6 Easy Ways to Increase Engagement On Instagram

Instagram is a great tool for schools, nonprofits, churches and civic groups to use. It's easy, and people love it because it's all about visuals. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Why should you be on Instagram?

Here are some statistics that should get you excited.

• Over 600 active monthly users.
• 40 billion pictures have been shared on the social site.
• Each day, 4.2 billion people like pictures and videos on Instagram.
• 28 percent of Internet users between the ages of 18 and 29 are on the platform.
• 8 percent of brands use Instagram, and it's expected to increase to over 70 percent by the end of this year.

Some reasons brands, including nonprofits, are migrating to Instagram:

• You can upload as many as 10 videos or pictures into a single post, which means if you grab someone's attention with your primary image, they'll take a few more moments to scroll through your other videos or pictures.
• You can sponsor your posts or create ads to a target audience, which helps you grow with the right people and encourages those in your target audience to get involved with you.

The reality is that Instagram is an excellent tool for nonprofits and others to grow their base. By telling visual stories, you can raise awareness for your brand and get people caring and involved in the work you do. And with the creative use of hashtags, you can grow your follower base every week.

If you're looking to grow your followers on Instagram, here are some helpful tips you should consider:

• The best times for engagement on Instagram are on Mondays and Thursdays.
• You can use up to 30 hashtags on Instagram. Use relevant hashtags. Some hashtags you can use include #philanthropy, #fundraising, #volunteer, #causes, #nonprofit, or
• Make sure your videos are fun. And, if you can't make them fun, then make sure they're high-quality and striking. Ask yourself when posting if the videos or images grab you. If they don't, they're not going to engage others either. Remember, you're trying to capture people's attention, and since a lot of young people are on the site, they're looking for things that catch their attention.
• Tag people in your posts. Use @mention (username) to tag your best supporters, champions, and others outside of your organization to help you raise awareness. When you tag others, it helps your post stay relevant longer.
• Social media is all about networking. People want to see YOU. Make it a point to let your followers get a "behind the scenes" look at the work you're doing.
• Millennials and Generation Z, many of those who are on Instagram use filters and emojis. Make it a point to use them on Instagram. Filter your images and add emojis to your posts and videos. As people are scrolling, this helps grab their attention.

Want to take a look at some great examples of nonprofits using Instagram effectively? Take a look at this Causevox article by clicking here.

Statistics provided by: https://www.omnicoreagency.com/Instagram-statistics/

Author of "Not Your Father's Charity: Be Bold, Dominate and Succeed in Marketing For Today's Digital World On A Limited Budget" - Free Digital Download at http://www.notyourfatherscharity.com

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Practical Ways to Make Passive Income - Actual Methods to Make Money

If you have already heard about attraction marketing and know what it is, you already know so much more than many out there using the internet to grow their business. You have a feeling that it's exactly THE strategy for you and the perfect way for you prefer to come across out there, but are not entirely sure as how to get started.

Today we'll give you some tips here on how to get on with it right here, right now. Being an attraction marketer doesn't mean that you should not offer people what you have. On the contrary. It's the WAY you offer your product service or opportunity that is different.

The difference between attraction marketing and ordinary marketing is that you do not "spam" people, stuffing your service or product down their throat. This unfortunately happens all the time on social media and the truth is that NOBODY likes it.

And no one never really has built a long-term successful business that way. No top earner that I know of has built their empire using that method. They ALL used attraction marketing - and so should you.


Your focus is firstly on making relations with your prospects and THEN you start considering whether or not what you have is a good fit for that person. So distinguish between being an advisor or a seller. And distinguish between being intruding and being valuable.

So, let's get started shall we!

STEP 1   First of all you need to take a look at ALL your online profiles. Are they attractive?

Are YOU attractive? Take a look at your different timelines and see if you would be attracted to you. Is it positive, inspiring, fun, motivating, informing? 

Because that's what it should be. And when I say informing I'm not talking about product or company links scattered all over your personal profile. That is you being a seller. People don't like that, especially not new friends you make.

