Do you want to run an Instagram page for your business or blog? It’s not as easy as it looks.
Coming up with an image, caption and hashtags that will generate attention and engagement can be difficult – but it’s not impossible. Here’s a short 3-part guide to growing your Instagram page.
Your Content
It isn’t hard to tell good looking content apart from the crowd of Instagram posts. Do a simple search for any hashtag and there’s bound to be a few posts that stand out. The most important thing when taking an image for Instagram is to have a vision, don’t just take images randomly. Have an idea in your mind before shooting an image. It can be tough, especially if you’re coming up with a new post every day. To get past this, look to the discover feature, or even browse Pinterest to find inspiration for that next post. You may learn a lot simply by looking at the work of others.
There are a few things to keep in mind when posting on Instagram.
#1. Your posts should be visually consistent. By keeping a running color scheme throughout your posts, your feed looks clean and professional.
#2. By uploading multiple images as a carousel can increase exposure and engagement. If a follower scrolls past your first image in a carousel without liking, the next time they refresh their feed, your second image will be shown for another chance to gain a like or comment.
#3. You should post frequently. By every day or two, the Instagram algorithm will give your posts more visibility to the community and in turn help grow your channel.
#4. Don’t add large amounts text within your image – save it for the caption. Instagram is for images first, text second. Studies show that adding a lot of text to your images lowers engagement.
#5. Don’t over-edit. Try to avoid using Instagram’s filters. Instead, edit your photos manually using the tools in Instagram. If you’re more tech savvy, consider learning Adobe Lightroom to edit your images more professionally.
Your Caption
Your caption should be just as interesting as your image, put thought into it. A caption can form the relation between you and your customer, give more insight into your post, or showcase your values and beliefs. Captions are often more difficult to execute than the image itself and a bit of creativity will help. Look to influencers or businesses to find inspiration. Often times Instagram pages have recurring theme or message that underlies all their posts.
Using a call-to-action in your caption is another great way to drive engagement on your post. Users are more likely to engage with you when you give them something to comment on. Asking a simple question, telling people to vote, or even asking them to tag a friend who would like your post is a great way to get people talking, and increase your visibility.
Once you get people answering your call-to-action, reply to the audience. Try to start a meaningful conversation with individuals to make a genuine connection. After all, people want to feel like there’s a real person behind your page. Let your personality shine through and show them why they should be a follower.
Your Hashtags
Hashtags are huge factor in the initial success of your post. Without using hashtags, your posts could go unnoticed to anyone that isn’t following you. Instagram allows for up to 30 hashtags, I recommend using all 30 for each of your posts. By doing so you increase your chances of getting noticed through Instagram’s ‘discover’ feature. Here’s a couple of tricks for getting the most out of your hashtags.
#1. Make hashtags relevant to your post. Some pages use hashtags that get frequent likes due to their popularity (#art, #funny, etc.) even if they have no relevance their post. This strategy may seem appealing to boost the likes on your post but will cause your page to suffer in the long run. By adding relevant hashtags to your post, you’re making sure it will reach people who are interested in your page’s topic.
#2. Diversify your hashtags. To optimize your post’s engagement, use hashtags that have different levels of popularity. By having an even amount of popular, moderate, and less popular hashtags, you will increase the probability of gaining likes, comments, and followers. Popular, relevant hashtags can help your post gain likes and comments quickly. Moderately popular post will generate engagement less quickly but will appear on the hashtag feed for longer. Less common, more specific hashtags will drive engagement slowly but are more likely to attract targeted users who are looking for exactly what your post is about.
Tip: To save yourself some time, have a list of 15 hashtags that are relevant to all the posts on your page. Use those hashtags for every post and come up with the remaining 15 hashtags based on the specific post.
By following this simple guide, you can step up your Instagram game and grow your account to reach more interested, engaged users. Remember creativity, consistency, and being genuine is key.
