Moonbow Creative

Social media can encompass an array of to-dos that can make it seem absolutely dumbfounding - where to even start?

However, it doesn't have to be too complicated. Sometimes, all it takes is a few minutes a day to do the following:

✅ Use hashtags on stories. This applies mostly to Instagram. Of course stories don't always often make it onto the explore page, but they're a good way to increase the likelihood of a larger audience coming across your stories.

✅ Post/re-post stories everyday - this is great and so quick to do. Use your posts to repost as stories, or create your own stories. They can be literally anything - a picture of your day with a prompt for your audience, a business update, or anything else that comes to mind. The key is to stay at the front of the story lineup for your audience.

✅ Comment on others' posts! This is an excellent way to show engagement and increase the likelihood that others will reciprocate. A win-win for everyone!

It can be difficult to figure out exactly what kind of information and/or content is required to get started in earnest with your social media marketing approach.

While this guide is certainly not exhaustive, it's an excellent starting guide and will take a business at any stage far.

🌙A posting schedule: It can be easier to handle your approach to social media marketing if you know what days and times you'll be posting throughout the week, rather than waiting until you have time and posting off-hand.

🌙A brand kit: This includes your brand colours, logo variations, and the fonts you'll be using. Spend some time coming up with these rather than choosing colours and assets on a whim - your social media brand will appear more polished and professional.

🌙Content creation tools: If you're new to creating content and unsure of where to start, Canva is a great place to start for basic templates. If you're making video content, there are great mobile video editors such as CapCut. Finally, to ensure you're using royalty-free assets (which is very important), there are several websites available for general use, such as Unsplash, Pexels, and Pixabay.

🌙Hashtags: Research and compile a list of those most relevant to your niche. Switch them up/update them regularly so you can see if doing so improves your reach. Take advantage of using these often, if not always.

🌙Analytics: Many of us post and go, while only occasionally taking advantage of the built-in analytics that social media platforms provide. A good rule of thumb is to check at least monthly to see how your reach, engagement, and follower count are doing - note which posts are performing best, and which times your audience is more active. This information will allow you to tweak or change your social media marketing approach moving forward.

Let us know if this was useful for you!

New IG Update!

By now you've likely heard of Clubhouse and its audio-focused social nature which has rapidly gained popularity. It seem's IG has formulated its own response to that, as it rolling out the options of muting your mic and/or turning off your video.

As you can see in the top left visual, there's 4 icons at the bottom of the screen, two of which include the ability to turn off your mix and video.

Instagram states that "...By giving people the option to mute their audio or turn off their video, hosts will have the added flexibility for their live-stream experience, as the added functionality could help decrease pressure to look or sound a certain way while broadcasting live."

What are your thoughts? Do you think this is a welcome change for those who go live? Let us know below!

Contrary to what many business owners or audiences of businesses may think, content creation is much more than simply posting content!

There is a lot that goes into the process, including drafting out content themes and campaigns, and actually visually designing or putting together those pieces of content.

Then of course, there's the importance of relevant, informative captions and carefully-researched hashtags.

What do you find the most surprising or tricky part about content creation? Let us know!