The Ultimate Guide to TikTok Marketing Your Business

The Greatness Blog

The Ultimate Guide to TikTok Marketing Your Business

The case of why businesses need to be on TikTok and how to do it the right way.

With a significant hold on popular culture, TikTok is no longer an adolescent dance app. The popularity of the video-sharing site, which celebrities, Millennials, Gen Xers, and major corporations endorse, is astounding. 

In just five years, TikTok has amassed an estimated 1 billion active users, rivaling some of the biggest names in social media. The post includes useful information about using TikTok and its capabilities, so you can determine why the app is so well-liked.

 

What Is TikTok & How Did it Get Started?

 

TikTok is a social media site where users can make, share, and find brief videos. The software gives content creators a platform to express themselves through lip-syncing, dancing, comedy, and singing. It also lets users make movies and share them with their social networks.

You might think that TikTok is just for people who want to dance, but that’s not the case at all! 

 

 

The Algorithm

 

Which content will show up on your For You page is determined by the TikTok algorithm, which is a recommendation system that doesn’t need you to follow or befriend anyone. In my opinion, this is what makes TikTok unique. 

Instead of having a newsfeed, TikTok has the FYP. On their For You page, no two users will watch identical videos, and the videos you see may change according to viewers’ choices and emotional conditions.

Besides the FYP, TikTok has the Discover page. This will appear by tapping the magnifying glass at the bottom of the screen. Users can navigate the Discover page and check the app’s hot videos. You’ll find some of the most recent trends on TikTok right here. “Example” videos are the initial group of videos to appear under a hashtag.

 

The Engagement

 

TikTok offers various tools for engagement, such as like, share, comment and follow options. Moreover, users can favorite the videos they like, share them, and even create content side-by-side (using the Duet feature) or grab a piece of the video (using the Stitch) feature. 

Since users don’t need to be your friend or even follow you to find your content in their FYP, you’ll notice that engagement on TikTok is much higher than on other social media platforms.

 

How to Get More Views on TikTok

 

On TikTok, views are the name of the game. The time has come for you to increase your app’s visibility if you are new to this app. But it will require more than just capitalizing on the newest fads or hoping one of your videos miraculously becomes popular. You can take these steps to increase TikTok views:

  1. Use the hashtag to reach the right people
  2. Keep content short and engaging
  3. Add trending sounds
  4. Reach out to the specific audience
  5. Try a how-to video
  6. Collaborate with influencers
  7. Identify the right time to post a content

 

Why Your Business Should Leverage TikTok Marketing

 

The beauty of the TikTok algorithm as a platform for people to create and express themselves, especially entertainingly, is that engagement promotes high-quality content that connects with viewers and doesn’t care how many followers you have.

 

Benefits of TikTok & Businesses

 

TikTok, in contrast to other significant social networking sites like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, allows users to produce 15, 60, and most recently, up to 3-minute videos, allowing users and businesses to create content catered to a range of demographics.

TikTok is special because it focuses on sharing relatable, interesting, and authentic bite-sized videos where users can add commentary and distinctive overlays to current popular music. Additionally, it can instantly interact with other social networking platforms, facilitating the sharing of material.

This alone creates an entire level of connection with the audience your company is trying to reach.

 

TikTok Marketing Benefit #1: Increase Brand Awareness

 

‘I don’t need another social networking platform,’ you might be thinking. Depending on your industry, target market, and specialty, this might sound true, but remember that it might be a long-term investment worth making for your brand.

Many businesses have found success on TikTok simply by providing access to an audience that other platforms don’t have because of the increased creativity and exposure it affords.

 

TikTok Marketing Benefit #2: Build Community

 

With an engaging and active community on TikTok, you can build a positive reputation, increase brand awareness, and achieve business growth. A community of audiences with the same interest gives a better understanding of their customers’ persona. Marketing teams can identify customers’ behavior and make crucial decisions. Moreover, you can address customer complaints, nurture advocates, and gather product feedback.

 

TikTok Marketing Benefit #3: Sell Products and Services

 

The main purpose of the social networking app TikTok is to make quick videos. It can be utilized as a marketing tactic because it makes it simple for customers to interact with brands. It is simple to post information, gain followers, and make money by leveraging your link in BIO.

The use of hashtagging, commenting, liking, and sharing features aids in brand promotion, much like any other social media platform. And there is absolutely no expense involved!

 

How to Use TikTok Analytics for Business

 

You can track viewers, followers, and other significant data to check insights about your account’s performance with the TikTok Analytics tool. You can better understand your content by seeing the precise amount of followers you have on TikTok and detailed information about the demographics of your audience. By doing so, you can make sure that your content speaks to the intended audience and encourage the growth of your following.

To use this function, you must upgrade your account to a TikTok Pro account. By doing this, you can create a profile for yourself as a creative or a business for free. Once your profile is set up for it, checking your TikTok analytics is simple.

