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.

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.

For decades, “experts” in marketing have touted the idea of hiding your pricing and highly discouraged clearly publishing prices online. The thought behind this— you want to be able to engage with as many potential customers as possible and by getting them to reach out and ask for your pricing, you have more potential leads.

Seems logical, right? Who doesn’t want more calls? But in 2021, we believe there are other more important factors to consider.

The Death of the Phone Call

In short, most people simply don’t want to have to call and ask questions in 2021. We’re sure you’ve seen plenty of memes about how much people hate talking on the phone. This alone can tell you the current climate of our society, which bleeds over into business as well.

According to research conducted in 2017, 88% of consumers will price shop and compare products online before engaging directly with a business or making a purchase. People want to visit a website and get all the information they need in one place to make an informed decision. No one wants to experience the awkwardness of admitting they can’t afford a service after asking for the price over the phone.

The bottom line is, if your website says “Call for Price,” you are immediately losing out on a ton of potential customers who will just hop over to a competitor’s website that offers more information.

Not to mention, today’s consumer has a very short attention span… so even if they are willing to call for price, there’s a high chance that they’ll get distracted by an incoming text or email before they ever get to the actual phone part of their phone. Needless to say, the chances that they’ll remember to call after that are even slimmer.

The “Unaffordability” Assumption

You may be nervous to put your pricing on the website for fear of losing potential leads, but we happen to think you may lose a lot of potential customers by NOT adding it.

Did you know that when you don’t publish your price/range on your website, that will automatically cause many potential customers to believe that you’re out of their budget? Yep. It’s a real thing— fear of the unknown.

When people can’t find the price, they often assume the worst. They often think your services must be targeting wealthier people who don’t consider price as highly in the purchasing process. Hiding your prices may be scaring away more potential buyers than providing it upfront.

Don’t Waste Your Time

A new lead comes in! After going back and forth over several emails, coordinating a time, holding a discovery call, and preparing a proposal… you find out they were never going to be a potential client for you. You were always going to be way out of their budget. Sound familiar?

The truth is, not everyone is in your target market. Some people will want the service cheaper than you offer, while others need something more complex and expensive.

So instead of spending time filtering through incoming “leads” that will never fit in your range of services, spend your time more productively. There’s not a single business owner that doesn’t need more time!

Putting a price (or at least a price range) right on your website saves you the hassle of hours of work that only ends up frustrating you in the long run.

When people see your prices and know they can’t afford your services or products, they will likely never request a meeting or discovery call. You didn’t lose a good lead, you saved yourself a lot of hours and frustration.

Build Trust with Your Audience

Upfront pricing also builds brand trust, so be confident in your pricing! Learn your target market like the back of your hand so you can more easily find them, or better yet, help them find you.

Who are they? What do they do? What’s their budget range? If you’re the cheapest around, the complex high-end client may not be in your target audience. Or if you’re the most expensive, budget shoppers won’t bite. Remember— not everyone is going to be your target audience, and that is okay.

But by giving a price range upfront, you build trust with your target audience because they can self-qualify that they are in your target market before they ever contact you the first time.

How to Handle Custom Services or Products

Sometimes you can’t list your prices, because your services are fully custom and each person gets a customized quote based on what they need from you. We totally get that, because that is how our agency works, too. In this case, we recommend providing a price range or a “Starting at…” on your website.

You don’t have to put all your price customizations, but just give a general range or starting point. You can even include the caveat that the prices are subject to change based on the amount of customizations/work/client allowing yourself room to negotiate a fair price for each service or product.

For example, on our site, we state that our fully custom and SEO optimized websites start at $4500. However, depending on the client’s needs and customizations, it could get much higher than that. That said, if someone is just starting a business and is looking for a $500 Squarespace site or the equivalent, they already know that we would not be a good fit. And that’s okay!

That saves us time and energy to put into the businesses who do want and need what we have to offer.

Final Thoughts

The bottom line is most potential customers want to know your pricing up front, or to at least get a ballpark figure, by visiting your website.

You don’t really want to spend time convincing people on the phone to work with you when they really can’t afford to or don’t see the value in what you offer! Trying to convince anyone to become a client is something you can choose to avoid by being open with our price range on your website.

Here’s our advice— Own your value and add your price or price range to your website. The right clients will come along.

