need help with social media marketing. Here are a few of the biggest mistakes we’ve noticed among fitness studios.

1. Bad Visuals
Every industry makes this mistake, so we cannot stress it enough: level up your visual game. Do not post bad pictures. Poor lighting and composition can make a brand new studio look like the inside of an abandoned warehouse. Speaking of abandoned, don’t post pictures of empty rooms or equipment. Spinning studios are major offenders here: stop using photos of empty bicycles. You may think you’re showing off your state of the art equipment, but viewers will see a studio with no members.

2. Just Too Perfect
Speaking of overused images, too many fitness studios post pictures of perfect people. It’s great to post pics of your staff (more on that below) or other fitness professionals, but you need to connect to your audience. While your audience will undoubtedly have a good number of fitness buffs, it will also include people who want to improve themselves. You need to appeal to customers who don’t look perfect. And what about expanding your client base? With the incoming Silver Tsunami, many fitness pros have found success by appealing to the older demographic. Finally, think of this as an opportunity to prove the value of your services by taking photos of clients throughout their fitness journey. You need to show the “before” if you want the “after” picture to have any impact.

3. Strictly Business
While personal trainers can take a more personal approach with their social media profiles, fitness studios need to be a bit more business-oriented. Unfortunately, a lot of these studios take that to extremes and show no personality whatsoever. Staff is almost anonymous; the brand itself has no personality. As we discussed in our blog on restaurant solutions, you need to mix up your content if you want to keep your audience’s attention.

4. Little to No Engagement
Connecting to your audience is the point of social media. You must respond to each comment and question. You should participate in challenges on social media platforms, or follow fitness-specific hashtags. Finally, consider using your social media accounts for giveaways or promotions that would not be available elsewhere.

5. All or Nothing Approach to Marketing
Far too many fitness studios fall into one of two camps: 24/7 sales pitches or radio silence. As any competent social media marketer will tell you, neither is a winning strategy. Consider the previous entries and vary your content. Don’t bore your followers, and don’t forget to educate them. Your social media channels are an opportunity to give your potential customers a taste of what you have to offer.

Remember: there are no such things as rest days when it comes to your social media marketing strategy! Check out our next blog for solutions to these common problems.

Has your marketing strategy hit a plateau? We can help you achieve your goals! Contact us today for your free consultation!

Social Media Marketing Solutions: Restaurants

22Aug

Thankfully you can quickly and easily correct all of the mistakes we discussed in our previous blog post. Let’s take a look at one restaurant that needs some help with social media strategy. (Note: The following example is a hypothetical case study that combines features from several different situations. Names, locations, and other details have been changed to protect the privacy and anonymity of source examples.)

After Drs. Sam and Colleen Holt left academia, they opened Kerberos Cafe. They have a solid business plan and have seen a lot of success, but they understand that marketing on social media would increase both their audience and their profits. Unfortunately, their Ph.D. programs in physics and mathematics didn’t really cover Facebook or Instagram.

Mistake: Not having a designated social media manager.

Sam and Colleen’s two children, Matt and Katie, help out with the social media when possible, and members of their staff will step in if asked. However, the kids are both in college and the staff members juggle multiple other duties.

Solution: Assign an employee to manage your social media.

Social media marketing needs to be a priority, not an afterthought. This is not to say that you should necessarily hire someone exclusively for this task, but you do need to have one staff member who is in charge of your social media profiles. Don’t just assume that the youngest employee is best suited to this task, either. Ask for volunteers, and choose an employee who understands how to use social media and (preferably) knows at least the basics of social media marketing.

Mistake: Mishandling reviews.

Shiro, the general manager, tries to keep up with Kerberos’ Yelp and Facebook pages. However, he is often swamped with other duties and can’t always reply to each review. Shiro once made the mistake of assigning shift leader Keith to monitor the page, which almost resulted in some less-than-professional responses.

Solution: Respond to every review (and review each of your responses).

The restaurant has a strict policy of approving all social media posts, so Keith’s angry retorts were never seen by the public. (Shiro was annoyed, but accepted the blame himself and moved on.) Shiro realized that the only way he’d be able to read and reply to every review is if he delegated some of his other responsibilities at the end of each shift. This situation is not uncommon; trade off one duty to fulfill another. Responding to consumers will benefit your brand, as over 70 percent of consumers surveyed claimed that prompt responses from companies on social media increased the likelihood for positive word of mouth. You must respond to your reviews especially: it shows that not only are you committed to improving your business, you are equally committed to customer service.

