, , ,

Stop the Scroll: How to Make Your December Content Stand Out in a Saturated Feed

Stop the Scroll: How to Make Your December Content Stand Out in a Saturated Feed

December is one of the busiest times of the year, not just in stores, but online. Everyone is online, selling, and posting more content than usual.

Holiday deals flood your feed. Creators release “year-end” posts. Families share travel photos. Major brands push high-budget holiday campaigns. And in the middle of all this noise… small businesses are expected to keep up.

But here’s the good news: You don’t need to outpost, outspend, or out-design everyone else.

You just need to create content that makes people stop scrolling, even for a moment, and pay attention.

In this article, we’ll walk through the essential strategies that help small businesses stand out online during the holiday rush, without feeling overwhelmed or burning out.

 

The Psychology of December Scrolling Behavior

Before you create content for December, you need to understand what’s happening on the other side of the screen. The holiday season changes how people use social media. It’s not just how much they scroll, but why they scroll, what captures their attention, and what makes them stop. 

When you understand these patterns, you can create content that feels relevant, timely, and impossible to ignore.

1. People scroll faster (and pay less attention)

With holiday errands, events, travel, and family activities filling their schedule, users skim their feeds at lightning speed. They won’t stop for long captions, slow hooks, or anything that looks generic. 

Content must communicate value within seconds, ideally within the first line or first frame. The faster your content delivers clarity, emotion, or usefulness, the more likely it is to stop someone mid-scroll.

2. They buy more, but only from content that helps or resonates.

Even though people scroll faster, their buying intent is significantly higher. Shoppers are actively looking for ideas, solutions, and recommendations. This means the most effective content solves a problem quickly or guides them toward a decision. 

3. Emotion drives decisions.

December is an emotional month. Nostalgia, gratitude, generosity, and reflection naturally influence how people interact with content. 

Posts that tap into real stories create deeper engagement. Emotional relevance is what turns quick scrollers into active participants. It also fosters trust at a time when people are deciding where to spend their money and which brands are worth supporting.

Proven Content Strategies to Help You Stand Out

With competition at its peak, posting randomly won’t cut it. These strategies are grounded in real data and consumer behavior, and they’re designed to help small business owners stand out even without a big budget.

1. Lead With High-Contrast, Scroll-Stopping Visuals

When users scroll faster, your visuals have to work harder. High-contrast colors, strong focal points, and pattern-breaking imagery force users to pause for a second, and that second is everything. Think less about making your feed “pretty” and more about creating content that interrupts the scroll. 

A bold color overlay, a strong headline on the thumbnail, an unexpected image, or even a raw behind-the-scenes photo can outperform overly polished graphics. 

2. Create Value-Based Content (Not Just Promotions)

The holiday season is saturated with sales. If your content becomes one long commercial, your audience will tune you out. What performs best in December is content that helps first and sells second. 

Gift guides, how-to posts, quick tips, checklists, and “what to buy when you’re short on time” guides position you as the trusted expert rather than another brand begging for attention. When you make your audience’s decisions easier, they naturally choose you when it’s time to buy.

3. Lean Into Emotion and Human-Centered Stories

December is an emotionally charged month, and people respond more deeply to content that feels genuine and personal. This is the time to spotlight the humans behind the brand — the founder, the team, and the customers who support you.

Share behind-the-scenes moments, appreciation posts, meaningful milestones, or stories about the impact your business has made this year. These posts create the emotional resonance that algorithms notice and customers remember. 

4. Short, Fast-Paced Videos Perform Best

Short-form video dominates in December because it aligns with how people consume content this season: it’s quick, visual, and to the point. Videos under 15 seconds consistently win more attention. And the best part? They don’t need to be perfect. 

Raw, authentic videos outperform heavily produced ones because they appear more genuine and trustworthy. If you can deliver value in the first three seconds, you’ve already outperformed most of your competition.

5. Increase Engagement With Interactive Content

People love interacting with content that invites them to participate. Polls, quiz-style posts, question boxes, and countdowns naturally boost engagement, which in turn increases algorithmic reach. 

In December, when feeds are saturated, every interaction counts. Interactive content encourages users to stop, think, and respond, making your posts more memorable and more visible. When in doubt, ask a question or invite your audience into the conversation.

 

December Content That Converts: What to Post (With Examples)

The content that performs best this month has two key qualities: it delivers value instantly and aligns with what shoppers are actively looking for.

Below are highly effective, research-backed content ideas business owners can use throughout December, with examples for easy execution.

1. Holiday Gift Guides 

Gift guides are one of the most powerful formats because they solve a real customer problem:

“What should I buy for ____?”

You can create guides for different audiences:

  • “Gift Ideas Under $30”
  • “Gifts for Busy Moms”
  • “Best Gifts for Coffee Lovers”
  • “Last-Minute Gifts You Can Pick Up Today”

These posts save your audience time, reduce decision fatigue, and position your brand as the go-to choice. 

2. “Most-Loved Products of the Year”

December is a month of reflection, and customers love knowing what others already trust. 

Highlighting your top products or services creates instant social proof.

  • “Our Top 5 Bestsellers of 2025”
  • “The Services Our Clients Book the Most During the Holidays”
  • “What Our Customers Couldn’t Get Enough Of”

This format boosts both credibility and curiosity, the two ingredients that lead to sales.

3. Customer Story of the Month

When audiences feel emotionally connected, they’re more likely to make a purchase. Feature a heartfelt customer story, transformation, or testimonial.

  • A gift shop sharing a story of a customer who found a meaningful present for a loved one
  • A service provider showcasing a client win or success milestone
  • A boutique highlighting a repeat customer’s favorite holiday picks

Stories humanize your brand and remind people that real customers trust you.

