When “UX design” comes up in conversation, most people think of front-facing graphic design, intriguing fonts and logos, and eye-catching visuals. And while all those things definitely play a part in UX design, the user experience is much more complex.

UX design, aka user experience, is what web designers use to create relevant and meaningful experiences for visitors and customers alike. It includes but isn’t limited to product integration, user pathways, branding, functionality, and usability.

In today’s world, intuitive user experiences can set your business apart—but is a good UX worth the cost? It’s probably no surprise that we think it is, but if you need convincing, read on to see why UX design matters and why we know it’s worth the investment.

Why should my business invest in good UX Design?

1. Good UX Design makes Happy Customers

And happy customers just don’t… Wait, I think we used a Legally Blonde quote in our last blog… How many is too many? Anyway—When a consumer visits your website, they are most likely not there by happenstance. They’re attempting to solve a problem they have or get a product they really want! Be it an endless string of bad hair days, a solution to keep their shriveling house plants alive, or *insert your issue here*— consumers want answers to their problems, and they want those answers sooner rather than later. That’s where UX design comes in!

Excellent UX design helps users navigate your website more efficiently. It anticipates their needs, desires, and potential problems, and then uses that data to make navigating the site intuitive. Research shows that if a site visitor can’t find a link to what they’re looking for within 10 seconds, they typically just leave and try a different site. Users will always appreciate good UX design, whether they’re aware of it or not (and they most likely won’t be). However, users DEFINITELY know when they are experiencing a bad UX.

2. Good UX Design Saves You Time and Money

We know what you’re thinking, ”As a small business, how could good UX design save me time and money when I have to spend so much money to get it?” Let’s be real. Your question is valid, but hear us out! How much time does your business spend fielding questions and solving unnecessary problems? Whether you know it or not, answering questions and spending countless hours going after poor leads costs a lot of money. You’re paying people to do it, right? Yep. A good website user experience can help alleviate some of your customer service pain points, giving you and your employees more time to direct your focus toward other things. Here are some practical, time-saving benefits of good UX design:

However, no company would ever be successful by eliminating all human contact with customers, we all need and want that personal touch, but a streamlined user experience can make automated internet interactions and the path to conversion on your website more enjoyable. Not to mention, it could make you more profitable—and we all want that, right?

Which brings us to…

3. Good UX Design Increases Your Revenue

We know for most of you, it’s not just about making a buck. You got into your business because you were passionate about your product or service. However, you’ve got to feed your family and these gas prices aren’t going anywhere (for now). All of that said, happy customers become loyal customers, and loyal customers bring in, let’s say it together—MONEY.

Okay, how about an example? Suppose you improve your website’s checkout experience by allowing customers to save their credit card information, therefore speeding up the checkout process. You could even take it a step further by offering them a secure way to save and fill in personal information such as names, phone numbers, and addresses during checkouts.

Streamlining this process will make your website visitors more likely to purchase your products. Because most people are one text message with a funny meme away from forgetting what they had in their cart. And while this is only one example, imagine what else you could do by keeping your customers in mind when building your website or app!

Final Thoughts

Maybe it’s been a while since you’ve had a good look at your website’s user experience journey, or perhaps it’s not something you’ve ever thought about. Either way, integrating UX design into your business platform can take time and money, but it will 100% pay off and add to the value, revenue, and longevity of your business.

Unsure of where to start when it comes to UX design? Drop us a line—our team would be happy to help resource you!

With roughly 1 billion people worldwide using Instagram, it’s SO easy for your content to get lost in the crowd—and we all know that low visibility means poor engagement. That’s why having a solid Instagram SEO strategy is a MUST. By implementing Instagram’s SEO best practices, you can tap into your users’ searches, make your business more discoverable, and increase engagement. Sounds exciting, right? (Please say yes. Otherwise, we wrote this blog for nothing.)

Maybe you’re thinking, “Wait, what’s SEO?” or, “I thought SEO was only for Google….” If that’s you, you’re not alone. And don’t worry—we’ve got you. SEO is short for Search Engine Optimization. It’s basically how discoverable (or searchable) your business is online, and there are a ton of factors that go into good SEO. We’ll have to write a blog on that one next month.

