Emma Turnbull | BYK Digital Marketing

Influencer Incentives Beyond Compensation

As the field of social media influencing has grown, the expectations for compensation have grown along with it. When influencing was a new concept, it was more of a hobby than a job for most people, so partnerships offering free product in exchange for posts were the norm. Influencers were more willing to do more work for less. However, as the field has become more established, it has become a full-time job for many. Influencers have come to expect payment, just as you would for any other job.

If your company is not in the position to offer huge compensation for product placement, that does not necessarily mean you cannot engage in influencer marketing. You just need to get creative in what you are able to offer influencers. Here are a few alternatives to flat-rate compensation that can be valuable to influencers and help you make deals.

Commission

Another very common form of compensation in many influencer agreements is commission, paying influencers a small percentage of each sale they drive. While this is still money out of your company’s pockets, it is a bit safer than a flat-rate payment, because you will only be paying if the influencer drives sales. There is no risk of making a big payment and not seeing results from the posts.

Performance-Dependent Compensation

Another way to pay while still protecting your company is to make payment contingent on performance metrics. This differs from compensation in that it can be based on any metric, not just on sales. Some influencers will agree to payment for their posts that is contingent on driving a certain amount of website traffic, reaching a certain number of views, etc.

Extra Free Products

If you are unable to offer money for influencer agreements, you could also try offering extra free products, or free products with a higher monetary value. In some cases, this can be enough motivation for influencers to work with you. This can be particularly effective with influencers who would purchase your products in their normal daily life anyways. For instance, if you would like to promote a makeup product, an influencer who regularly tries new beauty looks may be willing to work for less money than one who rarely wears makeup and sees less value in the product.

Long-Term Agreements

It can also be valuable to influencers to make agreements not simply for one post, but for multiple posts over a period of time. Reaching agreements with brands can be challenging and time-consuming, so if your company is able to offer multiple collaborations, this can be an enticing agreement. If you are able to offer a long-term agreement instead of just a one-off, sometimes influencers will accept a lower price.

Connections to Other Companies

One of the challenges for influencers in making brand deals is finding brands to work with. If you can help ease this challenge, that is another way to provide value beyond compensation. If you have connections within your industry, or other similar industries, you can refer the affiliates you work with to these companies after your partnership. Knowing about these potential connections can be a motivator for influencers to engage in partnerships with your company.

Networking Opportunities

Similarly, you can offer to provide opportunities for influencers who work with your brand to network with one another, and others in the industry. You can create a group on Facebook that your influencers can be invited to, and use to engage with one another. In a field where who you know is very important, this can be valuable, especially to newer influencers.

Recommendations or Reviews

Finally, most influencers today have media kits that they share with brands they are interested in working with. It can be helpful for these media kits to include recommendations or testimonials from brands they have worked with in the past, to show that they were successful. Offering to provide one of these testimonials in exchange for a social media post can be another way to reach agreements with potential influencers. While many influencers today do expect and require monetary compensation for their work, there are still some ways for brands with limited budget to provide value in other ways. From commissions to connections, these are just a few creative incentives you can offer to influencers if your pockets aren’t quite deep enough to meet their compensation expectations.

2020-12-11

Experimenting with your Marketing Tactics

Experimental practices have long been an important part of developing marketing strategies. They are an important first step in testing out marketing ideas before they are released to the public. They can be helpful in providing quantitative and qualitative support for whatever tactics you choose to go with. Below are a few of the most popular experimental and scientific techniques used in the field of marketing, and how each can be helpful in crafting your strategy.

Surveys

Surveys are perhaps the simplest and most commonly used way to gather information. They do not require as much time and effort put into them as many other techniques, but can yield just as much valuable information if executed well. Surveys are also the most cost effective way to reach a large group of people. They are the best way to reach a wide audience and learn basic information from them. Through a survey, you can ask people their opinion on your past marketing campaigns, changes they would recommend, how the campaigns made them feel, and what words and phrases they associate with your brand.

Surveys do, however, have some shortcomings. No matter how you distribute them, surveys do not tend to have a very high response rate. With voluntary surveys, you also have to be careful to note whether the respondents make up a representative sample of the audience you were trying to reach. They are also not a great way to try to gather deep and detailed information from individuals. Surveys are a wonderful way to ask simple, straightforward questions, and to gather small amounts of information from large amounts of people.