4. Behind the Scenes

People love peeking behind the curtain. It makes your brand feel honest, relatable, and trustworthy.

Here are some behind-the-scenes content ideas: 

  • Packing holiday orders
  • Setting up your holiday menu or display
  • Team members share their favorite part of the season
  • Sneak peeks of limited-edition items
  • A message from the founder about the year’s journey

These posts are simple but powerful. They humanize your brand and highlight the care you put into every order or service.

5. “Holiday FAQs”

Customers have the same holiday questions every year. Answering them upfront reduces friction and increases conversions.

Here are some questions you might want to address:

  • “When is the last day to order for Christmas delivery?”
  • “What’s your holiday return policy?”
  • “Can I buy gift cards?”
  • “Do you offer bundle deals or gift sets?”

Clear answers turn hesitant shoppers into confident buyers.

Your Content Doesn’t Need to Be Perfect, It Just Needs to Matter

December is loud, crowded, and competitive, but that doesn’t mean small businesses are at a disadvantage. In fact, this is the season when authenticity and value matter more than perfectly produced content or the biggest ad budget.

Your audience isn’t looking for perfection. They’re looking for connection, clarity, and help.

When you share helpful tips, show the face behind the business, highlight customer stories, or express gratitude… You give people a reason to pause. And in a month where everyone is competing for attention, earning that pause is everything.

The businesses that win aren’t the ones posting the most. They’re the ones posting content that feels relevant, human, and useful.

If you want to build a December strategy that cuts through the noise and turns casual scrollers into customers, we’re here to help.

Schedule a free consultation with us today, and let’s plan content that carries your business through the holidays and well into the new year.

Stop the Scroll: How to Make Your December Content Stand Out in a Saturated Feed

Stop the Scroll: How to Make Your December Content Stand Out in a Saturated FeedStop the Scroll: How to Make Your December Content Stand Out in a Saturated Feed

/by

6 Common Social Media Mistakes Small Businesses Make — and How to Avoid Them

6 Common Social Media Mistakes Small Businesses Make — and How to Avoid Them

Running a small business? That probably means you’re the CEO, customer service team, bookkeeper… and marketing department.

You’re doing your best to show up on social media. You’re posting tips, joining trends, and maybe even dancing on Reels once or twice… but it still feels like you’re not getting the traction you want.

Many small business owners feel overwhelmed by social media, unsure if their efforts are paying off. The truth is, a few common mistakes might be holding you back. The good news? They’re easy to fix once you know what to look for.

Let’s dive into the top 6 mistakes we see small business owners make on social media and what to do instead.

Mistake #1: Posting Without a Strategy

Many small business owners treat social media like a to-do list item: they post when they remember, share whatever comes to mind, or jump on random trends without a clear plan. 

When your posts aren’t connected to your business goals, you’re basically spinning your wheels. You waste time creating content that doesn’t attract the right people, build trust, or lead to sales. Over time, inconsistent or unfocused content confuses your audience and dilutes your brand.

How to Fix It: Start with a simple content strategy. Identify 2-3 core topics or “content pillars” that reflect what your business stands for and what your audience cares about. Plan posts around these pillars to create consistent, purposeful content that supports your goals,  whether brand awareness, lead generation, or customer loyalty.

Mistake #2: Focusing on Follower Count Instead of Engagement

It’s easy to get hooked on chasing follower count because it’s visible and satisfying. But many business owners forget that big numbers don’t equal business success.

A big following means nothing if those people aren’t interacting with your content. Social media algorithms reward engagement, so low interaction means fewer people see your posts.

How to Fix It: Shift your focus to creating content that invites conversation. Ask questions, encourage comments, and reply promptly. Use polls, stories, or live videos to connect. 

Track engagement metrics like comments, shares, and saves, not just follower count. Don’t forget to track click-throughs to your website, too. 

Mistake #3: Talking to Everyone (So You Connect with No One)

Small business owners sometimes try to appeal to everyone to maximize reach. The problem? People scroll past content that doesn’t feel personal. Without a specific audience in mind, your message lacks the emotional punch to stop scrolling and inspire action.

How to Fix It: Create a customer avatar. Give them a name, age, and pain points. For example: “Anxious Andy, 28, wants to start investing but doesn’t know where to begin.” Craft posts that speak directly to Andy’s fears and goals. Use niche hashtags like #SeattleInvestors instead of broad ones like #MoneyTips.

 

Mistake #4: Posting Inconsistently (Then Panic-Posting)

You post regularly for a week or two, then disappear. When you feel behind, you panic and post a flurry of content to “catch up.” This inconsistent pattern confuses your audience and the platform’s algorithm.

Inconsistency makes it hard to build momentum and trust. Your followers don’t know when to expect new content, so they lose interest. Algorithms also favor consistent posting, so irregularity limits your reach.

How to Fix It: Batch your content. Spend 2 hours a month and create posts for the entire month. Use free Canva templates for your visuals. Schedule them in advance with tools like Meta Business Suite or HootSuite.

It’s also a good idea to repurpose content to save time. Turn a blog post into a carousel, Reel, and email newsletter.

 

Mistake #5: Being on Every Platform (and Burning Out)

Maintaining a presence on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube, and other platforms can be overwhelming. Often, this leads to mediocre content and burnout. 

How to Fix It:

Pick 1 or 2 platforms where your target audience is most active. Focus on growing those first. Learn what works, engage consistently, and build a community. Once you have a strong presence there, consider expanding. 

Pro tip: Delete inactive accounts. If you haven’t posted in 6 months, let it go. 