Daily Minute Master Series – April 26, 2019
/by Corey PadveenSocial Media
Facebook Stories Have 500 Million Daily Users, 3 Million Advertisers
Facebook stories have now reached 500 million daily active users, up from the 300 million daily actives reported in September. In addition to this milestone, COO Sheryl Sandberg announced that the stories format is growing amongst advertisers as well. Impressions from stories ads were the largest contributing factor to overall impression growth in Q1 2019. Advertisers are moving towards stories ads so quickly that it’s causing a decline in the average price per ad since they’re sold at a lower price than feed ads. Facebook’s effort to push the stories format seems to be paying off with users and advertisers. With all of the privacy concerns surrounding Facebook lately, it’s interesting to see more people using a temporary form of content.
For the full article click here
LinkedIn Engagement Continues to Rise, According to Latest Update from Microsoft
This week, Microsoft released its FY19 Q3 results, which showed that, LinkedIn has continued to see rising levels of on-platform engagement. Microsoft reports that LinkedIn’s revenue has increased by 27% for the quarter, while the platform continues to see ‘record levels of engagement’, with on-platform sessions growing by 24%. LinkedIn engagement is rising, with algorithm and functional improvements keeping more users on platform for longer, and prompting more to check back with the app more regularly. That’s important to note for digital marketers. With many businesses looking to offset the steady declines in Facebook reach, other platforms are getting more focus. LinkedIn looks to be capitalizing on this by rolling out improvements quickly and providing new options for company page updates.
For the full article click here
Marketing
Still have active destination URLs in Bing Ads? It’s time to migrate to final URLs
If you have any older campaigns running on Bing Ads, now’s a good time to double check if you have any lingering standard text ads and destination URLs still active. You won’t be able to create new destination URLs as of August, and by the end of the year, destination URLs will be phased out entirely, the company announced Thursday. You’ll need to convert any standard text ads to expanded text ads (select Edit from the Ads tab in the web interface) and put your landing page URL in the Final URL field. If you aren’t running any legacy standard text ads anymore, you probably won’t have to take any action — but still better safe to check. Expanded text ads offer more characters than the old standard text ads, and can now include three headlines and two description lines. The benefit of Final URLs is that separating the tracking parameters from the URL makes it possible to update tracking across multiple URLs once and changes to tracking templates don’t require ads to go back for editorial review.
For the full article click here
DuckDuckGo is Google’s Only Competitor to Gain Organic Search Share in Q1 2019
DuckDuckGo’s organic search growth is outpacing other search engines, with particularly strong gains reported in mobile search. On mobile devices, DuckDuckGo’s organic search visits are up 78% year-over-year. Overall search visits are up 54%. By comparison, Google’s total organic search visits fell 2% year-over-year in Q1 2019. However, Google’s mobile search visits grew 6%. Bing and Yahoo saw either neutral or negative growth in Q1 2019. This data was revealed in Merkle’s Q1 2019 Digital Marketing Report, which also includes statistics about paid search, social, and Amazon ads.
For the full article click here
Daily Minute Master Series – April 25, 2019
/by Corey PadveenSocial Media
LinkedIn’s Testing a New ‘Services’ Listing on Profiles to Help Freelancers
LinkedIn is testing a new option which would enable users to fill in a ‘Services’ section, which could be particularly helpful for freelancers who are looking showcase what they do, and connect with companies looking for the same. The new field asks users to ‘Add services you offer’, once added, the listing would give profiles visitors a better idea of exactly which services you can facilitate, while you would also, presumably, show up in relevant on-platform searches for freelancers in your field. The features would add yet another element to LinkedIn’s growing professional services offering. In recent months, LinkedIn has been putting more focus on maximizing its user data, and helping users find the right matches, both for recruiters and job seekers.
