Still, in the interest of investigating, I made the change for one of our clients and started sharing external links in the comment section instead. Then, I included a call-to-action in the post description to send folks to the comments to get the link. 

Was this a good idea? Maybe, maybe not.

Does a link in the comments really help with LinkedIn engagement?

I was skeptical that this change would be a positive one. To me, it felt like it would just be another barrier to getting folks to click a link they may only be mildly interested in anyway. Would this practice really increase engagement?

After two months of including links in the comments, rather than the post description, here’s what happened:

1. Our client’s engagement rate actually went up! 
   
2. Their link clicks remained stable and/or decreased slightly – no significant change was seen, though. 

There are other variables that could account for higher engagement, however. Engagement could have gone up due to an unusually popular post, for example. So, I gave it more time.

Another two months passed, and our client’s engagement rate continued to increase! …but link clicks continued to slowly fall. 

What does engagement on LinkedIn get you?

When you have a healthy engagement rate on any social platform – which can often be as low as 2-5%, depending on the size of your audience – this typically gains you visibility. When a post gets more engagement, the algorithm is more likely to show it to a wider audience. 

Don’t get too caught up in on-platform metrics, though: above all, being active on social media platforms should feed our goals!… which almost always means getting your audience to leave the social platform, by clicking on one of your links. 

In other words, if your link clickthrough rate is dropping, that means fewer people are clicking through to actually buy from you.

Where should we put our links on LinkedIn? It depends.

If you want to drive folks towards your website, your email list, your webinar, you might as well put that link in the main text of your post. If someone has to make an extra click to access your link, they’re simply less likely to do it.

Website best practices support that, too: one of the guiding principles in website strategy is to make the most sought-after items accessible with as few clicks as possible. This doesn’t mean dumping everything on the homepage… but it does mean removing unnecessary steps. So, when you’re on LinkedIn, you’ll want to remove that unnecessary step, too.

If you’re specifically looking to reach new people, however, you may want to keep links out of the main text of your post, and go for that higher engagement rate. If you have a well-rounded social media strategy, you’ll be doing a bit of both: some posts will be designed for audience growth, and others will be intended to get those clickthroughs.

In short: if you want someone to click on a thing, make it as easy as possible for them to do so.

Are you at your wit’s end with the “fun” quirks of social media?

The Social Shift is here to guide you through building an approach that fits your business and your capacity. Learn more and get started.

Our businesses give us a platform to seed and amplify radical ideas on social media. That can be pretty exciting, but it can also feel scary to put yourself out there in that way. 

We’ve searched our feelings and analyzed our bounty of client data, and compiled some engaging content prompts with a social justice bent to seed your thinking:

1) A bold statement that advocates for change within your industry or community: a lot of us started our own businesses after working in corporate, and experiencing firsthand exactly how much the cultures of patriarchy, racism, and ableism hurt all of us. Say it out loud, and spark that conversation.

2) Cultural observances that matter to you: dates like Juneteenth, Pride Month, Trans Day of Visibility, Women’s History Month, Black History Month, Latinx Heritage Month, and AANHPI month give us great opportunities to uplift strategically undervalued populations, and talk about creating a more just world.

3) Book or media recommendations: share your values by telling your audience about books, articles, and even podcasts that explore important societal issues.

4) Businesses that share your values: this could mean talking about a business you partner with, but it can very easily be simply highlighting local businesses you love, especially if they’re Black-, Indigenous-, POC- and/or Queer-owned.

Content like this has consistently felt genuine and rewarding to share, both for us and our clients. They’ve also delivered measurable results, time and again!

Want to learn about other ethical ways to market your business? Join us each week for The Radical Marketer. Or if, after this year’s events, you’re looking to give your online marketing a complete overhaul, check out The Social Shift.

Now, if you’ve been following along with me these past few months, you can guess my feelings about giving Meta access to even more of our time, energy, and money. On the other hand, I DO love an efficient tech stack. The idea of one less app is pretty appealing.

Is Edits actually good enough to replace tools like Canva or CapCut, though? Before you cancel any subscriptions, here’s what you should know:

Edits is intuitive, but with limitations

Thus far, users are saying Edits is pretty intuitive for non-designers! It also lets you post directly to Instagram and gives you full access to Instagram Reels features that social schedulers don’t have.

However, it doesn’t let you stitch together multiple video clips, due to its basic editing capabilities. Edits is also not ideal if you rely on templates to make Reels – it doesn’t support them. And, if you don’t like working on tiny screens, you won’t like that Edits is only available to use on your phone. 