Mistake: Having sporadic updates and other scheduling issues.

Katie and Matt handle Kerberos’ Facebook profile, Shiro monitors the Facebook page and Yelp, and Allura covers Instagram. The restaurant had a Twitter account, but no one remembers the password or has had time to reset it. They all try to post daily, but sometimes a full week goes by without an update.

Solution: Get organized and pre-schedule posts.

Shiro had already reached that conclusion, and now blocks off a specific time for social media. Katie and Matt need to do the same. They should also look into a social media management tool that will allow them to pre-schedule posts: that way, they can just provide the content and not worry about posting at the optimal time!

Mistake: Not interacting with anyone on social media.

Katie usually posts about new menu items or seasonal specials, although she knows that the content can look boring. She doesn’t really share many articles and feels awkward responding to customer comments. She posted a picture of Lance–the cafe’s popular bartender–from a charity marathon (after much pestering from Lance himself), and was pleasantly surprised by all the positive reactions.

Solution: Engage in the social side of social media!

To paraphrase a maxim, a social media profile will not succeed on promotions alone. You must vary your content. Promotions are still a great tool, though! Kerberos should consider doing a promo available only to those who follow their social media profiles. A small incentive like a free dessert or appetizer is a relatively cheap way to drum up engagement and convert your audience into customers. This will also prompt user-generated content (UGC), because people love to post and share about getting free stuff!

Final Point: Prioritize your visuals.

Allura, the dining room manager, double majored in hospitality and photography. She even suggested ways to improve Kerberos’ Instagram page during her interview. Shiro was just grateful to find a volunteer, especially one whose photography experience consisted of more than selfies. Allura takes care to get the best lighting and ideal presentation for each shot. She also supplies Matt, Katie, and Shiro with images for Facebook posts and promotions.

Thankfully, the Kerberos staff understand the power of images in social media! After a little tweaking, they were able to get their social media strategy on point:

Are you in the weeds when it comes to your marketing strategy? We want to help your brand get the most from social media! Contact us today for a free consultation!

Social Media Marketing Evaluation: Restaurants

20Aug

In 2016, 75 percent of U.S. restaurants advertised on Facebook (Statista), but that doesn’t mean that the industry has mastered social media. Too many restaurants treat social media like sidework–an afterthought. Updating pages, posting content, and responding to customers–it’s easy to see why some restaurants are in the weeds when it comes to social media! Although several big chains have been killing it on social media, others need guidance. Here are a few of the biggest questions you need to ask.

Ignoring Reviews

According to BrightLocal, 85 percent of consumers give online reviews the same weight as endorsements from people they know. Sites like Yelp are more influential than ever: 34 percent of consumers report that peer reviews influenced their restaurant choices; and 61 percent of consumers have looked at restaurant reviews online.

Do you monitor your Yelp, Facebook, or your delivery service pages for reviews?
Has your restaurant ever received a negative review? How did you respond?
Do you respond to positive reviews?
Do you share positive reviews?

Little to No Interaction

If you take away only one thing from this blog, let it be this: the purpose of a website is to spread information; the purpose of social media is to connect with your audience. Too many restaurants use their Facebook or Twitter profiles only to showcase new menu items or notify the public of holiday closures. An engaged audience is a profitable audience! Too many restaurants neglect this simple fact and don’t respond to comments or questions on their social media profiles. On a semi-related note, restaurants are guilty of wall-to-wall promotional posts. You should be doing more than just sharing your brunch specials.

Do you reply to comments?
Do you follow your regular customers and interact with their posts?
Do you ever showcase your staff on social media?
Do you only post promotional material?

Poor Scheduling or Rarely Updating

Some restaurants never update their profiles, and some posting schedules follow no discernible pattern. People need to know what to expect. Customers can’t take advantage of your happy hour specials if they don’t know about them in time! Oh, and have fun explaining to the staff that the restaurant’s owner sat three tables five minutes before closing, because the customers all looked at your (outdated) information on Facebook and didn’t know you’d changed hours of operation.

Which social media platforms do you use? How often do you check them?
Is all of your information current on each of your profiles? Hours of operation, menus, specials, et cetera?
Do you announce new menu items? Specials? Events?
Would people have an easy way of accessing your menu or website from your social media page? When was the last time you posted?

