Author: jonathan.howard

  • Unlock Sales Success With The Power of Storytelling

    Unlock Sales Success With The Power of Storytelling

    Why Storytelling is the Secret Sauce to Sales

    This blog post is pulled from Episode 9 of the Coffee Social poscast. Click here to listen to the full episode. ‘

    Let’s cut to the chase: humans are hardwired for storytelling. From caveman etchings to TikTok trends, we’ve always loved a good story. But here’s the kicker—stories don’t just entertain us; they inspire action. And when it comes to marketing, action equals sales. If you’re not weaving storytelling into your strategy, you’re leaving money on the table. And let’s face it, nobody wants to leave money on the table. 

    Why Stories Work

    Ever notice how a good story sticks with you? That’s not an accident. When someone tells a compelling story, their brain syncs with yours. You’re not just hearing the words; you’re feeling the emotions, visualizing the scenes, and stepping into the narrative. That connection builds trust, and trust is the foundation of sales. As I said on the Coffee Social podcast Ep 9, “Stories sell. Numbers tell.” And while data is critical, it’s the story that makes people care enough to buy.

    Paint the Picture of Transformation

    A great story does two things: it shows the struggle and the solution. Think of it as the “sad to happy” journey. Your customer’s pain points—that’s the darkness. Your product or service? That’s the light. Highlighting this transformation is what convinces people you can take them where they want to go.

    Example: Let’s say you’re a coach helping women overcome their fear of showing up on video. Instead of saying, “I’ll teach you how to use Instagram Lives,” try this: “Three years ago, I was terrified of video. My business was stuck, and I knew I had to do something. So, I took on a challenge—100 days of live videos. By the end, my confidence was through the roof, my Facebook group grew from 30 to 400 members, and my inbox was flooded with inquiries. I can help you get there too—without 100 days of live videos.”

    See the difference? You’re showing them that you understand their struggle, but you also have the roadmap to success.

    Where to Use Stories

    Here’s the best part: stories work everywhere. Whether you’re posting on Instagram, writing an email, hosting a webinar, or recording a podcast, storytelling is your MVP. And no, it doesn’t have to be a Hollywood production. A simple, relatable story can be just as impactful—sometimes more so.

    Pro Tip: Your stories are evergreen. Don’t shy away from repeating them. Not everyone sees your content the first time, and even those who do might need to hear it multiple times for it to sink in.

    Make It Relatable

    The magic of storytelling lies in making your audience feel like you’re speaking directly to them. When your ideal customer hears your story and thinks, “That’s so me,” you’ve hit the jackpot. Understanding your audience’s pain points and desires is key to creating these “that’s so me” moments.

    Practical Tips for Storytelling

    • Start with Your Own Stories: Reflect on moments in your life or business that align with your customer’s struggles and victories. Keep a “story bank”—a running list of experiences you can draw from.
    • Structure Matters: Think hero’s journey. Your customer is the hero, and you’re the guide who’ll help them overcome their challenges. I repeat, you are NOT the hero. 
    • Keep It Simple: You don’t need fancy transitions or dramatic effects. Talking straight to the camera or writing from the heart can be just as effective.

    Show, Don’t Tell

    Instead of lecturing your audience, immerse them in the experience. For example, instead of saying, “You need to learn moderation tools on Clubhouse,” paint the picture: “Imagine someone starts disrupting your stage, and people start leaving. Knowing how to mute or remove them instantly is the difference between saving your room and watching it spiral.”

    Takeaway: Storytelling = Connection

    At the end of the day, storytelling is about building connections. People buy from those they trust, and trust comes from feeling understood. Whether it’s a heartfelt anecdote, a funny mishap, or a lesson learned the hard way, your story could be the nudge someone needs to hit “buy now.”

    So, what story are you going to tell today? Let your audience see themselves in your journey, and watch the magic happen.