 

Understanding the Value of Your TikTok Marketing 

 

In a way, TikTok and TikTok for Business resemble the Wild West of social media. Since it is such a new medium, nobody knows how to use it effectively.

However, it also means that your company has many fantastic opportunities to set the bar high. If you make a breakthrough, you can end up creating brand-new paradigms for content and advertising.

Overall, there is no substitute for getting your hands dirty and experimenting with TikTok marketing. If you haven’t already, download the app, watch a few videos, and determine whether it works for your company’s marketing plan.

If you are considering using TikTok marketing for business, consider consulting experts. At MFG, we help businesses to promote their brand with TikTok marketing. Want to learn more? Let’s schedule a call.

Social Media vs SEO: Based on data, not opinion

Social Media vs SEO: Based on data, not opinion

The Greatness Blog

Social Media vs SEO: Based on data, not opinion

Wondering what works better: social media or SEO? Let’s see the numbers.
Social Media vs SEO: Based on data, not opinion

The ongoing debate of social media vs SEO is one that has raged on for years. And, as someone who works in digital marketing, I can tell you that it’s one that I deal with on a daily basis, as we are constantly comparing the performance of our social media campaigns with our SEO efforts, to see which marketing channel is bringing the most ROI for our clients. 

So, which one should you focus on? 

Of course, as with most things in life, the best way to achieve both goals is to use a combination of both SEO and Social Media. But it’s still important to understand the strengths and weaknesses of each so that you can create a strategy that makes the most sense for your business.

 

So what’s the big difference between SEO and Social Media? 

 

The biggest difference between internet users and social media users is how they use those mediums. So it’s not like one marketing channel is better than the other. They serve different purposes. 

For example: let’s say you want to plan a trip to Alaska. You probably will start on Google, searching things like “Best places to visit in Alaska”, “Traveling tips Alaska”, etc. You might discover a particular hotel and get curious and check them out on social media.  

The above example is called a “future buyers journey”. Successful brands leverage their online presence by amplifying each channel. They want to be at the top of their future buyers’ minds, to the point that you’ll see them everywhere. And if you pay close attention, you might have noticed a promotional email about a product that you were mentioning in a private conversation with a friend. How does that happen? That’s called remarketing.

The more you know about their journey, the better you will be able to use both, your internet real estate (your website) and social media real estate (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Youtube, etc.) to get them to buy from you. 

If you’re not sure how your buyers are finding you, a good place to start is by configuring your Google Analytics and Google Search Console. These free tools from Google will give you insights into how people are finding your website and what they’re doing once they get there. Armed with this information, you can work with an online marketing strategist to create a more targeted marketing strategy that will help you reach your target audience more effectively.

 

How do SEO and social media work together?

 

SEO and social media are two of the most important aspects of online marketing. When used together, they can be incredibly effective in driving traffic and conversions.

Google Analytics is a great way to see how SEO and social media are working together. By looking at the top visited pages, you can get a good idea of which keywords and phrases are driving traffic. You can then use this information to create targeted campaigns that attract buyers in the consideration phase.

When done correctly, SEO and social media can be a powerful combination that helps you drive traffic and conversions.

The graphic below is a snapshot of Google Analytics from one of our e-commerce clients. They hired us with the specific goal of increasing their conversions. We knew that focusing on one area of online marketing wasn’t enough.

We took the top visited pages and conducted a behavior analysis, to come up with a refined conversion path. This gave us the chance to outline campaigns to promote their winning products across social media and Google, both organic and paid.

 

The results of combining SEO and Social Media? 

 

Powerful. 

How did we help our client increase purchase conversions by 323% in just 5 months?

I wish I could tell you it was just ONE thing that helped our client increase purchase conversions by 323% in just 5 months. But it wasn’t. Instead, it was data-driven decision-making, a team effort, brand integration, and enhanced ROAS reporting that did the trick. 

By focusing only on activities with a higher ROI and setting up a multi-disciplinary team to handle creative, design, copywriting, and SEO, we were able to produce results that far surpassed the client’s expectations. And by working closely with the client’s dedicated team, we were able to ensure that all of our content was on brand. 

Finally, by enhancing our ROAS reporting using Google Data Studio, enhanced with Super Metrics API, we were able to provide the client with even greater insights into our performance. 

All of these factors came together to produce truly impressive results. While we noticed that social media drove sales, conversions from Google searches (both organic and paid) generated the vast majority of the conversions.

See the graphic below where it shows a Multi-Channel Conversion Visualizer.

In this particular case, we advised our client to shift their marketing budget to allocate less for their social media marketing and push further their SEO projects.


And this takes us to discuss the scarcest resource: TIME!

 

How much time you’ll need for your social media vs SEO?