No Community Involvement

Social media might be on the world wide web, but it still gives you a chance to connect with your local community! Successful restaurants are well-established in their communities. Becoming a regular at community festivals and charity events is powerful free advertising! Some smaller establishments have had a great deal of success utilizing social media to create buzz in the community.

Do you tag other local (non-competing) businesses?
Have you ever networked with other businesses in your community?
Do you ever promote or take part in local festivals or events?
Does your restaurant offer deals that are only available or visible on social media?

Bad Visuals

We cannot emphasize this enough: social media users respond to images. You need to bring your A-game when it comes to your visuals on social media. You want to entice potential customers with perfectly plated entrees, but even one bad picture could change their minds.

Are you photos polished and high-quality or amateurish and average?
Does your photographer use proper lighting?
Have you ever relied on an Instagram filter to “fix” a below-average photo?
Be honest: would you eat the menu items you post on Instagram?

This post is just an appetizer. In our next blog, we’ll explain how restaurants can fix these errors!

Are you in the weeds with your social media marketing strategy? We can help! Contact us today for a free consultation!

Social Media Marketing Solutions: Venues

15Aug

All the mistakes we discussed in our previous post can be quickly and easily corrected. Today we’re profiling a venue that needs some guidance with social media marketing strategy! Although we focused on a performing arts venue for our example, these solutions can apply to venues of every type. (Note: The following example is a hypothetical case study that combines features from several different situations. Names, locations, and other details have been changed to protect the privacy and anonymity of source examples.)

Les and Louis bought and renovated the old Coven Street Theatre with plans of transforming the dilapidated dance hall into a community hotspot. They have an eclectic mix of bands and events, including charity concerts, weddings, folk singers, quinceañeras, gothic rock shows, stand-up comedy, film screenings, and even open-mic nights. Claudia, their intern, is doing the best she can at running their social media profiles, but she admits that she’s overwhelmed.

Bad Visuals

Louis and Les agree that crowdsourcing photos from their audience members during concerts and other events is a great way to increase engagement–and an easy way to score free images. However, Louis wants Les to be more discerning when it comes to choosing which photos to post. Armand, a professional photographer and Louis’ boyfriend, has often pointed out that they chose inferior shots when better pictures were available.

Solution: Don’t post images of inferior quality.

There is only one solution to this problem (and, yes, we will discuss it in every blog of this series): you must get serious about visuals! Do not settle for low-quality photographs. Your audience sees your venue through the photos you post on social media; if you post amateurish, poorly-lit, badly composed, and otherwise low-quality images, that is how they will view your venue. Online visuals often provide first impressions: people will pre-scout before actually visiting a space.

Grand Theft Photo

Louis wants Armand to take a few photos during events, but Armand refuses to work with Les. It seems that Les has gained a reputation for using images from professional photographers without asking permission or giving proper attribution. Although he never used any images for promotional or marketing purposes, Les has alienated the photography community to the point that few pros are willing to work with him (or at his venue). Even wedding photographers are reluctant to shoot at Coven Street!

Solution: Make amends and follow procedure.

All you need to do is get a photographer’s permission to use the photo and then properly attribute the photo. Professional photographers are professionals: what you might consider a hobby is their actual job! They want credit for their work. If you don’t know who took the photo, then don’t use the photo. It’s a good thing that Les never used any of the uncredited images in Coven Street’s promotional materials because that would have been grounds for a lawsuit! Les made it right (after a great deal of harping from Louis), but he could have permanently alienated an entire industry. Louis and Claudia had to spend hours correctly attributing old photos–time that could have been used more productively if best practices had been followed from the beginning.

Constant Promotion

Even if their photos are sub-par, their posters are on point! Yvette, Coven Street Theatre’s events coordinator, designs all of their promotional materials. Louis loves her aesthetic (she moonlights as a freelance graphic designer), so he encourages Claudia to use Yvette’s posters as images whenever possible. Additionally, Yvette has told Claudia to promote every public event at least twice a day on each of Coven Street’s social media accounts. They need to spread the word, right?

Solution: Shake it up a bit.

Posting news of upcoming events and shows is informative. Only posting news of upcoming events and shows is boring at best, obnoxious at worst. Social media is about connecting to your followers, not pitching to them. Think of it as an opportunity to humanize your business. Post about your staff or give your followers a glimpse behind the scenes. If your venue is historic or in a historic neighborhood, promote that aspect! Show your audience why you love your venue–and why they will, too.