Compare that to tools like CapCut and Canva, where you can:

• edit videos on both mobile and desktop
• access an extensive library of templates and assets
• use more advanced editing capabilities, like combining multiple video clips

Canva is also an especially good option for small teams and organizations, because it offers easy sharing and collaborative editing. 

Keep in mind, however: Canva and CapCut require a paid plan to unlock some of their more helpful features and libraries, and non-designers may find it to be less intuitive to use.

Ultimately, it all comes down to which option best fits your style, your time, and your business needs. Your video editing skill level – and how complex you want to get with your Reels – will help determine which tool is right for you.

Obviously, you want someone with professional graphic design experience and a discerning eye, who knows how to create beautiful, made-for-you content. But more importantly, they should also be someone you can trust to make smart decisions for your business, and put your business first.

Those are just the basics of what makes a good Social Media Manager. But if we dig a little deeper, what else should you look for to find your perfect match?

Look for the expertise you don’t have time to learn.

You’re a busy business owner! You may be social media savvy, but you don’t have time for it and you certainly don’t want to spend your limited time on: brainstorming content ideas, researching trends, panicking about making a reel with your face in it, creating and scheduling a consistent flow of social content, and spiraling into a state of overwhelm because the choice paralysis of what to say on social is real. 

When you hire a Social Media Manager, that person is there to give you back time you would have spent managing your social. Give yourself permission to set boundaries with your social media time and only spend what you genuinely want to dedicate to it. Being freed from that responsibility is a huge gift and will give you time to do what you truly love in your business. 

Look for social media skills that get you noticed fast – but not too fast. 

A Social Media Manager has tools and strategies to create content that resonates with your audience and build you a loyal following. That being said, if your business is brand new to social media, you should be wary of someone who promises to provide you with a large amount of followers in a short period of time. You could be signing on for shady tactics like using bots, or even buying followers!

Unpaid, organic growth on social takes time and a lot of careful planning. With the right Social Media Manager, they’ll definitely get you followers–it probably won’t happen overnight, but those followers are real people who will stick around because they love what you have to offer.

Two is better than one – in fact, three is even better!  

It goes without saying that a Social Media Manager who is part of a marketing team, will give you more bang for your buck than a solo Social Media Manager. When you work with a team, you get multiple eyes and creative minds collaborating to make awesome social content for your business. 

A team also has a process set in place in which each team member plays a key role. In this way, a team has the ability to manage multiple responsibilities that would be too overwhelming for a solo Social Media Manager. 

A project manager (like Anna) gets to know your business and what you’re specifically looking for in terms of social media management. Then the Social Media Manager (like Kaïa) collaborates with you to create and schedule tailored social content. Meanwhile, a Creative Director (like Sarah) jumps in at multiple points during the process to brainstorm, provide creative guidance, edit designs and copy, and otherwise ensure everything is meeting your expectations. A team gives you a seamless social media management experience. 

Go beyond overrated trends and traditional marketing strategies. 

Find someone who isn’t just following the crowd. When you rely too heavily on trends and traditional marketing strategies, you fall into the trap of doing what everyone else is also doing to get noticed on social media. The latest TikTok trend may seem like it’s everywhere, but does it even fit your brand? 

When you go against the tide of trends and traditional marketing, you can discover your own innovative ways to market your business. Not only will you challenge the norm, your content will also better align with your brand, and thereby make you stand out. 

Find someone whose values align with your own. 

Do you care about building an ethical small business? You’ll have a far easier time working with a social media team who shares your values! 

People who share your values will more automatically “get” your perspective and your voice. You also won’t have to waste your precious time explaining things like social justice, business ethics, or other issues you care about. 

We believe in community over competition. We know we’re stronger when we work together. We see that Portland needs your expertise, unique outlook, diversity, and yes… weird quirks too! Your business helps make Portland a place worth calling home and we want to help you spread the word.

Taking photos, shooting videos, posting, and planning can be an endless task. Then you have to figure out what to post and when. And then you still have to pay attention to how everything is working (or not working)! 

The struggle is real. 

Luckily, we’ve been doing this for a while and have some tips to make it all faster and easier. Organizing your content and automating whatever steps you can makes your social media management a breeze—leaving you free to create quality content. 

Check out our social media management must-haves:

A Scheduling Platform

A scheduling platform makes it easy to set up content for weeks, even months, ahead of time. Creating and scheduling multiple posts at once lets you get ahead on your social media, giving you some breathing room if you fall behind on content creation. 