For the full article click here
10% of Twitter Users are Creating 80% of Tweets
A study on Twitter usage among US adults finds a disproportionate amount of users are responsible for the greatest share of tweets. Findings from the study are based on survey responses from 2,791 US adult Twitter users. The study finds that 80% of all tweets published by people in the US are from 10% of users. By comparison, the median user tweets just twice each month. The study indicates the 10% most active users are more likely to be women. Data shows that they follow, and are followed by, significantly more accounts than less active Twitter users. Pew’s research was conducted on Nov. 21, 2018, through Dec. 17, 2018, among 2,791 US adult Twitter users
For the full article click here
Marketing
Google updates Custom Search mobile layout
Google’s Custom Search is presenting users with a new mobile layout. The features getting a refreshed look include the search box and refinements, thumbnails and pagination. The changes mostly affect mobile searchers but some of the updates have been extended to desktop as well. Giving mobile users a fluid experience is crucial to converting — especially when they’re trying to locate something specific on your site. The updated Custom Search layout is a step towards providing that, which may also help improve behavioral success metrics. Sites that monetize using AdSense search ads (which must be configured to add a Custom Search Engine to your site) may also stand to earn more from mobile traffic.
For the full article click here
Shopify Debuts a New Hardware Kit for Merchants to Fine-Tune Their Retail Experience
Starting today, merchants that want to branch out into a bricks-and-clicks model can buy a suite of new Shopify hardware tools: a tap and chip reader, dock and retail stand. Prices for the individual tools start at $39, and the whole kit costs $229. Other than paying for the hardware, Shopify merchants won’t see any extra charges to their plans. It isn’t Shopify’s first foray into hardware for brick and mortar, but it’s an upgrade to some of the company’s previous products. Shopify’s new retail kit arrives about a month after Square announced its improved Square Online Store and the new Square for retail, two different offerings to help merchants facilitate an easier bricks-and-clicks model.
For the full article click here
Daily Minute Master Series – April 24, 2019
/by Corey PadveenSocial Media
Instagram Officially Launches Quiz Stickers for Instagram Stories
The new Quiz Stickers provide another way to generate engagement with your Stories, and prompt feedback from your audience in a simple, interactive way. Instagram also has poll stickers, which it launched in 2017, and really, the quiz sticker option is pretty similar. But it adds more of a fun, competitive element, giving users an option to get the right answer and feel a sense of achievement, as opposed to just providing feedback. That could make it a good option for sharing insights into how your company operates, what processes or materials you use, tests on industry trends, and more.
For the full article click here
Byte, the Follow-Up to Vine, Begins Sending Out Beta Invites
Byte, a reboot of Vine from the same creator, has sent out the first 100 invites to its closed beta. The app is simply described as a “looping video app,” and is expected to function the way Vine used to. Vine has managed to maintain an avid fanbase since being shut town by Twitter over two years ago. The launch of Byte will certainly benefit from its built-in audience of former Vine users. However, since Vine was shut down, a new king has claimed the short-form video throne, Tik Tok. The momentum of TikTok cannot be understated, as it’s rapidly becoming the app of choice among Gen Z users. If Byte can attract older age groups then there’s a real opportunity to compete.
For the full article click here
Snap Inc. Reports Improved Usage and Revenue in Q1 ’19 Update
In its Q1 2019 update, Snap has reported a slight increase in active users, and an increase in revenue, which, at least in part, is attributable to its improved Android app. First off, on users – Snapchat is now being used by 190 million people every day, a slight increase on the previous quarter, though still down on it’s 191 million DAU peak. Snapchat officially launched its new, faster Android experience earlier this month, this is crucial because many people in markets outside North America use Android devices, and thus far, they haven’t been able to get the full Snap experience. The improvement in Android performance most crucially relates to India, a nation of 1.37 billion consumers, and currently Instagram’s second-biggest market. Android is the most used mobile operating system in India, holding around 90% of the Indian market. But more than just raw numbers, Snap continues to perform well in younger segments. Snap says that its core app now reaches “90% of all 13-24 year-olds and 75% of all 13-34 year-olds in the U.S.” Even with the increased competition from Instagram, Snap has been able to maintain its allure with younger audiences, a big tick in its favor. On other elements, Snap also says that it’s expanded is Discover content offerings to “more than 450 premium content channels worldwide”. Snap has also doubled the number of non-US partners it’s working with, and launched over 50 new shows and Publisher Stories in international markets.