  • Why I Spent $152 On Dog Bowl Sets

    Why I Spent $152 On Dog Bowl Sets

    Unleashing Your Signature Style on Social Media—Why a $152 Dog Bowl Teaches Us So Much

    Yes, $152 for a dog bowl might seem like a lot, but the lessons it teaches us about our Signature Style and how we should show up on social media are invaluable!

    #1 Knowing The Avatar

    The first step in mastering your Signature Style is knowing your avatar—your ideal customer. Imagine a brand that knows its customers so well that it caters to a niche group of pet owners who treat their dogs like royalty. These pet owners value their furry friends more than anything and might even go to great lengths to hide the cost of premium products from their significant others. Why? Because to them, ensuring their pet eats in style and comfort is worth every penny.

    To make this premium product more accessible, the brand offered a 10% discount on the first purchase and sweetened the deal by donating to an animal shelter with every sale. This wasn’t just about selling a product; it was about speaking directly to the heart of their customer’s values and lifestyle.

    Takeaway: Do you know your avatar as well as this brand knows it? Understanding your audience’s desires, values, and pain points is crucial for crafting resonating messages. When you speak their language, you’re not just selling a product—you’re connecting on a deeper level.

    #2 Offering a Unique Solution

    When you have a Signature Style, you don’t just offer products; you provide solutions that stand out. This brand recognized that I wasn’t just looking for any dog bowl. I needed one that was elevated, included a slow feeder, and still looked stylish—not just some ugly, random shelf.

    This product was the only one that combined all the features I needed into one sleek, well-designed package. It solved a specific problem in a way that no other product could.

    Takeaway: What unique solution do you offer that sets you apart from the competition? Your Signature Style should shine through when addressing your audience’s needs. When you provide something they can’t find anywhere else, they’ll keep coming back to you.

    #3 Repeat, Repeat, Repeat

    The final and perhaps most critical lesson is the power of consistent messaging. This brand didn’t just pop up in my feed once—it showed up repeatedly, with clear branding and a compelling narrative about its product. It didn’t bombard me with price tags or endless lists of features. Instead, it told the story behind the product, introduced the new ownership, addressed past issues openly, and emphasized what these bowls would mean for my pets.

    I saw their posts—both organic and paid—at least 20 times while searching for the right product. Each time, I was intrigued, impressed, but didn’t click immediately. If you were in their shoes, would you have given up on me? They didn’t, and eventually, I made the purchase.

    Takeaway: Repetition is key in marketing. On social media, only about 10% of your audience sees what you post, and research suggests people need to see something seven times before making a purchase. So, don’t be afraid to repeat your message and revisit the same topics. Consistency builds trust and keeps your brand at the forefront of your mind.


    Bringing It All Together

    This unconventional example—yes, a $152 dog bowl—highlights the importance of having a Signature Style on social media. It’s about clarity, uniqueness, and consistent messaging. When you master these elements, you don’t just sell a product; you build a connection with your audience that keeps them coming back.

    If you want to learn more about showcasing your Signature Style and uncovering your unique magic, click here! And if you’re ready to join our membership and dive deeper into this transformative process, click below!

  • I’m A Sewist: A Spin on Signature Style

    I’m A Sewist: A Spin on Signature Style

    Hey there, I am so ready to spill some serious tea on making trends work for you… while still being you.

    Today, I want to show you the power of leveraging a hot trend in a way that fits your vibe—AKA your Signature Style—and how it can send your reach skyrocketing. Let’s talk about one of my members, Lisa Woolfork (founder of @blackwomenstitch) and her massive success with her “I Am A Sewist” reel series.

    The Backstory

    Lisa started this series right before the holidays in 2023. She pinged me in a private Clubhouse room, asking whether she should keep the reels going or let it be a one-and-done. I took a look, and my advice was simple: Run with it, And run she did!

    Here’s a snapshot of her numbers (not a complete list):

    • 25.8K
    • 212K
    • 44K
    • 1.2 Million
    • 43.2K

    And so on, for a total of approximately 2.5 million views! Cue the confetti. 