Most platforms also use your posting and engagement information to determine the best times to post, letting you take advantage of your audience’s social media habits. 

There are a lot of different platforms out there, with different features and price ranges. You can almost always sign up for a free trial, so shop around and find one that’s easy to use and within your budget. 

Some options:

• Iconosquare
• Later
• Sprout Social
• Buffer

A Link Aggregator

That link in your Instagram bio is prime real estate. Don’t waste it! 

Make the most of your link by directing it to a link aggregator. This makes sure your audience will have all of the most important information easily accessible to them. Your website, your blog, your sales page—all your links will be in one convenient place. Just remember to update it when you have a new link!

You can usually customize your page with your logo and color scheme to keep cohesive branding throughout your online presence as well. 

Your scheduling platform may come with its own version of a link aggregator, but there are stand-alone versions as well. 

Some options:

• Linktree
• Feedlink.io
• Campsite
• Link In Profile

A Content Calendar

Like your scheduling platform, a content calendar makes it easy to plan out content in advance. Why waste energy every day being stressed about what to post? With your content calendar, you can know exactly what’s on deck for your social media. 

By planning out your content for the month or quarter, you can create a cohesive narrative with your social media. Planning out a series or highlighting a theme keeps your content relevant to what’s going on in your business. You can easily switch content around if more timely content comes up, and you can see where certain content might be better placed in your content strategy.

Content calendars also make it easy to keep track of ideas you might want to use later. 

Your scheduling platform can be used as a content calendar, or you can make your own. You could use a spreadsheet system, a Google calendar, or a project management system like Trello or Notion to organize your content. Or go old-school and use a paper calendar! 

Your content management system is totally customizable—use what you like and what works best for you

Image Design Tool or Image Bank

Eye-catching images are an important part of a social media post. For some platforms, like Instagram, the image is the most important element. 

Finding relevant, exciting images is a really fun part of content creation, but it’s easy to fall down the rabbit hole looking at pictures! (Especially with memes and gifs) When looking for the right picture, make sure you’re using royalty-free or copyright-free images. Not everything you find on a Google search is freely usable. 

Creating your own custom image or infographic with your brand colors and logo is a great way to bring a cohesive look to your social media feeds. With a graphic design tool, you don’t have to be an expert to create well-put-together images. 

Stock Photo Options:

• Unsplash
• Pixabay
• Pexels

Memes and Gifs:

• Imgflip
• Giphy
• Kapwing

Image Creation:

• Canva
• Visme
• Design Wizard

Analytics Tool

Creating, planning, and scheduling all that amazing content is great, but how do you know if it’s working? 

Analytics! 

Analytics is probably the part of social media management that people are most unsure about. It seems really complicated with all the terms (reach, engagement, impressions), graphs, and trends—but if you have a good analytics tool it will lay all the information out for you in an easy-to-understand form that both you and your clients can easily read. 

Tracking your analytics will tell you what’s working and what’s not so you can adjust your strategy accordingly. 

Your scheduling platform will most likely run analytics for you, but if you’re not using a scheduler (why aren’t you using a scheduler?) you can use Google Analytics. Each social media platform also has analytics information available to you depending on the type of account you have. 

Takeaways

Social media management has a lot of moving parts! Getting yourself set up and organized makes the job so much easier. Everyone works differently so use what works best for you. We’ve given you some ideas and suggestions to get you started, but if you need help we’re here for you! 

Schedule a Social Media Strategy Session and get our personalized recommendations and a custom plan for your social media. 

—Vivian Ward, Pretty Woman

Whether we like it or not, social media is an important part of modern marketing strategy. 

To be as visible as possible you need a strong, consistent, focused social media presence with engaging content and strategic messaging. You’ll have to regularly post new information, engage with your audience, and keep up with the latest trends and best practices.

And who, exactly, has time to do that and run a business?

You can DIY it for a while, but eventually, you’ll a) get burned out by having to keep up with posting or b) grow enough that social media needs to play a larger part in your business, or c) both. 

Social Media Managers to the rescue! Posting powers activate! 

Having someone take over your social media needs is one of the best things you can do to save yourself time and energy. 

But… what does a Social Media Manager do?

As Upswept Creative’s Social Media Maven I say what we post, when we post, and how often we post. 

Follow me for a peek into what it’s like to have me on your side!

Social Media Strategy

One of the first things I do as a social media manager is evaluate your current social media strategies and figure out how to make them better. If you’ve been flying solo with posting you might not have much of a strategy, but believe me—it’s a whole lot better to have a plan.

