The number one thing I get asked all the time is WHAT DO I POST! 
I use capitals because they typically come to me in that kind of angst-ridden stressed-out place. 
The last time I did a workshop teaching Instagram Marketing, I shared out these 2 little tidbits and I know those attendees aren't the only ones who will find this useful. 
Start with  the Lifestyle Branding. It's important to understand that Instagram does not operate like a non-stop sales pitch. 
If you have questions, let's connect on Instagram and ask me any time!

​While I'm putting the finishing touches on my course, Instagram Marketing Simplified, I'm getting more and more into the specifics of creating and managing a really good Instagram account for a business. 

Today what's front and centre is branding.

According to Entreprenur.com, the definition of a brand is "The marketing practice of creating a name, symbol or design that identifies and differentiates a product from other products.....your brand is your promise to your customer. It tells them what they can expect from your products and services, and it differentiates your offering from that of your competitors."

Long gone are the days of creating an advertisement that is designed to embody everything about your brand for everyone related to your brand.  With non-stop news feeds full of millions, or billions of posts every day, your brand is seen from all angles and many times over.  That means creating interesting, brand relevant content consistently and frequently.  So how does a brand stand out against this kind of busy and demanding playing field?

Truthfully, there's really only one way to do this. That is to sell the lifestyle, not the product or services. Remember, your brand is your "promise to your customer" about how your product or service is going to make their lives better, or how it will hold an important place in the life of your customers.  In general marketing terms, this is called Lifestyle Branding. 

Whether your brand is an actual "lifestyle brand" or not, you need to present it like one on social media. Because social media, by definition, is designed to be social.  It's designed for sharing bits and pieces of your life with those you connect with.  Without the bad parts of course, just the beautiful, shiny, fun stuff which turns out to be a good thing for branding.  You can't run as a non-stop commercial on social media.  People will simply refuse to engage with you.  This mean you need need to be more subtle about  the actual 'offer' by demonstrating how fantastic life is with YOU in the world. 

I’m pretty confident you’re saying, “If we’re talking about Instagram marketing, what does a Mission Statement have to do with anything”?

Stay with me.

If we are going to use Instagram as a clear and cohesive marketing tool for your business, you need some serious clarity about your brand.

​It's a New Year and the best time to learn new tricks for growing your business while committing to moving closer to your goals. 

After four years of learning the Digital Marketing industry and a full year of working my online courses, they are ready to launch. 

I am dying to share simple systems and some basic digital marketing tools with you! I really believe that Digital Marketing is simple when you know how to use the tools.

​I'm going to simplify this. Because that's what I do and that's what I want to help you do too. I meet so many women who really want to run their own business. But they don't think it's feasible. I often get asked if I think it's something they can really do. My answer is HELL YEA! 

​It’s becoming increasingly important to have ‘digital assets’ or documents and webpages that offer value to a targeted audience.  ​If you’re self-employed or trying to manage an Etsy account or a Shopify store, this may seem like an impossible task. My first suggestion is to create a blog. Don’t panic. There are simple ways to create and manage a blog without becoming a blogger. 

​The single most important tool to keep your digital marketing simple is to plan. Keep a calendar of dates that are relevant to your brand, your product, your city or your target audience.  Anticipate what's coming up and the times when you have to get creative and fill in the blanks. It will save you scrambling. 

Creating  seasonally relevant material needs to be part of a bigger marketing strategy so your other efforts will support you during seasons with higher Internet traffic (i.e. competition). If you haven’t been using a big-picture strategy, don’t worry - now is a good time to start so let’s do this!
​

​What does it take for you to really get in the groove on a work day? 


If you work for yourself, you understand what I'm talking about. Some days it's super easy. You just sit down at the computer or get on the phone and boom. Stuff starts to happen. But other days, getting started can feel like pulling teeth. 

I love the days where I sit down and knock my to-do list out of the park. I know the feel of that place and the delivered deliverables are the evidence that I have been in the zone.  It's easy, it's effortless and it flows.

It can totally make you feel like a ROCK STAR! 

But here's the thing.  For me that kind of focus & productivity isn't always something I can just pull out of my hat. Some days are better than others, of course. 

​I know, how bad can it be right? At least that's the view of those relying on someone else for a paycheck. It's pretty common for me to hear how lucky I am to work for myself and surprising how often people expect me to be available on a whim. Or they ask what I'm doing on a work day, when like everyone else, I'm working. There are some realities you need to plan for if you're self-employed. As with all aspects of business, the clearer and more realistic you are, the easier to grow, develop and achieve your goals.

Last post, I asked you to start thinking about the easiest way for you to get into the game.  And by ‘get in the game’ I mean make a commitment to start using social media for marketing.  The best approach, in my opinion is to keep it super simple and be honest about what you can either afford or are willing to commit to. And then make that commitment.

At the end of the day, do what you have to do to get in the game. Or throw in the towel and walk away. It’s a waste of time, effort and money to do this halfway. It will result in nothing except for the public knowing that you are making a lame attempt at engagement. That will send potential customers straight to the nearest competitor they can find on social media.

This post, I want to offer up some actionable items to make this more clear for you.

Here are a few of those:

• Write down your options for making a commitment. All of them. It will be easier to choose when you can see the big picture.  Here are a few things to consider - is it easiest to train someone in your office? Do you have a budget to outsource to a pro? Should you take a course, or do you just need to make 15 minutes a day to do it yourself? How will your commitment play out? Write down anything in the realm of possibility and then look at the realities of each thereby eliminating things that just aren't going to happen.

 

• Take it seriously. It’s important to understand that this is the way of the world. It’s not a passing fad. This is it. You are missing an incredible opportunity to increase your visibility, connect with potential clients or find strategic partners if you aren’t doing this. So it’s kind of a big deal. Take it seriously.

 

• Map it out like anything else you do for your business. Do you have a business plan? If not, back up. Clarity is the key to finding success and the point of a business plan is to clarify all aspects.  Before you panic, understand that this is a simple exercise and there are links here to some free and simple, one page business plans. Download one, fill it in and then look at how you can fit that into your overall strategy.  It is a very simple exercise that anyone who does any kind of business should do. I promise it won’t be very time consuming but it will focus your thinking about who you are, what you do and who you do it for.

 

• This is a crucial step for any sustainability. If you aren’t clear about who your audience is, you won’t even be able to decide which social platform is best for your business to focus on or what the message is that you're trying to convey. 

TIP: It is not necessary to be active on every social platform - in fact it's not smart to try. As part of your commitment to your social marketing efforts, pick the top 2 social platforms your audience is likely to use & focus there.   (Click To Tweet)