Bonus Solution: Connecting to the Local Community

Where do people go before and after a show? If your venue doesn’t have a kitchen or a bar, are there restaurants or bars in the neighborhood? Are there any hotels or bed-and breakfasts conveniently located nearby? Connect with your neighbors, in person and on social media. Consider running specials with your neighbors. Wedding guests could receive a group rate at a hotel, or nearby eateries could offer discounts to ticket holders of your venue. You could promote other businesses, as well: keep a list of preferred vendors for special events. With cross-promotions, everyone wins!

Les and Louis don’t have a lot of the social media problems common to many venues (Claudia takes her duties very seriously), but the problems they do have are pretty major. However, each can be fixed with a change in attitude and a minor change to posting habits. We’ve placed before and after shots of Coven’s Instagram profile below. As you can see, they have addressed all of their issues, resulting in more engagement!

Is your venue properly showcased on social media? We can help you optimize your social media strategy and maximize your results! Contact us today for a free consultation!

Social Media Marketing Evaluation: Venues

13Aug

Venues range from cozy wedding spots to massive concert halls. Like all industries, venues are not immune from social media blunders. Let’s discuss a few of the major social media marketing mistakes of venues.

Bad Visuals

The cardinal sin of social media is posting low-quality images. Some venues–particularly music venues–might think that edgy, guerilla-style pics add authenticity to their social media image. No, sorry: out of focus, badly lit, poorly composed photographs look amateurish and sloppy, not hardcore. A professional photographer is worth the investment. Speaking of which . . . .

Grand Theft Photo

Some venues and promoters have a bad habit of using photographs without obtaining the rights from photographers, and sometimes don’t credit the photographer at all! Not only is this illegal (stealing is generally frowned upon), it’s a surefire way to quickly burn bridges in the local scene. Don’t play fast and loose with intellectual property rights.

Constant Promotion

This is a major problem with venues. If all your posts are about events, how will the public get to know your brand? You should still promote every show, but you should also add some posts about your staff, your history, or even just candid backstage shots. Wall-to-wall promotion is boring, and risks alienating your audience.

Singular Focus

If a venue holds weddings, banquets, concerts, plays, and stand-up comedy, shouldn’t the venue’s social media feature each one? It might be primarily a music venue, but occasionally hold weddings; or it could be well-known for hosting celebrations like bat/bar mitzvahs, but lesser known for it’s off-site catering. While you should of course promote on the work you want to do, you want to look well-rounded. Your audience needs to be aware that your space can be used for more than just one type of event or function.

Not Updating Your Calendar

No one wants to drive hours for a concert only to discover upon reaching the venue that the band has cancelled the tour. A couple who scrambled to make their back-up wedding date work with everyone’s schedule would be understandably upset if they found out that a surprise elopement meant the venue was actually available on their preferred day. Mistakes such as these can be annoying inconveniences to major hassles–and always cause negative publicity for your brand. Stay on top of scheduling, and keep your social media calendars up to date!

Focusing on the Wrong Platforms

Do you really need a company LinkedIn profile if your venue is known for its thrash metal shows or romantic wedding gazebo? A business Pinterest page might be great for a wedding venue, but less useful for a concert hall. Figure out where your target audience is online and meet them there!

No Personality

If you focus on wall-to-wall promotion, you will obscure the venue itself. People want to know why they should attend shows at your venue or choose your venue for their event. You should explain what sets your venue apart from the competition. Is the building or neighborhood historic? Do you have a restaurant or bar? Do you cater off-site? Were you ever mentioned or profiled by a major publication? Sharing what makes your venue special is a great way to connect to your target audience!

In our next blog, we’ll explain how you can quickly and easily correct these issues!

Is your venue’s social media marketing getting bad reviews? We can help! Contact us today for your free consultation!

Social Media Marketing Evaluation: Breweries

30Jul

For the rest of the summer, The Go! Agency blog will focus on the social media habits of some of our favorite industries. Every week, our first blog will explain common mistakes made by an industry; followed by a second blog that will explain how to fix them. Think of this series as What Not to Wear for social media marketers!

This week we’ll see what breweries are doing on social media that torpedo their chance of marketing success.