Your strategy is individual to you and your business, but includes a few key things:

• What are your goals with social media? 
• Who are you trying to reach?
• What are they interested in and what do they like?
• Where and when are they on social media?

All of these questions determine which social media platform is best for your business and what kind of message will speak to your particular audience. 

Optimize Your Social Media Accounts

Do not neglect your bios! 

If you only knew how many times I’ve seen bios with no information, outdated information, or irrelevant information…

You don’t want to be that person, and I won’t let you. I’ll optimize your accounts to be the first impression that grabs attention. Social media algorithms pick up keywords in your bio that can direct more people to your account. 

We’ll work together to make sure any images, profile pics, or logos are up to date and relevant to your audience and your branding.

And I’ll check that your accounts are all set up to be as effective as possible.

Set Up Social Marketing Tools

There are hundreds of tools, platforms, and software that all want to help you streamline your social media marketing. Researching all the options and learning how to use them is a giant time suck as a business owner.

I’ll help you choose the tools that fit your budget and your needs. And I’ll figure out how to use them!

Social Media Content and Branding

Not all Social Media Managers also create content, but it’s generally part of the job description unless you work with a dedicated marketing team—as is branding.

Your brand is how you show up online. It’s your story, your personality, your voice, and your look. My job is to bring your social media content in line with your brand. 

When someone looks at your social media, they should automatically be able to tell it’s yours. The colors, style, and tone of your posts should be consistent and cohesive across platforms. 

As a content creator, I aim to get your message across in your voice—whether it’s funny and irreverent, serious and business-like, or cute and bubbly. 

Social Media Analytics

How do you know your social media strategy is working? 

As part of my job as a Social Media Manager, I keep a close eye on what’s getting engagement and what’s not. Tracking, tweaking, and testing different kinds of content or different scheduling strategies helps me know what your audience wants more of. 

We’ll meet at certain intervals (monthly, quarterly) to discuss the analytics and what direction we need to take. 

Analytics is one of the most intimidating parts of social media for people to learn, so it’s helpful to have someone else take that on. 

Do I Need a Social Media Manager?

If you want to grow your social media presence and make the platforms work for you, you can totally do it yourself. 

But the time commitment necessary might be more than you’re willing to give. And social media might not be in your wheelhouse. I definitely can’t run a foundation, bake a wedding cake, or any number of things that our clients are amazing at!

If you find yourself overwhelmed and unsure about what to do with your social media, check out our Social Media Strategy Session! We’d love to help you figure out what your next steps should be.

Follow us on Instagram for more social media info and tips.

(Just About) Everyone is Online Now

Once upon a time, online-only entrepreneurs were more exceptions than rule. In the wake of major changes in our economic landscape, more businesses have shifted to an online-heavy or online-only footprint.

According to the Census Bureau, over 4 million Americans filed paperwork to start new businesses in 2021. While this statistic does not necessarily translate to 4 million new online-only businesses, the rise of platforms like Patreon and OnlyFans does indicate rapid growth in the “Creator” sector.

That rapid growth also means more competition in the digital sphere. Which means your offering has to show up and stand out online.

Getting Anti-Social (Media)

Of course we’ll see exceptions to how businesses show up in the online space.

Remember the great Facebook outage of 2021? While it wasn’t connected to an increased number of users, we can say with certainty that more than a few small business owners felt the pinch of lost exposure, engagement, and sales.

We’ve talked before about ensuring you have more control over your digital audience. With concerns about security, privacy, and misinformation, there’s no time like the present to consider changing how you show up online.

Blogs, email newsletters, videos, and podcasts are all viable digital tools to introduce you to new audiences and keep you in touch with your tried-and-trues – all while allowing you greater control of how you engage with these folks.

If you can’t imagine doing business today without Instagram, remember that companies like Lush have already cut the social media cord! That could give you the nudge you need to rethink how you show up online.

Less Work, More Life

Let’s think about those 4 million-plus new businesses. You likely recall the myriad changes in our work worlds that gave rise to this influx of entrepreneurship. Mass layoffs and furloughs, as well as shifts away from in-person business, had many of us rethinking our notions of work-life balance.

Nowadays it’s not enough to pay lip service to ideas like family-friendly work policies and unlimited PTO. Workers want to know they’re being legitimately respected and cared for by their employers. If that isn’t the case… well, we clearly see they’re unafraid of striking out on their own.

If you manage a staff, there’s no time like the present to establish – and practice – workplace values that will help your business stand out. (Shameless plug: we actually know a pretty rad agency hiring right now!)