Remember back in 2020 when basically every ad was some big corporation telling you they are here for you or trying to make you cry in the middle of a Tuesday? We definitely do. But if you’re one of those people who have blocked 2020 from your memory, just watch this Amazon ad for reference—

Whew…

But for real, we just all collectively went through a year of extreme uncertainty and fear. And we don’t know about you, but we are more than ready for everything to feel settled again!

In fact, Summer 2021 turned out to reflect a desire for community, fun, and freedom for most people—and well, getting back to some sort of semblance of normalcy. But was that also vibe in the advertising world?

With Summer winding down, we’re looking back on a few brands with advertising campaigns that made us even more excited for “Hot Girl Summer.” ????  You tell us if they passed the Summer 2021 vibe check:

Adidas

Alright kids… long before the age of social media and television ads (when people walked to school uphill barefoot in the snow), there were these things called billboards. In fact, billboards have been used since the 1830’s… And well, Adidas just came along and changed the whole game.

In an effort to announce the debut of their recent inclusive swimwear collection, Adidas installed the world’s first liquid billboard.

That’s right. Adidas installed a swimming pool holding 11,500 gallons of water on a popular beach in Dubai. The purpose of the ad was to reinforce that all women should be able to be confident in their swimwear no matter their appearance, and all the women in the vicinity were invited to take a very public dive into the pool.

The goal of this campaign is to encourage women of all shapes and sizes to feel powerful and comfortable in their swimwear. Senior Brand Director at Adidas Amrith Gopinath said, “Our belief is that nobody should be prevented from enjoying the benefits of being in and around the water, hence the recent launch of our diversified product offering for all women and our burkini collection.”

Budweiser

We wouldn’t expect any less from the brand that brought us the culture changing “WASSUP” commercials. In late June, Budweiser released a commercial called “Go Fourth, America” that featured actor Bill Pullman reprising his famous presidential role from “Independence Day” for the first time in 25 years. In his speech, he celebrates how America has rallied together to overcome the challenges of the pandemic and encourages the country to look towards a brighter future. “Go Fourth, America” also highlights a donation from Budweiser to Direct Relief, a humanitarian aid organization focused on enabling vaccine access in the U.S. and globally.

While it’s certainly not super cheeky like the beloved WASSUP frogs of old (AKA: the 90’s), this commercial gave us nostalgia, made us laugh, and almost made us cry. In a time with so much division, Budweiser found a way to connect with so many people with different backgrounds. No matter your political stance, it’s hard to watch this ad and not catch feelings. If you haven’t had a chance to watch it yet, check it out here—

Snickers

This one might just be our favorite because Snickers really said, “I see you and I understand you,” to the working middle class. Snickers’ summer campaign is a series of videos showing people on vacation that just can’t quite relax. The only solution? A Snicker’s ice cream bar.

Picture this. You’re sitting on a beach with your bestie sunbathing and reading a nice book. Just then, a plane flies overhead… and trailing behind it is a message from work that ruins the whole vibe. If you’re triggered, you’re not alone. The plane is definitely a metaphor for how our phones have made us accessible at all times. It’s a call-out to our current culture which doesn’t really allow us to ever truly disconnect.????  Yikes… We’re pretty sure we can all relate to this one.

Oh, and here’s a little bit of insider info—This ad actually utilizes weather-based triggers for ads on Youtube, Facebook, Snapchat, and other mediums whenever the temperature rises past certain points depending on the market. That’s right, Snickers knows when you’re starting to sweat, and they’re using it!

Final Thoughts

These campaigns are all great examples of how much the advertising industry changes depending on current events. And listen, marketers have their work cut out for them, because the average consumer has gotten a lot smarter (looking at you!) and a lot more in tune to when they’re being manipulated or over-advertised to.

With the overload of campaigns and advertisements in our current climate, companies have no other choice but to think of new, creative ways to stand out. We’ve found that the biggest change in the last year is that consumers are more motivated by social justice movements than ever before. Equality is now ranked the number one biggest motivator, and diversity went up more than six places in ranking in one year. For the most part, consumers are basically saying, either get woke or get left behind.

We’ll keep watching to see how long this type of advertising is trending, and we’ll be on the lookout for what’s coming next!

A few weeks ago Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, said, “Instagram is no longer a photo-sharing app, but instead is a general entertainment app” in an Instagram Live that sent the media, business owners, and social media managers into somewhat of a tizzy.

