While users have always been able to add their text to their images, Instagram recently released options that let users add text to their pictures and send stickers within Stories.

These new features are good for businesses since they invite users to comment and ask relevant questions about products, which increases engagement.

The stickers also provide an easy way for brands to interact with customers and showcase their expertise more than product photos. While engaging your audience, you can ask them in depth marketing questions like benefits of healthcare staffing professionals and many more.

Certain types of businesses should be highly interested in taking advantage of these new inventions. These companies are fashion and retail, beauty, and other brands that rely mostly on the feedback of their merchandise.

This article explores these new Instagram features and how entrepreneurs can utilize them to succeed in their respective businesses. Let’s dive in.

Instagram Story Stickers

Social media is an excellent place to showcase your brand and highlight your products and services. Instagram just announced that it now has over 700 million active users — so if you aren’t taking advantage of the site yet, it is time to utilize it.

It has interesting features like Instagram stories, reels, and camera options. Back to Instagram stories.

Instagram stories have become one of the most popular features for users and businesses alike. And with great reason — it allows you to share engaging content with users in an organic way.

However, as of to date, you can incorporate stickers with Instagram stories. This feature was recently added to the app, and it allows users to create interactive stories for their followers.

It’s a great way to get your audience involved in your content while gaining feedback on upcoming events.

For instance, tappable stickers help you get more information about your event or product. Users can tap the sticker to learn more.

This means they don’t have to leave your story to get more information about your product. They can tap the sticker and keep watching your story unfold.

You can even use the stickers as call-to-actions. To get users to take specific actions that will help them increase their reach on Instagram.

For instance, you can create a question within a sticker and ask viewers what they think about a particular topic.

This can help you generate valuable feedback from your customers while increasing your engagement on Instagram.

Save Your IG Live Posts

Instagram’s IGTV (Instagram TV) is a new platform, but it’s Instagram’s way of competing with other social media platforms like YouTube. Instagram users can record videos and post them on their profiles.

There are also options for live-streaming, which is pretty cool, especially if you’re new to the platform. The best part about IGTV is that it doesn’t have to be vertical like all the other videos in your feed.

It always comes in handy when you put up videos of your products that aren’t the same size as what’s suggested for your feed.

What can you do with IGTV?

If you want to save your posts from your IG Live feed, you can do some cool things with them. You can save it under the “all” section on your profile so that anyone who missed, can find it later.

You can also create an IGTV playlist of past live feeds so that people who may not have had the time can go back in time to see what they missed.

Posting Reels

Instagram has added a new feature that allows users to create videos, or reels, on their favorite app. Reels, in essence, cannot be longer than a minute video.

They are just short-second clips that may include your products or advertisements.

However, with the new feature, users can post longer content that viewers can view at their leisure.

Previously, Instagram allowed 60-second videos but cut them off if viewers wanted to continue watching.

Reels will only be shown on a user’s profile feed so that individuals won’t appear in the story section. This means that brands will have to utilize the reels as an advertisement for their business, or in some other way, to promote themselves.

The ability for brands and businesses to upload reels is helpful since it will allow them to post more information about their business or other information that they would like to get across to their audience.

Additionally, it gives them an additional opportunity for customers and followers to connect with the brand.

Although it is limited by time, it still provides an opportunity for businesses to get their message out there without having to worry about how long the video will last. And whether people can see all of it.

Creating Schedules

If you have a large following, you can post one image throughout the day and have it appear as if it was posted in real-time. All you need is to create a schedule for your posts.

Just go to your profile and select “Scheduled Posts” from the top right corner of your favorite Instagram app.

This will bring up a screen where you can select how often and what time you want the photo to be automatically posted. You can also select the date you would like the photo to be posted.

In the case of multiple images that you would like to post, you can create them all at once and add them to your schedule or add one image at a time as needed.

Having enabled scheduling on your app, any time or day of the week you want your images to appear, they will automatically be posted!

Even if nobody is online at that moment, they will still see your images when they log in later on.

Bottom Line

In summation, Instagram is a great secondary channel to reach out to new customers and increase your brand awareness.

Using the newly launched features above, your content will result in more likes, comments, and clicks on your content without saturating your feed.

Finally, if you do get the chance to reach out to a well-known influencer, remember that they are not likely to share your offer unless it truly matches with their audience.

The post Utilizing Instagram’s New Features to Increase Reach appeared first on COLDEA Productions, LLC.

Unlike youths who see social media as a networking tool, marketing enthusiasts have found a haven for generating leads. Seventy-two percent of chief marketing officers regard social media as an essential part of their marketing efforts.

