Businesses are slowly transitioning to the Internet and many people know by now that social media is a great place to advertise.
Customers can reach out to business owners directly and list any concerns they may have with the product. In addition, building a strong fan base is essential to establishing a social media presence and a loyal following.
Take a look at makeup brands such as Pixi or KKW — not only do they post regularly and engage with followers, but they also partner up with other influencers to raise sales and recognition. You can link products directly from an Instagram post or swipe up on Stories to go to a specific page.
However, this may seem pretty daunting — and the truth is, it can be very hard to start out on your own platform. Here are seven tips you should absolutely follow to make your voice heard.
Research your platform
Do your research Getty Images
If you don't have any experience with social media networks such as Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, make sure to do your homework. Most of these sites have business tools you can utilize to your advantage. Pay attentions to how other successful brands are posting and find trending hashtags and themes.
Research your competitors or others in your industry — what are they doing successfully? Don't copy them outright, but try and understand what's working for them and how you can replicate it for your brand.
Build your personality
Be your best selfGetty Images
No one wants a plain old businessman — or woman — trying to sell them something. You want to create a brand for yourself, or rather, a personality for your followers to latch onto. For example, if you're business focuses on health and good living, try building your brand around inspirational quotes and pictures. Let your culture and personality show through your social media presence.
Post consistently
Stay active and engaged Getty Images
You can't expect results in just a few weeks — be consistent in your posting and your community outreach. Find people and businesses similar to your target demographic to follow, learn from, and engage on your own platform.
Target your audience
Reach the right people khaleejtimes
If your brand is selling all things baby-related, narrow down your search to parents, grandparents or prospective mothers. Facebook has business tools that allow you to choose your target demographic from age, education level, job, salary, interests and more. Narrowing down your customer base will help inform your branding strategies.
Partner up
Teamwork is essentialGetty Images
If you have friends or acquaintances that own successful social platforms, call in a favor for a shoutout or a feature on their page. If you don't know anyone like that, many pages will do the same for a price — depending on how popular they are. This tactic will likely gain you followers, and in return, a bigger customer base.
One thing that is not recommended is buying followers — not only is it completely untrustworthy and discredits your brand, but these are not real people you can sell to, thus this will not aid in growing your business.
Use social media tools
Tune into tools Getty Images
You may not have time to manage your social platforms for hours every day, so use apps that can do it for you. There are tools to help you plan your Instagram feed so that everything stays aesthetically pleasing and ordered, like Preview. This app even lets you schedule posts at the most optimal times during the day to increase views.
When growing your brand and your audience, the most important thing to keep in mind is that growth won't come in a day. Most brands take months and even years to develop, but once you have a small fan base, it's easier to grow.
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- 10 Social Media Branding Strategies | Sprout Social ›
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- 7 Powerful Ways to Build Your Social Media Brand ›
- Nine Ways to Build Your Own Social Network | TechCrunch ›
- How to Create Powerful Social Network Platform in 8 Steps | Inc.com ›
Every time payday rolls around, I’m on top of the world. Jeff Bezos-level rich - even though I’m anything but. And then somehow the very next day, rent is due.
The cycle continues. The next payday, bills for my apartment. I find myself without a surplus of savings since I just moved and newly-furnished my apartment completely.
Even more terrifying is the looming presence of the holiday season. Halloween’s officially over and before we know it, hello Thanksgiving…and then there’s Hanukkah, Christmas, New Year’s. It’s insane.
I’ve been feeling very British lately. Not in a Union-Jack-obsessed, “Keep Calm and Carry-On” way. I went through that phase in 2012 with everyone else… no thank you. And it’s not even a surge of patriotism catalyzed by the Queen dying — I’m firmly team Diana and team Meghan.
Now that fall is officially here, the holidays will sweep in and I’ll have to contend with the fact that I won’t be spending them with my family in the UK. I went home to London earlier this year, so there’s not much left in my travel budget for another trip across the pond. A few domestic jaunts might be in my future, but the closest I’ll get to England this winter is watching Love Island and Love, Actually.
So in that spirit, I’ve been filling my days with content from my favorite Brits. I’m listening to all the old British rock bands I grew up listening to, patiently awaiting the new Arctic Monkeys album, and rewatching anything with Michaela Coel in it. I even shipped myself an order of British Baked Beans, so you know it’s dire.
I’ve also been watching British YouTubers like Grace Beverley — my favorite. Generally, I only go on YouTube to watch Vogue Beauty Secrets and AD Open Door videos. But I’m so glad I stumbled on Grace. Her content is a mix of London lifestyle (what lured me in), relatable entrepreneurship, and mindful productivity. I’m not a hustle-and-grind-girlboss, but as a creative person in a 9-to-5, I need all the help I can get to stay plugged in. So, the video “how to be really really really productive without getting overwhelmed” changed my approach to WFH.