 

Social media can help you reach a target audience who will feel a connection with your brand and will become your advocators. But in order to do that successfully, you’ll need to be “sociable”, which means:

  1. Generate highly valuable content, tailored for the platform
  2. Post frequently 
  3. Engage with your followers
  4. Get vulnerable  
  5. Collaborate with other creators
  6. Build a funnel so you can turn your followers into customers

A plan to grow a social channel such as TikTok takes about 2 hours per day (60 hrs per month), and this includes:

  1. Watch trends to come up with content ideas
  2. Create the videos
  3. Edit the videos
  4. Come up with catchy titles
  5. Monitor analytics to find the best times to post
  6. Post your videos 
  7. Monitor comments 
  8. Reply comments
  9. This process is for each post
  10. Expect to post 3-4 times per day

Social media channels bring a great opportunity for business owners, especially when we consider the increase in online and digital activities caused by The Pandemic. Therefore, even if you don’t have the 60 hours per month to keep up with your social media, outsourcing those activities can be a game changer for your business.

When it comes to time invested by business owners in their SEO efforts, is very minimal in comparison to social media. SEO tasks can be done by your SEO team, with very little effort from your end as a business owner. And this is a BIG PLUS for SEO services versus social media services. 

For instance, in the example where we increased purchase conversions by 323% in just 5 months, we haven’t needed our client in order to do our SEO work. And this is possible when you hire the right talent for your marketing and sales needs.

 

 

Local SEO vs Social Media for local business owners

 

For local businesses, generating foot traffic from people nearby is key. So how do local business owners get more traffic? 

The following is an example of a local business that was using only social media to promote its food. The business owner had a website with 3 pages: The home page, menu page, and contact us page, but no additional content. However, their social channels were active and they hit close to 5,000 followers. Because of that word of mouth, all their website traffic was from people who knew their business name. Although this is good, it’s not enough. 

Google search console SEO agency near me

We combined SEO and Content Marketing SEO to drive website traffic from people who were looking for their food. We wrote blog articles around topics like “10 Best Places to Eat in [city]” and then optimized those pages for the city they’re in. So when someone Googled that query, our client’s website would show up.  Because our client’s restaurant was one of the best in the city, people would click through and come to their website. From there, some would decide to visit the restaurant or order takeout/delivery.

This is just one example of how you can use SEO and Social Media together to grow your business. By creating great content and promoting it on social media and through other channels (like email marketing), you can attract new customers and grow your business. And if you track your progress with Google Search Console, you can see exactly how well your efforts are performing over time!

 

Does posting on social media help SEO?

 

If you’re wondering whether posting on social media will help your SEO, the answer is a little complicated. Technically speaking, social channels are separate from Google, so your activity on the site won’t directly impact your ranking in search results. However, that doesn’t mean that there’s no connection between the two, as we’ve discussed earlier.

 

In Conclusion

 

Social media and SEO are two of the most important tools in a marketer’s toolkit. When used together, they can provide an incredible boost to your visibility and reach. However, it’s important to remember that they are just tools – you’ll still need a comprehensive strategy to get the best results. 

If you’re not sure where to start, the best thing you can do is to hire a team of experts who can help you develop a comprehensive marketing strategy. 

I might be biased, but I personally think that here at MFG Agency, we have one of the most amazing resources! You’ll be able to make the most of social media and SEO, and you’ll see a real difference in your bottom line. 

But don’t take my word for granted. Schedule a visit and meet your amazing marketing team! We’re a digital marketing agency in Cedar Park and we do great things.

Are You A Construction Company Or A Construction Brand?

The Greatness Blog

Are You A Construction Company Or A Construction Brand?

Wondering if you are a construction brand or a business? Advice from a Brand Marketing Agency.

James has done some small construction jobs and his customers have been sharing the results on social media. His business is booming. Quote requests are coming in almost daily. He’s so busy that is already sending business to other construction companies. But there’s one problem. James has no time to do anything else but work. Jenny is not feeling well, despite her success. She has a toddler and mom guilt keeps her up all night.

 

Can you relate with James? Is your construction business booming and now you’re starting to feel like this is too much?

 

Keep reading, ‘cause we are giving you our ultimate recipe to building a profitable construction business.

 

What’s a construction brand anyway?

 

A construction brand is a company that is known for its quality workmanship, customer service, and use of technology. A construction brand differentiates itself from the competition by having a clear identity that is communicated through all aspects of the business.

 

The best construction brands understand that it’s not just about the work they do, but also how they do it. They are constantly innovating and improving their processes. They treat their employees well and invest in their development. They focus on the customer experience and always deliver what they promise.

What are the 5 benefits of branding?

 

There are countless benefits to branding your construction company. Here are just a few:

 

  1. Increased visibility: A strong brand will make your construction company more visible in the marketplace and help you attract new customers.

 

  1. Improved customer loyalty: Brand loyal customers are more likely to return to your company for future projects and recommend you to their friends and family.

 

  1. Greater employee satisfaction: Employees who feel proud to work for a well-respected company are more likely to be productive and happy in their jobs.