Focus groups

If you are instead looking to gather large amounts of information from a smaller amount of people, you may want to try using focus groups. Focus groups are conducted in a small-group setting, usually in person, and tend to be more involved than surveys. You can hear directly from your customers about their thoughts and feelings, and allow them to go into greater detail than they could in a survey. This is a great way to gather detailed information to guide your marketing decisions.

It can be costly and time consuming to run too many focus groups. You need a space to run them, compensation for the participants, and at least one moderator for each focus group you are conducting. Therefore, it is not usually feasible for brands to use focus groups as their only way of hearing from their audience. It is most successful when used in tandem with techniques than can reach a wider audience.

A/B testing

To really quantify your customers’ thoughts about your marketing efforts, and their success, many companies turn to A/B testing. The concept is relatively simple. This is a technique that can be used to determine which of two (or more) campaigns is resonating more with your audience. Basically, a company will run two different campaigns, targeting two different groups of people, and see which one gains more traction. This can be done for everything from print ads to online advertising to billboards to mailers. A/B testing can tell you clearly which campaign is working better, and thus should be continued and distributed to a wider audience.

The logistics of A/B testing can make it more challenging than surveys or focus groups in many cases. For the results to be meaningful, you will want to find 2 groups of the same size, who are similar on meaningful demographics for your company. National corporations sometimes choose 2 different mid-sized markets in the same region of the country to run their A-B tests on. You’ll need to be careful that once you have selected your audiences, that they are similar in the areas that matter to your company so the results are not skewed. For instance, if you sell women’s clothing, you will want to make sure both the “A” group and the “B” group in your test contain approximately the same percentage of women; if one group had more women while the other was mostly men, your results would not be helpful.

In a perfect world, your marketing decisions would be based on a combination of all 3 techniques above. Using surveys, focus groups, and A-B testing can all help craft your marketing strategy in a way that you can be confident will resonate with your audience.

2020-12-08

Ways to Support Local This Holiday Season

It’s only fitting that 2020 will be coming to a close with a weird and unprecedented holiday season. Many small shops, restaurants, and other businesses are hurting, and need support now more than ever. Luckily, whether you’re planning to leave your house or just take care of all your holiday preparations from the couch, there are plenty of ways you can support local businesses. Below are a few ideas.

Buy Gifts From Local Shops Instead of Big Box Stores

This one is pretty straightforward. Large national chains and big box stores offer an element of convenience that local boutiques can’t. Resist the urge to make Amazon or Walmart your one-stop gift shop, and branch out to some local shops near you! Every town has some wonderful small boutiques and stores with perfect gifts for everyone on your list! It may take a bit more time and a few extra stops to get your full list taken care of, but it is worth it!

Check For Online Ordering from Local Stores

If you’re looking to avoid the crowds shopping in person, that doesn’t mean you can’t still support local stores. Many small shops have implemented online or call-in ordering systems, with curbside pickup available. Check for online ordering or other pickup options at your favorite local stores before turning to national chains.

Order Carryout

After all that shopping, it will probably be time to refuel! Pretty much every restaurant and cafe is offering some type of delivery or carryout option for their food and drinks by now. Take advantage of these offerings to support local AND please your taste buds. Two birds, one stone!

Restaurant Gift Cards

Even if you’re not in the mood for food at that exact moment, you can still support your favorite local eateries! Whether it’s for your future self or a gift for someone else, a gift card for a restaurant is a great way to go. And many restaurants are starting to offer online gift certificates and e-gift cards as well! Your perfect, delicious gift could be just a few clicks away.

Consider Catering

For many, the holiday parties and family get-togethers may be smaller, or non-existent, this year. If you’re dining alone or in a smaller group than usual, save yourself tons of time and effort in the kitchen by ordering catering from a local spot! Many restaurants are offering prepared holiday meals for groups and families, so you can still enjoy the variety of dishes and sides that usually grace your holiday table, but without having WAY too many leftovers!

Donate If You Can

Finally, if you are financially able, there are plenty of charities and nonprofit organizations that support local workers and small businesses that could use assistance during the holiday season. Search for local organizations that have funds set up for essential workers or struggling businesses. Every little bit can help!