Grace outlines her own productivity method: the to-do table. Instead of making a simple to-do list, she divides her tasks into a table that anyone can follow. As someone who’s survived with to-do lists for years, I recently implemented Grace’s method, and it’s revolutionized my workdays.
how to be really really really productive without getting overwhelmedwww.youtube.com
I follow her routine to a tee. Here’s how it works:
Essentially, she divides her daily responsibilities into four categories: quick ticks, tasks, projects, and non-negotiables.
- Quick Ticks: Actions that take less than 5-minutes
- Tasks: To-do’s that take up to 30-minutes. Probably don’t take too much brain energy.
- Projects: Long-term list items. These help guide your priorities, even if you’re not crossing them off in one day.
- Non-negotiables: Pick 3 things each day that you must get done. This is how you’ll truly measure success.
With everything written down and sorted, next address your schedule. Meetings, deadlines, and time blocks — whatever works best for you. Write it down. Then make a pact with yourself to stick to them.
This way of categorization provides a roadmap for prioritizing your day — making you far more productive. Have you ever spent the entire day on small tasks and then suddenly realized you hadn’t moved the needle on any task? Or do you spend way too much time on tasks that aren’t a priority? No more. With your non-negotiables laid out, you know what to laser-focus on and what to dedicate energy towards.
Also, it pays to know your working style. I’m not a morning person. Yet, I have to be up and at ‘em super early. So, first thing in the morning, I march through my Quick Ticks to warm me up. I set a time limit, so I can knock out some easy wins which is totally inspiring. Then I move on to bigger things without lingering on emails or admin. For others, it might be more helpful to tackle the big things with all that early-in-the-day brain power earlier.
Grace has great tips on avoiding overwhelm and burnout. My favorite is taking more intentional breaks rather than scrolling through social media. I call this scrolling “productive” because I’m “coming up with pitches.” Oh, the lies we tell ourselves. It’s more productive in the long run to giving my brain a break with non-screen related stimuli.
Grace’s solution? Set a timer to read a real, an actual book. I’ve never thought of this. It’s a genius way to check off some books on my TBR and kickstart my creativity. After reading a good book, I’m completely inspired to write. So having books near my desk helps me step away from the computer during my lunch break for an actual reset. (And yes, the current books I’m reading are by British authors: Assembly by Natasha Brown, and Love in Color: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold by Bolu Babalolu.)
In my pursuit of switching out my WFH set-up and getting my life together, I’ve engineered my workstation for success. With my new WFH essentials and Grace’s productivity technique, I’m revitalized for work — despite the fall blues and my melancholy about the pending holidays.
Here are the things getting me hyped for work and helping me crush my Grace Beverley-inspired to-do tables — no lists in sight:
Southwest Airlines Sale 2022
Pack your bags — Southwest Airlines is having a major sale! Fares are as low as $59 one-way if you book by October 3rd.
This end-of-summer super sale is a game-changer for your travel plans through the end of the year. Summertime travel gets all the glory. But why not take advantage of your long weekends, holidays, and PTO this fall. You’ll be surprised at how much travel you can fit in. Keep the fall/winter season exciting with domestic trips that give you all the excitement without breaking the bank. All thanks to Southwest.
Here’s the breakdown:
Where can you go?
You’ll find discounted tickets to and from most airports. Sale fares apply to cross country travel, and even Hawaii, Mexico, and the Caribbean! Whether you’re visiting a new city or revisiting your last beach vacation, this sale has fares to make your travel dreams come true.
What do the fares cover?
Southwest Airlines has multiple fare tiers, each with various benefits. Wanna Get Away fares start at $59, while Wanna Get Away Plus fares start at $89. You can also find great deals on Anytime fares, which offer priority boarding and express lanes. Then there’s Business Select tickets for a luxe experience at an affordable price point.
Do you have to be a Southwest Rapid Rewards member?
You may think these sale fares are too good to be true. Is there a catch? Do you have to be a Southwest Rapid Rewards member to access them? You’re in luck — anyone can attain these fares for a limited time.
But, insider tip, you should consider signing up for Southwest Rapid Rewards. With a free sign up, you earn points and miles with each trip you take. And with this sale, each dollar you spend on these discounted tix can stretch super far until you eventually earn free travel. The only thing better than a sale is free stuff.
So pack your bags and brace yourself for those chaotic airport lines. Everyone’s hopping on this deal so get on it. Don’t miss out — grab your sale tickets by October 3rd!
I’ve been browsing the Southwest Airlines site, checking out flights and dreaming.