 

  1. Access to new markets: A strong brand can help you enter into new markets and expand your business.

 

  1. Increased profits: Companies with strong brands typically outperform their competitors and enjoy higher profits.

 

In our example, if James wants to grow more revenue, he needs fewer clients with larger contracts. And that’s going to happen if he attracts those sales leads using construction brand marketing.

 

If you’re ready to take your construction company to the next level, it’s time to start thinking about branding. Branding will give you a competitive edge and help you build a successful business that lasts.

 

What’s Involved in the Branding Process?

 

The first step in branding your construction company is to define your brand. What makes your company unique? What do you want to be known for?

 

Once you have a clear understanding of your brand, you need to start communicating it to the world. This involves everything from choosing the right name and logo to developing a website and social media strategy. You also need to make sure that all of your marketing materials, from business cards to proposal templates, reflect your brand in a cohesive way.

 

Should you build a local brand?

Building a local brand has a lot of benefits.

 

For starters, it’s a great way to build trust with your community. When people see your company name and logo around town, they’ll start to associate it with quality workmanship and customer service. This can help you attract new customers and win repeat business.

 

Another benefit of building a local brand is that it can help you stand out from the competition. There are a lot of construction companies out there, so it’s important to find a way to differentiate yourself.

 

How do you develop a local brand? Start answering these questions:

 

  1. What made you start your construction company
  2. What’s your business story
  3. Who is your ideal customer
  4. What are your company values
  5. What’s your company culture like
  6. What sets you apart from the competition

 

Pro tip: Successful branding begins with a well-defined story that is RELATABLE to your market.

 

Your company name, logo, and tagline should help you share your brand story. And if you already have a name, but you recognize that it doesn’t help you share a story, you can always add a strong tagline.

 

For example, if your company name is Sunshine Construction Inc. and you want to localize your business name, you can do it by adding a tagline. Sunshine Construction – Builder in Central Texas.  

 

Keep in mind that people will be talking about you and they will Google you! For this reason, your brand story should be shared prominently on your website, business cards, and other marketing materials.

 

You also need to get involved in your community. Sponsor a little league team or donate to a local charity. Attend networking events and host open houses. The more people see your company name and logo, the more likely they are to remember it when they need construction services.

A construction brand example

A great example of a construction brand is M / I Homes. They identify themselves as one of the Nation’s Leading Home Builders. Their brand name has built online equity, based on how many people search “mi homes” online. Google has over 500,000 results for its brand name.

 

M I Homes has positioned itself to stand out from the crowd for its values. And this is a key element of building a successful brand. When you visit their website, you will be able to learn about their story, what makes them unique, and what are some of the processes and methods that they use that are different from other construction companies.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is key

As we mentioned earlier, your future buyers will Google you. This is where a great SEO marketing strategy comes handy.

 

SEO will help your website rank higher in Google search results when potential customers are looking for construction companies in your area.

 

The benefits of SEO go beyond just ranking higher in Google. A strong SEO strategy will help you:

  1. Generate more leads
  2. Build trust and credibility
  3. Attract high-quality prospects
  4. Increase brand awareness

SEO is a complex and ever-changing field, so it’s important to partner with a company that specializes in construction SEO. They will be able to help you identify the keywords that potential customers are using to find companies like yours and ensure that your website is optimized for those keywords.

 

Below is an example of M / I Homes online presence. They use effective SEO content strategies that have helped them gain brand recognition. And we say this, not because we work with them. We can find out how is a brand positioned online by using SEO tools.

What are the top construction brands?

Based on our research, the following are the top 5 construction brands in the U.S.:

 

  1. Pulte Homes
  2. Centex
  3. Perry Homes
  4. Ryan Homes
  5. Taylor Morrison

Use this list and see which of these brands are your “hero brand”. Notice how they communicate their brand story, their values, their culture, and how they connect with their audience on social media.

 

Keep in mind, that this list is simply based on search visibility. Not in revenue.

Need Construction Marketing Services in Austin?

 

If you are looking for an award-winning construction marketing agency in Austin, TX, contact us today. We would be happy to help you take your brand to the next level!




Does Branding Come Before Marketing?

The Greatness Blog

Does Branding Come Before Marketing?

Wondering if you should build a brand or build a business or both? How does that look like? Advice from a Brand Marketing Agency.

When it comes to your product launch strategy, it will require the right blend of approaches. I compare a brand success with a plane. Ever wonder how does a plane fly? It flies because of four forces. The four forces are lift, thrust, drag, and weight. 

 

Let’s take these four forces and relate it to your product launch. First, you have to have a great product. This is what I consider the “lift” force. Your product has to be able to take off and fly on its own. You can have the greatest marketing strategy in the world, but if your product stinks, it will never get off the ground. 

 

Second, you need the “thrust” force. This is your go-to market strategy. It’s how you’re going to generate demand for your product. 

 

Third, you need to consider the “drag” force. This is all of the things that can slow down or hinder your product from taking off. 

