12 Ways to Increase Engagement on Instagram Stories

Want to get more engagement on Instagram Stories? Me too, girl. Me too. Instagram Stories are a fun and effective way to engage with your audience. Only about 10% of your following will actually see your static posts, so bumping up Stories is a great way to keep your audience engaged.  Over 500 million users are watching Instagram Stories every day. That’s a lot of potential followers. Today I’m sharing some of the best strategies to getting more views and boosting your overall engagement on Instagram Stories.

  1. Make your stories a STORY. Create slides that have a clear beginning, middle, and end. This will help your stories have a clear purpose and likely keep viewers engaged til the very end. Make your stories unique.
  2. Don’t repost the same content you’ve shared everywhere else. Mix it up and give your audience a reason to watch. My favorite things to share on Stories include behind-the-scenes of what I do. Not only does this help my audience get to know me, it shows potential clients the projects that I’m working on.
  3. Know what content resonates with your audience. Figuring out what your followers enjoy seeing the most will really pay off when it comes to views and engagement levels. Use your analytics to learn about your top-performing content to tailor what you post. Make sure to look at both views and exit rates.
  4. Collaborate with other brands and users. Whether you host an Instagram takeover or lead an Instagram Live with a friend, collaborations are a great way to capture the attention of more than just your own audience. It also mixes things up for your audience and keeps things fresh. Make sure the partnership is mutually beneficial and something both your audiences will like.
  5. Use hashtags in Stories to increase your reach. Not many people realize that you can add hashtags to your stories. This will increase the chance your content is discovered by new audiences. When people are searching for a hashtag on Instagram, they’ll be able to view current, real-time stories on that hashtag’s page. Heads up! You can add up to 10 hashtags to a Story or include one using the Hashtag Sticker. Don’t want your Stories to appear cluttered? Hid them behind GIFs or change the text color so it blends with the background.
  6. Repost user-generated content (UGC). For brands, sharing UGC is an easy way to expose your audience to how customers are using your product or service. Not only do people like seeing content shared by others’, but the original poster will get credit for the content that they’ve shared. In addition, when you let your audience know that you share UGC, your followers are more likely to share content about your product.
  7. Use the Poll Sticker. The poll sticker is a great way to let your followers share their opinions — which people just love to do! On top of this, the poll sticker will also allow you to gain insights on your followers likes and dislikes. You can use this voting sticker to learn what your audience wants to see what type of content they like best.
  8. Use the Quiz Sticker. Both brands and personal accounts can use the quiz sticker to educate their followers on their products, service, or anything else you want them to know. Use this as a teaching tool so your audience can get to know you better.
  9. Use GIF Stickers. No matter what you’re sharing, there’s bound to be a GIF to accessorize your post. Use these as a means of added entertainment or a way to subtly encourage an action on your post. Stick with one or two as to not overload the text.
  10. Use the Questions Sticker. I love the Questions Sticker to get feedback from the audience. Simply ask for their thoughts or opinions — whatever it is you’re looking for! It’s a surefire way to help engage with your  audience on a deeper level.
  11. Add a Location Sticker to reach wider audiences. Just like location tags on static posts, when you tag a location on Stories, your story will appear in the public feed for that location. This is a great sticker to use if you’re hosting a live event or looking to drive traffic to a new storefront
  12. Reply to your DMs. Seems like a no brainer, right? If you have a larger following, this can be a lot of work, but it’s so worth it. Not only will your followers find you more helpful and engaged, but it feels more genuine. At the very least, double tap to like their comment, but do respond if you have the time. It’s so important to spend time on those who have also spent time messaging you.

Remember, social media is all about building relationships. Interacting with your followers shows that there’s a real person behind the account. Listen, respond, engage.

Want more tips on Instagram? Sign up for my webinar on Wednesday, May 29th at 7pm!!

Growing Your Instagram: 6 Easy Tips to Increase Engagement

Growing Your Instagram: 6 Easy Tips to Increase EngagementWith the Instagram app growing at such a rapid pace, you may find it hard to keep your followers engaged. There are millions of posts being shared every day, and it’s up to you to keep your followers interested. But fear not. Today I’m sharing a few tips to keep engagement high and your followers growing.

1. Post Consistently & Frequently

Accounts with the highest fans tend to post 5-7 photos per week. Remember, these posts will only be beneficial if they are creating engagement. Focus on the quality of your content and your copy, keeping in mind personality and tone, to increase and maintain engagement. However much you decide to post, keep it consistent on a week-to-week basis.