 

Mistake #6: Trying to Do It All Yourself

Trying to be a full-time content creator and business owner leads to burnout.  You’re editing Reels at midnight, writing captions during lunch, and responding to comments instead of serving customers. 

Trying to juggle social media while running your business drains your energy and steals focus from tasks only you can do, like product development or client service.

How to Fix It: Delegate tasks. Outsourcing doesn’t mean losing your voice. It means freeing up time to focus on your strengths while trusted experts amplify your message. 

You can hire a social media manager, a digital marketing agency, or a video editor. Either way, outsourcing tasks can improve your results and your sanity.

 

Final Thoughts

You don’t need to be perfect on social media, but having a clear plan can make all the difference. By avoiding these common mistakes, you can save time, enhance your online presence, and attract the right clients.

Feeling stuck or overwhelmed by your social media? Book a free consultation today, and we’ll help you build a strategy that aligns with your business goals without the guesswork.

6 Common Social Media Mistakes Small Businesses Make — and How to Avoid Them

6 Common Social Media Mistakes Small Businesses Make — and How to Avoid Them6 Common Social Media Mistakes Small Businesses Make — and How to Avoid Them

/by
, , ,

Holiday Marketing Strategies: How to Maximize Sales During the Festive Season

Holiday Marketing Strategies: How to Maximize Sales During the Festive Season

The holiday season isn’t just a time for festive cheer; it’s also a crucial period for businesses to boost their sales. With the right holiday marketing strategies, you can tap into the spirit of giving and make this time of year incredibly profitable. 

In this article, we’ll explore effective tactics and campaigns specifically designed for the holiday season, ensuring your business survives and thrives during this joyful time. 

Understanding the Holiday Market

Before diving into holiday marketing strategies, it’s essential to understand the market dynamics during this season. 

First and foremost, let’s talk numbers. Holiday sales have consistently been a substantial portion of annual revenues for businesses across industries. 

One of the defining aspects of the holiday season is gift-giving. Consumers are actively seeking gift ideas and meaningful presents. They’re also looking for decorations, festive outfits, and more. As a business owner, this data should serve as a compelling reason to gear up for the holiday rush.

Competition is fierce during this busy shopping season. Everyone is vying for the attention of holiday shoppers, which means your marketing efforts must be compelling and strategic. Standing out in this crowded landscape requires a well-thought-out approach.

Build a Festive Brand Identity

Creating a festive brand identity during the holiday season is akin to dressing up your storefront with twinkling lights and holiday decorations. It’s about making your brand resonate with the spirit of the season and connecting with your audience on a more emotional level. 

Start by infusing holiday elements into your brand’s visual identity. This could involve incorporating festive colors like red, green, and gold into your logo or website design. 

Consider subtle changes, like adding a Santa hat to your logo or creating holiday-themed banners for your website. These minor adjustments signal your customers that you’re embracing the holiday spirit.

Craft Compelling Content

In the world of holiday marketing, content is your secret sauce. It allows you to connect with your audience on a deeper, emotional level. 

During the festive season, people are not just looking for products; they are seeking experiences and connections. Crafting compelling content is the key to delivering just that. 

Visual content, such as images and videos, takes center stage during the holidays. Invest in high-quality visuals that showcase your products or services in a holiday context. Whether it’s a festive-themed photo shoot, a video showcasing gift ideas, or visually stunning social media posts, make sure your visuals are aesthetically pleasing and tell a compelling story.

Leverage Social Media

Social media is your holiday marketing powerhouse. It’s where you can directly engage with your audience, create buzz, and drive traffic to your online and physical stores. 

Plan a content calendar tailored to the holidays, featuring eye-catching visuals, heartwarming stories, and irresistible offers. Remember to use holiday-themed hashtags and encourage user-generated content to boost engagement.

Stay on top of trending holiday hashtags and incorporate them into your posts. This helps your content reach a broader audience interested in holiday-related topics. 

Running Holiday-Specific Promotions

Holiday shoppers love a good deal. Well-crafted promotions attract customers and encourage repeat business and brand loyalty. Consider running promotions such as discounts, buy-one-get-one offers, or gift cards. 

Timing and duration are crucial. Start your promotions early enough to capture early bird shoppers, but also consider extending them to cater to last-minute buyers. Limited-time offers create a sense of urgency and excitement, prompting immediate action.

Maximizing Website and Mobile Experience

Your website and mobile presence are often the first points of contact between your business and potential customers. 

Speed matters, especially during the holiday rush. Slow-loading pages can drive potential customers away. Optimize your website’s loading times by compressing images, minifying code, and leveraging browser caching. 

Streamline the checkout process to reduce cart abandonment. Implement features like guest checkout, one-click purchasing, and progress indicators to guide customers through the steps. Additionally, consider offering multiple payment options to accommodate various preferences. 

Remember, a well-optimized website is your digital storefront, and first impressions matter.

Tracking and Analyzing Performance

Track and analyze your campaign performance to determine whether or not your holiday marketing strategies are working. 

Use key performance indicators (KPIs) like conversion rates, click-through rates, and sales metrics to measure success. Utilize analytics tools to gain valuable insights. 

After the holiday season concludes, conduct a comprehensive post-campaign analysis. Evaluate the overall success of your strategies, what worked exceptionally well, and areas that may need improvement. 

Post-Holiday Engagement and Retention

Don’t let your customer relationships fade once the holidays are over. Engage with your customers post-holiday by sending follow-up emails, surveys, and exclusive offers. Focus on turning holiday shoppers into loyal, year-round customers.

Final thoughts

The holiday season is a prime time for businesses to shine. By implementing these holiday marketing strategies, you can maximize your sales and create a memorable customer experience. 

Remember, planning and preparation are crucial to holiday marketing success. Start early, stay creative, and spread the holiday cheer through effective digital and social media marketing.