2020-12-04

Skills to Help You Succeed in Marketing

There are so many different career paths under the marketing umbrella. No matter which specific division or position you end up in, there are a few skills that are universally helpful for anyone looking to work in marketing. Brush up on the skills below to help you blow away the competition and perform your best.

1. Communication

As with many other jobs, you will not be successful if you are not able to effectively communicate. Whether it is with your coworkers, with a client, or communicating a message to your audience, marketing is all about communication skills. You should be comfortable interacting with people, well-versed on social etiquette, and able to express your ideas clearly and concisely.

2. Organization

The ability to keep yourself and your priorities organized will also play a large role in your success in the marketing field. Most people in this field have multiple tasks and responsibilities to juggle at one time. You need to be able to prioritize and keep your many overlapping tasks from getting away from you. Basic practices like using a calendar, making lists, setting yourself reminders, and keeping files organized in well-labeled folders can help you enhance this skillset.

3. Creative Thinking

All aspects of marketing incorporate some level of creativity. This does not necessarily mean you need to be artistic or crafty. Creativity can take the form of developing innovative ideas or thinking outside of the box. Sticking to the status quo will not get you very far in marketing. You should always be thinking about what comes next and pushing the envelope. Presenting something new and creative will almost always help you get ahead.

4. Analytical Thinking

On the flip side, marketing is not ALL about creativity. The role of big data and statistics within marketing has continued to grow in recent years. Not only does there need to be creative ideas, but there then needs to be analysis of how effective those creative ideas were. The ability to analyze data and quantify your marketing efforts is essential.

5. Adaptability

Last but far from least, the ability to adapt and be flexible is completely necessary to succeed in marketing. Like any field, marketing is constantly changing and responding to events occurring in the world. Often, ads or social media posts that seemed like a good idea a month ago, have become irrelevant or no longer appropriate for the state of the world. Additionally, as much as you can try to predict what efforts will resonate with your audience, sometimes there will be surprises. You need to be able to adapt your efforts at a moment’s notice to best fit what is working well for your business.

If you are thinking of entering the world of marketing, or currently work in marketing and are looking for a leg up, honing the 5 skills above could be your ticket to success. Being able to communicate, stay organized, think creatively and analytically, and adapt to change quickly will help you in any marketing position you may find yourself in.

2020-12-01

Common Digital Marketing Mistakes

Digital marketing is a huge factor in any company’s success. It is important to invest time, money, and resources into digital marketing efforts. When you are investing in these digital means though, you want to be sure you’re doing it in a smart way that will help your business grow. Below are 6 common mistakes businesses tend to make when it comes to digital marketing. Avoid these errors to keep your business at the top of its game digitally.

Spending too much on far-reaching ads

When it comes to paid advertisements on sites like Google, Facebook, and Yelp, there are a lot of potential sales and customers to gain. That being said, it is not wise to cast too wide of a net when it comes to these targeted ads. You will get a better return on the money you spend by focusing your efforts on a reasonably-sized demographic that makes sense for your business. Targeting too large of an audience will get more eyes on your ads, but they will be eyes that are less likely to purchase and become customers, so the extra spend is not worth it.

Using all your spending on paid ads

As was mentioned above, paid advertisements can be extremely effective, but don’t go overboard with them. You should not be spending all, or almost all, of your time and money only on paid advertisements online. Your organic growth is a really important piece of the digital marketing puzzle as well. Customers will notice if the only times they see your brand online are in sponsored or paid posts. Those are a great way to increase exposure, but then you need to have an organic web presence too, to complement them.

Using clickbait to drive traffic

Sure it will drive some traffic to your site, but clickbait will ultimately end up annoying people and will not win you any lasting customers. That’s not to say you shouldn’t be creative in the ways you try to drive people to your site-you definitely should. Just do not use overly flashy headlines or stretch it too far.

Focusing only on new customer acquisition

Gaining new customers and reaching a new audience is essential. Brands should constantly be working to grow their following and customer base. By focusing on new customer acquisition, though, do not neglect your current customers and leads. These people can produce valuable sales as well! Working to obtain repeat business, or business from those who already have their foot in the door, can be cheaper to attain and can lead to long-term customers. These people are probably easier for you to reach, and already have some sort of connection with or interest in your brand, so do not forget about them!

