Social Media |
Measuring brand growth is difficult but it can be done! Jacqui Jones, Founder and CEO of One Degree Marketing, wrote this blog post framing how we should think about our social media likes and follows as business owners.
Social media marketing has become the number one way to market a business.
Especially for small businesses, because social media is low-cost, often small business owners want to measure the success of their business on social media follows and likes.
Brand growth can include social media numbers. But, it should never be your full picture. Not sure if you’ve noticed, but banks don’t deposit “likes.”
So, how else can you measure business success?
Revenue
First things first, are you profitable? Notice the question wasn’t, “are you making money?”. But, instead, are you profitable? Even if you’re making lots of sales, that doesn’t mean that you’re turning a profit.
So, don’t hurry past this measurement. If you barely see a profit, it’s time to consider a different pricing strategy or cut cost. Pricing as a marketing strategy as well, making revenue, is a great way to measure success.
Finding that your social media presence is generating revenue is a wonderful feeling. But, not every brand is solely after revenue.
Engagement
It’s wonderful to have many likes and follows. However, proof that you’ve married the right audience with the right content is shown in engagement.
Don’t be disappointed by low audience numbers. If you have high engagement, you are doing well.
As social media platforms have evolved, we have learned that social media engagement is the epicenter of success.
Having high engagement means you have created community, likely through consistency and purposeful content.
Consider these two measurements as greater than likes and follows. They both prove that you are in the right place with the right audience providing the right content.
Social Media |
We all know that our screen time has gone up exponentially during this pandemic- no judgment from any of us at Forge! We’ve curated a list of (Birmingham centered) Instagram accounts that are definitely worth a follow while we’re all staying at home.
@styleblueprintbham
Recipes from local chefs, activity and gift ideas, real estate listings and much more. Follow @styleblueprintbham!
@woodfinforbham
He’s our fearless city leader and he even makes Spotify playlists- Quarantine Edition! You have to follow Randall Woodfin!
@thepopcast
A hilarious Birmingham based podcast hosted by Jamie Golden and Knox McCoy- they always share their favorite books, shows and movies. And they’ve started podcast episodes focused on recapping Tiger King for their Patreon supporters. Follow @thepopcast!
@house.peace
We’re all spending a lot of time at home so now is the time for home organization projects. Tara Bremer started House Peace and she shares super helpful tips to tidy up your closets, kitchen cabinets and much more. Follow @house.peace!
@bhamnow
Bham Now is full of resources like local business guides, a list of restaurants with pickup during quarantine and where to find handmade face masks. Check out @bhamnow and give them a follow!
@ignitecyclebhm
Even though Ignite Cycle is closed due to the pandemic, they are still holding virtual dance parties Monday through Friday at 5:15pm! Give @ignitecyclebhm a follow to join in on the exercise and fun.
@birminghammomcollective
Birmingham Moms Blog is sharing about anything from quarantine friendly Easter egg hunts to free printables for your kids. If you’re a Birmingham mom who needs encouragement and tips during this ‘stay at home’ phase, follow @birminghammomcollective.
@happeninsintheham
Happenins In The Ham usually focuses on events around Birmingham but since the pandemic, they’ve found ways to help local businesses and still provide fun activity ideas for you and your family. Follow @happeninsintheham here.
@true40bham_downtown
If you want to stay active during quarantine, True 40 can help! They have tons of at-home workout classes for free (donations are appreciated) so give @true40bham_downtown a follow!
@blueroot_co
Blueroot makes some delicious food and during this ‘stay at home’ order, they’ve started Sunday Supper Club where they go on Instagram Live and teach you how to cook up a family meal. Do yourself a favor and follow @blueroot_co!
@cityofbirmingham
Last but not least, you need to follow the official account for the City of Birmingham! Look out for updates from @cityofbirmingham.
Social Media |
One Degree MMM is a full-service marketing firm that provides marketing strategy, services, and coaching for businesses, brands, and organizations. Forge member Jacqueline Jones of One Degree MMM wrote this blog post that we loved so much we wanted to share it with you too! Read on.