Ready to supercharge your holiday marketing? Start planning your strategies now and make this festive season your most successful one yet. If you need expert guidance, feel free to book a free consultation with us. 

Holiday Marketing Strategies: How to Maximize Sales During the Festive Season

Holiday Marketing Strategies: How to Maximize Sales During the Festive SeasonHoliday Marketing Strategies: How to Maximize Sales During the Festive Season

/by

YouTube SEO: How to Optimize Your Videos for Search and Ranking

YouTube SEO: How to Optimize Your Videos for Search and Ranking

Let’s start with a simple exercise, shall we? What’s the first thing that comes to mind when we talk about search engines?

I bet you immediately thought of Google, am I right? Well, I don’t blame you. After all, Google is the biggest and most popular search engine out there. But here’s the thing… it’s not the only one. In fact, there are lots of search engines on the internet.

They may be less popular and not as powerful as Google, but you’ll be able to boost your search rankings and visibility by tapping into them. But for this article, we’ll be focusing mainly on YouTube. Yes, that’s right. Apart from its social networking site characteristics, YouTube is one of the most visited search engines in the world.

Google owns YouTube, so videos hosted on YouTube rank well on Google. If you’re looking to boost your video rankings, I urge you to read on.

Here are five ways to optimize your videos for search and ranking.

Do keyword research

If you’re looking to improve your YouTube SEO, the most important thing you need to do is to find the right keywords.

By choosing the right keywords, you can ensure that your video appears in the search results when people are looking for something related to your video’s topic. Start by thinking about what keyword people might use when looking for a video like yours.

You can also use a keyword research tool to see how many people are searching for those terms. This will give you insights into what people are actually searching for.

Incorporate keywords in the video title

When it comes to ranking your YouTube videos, optimizing your title is vital.

So if you’re looking to boost your videos, incorporating keywords into your title is a great place to start. By including relevant keywords in your title, you’ll be more likely to appear in YouTube search results for those terms. What’s more, you’ll also be more likely to attract viewers who are interested in your content.

Keep in mind that YouTube users often skim titles, so make sure your keywords are front and center. By optimizing your titles for YouTube SEO, you can ensure that your videos are seen by the people who are most likely to be interested in them.

Optimize your video description

Like with any other form of SEO, using the right keywords in your description can help ensure that your videos come up in search results. But it’s not just about using the right keywords – you also need to use them correctly.

For instance, including a list of keywords near the beginning of your description will help YouTube’s algorithm understand what your video is about and make it more likely to appear in relevant searches. In addition, be sure to use natural-sounding language and avoid keyword stuffing. If you can do this, you’ll be well on your way to getting more video views.

Use a custom thumbnail for your videos.

While it might be tempting to choose from one of the thumbnail options that are auto-generated by YouTube, it is best to upload a custom thumbnail image for your videos.

A custom thumbnail shows up in the search results and can help you stand out from the competition. When choosing a custom thumbnail, select an image that is high quality and represents the content of your video. Remember, your thumbnail is often the first impression people will have of your video, so make sure it accurately represents your video’s content and style.

You can also include keywords in the thumbnail to help people find your video. Be sure to test different thumbnails to see what works best for your videos.

Add subtitles and closed captions. 

YouTube is the second largest search engine and the third most-visited website in the world. That’s a lot of potential viewers! And what do viewers want? Videos that are informative, entertaining, and easy to understand.

Adding subtitles and closed captions to your YouTube videos is one way to ensure your content is accessible to as many people as possible. Not only will it help hearing-impaired viewers follow along, but it will also make your videos more searchable.

YouTube uses automatic captioning algorithms, so be sure to proofread and edit your captions for accuracy. You can also add keywords to your captions to improve your YouTube SEO. By doing so, you’ll be able to reach a wider audience and achieve your video marketing goals.

Final thoughts

As you can see, optimizing your YouTube videos for better search engine ranking is crucial if you want to improve your visibility and get more leads. Using the tips outlined above, you can give your videos a better chance of being discovered by potential customers and clients.

But if you need help with your YouTube strategy, our team is here to assist you. Schedule a free consultation call today to discuss how we can help improve your ranking and visibility on this powerful platform.

YouTube SEO: How to Optimize Your Videos for Search and Ranking

YouTube SEO: How to Optimize Your Videos for Search and RankingYouTube SEO: How to Optimize Your Videos for Search and Ranking

/by

5 Clever Ways to Repurpose Your Video Content

5 Clever Ways to Repurpose Your Video Content

When given a chance to choose a type of content, most people would choose video. After all, they’re more engaging and easy to grasp. This is why more and more businesses are investing in video content.

But let’s face it. Creating videos can be time-consuming. From research to prep to production and distribution, you’ll need to dedicate a lot of time and resources to the process. Worse, some videos don’t get the attention they deserve.

But why let all those videos gather dust when you can get more mileage from them? This is where repurposing comes in.

Repurposing content not only helps you save time but also captures the attention of a wider audience than if you were to present the information in a single format.

Here are five clever ways to repurpose your video content.

Share the video on different social media platforms

From Instagram to Tiktok and Youtube, there are a variety of platforms where you can upload bite-sized video content.

The maximum length for IG Reels is 15 to 30 seconds, while Youtube shorts can be 60 seconds. Now, Tiktok allows users to upload videos that are 3 minutes long. That means you can add more of that valuable content to your video.

This gives you plenty of opportunities to repurpose your videos, use them to fill up your content calendar, and reach a wider audience.

Create short video snippets

Creating short, bite-sized videos can be used as a teaser. Think of them as video trailers for your content. They can capture your audience’s attention and pique their interest before you even publish the whole video.