2. Create a Unique Hashtag for Your Brand

Create a memorable, unique, fun hashtag for your business. Use this hashtag to create and find a gallery of photos from your audience. A great way to use and spread your hashtag is through photo contests. These contests may take some time to catch on, but be patient. Not only are you creating a way for your followers to interact, but you are simultaneously encouraging more UGC. It’s important to begin including your unique hashtag in any post or correspondence you have with your followers to help it catch on and become a part of your brand.

3. Use Quality Hashtags

The right hashtags expose your photos to a larger audience. Instagram allows for a maximum of 30 hashtags on a post so max them out. You can use a hashtag generator or look at similar accounts to see what they use. We find it helpful to keep a note on your phone so you can easily copy and paste for each post. Using a combination of location, general industry, and specific brand hashtags are a great way to reach the largest audience. To keep hashtags nice and neat, either place them under your caption with space between the two, or as your first comment. In order to format the hashtags in an aesthetically pleasing way, finish your caption, hit return, type a period, hit return again. We recommended creating a five line space between the end of your captions and your set of hashtags.

4. Encourage User Generated Content (UGC)

Using your followers’ images allows you to have a much larger gallery of content to choose from. It will also encourage a more engaged community and true connection between your business and your audience.

5. Include a Call To Action 

A call-to-action (CTA) may include a post with a comment asking your followers to tag a friend, write a comment, or share your post. Not only do these types of posts create more engagement on your page, but it also will spread awareness. In particular, asking your viewers to tag a friend will you’ll widen your audience very quickly.

6. Utilize Cross-Promotions

Use your existing platforms to let people know you’re on instagram. Two easy ways to do this are on Facebook and your website. Simply share your username or a direct link to your page as an easy to have people find you.

Which of these tips do you find the most helpful? Be sure to share any tips you’ve learned along the way!

iPhone Photography: 6 Tips to Better Use Your Camera

Tips to Better Use Your CameraOften times, the best camera you have is the one right in your back pocket. You can easily seize an opportunity to snap a great pic by pulling it out and clicking away. Today I’m sharing some tips on what you must do when taking photos with your iPhone.

1. Quick,​ Capture it! Sometimes scrambling for your phone, unlocking it, and pulling up the camera app takes too long. Luckily, the iPhone has a pretty nifty feature that allows immediate access to the camera. Pick up your phone, swipe up to the access control feature, and click the camera button. For older iphone models, touch the home button, and swipe left to directly open up your camera.

2.​ ​Get Focused. Now that you’re able to quickly get to your camera, let’s take control of your focus. The iPhone will always try to automate two functions on its own: focus and exposure. Have you noticed that yellow square that shows up when you tap on the screen? That’s the focus feature. Notice how the picture and its tone change as you tap different areas of the photo. Focusing on the right subject can make a huge difference in the story you tell. Make sure to tap exactly what you want in clear focus.

3.​ Adjust Your Exposure. As you click around, you’ll notice the photo will change its brightness, otherwise known as exposure. The iPhone’s exposure feature takes into account brightness, shadows, highlights, contrast, and coloring. It’s better to “underexpose” rather than “overexpose”, meaning it’s better to let your picture be taken a little darker rather than too bright. An underexposed photo can be properly edited to create the look you want. This will be much more difficult with an overexposed, blown out photo. To change the exposure on your camera, tap once to get that focus square over your target subject, then tap again. Hold down your finger and swipe up or down. Swiping down will lower your exposure while swiping up with increase your exposure.

4. ​Don’t Lose It! You’ll want to make sure you’re getting the exact frame, composition, and angle that you want. Moving your camera will automatically change the settings you played around, but lucky, the settings can be locked. Simply hold down your finger on the focus box until you see the AE/AF Lock in yellow on top of your screen.

5. ​Photo Composition.​​ Composition is the act of putting something together, and in photography, we think of it as the arrangement of the visual elements in a photo. A well-known rule for a successful composition is “the rule of thirds”. Imagine there’s a 3×3 grid over your photo. The idea is that if you place the important subjects either at the points of intersection or along the grid lines, it will appear the most attractive for a viewer to look at. The iPhone has a “grid lines” feature to help you see the composition of your photo. To turn it on, just go into Settings, Camera, and then turn on the “grid” section.

6. Use those Headphones, Too. Believe it or not, your iPhone headphones can help you take photos. When plugged in, you can easily snap a picture with the volume buttons. This is great for street photography, where you may want to be subtle with your photo taking. The headphones can also be a lifesaver when you’re using a tripod. Just like a traditional camera, iPhones can be extremely sensitive to movement. Even just the click of a button can create enough movement to blur your photo. When your camera is on a tripod, and you’re able to take the shoot with the headphone buttons, any unwanted movement is eliminated, keeping your photo still and focused.

Stay tuned for an upcoming post on the best iPhone apps! Got any more tips or tricks? Feel free to share your own below!

