DM (Direct Message) = Engagement. And, Engagement is the Goal! Always the goal. Instagram rewards engagement. But, beyond that DMs create brand awareness and creates loyalty. Whenever you allow a personal touch it helps. It’s like a warming up for leads. You are creating connections, which leads ot sales and/or referrals, all great things.

DM is key, when done right.

Want to warm up leads from your Ideal Client? Try responding on their profile, likes, and comments (longer than 4 words, emojis don’t count) then send a message WITHOUT selling. Ask about them! Build a relationship. This is not a short term sales goal this is a long game to turn a cold lead into a warm lead and find out if they are your ICA.

Not sure how to DM? There’s more than 1 way to DM!

1. Normal/Typical - Send/Respond Text or Voice Messages (up to 1 minute)

2. Photo - Camera Roll or taken directly in DMs

3. Video (up to 15 seconds) - Great connection, when people can see your eyes and enthusiasm, but gotta keep it short since it’s only in 15 sec. segments.

4. Video Chat/Calling

5. Group Chats

6. From Stories (place a question or whatnot that warrants a response and respond!) *This is also a great way if you live in a country that prohibits DM cold calling.

No matter what way you do it, just remember, BE AUTHENTIC! BE YOU! Don’t just slide in and sell, build some trust by being yourself! Create relationships and real brand awareness and brand loyalty with a personal connection. Remember, practice makes perfect! Feel free to DM me.

If you have been in or around marketing for a bit you may have heard this term, “ICA” aka Ideal Client Avatar. And it is important for you to have and know yours. It is important to know who you are selling to, talking to. It’s easier to speak with one than to speak to the masses. This will matter from writing your bios to finding the best hashtags to locate your clients. ICA is so important and I’m pretty sure you have heard me mention it a few times now. So let’s find your ICA!

Who are you selling to? How do you find your ICA?

• Think of your past clients. Who did you absolutely love working with? If you haven’t had a client yet, who do you envision working with?

• Give them a name, a REAL Name.

• What’s their Age? What do they identify themselves as? Not just gender, but like in their bio, like “Mom” “Wife,” etc…

• What do they do for work? Hobbies?

• Where do they hang out in “real life” but also online? What Social media Apps? (Sprouts Social, actually had a pretty good updated article to help you with that.) But, you really want to know that, because you need to be on that app. You need to be where your ICA is. Join/Hang in the same groups. Be a presence, love on them, share your expertise.

• Where does your person shop?

• What problems does your ICA have? (How can you solve/help them?)

• What do you love about your clients?

For Example- Brooke. She is in her 30’s. Mom, wife, photographer. Very busy. Likes True Crime and Podcasts. Shops mostly at Target and Amazon…

*You do not have to be the same/similar to your ICA. Sometimes it may work out that way, but it is not necessary. (My example, just kind of worked out that way.)

Remember - what stands out in your business is YOU! Be different. Your knowledge. Your point of view… Be YOU! You are what makes your brand/business stand out.

Need extra help in envisioning your client? Don’t hesitate to reach out to me.

Disclosure: This site may contain affiliate links. Your clicks or use come to no extra expense for you. Though, I may receive a commission if you purchase from them.

Want to grab more attention on your Instagram? Want people to want to follow you? Ready for the right kind of follower?

Here are a Few Instagram Bio Tips-

• Photo - Smile, Eyes at the Camera.

  • Bright Colors or Bright Background. You can use apps like Canva or “Profile Pic Maker.” to do a quick colorful background change.

  • Do not use a logo - you are the most important part of your brand.

• The Bold Part - Fill in not just Name, use Searchable Words, a searchable term. Are you a Blogger? Hairstylist? Photographer? Travel Advice? Make it easier to find you.

• Make sure your Name is in the Bio (pronouns are a plus).

• Meat of Bio - About You! You can use eye-catching fonts here.

  • How are you, your product, or service going to help them? Speak to what solutions you offer.

  • Use a “Call of Action” (this is also important in feed posts). Make sure to use your last line of bio. What do you want them to do? Contact you? Follow you? Let them know! *Very Important*

• Link - Keep your link up to date. Change often if possible. It takes a lot for people to leave Instagram.

• Highlights -

  • Covers - Be Branded. Matching Colors or Themes.

  • Must-Have (4 Sections) - About Me. What you Offer. Testimonials/Social Proof. Trainings/What People will Learn for You.

*This is Mine for Example

Want an Audit? I can absolutely do that! Just reach out. Also, if you are on Clubhouse, follow me @melissamcclure. From time to time I do hold chats with more IG bio tips and audits with other experts as well.

Disclosure: This site may contain affiliate links. Your clicks or use come to no extra expense for you. Though, I may receive a commission if you purchase from them.