Switching platforms just because everyone else is

When it comes to digital marketing, you definitely need to stay current on trends. That being said, don’t jump ship on things that are working for you just because something new comes along. If your brand has a strong Facebook presence, keep nurturing that! Don’t abandon your successful platforms just because the platform as a whole has lost some traction. As long as your page and your presence is staying strong or growing, it is a worthy platform for your company to focus on. You can still experiment and branch out when new trends or social media platforms emerge. But as you do experiment and try new things, keep doing the things that have been successful for you too.

Not being responsive to your audience

A big benefit of the internet is the ability to communicate instantly and find information fast. This is what your customers expect when they engage with your brand in any way online. It looks very bad for your company to leave emails, messages, or questions unanswered for multiple days. Make sure you are responding in a timely manner to all digital communications. There’s no quicker way to annoy a potential customer than by leaving them on read.

Avoid these 6 mistakes, and your digital marketing efforts will benefit immensely.

2020-11-24

Start Up Keys to Success

It’s no secret that the majority of start-up companies fail within the first few years of business. Starting a business is hard, and keeping it afloat is even harder. If you have a new business, or are thinking of starting one soon, here are a few things to keep in mind to avoid common mistakes and give you the best possible chances of success.

Make sure you have strong brand positioning

Before you even think about launching your company, you need to know exactly what you’re offering, who you’re offering it to, and what sets you apart. Having a good idea that fits a need or desire for potential customers is not enough. Good positioning within the market can determine the success of your company; you can have the best product in the world but if you’re trying to sell it to the wrong people, it is not going to work. Do extensive research and industry analyses to determine how to best position your product before you launch. It can be hard to recover from initially positioning yourself incorrectly.

Make sure your potential market is large enough

Speaking of positioning, wherever you decide to place yourself in the market, you need to ensure your pool of potential customers is large enough. No matter how badly a specific group of people may want or need your offering, if there are not enough people in this group to sustain your business, you are destined for failure. Again, background research is key here. Before investing your valuable time and resources into creating a product or service, look into the size of your potential market to make sure it is viable. If not, try tweaking or reworking your offerings to appeal to a larger pool before moving forward.

Enlist motivating and inspiring leadership

It’s well and good to have a great idea and be able to implement it logistically, but without strong leadership, your company will struggle to stay alive. Working for a start-up can have its ups and downs. In many ways, it is more demanding than a job in a well-established company. Furthermore, success won’t be immediate, so people working for you may become worried or lose faith if they are not seeing immediate success. Leadership within your organization needs to be able to persuade your team about just how fantastic your company is and how much more fantastic it is going to become. You need a team of individuals who are fully committed to your mission, and that starts with strong and steady leadership.

Be prepared for mistakes and errors

No matter how well-laid your plans are, or how thoroughly you have prepared for every possible outcome, things will go wrong in a start-up. This is inevitable, and is not a sign of failure or weakness. Manage your expectations: realize perfection is not possible and mistakes will happen. There will be errors and there will be growing pains, and that is okay. Then, when things do inevitably go wrong in some way, don’t panic. Remain adaptable, flexible, and committed to your company and your mission. Every obstacle will make you stronger and smarter in some way, so do not be afraid of bumps in the road.

Grow at a sustainable rate

It’s hard not to let the excitement of a period of success get the best of you. One profitable month or quarter, and far too many businesses start trying to expand way too fast. Slow and steady wins the race may be an overused cliche, but in this case, it’s a true one. Expansion and growth are great, and definitely things every business wants to attain. Growing too slow can be bad for a young company, but growing too quickly can be deadly. You do not want your resources to be spread too thin in the early stages of your company. Be patient, and make moves toward growth and expansion at a sustainable pace.

Listen to mentors and those who came before you

Nobody knows it all, no matter how smart or prepared they are. When starting a business, realize that you do not know everything and that you will need help. Talk to others who have been in your shoes before. Consult mentors and peers who you trust, and really listen to their advice. It can be hard to see the big picture when you are too close, so having the advice of experienced individuals outside of your company will help you see things from a different perspective.