Imagine you add someone as a friend. The first thing they do is to go check out your personal profile. If they find advertising all over the place, they will know why you added them and they'll get out of there as quickly as possible. So first thing first. Your profile must be attractive, inspiring, informative and inviting.

STEP 2  Invest in yourself!  Buy a course on attraction marketing or a course with the strategy you'd like to start implementing. 

It could be a Facebook or an Instagram course. Education is essential!  To get better and being able to advice others you need to study.  Choose only ONE social media platform and become an expert on that. And make sure to keep your focus on that one platform. Also make sure to be active, engaging and interactive with other people on your platform.

STEP 3  Now start sharing some of the valuable content that you have just learned. Some of the tips from the course you are doing. Share, share, share. You can easily make a small cheat-sheet on 5 of the best tips you've just learned, save it as an PDF and share it with people in exchange of their email. Start building your list this way and send out emails to your list with the latest tips and tricks you learn from your course.

Invest, Learn & Teach say's Ray Higdon and you'll find that people will start reaching out TO you instead of YOU running after them.

And when THAT happens it will feel just amazing, believe me!

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Why Searching For The Online Marketing Magic Bullet Will Lead To Frustration AND Failure

Today I want to talk a little bit about this topic, because I find that it is very common. Especially in online marketing, we tend to think that there must be ONE way, a magic bullet, that is THE way to success. Fast. Here and now. And that this "Magic Secret" is known by the top earners, but they won't share it with us. What I have learned over the past two years in online marketing is that there is NO magic bullet. The top earners have NOT used a magic button to get where they are now and all though they might have SOME secrets they are not sharing with everyone, they know that the ONLY way to success is FOCUS, CONSISTENCY and HARD WORK.

PERIOD.

Now, let's look at why this aimless search will lead to frustration and ultimately failure and WHY being focused is perhaps THE most important work ethic you'll need. When it comes to social media there is no platform being better than the one you chose to focus on.

While some are crushing it on Facebook, Instagram is not working for them at all. Some find Twitter the best platform, while others use Snapchat or LinkedIn. I've seen known 6 figure earners with absolutely no activity on Instagram for example. What all these marketers have in common is this: they concentrate and focus on ONE platform and strategy only. That's it.

And this is what being focused means. Focus on ONE platform only AND stick with it! Once you get bored, because you feel nothing happens and start jumping around from platform to platform you are doomed. Doomed to fail. Why?

Because you need to put in the work behind your strategy over time to get the results you desire. No 6 figure earner started out with 20.000 followers on Instagram or leads pouring into their autoresponder every day. No, they built it up from scratch. They started out with 100 followers and no leads at all - just like you. I know, because I've been there to. If I hadn't stayed focused on my strategy I wouldn't have the results I'm getting today. I was jumping around my first 4 months and all though I concentrated on blogging, every time we had a training about a new platform I thought I had to do be on that platform as well.

And that is not possible.

Once you stay focused and put ALL your energy and work behind one single platform YOU will grow and YOUR business will grow. And once you do that you will not have time to get frustrated. IF that happens, you might have to readjust your expectations. And what I mean by this is that if you expect amazing results from day one, you will be disappointed.

Expect none or very little results in the beginning, whilst building your foundation. And remember even the smallest accomplishments are results. They are signs that what you are doing is actually having an impact on someone out there. A sign that what you are doing is having an effect. Results are not just sign-ups. Results are when you get likes, comments, messages, people reaching out to you.

Now, YOUR response to those small results in the beginning is what defines your success. If you ignore them, don't expect much.  But if you see and treat them like openings and react to them, reaching out to people, you may see some pretty nice results real quick.

It's a process and you have to work consistently on a daily basis for a good while. And that is why if you are everywhere, doing a little bit here and a little bit there it will take much longer time. Perhaps years before anything happens. This is where frustration takes over and the reason so many give up.