Just like the posts in your feed you want views, engagement, and Instagram rewards longer views and fewer skips. 2021 Instagram has brought some changes, so here are the Top 11 ways to Boost those Story Views!

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1) Use All the Features

Questions/Polls/Gifs/Quizzes/Music/Etc. Use different media as well, Video/Photo/Etc. Use them all!

*It’s possible that the “This or That” trend may have increased this, but using multiple stories with multiple polls have seemed to increase views and engagement.

*Business Account - You will run into a limited Music Library, just Royalty-Free options. Creator accounts do not have that issue, but Business Accounts allow access to external apps for analytics and planning, so it’s up to you what is more important.

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2) Show Your Face

Kind of a consistent theme, but create trust by showing up. Talk, not just a photo of you. It can feel scary but I promise it gets easier!

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3) Make Sure You Are using Closed Captions

As explained here on “15 MUST HAVE APPS FOR INSTAGRAM,” but it’s super important and there are apps to help you. Or you can just type out your speech word for word.

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4) Utilize Your Close Friends List

It won’t bring you more outsiders views, but it will do is bump your story to the front of the list for those in that “Close Friend” list. This will also change the circle color to a more standout Green. It could increase engagement knowing that it’s a more private share. Great idea for those of you with like “V.I.P. Programs” and whatnot.

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5) Make Standout Content!

Ok, this is just like your feed, you want quality. If you are speaking, get straight to the point! Be attention-grabbing. Share “Behind the Scenes” of your more curated feed. Use apps like Canva and Unfold to make Stories stand out visually.

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6) Create Templates

Jump on the “This or That” Trend. Make your own blank template to be shared around and it’s super easy to do on Canva, they even provide premade ones.

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7) Extend View Time

Photos on their own are 7 seconds. It used to be the case that adding a Gif extended it to 15 seconds, but it appears to no longer be the case. BUT, you can still add music for 15 second longer share time, along with sharing videos.

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8) Don’t Waste Your Time With Tags (Hashtags & Location Tags)

*Currently,* hashtags and location tags are no longer working with stories. They may come back, but they don’t appear to be. The old way in stories you could tag up to 10 hashtags per story post. Right now, it can’t hurt, but it probably won’t be helping you.

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9) TAG Other Accounts

Though hashtags may not work, tagging to other IG accounts is helpful! Up to 10 other accounts. It makes it easier for those accounts to engage and reshare the story to their account. Though the view counts won’t count for you, it’s always a good idea for cross-feed attention. Tag Relevant Businesses and People.

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10) Use Polls to DM Clients

Just as it sounds, use those “Yes/No” polls as a ice breaking invitation to slide into their direct messages. Some countries have laws prevent the cold call dm’s so this is your way to get invited to have that interaction.

Extra Tip - Place your poll towards the center area. It’s easier to interact with and looks better.

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11) Go LIVE!

Ok, you may be nervous, but this is a great way to build trust with your audience. They will feel like they know you because this allows more access to you. You may not always have a topic at hand so open it up to a “Q&A” session.

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Have any other tips I missed? Did story hashtags come back where you are? Ready to go live? If I catch you on I’ll totally try to pop in and say HI!

Disclosure: This site may contain affiliate links. Your clicks or use come to no extra expense for you. Though, I may receive a commission if you purchase from them.

Getting the most out of the Dollar.Eighty method, get that engagement!

Okay, let me back up a little, you probably are asking what is “$1.80”???

Fair enough. “Dollar.Eighty” is a method created by Gary V. to help create engagement and growing followers on Instagram, by “putting your 2 cents in.” Aka, your comment = 2 cents, get it? Lol! So put in your $1.80; 10 comments on the top 9 posts under 10 different hashtags: 90 comments a day to see growth. What makes this easier and work, is now there is a Chrome Plugin for the Dollar.Eighty method to help you find and connect with other profiles.

The plugin even helps you monitor your commenting goals. It tracks the amount you have done through the plugin. It cuts down on your time by saving comments, in case you want to reuse them.

The Dollar.Eighty site also allows you to do up to 10 comments a day for free but ideally, you want to do 90 (if you have time and are really committed to the growth).

You are also able to save your top 10 hashtags through the free version, but with the paid or free month trial, it also lets you save location tags as well as more comments, etc.

Now, what does all this mean for you and how do you make this work to help you?

Know your ICA (Ideal Client Avatar). The more specific the better! You aren’t searching based on your hashtags, but their’s. Like I may use “#BossBabe” but it’s big and broad, and my ICA may use a niched down like “#etsysmallbusinessseller.” Or like I would be “#WeddingPhotographer” but my ICA would be “#ISaidYES” or “#Engaged.” See the difference? So think of your client, who you are trying to help. Who you want to sell to. What kind of person are they? Their demographics or psychographics.