 

Fourth and finally, you need to consider the “weight” force. This is your overall business strategy. How much money are you willing to invest in this product? Is it a cash cow or a loss leader? 

 

These are all important factors to consider when launching your product. 

 

With a great marketing campaign can help create a successful product launch. But then what? How do you make a sustainable business outside of that one great launch? This is where a conversation about how to become a successful and sustainable brand comes handy.

 

Let’s dive in. 

 

If you’re about to launch a product, you might want to consider launching your brand first. And we’re not talking about waiting years until having an amazing brand. Building a successful brand can be done in less than six months. In some cases, depending on the level of influence of the people behind it, it can be even quicker.

So what is a brand, anyway?

 

Since brand and branding are two of the most misused concepts, let’s clarify what do we mean by brand, so we can be on the same page.

 

When we say that you need a brand, we’re not talking about your logo, colors, and website. That’s branding. A graphic designer will take care of that part. However, that alone won’t share the story of your business. 

 

As Jeff Bezos famously said, “Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.” And this isn’t different, whether you are building a personal brand or a business brand.

 

You didn’t start a business without a reason, right? So what it is? What’s the story? What’s the problem you want to solve? Is the impact in people’s lives worth sharing? 

 

Pro tip: Successful branding begins with a well-defined story that is RELATABLE to your market. 

Some of the benefits of building a brand before launching a product include:

 

1) You gain customer loyalty

By building a strong brand, you create loyalty among your customers. They’re more likely to continue using your products and recommend them to others.

 

2) You build a connection that keeps users coming for more

A strong brand connection means customers are more likely to come back for more. They’ll also be more likely to try new products from your company, as they know they can trust your brand.

 

3) It gives your team a sense of direction and motivation

Launching a product can be a daunting task. By having a clear brand identity, you can give your team a sense of direction and purpose. This will make them more motivated to work on the product and see it through to launch.

 

4) You can grow a bigger digital footprint

A strong brand presence online can help you reach more potential customers. It can also help with search engine optimization, as potential customers are more likely to find your product if they know your brand.

 

5) It can help with reputation management 

In today’s digital age, it’s important to have a good reputation online. By launching your brand first, you can start to build a positive reputation before your product even launches. This can help ensure that customers have a positive experience with your product and are more likely to recommend it to others.

How do you share a brand story?

Now that you’re inspired to consider taking some time and resources to build your company brand, let’s go over some brand stories, starting with Tesla.

 

So how does Tesla do it? 

 

How has Tesla become one of the most valuable car companies in the world without spending a dime on advertising? It all comes down to storytelling. Tesla tells its story through its product. Every Tesla is designed to be the safest, quickest, and most pleasurable car to drive. They are constantly innovating and pushing the limits of what’s possible with electric vehicles. As a result, Tesla has built a strong emotional connection with its customers. And when you have a strong emotional connection with your customers, they will do your marketing for you. 

 

Pro tip: When you build a strong emotional connection with your customers, they will do your marketing for you.

 

As you might have noticed, Facebook rebranded recently and changed its name from Facebook to Meta.

Why did Facebook change its name to Meta?

Zuckerberg said it was time to turn the page on a new chapter. Meta’s name is directly related to metaverse, a new world built in virtual reality.

 

In reality, Facebook’s move was smart. The social platform had been under fire for spreading misinformation and other issues, so rebranding gave them a chance to give the media a new story.

 

You would figure that this time, Meta needed to come up strong, from the get-go. And they did. One of my favorite examples of how they’re sharing Meta’s brand story is their magical gate at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS), transforming one of the terminal’s gate areas and adding 120 fantastical new air service destinations to the airport. 

 

When you’re at Meta’s imaginary gate, you’ll see their imaginary destinations. Smart move! A great way to generate stories – at the emotional level! 

 

Do you see a pattern here?

 

A great brand story tells the narrative of your brand, including where you’ve come from and where you are going. A great brand story must be true, authentic, and honest. It cannot be made up or derived; consumers sniff out inauthenticity in a heartbeat and will punish you for it.

 

Launching a product without first building a brand can be risky. Customers may not know who you are or what you stand for, and they may not be as likely to take a chance on your product. By launching your brand first, you can create awareness and build trust with potential customers before you even launch your product.

Great brands have great brand marketing

 

Brand marketing is promoting a brand’s products or services in a way that elevates the brand as a whole. It involves creating and maintaining brand-consumer relationships and marketing brand attributes—the traits that people think of when they picture a particular brand.

In Conclusion

 

Building a brand is essential to the success of any business, whether you’re just starting out or have been in the game for years. It’s what sets you apart from your competition and allows you to create a connection with your consumers.

 

Do you think you have a story worth sharing and you want to leverage it and monetize it? Let’s chat! Schedule a complimentary branding consultation with our experts.

 

How Much Does It Cost To Hire An Instagram Manager?

The Greatness Blog

How Much Does It Cost To Hire An Instagram Manager?

This article is a comprehensive look at the services of an Instagram manager, what they entail and how much you might expect to pay.