    Oh, and did I mention her follower count has doubled since December? Yeah, that’s what nailing your Signature Style can do.

    Lisa’s Signature Style in Action

    • Playful Yet Specific Tone: Lisa knows how to deliver her message in a fun, relatable way while still being super clear about what she’s doing.
    • Informative & Entertaining Reels: She seamlessly blends teaching moments with humor.
    • Signature Clothing (She Makes Her Own Clothes!): She shows up in her reels wearing her creations—talk about a personal brand.
    • No Fear: She’s not afraid to “go there,” including undergarments. Because hey, if you sew it, you should show it!

    Lisa’s Own Lessons Learned

    1. Listen to Jonathan (that’s me—and she is so right).
    2. Do What Feels Right to YOU. People smell ick from a mile away.
    3. Batch Record & Schedule Ahead. Consistency for the win.
    4. Reply to Comments (Use iPhone text shortcuts to speed things up).

    What We Can All Learn from Lisa’s Success

    1. Step Outside Your Comfort Zone. If the trend works for your niche, take a risk!
    2. Stay Connected to the Topic. Just because something is trending doesn’t mean it’s right for you.
    3. It Only Takes One Video. One reel can seriously catapult your visibility.
    4. Make a Trend Your Own. Trends are tools, not rules—bend them to fit your personal style.
    5. If It Works, Repeat. Rinse, repeat, and watch your reach keep climbing.
    6. Use Your Signature Style Every Time. Know how you want to show up online so your content is instantly recognizable.

    Why Signature Style Matters

    Your Signature Style is your calling card on social media. It’s not just about pretty fonts or perfect color palettes; it’s about showing up as a real human your audience can connect with. And that authentic spark? That’s what resonates with people—every. Single. Time.

    Ready to Develop Your Signature Style?

    Ever feel like you’re the best-kept secret in your niche? Or maybe you’re just kinda sick of playing small. If you’re ready to unlock your potential and dominate social media the authentic way, let’s talk about my Signature Membership.

    What You Get Each Month:

    • A fresh report packed with content ideas, trending audios, and proven strategies to ignite your growth.
    • Two monthly “Power Hours” for live Q&A and on-the-spot coaching.
    • Hot Seat Coaching Sessions for one or two members each month. That’s personalized support to crush whatever’s holding you back.

    This membership is about showing up differently and finally being seen. Imagine having the blueprint for creating content that slays on social media—and the confidence to share it unapologetically.

    Let’s Do This

    Ready to step into the spotlight? Don’t wait until next month or next year. Click here to learn more about the Signature Membership and start your journey to social media success.

    No more hiding. No more best-kept-secret syndrome. Let’s go from “meh” to “YAS QUEEN” in your niche. Because if Lisa can rake in millions of views, so can you.

  • The Foundation of An Unstoppable Signature Style

    The Foundation of An Unstoppable Signature Style

    A Signature Style Defined

    Develop Your Signature Style: Stand Out and Become a Thought Leader

    Your Signature Style is a harmonious blend of visual elements, content, strategic planning, and your unique personality. This distinctive combination creates a personalized way of presenting yourself online. By consistently applying your Signature Style, you not only differentiate yourself from the competition but also build a loyal, engaged fanbase and communicate your message more effectively.

    As a successful coach, you understand the importance of standing out on social media. Your Signature Style is the key to transforming from the best-kept secret to a recognized thought leader in your niche. To help you achieve this, I’ve outlined five actionable steps to develop your Signature Style. By taking these actions over the next few weeks, you will build a solid foundation to set you apart and amplify your online presence.

    1. Get Specific

    Understanding your audience is the first step in developing your Signature Style. To do this effectively, you need to know who you serve and how you serve them.

    • Who do you serve, and how do you serve them?
    • How did your unique solution help them?
    • Why did they choose you?

    Action Item: Interview at least three former clients. Focus on gathering detailed answers to these questions. Pay close attention to their language, how they describe their problems and their perspectives. This insight is invaluable for tailoring your messaging and positioning.