Most people only associate SEO with search engines like Google, but Instagram has its own search functions built directly into the app. And believe us, you want to be discoverable! That’s how you grow your audience and get new leads, and new leads and a growing audience mean more of what we are allll looking for—sales.

So, let’s look at some helpful tips on how to improve your Instagram SEO.

1. Optimize your profile

Want to make Instagram search work for you? Optimizing your profile is a great place to start! Try using keywords in your username and profile! For example—if you own a bakery, you would try to use the word “bakery” in your username and then follow that up with secondary keywords like “brownies,” “cookies,” or “wedding cakes.” Secondary keywords catch users who may not be searching via your primary keyword but may be interested in your product or service.

If you already have an established brand name, there are some limitations when using keywords in your username for brand consistency. So instead, look for an opportunity to use keywords in your profile name.

2. Write descriptive captions with keywords

A couple of years ago, users could only search for content on Instagram using hashtags or profile names. Oh, how the times have changed! Now users can search and discover using keywords, with result pages including posts, Stories, Reels, and accounts you may be interested in—that’s why writing short, descriptive, but straight to the point captions with strategically placed keywords is essential.

Descriptive captions aside, keep in mind that you’re still writing captions for people to read, so overstuffing a long-winded caption full of obviously placed keywords would not be ideal. We guarantee your followers won’t appreciate it either. Keep it authentic!

3. Use the power of the hashtag to your advantage

Before keywords came into the picture, hashtags were the go-to way to search for content—which is why they still play an important role in Instagram SEO and business discoverability. To get the most out of your hashtags, BE STRATEGIC. Try using a blend of business-specific hashtags, local-to-you hashtags, keyword hashtags, branded hashtags, and trending hashtags to increase your discovery chances.

If you’re unsure what hashtags would be best for your business, a quick Google search can help you find a hashtag research tool. (Or we can help!)

4. Use Instagram’s Alt text feature

The Instagram Alt Text feature is a great way to create content that’s more inclusive and accessible to the hearing impaired. It also allows you to add more in-depth descriptions to your posts in the event that your post images fail to load (Hey, glitches happen!).

Another great benefit of using the Alt Text feature is that Instagram can use it to better figure out what your post is about—meaning it can better determine if your post is relevant to a specific search result, giving your post more reach.

If you’re in a pinch, Instagram automatically generates Alt Text for you. However, the automated text will never be as rich as the one you write, so if you’re able, take time to write your Alt Text and sprinkle in some keywords there, too!

5. Be consistent

Lastly, and maybe the simplest of the five tips—be consistent. Consistently implementing your SEO best practices shows the almighty Instagram algorithm you have staying power! It proves just who you are and the value in what you provide to their platform, which in turn makes the algorithm want to allow relevant users to find your profile and content when searching on Instagram.

You’ll reap the benefits of greater discovery and reach in no time at all if you keep a consistent SEO message about your business!

Final Thoughts

If your goal is to build a strong community of followers on Instagram, having a solid SEO strategy is an absolute necessity. We know that trying to wrap your head around an SEO for your business can be overwhelming, but you can believe us when we say it’s worth it!

Need some help with your Instagram SEO strategy but are unsure of where to start? Our team can help! Drop us a line—we would love to talk to you and help you create a plan that works for your business.

According to experts, 46% of the world’s population is currently using social media, and that percentage is continuously growing. So whether you like it or not, incorporating social media into your business plan is no longer optional—it’s an essential part of business growth, an invaluable avenue for customer insight, and a great way to showcase your business’s creativity. Still need some convincing? Let’s look at 5 ways social media can contribute to your business growth:

1. It increases your visibility & brand awareness

If your business isn’t using social media, does it really exist? The answer to that can vary based on who you’re trying to reach, but for the most part, we can pretty much guarantee your audience is on social media. Now, depending on who you are, your audience may be on certain platforms and not on others (Check out this blog for more on that). It may come as somewhat of a shock to you, but the more people know about your business, the more they trust it—and the more they trust it, the greater potential for you to gain new customers and followers. Crazy right?! Social media can be a great way to get your name out there in front of new people on a regular basis and to show the people who already follow you more of who you are.

2. It builds authenticity

We know the “A” word gets thrown around a lot, but let’s face it—buzzword or not—authenticity on social media is a critical part of the success of your business. Loyal and potential customers alike want to know who you are, what your business is about, and what it stands for—and sorry to say, but flyers created in Microsoft Word just won’t cut it anymore. Social media is the new word of mouth marketing, so why not flex your creative muscles and use it to showcase the truest and best parts of your business?