Are you a location-specific business? Then you want to look at where, physically what locations your client would be, what park, what stores. *This is where the paid version helps a little more than the free one.

So think about your ICA, the more specific, the more you know about your ICA the better in helping you to spot them. (Plus, it’s easier to speak to 1 person than it is to address the masses.)

Another big thing that will help you get the most out of the Dollar.Eighty challenge is to make sure your Bio is Optimized! When you are commenting, and your ICA goes to your profile, they want to see clearly what you do. What problem do you address? What do you solve? Make your value clear. They want to see themselves reflected in your bio.

Last but not least, as always, have good content! (I know we’ve addressed this one, but it’s worth repeating.)

So truly, try to take on the challenge, and best of luck with your growth! Have questions? Want me to help you find the right hashtags or help guide you towards your ICA? Feel free to reach out. I would love to help you!

Let's talk about Instagram keywords and how this NEW feature affects your content!!

But, first, what is “Instagram Keyword”? Well, it’s a new feature that makes content searchable. More like Google, you will see what people mention. Similar to Pinterest, but what makes it special is this is the very First Social Media Search Engine Platform.

Types of Search -

• Top/Recent

• Accounts (username/name)

• Hashtags

• Places/Location Tags

In the old way of IG, you could search by a Username, Hashtag, or Location Tag but the new way lets users search for content! Specifically what people mention in their posts! The flip of the coin on this though is, if you are posting Political, Medical (like COVID), or Sex related content this will not help you. In fact, between the new policies rolling out and this feature, no one is really sure how this will impact those niches. On the bright side, if you post content more like Travel based or Cat Memes this will be great for you!

You may be asking, “Okay, now how does this work?” Well, this is where your WRITTEN content will be more important. Be more focused on your content pillars and be concise with your alt text.

Make sure your Posts Always have These Things:

• Add Location (Specific vs Broad Location Tags are Better)

• Use those Hashtags! #

• Use Alt Text (this is where you describe what your image is)

• Create QUALITY Content -> On Topic, Relevant Content

• Optimize Your Bio

  Right now this really is more focused on your Feed content, like Feed Post or Reels. The data is still out on Guides and doesn’t affect Stories. So remember to focus your content. This search engine will be a game-changer for finding accounts!

Need a little Handy Graphic to Save and Remember? I gotcha covered. Just click the image and bookmark it right in your IG. ;)

GIVEAWAY! Who doesn’t love a good giveaway!?! But, how do you run one and how do you make it help your business? Well, first, use Instagram! It’s way more hoops to jump through and what not on Facebook, also the legal (which I’ll cover later) is easier on IG. Now, let’s get into The Good & Bad of Instagram Giveaways. All the types and what must do steps to take.

The 4 types of Instagram Giveaways:

1. Large - Connected to 20-40 other IG accounts

2. Loop - 15-20 other accounts

3. Collab - Just a few accounts

4. Self - Just you, just the one.

The “Pros and Cons”-

• Large just isn’t as popular. It has a HUGE prize, like trips, but only 1 Winner. Costs about $100 per account participating. Can gain about 1000+ followers, but you may see a loss in engagement and not be targeting your ICA (Ideal Client Avatar).

• Loop is just as titled. A lower cost to participate, works more like a team effort. Follow this account -> Follow -> Follow -> Until back to the first account, hence “Loop.” Typically prizes like gift cards.

• Collab giveaways are good for sharing audience and exposure. Good for teaming up with accounts with similar ICA and branding. Bundle deal of each crafter/artist/shop’s products or a prize that would attract the group’s ICAs.

• Self is pretty self explanatory (no pun intended). Just what you think your ICA would want or what fits your brand. Not the biggest reach and not a ton of traction. But this does work for your followers, your existing ICA’s to bring in potential IG accounts of friends and family with similar interest and may match your ICA.

With each giveaway you want to have a Goal or Outcome in mind. Are you doing this for Product Recognition or for more Followers? Because that can be your deciding factor. Product recognition, easy on self hosted. Want more followers? Think “The Bigger the Price the More People.” Word of Caution though, remember followers do not equal engagement ratings. Make sure to check out who you are teaming up with for branding and ICA in followers.

For prizes, keep your location and shipping in mind. Gift cards are easiest to ship and a easy go to in the US seems to be things like Starbucks. Think what works for you and your ICA.

Now that you’ve probably narrowed down what type of giveaway here are your ways to pull of that giveaway successfully:

• In the caption be very clear about the criteria.