The Best Business and Digital Marketing Podcasts

I listen to a lot of podcasts. A lot. I listen to them in the shower, in the car, while working, when I’m cleaning, and even while I’m at the grocery store. Basically all the times that most people listen to music, I’m usually listening to a podcast. It’s the best way to soak up knowledge while doing tasks that don’t require much more of your brain power. If you’re not listening to podcasts, you’re seriously missing out. There is a podcast on every subject matter, but the list below is what I consider the best business and digital marketing podcasts out there.

Marketing School with Neil Patel & Eric Siu – These guys know their stuff. All of the episodes are quick listens (10 min or less) and focus on all things digital marketing. They talk about SEO, Facebook and Google ads, social media trends, and building email lists. If you don’t have a ton of time to dedicate to podcasts, this should be your #1.

Social Media Marketing Talk Show – This podcast is a gold mine of information on social media trends. If you’re in this business, you must be listening in. They discuss trends and insights and provide a ton of forecasting on the growth of specific platforms. Another topic they always cover is current social media platform updates and how to implement them into your current digital strategy.

The Science of Social Media by Buffer – This podcast is produced by the people behind Buffer, the social media scheduling tool. It’s another short 15-minute or so podcast that covers social media insights, experimentation, and inspiration. This one is my favorite for its tips & tricks.

Online Marketing Made Easy with Amy Porterfield – Amy’s podcast is centered around building an online business. She discusses building your email list, creating online courses and guides, and automating your business. While this one may not appeal to everyone because it’s pretty specific, she does give some great insight on scaling an online business.

Image result for perpetual traffic podcastPerpetual Traffic Podcast – This podcast has a heavy focus on paid traffic, scaling your business, and targeting the right audiences with ads. You’ll learn about email funnels, landing pages, Facebook ads, and blog traffic. I find myself skipping over about half of these if they don’t apply to my business, but every now and then there’s a gem that’s so worth subscribing.

Social Media Marketing with Michael Stelzner – Stelzner is also behind Social Media Examiner, and, like you’d imagine, his podcast focuses primarily on social media marketing. In addition to tips, the podcast includes interviews and success stories.

Image result for optimal business dailyOptimal Business Daily – When I say this one is quick, I’m not joking. Always 10 minutes or less. What I like about this one (besides it being super dosable), is that you get direct quotes from blog posts about entrepreneurship, side hustles, freelancing, and startups. Another great one for a short attention span.

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How I Built This with Guy Raz – You don’t have to be a business owner to enjoy this one. This NPR podcast interviews the entrepreneurs behind some of the most successful companies. Some of my favorite episodes are Canva, Whole Foods, RXBar, Wayfair, and Clif Bar.

Image result for copybloggerCopyblogger – I do a ton of writing, so I enjoy this one more than most people would. They’re pretty quick episodes that focus on copywriting, email marketing, and content. If you want to learn how to make words work for you, here you go.

Honorable Mentions / Can’t Not Include These

If you want to feel like you just got your ass kicked by audio, these guys are for you. They’re loud, they’re aggressive, and they’re confident. Their egos are on absolute fire. They’re not for everyone, but they’re worth noting on this list.

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Gary Vaynerchuk – Gary Vee is such an industry leader that you should at least listen to some of his shows. In my honest opinion, he can be obnoxious and flat out annoying. He has great books though! I prefer reading his books much more.

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The Cardone Zone – This fella is probably the buffest 60-year old I’ve ever seen. He’s in the real estate business and loves to talk talk talk about it. What sets him apart from Gary Vee is that he’s so crazy it’s pretty amusing. I also like how proud he seems to be of his wife and children.

Ed Mylett Show – I first discovered Ed Mylett on one of my overall favorite podcasts, The Skinny Confidential. This man wants you to seize the freakin’ day. Sometimes he’s incredibly humble, sometimes he’s bragging about his jet. You just never know. But if you need instant motivation, have a listen.

It’s quite a list, isn’t it? I recommend subscribing to all the ones you think you’d enjoy and listen to a few different recent episodes. Then listen to some more as new ones come in. By then you’ll have a good idea of who you enjoy listening to, who you can actually tolerate, and who has the most tips relevant to your business.

Got any recs? Tell me your favorites below!

My First Year in Business: 10 Things I’ve Learned

christina orso what i've learned first year starting businessI just celebrated my first anniversary of starting my company. It’s been such a whirlwind, but I can honestly say it was the smartest decision I’ve ever made. I wanted to share some things I’ve learned my first year in business, and offer insight to many of you who are currently contemplating doing the same. Reach out if you have any questions! I’d love to put together a FAQ post as well so be sure to drop a comment below and I’ll respond in a future post. xo.