3. It helps you stay at the top of people’s minds

If someone has a specific need and you can help meet that need, is your business the first thing that comes to mind? You would like to hope so, wouldn’t you? We all want to be a trusted name in our respective fields, but how do we get there? By consistently creating engaging, dynamic, and relevant content! No matter what your niche is, social media gives you the opportunity to establish your business as the expert—the go-to for information on topics related to your field. So when a need arises, your name is already on your audience’s mind.

4. It helps you keep an eye on your competitors

According to a recent article by Nerd Wallet, 96% of small businesses say they use social media in their marketing strategy—and with so many small businesses using social media, it’s important to keep a pulse on what your competitors are up to. Are they launching new products or providing discounts? Perhaps there’s a flaw in a competing product or service that can be remedied by your company. Addressing these issues (in a non-catty way) can attract new buyers and keep loyal customers!

5. It creates a channel for customer support

On top of the dynamic and engaging social media content you create, what keeps customers coming back? Say it with us, GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE. Honestly, we could talk about this for days, but for the sake of time we won’t. However, we did write a blog about it, so check that out if you want.. ; )

Social media is an extremely useful tool for customer service because it allows your customers to access you in a way that’s convenient for them. Instead of going through a phone tree or being on hold for an hour, your customers can simply hop on Instagram, @mention the name of your business, and get the help they need! Responding to customers in a timely manner builds trust, and trust leads to… we’re sure you get it by now.

Final Thoughts

Social media is ever-evolving and can be hard to keep up with. But it can also be a great asset to your business if you know how to use it! Not sure where to start? Don’t worry—that’s where we come in. Our team would love to help you develop a social media strategy that works for you and your company’s specific goals. Interested? Drop us a line.

There’s nothing worse than putting all your time and creative energy into an email campaign only to find that 5 out of 500 people actually opened it. It feels like a personal attack, kind of like someone calling your baby ugly.

It’s said that 56% of people unsubscribe from emails they deem irrelevant— so while you can’t force people to open your emails, you can curate them in such a way that your recipients can’t help but open them!

How do you do that? By using dynamic content!

Let’s take a look at the ins and outs of dynamic email content and why it’s such a useful tool for businesses.

What is Dynamic Content?

In short, dynamic content is a curated content experience. It’s that “personalized” email you receive in your inbox from your favorite brand. You know the one? When you open it you feel seen, known, and compelled to continuously purchase the products or services.

Dynamic content can be as basic or as personal as you want it to be. It could be something as simple as placing someone’s name at the beginning of an email or as in-depth as switching images based on purchase history or browsing history. It could even be segmenting your email list based on age, gender, race, geolocation, etc. The sky’s the limit when it comes to dynamic content because people are always changing and adapting.

What are the Benefits of Dynamic Content?

Every customer and potential customer should be viewed as someone with unique needs; dynamic content helps you meet those ever-changing needs and in turn, creates loyal customers.

Dynamic content also gives your already loyal customers (and even potential customers) access to things they want to see and purchase instead of just being bombarded with a list of products that are irrelevant to them.

In a way, dynamic email content allows the recipients to participate in their own story within your larger brand story. And in 2022, we ALL want to be the hero of our own story… it’s called *main character energy.* Look it up.

Dynamic content will allow you to:

  1. Reduce the amount of time spent on creating email campaigns for several different email lists.
  2. Increase your web traffic and ultimately increase your revenue.
  3. Help your marketing team figure out what products, services, or content customers want to see more of.

How Do I Create Dynamic Content?

Data, data, DATA!

The first thing you’ll need when creating dynamic content is information about your audience. The more you gather, the better your emails will be.

Pay attention to what kinds of questions are being asked on your social media platforms and what content is being shared by your followers. Gather all information you can from the analytics provided by your email marketing platform, and then test your ideas and assumptions on your audience. When you’ve gathered all your data, create some awesome content—and when it doesn’t work, or if information changes, PIVOT accordingly.

(Can we use two FRIENDS gifs in one blog?)