For best results, focus on the most exciting parts of the video. Don’t forget to include a link to let people know where they can find the rest of the video.

Write a blog post 

Of course, you can always publish an embedded video on your blog. But if you do, you won’t be able to maximize your video’s SEO potential. To do that, we highly recommend that you transcribe the video into text.

Believe it or not, one solid blog article can drive traffic to your site for years. Don’t worry. You don’t need to transcribe it manually. There are lots of software out there that provides you with a transcription of the video.

Turn video into a podcast episode

If you’ve thought of starting a podcast but can’t find the time to start, this would be the perfect opportunity to do so. In fact, you can easily convert your videos into an audio file. Now, all you have to do is to add an intro and outro, and your podcast is ready to go.

Turning your video into a podcast is one of the best ways to get your content in front of a wider audience without much extra work.

Turn it into a lead magnet

Are you looking to generate more leads for your business? Then why not turn your video into a lead magnet?

If you’ve just conducted a webinar, then you shouldn’t let it go to waste. It’s valuable, informative, and something most people can’t say no to. Plus, it can help you capture leads, and who knows… it may even help you convert visitors into paying clients.

Create a pop-up on your website and let visitors know they’ll get access to the webinar in exchange for their email address. Well, if you ask me, that would be a no-brainer. I’d hand in my email address, no questions asked.

5 Clever Ways to Repurpose Your Video Content

5 Clever Ways to Repurpose Your Video Content5 Clever Ways to Repurpose Your Video Content

/by
, , ,

5 Ways to Use Tiktok to Promote Your Business

5 Ways to Use Tiktok to Promote Your Business

If you think of Tiktok as a platform for teens and Gen Zs sharing their dance routines, funny lip-syncing videos or cute animal videos, think again. The truth is, there is a wide variety of content niches and communities within the platform, which allows you to reach a diverse audience.

No matter what type of business you have, there’s a space for your brand to make its mark on the platform. In fact, it is now seen as one of the biggest marketing machines for businesses of all sizes.

Tiktok has over 1 billion monthly active users, and the numbers seem to be rising day by day. It looks like Tiktok is here and doesn’t seem to be going anywhere

Looking to start using Tiktok to promote your brand? Here are 5 tips to help you get started.

Have fun!

Tiktok’s nature is fun, playful, and casual. So if there’s one thing you shouldn’t do on the platform, it’s being boring.

Most people are on the app to discover new and exciting content. So show off your brand personality and have fun with your content. If people see that you’re enjoying creating your content, chances are they’ll enjoy watching your videos too.

Tiktok is a great platform to test out new ideas and a different side of you. Feel free to explore different content formats until you find one that resonates with your audience. Once you do, keep replicating it to build on your success.

Post often

Let’s face it. Growing your brand on Tiktok can be exhausting, especially when you’re just starting out. Sure, it only takes one video to go viral to make a mark on this billion-dollar platform. But most of the time, success doesn’t happen overnight.

There are millions of videos that are being published on a platform everyday, and it can be quite difficult the capture the attention of your audience. If there’s one thing successful Tiktokers have in common, it’s consistency. They post content every single day; sometimes more.

So if you find yourself getting frustrated and you’re still not seeing the results you want, be patient. Post often and consistently.

Watch out for trends

One of the best ways to get more views is to create videos on trending topics. Keep in mind, though, that trends come and go. So if you want to capture the attention of your audience, you’ll have to keep up with the trends and keep your content new and refreshing.

Most users are actually searching and watching content about trending topics, so your videos will be shown to a wider audience.

With Tiktok, you’ll never run out of ideas for your content. Just do a quick search of the most trending hashtags, watch some videos on the platform and you’ll have a long list of ideas for your content.

Social media challenges 

Social media challenges are a big hit on the platform. Some videos even go viral. So if you’re looking to increase brand awareness and grow your following on Tiktok, you might want to consider joining in trending challenges.

But if you’d like to take it a step further, you can also create your own challenges and encourage people to join in on the fun. It has to be fun and easy for your target audience to complete. Otherwise, people may not be interested to participate.

It’s also a good idea to create a branded hashtag for the challenge. Be sure to do some research before creating a hashtag to make sure that it’s hasn’t been taken yet.

Run Tiktok ads

For your ads to work, your target audience must be fully engaged within the platform. And that’s one of the biggest benefits of Tiktok. Users can’t get enough of it.

In fact, the usage of Tiktok is on an upward trend, with the average users spending at least an hour a day watching, sharing, and creating videos on the platform.

The more time users spend on the platform, the higher the chance that they’ll see your ads. The more engaged they are, the better your ads will perform. This makes advertising on Tiktok more worthwhile.

Final thoughts

A lot of businesses have found success on Tiktok. It’s not just because of the fun, entertainment, and creativity it offers. But because the exposure is truly next level. In fact, it opens a whole new connection with your target audience.

If you find Tiktok intimidating or you think it’s already too late to get in, it’s not. Tiktok is new enough for you to get in, yet huge enough to ensure that you’ll be able to reach a wide audience.

5 Ways to Use Tiktok to Promote Your Business

5 Ways to Use Tiktok to Promote Your Business5 Ways to Use Tiktok to Promote Your Business

/by
, ,

Wondering if Pinterest is worth your time as a blogger?

Wondering if Pinterest is worth your time as a blogger

It’s important to think of Pinterest as a search engine, not just a social media platform. This means that people use Pinterest to find things they’re interested in, like your blog posts. Similar to a search on Google.

Pinterest is a great way to drive traffic back to your website and grow your blog’s brand.

Here are 5 reasons how using Pinterest as a blogger can help improve your blog’s SEO, bring in more traffic, and grow your audience.