For the full article click here
Marketing
Google starts showing more images in web search results
Multiple tools that track the Google search results have been showing an increase in the percentage of time that Google shows image results in the core web search results. The image search result box that is sometimes shown in the main search results is now showing up for 1/3rd of all queries according to some reports. Google has been hinting that SEOs should be focusing a bit more on image search over the past few months. Now with Google showing even more image search boxes in the main search results — Google Images may be another source of traffic to your web site that you don’t want to miss out on. Make sure to optimize your images for Google Image search!
For the full article click here
Daily Minute Master Series – April 23, 2019
/by Corey PadveenMarketing
Amazon and Google Release Free, Ad-Supported Music Streaming on Their Respective Smart Speakers
Amazon and Google announced free, ad-supported music streaming on their respective smart speakers on Thursday. That means Echo owners in the U.S. can “listen to an ad-supported selection of top playlists and stations for free with Amazon Music” even if they don’t have a Prime membership or a subscription to its paid offering, Amazon Music Unlimited. Similarly, Google’s equivalent, YouTube Music, has a free, ad-supported streaming service on Google Home and other speakers with Google Assistant. Both platforms also offer subscription services for ad-free music. Prime members have access to more than 2 million songs and “thousands of playlists and stations” while YouTube offers Music Premium for $9.99 a month and allows users to play music on demand, along with unlimited skips, replays and downloads for offline listening. News of Amazon’s plans for the service first came out last week, prompting some speculation as to if it will pave the way for more ads on voice-enabled devices.
For the full article click here
Advertising
Google takes baby steps to monetize Google Assistant, Google Home
Google is starting to insert paid-search ads into Assistant results on Android smartphones; it’s also starting to monetize Google Home “traffic” as well. In February, Google started testing ads in Assistant results on the phone. Then in early April, Google officially introduced ads in situations where there are web search results (vs. answers). Last week Google also decided to give Google Home smart speaker owners access to the free version of YouTube Music, which is ad-supported. The premium version without ads is $9.99 per month. The ad-supported version of YouTube Music is currently available on Google Home or other Google Assistant-powered smart speakers in North America, Western Europe, Japan and Australia. Google is exposing a subset of local listings in response to queries for local service providers on Google Home and Google Assistant. There are currently no ads returned for these queries. However, merchants must be certified through the Google Guarantee program (previously only available with Local Services Ads) or via Google partners Porch or HomeAdvisor. As the recent inclusion of ads in Assistant results on Android phones indicates, Google does intend to generate ad revenue from the Assistant and Google Home. Marketers should expect Google to test and introduce more advertising options for Assistant-powered devices by next year at the latest.
For the full article click here
New Google smart bidding signals coming: price competitiveness, seasonality for Shopping campaigns
Google’s automated smart bidding algorithms can take many signals into account at the time of each auction — device information, search query, location, etc. Soon, it will add more signals to that list for App and Shopping campaigns, according to a help page. Price competitiveness and seasonality will each soon be factors for Shopping campaigns. When this update rolls out, Google may optimize bids based on a product’s price compared to its auction competitors. Low prices, deals and discounts will influence automated bids. As more signals get incorporated into smart bidding, it should theoretically make the bids “smarter,” yet the issue of transparency becomes even more muddled as it becomes harder for advertisers to parse which factors are having the greatest influence on their ultimate bids and results.
For the full article click here
Spotify, Oracle Data Cloud Partner To Let Marketers Target Auto Buyers
The streaming music service Spotify and the technology giant Oracle are partnering to help automotive marketers more efficiently target potential car buyers. Spotify will integrate with Oracle Data Cloud to let marketers build custom audiences for car buyers for every stage of the buying cycle and across every car segment. Oracle Data Cloud’s solutions can be paired with Spotify’s first-party data to find and target potential buyers. Spotify is leaning into its natural relationship to cars, with users streaming music during their commutes and creating road-trip playlists. In fact, the company says analysis from Oracle Data Cloud duding Fata from Polk Measurement at IHS Markit found that Spotify users bought cars at a rate 26% higher than the national average in 2018.