Example give exact easy steps-

1. Follow

2. Like

3. Tag 2 friends in Comments

4. Share in Stories

   Etc.

• Set a Time Limit. Somewhere between 3-7 Days. 3 Being the least. 7 being the longest. Don’t want followers to forget or feel like it’s far of that they won’t win (unless it’s like the Larger Giveaways, that may take longer).

• Don’t forget your Legal Blurb! It’s not only important, but is required.

This is the blurb that I have used in the past: (Feel free to copy it)

Giveaway open until (X) date and a winner will be drawn on stories at 12pm PST.

This is in no way sponsored, administered or associated with Instagram, Inc. or any of the brands. By entering, participants confirm they are above (legal age) years old and release Instagram and all brands and participants of all responsibility and agree to Instagram's terms of use. Void where prohibited by law, no purchase necessary.

If you are a rule person, you can read them directly from IG here: https://help.instagram.com/179379842258600

• Be Clear on how the Winner will be Announced. Will you “DM if chosen,” “Tag in the Comments,” or “Tag in Stories”? My method is using Comment Picker. I record it and share the video via stories with a tag and a congratulations to the Winner. Also, update caption to reflect giveaway is “Closed.”

After your giveaway is all wrapped up, if it does not make sense in your feed anymore archive it about 5-7 days later.

All ready to go? Let me know if you are running a giveaway and I would love to support you!

xoxo

15 Instagram Helper Apps that I just can't live without! Seriously, these will help you too!

And, just remember if you work in media if the app is a “pay for” Tax Write-off. ;)

Disclosure: This site may contain affiliate links. Your clicks or use come to no extra expense for you. Though, I may receive a commission if you purchase from them.

For Editing:

1. Canva - This one! It is a must! You can do so much with the paid app that it is completely worth it! 60k templates for Stories/Posts/Gifs…so much!

*EXTRA TIP - Canva is also good for Facebook posts, just adding a simple image to your post will get more views.

2. Unfold - VERY CLEAN. Like it’s a clean app and it just helps your images just look clean.

3. Word Swag - More robust use with words then Canva, but similar in making graphics with quotes. Lots of great reviews.

4. Color Story - A lot of photographers use it and save they filters, which is a plus if you aren’t the best at that, but want a consistent filter feels. Also great quality and heard it can help with gridding.

5. Snapseed - By far the best for Object Removal! Great to get rid of those background distractions. (I’ll most likely make a training video for it in my Free FB Group soon).

6. Lightroom Mobile - This one has a little bit of learning curve but once you get it down you will love it. Super professional photo editor, from Adobe, so of course it would be. I believe though when you buy presents on mobile it isn’t transferable to the desktop version.

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For Preplanning (Organized Posting):

7. Panoly - I actually use the free option, so it just limits amount of use a little, but it’s the easiest to use for scheduling out your post.

8. Later - A lot of people swear by it, love it! I am personally do most through Panoly, but I love Later’s emails.

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For Fun:

9. Spark AR Studios - Make your OWN Face Filter!!! Use this to create your own filter for IG Stories, like changing skin for tanner, sparkles….or adding rainbows!?! Just what you want or what your brand is known for for other’s to use.

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For Hashtags #:

10. Hish Hash - I also use this one’s free version. But, it’s great for storing and organizing all those 25-30 hashtags. There is even a “shuffle” option so you don’t come across spammy.

11. Save on Phone with your “Notes” app - Like Hish Hash save your hashtags, but just none of the fun extras. Also, great for jotting quick ideas down for a later post.

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Follower Tracker:

12. Followers - I actually couldn’t find the link on desktop, but this is the one I use. I recommend only checking like once a month, not too much. Good for getting rid of those “follow - unfollower” type accounts just to monitor your numbers a bit. But, word of caution, do not do a mass unfollow, IG does not like that and you might get a temporary block for doing it.

**Please, be careful when downloading an app like this, I use a paid, hoping it reduces the risk that it’s just a phishing scheme to get my login information. But, because of that, I also recommend you make sure to have your 2 Step-Factor Authorization through IG step-up. Protect yourself.

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Closed Captioning:

Nearly half of users have their phones on silent while scrolling through the app, you need captions. Also, captions are also a good idea for the normal CC accessibility reasons. It’s highly recommended you add captions to your Story videos.

13. Threads - (Newer App) This app is actually meant to be more like Marco Polo App, but you can use it to record your video. Have it add captions and then download the video, wha-la.

14. Clipomatic - I believe this app only has a paid option, but it’s also great for captioning if you aren’t wanting to type it out yourself. It’s possible to also edit miscaptioning.