  1. Pinterest is a visual search engine –

    People visit with the goal of reading and saving pins in mind. When you pin something from your blog, make sure to add keywords in the title and description so pinners can easily find it. For example, if you write about travel tips, you could use keywords like “travel tips” and “vacation ideas” when you pin. Also, remember to use hashtags, this helps tell Pinterest what that pin is about and allows pinners to find pins. Consistency is key. It’s important to be consistent with your pins. If you only pin a few times a month, people will lose interest and won’t follow you. Try to pin at least once or twice a day to see the best results. You can create templates in Canva where you can easily swap out the text and the images while staying consistent with your brand. This allows you to use those keywords and tips at the text overlay and have eye-grabbing images that make your audience want to click on your image and go to your website.

  2. Utilizing Group Boards –

    You may join groups where you can share comparable material. Group boards are a great way to increase blog traffic because they allow your pins to be seen by more people. When you join a group board, make sure that the topics of the pins on the board fit with your blog content. If you have a travel blog, for example, it wouldn’t make sense to pin recipes on a group board about fashion. Be sure to follow the rules for each group board, most of the time you will find those rules in the notes section.

  3. Pinterest allows you to be creative with your pins –

    You may use your SEO abilities and hashtags to target people who are interested in your pins on Pinterest. When you’re creating pins, make sure they are eye-catching and include text overlays that describe what the image is about. This will help the pinner understand what your pin is about without having to click on it. For example, if you have a blog post about how to pack for a trip, you could create an image with the title. Pinterest also allows different types of pins, you can create animated video pins, video pins of you giving quick tips, or even pin your Instagram square images. Rich Pins make it easier for users to get information from a website by displaying metadata right on the Pin itself. When a user saves content with metadata on your site, it will become a Rich Pin. There are four different types of Rich Pins: app, article, product, and recipe Pins.

  4. Drives traffic to your website –

    When someone pins one of your blog posts to their board, they’re essentially sending people to your website. This is a great way to increase traffic and grow your audience. Make sure the images you pin are high-quality so pinners will want to click on them. Going back to the consistency, this is where a tool like Tailwind comes into play, this allows you to pin up to 200 images per week to your boards and even Tailwind Communities. Each pin you put up should have an SEO-friendly title and description with a link directly back to the blog post. You can then monitor your Pinterest Analytics and your Google Analytics to see where the traffic is coming from. For each blog you post on your website, you should create 10-15 images per blog to pin to Pinterest.

  5. Time Efficient Tools –

    Tailwind is a service that works with Pinterest to help you manage your time and drive more visitors to your website. I was hesitant about this purchase for some time. I expected to just look into the free trial and then cancel, but once I started using it, I couldn’t stop. Tailwind is a social media scheduling software that delivers real results in less time. Boost the effectiveness of your social media marketing efforts! Decide when to post on social media and how much engagement you want. A few bonus tips, you can use Tailwind to schedule to Instagram as well, you can also link your Instagram to Tailwind and post your images from Instagram to different boards on Pinterest. Tailwind will also allow you to create loop pins, these are great for your evergreen content that will always serve value to your audience, you put those pins in a certain loop that pins to the boards you want and over time it will automatically pin those out for you at the best times and days! This is a life-saving and time-saving tool! A must-have!

If you are ready to work with a team to do the leg work for you, meaning, create the images, pin them, write the description, and more, we are your team! We just launched a new blogger marketing program to help take items off your plate to give you as a blogger more time to write and less time worrying about creating images and social media strategy. Schedule a FREE 30-minute consultation today and let’s start increasing your website traffic!

/by
, , ,

How do a Pinterest Audit

Today, we will go through Pinterest, and we are going to do an audit on our account. So we have been working with Pinterest for a long time. We use Pinterest for many of our clients, driving traffic back to their website through a very strategic Pin strategy, posting to different boards, Tailwind communities, and different Pinterest groups, and also through promoted Pins. We were coming in to do this anyway to make sure we’re doing as we say to do. It’s one of those, “Do as we say, not as we do.” [chuckle] We want to make sure that what we’re doing with our clients, that we’re doing for ourselves as well. So as you’ll see, we are in our business Pinterest account. And when you come to your Pinterest account, you want to make sure that it is a business account. And you’ll see your home feed here. The reason why you want a business account is because of the analytics and the ads. So with a business account, there are also a few different Pins you can create. The analytics are very important because they will show you how many views you have each month on your Pinterest account. It will also show you what pins are being saved and have the most engagement, and your ads to promote those ads to drive more traffic back to your website.

Business Pinterest Account

We’re going to go to the business hub. And this is kind of the behind-the-scenes; this will tell you just a sneak peek of our analytics, which we’ll get to first. What our public profile looks like. So over here, on the right-hand side, you’ll see your logo. If this is a personal account you’ve been using, there should be an option that says “Switch to Business Account,” and that’s what you want to do. So a couple of things, you can change this header. You can have a specific header there as you have on your Facebook or your YouTube channel with your business name, what you do, your logo, things like that. We have it just set up to show our most recent Pins. So that’s more of a personal preference. This is a good space for that brand-building, we work with many different types of bloggers, so this may be a great area for your branded images with your mission or topics you cover. If you are a mom blog that works with kids ten and younger or just giving your audience a little insight into who you are, that’s a great place to have it.

Your logo or image here, your company name, and this all depends on your brand. Caitlin and I have branded Social Speak Network, so that’s our logo; that’s obviously what all of our social media is. But as a blogger, you may be branding your name, so this may be your name if you don’t have a business name for your blog. So it depends on what brand you’re using; that’s what would go here. And then your description, making sure it’s apparent what it is that you do. And then you’ll see we have only 635 followers, we’re following 129 people, but we have over 43,000 monthly views. That’s good for us. Pinterest is not a social media platform, It’s important to have followers, but you’re not banking on the number of followers you have on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter. It comes down to your Pin strategy. That’s the most important piece.