For the full article click here
Daily Minute Master Series – April 22, 2019
/by Corey PadveenSocial Media
Instagram Tests Hiding Like Counts to Reduce Focus on Vanity Metrics
Instagram is experimenting with the removal of like counts from posts, with only the creator able to see their total number of likes. It’s an interesting experiment – Instagram, in particular, has become known for the way in which users focus on portraying a perfect image of themselves, often distorting reality for the sake of likes and shares. Various studies have also linked Instagram usage to mental health concerns. According to a survey conducted in 2017, Instagram is “the worst social media network for mental health and wellbeing”, with the platform contributing to higher levels of anxiety and depression, among other issues. Given the evidence, it is worth the experiment – if Instagram can somehow reduce the emphasis on portraying only your best moments, that’s something to be encouraged.
For the full article click here
Snapchat’s New Creator Profiles are Now Appearing in the App
Some users have now reported seeing the new format of profile in the app, with influencers being given a different layout that appears when you tap on their profile name and/or image. Over the course of its existence, Snapchat has, for the most part, insisted that influencers should not get special treatment. Snap’s mission is to connect friends, and in that respect, it’s put a premium on “authenticity”, and treating everyone equally, regardless of their perceived status. But over time, Snap’s neglect of influencers has become problematic. For prominent users, social media has become their job, it is how they grow their personal brands, forge revenue partnerships and expand their footprint. The Creator Profiles are another way that Snap could look to improve on this front. At the Snap Partner Summit, the company showcased how Creator Profiles would be used to better promote digital artists who post new Lenses and visual tools. It may not seem like much, but this is a critical element for Snapchat’s future growth. Snapchat needs to improve on this front – and evidence would suggest that it is – but with other platforms offering better, more evolved influencer programs, Snap needs to work harder to maintain a better connection, and provide improved opportunities.
For the full article click here
Marketing
Google Posts can now highlight customer testimonials in some countries
Google has announced that Google Posts in select countries now supports the ability to highlight customer testimonials. Specifically reviews with 4 to 5 stars can showcase positive reviews left for your business. Google Posts are an excellent way to bring more visibility to your Google local listings in Google Maps and Google web search. It helps you showcase your business, highlight deals, new ideas, events and so much more. It is worthwhile for local businesses to check out Google Posts and now, with this new feature, you may be able to highlight your happy customers!
For the full article click here
AMP WordPress plugin now supports Stories
Google has just brought AMP Stories support to WordPress publishers via its latest AMP plugin update. Publishers looking to create AMP Stories will need to have the latest version of the Gutenberg plugin installed since the Stories editor relies on features not included in core versions of WordPress. Gutenberg is a page editor created by WordPress to make adding multimedia content simpler. It’s required to create AMP Stories because it makes use of Gutenberg’s rich media management architecture. Enabling AMP Stories to be created via a plugin allows content marketers and producers to take advantage of its visually rich, interactive format without the technical barriers of learning HTML, CSS and JavaScript.
For the full article click here
Advertising on Facebook vs Instagram
/by Corey PadveenWhen using Facebook’s ad platform, advertisers have the option of displaying ads on Facebook, Instagram, or both.
It may be confusing when deciding which ads should go on which platform. Today I’m going to focus on choosing between Facebook and Instagram for your next ad campaign.
What they have in common:
Facebook and Instagram share the Facebook ad platform and therefore have many commonalities when it comes to advertising. For both Instagram and Facebook, advertisers have the option to create 4 kinds of ads: image, video, carousel, and slideshow among others. They can also track engagement, click through rate, page likes/follows, reach, views, and conversions on both platforms.
Despite giving advertisers the ability to target by age, location, and plenty of interests among other metrics, the ad platform has removed some key features. After the Cambridge Analytica scandal of 2018, Facebook removed third-party targeting abilities such as targeting by income, buyer behavior, health profiles, cars, they drive, and more. The loss of these key features lowers the platform’s advertising abilities however there is still plenty of targeting data available to work with.
Facebook’s advantages:
Given Facebook’s longevity, the platform has a high active user count. With over 2 billion monthly active users, no matter what target audience you desire, it surely exists on Facebook. The platform boasts high video engagement and is currently focusing integrating video ads to their Facebook Watch section of the platform. In terms ad style, Facebook ads can be informative and include text. As for the demographic of Facebook, the platform is seeing a shift from a younger demographic of 18-29, to an older demographic of 30-49. As for the younger demographic, more and more of them as switching to Instagram.