Final Thoughts

By a show of hands—how many of you are feeling overwhelmed? ✋✋🏿✋🏽 We get it! Creating emails that matter takes time and just a little bit of patience but in the long run, if done correctly, dynamic content can be extremely beneficial to both your brand and your customers. If you need help reworking your email strategy drop us a line, our team would love to sit down with you.

TikTok vs Instagram Reels— Some say it’s the EPIC duel of the century or even the showdown of all showdowns…

But one thing that’s for sure—whether you like it or not—both are becoming an increasingly necessary tool in the arsenal of growing businesses. In fact, experts say that in 2022, 62% of marketers will invest more time and money in TikTok and 54% will increase their investment in Instagram.

But which one should you use for your small business? Is one better than the other? Let’s take a dive into some of the similarities and differences between marketing on TikTok and Reels.

Instagram Reels vs TikTok

Since Instagram Reels’ public debut in August of 2020, most users have viewed it as Instagram’s desperate answer to the growing success of TikTok… a cheugy poser, if you will.

With features like: wellness check-ins, sound effects, dueting, remixing, and facial filters, calling them similar definitely wouldn’t be a stretch.

However, there are some key differences that can affect the way you share content, especially if you’re a small business owner.

The Main Differences Between the Two Platforms

While both platforms offer the ability to share a seemingly endless variety of short form video content, TikTok users (the majority being Gen-Z) appear to be more candid in their presentation. When it comes to TikTok, it’s all about realness, fun, experimentation, viral trends, and casual community. TikTok is the epitome of “give the people what they want.” The famous TikTok “for you page” allows users to see videos curated to their specific interests, making it a new form of content sharing all together.

Side note: We would be extremely remiss if we didn’t stop to give a big round of applause to the TikTok algorithm. It’s borderline scary how well it gives you literally exactly what kind of videos you want to see. From a marketing team to a marketing team, chef’s kiss. For real.

Instagram, however, has become much more calculated over time. What started out as an in-the-moment square photo sharing app has morphed into something very different. And ever since, Instagram users have been carefully curating and endlessly editing posts— all in hopes to achieve the “perfect” grid. Be honest, how many of you have you switched out or deleted a post for fear of messing with your perfect aesthetic? …we’ll wait.

The curated feeds, the “living the dream,” and documenting only the best parts of our lives has caused users to be more reserved in the way they share content on Instagram. And this definitely bleeds over into Reels as well, which remain much more curated than TikToks as a whole.

Marketing Opportunities

TikTok is relatively new to the social media game but it’s already seen growth within the advertising world. So much growth in fact that it caused Instagram to pretty much completely re-work their own strategy. That’s a big deal.

This growth also led to the creation of TikTok Business in 2021. However, it’s important to note that the cost of advertising on TikTok in comparison to other platforms is pretty hefty, with prices ranging anywhere from $50,000 to $120,000. *insert gasp*

Although these prices are deeefinitely too high for small businesses, there are many different ways to advertise on TikTok other than using its advertising program.

When it comes to marketing, Reels are leading the charge by integrating shopping features into their platform by allowing businesses and makers to tag their products when creating a Reel, making them a “one stop shop.” When a customer taps the “view products” button, they can choose to purchase, save, or learn more about a product. Added bonus, all of these things can be done without having to leave the app via the Instagram Checkout feature.

So Which Platform Is Better For My Small Business?

At the end of the day, both TikTok and Reels can be advantageous to your small business or personal brand, so don’t be afraid to experiment and even bounce them off of each other and make them work for your business.

While TikTok is a great place to experiment with trends, engage with a younger audience, and create a more casual online community… Reels are a great way to add some depth to your Instagram content and expand your reach with a bit older audience.

(Pro tip: the algorithm LOVES when you use Reels, and all of your posts will perform better when you begin to use them.)

Final Thoughts

When you own a small business, engaging with your consumers is the key to getting your business name or brand out there. Feeling overwhelmed? It’s fine and you’re fine.

Really! Because our team is here to help you come up with a social media strategy that works best for you and your small business.

So what are you waiting for? Contact us today to schedule a consultation!

They’re creatives, activists, trend setters, the gatekeepers of all things cool, and what they say quite literally changes the world. Of course we’re talking about Gen Z.

Born between 1996 and 2010, these “digital natives” probably don’t remember a day without the internet or social media. And with smartphones in hand, they’re not only classy, bougie, and ratchet, but some of them are grown—and collectively have a spending power of over $140 billion.