While everyone was freaking out, we were thinking… Cue the shot of Joey and Phoebe in Season 5 of FRIENDS acting like they didn’t already know about Chandler and Monica—

(Side note, this was such a great FRIENDS moment. And Season 5 is arguably the best…)

Anyway, while media outlets really took this and ran with it, the truth is, Mosseri didn’t really tell us anything that we didn’t really already know.

Instagram hasn’t been primarily a photo sharing app for square shaped photos for some time now. Stories, IGTV, Reels, and other forms of video have been extremely important on the app for a while. Mosseri did say that photos aren’t going anywhere. He’s simply saying that they’re not the sole function of the app anymore. So really, not much is changing!

If you’re still primarily sharing photos, that’s awesome! Let’s all take a moment to breathe and let’s get into what he DID say.

What Are the Major Current Areas of Focus for the App?

In the Instagram Live, Mosseri stated that the app will be focussing on four key areas going forward: Video, Shopping, Messaging, and Creators.

“People are looking to Instagram to be entertained, there’s stiff competition and there’s more to do. Then we have to embrace that. And that means change,” Mosseri said.

1. Video—This one’s pretty self explanatory. Videos, specifically Reels, are extremely important in the algorithm and a great way to be seen by a much wider audience. It’s also no surprise that anyone wanting to grow their Instagram today needs to be on Reels.

2. Shopping—During the video, Mosseri mentioned that it was in fact the COVID-19 Pandemic that “accelerated the shift of commerce from offline to online by a number of years, and we’re trying to lean into that trend” through its shopping features.

Instagram debuted the Shopping in Reels feature last December which allows sellers and influencers to tag their products for sale within their Reels (while the ability to tag products in the main feed has been available for some time now).

3. Messaging—Instagram also launched the Rooms feature earlier this year, which allows up to four users to chat live with one another simultaneously.

4. Creators—And finally, last month, Instagram unveiled features to help creators monetize their audience.

What Should You Do Now?

Here’s what you can do:

1. Keep posting your photos! The main feed isnt going to disappear. Photos are still (and will continue to be) a big part of Instagram.

2. Dive into more video. Whether it’s Stories or Reels, we think it’s definitely time you try it out. Start anywhere… just start! And have fun with it.

3. If you’re a creator or product-based business, set up and utilize the shopping features!

4. If your business is service-based, sync up with others in your community or in your field to chat and educate your audiences about your services or industry!

Final Thoughts

Instagram hasn’t been primarily a photo sharing app in a while, so anyone panicking is just “manufacturing rage,” as Sharon McMahon (AKA @sharonsaysso on Instagram) would say.

BTW If you’re not following Sharon, you’re going to want to get on that. She’s the best.

And hey, if you’re a little worried that you need to produce more video content for Instagram but don’t know how, we’re always here to help.

In recent years, landing pages have become a marketing staple, and we think it’s definitely for a good reason.

Did you know that according to Marketing Sherpa, approximately 68% of B2B businesses use links to generate leads, but 44% of these clicks are directed toward home pages, not landing pages, which honestly, is good news for those businesses actually using landing pages.

If you’re only sending traffic to your homepage, you may be missing out on a huge opportunity. And after reading this, we hope you’ll go ✨ cRaZy ✨  creating killer landing pages, one for every keyword you can think of. Here’s why:

What is a Landing Page?

A landing page is a single web page that focuses on one specific sales or marketing goal in hopes to get a higher conversion. Simply put, a good landing page is a tool to, well, funnel website visitors down your sales funnel more efficiently… It also creates the opportunity to individually track the success of a certain product, sale, or even set of keywords.

Why Create a Landing Page?

A landing is a great way to drive web traffic, improve SEO, and build your brand. Instead of crossing your fingers and just hoping people find your awesome new product or discount service somewhere on your website homepage or services pages, you can create a landing page dedicated solely to one main CTA— whether it’s to purchase, subscribe, join, or something else creative you’ve come up with!

However, despite their high popularity and the success they can potentially bring, landing pages don’t always perform as well as expected. But why? As with everything, there are good and not-so-good methods for creating a landing page.

What Are the Elements of a High Performing Landing Page?

Let’s take a look at the 6 most important elements of a successful landing page that actually converts:

1. Write A Great Headline

A great headline is what convinces a visitor to stay and learn more about your product or service — or, not… We all know attention spans are shorter than ever. So take the time to think of a headline that will instantly engage your audience.