Instagram’s advantages:
Instagram has grown quickly in the past few years reaching 1 billion monthly active users in 2018. According to Pew Research Center 55% of 18-29 year-olds who use the internet are on Instagram. This is a promising platform for anyone who wishes to target a younger demographic with high disposable income. The Instagram platform is known to have users that engage frequently with content. When it comes to the style of ads on Instagram, the focus should be on the visuals first. Users come to Instagram to view images, not to read a novel. The audience will not be responsive to ads that are text heavy.
Facebook or Instagram?
Is one platform better than the other? Both platforms have their benefits, and the type of campaign you wish to run should determine which platform makes sense for you. For campaigns that are meant to inform and/or target an older audience, use Facebook. When it comes to a campaign with a short, actionable message and/or a younger audience, try Instagram.
Can Snapchat’s Recent Changes Save the Platform?
/by Corey PadveenSince its IPO launch in March 2017, Snapchat has been struggling with user growth and revenue which has been reflected in their stock price.
Over the past month, Snapchat introduced a few new features to the app as an attempt to grow their increase revenue and grow their audience.
In mid-March, Snapchat announced it would be creating a dedicated gaming platform for Snap users. Using artificial reality, users will be able to play games in which non-existent objects could be seen in the real world through the camera of their phone. Given the younger demographic that uses Snapchat, focusing on a new gaming platform makes sense for Snap and could create a new revenue stream for Snapchat from both ads and in-game purchases. This feature should be available as of mid-April 2019 and will be interesting to see how Snapchat integrates this new idea into the app. So, despite the inability to grow their user base, Snapchat is still finding new ways to grow revenue.
Snapchat has also been testing new features with their “Snap Map” to give users an easier way to meet up with friends. According to Social Media Today, this feature would allow users to check-into locations on their map and invite their friends to meet them through an open-invite system. Snapchat wants to focus on creating meaningful relationships through the app. This may give users another incentive to use the app and may increase overall engagement – a problem Snapchat has been facing frequently. Privacy, however, may come as a concern given the potential for anyone on a user’s friends list to access the user’s precise location through Snapchat. Given the younger demographic on the platform, this seems like an odd move for the company considering their settings automatically share a user’s location with their entire friends’ list by default.
To increase its visibility into other apps, Snapchat has also launched a new way for users to share their story and their Bitmoji in other social platforms. In terms of stories, the company has partnered with platforms such as Tinder and Houseparty which will now let users share their stories on these apps. This is an interesting move from Snapchat given that their stories concept was stolen by both Instagram and Facebook. By allowing other platforms to take advantage of Snapchat stories, it may prevent other companies from creating their own version of stories and instead, partnering with Snapchat. With Tinder’s older demographic, and Houseparty’s younger demographic, these two companies seem like a great mix for their initial “App Stories” partnership. As for Bitmoji, Snap has announced partnerships with both Venmo and FitBit which would integrate users Bitmoji character into these external apps. This is a great way that Snapchat can increase its brand awareness.
Despite these recent changes made to Snapchat, the company still faces one problem: its user base isn’t growing. These changes may be enough to keep users interested in the app however they don’t seem like enough of an incentive to attract new users to the app. Given the nature of the app, Snapchat lacks the ability to discover other profiles easily. The app needs a permanent place for users to display their images and videos which can then be discovered by other users.
Until Snapchat can learn to create a community within their app, they will continue to face growth issues and fall short of expectations. Increasing revenue streams is a temporary solution and will only work for so long. Snapchat will eventually be forced to find a solution to their underlying issue of growth and should place a greater emphasis on this problem rather than their next quarterly report.
A 3-Part Guide to Growing Your Instagram Page
/by Corey PadveenDo you want to run an Instagram page for your business or blog? It’s not as easy as it looks.
Coming up with an image, caption and hashtags that will generate attention and engagement can be difficult – but it’s not impossible. Here’s a short 3-part guide to growing your Instagram page.