You’re a small business owner and you want to hire someone to help you with your Instagram account. But how much does it cost to hire an Instagram manager?

The short answer is that it depends on the services you need and the experience of the person you’re hiring.


Instagram Management Services in Austin: Job Description


A social media manager is responsible for creating and executing a social media strategy in order to grow the online presence of a business or brand.


Duties Of A Social Media Manager May Include:


  1. Creating and posting content on behalf of the business or brand
  2. Monitoring and responding to comments and messages
  3. Analyzing analytics to gauge the reach and effectiveness of posts
  4. Generating new ideas for content and strategies
  5. Collaborating with other team members, such as designers and marketers.


The Skills Needed To Be A Social Media Manager Include:

  1. Excellent written and verbal communication skills
  2. Strong organizational skills
  3. The ability to multitask
  4. Creativity
  5. A deep understanding of social media platforms and their algorithms
  6. Basic graphic design skills
  7. Basic SEO knowledge.


Is It Worth Hiring A Social Media Manager Just For Instagram?


Should you hire them for all the social media channels? Which one is the best?

This question comes very frequently, especially when you’re preparing a new marketing plan and want to make sure you’re staying on top of your game. And if you haven’t refreshed your marketing plan and want to know the top marketing strategies, consider reading this

If you’re a small business owner with a limited budget, you may want to consider hiring a social media manager just for Instagram. This will allow you to focus your resources on one platform, and you’ll be able to work with someone who is an expert on Instagram.

If you’re a larger business with a bigger budget, you may want to consider hiring a social media manager for all of your social media channels. This will give you a cohesive social media strategy across all platforms and allow you to take advantage of the different strengths of each platform.

The best way to decide is to sit down and assess your goals. Do you want to grow your audience or do you want to simply keep your presence active? Do you want to generate website traffic from Instagram? What about leads and sales? The more specific you are about your goals, the better.


What Does Instagram Management Include?


A typical Instagram management contract includes:

  1. Content strategy
  2. Content creation
  3. Content writing
  4. Account monitoring
  5. Technical support to troubleshoot your account

And depending on the expertise of the Instagram Manager, they might be able to offer you other advanced Instagram Marketing Services such as:

  1. Instagram Ads
  2. Instagram search engine optimization (SEO)
  3. Keyword optimization
  4. Analytics
  5. Tracking
  6. Advanced Reporting
  7. Trends

But it’s important to remember that a lot of what goes into running a successful Instagram account is not included in a typical management contract.


What’s Not Included In Typical Instagram Management Services?


Some of the things that are not typically included in an Instagram management contract are:

  1. Professional photography
  2. Multi-format posting
  3. Website management
  4. Advertising
  5. Outreach
  6. Community building
  7. Community management.

These services can be extremely valuable for growing your business, but they come at an additional cost.


What About Social Media Branding?


Your Instagram Manager isn’t expected to develop your brand. You can’t hire a plumber and ask them to paint your counters! 

While some Instagram Management packages offer some branding and style, the scope of what they offer is limited. However, they might offer social media branding services. 

Social media branding is the process of creating a unique and consistent identity for your business or brand across all social media platforms. This includes everything from your profile picture and cover photo to the tone and voice you use in your posts and it’s normally done during the first month of starting your Instagram Marketing Services.

Creating a strong social media brand is important because it helps you stand out from the crowd and makes you more recognizable to your target audience. It also makes it easier for people to connect with you and builds trust.

Keep in mind that a social media manager is not a branding expert or a graphic designer. They will be able to do basic design, but you should not expect them to be an expert designer. If you need both branding and social media management services, hiring a digital marketing agency will be your best option, since you will have all the services done by one team.


The Rise Of Content Creation Services


For businesses that have an in-house social media marketing team, outsourcing the content creation makes sense. 

A content creator is a professional who creates content for social media, websites, and other online platforms. This can include everything from blog posts and articles to videos and graphics.

Content creators are important because they help you create valuable content that will attract and engage your target audience. Without high-quality content, your social media presence will suffer.

There are a lot of different types of content creators, and the type you need will depend on your business goals and the platforms you’re using. For example, if you’re focused on Instagram, you’ll need someone who is good at creating visuals. And now that the platform is preferring short videos, you might want to consider content creation services. 


Why Get Content Creation Services Instead of Full Instagram Management Services?


Any successful social media presence these days requires engaging content. This is especially true on a visual platform like Instagram. Static images just don’t cut it anymore- users want to see innovation and creativity. That’s where content creation services come in. When you work with a content creation team, you’ll get high-quality, engaging content that is planned and strategized specifically for your brand. This will help you to attract new followers and keep your existing ones engaged. Additionally, it can be much easier to scale your content production when you have a team working on it, rather than trying to do everything yourself. So if you’re looking to take your Instagram presence to the next level, content creation services are the way to go.

