Meaghan

  • Social Media Marketing, Social Media Tips

    Instagram Pinned Posts – What to Pin on Instagram and How to Pin

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    If you’re like most small business owners, then you’re always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to market your business. And if you’re not already using Instagram, then you’re definitely missing out! Instagram is a great way to connect with your customers and share images of your products, services, share a peek behind the scenes, and so much more.

    One of the newest features – and coolest to my marketing-focused mind – is that you can pin posts to your Instagram profile so that they stay at the top of your feed. Instagram pinned posts are front and center for new people first checking you out and those long-time followers who are finally ready to engage more with you.

    The question is what to pin. Should you share your most engaged posts, a sales pitch, an educational reel, or something else?

    In this blog post, I’ll show you how to set up your three pinned posts on Instagram and a few ideas of what you should be pinning to get the most value out of them.

    What to Add to Your 3 Instagram Pinned Posts

    Instagrammed pinned posts are a great way to address HubSpot’s Flywheel model that replaces the marketing funnel of days past.

    The idea of the Flywheel is to “Attract, Engage, and Delight” the strangers who become prospects, then customers, and eventually promoters of your business. It keeps your business growing. You can learn more about the HubSpot Flywheel on their website.

    Back to the Instagram pinned posts…

    The three posts that you pin to Instagram should move people along in their buyer’s journey and help them to build a relationship with you and your brand.

    Following the Flywheel, let’s look at a few options. The types of posts listed could overlap in multiple steps of the Flywheel:

    • Your newest post
    • An educational post with a CTA to send you a DM
    • A post that quickly shares what you offer
    • A Q&A thread post to keep the conversation going
    • A client testimonial
    • A post that sets the tone for the rest of your feed (colors, fonts, design, etc.)
    • A post that explains how people can get started
    • An introductory post that shows why you’re the right person to work with
    • Your most engaged post or reel

    Use a mix of single-image posts, carousels, reels, and videos in your top 3 pinned posts. People absorb information better in different formats so trying to connect in multiple ways is always helpful.

    How to Pin Posts to Instagram

     The process to pin posts on Instagram is simple to do the first time and when you want to switch out your pinned posts to something else in the future.

    Here are three easy steps to set your pinned posts on Instagram once you’ve identified them:

    1. Go to your Instagram profile and tap the post.
    2. Click the ellipsis (…) and tap “Pin to your profile.”
    3. Repeat for the other two posts.

    That’s it! You can confirm the three posts that are pinned by the pushpin at the top right of the images on your profile.

    Removing pinned posts is just as easy. Click the post you want to remove, tap the ellipsis, and tap “Unpin from your profile.”

    Need help with your Instagram strategy?

    In addition to our done-for-you services, we also offer digital marketing consulting and coaching. This option saves you some money and allows you to handle digital marketing yourself. Click here to schedule a 20-minute discovery call. Your first 20 minutes are free!

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  • Business, Marketing, Online Marketing

    3 Marketing Efforts That Deserve a Permanent Spot on Your To-Do List

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    Marketing is always changing. That’s a fact. With every new trend, new technology, and new world event that occurs, your marketing strategy needs to be flexible and adaptable.

    When you’re running a business, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by these constant changes. Do you feel yourself falling into either of these categories?

    The Marketing Overhaul: You’re convinced that each time something new comes out, you need to completely revamp your marketing strategy. You’re always starting from scratch, which can be exhausting and actually set you back further than if you’d just stuck with one solid plan.

    The Marketing Underachiever: You hear about all these changes but you just can’t keep up. You’re too busy running your business to worry about Marketing 2.0 or the latest trending sound on Reels. As a result, your marketing strategy is outdated and you’re not reaching your full potential.

    Neither approaches are ideal, but there is a middle ground, and focusing your marketing efforts has a lot to do with it.

    Where to Focus your Marketing Efforts?

    You can’t be expected to do everything, but you also shouldn’t be completely ignorant of the changes in social media and digital marketing. We’ve put together a list of three areas that we think business owners and healthcare providers need to continue to focus their marketing efforts on for the rest of 2022 and likely beyond.