Social media is a neccessary yet complex aspect of running a business these days. Unfortunately, we’ve come to a place where we can’t simply overlook it. Keeping up with every social media platform’s changes can be extremely overwhelming when you aren’t a marketer by trade. Even if you choose to outsource your social media management, like many do, it can yield minimal results if your content manager isn’t keeping up.
It’s best to simply to stick to what you know best, you.
RULES CHANGE. YOU SHOULDN’T.
Normally platform changes are rooted in some discovery of people acting more like bots and less like humans. It’s important to do the foundational work of defining and developing your brand’s tone, voice and persona. Doing so will allow you to maintain consistency in your content. That consistency in your message will save you from having to worry about the latest changes because your relationship with your audience is authentic.
LET YOUR COMPLEXITIES SHOW.
Not only do algorthim rules change, features come and go. Do yourself a favor and don’t overthink the use of new features. If you want to try it and it makes sense for your brand and audience, do it.
If it works for you, awesome! If it doesn’t work, you tried.
AVOID TOO MUCH 3RD PARTY INTERACTION.
Outsourcing management of your platforms is not the 3rd party I’m referring to. I’m talking about the platforms that do things on your behalf to fake authentic engagement. The truth is, no matter how “normal” you try to make the fake comments look, it’s obvious that they are fake.
Again, authenticity is the easiest way to elude being affected by the every changing aspects of social.
It’s easier said than done to be totally engaged in your audience regularly and authentically. But, it’s what we choose when we desire to give our audience attention as a means to grow a loyal and engaged tribe.
One Degree MMM is always dishing out excellent marketing advice on her blog and across her social media accounts! Check out her Instagram here.
Social Media |
We follow these local influencers on Instagram, and think you should too! Check them out below.
Jim Cavale was named a 3-Time INC. 5000 Entrepreneur for his leadership at Iron Tribe, after growing the company from one gym to more than 45 across the country. He is also the CEO and Founder of INFLCR and is currently filming a DocuSeries that gives a behind-the-scenes look at the company’s success. Along with these impressive titles, he also co-founded @theGLOWapp, an on demand beauty app that brings its services to you.
His extensive experience has taught him a lot – and he shares so much of that through his Instagram! If you are an entrepreneur or small business owner, Jim’s advice and leadership could be very beneficial to your business.
Because of his influence on the city, Jim’s involved in some pretty cool things around Birmingham. He posts lots of behind-the-scenes videos, clips from certain events, podcasts, you name it. If you’re interested following an inspiring entrepreneur and love seeing clips from big events (like, Super Bowl big), go follow @jimcavale!
If you’re looking for ways to best market your business, Jacqui should be your new go-to. As a marketing and branding specialist, she knows the ins and outs of how to make your business stand out.
Jacqui’s Instagram is full of helpful hints, inspiring quotes, and great blog posts (check out our favorite about Instagram pet peeves here!) Her posts range from tips to prepare for brand growth to shutting out fear that comes with being an entrepreneur.
Not only is her account visually pleasing, but she’s always providing helpful content for entrepreneurs. Not to mention she maintains an impressive (and sometimes hilarious) balance of motherhood.
Go follow along!
If you’re a writer, this account is a must-follow.
Javacia is the Founder of See Jane Write, a website and community for female writers, bloggers, and entrepreneurs. Her work empowers women to write and coaches on how to transform a blog into a business.
Javacia recently gave a Ted Talk in March and got to speak on her success of See Jane Write. Her talk focused on the idea of writing being a feminist act. By sharing her story, a woman can discover why she deserves equality and love herself. Because in a world that constantly tells women they are not enough, “self-love is a revolutionary act.” Javacia believes there is power in sharing one’s story and has devoted her life to helping others share theirs.
There’s no doubt Javacia will help you grow your writing into a profitable platform. She’s got great webinars, virtual workshops, and inspiring posts. If you’ve been looking for a community of women writers who encourage and support each other, check out her page.