For businesses of all sizes, social media presents a unique teach play learn opportunity for establishing rapport with audiences and generating brand awareness. However, it often appears that the most successful social media users only reap publicity benefits.

However, businesses can establish strong relationships with potential buyers with the right strategies and a plan of action.

While there are countless practices that you should be abiding by to ensure your social media marketing is on point, here are a few helpful tips you can maximize as well.

Hold Contests

Whether you’re trying to gain followers or increase engagement with your current audience, contests can be a great way to get new people to Like and follow your accounts. The idea behind running a contest is simple.

To offer something valuable in exchange for interaction. Although some businesses may use this tactic to drive traffic, their main goal should be to engage those interacting with the brand on social media.

Contests can be as easy as asking fans to post pictures with your product or any other action relevant to the brand.

These contests help build an audience by encouraging direct fan engagement and extending the reach of promotional posts.

Before running a contest on any platform, know your objectives. For instance, they may attract new followers, capture leads, or build trust with your audience. Base your contests in alignment with these objectives.

When choosing prizes for your contest, consider what will appeal to your target market.

Use Video More

Sharing more video content on social media is a great way to engage your audience. The key here is to ensure you’re creating truly shareable content.

Video length matters, too — shorter videos are typically more engaging, so keep them between two and five minutes in length.

Tailor each video to fit your audience. For instance, if you’re talking about what only affects foodies or people who like motorcycles, use that as inspiration for the theme of your video. Also, if you’re running a business that has an international clientele, include subtitles so that everyone can understand the content.

Finally, try to create multiple versions of your video — a teaser and a longer cut will help people find the right length for them.

Including Visual elements in every post

Today’s social media landscape is crowded, with millions of brands vying for attention. You need to stand out from the crowd to make sure your posts are seen.

Visuals are high-performers on social media, so be sure to include an eye-catching, colorful image or graphic with each post.

You can even add images to your Facebook updates without using a photo-sharing tool like Instagram. Just visit your page and click on the ‘Photo’ link beneath the status box in the update box.

A few other suggestions: Include a call to action in every post. Use tools like Crowdfire and Hootsuite to schedule posts in advance. Personalize your posts by including users’ names and photos.

Be Active- Change your profile and cover photos

One of the surest ways to grow your overall audience is to keep it up-to-date. Ensure that you’re updating your Facebook profile photo, Twitter background image, and LinkedIn profile photo regularly.

This will make your brand recognizable, keep you at the forefront of people’s minds and make it easy for them to connect with you. If a user is looking for something specific in your industry on any given day, they’ll be more likely to remember your account if it’s visually distinctive.

Change your cover photo every few months if possible. People are much less likely to notice an image change if there’s only a subtle shift from one major change every six months or so.

You’ll be able to update your cover photo more frequently with new content and current images of people using your product or service, which will help keep users engaged in your page and give them a reason to interact with you.

Encourage Tagging

To challenge your audience for engagement with your brand on social media, you need to make them feel comfortable.

Let your audience know that you’re listening by responding to their comments and tagging them where appropriate.

If you have a Facebook page, be sure to offer fans the opportunity to tag themselves in your photos and videos.

This will encourage engagement, as they’ll want to participate in what you’re doing and share it with their friends.

Also, be sure to ask for feedback on your products or services using social media surveys. While it may seem daunting, surveys are an excellent way to get valuable information from your audience without having to put pressure on them.

They can tell you whether they liked an article you posted or disliked it and how you should improve it.

Use Hashtags

In the beginning, use popular hashtags sparingly. You will not only avoid looking like a spammer but also help your content from being lost in the pool of other posts that may use similar hashtags.

Remember, the more you post on social media, the more likely your content will be shared. You’ll also want to be strategic when choosing what hashtags to use and when.

A general rule of thumb is that if you post something timely, then use hashtags related to what is happening at that particular time.

Bottom Line

While a strategy may seem difficult to develop initially, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel.

There are plenty of resources to help you with your goals and make it easier than ever to accomplish them. And don’t forget to take advantage of existing networks and connect with others who share similar interests and learn from each other.

Before you know it, you’ll have a strategy that will help you grow your audience on social media!

The post Tips For Growing Your Audience on Social Media appeared first on COLDEA Productions, LLC.