    Watch this video, to learn more, or continue reading to fully understand why I believe these marketing efforts should always be on your to-do list.

    1. Creating authentic relationships

    The most important thing you can do for your marketing is to create and nurture authentic relationships with your audience. In a world where consumers are bombarded with marketing messages, they’re more likely to pay attention to – and buy from – brands that feel like friends.

    2. Maintaining consistency

    With so many channels and platforms to choose from, it can be tempting to try to be everywhere at once. But when you’re spreading yourself too thin, you risk diluting your message and confusing your audience. It’s important to find the right mix of channels for your business and then focus on delivering a consistent message in the proper format.

    3. Reaching new prospects

    Even if you have a great product or service, you won’t get very far if you’re not reaching new prospects or patients. That’s why it’s important to invest in marketing efforts that will help you reach new people. From paid advertising to PR to content marketing, there are a number of ways to get your brand in front of new eyes.

    Get Started with Your Marketing

    Now that you know where to focus your marketing efforts, it’s time to get started. If you’re not sure where to begin, we can help! Here at Tidal Creative Group, we work with small businesses and healthcare providers to create tailored marketing plans that get results. Contact us today to learn more!

     

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  • Local Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Social Media Tips

    8 Tips to Generate More Interaction on Social Media

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    Have you ever tried to get more interaction on social media? You know that it’s important, but you probably don’t know where to start. With these simple tips and tricks for getting more engagement on social media, your posts will be seen by the people who are interested in what you have to say.

    8 Tips to Get More Interaction on Social Media

    Interaction or engagement is a tricky thing. It’s not something that can be obtained without effort, and it’s never easy to keep up with social media trends – did you see that Instagram FINALLY published details on how their algorithm works earlier this month?! The more engagement that you get on your posts, the better chance there is of people seeing your content- which means more views for you! So how do you increase engagement?

    Here are some quick tips:

    1. Be Authentic – Speak to your audience in an engaging and personable way.
    2. Mix it Up – Try to change up the types of posts you are making so that each one is unique and interesting.
    3. Be Original – Make sure you are posting original content that people will find helpful or entertaining, not just regurgitating what other pages have posted on their social media feeds already.
    4. Time it Right – Post at optimal times based on previous data from your social media accounts.
    5. Provide Value – Create content your audience will find valuable, rather than just posting for the sake of creating something new to post about. Think about what you’re posting before you hit publish.
    6. Use emojis – They are a great way to show your brand’s personality and break up blocks of text.
    7. Be Detailed, but Succinct – Nobody wants to read all day on social media feeds, so edit your posts down as much as possible. As Kate Chernis says, it’s “one part writing and four parts editing.”
    8. Tag Others – It’s not just about you! Make sure you tag relevant people, businesses, and organizations – especially if you’re resharing their content!

    These easy-to-implement tips will help you get more shares, comments, likes, and followers every time you post something new! Something all small, local businesses strive for.

    If you want to get more engagement on social media, it’s important for your posts to be authentic and original. If you’re looking for a few simple tips to help increase the number of likes or shares on your next post, make sure not to forget these helpful tips!

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  • SEO Tips

    How to Write SEO-Friendly Content that Gets Results

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    Earlier in 2019, I was certified as an Expert SEO Content Writer. I already had a lot of knowledge on how to write SEO-friendly content, but everything I knew was learned from my own research and real-world experience.

    Today I want to talk to you about some SEO (Search Engine Optimization) basics:

    • Why SEO helps to attract new customers
    • What are keywords and how do you find the right ones for your website
    • Other tips I’ve learned over more than nine years as an online writer about how to write SEO-friendly content

    I also talked a little about this topic on The B2B Mix Show Podcast. Give it a listen to learn more about working with a freelance writer.

    What is SEO, and why do you need it?

    First of all, let’s establish what SEO is. I’m sure you’ve heard about it on commercials and in conversations with other website owners. You know that you need it, but what is SEO?