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And Of Course! INSTAGRAM! (#15)

The app it’s self has made huge improvements! You don’t really need to even use their extrenal Boomerang app anymore! Their analytics are fantastic and FREE (unlike pricy other apps). You can do a ton in the app, filters, polls…etc. The great thing to, is IG rewards use! Rewards those that use all it’s features, so give them all a try!

Do you have a favorite app to help you with your IG needs that I missed? Let me know! Love to hear it and try it!

The Pros and the Cons of Instagram’s New Feature

Last Week, Instagram started rolling out a new Reels feature. As an alternative to Tik Tok, it features 15 second clips to which you can add effects, music, and text. You’re able to use new or old content, or even repurposed Tik Tok content. Video is KING right now (sorry T.I.) so the more little nuggets you can put out there, the better! IG Reels can be posted to your story, your feed, or in the explore section, so cross-posting is simple.

Sounds almost too good to be true, so let’s break it down. Here are some pros and cons of choosing Instagram Reels over Tik Tok

PRO: The longevity of Reels is much longer. While stories and live videos will disappear after 24 hours, Reels can live on infinitely within your feed, your Reels section, and can always be regenerated on the Explore page

PRO: You already have Instagram! Or at least, I’ll assume you do if you’ve been following along with me for awhile! That means you don’t have to download anything new and you won’t have to dive into the abyss of Tik Tok. Slimming down media account makes management of them so much easier. This is one new account you won’t even need!

CON: The creative options are much more limited on Reels than Tik Tok. But, since this is a brand new feature, we can pretty much assume it’ll become more robust as the bugs get worked out. There’s also a work-around of creating on Tik Tok but re-posting on Reels, as long as you’ve worked within the 15 second allotment.

PRO: Less saturation means you’re more likely to be seen! There are so many benefits of becoming an early adopter - and here’s your chance. The less users there are means your Reel is more apt to be pushed to the top. Jump on board fast and see your engagements grow as all eyes are on you! The early adopter phase doesn’t ever last too long, so start exploring Reels now before everyone’s doing it.

CON: As of post time, there is no feature to use photos in Reels, only video. This could be one of the features that gets added on as the platform grows, though, so it’s certainly not a deal-breaker.

CON: The feature is too new to have cracked the code of its algorithm. So, stick with the norm - descriptive text, hashtags, and a call to action. It’ll also be helpful to cross-post everywhere (feed, stories, explore) until we know just have to best leverage Reels.

Remember that each section of your Instagram can (and should) be utilized for a specific and unique purpose. Your feed shows the carefully curated photos of yourself and your business. Stories should be a behind the scenes peek at your life, all those perfect imperfections and silly moments. Reels can be utilized as your self-promotional feed, showcasing your product and brand.

Reels will not differ much from your Feed-focused posts. Both your Feed and your Reels should always do three things - educate, inspire, and entertain. Your Reels should add in a fourth - Showcase. Video is the easiest and best way to showcase your biz with a quick nugget of info.

Need a few content ideas? I got you.

• Tutorials or demos of your product

• Business tip or tricks

• Testimonials - ask your clients to record a quick testimonial, or read it yourself! You could also use text with a song over it.

It’s time to jump in and show your face! Video help people connect and identify with you. Stay on brand, focus on your offerings, and HAVE FUN!

What will your first Reel be about?

Last year I was honored to be on the Photospark Podcast with Kate and Julie to talk all things Instagram!

You can listen to that show:

On their website

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Show notes written by Photospark:

If you’ve been in business for awhile, you’ll know how often marketing methods change. When I first started, search engines were really the only way people would find your business. If you weren’t paying for advertising, chances are you were struggling a bit. Then Facebook added business pages and that became the new place to be to nab new clients. Now, Instagram seems to be the way to go! Is anyone else here having a hard time growing your Instagram following? Julie & I have been working on upping our Instagram game lately (have you noticed?? Be sure to follow us!) & couldn’t help but notice friend of the show Melissa McClure’s amazingly successful Instagram account. This girl has 11.2k followers and gets HUNDREDS of likes and comments on her posts. We invited her to join us for a chat about growing your Instagram following!

Key Takeaways

• Follow & Observe. Follow accounts that are doing what you want to be doing. Watch what they do! When do they post? How often do they post? What are their captions like? What type of content seems to be getting engagement? If you can watch and emulate your favorite accounts, you’ll likely be on the right track to growing your Instagram following too!

• Quality over quantity. The most important aspect of Instagram is engagement. You want to have a LOT of likes and comments, and ideally you want to spark conversations in your comment section. Be sure to reply to every single comment you receive; that DOUBLES your comment number just by itself! DMs also count as engagement, so be sure you’re messaging people back when they message you. You should also be messaging others… introduce yourself & let them know what you like about their content! Make sure your captions are fun & add calls to action… it’s the best way to get people to comment!