Your Content
It isn’t hard to tell good looking content apart from the crowd of Instagram posts. Do a simple search for any hashtag and there’s bound to be a few posts that stand out. The most important thing when taking an image for Instagram is to have a vision, don’t just take images randomly. Have an idea in your mind before shooting an image. It can be tough, especially if you’re coming up with a new post every day. To get past this, look to the discover feature, or even browse Pinterest to find inspiration for that next post. You may learn a lot simply by looking at the work of others.
There are a few things to keep in mind when posting on Instagram.
#1. Your posts should be visually consistent. By keeping a running color scheme throughout your posts, your feed looks clean and professional.
#2. By uploading multiple images as a carousel can increase exposure and engagement. If a follower scrolls past your first image in a carousel without liking, the next time they refresh their feed, your second image will be shown for another chance to gain a like or comment.
#3. You should post frequently. By every day or two, the Instagram algorithm will give your posts more visibility to the community and in turn help grow your channel.
#4. Don’t add large amounts text within your image – save it for the caption. Instagram is for images first, text second. Studies show that adding a lot of text to your images lowers engagement.
#5. Don’t over-edit. Try to avoid using Instagram’s filters. Instead, edit your photos manually using the tools in Instagram. If you’re more tech savvy, consider learning Adobe Lightroom to edit your images more professionally.
Your Caption
Your caption should be just as interesting as your image, put thought into it. A caption can form the relation between you and your customer, give more insight into your post, or showcase your values and beliefs. Captions are often more difficult to execute than the image itself and a bit of creativity will help. Look to influencers or businesses to find inspiration. Often times Instagram pages have recurring theme or message that underlies all their posts.
Using a call-to-action in your caption is another great way to drive engagement on your post. Users are more likely to engage with you when you give them something to comment on. Asking a simple question, telling people to vote, or even asking them to tag a friend who would like your post is a great way to get people talking, and increase your visibility.
Once you get people answering your call-to-action, reply to the audience. Try to start a meaningful conversation with individuals to make a genuine connection. After all, people want to feel like there’s a real person behind your page. Let your personality shine through and show them why they should be a follower.
Your Hashtags
Hashtags are huge factor in the initial success of your post. Without using hashtags, your posts could go unnoticed to anyone that isn’t following you. Instagram allows for up to 30 hashtags, I recommend using all 30 for each of your posts. By doing so you increase your chances of getting noticed through Instagram’s ‘discover’ feature. Here’s a couple of tricks for getting the most out of your hashtags.
#1. Make hashtags relevant to your post. Some pages use hashtags that get frequent likes due to their popularity (#art, #funny, etc.) even if they have no relevance their post. This strategy may seem appealing to boost the likes on your post but will cause your page to suffer in the long run. By adding relevant hashtags to your post, you’re making sure it will reach people who are interested in your page’s topic.
#2. Diversify your hashtags. To optimize your post’s engagement, use hashtags that have different levels of popularity. By having an even amount of popular, moderate, and less popular hashtags, you will increase the probability of gaining likes, comments, and followers. Popular, relevant hashtags can help your post gain likes and comments quickly. Moderately popular post will generate engagement less quickly but will appear on the hashtag feed for longer. Less common, more specific hashtags will drive engagement slowly but are more likely to attract targeted users who are looking for exactly what your post is about.
Tip: To save yourself some time, have a list of 15 hashtags that are relevant to all the posts on your page. Use those hashtags for every post and come up with the remaining 15 hashtags based on the specific post.
By following this simple guide, you can step up your Instagram game and grow your account to reach more interested, engaged users. Remember creativity, consistency, and being genuine is key.
Creating an Effective Backlink Outreach Strategy
/by Stephen PadveenOver the years, backlinks have become an increasingly important element of SEO.
The organic nature of these links is crucial because it represents independent, third-party confidence in the content to which the link connects.
The Importance of Backlinks
Search engines see these links as legitimate confirmation of your content, and worthwhile and valuable in the eyes of potential customers or interested parties. As a result, search engines make the logical determination that your content is likely worthy of a higher-ranking position than, say, your competitor’s site with no backlinks.