A time frame? I would say you need to work your one strategy for a minimum of 6 months, before you add a new one. It's really all up to you. Everything depends on how you react to those first small signs and reactions in the beginning that you get. If you don't react and expect that others should take action only you are placing the responsibility on someone else - not on yourself and nothing will ever happen this way. Once you take over responsibility and stop searching for a magic bullet and stop blaming outside circumstances you are on the right path.

And if you keep going you WILL succeed!

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Why Social Media Put So Much Impact on People's Life Nowadays?

Social media- what we literally understand by the term itself is being 'socially active' throughout all the platforms available in the world of the digital media. Amongst all those sites, there are Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat to name a few. So, how different are these from each other, as all possess almost equally the same things?

EXPLAINING EACH ONE OF THEM BRIEFLY-

• WhatsApp- it's primarily for mobile phone messaging services (though, off late it can also be done in web after scanning a QR code). People can use it for texting their near and dear ones while the internet connection is active on a device.

• Facebook- it's a worldwide social media platform founded by Mark Zuckerberg and most probably the highest usage rate as compared to the other social media platforms. People can connect each other from any part of the world and share all the concerns.

• Instagram- it's primarily targeted for posting videos and pictures to the world and hence socialize.

• Twitter- this is used to write about all the latest happenings in the world m(or anything else!) as its posts are limited to 160 characters only

• Snapchat- here, people can send images and create filters but they vanish after a certain period of time.

By now, it's clear that all does the same thing- that's connecting people. And, all of them are a bit different from the others. So, where from comes the difference? Well, the audience for all the platforms varies a bit. If we go by popularity, Facebook comes first but going by the statistics, all other social media platforms are gaining popularity very soon and might soon end up reaching the popularity of the giant digital platform.

WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS IN THESE PLATFORMS?

Other than chatting and catching up with long-lost friends and acquaintances, these platforms, nowadays helps us all in numerous ways. More than the news channel in television and broadcasting in radio stations, social, media platforms are used to publicize any concerned news to the world.

So, what else can be done? Well, videos and instant stories are a rage these days. People tend to capture the moments they are in and upload it in these sites and get instant reactions on their posts. This way, people tend to remain updated more about each other's' lives and keep informed fully.

Till a while before, only Snapchat had this story updating feature available, but now, all the other sites have also walked the same lane to compete with each other that made them all the same in dearth of being all the different.

People nowadays are so much involved and busy in social networking that they almost forget the important factors of life- be it outing with family and friends or spending time with the closed ones, they are always hooked up on the devices attached with those social media.

CONCLUSION

There are a lot of pros and cons in the world of digital media. Though more of it is taken positively, there are still some backlogs when it comes to the safety of many things. Like, girls are not always safe on these sites as they are trafficked on purpose for many things and these social sites spreads them like fire (though earn shame for the attacker and accolades for the victim) but still it proves to be a hazard; many social accounts are hacked and posts are made to defy the image of many honorable individuals.

So, one should be well-informed and socially aware of what he or she is using the platform for, because with great power comes great responsibility and if social media is one's power he or she should be responsible enough to use them in fruitful ways.

She is a writing strategist in Web World Promotion and also does freelance writing as her hobby. She is in the verge of writing novels and is currently working towards improving it.

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5 Elementary Ways of Online Marketing

Online Marketing can be referred as another tool for digital or internet marketing. It is the marketing of your brand and products through digital media, that is, the Internet using various tools and sources of media. The most important thing is to create a brand reputation which helps you to drive maximum sales. Also reaching out to customers have become easier through online media which encourages engagement with your customers.

In this article, I would like to share ways of online marketing by which you can build up a brand reputation and can help you to drive sales.

Read on...

1. Content Marketing

It includes posting blogs, eBooks and interesting content on the web. Basically, it is the marketing of the content that you post on your website including infographics and videos. If the quality of the content is worth reading and sharing, then no doubt people will start reading your blog which will build a brand and quality reputation. This also helps you to get organic traffic.

2. Social Media Marketing

As we know people are more active on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and others. Using social media to market your content and brand increases brand awareness and website traffic. Posting updates on social media go viral within seconds. Also, responding to complaints, requests, and praise becomes easier.

