QUICK BITES

Don't Sleep on the Carousel Trend 🎠

Carousels on Instagram are a powerful tool for educating your audience in a visually engaging way. Share your expertise through step-by-step guides like "5 ways to do X" across multiple slides. I use this strategy in my own business and highly recommend it to my clients!

Instagram WANTS Your Followers to See You 👀

Did you know Instagram "double serves" carousels? If someone doesn't engage with your content the first time, Instagram shows it to them again. Leverage the carousel feature to increase your chances of grabbing their attention.

Bypass Instagram's Link Warning ⚠

Worried about losing traffic to your website because of Instagram's link in bio warning? Share clickable links in stories instead of bios. Links in stories don't have warnings and allow you to direct traffic with precision, without relying on Campsites or Linktrees.

BRAND BUILDING

Face Value: How to Craft a Magnetic Brand With a Talking Heads Strategy

Tapping into video is one of the most powerful ways to engage your followers and grow your brand on social media. I like to encourage my clients to think about the three primary “buckets” or types of video content for social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.  

1. B-Roll/Faceless Content: Showcase your daily activities or work without being the main focus. Timelapses and behind-the-scenes videos let people see what you do without pressure.

2. Trending Content: Hop on hashtags and trending sounds to boost reach. For example, #HappyGirlEra is definitely one stylists, photogs, and event planners can leverage 💇🏻‍♀️ Just don't force irrelevant trends.

3. Talking Head Videos: Break topics into short, shareable clips where you’re speaking directly into the camera. Talking heads are the most powerful way to position yourself as an expert and connect through personality.

Benefits of a Talking Heads Strategy

• Expand on expertise and give helpful information in an approachable way

• Generate a lot of content from a single camera session that can be repurposed across platforms

• Build rapport with followers by helping them like and trust you through casual, conversational videos

Overcome Your Talking Head Terror

If being on camera makes you uncomfortable, you can still rock a social media strategy without stepping out of your comfort zone. Here are some tips to get comfortable in front of the lens 🎥

• Start with B-roll style videos that showcase your work or day-to-day activities without putting yourself front and center. Get comfortable on camera gradually.

• Record with a trusted friend or colleague and have them ask you questions as part of an interview. This takes the pressure off having to perform for the camera alone.

• Jot down some bullet points instead of a script so you can have a natural conversation. Don't worry about stumbles - you can edit them out later.

Remember - people connect with other people 🤝 Use talking head videos as a way to share your knowledge and personality. With practice, your audience will appreciate your authenticity on display. Soon you'll wonder why you were ever nervous in the first place!

TOOL TIME

Why I ❤ CapCut & Captions App

While there are so many tools available to help you produce and edit video content, I personally love, use, and highly recommend CapCut and the Captions app.

✅ CapCut

What it is: Easy to use video editing app for desktop and mobile

How to use it: Trimming and clipping for talking head videos, add templates/effects, export directly to social platforms 

Why I love it: Intuitive interface, no watermark on exports, beginner friendly but has more advanced trimming features. Footage can be edited directly within the app on iPhone or exported from other apps 

Is it worth it? Free to use

✅ Captions App

What it is: App that automatically adds captions to videos

How to use it: Upload video, customize caption styles and placement for branded videos 

Why I love it: Professional finished look, AI script generator, and engagement features. A zoom and movement features keep viewers engaged like a professionally edited video

Is it worth it? Paid version ($10/mo) adds great features that are worth the investment for solopreneurs, in my opinion

MILWAUKEE LOCALS: MARK YOUR CALENDAR 📅

Exciting news! I’m thrilled to be a part of the upcoming Social Media Sales Workshop, presented by Small Studio and The Middle Six®.

If you’re local, I’d love to meet you! Join us this Thursday, May 16, 2024 from 2:30-4:30 p.m. in Milwaukee, WI for an exclusive two-hour workshop that fuses the worlds of sales mastery and social media success.

You'll learn how to attract your ideal client through strategic content creation and effective online communication. Don't miss this opportunity to align your social media efforts with your business goals and unlock measurable growth.

JOIN THE SOCIAL CLUB

The Social Club is a monthly membership designed for small business owners who know they should be promoting their biz on social but either:

• Don’t know how

• Don’t love social media

• Have run out of ideas

• Don’t have the time

Members of the Social Club get a daily custom content calendar with pre-written captions to make posting a breeze. Every day, you’ll get new topic ideas, learn why that strategy resonates with your followers, and how to seamlessly tie it into an engaging CTA. Then, you’ll get a custom caption based on your business offerings, complete with an easy-peasy “Copy Text” button!

Here’s an example caption that was generated for one of our members for “Motivational Monday.”