With the rise of TikTok and Instagram Reels, Gen Z is demanding more than just pretty photos and fun videos from brands to win their trust and loyalty. The generation determined to flip the world upside down is now bringing their socially responsible (& disruptive) attitude into the market.

So let’s take a look at four things to keep in mind when trying to connect with this ethics-driven generation:

1. Establish Clear Values & Mission

Before you try to connect with Gen Z, ask yourself, who are you standing with and what are you standing for? Establishing and communicating your brand’s values is important when marketing to this generation’s cool kids. But why? Gen Z-ers are more likely to spend their money on and lend their voice to brands that have values that mirror their own. Values such as diversity, environmental sustainability, and LGBTQ rights. Gen Z believes that the brands they support have the moral obligation to change the world we live in, meaning you no longer have the option to remain neutral about important issues.

2. Be Transparent & Accountable

This generation seeks truth and authenticity, and they will not only go to great lengths to find it, but they’ll also want to verify it. Your past and present social media accounts, reviews, comments, and responses will all be scrubbed through before trust is given. So make sure that after clearly establishing your values, you stick to them… and if you happen to misstep, you own it. When trying to connect with Gen Z, inconsistencies between your external and internal company values can lead to the disintegration of your brand (looking at you Abercrombie and Fitch).

3. Play Around With Using Interactive Content

When it comes to capturing the ever-scrolling eyes of Gen Z, you’re going to need a combination of creativity and interaction. They don’t just want to look at something pretty. Gen Z actually wants to do something, on and off the internet. So give the people what they want! Use swiping, polls, and quizzes—anything to encourage discussion and interaction. This can help you get a gauge for what kind of things they want to see from your brand. Keep in mind, with the average attention span of Gen Z-ers being 8 seconds, you have a very short window of time to communicate why your brand is worth looking at—that’s where creativity comes in!

4. Build A Community

Mass followings and viral videos aside, surveys say that Gen Z is the loneliest generation, which is why they gravitate towards like-minded brands with messages they feel they can lend their voices to. Creating community within a brand goes beyond asking the most popular TikTok or Instagram star to promote your brand. It can include real people with real stories that can advocate for your brand and add to the story you’re telling. When Gen Z feels like the hero of the story, or at least a part of the Avenger team, they’ll engage and invite others to do the same.

Final Thoughts

As a refresher… remember, when marketing to Gen Z, make sure to: establish clear values, be accountable and transparent, have fun, and create authentic connections. *Deep breath* We know that seems like a lot but don’t worry, we’ve got you. If you need help tweaking/completely reworking your marketing strategy, we’d love to help! Drop us a line.

Customer service….*Big sigh* We all love it or hate it.

It’s the thing that every (good) company wants to excel in, but not a lot want to put in the time and financial investment it takes to truly master it. In fact, we can almost bet that right now you’re thinking about a horrible customer service experience or having flashbacks of being on hold for what seems like hours.

Improved customer experience leads to happy customers… and happy customers just don’t walk away… They just don’t!

Okay, Legally Blonde quotes aside… It’s proven that good customer service leads to customer retention. But where do you even start? In this blog, we’ll walk through 5 things to keep in mind when building an excellent customer service strategy:

1. Create a Customer Service Vision

The first step in solidifying a great customer service strategy is to create a vision and then clearly communicate that vision to your employees. What role do they play in your customer service vision? What are your organizational goals for customer service? More often than not, when a clear expectation is set and understood, your employees will rise to the challenge!

2. Identify All Customer Touchpoints

It’s important to know every single customer touchpoint your company has. Touchpoints are simply the avenues your customers use to contact you when they have questions or complaints. Whether it’s through a website contact form, Instagram or Facebook DMs, customer support phone number, or email—these are important pieces of information because they will allow you to:

1. Improve the internal processes of communication to cut down on reply time.
2. Fix any product or service that has repeated customer issues.
3. Project customer needs and be able to match or even exceed their expectations.

3. Create a Clear Path & Timeline for Communication

Does anyone remember the great Cinnamon Toast Crunch debacle of 2021? Yeah…. We wrote a blog on it. If you need a refresher, just click that link.