Our content creation services package includes:

  1. Content planning
  2. Graphic design
  3. Reels planning 
  4. Account analysis
  5. Reporting

You’ll get your Instagram Content Plan with captions and images ready to post. 


How Much Is Social Media Management Per Month?


According to the freelancer platform Upwork, the following are rates that other freelancers are charging clients for social media content management: Entry Level (social media posting, virtual assistant duties): $15-$50/hr. Intermediate (social media posting, content creation, and community management): $50-$100/hr. Expert (content marketing, blogging, and SEO skills): $125- $225/hr.

Another factor to consider is that the average total compensation for a Social Media Manager in the US is about $75,000 per year. This represents roughly $7,000 per month (with employment tax). Just for one employee.


Hiring A Marketing Agency Makes Total Sense


  1. You’ll save money in payroll
  2. The agency will take care of giving you the right account manager
  3. You will be able to receive a plethora of digital marketing services beyond social media
  4. No headaches of managing staff
  5. No more missing opportunities, due to not having time!

Hiring someone to help you with your Instagram account is an important decision, but it doesn’t have to be a difficult one. By taking the time to find the right person for the job and being clear about your needs, you can ensure that your Instagram account is in good hands.


Instagram Marketing Services in Austin


If you’re ready to take your Instagram account to the next level, let’s chat. 

We are a full-service Instagram agency in Austin that can help you with all of your Instagram needs, from content creation to community management, branding, website, SEO & Adwords. 

We’ll work with you to create a custom plan that fits your budget and your business goals. 

Contact us today to learn more!

Why Can’t I Boost My Reels On Instagram? Troubleshoot Common Reels Ads Issues

The Greatness Blog

Why Can’t I Boost My Reels On Instagram? Troubleshoot Common Reels Ads Issues

Find out what you can do if your ads are getting disapproved on Instagram and how to prevent them from being rejected in the future.

Reels is the future of video storytelling on Instagram. It already makes up 20% of the time spent on the platform. That means that if you’re not using Reels to tell your brand story, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity.


Are Reels good for business account?

 

Absolutely yes. There are a few key reasons:


1- Reels are highly engaging, and users are much more likely to watch a Reel than any other type of content on Instagram.


2- They’re also fun and creative, which gives brands a chance to show off their personality. Plus, Reels are easy to make and don’t require a lot of time or resources.


3- When you share content using Reels, the algorithm pushes your content to users who are not following you, giving you the chance to gain followers.


4- Users engage more with Reels content because they are entertaining, digestible, and relatable.


Why Are Reels A Great Way To Grow Your Followers?


Reels are a great way to grow followers because they’re highly engaging and the algorithm pushes your content to users who are not following you. When you use Reels the right way, you can increase your reach and get more people interested in your brand.


How To Gain Followers Using Reels?


Pull your audience in and entertain them with content that appeals to their ears, eyes and hearts.


1. Design for sound on

Over 80% of Reels are viewed with sound.1 Music can be an effective audio strategy for captivating attention and creating connection, particularly when it complements the mood of your story (i.e. relaxing, inspiring, energizing, chill, dreamy).


2. Dazzle with visual effects

Adding effects are a great way to inject a little fun in your Reels and enhance the story — in fact, over 40% of Reels use effects.1 Try effects like green screen to help you layer first-person video commentary onto content.


3. Inspire an emotional response

Entertaining ads tend to elicit emotions like happiness, interest and curiousity. Consider sparking intrigue by taking an edutainment approach and teaching your audience something new or helping them learn more about something they already love.

 

Boost Your Reels to Reach New Audiences

Can you boost Reels on Instagram?


Yes! You can now boost your Reels on Instagram to reach more people.


Here’s how:

1. Go to your business profile and click on the Reels tab.

2. Find the Reel you want to boost and click the “Promote” button.

3. Choose your objective (reach, website clicks or conversions) and target audience.

4. Set your budget and duration, then click “Confirm.”

5. Your Reel will start promoting as an ad once it’s been reviewed and approved.


Keep in mind that you can’t boost Reels with:

– Camera filters

– Shared to Facebook

– Gifs

– Tappable elements

– Copyrighted music

If you’re having trouble boosting your Reel, keep reading! We have some solutions that can help you get approved.

 

Which reels can be boosted?


Businesses can now boost their reels within the Instagram app to turn them into ads for the opportunity to reach new audiences and drive more engagement. Boosted Reels, summarized in the reel below, will appear in feedStories, the Reels tab and the explore page to help new customers find your brand.


To be eligible for boosting within the Instagram app, reels must be less than 60 seconds and have a 9:16 aspect ratio, which means they’re filmed vertically and have a full-screen format. At this time, Reels that use third party IP—such as copyrighted music, GIFs, interactive stickers or camera filters in a Reel—are ineligible for boosting, as well as reels shared to Facebook.


If you’re looking to boost your reach on Instagram, Reels Ads is a great way to do it. However, at this time, not every Reel can be boosted. Here’s a look at some of the most common problems and how to solve them.


