HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS TO GROW YOUR BRAND OR BUSINESS
With the rise of social media, tons of marketing tools, you may be overwhelm and unsure on which platform to chose that will work best for you.
With the rise of social media, tons of marketing tools, you may be overwhelm and unsure on which platform to chose that will work best for you. The key to finding the right platform you enjoy, one that will allow you to grow and entertain your audience is not as hard as your think. If you are not a Snap"chatter" or Twitter person then you will need to find a platform that will give you more leverage to speak with your audience. I found a lot of my clients were creating several social media accounts only to find it hard to maintain them all, without having a plan of action. I do think it’s wise to create a user account for each platform just in case, to make it easier for your audience to find you. This should apply when your notice an large growth in your audience.
When I launched Girlitsmel in 2016 I asked myself the follow questions:
Who is your audience?
What are the demographics?
Are they mostly females or males?
What are the age ranges?
Once I determined my audience, I research which platforms they used the most and I advise for you to take this into account. Do not assume everyone uses Instagram or Twitter. Think about what your intended message conveys and your call to action.
Here's a few things I took into account when I created my social media accounts.
Twitter can help me reach an new audience. I can retweet, share images and video and direct traffic to my website.
Snapchat was not an ideal platform to use since I created an account and but rarely used the app.
Instagram and Facebook allows me to reach my audience with ease by posting stories, photos, video and go live.
Youtube was an easy choice for me as it would give me an advantage to target an audience that may not necessary be on Instagram or Twitter.
In terms of your message, you must consider the types of mediums you will be using, will it be links, photos or videos? I love photos and I know people will gravitate to a nice photo and comment. Everyone is on YouTube so making a few promo videos or tutorials can help. If you have a Facebook account, your friends can help promote your business by sharing with their friends and so forth.
The key is being consistent and sticking to your platform(s) of choice. Remember first impression is everything and you do want to find yourself creating multiple accounts and lose your audience with mixed messages. Trust me it can happen!
Let's Talk!
What are some of favorite platforms you use to promote your business/brand?
XOMelissa
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HOW TO BOOST YOUR ENGAGEMENT ON INSTAGRAM
Have you ever wonder why your social media account is not growing? If you answered yes, I have been asking that same question until I started investing more time. Social media requires a lot of consistency and time. Check out my latest video where I share a few tips that you can use to gain more followers.
HOW TO TAKE BETTER SELFIES
As a new brand finding photographers to take pictures is harder than you think. I had to become resourceful and found a unique way of taking my own photos.
Check out my tips in my latest video.
WHERE TO FIND THE BEST FREE STOCK PHOTOS
Finding the right high resolution/quality images can be so challenging and overwhelming. There are so many websites and many lack images of minorities. I have compiled a list of my favorite websites for stock photos.
Finding the right quality images for your business can be challenging and overwhelming when you do not a budget for a photographer. I am sharing some of my favorite websites I love to use. Keep in mind it is a good gesture to give credit to the artist/photographer.
https//:www.nappy.co
https://www.createherstock.com
Share some of your favorite sites you use for your imagery.
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Request to join The Brown Sugar Creatives Facebook for more tips and resources to assist with adding value to your brand or business!
XOXOMelissa
NEED HELP WITH PLANNING YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA FEEDS
I remember when I started thinking of social media as a business and FREE way to advertise. I knew I would need assistance with scheduling my posts
I remember when I started thinking of social media as a business and FREE way to advertise. I knew I would need assistance with scheduling my posts. As you may know, it's hard trying to figure out captions, hashtags, how often to post and keeping your theme consistent. I did some digging to see if I could find an application or software that provided tips, analytics and assistance with scheduling across multiple platforms. I found several but here are my top 4 auto scheduler apps to use for social.
I use the Later app (formerly known as latergramme) and Preview app.
Here are a few of my favorite scheduling applications:
Later App is free and they have a desktop version which makes it easy if you feel more comfortable on your computer. I use the free version which gives you 30 posts a month. You will be able to view your analytics which provides details on which post are performing better. It also allows your repost as well. The best feature of this app is you can save captions and hashtags to use in future post. It's very easy to use, you can drag and drop your images in the app and arrange your feed. You can unlock additional features such as more analytics on best times to post, IG stories for a small monthly fee.