This incident is a prime example of why it’s so important to have a communication plan in place. Do your employees know what to do when a complaint comes in and who to contact if the situation escalates? Do they know exactly what types of situations to handle on their own and which need to be handled by a higher-level employee? Benjamin Franklin once said, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” This could not be more true when it comes to customer service. One bad response can cause your company’s hard-earned credibility to implode. If you feel like you can’t afford to hire good customer service employees, we’d argue that you can’t afford NOT to. 😅

4. Provide Service Skills Training

This one is for the CEOs and managers in the back. Employees need to know what you want them to do. We can not stress this enough! When it comes to employee expectations, and we say this all the time, “clarity is kindness.” It sets your employees up to fail when you don’t set clear expectations for them and communicate those clearly to them.

Employees can’t magically know how to address needs if you don’t train them. Kind of like husbands… but we digress.

What kind of things should they be prepared for? We’re glad you asked! Your customer service staff should know: how to answer the phone, how often to check messages, how to respond to customer complaints, how to meet customer needs in a prompt and professional manner, and your company’s standards for customer service. You can solidify this training by consistently reminding your employees of the importance of quality customer care and the value it brings to your business! And hey, job security for them. 😉

5. Follow Through With Accountability

With great power comes great responsibility and accountability. Once you’ve trained and empowered your employees, they should have an understanding of how their interactions with your customers affect your company’s overall performance—and they need to be held accountable for reaching customer satisfaction goals, or for missing them.

Do you have an employee who is not quite hitting the mark (a mark that was clearly communicated)? Remind them of your company’s vision and standards for customer service— and provide a consequence or refresher training when necessary. Holding your employees accountable will ultimately set your customer service team up for success!

Final Thoughts

Excellent customer support should never be an afterthought. Happy customers will be your company’s biggest advocates, and customer retention is ultimate #goals, so why not make sure they are taken care of? Need help with developing or updating your customer service strategy? We would love to give you a consultation or customer service training.

It’s almost the New Year! (Cue joke about how we’re still processing 2020…)

For most people, with each new year comes new goals. Instead of promising yourself you’ll journal every day or go to the gym 5 times a week, just to inevitably fail halfway through January, why not set goals for your business’s social media this year?

One way to set goals and hold yourself accountable to achieve them is to do it in a team. So grab your team, or simply forward this blog to them, and then put a date on the calendar to brainstorm and set the goals.

Why is It Important to Set Goals?

Setting social media marketing goals is crucial. It not only keeps you from having NO marketing efforts, but also keeps you from throwing time or money out the window with no plan.

What Do I Need to Ask Before Setting My Goals?

The 4 Steps to Setting (& Achieving) Your Social Media Goals

1. Consider Your Why

If you’re a business owner and you haven’t read the book Start With Why, you need to. In the meantime, ask yourself— Why are you on social media? Do you need more leads? Would you like to increase your sales? Do you need another channel for customers to reach out for service? Are you trying to simply build your brand awareness?

Once you know your “why,” you can more clearly figure out the “how” when it comes to your social media strategy.

Ask yourself the following questions before setting your social media goals:

Knowing why you’re posting on each platform and how it will benefit your business is so important when setting concrete goals.

2. Take a Look at Your Current Performance

Before setting goals for the future, it’s important to get a good picture of the present. It may be hard to take an honest look at your current social media performance, but it will only help you grow. By looking at current performance insights, you’ll know what to post more of and what to maybe re-work or abandon altogether. You can use Facebook and/or Instagram Analytics for this. They are free to use and pretty easy to understand. (Thanks, Meta!)

3. Set Realistic Goals

After you’ve finished your current social media performance audit, it’s time to officially set concrete goals.

Make sure your goals are specific and are able to be measured. Do you want a certain number of followers? A higher percentage of engagement? A certain amount of website clicks per week from social media? This will help you track the success or failure of your content.

And hey, don’t be too hard on yourself. Have you ever set a goal of going to the gym 5 days per week when you’re used to going zero? Yeah, that’s a lofty goal, and you’re likely to fail. Why not start smaller? Your goals should be challenging, but within reach. Once you’ve set your goals, decide on a timeline.

4. Regularly Check-In on Performance

Regularly checking your performance analytics is key in knowing if you’re achieving your goals. Decide how often you’re going to check in with your metrics and utilize free metrics given by Facebook and/or Instagram (Or you can choose a third-party like Later). Just like you set your goals as a team, check in on performance as a team as well. This will be important for accountability and growth.