    SEO or Search Engine Optimization is an online practice to improve your rankings on search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing. Most conversations, including this one, revolve around Google since 92% of the world uses it.

    HubSpot reports that 75% of people don’t go beyond page one of the search results. Doing what you can to rank higher is critical to your success in generating leads on the Internet.

    What are keywords, and how do you find them?

    Keywords or keyword strings are words or phrases that site owners incorporate into their web copy. These are the words or phrases that your ideal customer is searching online.

    You may be saying to yourself, “That’s great and all, but how do I identify which keywords to use?” I have some suggestions and tools that will help.

    Find valuable keywords by thinking about the common questions or issues your buyer is facing.

    I’ll take an example from the health and wellness space, specifically for a diabetes health coach like my client Melissa Slemp. Using UberSuggest.com, I searched “weight gain and diabetes.”

    Screenshot of Keyword Overview from UberSuggest.com

    Search Volume tells me how many people are searching the term “weight gain and diabetes.” I can see the SEO Difficulty is easy with a score of 10. This is decent, but when I scroll down below the graph, there’s a list of related keywords and I see a better option.

    I see that “weight gain from diabetes” is a more common search term with 1,300 queries a month. The difficulty is a bit higher at 28, but it’s still shown as easy to rank.

    I also see a question listed, “can weight gain cause diabetes?” This is perfect to use as a primary keyword and a blog title. You could also incorporate the other two search terms as secondary keywords.

    From a quick search, I now have a title and three keywords I can target in a blog post. A few other sites you can use to gather information on search terms and what your audience is looking for are:

    • Google Trends
    • Kwfinder.com
    • Squirrely plug-in for WordPress
    • Pinterest

    Stop now and plug a common phrase or question from your industry into UberSuggest.com and use the steps above to find a keyword or two you can target in your next blog post or long-form article.

    Got it? Okay, then let’s move on.

    How to use keywords in your blog – 8 Tips to write SEO-friendly content

    Historically, SEO writers have had a bad reputation for trying to game the system (i.e., Google) and stuff articles with keywords and irrelevant links to increase their rankings. Google quickly caught on, and if you try the keyword stuffing technique today, you’re bound to do more damage than good on your website. It’s an awful practice that doesn’t help the user or you.

    The practice of SEO writing today is reliant on several best practices, most importantly, answering a question and providing helpful content for the reader. For more info here are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind when writing your next SEO-friendly blog:

    • Use your primary keyword in the title and a few of your subheaders or H2s.
    • Incorporate your keywords into an H3 subheader before the final paragraph. I usually write it as part of a call to action. Following the example of the above, it would be something like “Contact me to discuss natural options when it comes to weight gain from diabetes.”
    • Include the keyword and variations of it in the body of your article. If you’re stumped on related terms and you didn’t find enough from UberSuggest, hop over to Google. Plug your keyword in and scroll to the bottom of the page to see “Searches related to ____.”
    • Research the competition. Plug your keyword into Google and see what others have written on the topic. Try to find ways that you can add to the conversation and not regurgitate what someone else has already said. You want to uplevel the competition on your keywords.
    • Link to credible sources. Find statistics or other information from trustworthy sites that you can incorporate into your blog post. Using credible outside links notifies Google that your website is likely reliable since you’ve done your research.
    • Link to other articles within your site. Find words or phrases within your article that you can link to other content or pages on your website. A good example of this practice is above where I linked “SEO writing” to my copywriting service page.
    • Tell a story while thinking about your search terms. When you’re writing, keep your keywords top of mind, but don’t let them control everything that you write. You need to be cautious not to overdo it and end up with a keyword-stuffed article. Aim to keep the use of your primary keyword under 3% of your document, and your secondary keywords under 2%.
    • Use SEO to guide your content strategy. Create a plan for the next few months of content by theming your content based around keywords. When your keywords and blog topics are already planned out, it makes it easier when you sit down to write. Start with the basic topics and drill down into specifics – then you’re able to link back to the foundational articles in future content.