Build a buzz with content leading up to your launch

From all the points above, it is clear you do not want to rush into a business before you are fully ready to go. That being said, the one thing you do want to rush is building up your social presence and creating a buzz about your company. There is no reason to wait until all the pieces are fully and completely in place to start creating excitement around your business. Make people aware of your brand as soon as possible. You can start collecting emails and contact information so all your interested customers can stay up to date on progress, launch dates, and more. You do not want to wait until the day you are able to start selling to start searching for customers. You should work to have a large interested base well before your offerings are officially ready to be shared with the world.

By taking the 7 steps above, your start-up should be stronger and more successful than it otherwise would be. Starting a company can be exciting, stressful, thrilling, and frustrating all within a matter of minutes. By not allowing yourself to be swept away by the emotions, good or bad, and focusing on what is important for your brand, you can make your budding business a success!

2020-11-20

Social Media and Psychology

Social media has a huge impact on all of us, for better or or worse. Sometimes, we don’t even realize the impact it’s having, or why we are so affected. To better understand how social media came to have such a tight grip on society, it can be helpful to view it through the lens of psychology. Here are a few psychological frameworks to view social media phenomena through.

Inclusion and Exclusion

Humans like to feel included and do not like to feel excluded. These are pretty basic desires that most people probably already know, or could have guessed. Social media provides us with a potential new avenue to connect with others. It’s a place where camaraderie and friendship can be built. However, it is also a place where being excluded or left out can be amplified more than ever before.

As a brand, when crafting your social media presence, try to create an atmosphere that is accepting and inclusive. Then, no matter what struggled they are facing elsewhere online, potential customers will feel comfortable and get a sense of belonging when they are on your pages.

Comparison

It is human nature to compare ourselves to others. This has always been the case, and the rise in popularity of social media has just taken this to a whole new level. No longer do humans just compare themselves to those they are immediately surrounded by. Now, people can compare themselves to thousands of others across the country and the world based on their online presence.

Take advantage of this sense of comparison by making not only your offerings seem desirable, but also by making those using your offerings seem desirable. You want to activate the comparison instinct in your potential customers by convincing them that your product or service will make them more like those people they are jealous of. Frame your offering as a key to becoming more like the people you want to become.

Inner vs. Outer Selves

Social media can provide an opportunity for more self-expression than ever before. However, it can just as easily provide a chance for people to hide parts of themselves and present themselves in a way that is different than who they really are. This is a battle between our inner selves and the person we present ourselves as to the world. People are not always proud of every part of themselves, and may try to hide certain aspects when crafting a social media presence. Many people present themselves as the person they’d like to be, instead of who they really are. The nature of social media, and its carefully curated content, provides people with an avenue to do this.

Go beneath the surface when you are working on your company’s social media marketing strategy. Your customers are probably not all as happy and perfect and polished as they present themselves as online. Dig deeper and think about who you are really marketing to, and the fears and desires you can appeal to, that they may not necessarily express often online.

2020-11-17

Planning Ahead While Maintaining Flexibility

When it comes to scheduling posts for social media, it can be a delicate balance between scrambling at the last second and planning too far ahead. You want your content to be timely and relevant, but also want to be able to plan your posts in advance. You want to be able to plan and work ahead, but also be ready to change and adapt on a moment’s notice.

These past few months have presented a perfect example of why brands need to stay on their toes and be willing to pivot on a moment’s notice. Below are a few ways you can work to maintain a balance between planning and flexibility, to still work ahead, but without losing your adaptability.

Once a post is scheduled, don’t just ignore it

No matter how far in advance you have posts scheduled, always remember to keep reviewing them. Continuously check upcoming posts, even if you have the whole month scheduled out. This way, you are able to make small changes and tweaks as needed to keep up with current events. If an event or situation arises that would make sense for you to mention, you can try adding it organically into a post you have scheduled. Furthermore, by reviewing your upcoming posts, you can make sure none of the information has become outdated since you scheduled them.

Flag posts that can be replaced

It’s great to have a schedule, but don’t be stuck to it like glue. As you are creating a schedule or plan, make note of the posts that you would be able and willing to replace if you need to open up a spot for something new. For instance, if there is a major world event you feel you need to address, or if your brand decides to run a special or promotion at the last minute, you will probably want to post about it on social media. It will make your life easier to have specific posts flagged ahead of time that can be replaced.