In a perfect world, all of your third-party backlinks would come from high traffic, high-authority sites but in the real world these links are hard to come by unless you have something of real value or interest for these sites to share with their audience. For that reason, you shouldn’t discount less authoritative sites that have a good following and an engaged audience as part of your strategy to generate exposure that can lead to larger sites linking to you.
Granted, there are many other factors that come into play with respect to actual SERP and backlinks alone won’t get you to page one of Google but overall, backlinks will positively impact your ranking position. However, generating these valuable backlinks requires a clear plan and a well-defined outreach strategy.
Creating Your Backlink Outreach Strategy
Identifying Your Targets
Generating effective backlinks from third-party partners takes a commitment of time and resources. To begin, you’ll need to identify a series of sites that rank well for the keywords you are targeting. You’ll want to analyze other pages, blogs etc. that link to that site and determine how and why their information was worth linking to. A combination of manual search combined with the backlink identification features found in tools like SEM Rush or MOZ will deliver the best results when it comes to creating your own outreach targets and strategy.
The Outreach Approach
Once you’ve identified the sites you’d like to connect with, there are a number of key steps to follow if you want your outreach to be seen and given serious consideration. Without a clear plan of action, the likelihood of receiving a reply from your outreach efforts is slim at best.
When you reach out to a potential partner, be clear about who you are, the research that leads you to contact them, and why your proposal is good for both parties. An email that asks for a backlink only benefitting your site will end up in the trash folder every time.
It should be inherently obvious that if you are a fashion retailer you probably shouldn’t be reaching out to a car dealership to ask for a backlink, but many businesses take this approach – just reach out to as many web sites as possible and ask for a link. Keep in mind that Google analyzes your backlinks and they’ll know if the links make sense for the target audience or if they are more spammy in nature.
Take the time to determine the best way to communicate with the site you are trying to reach. Don’t just send a templated email to “info@” because it’s fast and easy. Figure out if the company uses a contact form or perhaps LinkedIn or social channel outreach are the way to go. You’ll see much better results with a personal approach.
If you are reaching out to a potential backlink partner, be sure to include all of your relevant contact details (email, phone, LinkedIn profile, social channel links) thereby making it easier for them to reply and verify the legitimacy of your request. And make sure your contact details are consistent. If you are connecting by email, make sure the business URL is the same as your email address and that all of your other contact details follow suit.
Overall, be genuine and transparent in your outreach. Start small and build credibility before moving on to bigger targets where you can then show proof of how your backlink program has been beneficial to both you and your partners.
Google Moves Into Real-Time Translation
/by Corey PadveenGoogle Assistant now offers the ability to translate conversations in real time. What’s next?
Google is no stranger to futurist initiatives. They have been consistently leading the way when it comes to artificial intelligence and virtual assistant technology. Recently, Google announced that Google Assistant will offer real-time translation capabilities for 27 languages. That on its own is pretty impressive. But when you think about what the applications are for this kind of development, it can lead to a major boost in Google’s Android platform edge over the competition.
Real-Time Translation
According to The Verge, “You’ll be able to say things like, ‘Hey, Google, help me speak French,’ or ‘Hey, Google, be my French interpreter,’ and Google Assistant will show text across a smart display that translates your words as you speak. Afterward, it will open the microphone for the second person to be able to speak in their language and words will be translated across the screen at the same time. Google Assistant also plays back the words in your native tongue.”
This is a big step towards real-time translation in speech, and that is where Android has the potential to further its position as the top mobile software platform in the marketplace today.
Real-Time Conversation Translation
Once Google opens up calls through Assistant with the ability to implement translation, users on both ends of the call will be able to have a full conversation in their native tongues while hearing responses in their preferred language. Skype unveiled a similar function, but if Google does it right, they will blow Microsoft’s attempts at this kind of translation out of the water – easily.
When this will come – and it is almost certain to happen – is still a mystery. But if some traction picks up with the use of these translation services, we can expect to see this new service offered sooner rather than later. The world is getting smaller and Google wants to be at the forefront of that process.