Deon is the CEO and President of TechBirmingham. This nonprofit’s mission is to support and provide training and education to tech companies in order to grow the technology ecosystem. He has a passion for supporting small businesses and has been instrumental in making Birmingham a better place.
Deon was also just recently selected as BBJ top 40 under 40, chosen among some of the most outstanding servant leaders in the city.
Deon goes to lots of events around Birmingham and constantly posts about new and exciting projects. He does a great job of promoting growing businesses and highlighting leaders all across the city. If you are interested in growing tech companies or looking to support a new business, Deon’s got you covered! His work is inspiring and you won’t want to miss out.
Wanting to follow a leader making a big impact on the city? This just may be your new favorite account!
Who’s your favorite Instagram account to follow? Let us know in the comments below!
Instagram Marketing, Social Media |
Susan Gordon Pottery is a small batch pottery studio that started right here in Birmingham in 2013. But you can find Susan’s work in boutique retailers across the country. Susan’s team makes dinnerware, serving ware, decorative accents and handmade jewelry. Her work speaks for itself- just check out their Instagram account with over 10,000 followers! So we’re here to share Susan’s Instagram pro tips with you.
Do you have any advice on how to choose hashtags?
YES! I would do a few things: First, find accounts similar to yours and see what hashtags they use. Click to see what comes up and if it appeals to you, then most likely it will appeal to your followers. Second, keep your hashtags saved in your notes and copy and paste them on every single post. Third, only use hashtags that are relevant to your content. I have mine separated into “earring hashtags” “Dinnerware hashtags” etc. Fourth, keep your hashtags fresh…it’s good to stay abreast of what hashtags are trending. Fifth, try not to use ONLY the most simple or overly popular hashtags. You run the risk of getting your content lost in the mix. As you type your hashtags in the search box in Instagram, you can see how many posts are tagged with that hashtags. Don’t let all of yours be in the millions – use some that have been used a few thousand, a few hundred thousand, and so on.
How do you pick what time of day to post?
This is kind of a tough question. I don’t pretend to understand the Instagram algorithm that calculates which person sees what content. I can speak to my own experience and what I do know about audiences. When determining when to post I always ask myself: Who is my audience? Is my audience a college student? A mom of babies? A mom of older kids? It’s good to think about when they would most likely already be on their phones. For me, I’m a working mom of two babies. I’m usually “scrolling” on my phone first thing in the morning and at night after the babies go down. Generally Monday mornings after 8:00 aren’t the greatest. Most people are busy with work meetings or class; Friday nights and Saturday mornings tend to be good for me.
How often is too often to post on Instagram?
I try to post 3-5 times per week, sometimes more. I think once a day and then taking a breather one day a week is good practice for you and for your audience. I also try to let my stories relate back to my post. If I’m running a sale or promoting a local show, I will post twice in a day, but it’s fairly rare. That’s me. Others post more often and that works for them just fine! I think it’s best to be as authentic and organic as possible. You do you. If you are excited about a particular post and the content is time-sensitive, then go for it! Post twice in a day!
Do you partner with other Instagram accounts to cross promote? How often?
I haven’t done this a lot, but I would certainly do this for a giveaway or to promote a local art show or if a particular retailer or gallery just posted a pretty picture of their new SGP. I would limit this so that your feed remains true to who you are and what you desire to accomplish.
What’s one of your most popular posts and why do you think it was so successful?
I think the post with the most likes is one I posted not too long ago. It was one of my large vases with an arrangement of flowers sitting on my kitchen island. I think people like to see how my work can be used, in the context it was meant for (a kitchen). The roses were gorgeous, so that was a large part of it. I also think people like to see “you”. See your house, occasionally pictures of your dog or you, or your kids. Not all the time, but glimpses. It makes your audience feel connected to you and reminded that they’re following a real person and not just a feed of pretty pictures.
Here’s what we learned from Susan:
- Try to find hashtags that relate with your business but aren’t tagged millions or thousands of times!
- Think about what audience you’re targeting when posting and that can help you choose exactly what time to upload.
- Limit partnering with other accounts so you can stay true to your specific mission.
- Show your audience glimpses of your personal life!