3. Email Marketing

According to research, it has been noted that people check their emails 8 or more times a day. Email Marketing is leading the way for sales by sending helpful, relevant messages to the email contacts that have subscribed to receive emails from you. It helps to keep your customers engaged with your company and build brand loyalty.

4. Online Advertising

Advertising through digital medium involves publishing your ads on various websites, social media platforms and even on search engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing. It is generally paid or performed on the commission basis as pay per click on third party websites. You can also use Google AdWords as well. It also helps to gain website traffic and deliver marketing messages to the right customers.

5. Online Surveys

These can be sent as web forms, generally on email or you can create a page on your website for the survey form. It stores the database with answers which act as analytics to your brand. This helps to examine and evaluate the reputation you are building with your customers. You can improve by knowing the flaws in building your brand reputation.

Above article is associated with techstack which is providing digital marketing course in delhi with more than 25 modules of digital marketing.

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6 Crucial Reasons Why Social Media Marketing Is Crucial for Small Businesses

Why Social Media is Crucial for Small Business

Out of roughly 7.3 billion people worldwide, 3.17 billion use the Internet and 2.3 billion are social media users. With 2.3 billion users, it's easy to see why social marketing is becoming such a popular platform for promoting and growing a business! There are numerous benefits for both the user and the business when using social media as a tool. With the prevalence of technology in today's world, it's more important than ever for small businesses to have a social presence. If you're not part of the 2.3 billion, you need to jump on board today. Here's why:

1. Everyone with a mobile device has 24/7 access.

Potential customers are often on-the-go. Most people walk around with mobile phones in this day and age plastered to their fingertips. When people are sitting in waiting rooms, on public transportation, on their lunch break, or wherever else, they're often scrolling through their various social platforms. This means there's a huge audience for your social media marketing campaigns!

2. It's free (to start out, anyway!)

A lot of times, promoting your business can be a costly endeavor. With social marketing, not only is it easy to set up an account, but the applications are typically free to download. This makes social media profiles a good way to promote your business without breaking the bank. If you need an extra boost, you can always pay to promote your posts-but this probably won't be necessary 100% of the time, making social marketing a great low-cost marketing tool! Plus, social media's easy sharing, reposting, and retweeting features make it possible for your customers to do a chunk of your marketing for you!

3. It doesn't require special equipment or professional help.

The convenience that comes with social media is a big help when running a business. Saving time when you have a lot of other things on your plate can be incredibly helpful. Socializing online doesn't require you to leave the office. You can even promote your business from the comfort of your own home- all you need is an Internet connection. Many people enjoy doing their own social media management. However, if you are struggling to keep up, you can definitely hire a social media manager!

4. It's easy to target potential customers.

It is easier to expand your audience with an online social presence. With the use of hashtags and keywords, not only can you target specific groups of people, but they can find you more easily with an easy search. This creates an element of convenience which is always an attractive trait for potential customers.

5. It helps you create your brand.

You probably know that it's important to create a recognizable brand. However, creating and conveying your desired brand can be difficult. Social marketing makes it easier to lay out the brand you want customers to know. Becoming involved in conversations with customers on social media makes customers more receptive to information that you share. Using social media as a means of communication with customers gives your customers the opportunity to know you and your product on a more personal level, which makes your business seem more attractive and approachable.

6. It's a great way to share and receive valuable information.

Social marketing can also be very informative. It's a great way to gain valuable ideas from other businesses. It also gives you the ability to directly interact with your audience and see what customers are saying about your product or service. You might even use social media to see what customers are saying about your competitors. Either way, you can use these things to better your own product or service.

There are so many great social platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and more. But, just when you've tweeted and liked, it's time to snap and connect! Don't let the ever-changing social platforms keep you sidelined. If you haven't yet harnessed the power of social media marketing for your small business, the time is now!

Visit http://www.strongestate.com today!

Strong Estate Marketing is a one-stop online marketing shop specializing in writing, product photography, and social marketing management. Drop a line to info@strongestate.com for more information.