• Get over your fear of stories & just do them already! We get it… stories are SCARY. The best stories usually involve other people seeing your face, and that’s something most of us are terrified of. Do we have enough makeup on? Is our hair done? Are we a sweaty mess after a 10 hour wedding? NONE of those things matter… what matters is people seeing YOU & getting to know you beyond your images. Stories are a great way for potential & current clients to see glimpses into your personal life and they DON’T CARE if you have makeup on. In fact, the more real you come across, the better!

Melissa has about 30 million more amazing tips during this episode regarding everything from hashtags to sketchy ways to grow your Instagram following, and more. Be sure to tune in to hear the rest!

Also, be sure to check out Melissa at instagram.com/chasingbacklight as well as melissamcclure.com. And if you haven’t heard her previous episodes, you can find them here:

http://photosparkshow.com/episode-10-taxes-are-no-joke/

http://photosparkshow.com/the-other-side-of-the-lens/

Want to know how to get 𝐁𝐎𝐋𝐃 text on Facebook and Instagram?

How about ʇxǝʇ uʍop ǝpısdn?
Or Ⓑⓤⓑⓑⓛⓔ ⓣⓔⓧⓣ?

Have you seen these things and thought 'what secret Myspace html coding shit is this'?

It's actually WAY easier than you would think and I'm going to share the secret! :)

You click this link: https://capitalizemytitle.com/bold-text-generator/

You put in the text you want changed and then copy/paste it to your post! SO simple!

So make your posts 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐎𝐔𝐓 next time by using this effect!

Like this tip? Tell me below! I LⓞⓥE feedback :)

𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐮𝐬 𝐓𝐢𝐩!
If you want to bold a word on FB messenger, simply add an asterisk *before* and *after* the word!

Creating Polarizing and Viral Content

Being controversial and making waves isn’t a bad thing – as long as you stay professional. Repeat after me: don’t be a dick. Being bland is boring. No one wants a feed filled with agreeable content that doesn’t spur conversation, debates, or teachable moments. Presenting lessons or conflict within the realm of your business creates engagement. Your authenticity is key! If you cuss in real life, make it a part of your brand strategy. You won’t be able to please everyone, but why would you want to?! Having an opinion is good and sharing it will attract the right people and repel the bad ones you don’t want following you anyway. In with the good followers, out with the bad.

As long as you’re not a dick.

Be Polarizing

Sharing your opinions seems like a simple thing to do, but the fact of the matter is not everyone is going to agree with you. And that’s exactly why polarizing content can build your followers and your business.

1.      Find what you are passionate about and use your platform to promote it! It could be as big as Black Lives Matter or as small as cleaning up your local pond, but if you’re into it, share it! Opinions are good and you’ve got a platform ready to share yours.

2.      Find something in your industry that is mainstream but you may not totally agree with. For example, in wedding photography, First Looks are the almost standard practice these days. Maybe you prefer the more traditional way of the groom first seeing the bride walking down the aisle. Tell people that!

3.      Don’t fear the backlash. Backlash creates controversy which creates conversation which creates engagement which creates traffic. Backlash can be good! You just need to handle it well and don’t take it personally if someone doesn’t agree with your views.

4.      Be YOU. Unapologetically you. Do you know the best way to stand out in the crowd? By being yourself. I know, it sounds crazy, but no one else is like you. No one else can BE you. It can be scary to put yourself so completely out there, but it gets easier! You’ll find support in your followers and the people that believe and agree with what you’re presenting.

Go Viral

I’m not talking about going VIRAL, viral but exploding within your own audience and target market. We can’t all be Charlie Bit My Finger (but what a classic that is). It’s not about being huge everywhere, it’s about making a splash within your desired demographic.

1.      Play on emotions. FOMO is real and we’ve all gotten it and if you say you haven’t you’re lying. Use it to your advantage! You can also to share a “secret”, reveal something about yourself, be vulnerable, and be real.

2.      Be relevant. Timeliness creates more traffic – try to be the first in your area to post something new. Sticking to your niche and the ideal client will create the followers you want, instead of trying to focus on being viral in the big picture.

3.      Make your post easy to share. Posting in stories is fine, but it’s hard for someone to share it unless they are tagged in it. You can’t exactly tag every follower in stories, so be sure to post in your feed, too! Make it on-brand for yourself, but also tailor it to THEIR brand to make them more likely and willing to share it. An easy way to do this is to create several options for the same post. Change a background, switch out the image, give them a choice in what they share. Things like quick tips or quotes that speak to your audience are always highly shared posts.