Preview App is free and great app to used as well. I typically use this app once I reached my maximum limit on Later. This app does not have a desktop verison, however; it provides lots of examples of Instagram themes you can use for inspiration. The free version provides 30 post per month. You can unlock additional features for a small monthly fee.
PLANN app is a free app you can use for Instagram only. One of the features it offers is the ability to post video unlike Later and Preview in the FREE version. This app does not have a desktop verison, however; it provides lots of examples of Instagram themes you can use for inspiration like the previous apps. The free version provides 30 post per month. You can unlock additional features for a small monthly fee.
Planoly app is a free and great for Lifestyle or Fashion Bloggers with "shoppable" content. Although the free version does not include the ability to add "shoppable" product the app provides 30 post per month. This app is only for use with Instagram only. You can also unlock additional features for a small monthly fee.
Have you tried any of these apps? If so, how well are they working for you?
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Request to join The Brown Sugar Creatives Facebook for more tips and resources to assist with adding value to your brand or business!
XOXOMelissa
5 TIPS TO HELP REACH YOUR GOALS
Have you ever find yourself setting goals with the intention of completing them, however; LIFE gets in the way. Do you have friends who seem to be hitting the mark every single time, yet, you find yourself disappointed.
Have you ever find yourself setting goals with the intention of completing them, however; LIFE gets in the way. Do you have friends who seem to be hitting the mark every single time, yet, you find yourself disappointed. We all struggle with successfully achieving goals, most people have more dedication and drive than others. It's O.K., YOU can achieve your goals by setting small attainable goals. Sometimes we take on more than we can actually handle which hinders the process. Approximately 90% of people do not achieve their goals and here's how the other 10% do.
Five Simple Rules
Set goals that motivate you. When you set goals for yourself, it is important that they motivate you: this means making sure that they are important to you, and that there is value in achieving them.
Set SMART attainable goals. Think of it this way, you want a new camera that cost $300 that would be a good investment for your business, what are you willing to sacrifice for a short period of time?
Set your goals in writing as it will be a constant reminder. You can use POST ITS and paste them in areas you frequent the most. Keep a journal, planner, or set reminders on your phone calendar.
Make an action plan on how you plan achieve this goal, there is no use of setting a goal without a plan.
Stick With It!
The best rule of thumb is to set small goals that will help you achieve the bigger goals of becoming a successful business person or homeowner. What are you willing to sacrifice to achieve your goal?
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XOMelissa
8 THINGS I LEARNED SINCE I STARTED BLOGGING
I have been absent most of the month due to battling my allergies, traveling and planning for GirlChat events for the months ahead. GirlItsMel is almost 2 months old and I can not believe how times flies. It's has been a dream come true with many, many, many years in the making. Has it been easy? Heck no, nothing in life is easy. It has been challenging juggling work and my passion to allow them to coexist together. The look and feel of GirlItsMel has changed little by little each week with a few additions such as the GirlChatwithMel events page, the Shop and creating my youtube channel.
Here are a few things I've learning about myself since I've started this journey:
Success is not going to happen overnight. Patience is a virtue INDEED! People will come in due time.
Things do not always go as plan and there is no need to dwell on the negative, push forward and do what you can for NOW!
I always considered myself as introverted person and I was WRONG! I am both introverted and extroverted, I love meeting and talking with people. Speaking in large groups motivates me even than EVER. Having this platform has been a great conversation topic with women of all ages.
Networking is KEY! No one will not know who you are if you are not out promoting your brand. I have made a lot of connections with so many people and businesses that will help grow my brand.
Be HONEST! I had no clue on which direction I wanted to go with this site until I kept hearing the same stories being repeated by many women of different ethnic/age groups. Hence the birth of GIRL, IT'S MY EVERYDAY LIFE! (GirlItsMel).
Set a schedule, stick to it as much as possible. Consistency is KEY! Although I haven't published many posts I am grateful for social media sites (Instagram, Facebook and Twitter) to keep my audience engaged.
Step outside of your comfort zone and go for IT!
Be Yourself and Stay true to your brand! MOST IMPORTANT BE RELATEABLE!
Let's Talk
What are some things you learned about yourself recently?
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