Have a few backup posts prepared

On the flip side of that, you should also have some back-up posts created in case you can no longer run a post as scheduled. This situation could arise if you run out of a product you were planning to promote, an event got cancelled, or the like. If you have a few posts prepared that are not as specific, you can quickly replace outdated posts in your schedule as needed.

Plan copy even without photos, and vice versa

You don’t need to have all the pieces in place to begin working on a piece of content. If you are waiting on one aspect of a post, that does not mean you cannot work ahead on the other aspects of it. For example, say you have a photoshoot coming up, and would like to get posts up within days of the shoot. You can still go ahead and write the verbage for your posts so that they are ready to go as soon as the photos are produced.

Don’t plan too far out

If you’re not too swamped with work and find yourself with some extra time on your hands, resist the temptation to plan too far ahead. This may feel proactive, but in most cases it ends up just being a waste of time. The truth is, especially this year, we have no idea what the world is going to look like in 2 or 3 months. You would be better served to spend time perfecting the posts you have planned for the near future, instead of gambling on posts for down the line. When you try to plan too far in advance, most posts end up needing to be edited or replaced anyways, which just ends up resulting in more work in the long run.

Create drafts for quick and easy access

Finally, drafts of posts on your social media pages should be your best friends. Drafts are a great way to create content and have it ready and waiting for you when the time is right. If you have half of a super clever caption written, save it as a draft. If you have a new offering coming out soon but are waiting for the exact launch day, save it as a draft. If you have 2 alternative versions of an upcoming post that you can’t decide between, save it as a draft. You can make any small changes you need to before scheduling the posts out, so they don’t accidentally get posted with errors or missing information.

Overall, it’s easier to plan ahead and make a few changes as needed, than to wait and scramble at the end. Work ahead, but be diligent in double-checking your schedule to make sure everything is still relevant, and be willing to adapt as needed.

2020-11-13

Successful Social Media Copywriting: Tips and Tricks

While not quite as glamorous or eye-catching as the photos and videos, the written copy on social media posts is just as important. It can make a social media campaign great if done well, and completely tank it if done poorly.

Social media copywriting is different than other forms of copywriting in some ways, but it does share many of the same basic tenets. This post is here to help you excel in social media copywriting, with a few tips and tricks to take your copy to the next level.

1. Do Background Research

Before you even start writing, background research is key! You want to be as much of an expert as possible on the topics you will be sharing about. Not only will this of course make you sound more informed, but it can help drive your creativity as well. When you know the lingo, the terminology, and the latest trends in the field you’re talking about, you will have a much wider base of knowledge to pull from when trying to write copy. By informing yourself ahead of time, you will be able to include specific phrases and topics that apply directly to the topic at hand, instead of settling for writing something more generic.

2. Choose a Voice

One of the worst things you can do in your copy is sound too much like a robot or machine. You want to be sure to write in an interesting way that doesn’t just sound like a basic computer-generated autofill. For whatever brand or company you are writing for, you should choose a tone and a personality to write with. Stick with this voice throughout your posts. This will help them feel consistent and also help followers feel more of a connection, and give them a sense that the posts are coming from an actual person.

3. Keep It Simple

Creativity is a must in copywriting, but be careful not to take it too far. Writing long-winded paragraphs and extremely witty wordplay may be a fun exercise for you as a writer, but it generally does not translate well in social media posts. Avoid the temptation to be overly witty: it may become too complicated to understand, and not come across in the way you intended. People don’t want to have to think too hard when reading posts on social media. Definitely feel free to inject creativity and fun into your posts, just don’t go overboard.

4. Make Note of Inspiration

Whether it’s a file, a folder, or a note in your phone, you should find a way to save posts that you find to be particularly striking or that inspire you. If you’re ever feeling a creative block, it can be extremely helpful to have a handful of exemplary posts to look at to spur some new ideas. Whenever you see something that inspires a new idea for you, do not let it slip away.

5. Speak Like Your Target Audience

Going along with the point above, when you do choose a voice for your posts, make sure it aligns with your target audience. You want to feel accessible and relatable to your audience. Make sure you understand the things they like and the way they speak, and craft your posts in a way that appeals to that. For instance, if you are promoting a product aimed at middle-aged women, you probably do not want to be adopting the latest lingo that teenagers are using, because your audience is unlikely to understand or relate.