    Get results from your SEO content!

    If you consistently follow the tips and suggestions I’ve outlined above, you’ll eventually see results. SEO is not an overnight fix to instantly bring tons of traffic to your website. It’s a strategy that takes time and effort. 

    Contact me for a free consultation if you need help with strategizing or creating new content.

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  • Blog, Marketing, Online Marketing

    5 Ways to Market Your Local, Small Business on a Budget

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    The idea of marketing is a daunting task to many. Something you may have little time for, and even less of a budget. But it doesn’t have to take endless hours, and you don’t need thousands of dollars to build the online presence for your local, small business. The suggestions below require a small time investment, but little to no monetary expense.

    1. Create a Website


    According to Inc. Magazine, 60% of small businesses with 1-5 employees don’t have an online presence. Don’t let that statistic include you! If you have a Facebook page for your yoga business, great. But that’s not enough.
Facebook goes down sometimes, and there are a number of adults who chose to veer clear of social media.

    Creating a website for your business will cost money, but it will also help new clients to discover you and is worth the investment. 

    2. Publish Blog Posts

    Consistently posting to a blog can assist in increasing your page rank on search engines and it humanizes your brand. Each time you publish a piece of content, Google comes back to index your website.

    Using your blog to communicate discounts with customers is one thing, telling your brand’s story is another. Publishing regular blog posts will encourage your audience to visit your site giving you another opportunity to connect with them and take one step closer to converting them into a client.

    As a private yoga teacher, you could break down the anatomy of asanas in a weekly column, post recipes related to Ayurvedic spices, or discuss the metaphysical benefits of energy healing. You should post about whatever it is that differentiates you from other yoga teachers. What else do you know that many yogis have an interest in?

    Take a similar approach to your industry by answering your buyers’ questions and sharing content that will interest them. 

    3. Host a Twitter Chat

    Conducting a Twitter chat can be a very productive way of marketing your business and reaching a new audience. Involving a partner or an influencer from your industry with a substantial Twitter following is even better. Here’s a 6-step plan to launching your first Twitter chat.

    1. Find a partner/influencer in your industry.
    2. Decide on a topic that you can conduct your Twitter chat around and create an event-specific hashtag. Be creative and try to make it on the brief so it doesn’t take up many characters when people respond.
    3. Promote your Twitter Chat! Start early on this and include any involved parties requesting that they join in sharing the event.
      {This handy infographic on using Canva to create images will come in handy here.}
    4. Generate five questions you can ask attendees.
    5. Provide the questions to the involved parties before the Twitter chat so they can prepare their responses in advance. Doing so will allow them to interact with other attendees more because they won’t have to spend time crunching their responses down to 140 characters.
    6. Launch your Twitter chat at the scheduled time and be sure to engage with attendees.

    4. Guest Post

    Writing for other businesses’ sites will allow you to reach a new audience. Search out companies that attract similar clients, but are not competitive with your business. When pitching an idea on your proposed post consider the problems that your products or services address.

    An insurance company could look for local organizations to partner with on a guest post. Do your research and approach non-competitive, industry-related businesses. You can even offer a trade, where they guest post to your site too.

    5. Video



    Live video is an inexpensive way to get your face in front of customers. It doesn’t require much to air a video. Decide on the platform you’d like to use (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.), come up with a topic and maybe a general outline of what you’ll say, and go live! People don’t expect videos that were published in real time to be edited.

    Here are five ideas of videos you can create at your business:

    1. Offer a behind the scenes look at the production.
    2. Show the product in use.
    3. Answer FAQ’s.
    4. Interview a customer on their experience.
    5. Interview an employee about their job.

    Sharing videos is a great way to get yourself and your brand in front of customers, invite shares, and create an awareness of your brand.

    There are a number of other budget-friendly marketing strategies you can employ as a small business. I hope that the ideas listed above provide some guidance and initiate the next step in your social selling efforts.

     

    Are you ready to start marketing your small business but aren’t sure where to start? Contact me and let’s build a strategy to generate more sales for your company!

     

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