So you’ll see that these are all the Pins that we have created and that we’ve put up on our account, and you’ll be able to see how many times they have been viewed, and these have just been posted this week, so there’s not a whole whole lot of views on them yet. You’ll see that the ones that we pinned a few months ago have many more views. So what I want to do is look at what the Saved button is, which will change our profile to show the boards that we have. Now, when you think you can click on All Pins, we’ve had 63,000 Pins. And there is a mixture here of what we want to do. We talk a lot about healthcare digital marketing tips. We have social media marketing for small businesses. We have SEO and blogging tips, social media management for bloggers, finding your target market, Instagram marketing tips, Facebook marketing tips.

Setting Up Pinterest Boards

Some of these boards like this one that only has 18 Pins, we have it pinned there for a while, so we can either move those Pins to another board or let that board go if we’re not utilizing it. With our SEO, you can see that we have 663 Pins there and 500 Pins in our healthcare digital marketing. So focus on the boards you’re going to be utilizing the most, and what’s important with those is that you have an SEO-friendly title, so search engine optimization. Remember, Pinterest is that search engine, so what is your audience looking for? Are they looking for how to find your target market? This is great because that is what this board says. And if you click onto the board again, we haven’t used that board a lot because we only had 16 Pins. Then the description. To describe what that board is about and what types of Pins people will be seeing on that board. And again, you want to utilize those keywords here as well.

You can add notes; if you post to a different group of Pinterest boards, they’ll have notes of those rules. That’s a great either way to utilize that Notes section. Doing your Pinterest audit, going through each of your boards, and ensuring that you have a keyword-friendly title, a description, if you click this Edit button, the pencil, this is… So here, I don’t have a description for email marketing, so email, maybe it should be, “Is email marketing dead? No. It is very much alive and works great. In this board, we will show you how to grow your email list and utilize email marketing for your business.” So email marketing tips, you can add a board cover. It’s going to pull up the Pins from that board, and you can pick which one you want, okay? Let’s see; we’ll do this one. Click done. And then if you don’t like that board cover, you can go back, click Edit, and then maybe find this one, and then that looks perfect.

You’ll have the name, the description, and then click Done, okay? So go through each of your boards and make sure that you are utilizing the space correctly. Here in our content marketing strategy, we have over 1700 Pins. But here on How to Build an authentic business brand, we only have 10 Pins. These tips can go into maybe our business tips, and we can get rid of that board. You can also have secret boards. We love using Pinterest to get ideas on what other people are pinning. So you can create a board here at the plus sign and click Board, and then this can just be Pinterest image ideas. Keep this board secret. So what this means is as you’re scrolling through Pinterest, you can save images to this board, but they will not show up on your profile, this is just for you to see as an admin, and then you can pull that board up and look at, “Oh, okay, this is what I liked about that image,” and… As you need. So, “Oh yes. Oh, I love how they did that. That’s perfect, I like that image. Oh, this is cute.”

Pinterest Images

Because you’re going to see, there are different styles to Pinterest images and different lengths, and the longer lengths work better. Here’s an infographic. This image here is slightly longer than this one, but it’s a little hard for me to read and seems a little cluttered. I may be more apt to click on this one because it’s cleaner. So look at what types of Pins you like, what images you like, and then save them to that private board so then you can get ideas when it comes time to create content, okay? So now you have these four Pins here in my super-secret board, and we are all set. So after you do the audit on your boards, you want to come over to your analytics. And I always just click on the overview. And now, with Pinterest, you also want to try different; Types of content. Images are number one. Try the square images. If you use Tailwind, you can link your Instagram to your Tailwind, and you can pin the exact images you’re putting onto Instagram on Pinterest. So that makes it easy to monitor those square images. Are they getting clicks?

If you pin them, you’ll need to change the link because they’re going to link back to your Instagram account automatically. If that’s where you want them to go, great, otherwise change the link back to your blog. As I said, the long images. And if you’re using Canva, Canva has a great tool to create Pinterest images at different sizes. So you can try different sizes, as I said but also get creative with your Pinterest templates of adding video into these templates. So that will help increase those user views because you can add your video to this image, customize the colors, add a different change of the content, and then be able to put that onto Pinterest. You would also just have animated images like this that say, “10 Great Places To Travel With Kids.” It stops the scroll on Pinterest. So as you use different types of content, you’ll want to monitor it in your analytics. Looking at your Pin’s impressions, you can look at engagements. And this is just going to be the last 30 days.

And then, and you can see okay, so on Wednesday, I had 85 engagements on our Pinterest account. That’s awesome. What about Pin clicks? We want to make sure we’re driving that website traffic to the right places. So we had 60 clicks on Monday, the 27th. Obviously, on Christmas, we still had 30 clicks, which it’s Christmas Day, and people are still on Pinterest, so Pinterest never sleeps. It keeps going and going. This is a great platform for you to be able to look at to say, “When is my audience on Pinterest, what days of the weeks?” And so that’s where you’re gonna wanna monitor your engagement, what are my top boards? Business tips and social media management for bloggers, we’ve had 5700 impressions, 56 outbound/inbound clicks, and this is no promotion, this is just organic, 31 saves, 111 pin clicks. So this is interesting to be able to see the difference between the boards, what’s working more, and what’s not. And then also here are…