1. Narrow down your niche, at least in the beginning. When I was doing influencer partnerships, side hustles and contract work, my projects varied a lot. I worked with restaurants, packaged goods, fitness studios, beauty products, wellness, finance…the list goes on. Choosing a niche was really important to me. Coming out of the restaurant industry and being passionate about food, I decided to focus primarily on restaurants and consumer packaged goods. While that’s still my main focus and the bulk of who I work with, I do a lot of copywriting for other industries like beauty, fitness, and wine. I think it’s important to have a niche to truly be an expert at what you do and then expand from there.

2. Prepare to leave your full-time job in a sensible way. Thankfully my former boss at Boston Burger Company was so generous in allowing me to slowly condense my role in order to find new projects. March is when I began the hunt and my goal was to find enough work to leave by the end of the summer. It came way quicker than anticipated! By April, I told them that May would be the last month in my full-time role. In June, I turned BBC into one of my clients, along with the others I had picked up along the way.

3. Learn to roll with the ebbs and flows and your workload and finances. Some of of my earlier projects were about 3-months in length. Knowing that, I was always preparing to find something to replace them. I also filled gaps with smaller projects — usually copywriting and blogging for brands. In July & August, work was slooowwww. I got a little nervous, but my former boss convinced me to hang tight, because work always picks back up in September. Like clockwork, it did…and then some. The majority of my clients now are long-term, but knowing anything can change in an instant, I’m always keeping new projects in rotation. One thing I would strongly recommend is building up your savings beforehand. I prepared for slower months by saving 12+ months of salary. Thankfully I never had to touch it, but in those slow summer months, I found comfort in knowing the money was there if I needed it.

4. Separate business and personal expenses. I will be totally transparent in that I did not separate my finances in the beginning. Because I always had a side hustle before starting an actual business, everything was just going into my personal checking and savings. It gets way too messy and I strongly urge anyone starting a business to immediately open three things: a business checking, a business savings (put your tax money there) and a credit card with a good rewards program. I am partial to American Express and have two cards with them.

5. Do what you love and automate or outsource the rest. Know when to do the work yourself and when to contract out little tasks. In the beginning, I thought I was supposed to do everything. But there were a few days of “Oh my God I can’t handle this all alone” sprinkled in. I am very strong-minded and wanted to do everything myself. But it doesn’t always work out that way and it’s no way to do business. I eventually learned to let go of control and outsource things that I knew somebody else could do quicker than me. Examples of what I contracted out were media lists, super technical website stuff, and video editing. There are just some things that you need to be okay with someone else being the master at.

6. Set up a routine for success. I thrive off of routine so I know how important it is to have one to be successful. I could do an entire blog post on this but I’ll keep it simple today. Things I keep routine are the time I wake up, what I do before starting my day, how I organize my week, and how I time block throughout each day. I also keep certain things the same as much as possible so as not to create unnecessary decision-making for myself. Like what you ask? I eat the same thing for breakfast every day. Why? As a business owner, you’re forced to make so many decisions all day long and if I can eliminate one right away at breakfast, COOL.

7. Have an online portfolio. I was so overwhelmed by this in the beginning because I had so many side hustles over the years that I wanted to showcase. But thankfully from having my previous blog and a social media following, it was more a matter of getting info in the same place, which is why it is essential to have a website!!! It blows my mind when I meet someone who has a business without a website. I built mine on WordPress because for one, I’ve been using the platform since starting my blog in 2009, but also because it is highly customizable.

8. Always be learning. I have an almost embarrassing list of podcasts I listen to. I am constantly checking books out from the library. The Amazon bookstore is a second home. I actually enjoy taking online courses. And I love, love, love Google. If you don’t know the answer to something, Google it. Something more in-depth? Find a book or an online certification and teach yourself.

9. Reward yourself for your successes along the way. In this crazy world of entrepreneurship, you have to remember to take care of yourself. Whether it be completing a huge project or landing an awesome new gig, pat yourself on the back every now and then. It can be little things like taking a full day off (this is a huge lol in my book though), getting a massage (I get those more now than ever), or gifting yourself a big purchase (I have a one luxury purse a year rule 😉). Trust me when I say that when I finish the catering website I am building right now I will be treating myself to a carrot cake and quite possibly a new wardrobe.

10. Be gracious, kind, and respectful. Anyone you know can be a referral, potential client, or even a potential assistant. Treat everyone as someone you may one day do business with. I am also a firm believer in helping others as much as you can. Our knowledge and expertise is meant to be shared, not selfishly kept to ourselves in order to get ahead of others. Giving to others will always come back to you!

Thank you to everyone I have worked with this past year and a friendly hello to everyone else who is reading! If you have questions, feel free to leave a comment below or reach out to me on Instagram.