Category: Marketing

Is your Instagram Optimized for Search?

By making a few changes within your Instagram Account and posts will assist in people finding you and attract new followers. Ones that are looking for you, your services and branding.

1) Have a Searchable User Name
Let your user name tell people what you are about. What you do. I have an Instagram account for my photography and I have photographer as part of my user name.

Are you working in a Wellness Industry and are a Yoga Instructor? Wellness and Yoga are two of your keywords and either would be great to use as part of your User Name.

Regardless have your username as one that is searchable. Don’t use irrelevant symbols or made-up words.

2) Have a primary keyword in your display name
You have 30 letters in your display name, add a keyword.

3) Have Keywords in your Bio.
You do want your Bio to read well, but don’t be afraid to let people know what you do.

4) Think of your hashtags as keywords
Hashtags are one of the ways that non-followers will find your content. Don’t feel overwhelmed when you create hashtags. You don’t want to create one hashtag set and always use it. It’s better to create different sets for each different topic.

5) Use Image Alt Text
Did you even know you could add these in Instagram? This is part of an Accessibilty feature of Instagram.

How to edit your alt text
• Before you share your photo, click on the advanced settings tab at the bottom.
• Scroll to the bottom and tap on “write your alt text.”
• Add your image description, save it and share your image.

Other options in the Advance Settings include:
• Turn Off Commenting
• Share Posts to Facebook
• Branded Content

6) Your Image Captions are also Title Tags
When you post, Instagram creates a unique URL. They use the photo’s caption as the title tag. Google will only use the first 60 character so you’ll want to use any relevant keywords at the beginning of the caption.

By making a few changes to the way you use Instagram you can increase your chances of having your target follower/Audience to find your account and posts.

Follow me on Instagram at:
SGAtkinson_Photographer or ShoreToBeFun

What do Your Visitors See?

When a visitor lands on your Facebook page, How Long do you think it takes for them to form an opinion of you?

According to Missouri University of Science and Technology, it takes less than two-tenths of a second for a visitor to form that first opinion. And just another 2.6 seconds for that viewer’s eyes to concentrate in a way that reinforces that first impression.

In less than 3 seconds your online visitor has decided whether they are going to click away or stay to look further.

Your primary pages are your Web site Landing Page, your Facebook Business Page and your Linkedin page.

Many times you don’t have much control on your Web site so for now we’ll talk about Facebook and Linkedin. On both of these there are two (2) key elements that you should have.

1) Your profile picture.

On LinkedIn, since this is Your personal page and not the company you’ll want a good quality headshot. On facebook it should be a good quality photo, but the photo depends on how the page is used for your business. You may want to use the company logo, or a team photo. If you are the face of the company then you’ll want that same type of quality headshot that you used on your LinkedIn page. You will want to use a more businesslike headshot on your LinkedIn page, but the one on Facebook can be a bit more casual.

2) Your cover picture

On both Facebook and LinkedIn you’ll want a quality branded picture or a picture with a short defining statement. It should clearly communicate what your service or product and should resonate with your visitors right away.

On Facebook you’ll want to include these as well.

– Call to Action Button

This is the button on the Right side of the page under the cover picture. This is the action you want them to do when leaving your page. It can be “Call now”, “Learn More”, “Contact Us”, “Send message”, “Visit group”. There are others as well.

– Your business description and contact information

Your “About” name will appear just under your profile picture). Make sure that everything is up-to-date and specifies the area you serve.

There are many things you’ll want to make sure you have on your LinkedIn page. Two of the most important are your Headline and Your Services.

Your services are controlled by LinkedIn and may not have your exact services and have to pick a few.

The Headline is one of the fields LinkedIn uses for searches and you will want to be more specific. Example: if you are a photographer that specializes in destination Weddings, you’ll want to not just say Photographer.

6 Things to Consider: Google My Business

These tips are for those if you are already on Google my Business. If you aren’t the first tip would be GET ON.

1) Be Certain your business is Verified.
Google says, “Verification helps ensure the accuracy of your business information across Google. Verified businesses are twice as likely to be considered reputable by users. Verification also protects you from anyone who might otherwise pose as a representative of your business.”

2) Be Consistent
It is best to have your business name, address and phone number the same that is on your business Web site and other places where it is available to be seen on the Internet. Unfortunately Google My Business doesn’t allow for non-physical addresses, such as PO Boxes.

3) Choose the Correct Category

4) Be certain you have the correct Business Description

5) Is Eveverthing completed?
These would include: Your Business Hours, Product and Services and proper URL since as an Appointment URL, if you have one.

6) Add Photos
Actually you need to think about using photos everywhere, but often one doesn’t think about adding photos to their Google My Business.

6 Things to Consider: How to be Successful During Challenging Times

6 Things to Consider
How to be Successful During Challenging Times

In the course of the life of a business, and one in business, there are good times and times that are more challenging. Some come naturally and others are forced upon us, such as now during the time of Covid-19.

Listening to many business leaders around me I have come up with these 6 items to help you through those challenging times.

#1 – Be a Leader
Many will look at a challenging time as a time to reflect. But what you really want to be is be a leader and help yourself and others get through those times. Look of it as an opportunity and not a challenge.

#2 – Not a Time to Stop Spending Completely
A first reaction is to find ways to conserve your finances. And the quickest and easiest is to stop spending. Of course you’re going to pay those essential expenses such as rent, electric etc. But it’s not the right time to cut back on Advertising. Especially if your competition is still spending and even more important if they are not.

#3 – Reach Out to Others
Reach out to your clients. Your present ones and ones that you’ve done business with in the past. Ask them how you can help them. Also reach out to those who you have meet while Networking. This is true during any time since even those can be a referrer.

#4 – Look to Social Media
This is especially true during the current times since more people are spending more time on social media. But which one? Facebook and Instagram are the two biggest today, but you’d only want to use whichever social media platforms that your potential clients will be using. For me it’s these two, but there are others and they may be better suited for you. Some of those are Pinterest, Snap Chat, and Tik-Top, just to ahem a few. If you are on Facebook, it loves it when you Like, Share and Comment on post.

#5 – Don’t Reinvent, Be Innovated
Look at what is working and keep doing it. If it’s not working, maybe it has never really been working. Try new things.

#6 – Don’t Be Afraid to Go Virtual
Even before being forced to go Virtual there was a fear of going Virtual and not meeting in person. Either as part of an Networking Events, or having a 1 on 1. I know since I was one. With Covid-19 we have been forced to do it. However, some of us are still afraid. Don’t be. It’s like everything, the more you do it, the more natural it becomes.

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In the coming days I will be working to expand this with more information under each of the 6 Items. Sign up to received the completed piece.