Repinning Pins on Pinterest

Some of these are our original content, and many of them are curated content, meaning Repins from trusted sources, like pin, from CoSchedule, Social Media Today, Hootsuite, Buffer, etc. We look at Social Media Examiner Neil Patel, the people in our industry that we get our information from, and we’ll repin their boards, or their pins to our boards. And then many of them are, obviously, with our logo on it, this is our own. So it’s cool to see, okay, so this one here had 2500 views or impressions, but I can create an image similar to this with our branding and see if it gets even more views. So Pinterest gives you all of the data you need to be successful on Pinterest. Here we have 740, so 6.2% engagement on this pin, 2.2% engagement on that pin. So it’s good to know what people are clicking on, what images they’re finding attractive, to draw them to that, and so that’s really where we want to then focus on, okay, what about this post drew people to it, where it makes them wanna click, and keep going, because this pin was created August 27th, and this is the stats for December to this month, so it’s really cool to look at where… What’s working, and what’s not working.

Then the other part is, if you go back to your profile, you can promote some of the pins or as many pins as you want that you have put up, and this is where it helps drive that traffic to your website even more. So here’s why Pinterest is good at driving blog traffic, I clicked promote, and it’s going to bring me here: what is the destination URL you want, what is the daily budget, and how many days?

I think 84% of Pinterest is done mobile-y, so it’s important to see what it would look like computer view, but that mobile. So that’s what it would look like a computer, this is what it would look like mobile. Most people use Pinterest on their phones. So take time, go through your Pinterest account. If you need help figuring out what board names you should have, how you should be creating those pins, what that strategy looks like, let us know, we do have Pinterest management packages, and we are helping our clients with that creative process, but also more the time management process. If you’re using the right tools you can pin from anywhere from 25 times per week up to 200 times per week, if you’re utilizing the right tools, so… And that’s a mixture of organic content, pulling from your blog post, from your social media post, and then that’s also that repining, pulling from people that you know, and trust, that are like-hearted, and like-minded to your business, and being able to pin their pins to your boards as well.

If you need help, head on over to socialspeaknetwork.com today, schedule a free 30-minute consultation, let’s get you pinning correctly today. Thank you so much, have a great day.

/by

How to Drive More Traffic to Your Blog with Pinterest

How to Drive More Traffic to Your Blog With Pinterest

Most people use Pinterest to find delicious-looking dishes to try out, look up home decor ideas, or plan their dream vacation. But did you know that you can also use the platform to increase your blog traffic?

Pinterest isn’t a social networking platform, it’s a search engine where people search for images and then save them. That means Pinterest users are looking for new content, fresh ideas, and discovering new websites.

And since most business and content creators are focusing their marketing efforts on Facebook and Instagram, Pinterest can help set yourself apart from the competition.

Here are five easy ways for tapping the power of Pinterest to drive more traffic to your blog.

Optimize your Pinterest Profile 

While it only takes about a minute to create a Pinterest profile, it doesn’t mean your work is done. To get the most out of this visual platform, it is essential to optimize your profile, so it reflects your personal brand.

Upload a photo of you, not your logo. Using your personal photo helps you connect with your audience.

Pinterest is a search engine. So don’t forget to optimize your bio description and incorporate keywords based on your blog niche. If you have a mom blog and write content about organizing, you can use keywords like parenting tips, organizing tips, or decluttering in your bio description.

Choose the best blogs to pin

While you want to drive more people to your website, pinning every blog on Pinterest is not necessary. To get better results, we recommend doing some quick research to find what topics people are searching for and are already pinning.

As you do your research, create a list of the search words and common words found in the title and description. It would be easier for you to drive traffic to your blog if you pin blog posts that already have an audience on Pinterest.

What’s great about Pinterest is that you can create multiple pins for the same blog. It would be a good idea to try out different titles to see which one would capture your audience’s attention and bring the most traffic to your site.

Make your pins standout 

Since Pinterest is a visual platform, you must create pins that are visually appealing. Otherwise, yours will be lost in the sea of other content.

Use high-quality, vertical images on your Pinterest pins to really get people’s attention and stop them from scrolling. Also, make sure that it matches the recommended size for pins (2:3 aspect ratio or 1000 x 1500 pixels). You can create custom images with the size you want on Canva.

Another great way to make your pins stand out is to create curiosity with your pins. The goal is to provide just enough information to pique their interest but leave them wanting more. This way, they’ll have no choice but to click through to your blog to learn more. This strategy will not only help increase engagement but will also drive traffic to your blog.

Publish at the best times 

Just like any other social network, timing is critical on Pinterest. Your pins are likely to get more clicks if you publish at a time when more people are online and ready to interact with you.

According to Oberlo, the best times to post are on Fridays and Saturdays, around 8:00 to 11:00 pm and 2:00 am to 4:00 am.

Tailwind, a scheduling tool for Pinterest, has a SmartSchedule feature that suggests the best time to post based on your industry and the activity on your pins.

Spread the word 

Now that everything is set, it’s time to let your avid readers and loyal followers know that you also have an active presence on Pinterest.

Leverage all the social channels you’re already using and tell your followers about your Pinterest page. And don’t forget to link your website to your Pinterest page.

Final thoughts

Getting started with Pinterest can be quite confusing. But once you get the hang of it, you’ll realize how a social media platform most people ignore can have so much impact on your blog growth.

Establishing a Pinterest presence for your blog doesn’t have to be intimidating. Whether you’re an established blogger or you’re just getting started, we’re here to help.

Schedule a free 30-minute consultation with us, and we’ll help you bring more traffic to your blog with Pinterest marketing.
<How to Drive More Traffic to Your Blog With Pinterest

How to Drive More Traffic to Your Blog With Pinterest

 

How to Drive More Traffic to Your Blog With Pinterest

/by