It’s an excellent way to improve your marketing strategy. There are many benefits to using video marketing over more traditional approaches:

1. Video Boosts Sales
2. Video Shows Amazing RIO
3. Video Is More Trustworthy
4. Video Is Amazing for SEO
5. Video Is Appealing to Mobile Users
6. Videos Encourage Sharing
7. Videos are Engaging
8. Videos Are Superior to Other Marketing Forms.

Videos are made to be watched and watched they are. Over five million videos are watched daily, just on youtube. Here are some video production tips to help you create your videos in a professional and engaging manner.

Story-Driven Videos
Story-Driven videos are a great way to generate sales and make a meaningful ROI. Lots of videos focus on selling, but you need to encourage that point, not shove it in everyone’s face. Your video should have a compelling and story-driven narrative. Remember, the studies show that video content is king!

Make them Short and Interesting
Video marketing tips might sound hard to learn, but videos sure are an effective marketing tactic! You need to make them short, compelling, and catchy. One-fifth of your viewers will leave your video is nothing less than 10 seconds. Make sure you keep them hooked and tell your story quickly!

Be Funny and Up With The Trends
You need to be up with the trends in order to keep up with the competition. Users don’t love anything quite as much as up to date businesses and up to date humor. Remember, video marketing is essential!

Utilize memes, funny images, humor, and friendly, conversational approach in order to improve your SEO, ROI, and possibly get a new customer to your business.

Tag Your Video
What good is your high-quality video if it is not SEO optimized? You need to place enough tags in your videos to make sure they are seen by lots of people. Host the video on your own domain, tag it, share it, and make it easily shareable my enabling embedding. Keep sitemaps in mind as well.

Invest Into a Good Camera
One of the essential parts of good video production and quality is getting yourself a quality camera. When you are choosing a camera for your business, you need to make sure it can deliver high-quality video. If you have a good camera, you have finished half of your work already.

Inform, don’t Annoy
You need to inform your customers without annoying them. Most of your customers are visual learners, and you really need to convey your message in a friendly and informative manner. You don’t need to be overbearing, keep it simple, and tell your story!

Video marketing might be the most important marketing tool in your arsenal. Any size business can prosper by using this tactic.

The most important part of video marketing is doing it correctly. If you plan on doing video marketing yourself, quality is of the utmost importance.

Having a bad video can not only ruin your marketing tactic, but it can also harm your business. You need to make sure you’re providing only the best of the best.

If you are making the video yourself, you need to take care and make it HD, HQ, quick and simple.

If you don’t want to do this yourself, hiring a professional video editing and production company might be the better option, but it will cost you.

Do not take this cost as an expense – it’s a much-needed investment. The ROI of good video marketing is impressive. A professional video production company will produce a high-quality video that you can use to stay one step ahead of the competition.

If you opt to make the video yourself, you will need to know some tips and tricks to do it properly. Don’t worry, we’ve got your back.

Plan Ahead
You can’t just make it on the spot – the process requires some intense planning. Think about organization, sets, costumes, lighting options. Research what you are doing thoroughly, and you will be able to make the most out of these video production tips.

Effects!
The effects are amazing and can make your video that much better. They can be used to enhance or decrease any part of the video you like and can give real-life realism to the video you are shooting. Vibes and themes are everything, and adding quality effects to your videos can really give them a new life.

Sound Matters
One of the biggest mistakes that people make when producing their own material is making a great video with poor sound quality. Use a lapel or lavalier microphone to make sure that your sound is terrific, and that it is going to perform well with the video.

Quality is all about consistency! If the sound is terrible, you can try to fix it yourself in the editing process.

Lighting
Another extremely important aspect of any quality video is the lighting. You can have the quality camera, editing crew, and writers working 24/7, but if your video has bad or poor lighting, it is doomed to fail. You don’t want to overlight your video either, having a proper lighting rig or setup is essential.

Utilize Tech
A fantastic way to prove your point and improve your video production quality is by utilizing the latest tech. You don’t want stiff, monotonous and one angled video, do you? Drones are a great option you should consider investing in!

Frame Your Work
When you have shot the best video in the world, the only thing that remains is to frame it properly. Cropping is your friend, and before you get to the editing process, you should keep it in mind. Shooting your video while thinking of the editing process makes for the best product.

In conclusion, you need to know the ins and outs of videos to make the best ones. You can utilize these video production tips or hire a video editing service to make your life that much easier.

You need to be consistent with the quality and provide a quality video, to establish a quality service. If you’ve done everything right, your business should be booming, and your ROI should be incredible.

The post Successful Video Production: Why Quality Is Key and How To Get It! appeared first on COLDEA Productions, LLC.