Hyperfocus on Beer

We get it. You make beer. You serve beer. Presumably, you enjoy beer. That’s great, but so does every other brewery in the history of fermentation. What makes your brewery different? Do you have a monthly game night? Are you pet-friendly? Do you support any charities? Is your building historic? Does your brewery double as a venue, maybe for weddings or concerts? What about art shows, open-mic nights, rap battles, or slam poetry festivals? Show users why your establishment is worth their time, money, and commute. (Brew pubs and restaurant breweries, take note: you are just as guilty of this as your hoppy brethren. If your social media posts are mostly shots of meal pairings or beer-based menu items–no matter how creative the recipe or avant-garde the presentation–your page will be boring.)

Speaking of which, the “picture of a beer bottle/beer can with the beer’s name as the only description” trope needs to go away. Even if the label art is phenomenal, even if the beer’s name is a hilarious and profound pun containing layers of allusions–these posts are boring. It is possible to have too much minimalism: people who are interested in your product would like to get information on your product.

Wall-to-Wall Promotion

On a similar note, far too many breweries focus solely on promoting their wares. By all means, post shots of seasonal menu specials, beer pairing dinners, and full dining rooms. However, your social media profile should showcase your brand as a whole: that means showing followers your corporate personality, not just your products.

POST ALL THE MEMES!

[Author’s note: runners-up for this subheading title included “All your beers are belong to us”; “ERMAHGERD! AAYELLE!”; “i can haz pilznar?”; and “Such Hops, Much Ferment.”]

Memes are, for better or worse, now part of our culture. Even the best memes, however, can get very boring very quickly–particularly when they make up 70 percent or more of your social media posts. A much more effective way to show followers that you are funny, hip, and/or edgy is to actually introduce the funny, hip, and/or edgy people who work for you. A few memes can add humor and a spark of irreverence to your social media profile, but use them sparingly.

Haphazard Posting Schedules

In the month leading up to the release of a new beer, you posted eight times a week. In the three months following that release, you posted eight times period. Be consistent with your posting schedule. At the very least, major activity promoting a new brew immediately followed by radio silence might make followers think that your new release was a flop–otherwise you’d be posting about it, right? You should always choose quality over quantity, so it’s fine to forgo posting lackluster content just for the sake of posting something. That being said, you should establish and stick to a consistent posting schedule.

Monotonous Content

You can have too many photos of sunsets from the porch. You can have too many shots of dogs wearing bandanas. You can have too many pics of your staff gathered around a keg, of bartenders pouring a pint, and patrons raising their glasses in silent toast. Mix it up a bit.

Bad Photos

This is a universal mistake that is made by every industry (yes, even some professional photographers are guilty of this on social media). You don’t necessarily need to hire a pro, but you do need to take visuals seriously. You want your images to look polished–and don’t just assume that any mistakes can be fixed by using a filter. Far too often, breweries seem to think that an Instagram filter is the answer for everything, only to end up with washed-out, over-exposed, poorly-cropped pictures.

In out next post, we’ll take a look at a hypothetical brewery that has committed all of these social media sins. We’ll explain how to remedy these issues in our next post!

Is your brand languishing in obscurity? Are you struggling with social media? The Go! Agency can help revitalize your social media marketing strategy! Contact us today for a free consultation!

The Best Instagram Tools You’re Not Using

19Jul

Instagram, Social Media

Instagram has cemented itself as the premier social media platform of 2018. Less confrontational than Twitter, less esoteric than Tumblr, and more careful with your information than Facebook, Instagram is attracting users in droves. It is no longer just a collection of latte art, food porn, and bathroom-mirror-selfies: Instagram has risen to the top of the pack for social media marketing opportunities.

Unfortunately, some brands aren’t taking advantage of all Instagram has to offer. Are you getting the most out of your Instagram account? Today we’ll discuss the features that you should be using (but probably aren’t).

Feed

• Following hashtags: Just like on Twitter or Tumblr, you can follow hashtags on Instagram. This will allow you to keep track of trends, influencers, and even your own brand’s hashtags!

• Muting users: Muting allows you to hide people from your feed without actually unfollowing them. This feature is a boon to anyone who is tired of seeing post after post of a friend’s baby (scientific fact: All newborns look like Yoda, no matter what filter you use), but can be equally beneficial to marketers who want to grow their brands! You can follow back without being bombarded with unwanted content.