Final Thoughts

Setting social media goals doesn’t have to be scary, especially not anymore! We hope this blog was helpful to get the ball rolling. Remember, achieving your goals is more like a marathon, not a sprint… especially with social media.

As always, if you have any questions, we’ve got your back.

The devil works hard, but the Instagram development team works harder… It seems like every week there is a new feature to try.

Honestly, it can be a lot… even for us, and we work in Social Media. But as always, we’ve got your back… so we put together a handy list of new features you may want to utilize! Here they are:

“Add Yours” Sticker

Chances are you’ve already seen at least one person share the new “Add Yours” sticker to their Story. The sticker is exactly how it sounds: you add a photo that matches whatever the prompt is.

The “Add Yours” sticker is set up to be a chain reaction that starts with the poster’s followers and then spreads to any user on Instagram. It’s a huge opportunity for reaching a new audience and driving engagement.

How to:

  1. Tap to add a new Story
  2. Tap the Sticker icon
  3. Choose Add Yours Sticker
  4. Type a theme or choose from the available questions/topics
  5. Post the Story

Link In Stories For Everyone

FINALLY—everyone has the ability to add links in their Instagram Story— now via Stickers. (Yes, even those with less than 10K followers!)

Instagram has officially retired the Swipe Up link in Stories that was exclusive to those with 10k+ followers. Now Link Stickers appear on screen just like any other Instagram Stories sticker — but with the addition of a link icon!

What makes this great news even better is that now viewers can react and reply to a Story that includes a link, which allows for more engagement. Previously, Stories with links could not be replied to.

“Collab” On Feed & Reels

Collabs allow users to be able to co-create & co-post Instagram feed posts and Reels – allowing both accounts to potentially reach new audiences through each other.

How to:

Once you upload your post, go to the Share screen like you normally do, but then tap “Tag People.”

There will be a choice in the bottom right to “Invite Collaborator.” Tap that & search to find the user you want to collab with.

Upload Photos And Videos From Desktop

Users can now post Feed images or videos from the desktop app on their computer!

How to:

Log in to Instagram on a PC or Mac and click “+” at the top of the screen.

Then drag and drop a photo or video from your computer, edit your visual, write your caption, add your hashtags, and then post!

Text-To-Speech Feature On Instagram Reels

Yep, this popular TikTok feature is now available on Instagram Reels!

This new feature is great for story telling. It’s a robotic voice-over that sounds a little like Siri (or Alexa for you Android users).

How to:

First, use the regular text tool and type out what you’d like to say onto your Story.

Then, tap on the text button at the bottom of the screen until the “hidden” menu pops up, then select “Text-to-Speech.”

“Limits” To Hide Abusive Messages

Instagram is finally working hard to protect its users from abusive or bullying comments and DMs.

“Limits” now allows users to limit or hide comments/messages coming from users who are not following or who have just followed.

This option is available globally for all Instagram users using the app.

How to:

  1. Got to Settings
  2. Then Privacy
  3. Then Limits
  4. Choose what group you would like to limit and for how long
  5. Click Turn On

Hidden Words

Like “Limits,” another feature that Instagram hopes will protect users and have a positive impact on mental health is the option to hide certain words in comments or direct messages.

This feature allows users to filter certain words, phrases, and emojis that they find offensive. Any message or comment that includes a hidden word will be redirected to a separate “hidden” folder.

How to:

  1. Go to Settings
  2. Then Privacy
  3. Then Hidden Words
  4. Choose what words you want to filter

Instagram Reels Play Bonuses

Facebook (Err… Meta) recently announced that they are committed to investing over $1 Billion in programs for creators through 2022.

To sum it up: creators make money based on the number of plays their Reels get.

As long as you have a business or creator account (and access to the program) all you have to do is share a Reel to Facebook or Instagram. Instagram will pay out on Reels that get at least 1,000 views over a 30-day period.

Final Thoughts

Whew! You made it through the list. Like we always say… don’t feel like you have to do it all or keep up with those pesky Joneses… But did you see a few you’d like to try? We hope so!

If after reading all of this you’re just DONE trying to go this alone, we would love to help with a social media strategy session or even full social media account management. Let’s chat!