A great headline:

2. Provide a Super Clear CTA

This is arguably the most important element to a successful landing page. It’s what ultimately converts landing page visitors into customers. Here are our biggest CTA tips (pun intended):

  1. Make it big – When they say “the bigger, the better” they’re talking about CTAs… we think…
  2. Use a button – This isn’t where you want to get creative. Stick with what works. People know exactly what to do when they see a button.
  3. Use a contrasting color – Make the CTA button bold. But not only that, make it a different color than the rest of the page’s design.
  4. Make your copy compelling – The actual CTA copy is the most significant copy on your entire landing page. Don’t just say, “Learn More” or “Purchase.” We beg you!

3. Use Eye-Catching Visuals

Don’t fall into the trap of grabbing a quick and easy stock image thinking that will work for your landing page. If you really want the page to convert customers, take the time to find visuals that will leave a lasting impression on your page visitors.

Pro tip: Choose an image that complements the headline & further explains the product or service.

4. Focus Your Content Message

Before you create your landing page, take some time to research what keywords people type in when they’re searching for solutions to the problem that your sale, product, or newsletter can solve.

After that, determine your goals. Are you looking to grow your email list? Promote a new product? Promote a discount on a service?

Once you have your key words and goals set, think about what your message will be. How can what you’re offering solve someone’s problem?

Keep in mind: your landing page should have one clear focus, one clear message, and one clear pathway to conversion. Don’t get over-zealous and share other products/services, or anything more than what is needed to meet your initial goal on your landing page.

5. Tailor It For Individual Audiences

If you have the resources to do so, we highly recommend customizing landing pages for different audiences. If you have a great offer and have been promoting it well, you will most likely get traffic from different sources, and your visitors will have varying levels of a) interest and b) knowledge of your product or service.

For example, a user that clicks on your landing page from a social media ad would definitely not be as familiar with your brand as someone who clicked a link from your monthly newsletter, and they would more than likely not be as motivated to buy as someone who specifically searched for what you offer and found you on Google.

6. Utilize Analytics & Tracking

We highly recommend adding UTM codes to links to your landing page, or even other types of conversion tracking, so that efficiency can be monitored.

A UTM code is text added to the end of a URL that allows you to track visits to that specific URL. They’re a great way to track how many clicks came from social media posts, emails, or pay-per-click campaigns and to figure out what avenues work best for driving traffic to your landing page.

Final Thoughts

A high-converting landing page is a great marketing tool that can significantly increase conversions and ultimately scale your business.

Putting in the extra time and effort it takes to make an outstanding landing page can bring a huge ROI. After all, a landing page is a place specifically created for customers to click & buy (or sign-up for) what you want them to!

So this is a big deal! Don’t take it lightly.

We’d love to help build your next successful landing page! Let’s chat.

In case you missed it—the CDC recently announced that all fully vaccinated citizens are now allowed to be mask-free indoors and outdoors. It’s truly starting to feel like the “new-normal” we’ve waited so long for has finally arrived. If you’re anything like us, you’re ready to get out of the house and experience the world around you again.

One thing that’s abundantly clear is—life will never be the way it was pre-Covid again. And the same is true with small business! Both consumers and employees have a new set of motivators and expectations.

If your small business isn’t preparing for change and making adjustments to your business model now, you could be left behind. It’s time to learn from the lockdown.

That said, we’ve compiled a few tips for a smooth transition into this new way of life:

1. Working Remotely is Here to Stay

Before COVID, most people were fully content and accustomed to working exclusively in-office. However, the last year changed perspectives in a big way. At the beginning, working from home seemed daunting and even lonely, but a year later, we’ve all seen the benefits of working remotely. According to a survey by the Pew Research Center, more than half of employees said that, given the option, they would want to keep working from home even after the Coronavirus crisis subsides. As a small business, it’s important to set up a work-from-home process that clearly defines daily work goals and guidelines to ensure productivity. Giving your employees the option to continue working remotely will not only increase morale, but you’ll also save a ton of money on workplace expenses.

2. It’s Time for a New Social Media Strategy

Old-school marketing channels have become less effective, while connecting with potential customers via LinkedIn and other social media networks is more of a priority than ever in 2021. As the mood and behavior of your audience has changed over the last year, your social media strategy needs to buckle up and do the same.

The biggest mistake we’ve seen is an unwillingness to change the overall tone of social media posts. Currently, the more in-your-face, aggressive sales pitches on social media are doing more harm than good in this post-pandemic world. During this stressful time, people are looking online for connection, fun, and uplifting content. It’s become less important to sell your product on social media and more important to sell yourself and the community you’ve built.