Stories

• Archiving: Instagram Stories are fun yet fleeting–like the bloom of the Arizona’s Queen of the Night cactus, or a Twitter feud. You post a topical, silly, or fascinating video, and it disappears forever after twenty-four hours. Not anymore! Now you can choose to archive Stories, preserving them forever in your profile. Just go to your Insights to find them all. Note: only account owners will be able to see archived Stories.

• Highlighting: Basically, these are curated collections of your archived Stories. Archiving Stories just keeps them in the back end of the app. If you want users to be able to see these Stories again or if you want to organize them into channels, you can create a Highlight channel. Each Highlight contains Stories grouped by theme. Technically, you can decide to group your highlights by any way you see fit (“Stories Featuring a Mike,” “Stories Featuring Mike’s Right Thumb,” e.g.), but theme is your safest bet.

Posts

• Descriptions: It is almost ludicrous how many Instagram users waste the opportunity for content marketing. Including hashtags and mentions in descriptions will help users–i.e., potential customers–find you.

• Filtering Comments: Trolls happen, so do bots, spammers, and lonely Russian singles who would love to chat with you. All of these miscreants will create new accounts as fast as you can block them. Thankfully, you can filter comments on Instagram! Filter according to keywords, phrases, or hashtags. This filter works on the “set it and forget it” principle: these comments are removed automatically.

• Hashtagging: Sometimes 30 tags just won’t cut it. What’s an enterprising user to do? You can repost content using all-new hashtags! Just delete the comment with the old hashtags and post a comment with fresh hashtags.

Overall

• Instagram Tutorials: Instagram wants to help you have the best possible experience on its platform. Topics range from improving your profile to building a community. Find these in the Business Settings on the app.

• Utilizing hashtags to build communities: Social media is all about connection, and Instagram is no different. Communities center around common hashtags. These hashtags range from hobbies (#NaNoWriMo, #inktober), to interests (#caturday, #yogaeverydamnday), to social causes (#PuberMe, #bodypositive).

When clients ask us what they’re doing wrong, we often respond that the problem is what they’re not doing. A tool can’t benefit you if you don’t use it to its full potential. Instagram has many more innovative and attractive features at your disposal — all you have to do is use them!

Do you want to get the most out of your social media marketing strategy? That’s why we’re here! We can help you streamline your social media channels, create a cohesive message, and attract your ideal customer. Contact us today for your free consultation!

IGTV: A New Frontier for Marketers

Contact the Go! Agency today for your free consultation!

9Jul

Instagram, Social Media

Instagram recently launched IGTV, a new video app. This app promises more flexibility and connection for both influencers and marketers. Here’s everything you need to know!

What is it?

IGTV is a separate app that hosts long format videos (up to one hour long). These videos are presented (and generally shot) in fullscreen, vertical format. The vertical format gives all the videos a guerrilla-feel: raw, urgent, and unfiltered.

So, it’s like YouTube . . . but for Instagram?

Not quite. IGTV is more similar to television on-demand. Like traditional television, it begins playing as soon as the app opens (as opposed to YouTube, in which users have to seek out the videos they want to play). If you leave in the middle of your video, it will pause itself and pick back up where you left off upon your return. An additional difference is account linkage. IGTV channels must be linked to an Instagram account. In regards to creator compensation, Instagram has stated that it intends to incorporate ways for creators to make money off of their content. Currently, however, advertising options are non-existent.

Why should marketing professionals care about this?

Consumer engagement will be off the charts. Creators can add a swiping call-to-action. Users can like, comment, and share videos to friends within the platform. Brands will have unparalleled flexibility in crafting long form video content. Brands can connect with and incorporate social media influencers via IGTV. You can view IGTV content through the IGTV app or the Instagram app.

The Specifics:

Currently, videos lengths must be between fifteen seconds and ten minutes. Longer times (ranging from 11 minutes to 60 minutes) are only available for verified accounts or accounts with massive numbers of followers.
Video files must be in .MP4 format.
The correct (vertical) aspect ratio is 9:16.
Thumbnails should be in .JPG format.
Only one channel is allowed for each Instagram account. That means, if you want an additional channel on IGTV, you need to create a corresponding account on Instagram.
Instagram has produced a guide for video creators.

Do you want to step-up your social media game? Do you want to revise your online marketing strategy? Do you need a guide to navigate the world of digital marketing? You are in luck!