4.      See what’s missing in your space and fill the gap. As an example, a few weeks ago I was interested in supporting black-owned businesses and restaurants in my area. When I realized no one had gathered this info, I took the time to research, made a list, and posted it. It ended up becoming a viral post because other people were seeking out this same information!

5.      Quality posts go viral. Blurred images, boring content, and short captions won’t get you far. Using polarizing content, clear images, long captions, and vertical shots with faces will get you more notice. Take your time to create these posts – slapping things together just to put up content will detract from your true goal.

Look, if there’s anything to learn for this, it’s to just be yourself. It can be scary to put yourself out there so completely, but that’s kind of the point. As humans, we recognize and appreciate those who show their flaws and their vulnerability. We are drawn to personal stories and opinions that give us the chance to look inside ourselves or recognize us inside of others.

So be unapologetically you – everyone else is taken.

And also, don’t be a dick.

Building Your Instagram Engagement

Utilizing Instagram to its fullest potential takes some dedication and time every day, but once you develop these habits, you’ll be able to take total advantage of its opportunities! It’s so important to be active 20 minutes before AND after you post. Posting and ghosting won’t bring you business or followers. These additional Instagram secrets will help you create engagement, build relationships, and increase your impressions.

Write Longer Captions
Writing more will allow people to see more of what you’re about. Use this space to educate, entertain, or inspire. Sharing your soul is what will drive people to like, follow, and engage you! Meaningless words generate meaningless posts. Be creative and open – it’s okay to be vulnerable. Don’t forget to include a call to action. Ask your followers their opinion, their stories, and their feelings to form a sense of community.

Show a Face
If your photo shows a face, you’ll see 38% MORE likes! People enjoy seeing other people. Landscapes and food and pretty pictures are totally fine, but if you really want to make an impact, have someone (best option: YOU) in your shot.

Be Consistent
The adage of “quality over quantity” holds true on the ‘gram. Hundreds of sub-par images won’t give you the same results as ten perfect posts. Be selective, be truthful, be yourself in your images and captions and you’ll find you won’t have to be a content farm. You should post in your stories every day to stay fresh, though!

Build Relationships
Slide into those DMs! Send a message to say hi, pay a compliment, learn more about someone. Don’t just drop a sales pitch and run – no one likes that. Potential clients will see through your schtick so be sincere. A slower lead-in to your business is more likely to have to outcome you’re looking for. And you just might get a new friend out of it all.

Alt-Text
Including alternative text (or Alt-text, obviously) is an easy way to improve showings. This specialty caption is used in place of your image in the chance it doesn’t load. More importantly, it’s also used for screen readers, allowing visually impaired users to access your content. Instagram notices these details.

You don’t have to spend hours sifting through the endless posts on Instagram. Using these tips and the ones posted here, you can get solid results in less than an hour every day! How are you going to take advantage of Instagram?

In the Instagram world, hashtags can make or break a post. Using the wrong ones will leave you buried deep never to be seen again; the good ones can send you to the top of the feed. While the truth about the algorithm remains a mystery to everyone who isn’t employed by Instagram, there are still a few tips I can share to help you increase your reach and impressions.

Unfortunately, there isn’t one single solution that will work for everyone. It may take some trial and error to find your perfect results. Tracking your progress and then backtracking is the best idea to figure out the twisted puzzle of hashtags. So, what first?

Find your Ideal Client.

Where do they hang out in Instaworld? What tags are they following? What do they post about? Searching various hashtags and looking through the posts will help you track down your ideal peeps like a bloodhound. It may take some time, but the more familiar you are with these areas, the more success you’ll see. 

Know the Numbers.

There are four groups of numbers that will determine how your tags will behave, who they’ll reach, and how long your post is likely to stick around. These numbers are determined by how many posts have used that hashtag (use the search function to find this number).

• SMALL: 10k-50k posts per tag -- Use 3-5 per post

• MEDIUM: 50k-100k posts per tag -- Use 7-10 per post

• LARGE: 100k-500k posts per tag -- Use 5-8 per post

• X-LARGE: 500k+ posts per tag -- Use 2-3 per post

What I call The Staircase Method uses tags under EACH of the four groups to increase post longevity while showing it to interested viewers. Extra large hashtags will be shown immediately but will be quickly buried under their popularity. Large and Medium hashtags will stick around for about a week and are the sweet spot of hashtags. Those Small tags will stick around much longer as they are used much less frequently and are more of a niche tag that will still get you noticed, but only by a very specific user.

You know what a staircase looks like, I’m not going to draw one for you. But using your imagination, you can see how each level of numbers will continue to lead you upwards. 