What’s in a name? We happen to think when it comes to a business name, the major aspects of a good name are brand recognition, admiration, and connection.

Finding the right name for your small business or startup can have a huge impact on your success, either negatively or positively.

The wrong name can do more than just fail to connect with potential customers… it can potentially cause loss of business or even legal hurdles. But on the other hand, a creative and clear business name can be extremely helpful in your marketing and branding efforts!

Here are 8 tips to consider before you start brainstorming the perfect name for your next business:

1. Avoid A Name That’s Hard to Spell

Anyone ever met a Catelynne or a Loryn? Phonetically these names are easy to pronounce, but chances are, anyone who met them IRL may have had a hard time looking them up on Facebook later. They probably typed out Lauren or searched for one of the other 400 spellings of Katelyn. The same goes with a business name… when naming your business, creative and unique isn’t always better. When brainstorming names, make sure potential customers won’t get lost or confused about how to search your business online!

2. Don’t Pick A Name That Could Limit Your Business As It Grows

Picking too narrow of a name may cause you problems down the road should you choose to expand to different products or markets. For example, what if Jeff Bezos named his business “BuyBooksOnline” instead of “Amazon.” He would have either been pigeon holed or spent a lot of money rebranding! That said, try to avoid names like “Woodwork of Greenville” or “Picture Frames Unlimited.” This will ultimately limit your business to a very specific product or city. You may never grow, but it’s nice to have the option!

3. Get Feedback

Come up with 5 to 10 names you like and then run them by friends, family members, and trusted colleagues. Try to get feedback from people who don’t know you that are in your target audience as well. Sometimes when you’re so close to an idea and it’s super personal, it can be hard to look at it objectively. This feedback will be extremely helpful in being more objective as you come up with a successful business name.

4. Say it Out Loud

Have you ever had a really good idea in your head but then realized it sounded awful when you said it out loud? We’ve all been there. So say your business name out loud. Say it to a few people who haven’t seen it spelled to make sure it’s clear and people wouldn’t be confused about the spelling… (Remember the Katlyn debacle?)

5. Conduct An Internet Search

If anyone is good at finding dirt, it’s the internet mob. And you definitely want to channel the internet mob when naming your business… Well, not completely, just the sleuthing part.
Once you’ve settled on a name (or 2) you like, do a quick (or not so quick) web search for the names. Oftentimes, you’ll find that someone else is already using that business name (womp womp). And while that doesn’t have to be a total showstopper, it should give you pause. Having the same name as a potential competitor down the line may cause a few issues…

6. Conduct a Trademark & Secretary of State Search

After you do a quick internet search, you’ll want to do a search at USPTO.gov to see if you will be able to trademark or service mark the name. Since most likely you’ll want to set up your business as a corporation or an LLC, you should also do a search of the Secretary of State’s records to make sure your name isn’t too similar to another business name that’s already registered. If it is too similar to an existing name, the Secretary of State may not allow you to register it.

Pro tip: a good corporate lawyer can help you conduct this kind of search.

7. Make Sure You Personally Love It

Once you’ve gotten feedback from trusted sources and weighed all your options, it’s important for YOU to really love the name. As the business owner, you’ll have to live with the name for a long time, so make sure you are really happy with it and believe it will resonate with your brand vision as well as your customers.

8. Purchase The Domain Name ASAP

Once you are settled on a business name you LOVE, you better go and secure the “.com” domain name for your business ASAP (if it’s not already taken). If it is, you can always choose an alternative, such as .net, .org, .biz, or other possible domain extensions. However, customers tend to associate a .com name with a more established business.

If someone already owns your desired .com name, they may be willing to sell their name for the right price (if it matters enough to you), or you can get creative with your domain name and use additional keywords that might help people find you later. Just remember to keep your domain as short and concise as possible. Nobody wants to type in www.thelongestdomainnameintheworldandthensomeandthensomemoreandmore.com. (That’s a real domain, btw.)

Final Thoughts

Brand names matter. Whether it’s short and sweet or it evokes feelings, the name is important.

It’s so important to get your business name right the first time, because rebranding is never simple. But no worries. Things can always be changed as you or your business evolves. That said, you name it… we can help!

And check out our new social media post to see how Tangible got its name.