Problem 1: Video Resolution

If you’re getting this error, most likely, your video has a filter effect.

How to fix this problem? Assuming that you want to keep using the filter, you can download the Reel using a website like Snapinsta.app and upload it again. You can also edit your Reel before posting it using a video editing app like CapCut.


Problem 2: Shared to Facebook

Reels are typically shared to Facebook, by default. If you are getting this error, you’ll need to publish your Reel again and remove the permission to share Reels to Facebook.

Provided that you are not violating any of the other prohibitions, your ad should be approved.


Problem 3: Contains Gifs

Gifs are not currently supported by Reels Ads. This means that if your Reel contains a Gif, it will not be able to be boosted.

To solve this problem, post your Reel without any Gifs or Stickers.


Problem 4: Tappable Elements

Tappable elements are not currently supported by Reels Ads. This means that if your Reel contains any tappable elements, such as links or call-to-actions, they will not be clickable when viewed on a boosted Reel.

If you have an original version of your video, simply upload it again but without any tappable element. Note that if you filmed your video directly on the app, you won’t be able to remove the element. So in this case, filming a new one will be the solution.


Problem 5: Copyrighted Music

Copyrighted music is not currently supported by Reels Ads. This means that if your Reel contains any copyrighted music, it will not be able to be boosted.

Prohibited Reels copyrighted music

To solve this problem, create a new video using original sound instead of a song. 


In Conclusion


By following these solutions, you should be able to boost your Reels without any issues. Remember to always check the requirements for Reels Ads before posting to make sure your content is eligible.

Boosting your Reels is a great way to increase your reach and get more eyes on your brand. So take advantage of this feature and start promoting your business today!


About Jessica Campos

@jessicacamposofficial is an online marketing expert and founder of @marketingforgreatness. Our content marketing studio in Cedar Park, Texas offers SEO based content, branding, website, and social media solutions for brands ready to scale. 

Instagram’s Branded Content Ads: Quick Tutorial

If you’re looking to expand your reach, then, Instagram influencer campaigns should be part of your marketing strategy.

Instagram recently launched a feature that allows brands to promote, both, organic and paid content, to reach an influencer’s network. 

In other words, as an advertiser, your ads manager will be able to create an audience based on your brand partner’s audience, using the branded content feature.  

I can already see a big smile on your face! 

Let’s dive in.

What Is Branded Content On Instagram?

Just in case, before we cover the advertising benefits of branded content, let’s simplify what “branded content” is.

According to Instagram, branded content is “a creator or publisher’s content that features or is influenced by a business partner for an exchange of value (for example, where the business partner has paid the creator or publisher).”

In practical terms, it’s when you tag an account that happens to be a marketing partner. You can totally tag your marketing partner like you normally do. However, when you take a few additional steps, using the branded content advanced feature, you’ll open your Instagram marketing strategy to another level.

To enable your advanced tagging feature, you’ll need to activate Instagram’s Branded Content Tools.

How To Find Branded Content Tools – Business Account

It’s important to clarify that your Instagram account needs to be either a creators account or a business account.

If you have a business account, here’s how you access your Branded Content Tools: Business Settings – Branded Content

Branded Content Tools – Creators Account

If you have a Creators Account, you’ll find your features via Settings- Account – Branded Content Tools.

Switching to a creator profile, influencers and creators get access to flexible profile controls, simplified messaging, and more growth tools like scheduling and music features that sometimes disappear in the business account. 

If your music feature disappeared, switching to Creator Profile might do the trick!

How Do You Approve Branded Content On Instagram?

Let’s assume you’re the brand and you hired an influencer to share a product review.

The first thing is to make sure that your account is accepting business partner tagging. You’ll go to your Branded Content Tools and that’s the fist option available.

How To Tag A Business On Instagram? 

As a business partner (Instagram influencer), you’ll create the new post, hover to Advanced Settings and tag the business partner. 

This tag will send a notification to the brand account and once it’s accepted, the post will display a headline announcing the Paid partnership. See image below.

 

What About Instagram Branded Content Ads?

As a brand advertiser, you’ll be able to promote an Instagram branded content post.

To access this feature, go to your Ads Manager, start a new ad, choose engagement as objective, and when you select the post, you’ll notice your Branded Content posts available.

Using Branded Content ads you’ll be able to create new targeted audiences, since now you’ll reach your influencer’s audience. 

Personally, I think of this as word of mouth on steroids! 

I’m recommending my clients to initiate official brand partnerships now, in preparation for the holiday campaigns.

You will be able to display ads on both Instagram feed and stories.

Need A Brand Strategist To Start An Influencer Marketing Campaign?

Connecting amazing individuals with brands is one of my favorite things to do here at Marketing For Greatness.

Book a call and let’s put our brilliant minds together!  .

PS- Don’t forget to check out my latest book on how to build visibility and Planning My Greatness- get business coaching in a book format.