Instagram allows for 30 hashtags per post. While you certainly can do 30, be advised Spambots also like to use all the hashtags all the time and you don’t want to be a Spambot. Create different lists of varied hashtags to avoid repeating yourself with every post. Alter the number of tags (20 to 27 is a good range) and the tags themselves in order to not be flagged as a pesky bot. 

Know Where to Tag.

Should you post in the content section? In the first comment? Should you mail them all to your Mom? You do you, Boo. Honestly, it makes no difference if you post the tags as content or as comment; it really comes down to your aesthetic preference. You can even make comments with different tags and delete them once you think they’ve run their course. You should write your Mom though, she’d be happy to hear from you. *wink*

Know the Type. Knowing your focus can help you narrow down the endless number of hashtags. You should always include something from each of these four types:

• Industry

• Ideal Client

• Location

• Combination of these

Your industry tags should be those Extra Large ones with lots of posts, they’re still important. Think #photographer, #wedding, #realestate, etc. Your ideal client tags will go back to my first tip – where are they hanging out and what tags will reach them? Location tags will shrink your focus to your business zone. Think #sandiego or #chicago. Again, those bigger and more popular tags will be fast and fleeting, but they’ll get you into the local area posts. 

Now do some magic and combine ‘em up! Using industry plus a location (#sandiegophotographer, #chicagorealestate) will narrow it down to specific specifics and will increase the likelihood of that ideal client finding you! Mix it up, try new combinations and find the ones the ones that produce the best results!

Save Time.

Using hashtag generators can save you a ton of time in both finding the right tags and posting those tags. No one wants to sit around typing thirty hashtags into every post, so there are apps and sites out there to help you. Most of these programs will offer suggestions, keep your lists saved, and provide insight into the numbers I mentioned earlier. Check out the HishHash app (available for Apple and Android) or you can use the web-based Seekmetrics. There are plenty of other options out there – many social media schedulers also offer this function. You can always go old school and copy/paste tags lists you’ve saved - just be sure to change them up frequently to avoid being flagged as a bot!

Also, if you’ve been seeing a lack of impressions, check to make sure none of the tags you’re using are banned ones. One banned tag in your post will make ALL of your other tags null and void – meaning you are showing up exactly zero times in searches. And that’s sad. 

Final Thoughts.

No, sorry, not a Jerry Springer Show break, but a few last things to mention. Personal Tags won’t bring in post views, but they do help define your brand! Using them adds a sense of identity to your posts that you clients and prospectives will remember – it won’t hurt you, so add a few in! (ie #melissamcclurephotography)

Remember that while the hashtags will bring people in, it’s only quality content that will keep them there. Providing images that are eye-catching and more importantly, that relate to the content, will pique interest and rack up views. Add a call to action, ask a question, and engage!

While hashtags are strange little buggers, these are just a few ways to really utilize them to your best advantage! Happy Tagging! 

xo, Melissa

Increasing your engagement on the ‘gram doesn’t have to take hours out of your day. With these five easy tips, you can expand your followers, comments, and views in under a half hour. Start your social media day spending five minutes with each of these tips and watch your Instagram grow before your coffee gets cold. Or tea. Or beer. Whatever, I don’t judge. 

• Comment on the first five photos in your feed (5 minutes)

• Reply to comments on your posts (5 minutes)

• Go to commenter’s profiles and return the favor (5 minutes)

• Search for relevant hashtags - like and comment (5 minutes)

And if my 3rd grade math is correct - that should total 20 minutes!

Seems too good to be true, doesn’t it? Instagram thrives on engagement and content and utilizing these tricks every day will increase your views and insert you into more relevant feeds and searches.

Set a goal for yourself that every time you open the app to mindlessly scroll or check out what Busy Phillips is doing, comment and like on the first five (non sponsored) posts that show in your feed. These are typically accounts you already engage with anyways but also new to you followers.

Replying to comments, especially in the first 20 minutes of posting, will DOUBLE your engagement. Do this with every comment, on every post, and you’ll see amazing results. You don’t have to write your life story with every comment back, a simple emoji to show you’ve read it can sometimes be enough. Your followers will appreciate your presence. I also recommend engaging 20 minutes prior to posting, but that’s not the point of this blog!

Notice a commenter you’ve never seen before? Go check them out! Like their most recent posts, comment on a few, and follow back if they are of true interest to you. You don’t have to follow everyone – keep your feed clear of clutter and only add people you want to see more from or that you’d like to build a relationship with.

You can actually follow hashtag groupings like you would another profile! Follow ones that your idea client hangs out on, it exposes you to new accounts and integrates super easy in to your feed.

What’s your favorite hashtag to use?

Follow me on Instagram for more fun tips!

xo, Melissa