, , , , , , , ,

4 Content Prompts to Get Out of Your Social Media Funk

Graphic of a man taking pictures for new content

Social Media is a great tool to use to help promote and build your business, but having to come up with new content can be a drag. Here are 4 content prompts you can use for the next time you’re stuck in a creative rut. 

Testimonials

“It’s not bragging if you can back it up.”-Muhammad Ali 

Posting testimonials from your clients is a great way to directly show your clients and potential clients that not only are you good at what you do, but you’re great! When others see testimonials on a regular basis, it can help instill confidence in them that you are the right person for the job! 

Social Media Stories (Quick, Yet Important Content)

Sharing content on your social media stories is a fun way to interact with your audience in a different way than you would normally do. Try snapping a behind the scenes photo or video on the project you are working on or of your work space- don’t forget to hashtag #bts (Behind The Scenes) to get a further reach! 

Stories are also an amazing way to learn about what your audience wants to see from you. Posting interactive stories like “This or That” or asking a question can allow your audience to engage with you on a more personal level. 

Announcements

Do you have some exciting news you would like to share? It could be a new product that is launching soon or a special sale that you want to offer your customers! Use Announcement as an opportunity to add a flair of excitement to your content! 

Images/ Videos (The Content That Keeps Giving)

What would Social Media be without pictures and videos? Sometimes it’s hard to get new, unique and original content. Share yourself or your team. Make it human, make a connection and show who is behind your social account and your company. We find that showcasing pictures of yourself and your team has a positive outcome with increased engagement on social media. 

If you can, hire a photographer and/or videographer to follow you around for the day, or bring them to an event you are working on. You can get a ton of images/videos that you otherwise wouldn’t normally be able to capture. You can then use these photos and videos for any of the content that we talked about earlier! 

Having to be constantly creative can be hard, but with these content prompts, you can be prepared for the next time you need content- or contact us! Rosewood offers a range of marketing services that can fit every business owner’s needs, from professional photography and videography to social media marketing and account management. Contact us today to see what services are right for you. 

/0 Comments/by
, , , , , , ,

Get the Most Out of Stock Photos With These Three Tips

Graphic of Polaroid with title Stock Images: Get the most out of your stock photos with these three tips!

Whether you are using stock photos for social media, your blog posts or your website, knowing these tips to get the most out of your search will help make your content more original. Here are 3 things to keep in mind when searching through stock photos: 

Pay Attention to Trends In Stock Photos 

Trends are constantly changing, whether it’s fashion, social media, or even the phone we use, these trends can sometimes be easily identifiable in photos. When using stock photos, you want to be careful that the image doesn’t showcase an out of date trend, unless of course that’s what you would like to show. It’s critical to review the date of the stock photo and ensure it doesn’t look dated. A stock photo that was taken in 2010 will likely look very different from an image that was taken in 2020. For more trendy stock photo, we like to use Unsplash.com. This is a free stock image website that provides 2021 quality images.

Not All Images Need To Have Faces

Landscapes, everyday objects and images that don’t show the model’s face are great substitutes for when you aren’t able to take your own professional brand photography. We love and recommend using stock photos for social media stories. For example, if you want to share some responses from a question you asked on social media, you can use stock images of the answer topic for the background. This is a really easy way to get great visuals! 

Get Very Specific With Your Search 

Getting extremely specific with your search on websites such as 123rf.com or Adobe Stock help you get the images you need and want, and limits the time spent sifting through images that aren’t reflecting your vision. When getting specific, try describing the people you would like to see, or the action that they will be doing. Another great reason to get specific is that you are more likely to find unique images, which will allow you and your content to stand out! 


The next time you need content and are looking to use Stock Images, try these tips! If you need help stepping up your social media game, book a discovery call with us!

/0 Comments/by
, , , , , , , , , , ,

Here’s Why Hashtags are Essential For Social Media Growth

Here's why hashtags are essential for social media growth, with a woman working on a computer sitting on the side of a huge hashtag graphic.

Putting out great content but getting minimal post interactions? This could be because you are using the wrong hashtags! When Instagram first launched, they were the #butt of all jokes. Now, they can make or break your social media strategy. Hashtags can be used in a variety of different ways. That’s why it is important to be able to have a variety of relevant one’s. They are a great way to directly interact with new people within your community. Maybe it means following specific ones, or using them for strategic growth, such as the $1.80 method, (we have a blog all about this method! ) or having your target audience find you through them. Here are our top three ways you should be using hashtags on your posts:

Industry Hashtags: 

Not every industry is going to be using the same hashtags. A Chef most likely won’t use #makeupguru and a lawyer will probably not use #DIY. Choosing one’s that are unique to your industry helps to gear your content to your targeted audience. Having a baseline of seven to ten industry based hashtags can help broaden your content’s reach. When choosing hashtags that are relevant try to find some that fit into a few different aspects of your industry. A great way to find these hashtags, is to see what top accounts in your industry are using. 

Branding:

Using hashtags specific to your brand is a great way to have your clients and industry interact with your social media. Some great branding examples are brands like; Coca-Cola- #ShareACoke, KitKat- #MyBreak and Calvin Klein with #MyCalvins. As a business owner on social media, you can create your own to include in your posts. You can also encourage your clients to use them while they post about you and your business. Another great way to use hashtags and branding is for  promotions or giveaways, you can include promotion specific hashtags to get your audience excited. 

Localization: 

Businesses that cater to specific areas or regions can really benefit from using location based hashtags. Using these will help to gear your content to your targeted audience geographically. Using location based hashtags can also help to ensure that you are getting clients that you can actually service. As an owner of a landscaping business, you may use #toronto #yorkregion #GTA. By using this combination, it will help show people who stumble on one of your posts what area you cater to. This has proven successful in ensuring time and resources are better spent targeting relatable audiences . Adding locations to the end of your branding hashtag is a great tip for businesses that have multiple locations! 

All in all, hashtags are a great way to help gear your content to the correct audience and help you enhance your social media as a business tool. There are great tools out there such as buffer.com that can help you keep track of your social media growth, and even tell you what your top hashtags are. Using tools like this can help you adjust what ones to use, that way you can maximize your reach and grow your social account even more! 

Whether you are using hashtags to specify your location, raise brand awareness or create a presence in your community, they will always provide you with a wider audience reach than when not using them. So the next time you’re liking a photo, take a moment to see what hashtags they’re using, sometimes you may be surprised.

If you have questions about your social media strategy, book a complimentary introduction call with Rosewood today!

/0 Comments/by