The technical term for this is “Inbound Marketing,” a method that appeals to customers because it doesn’t make people feel like they’re being sold to. The content provided by inbound marketing is both educational and entertaining. It adds value to your audience. And when done correctly, inbound marketing can result in dramatically better results than traditional marketing because it provides consumers with an open invitation to engage and learn.

When consumers find your company this way, they are more likely to have a positive attitude toward your business, which increases the likelihood they will become future customers. The best part? Inbound marketing consists of entirely organic leads, so it relies on brains rather than budget. Once you’ve given people something they feel deserves their support and trust, the revenue will follow suit. (Pro tip: it doesn’t happen overnight, but keep at it. Eventually, you’ll start to see a snowball in conversions.) Brands often jump on trends late or miss the point all together. We get it. It takes a great deal of social awareness to hit the mark and not end up looking like this guy…

3. Video Marketing is More Profitable than Ever Before

Since 2020, video has been the content format most likely to get more views and sales. This doesn’t mean you should start posting commercial-style sales pitch videos every day. (Please don’t do that.) Instead, for the absolute best engagement on social media right now, we suggest providing content with added value that educates and informs, while still being entertaining. Sounds easy, right? No?

It’s always been true, but now more than ever, quality content is what brings people together. If you provide good quality content, your audience will share and talk about it, and it’ll lead to huge increases in community trust around your business. You can’t force genuine communities to form around your brand and products, but there’s so much that can be done to help increase your chances.

Other forms of video marketing such as virtual events, webinars, and live streams will bring audiences together to learn about your products or services. These forms of digital marketing allow you to talk directly to your customers and answer questions on the spot, all while putting your unique brand voice and personality on display. This method also allows you to get your employees involved. Giving them a chance to advocate for your product or service will not only create personal connections with your target audience, but also motivate your employees by giving them a voice. By addressing any customer concerns and questions on the spot, you create a network of people who will trust and be loyal to you. Win-win-win.

4. Your Website Probbbbbably Needs an Update

If you’re still using a basic website that only has pictures, an address, and a description of your company…it’s definitely time to level up. (Alexa, play Ciara.) More than ever before, people are looking for the convenience of being able to order their lunch, clothes, car services, and just about everything else online.

For example, when Covid initially hit, brides-to-be were still desperate to find the perfect dress for their small COVID-friendly ceremonies or elopements, but due to restrictions, in-person fittings were no longer an option. A local bridal shop in Greenville quickly adjusted by offering virtual fittings and because of that, they were able to cater to so many people that they wouldn’t have otherwise been able to.

Even when it’s not so black and white, like a clothing store beginning to offer online ordering and shipping, there’s pretty much always a way to improve how you’re doing business online. Take a look at your services and ask yourself: Is there a creative way to allow more people to patronize your business without having to be in-person? If your business is a restaurant, this could mean offering deconstructed meal kits to cook from home or virtual wine tastings where the sommelier mails out all the wines that will be tasted ahead of time. If your business sells any products that could be ordered and shipped online, it’s time to transition from a traditional website to an e-commerce website (and we can help with that ????).

5. Cleanliness

We can all agree that we’re seeing cleanliness in a new light after living in a pandemic for over a year. It really doesn’t matter the type of business, people are just more aware of cleanliness and we think (hope) this will be a permanent effect! We think it’s necessary for every business to create and enforce new processes for staff cleaning with specific daily expectations and sign-offs in 2021. Even better, if hiring a cleaning staff is feasible for your business, we highly suggest it. Sanitation can have a massive impact on your Google My Business ratings and will directly affect how often and high up you’ll show up in searches, which in turn affects patronage and revenue (and so on and so forth).

Final Thoughts

Like it or not, the COVID-19 pandemic has made lasting changes to our world and the way we do business. Marketing is just one of the many things that will never be the same after the Coronavirus, and denying it may do you a lot more harm than good. So why not embrace the change head on?

With so much of the world shifting even more time and attention toward social media, small businesses have to do the same. It can’t just be moving old strategies to new platforms, it’s about rebuilding campaigns from the ground up to utilize and make the most of all the new social media features.

It’s time to apply your emotional intelligence to create compelling social posts and to nurture communities based on value and trust. And if something’s not working, use data-driven analytics to tell you when to change your path. It’s a challenge, but by following these strategies, we believe you can reach new levels of success in this post-Covid world we’re all navigating together!