6. Focus On Benefits

In any copywriting, you want to emphasize the benefits of your product or service, not just the features. It is well and good to be able to list out all the features of your offering. However, what will really resonate with people is telling them not just what your product or service does, but how it can directly help or benefit them. Saying that the purse you are selling has 3 separate pockets is fine, but saying that it will help people stay organized and prevent them from having to dig around to find their belongings is much better!

7. Use Persuasion Principles

Finally, the ultimate purpose of any copywriting is to sell. You want to sell your audience on whatever it is you are offering to them. In addition to the tips above, one of the best ways to do that is to use persuasion principles. People tend to be swayed by claims that seem credible, by authority figures giving an endorsement, or by popular demand: if everyone else wants a product, humans tend to be convinced that they should have it as well. Use these principles to your advantage in your writing. Talk about authorities in your field who endorse your product or service. Emphasize the popularity of your offering amongst others. Use facts and figures to back up your claims. Persuade people that they need your offering and they need it now!

By focusing on the 7 aspects above, your copywriting should be taken to the next level in no time! Just remember to speak to your audience in an appealing way, be informed, don’t get too complicated, and use proven principles of persuasion.

2020-11-10

Things That Do NOT Factor Into the Instagram Algorithm

Businesses and influencers alike are always concerned with the Instagram algorithm. It can be helpful to craft your content in a way that works to “beat” the algorithm. However, there are many misconceptions about what actually factors heavily into the algorithm and what does not. Here are a few components that are commonly mistaken as being important factors in the algorithm that in reality, don’t matter much at all.

1. Posting Frequency

Ok, so your posting frequency does matter, but not nearly as much as people think. The much bigger factor is the consistency of your posting. Sticking to a relatively consistent posting schedule will help the algorithm work in your favor. Choose a frequency with which to post, and just stick to it. If you will not be able to sustain posting every day, then commit to posting 3-4 times per week. Decreasing your frequency over time will hurt you more than just posting slightly less often in the first place.

2. Stories

There has been confusion expressed as to whether stories factor into Instagram’s algorithm concerning posts. Instagram has stated that stories in fact do NOT play any role. That being said, you shouldn’t abandon posting stories. There are many other benefits your stories can have beyond just the algorithm. They can help you engage more with your audience, lend a more authentic look into who you are, and provide a place for you to share quick updates. Don’t underestimate their importance.

3. Instagram Live

Just like stories, anything you post to Instagram Live does not directly play a part in the algorithm for posts. Even though you can post these videos to your grid, Instagram keeps them out of the algorithm, at least for now. That being said, posting Instagram Live videos can still indirectly benefit you. Followers and engagement are an important part of the algorithm, and these are both things that can be boosted by posting Instagram Live videos. If you use your Live videos to garner attention, it can benefit your posts down the road.

4. Exact Posting Time

This may be the biggest misconception of all. Many companies and influencers are under the impression that they need to track the “optimal” posting times down to the minute. This used to be important on Instagram, but it no longer is. Posts are no longer given extra attention in the first 30-60 minutes after being shared like they used to. It is still in your best interest to post at generally popular times of day: your posts will still likely end up with lower engagement if you post while the bulk of your audience is asleep. However, no need to waste time charting the precise times at which your posts have performed best.

5. Followers and only followers

There are still some people and brands who see their Followers number as the end all be all. Of course, everyone wants more followers, and more followers is definitely not a bad thing. However, the sheer number of followers on an account matters much less than other factors, such as the likes, comments, and overall engagement the account is getting. While buying followers may have been a relatively successful tactic when it first become, Instagram is smarter now and has found ways to filter out posts from those accounts. You always want to be working to grow your following, but you want to do it organically. And you need those followers to actually be engaging with your posts if you want the algorithm to work in your favor.

If you have been focusing on the 5 aspects above to try to beat the algorithm, it’s time to change your strategy. While posting to stories and Instagram Live are still beneficial, stressing about posting at the precise right moment and focusing only on your follower count are not. Who knows, Instagram may change their algorithm again at any time, and these components could become important. For the time being though, focus on posting engaging content and growing your following organically to help your posts perform as best they can.

2020-11-06

Author: Emma Turnbull