Before you get too stressed about adapting to all of the new trends on the horizon, keep in mind that not every trend will be as impactful or lasting as predicted. Some of those trends may not make much sense with how you do business, either!

We’ve said it before: it’s better to pick and choose what works for you than to try to be everywhere and do everything–and if you could make it work for you with some outside help, start exploring what that support could look like.

Good news: you don’t need any new tech or new tricks to understand Instagram analytics. You just need to know where to look.

Keeping your eyes on what’s working (and what isn’t) will help you create a smarter and stronger strategy – with the added fringe benefit of making the algorithm work for you.

What Do We Mean By Instagram Analytics?

When we talk about analytics, we’re going beyond the basics of your follower count, for example, or the number of “likes” on a post. Analytics uses those basic metrics to illustrate and understand patterns, and gives you insights on what content contributed to a gain (or loss) in followers.

On The Subject of Insights

Instagram offers Insights, a free tool that allows you to get a basic look at your analytics. This feature comes standard with Business and Creator accounts.

To access Insights, open the Instagram app on your phone and head to your profile. You should find an Insights button right there on your profile, or head up to the three bars in the upper right hand corner and click through from there.

The default view will show you an account overview for the last seven days. You can switch the view to analyze the last 14 days, 30 days, and the previous calendar month.

Okay, So What Are We Analyzing Here?

You can glean quite a lot of information about the overall health of your Instagram account from these basic insights. Here’s a quick rundown of what each of these key metrics and insights mean:

1. Accounts Reached – This indicates how many users saw your content, with a breakdown of how many are your current followers versus how many users aren’t already following you. If you’re interested in having a new audience interact with your content, this is incredibly useful information!

2. Content Interactions – This one says what it does right on the tin: how many interactions your posts have received in the given period, broken down by likes, comments, and shares. You’ll see these insights for all the content you share: posts, stories, reels, IG TV videos, and live videos.

3. Total Followers – This is another relatively clear metric, with a further analysis of how your account has grown or shrunk over the given time period. This insight also breaks down your followers based on locations, age range, and gender (please note: at this time Instagram only offers a binary look at gender). The real gem here? Insights will show you when your followers are most active. You can use this information to better plan when to schedule content for maximum engagement. (Another note here: since Instagram is based in California, the active times shown are in the Pacific time zone, even if you’re located elsewhere.)

4. Content You Shared – Now the party starts! Here, you’ll see a detailed breakdown of all the types of content you’ve shared, with the option to dig even deeper. Want to know how your carousel posts performed versus single images? You can do that! Want to see which posts got folks to click through the link in your bio? You can do that! Which posts did folks save most? You can look for that, too! Insights also gives you the ability to look for similar metrics with your stories and reels.

Make Analytics Work For You

You want to make the mystical algorithm work in your favor? Start with understanding why you want to use Instagram for your business. Increased brand awareness will require a different strategy than driving followers to sign up for a newsletter, for example. Be clear about why you’re showing up on the app, then share content with that intention in mind.

Take time on a regular interval (monthly, or quarterly at least) to dig into your Instagram Insights, and make adjustments accordingly.

Most of all: be kind to yourself, be patient with your strategy, and give yourself permission to have some fun!

Want to dig even deeper into your analytics and insights? Schedule a social media strategy session, and let’s make magic happen together!

In an ideal world, securing your domain name and establishing your online home would be enough. In this increasingly virtual world, however, you’ve got a fair amount of competition.

Don’t fret, friends: if you’re already on social media, you’ve got an excellent tool at your disposal for driving traffic to your website.

What’s All This About Traffic?

Some useful statistics: there are approximately 3.5 billion daily active social media users. They tend to spend about three hours a day on social media. 54% use social media to make purchasing decisions, and 71% are likely to recommend a brand or business to friends or family after a positive experience.

Those are a lot of numbers to let you know that social media has the potential to drive relevant traffic to your website – if you know how to use it in your favor.

Style Your Profile

We often spend a lot of our time dwelling on the type of content we want to share on our social media channels. That’s a good thing, for sure – we want to position ourselves as experts in our respective fields, and we want to offer folks quality information that supports this notion.

Don’t forget, however: the time you spend priming your profile is just as valuable as the content you share. Whether it’s your Instagram bio or your Facebook About page, your profile gives people relevant information about your business. It’s also the ideal place to include your website link!

When people enjoy and appreciate the content you share, they’re likely to click through to your profile to learn more. Take advantage of that!