Know How to Be Successful With Digital Marketing

Digital space is full of data and contents that are target oriented. Creating contents and sharing is now possible easily owing to the digital boom. The content marketing is important for readers to know about many things and thus the jobs for content creators are growing. The digital world or digital marketing has today become a business that is highly profitable for the entrepreneurs. The positive side can be seen of the digital marketing on the way it is put to use and before doing anything, maximize your potential. It is time to breathe through digital channels, get online and consider the following, to get attention.

Reorganize your presence

If you are not getting traffic, set to reorganize your online presence. Ensure you are on all the social media platforms. Check if you did not miss any information on the profiles of Facebook or Instagram. Assess your strategy is strong or does it need some overhauling.

Cleanup the weeds

Check what pops up in the Google. Review auto generated pages and flag impersonators. Use this time also to see your pages performing better and also the bounce rates. Ascertain the pages receive visitors and notice the social channels that are bringing most and least business. Use your efforts and make the non-performing networks to work well. Try to sort out the reason and ensure cleaning up unwanted weeds.

Give a new look

The simplest way of breathing new life is by freshening up the visuals. Of course, you can put new photos of your business in the social media accounts. It will serve the purpose.

Get a fresh tool

After reorganizing and giving a new look to your digital presence, take your marketing up using the right tools online. Invest in right tools and ensure to benefit from automation.

Digital marketing is the reach for most businesses and social sites have done an excellent job by promoting business. Digital marketing is now affordable and integrating it into your business is time-consuming and complex task, but to have an impactful digital marketing operation, you can get started with these steps below:

Elucidate Objectives

Having clear objectives helps digital marketing as it reveals a strategy. Outline the goals and determine the direction so that you align purposeful objectives that are realistic, specific and measurable. Identify your audience, comprehend your market and ensure your objectives meet strategy as an informed decision.

Develop Brand Consistency

Consistency is a term that has its own expectations, be it a social media platform or your website and of course this includes the strategy of digital marketing operation as well. Developing brand consistency is a must and use same taglines, colors, fonts, features and images. Ensure consistency so that it shows authority and increases your credibility.

Buildup Your Digital Marketplace

A digital marketing campaign focuses your virtual home that is your website. This makes it important to build up your digital marketplace such that it is engaging, responsive and mobile-friendly. Make it obvious for call to action and ascertain you keep it simple.

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In the world today, small businesses suffer from the lack of marketing their customers and sometimes its due to the insufficient amount of money they have to brand and advertise their business. Just to have a billboard of your company on a building you would need close to a million dollars for advertisement. I had the privilege of catching up with Ed Buss, a CEO of fresh filtered air Inc in the small town of Shawnee Oklahoma. Ed Buss and his wife started his company by the idea of his wife seeing an ad in the local newspaper about 21 years ago and thought it was a good idea so they decided to create Fresh Filtered air inc.

Ed Buss has and runs a small filter service business, he serves his business on a 2-week service plan, 2-4,6-8-10-12-week plan for his customers. His business isn't a popular company but it does well for how small it is. Some of the challenges he faces with his filter company is in the social media marketing area. He doesn't have a true website, his company isn't on any social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram etc. he doesn't have a strong way to connect with current or future customers, his business has been stringing simply from word to mouth over 21 years' span. He also struggles with a company logo which I personally believe will help him establish a bigger customer base. By allowing his company to partake in the social media world it could improve his customer base drastically and help bring in more potential clients rather than going from door to door selling his service price by word to mouth.

Another challenge Ed Buss faces with his small business is field expenses, he has to make sure that when someone calls in for a service order that they are for sure going to go through with it due to gas and mileage on the trucks. Ed Buss's filter service has two employee trucks and he does a great job making sure that all the services are around and done on the same route. Ed Buss says that his employees have a lot of window time and drive a little over 90,000 miles a year. As a small company that means that your customer base isn't very big, so you want to make sure you have enough funds in your business to keep the trucks that carry out your business's service orders in good shape.

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