Keyword Research Is Your Friend

Here at Upswept, we’re huge proponents of smart search engine optimization (SEO) to help drive traffic to your website. Spend some time getting into the mind of your potential customers and how they might be searching for you online, and you just might discover a veritable treasure trove of high-quality copy for your website.

What’s even more awesome about this? You can use this same keyword research to create social media content! When you know what your customers are talking about, you can find the right way to share your wisdom and contribute to their conversations.

Circling back to using your profiles effectively: consider adding keywords to your profiles and bios. In the same way we use search engines to find businesses, we can also perform the same searches on social media. Including relevant keywords ensures your profile appears in those searches.

Keep It Social

You’re showing up online to promote your business. Your customers, however, are more likely online for the social aspect. They’re there primarily to stay connected with friends and family and enjoy entertaining, engaging content. Make sure the content you share provides the kind of value your ideal customers would enjoy.

Create posts around general topics related to your niche or area of expertise (and connected, of course, to your keyword research!). When folks engage with your posts, make sure to respond in kind. Not only will that engagement create a connection with an individual, it will show others who might land on your feed that you’re invested in your community.

Increased engagement helps boost your presence in the algorithm. Combine that with the positive reputation you’ve built with your followers, and you have a recipe for increased brand awareness – and increased eyes on your website.

Looking to up your website traffic game? Schedule a website consultation with us, or learn more about our Purpose-Powered Website program!

Sorting out what to share about your business on social media poses a unique challenge. You know what makes you the best person for the job, but how do you translate that into something shareable? Let’s answer that question by discussing social media content ideas for your business.

What Do We Mean By “Social Media Content”?

When we talk social media content, we’re talking about the bulk of what you share. This includes the copy you write in captions and headlines, as well as the images you create (photos, videos, graphics, etc.).

Think of this content as the verbal and visual language you use to inform potential customers or clients about your business and its unique offerings.

Who Are You?

If you want to tell folks about your business, always start with the basics: tell folks about yourself!  This is important, because explaining who you are and how you came to do what you do can create connections with potential customers. If they can see themselves in your journey, they may also see themselves working with you or purchasing from you.

Don’t hesitate to go beyond the business aspect, though. These days, folks want to know more about their favorite makers and creators. Let your social media content offer glimpses of the person (or people, if you’ve got a team) behind the scenes. What songs are you rocking out to while you work, for example? How do you unwind after a workday?

Placing your values front and center can also attract like-minded followers, as long as your actions back up your content. 51% of consumers support brands whose values align with theirs (this is especially true for Millennial and Gen Z consumers, who are more likely to shop online). Sharing content that reveals your ethics and your connection to your community can help attract like-minded fans.

Tell ‘Em Why (And Make It Count)

You know you’ve got a stellar product or service. Use your social media to shine a light on that. Make sure your content focuses on the benefits of your offerings, though, and not just its features. You know what makes your offerings great – how is that greatness going to show up in your customers’ experience with you?

If you provide a service, consider educational content that followers can take and use right away. Give them a taste of what it’s like to work with you and the kind of value your services can bring them.

Testimonials from your satisfied customers fall under this umbrella as well. Your current fans are the best advertisement! 93% of customers read online reviews before making a purchase. If you’ve got rave reviews, you’ve already got quality content to share! Plus, user-generated content is a great way to collect content with minimal effort on your part. It’s a win-win situation (as long as you’ve been granted permission to share, of course)! 

Be Yourself, Always

It can feel daunting to jump into the maelstrom that is social media, especially now. If you haven’t established a solid foothold quite yet, you might feel intimidated by others in your field with high follower counts or enthusiastic fan bases.

Keep in mind: there will always be folks further along on this path than you (just like there will be folks starting out after you and even inspired by you), but no one will have the exact same experience and perspective that you offer.

Let yourself be inspired by your peers, but under no circumstance should you copy their content. You might think, “of course!” You’d also be surprised at the number of people unashamed to pilfer high-quality copy, graphics, and products from successful accounts in an effort to skip the challenging part of building an online presence.

If you do stumble upon someone else’s amazing post and feel compelled to share it with your followers, do the original creator a solid and tag them when you repost. Giving folks credit for their hard work is proper online etiquette, and tagging others boosts both their engagement and yours.

It’s okay for your growth to take some time! Your focus should always be on building your skills so your business can progress and thrive. Your social media presence is but one of many parts of building that thriving business. Find a way to tell your story that suits you and fits your schedule. And never hesitate to ask for help – that’s what folks like us are here for!