    2. Gain Clarity

    Clarity is crucial when defining what makes you unique and why you are the best choice for your clients. Knowing why clients choose you allows you to focus on the most impactful content and copy for your business.

    • What makes you unique?
    • Why are you the best choice for your clients?

    Action Item: Ask three current customers why they decided to work with you instead of someone else. This feedback will help you pinpoint your unique strengths and areas to highlight in your content.

    3. Discover Your Secret Sauce

    Your competitive edge lies in what you do differently from others in your niche. Understanding where you excel and where you have room for improvement compared to your competition is essential.

    • How do you stack up against the competition?
    • Where are they beating you?
    • What are you beating them on?
    • What gaps exist in the marketplace that you can fill?

    Action Item: Conduct a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) of two competitors you consider direct competition. This analysis will reveal your unique selling points and opportunities to leverage.

    4. Highlight Unique Actions You Take

    Identify the specific actions you take in your business that others in your niche do not. These actions are what set you apart and contribute to your success.

    • What three things do you do in your business that others in your niche fail to do?
    • Why are these three things important to you?
    • How do they help you stand out and ensure your business succeeds?

    Action Item: List these three unique actions and brainstorm ways to create content and products that solve your clients’ problems related to these actions.

    5. Uphold Your Values

    Your beliefs and values play a critical role in differentiating yourself online. Embrace the values that set you apart and make you unique in your niche.

    • Identify two beliefs or values you possess that go against the norm in your niche.
    • These will be essential for differentiating yourself online.

    Action Item: Spend 15 minutes journaling about your “WHY” and how your business supports that. Reflect on these values and integrate them into your brand messaging and content.

    Conclusion

    Implementing these five action items will create a robust Signature Style that sets you apart as a thought leader in your niche. Remember, your Signature Style is more than just aesthetics—a comprehensive system encompassing your branding, strategy, and engagement.

    If you need further guidance, join our community of coaches dedicated to making a difference and standing out in the crowded online space. For more details, click here.

    Take action today and start building your Signature Style to transform your social media presence and achieve lasting success.

  • Reputation Management and Social Proof

    Reputation Management and Social Proof

    Updated July 6, 2024

    Understanding Social Proof and Reputation Management

    I use the term “social proof” when discussing customer reviews because I emphasize the power of positive feedback. A series of glowing testimonials can put a business on the map—social proof is powerful. It highlights how positive reviews can validate your brand story.

    However, social proof focuses solely on positive feedback and doesn’t address negative reviews or provide strategies for handling them. We’re leveraging your customers’ positive reviews to support your story.

    On the other hand, reputation management considers the bigger picture. It’s a more comprehensive approach that deals with negative reviews and is commonly used in SEO and other industries, focusing on a business’s overall customer feedback.

    For additional information on the idea of social proof, you can refer to this blog post as well as in this webinar.

    Why Reputation Management and Social Proof Matter?

    The following statistics highlight why reputation management and social proof matter. If you ignored customer reviews before, you will now. These numbers are eye-opening and illustrate the importance of providing an excellent customer experience.

    • Most people (88%) like companies that reply to their reviews
    • Almost everyone (92%) trusts what their friends say, and many (70%) trust what strangers say
    • Most shopping (87%) starts with looking up stuff online first
    • Nearly everyone (97%) says online reviews help them decide what to buy
    • Sales pages sell 34% more with testimonials (people saying good things)
    • Over half (56%) of American social media users feel FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out).
    • Good reviews make people spend 31% more money.
    • Most people (83%) think reviews older than three months aren’t helpful anymore.

    40+ Social Proof Statistics (Latest 2024 DATA)

    Can I Pay a Company to Delete Negative Reviews?

    No! Negative reviews offer valuable insights into your business and how your audience perceives their experience. Deleting them won’t solve the underlying issues and can lead to a loss of trust. Instead, view each review as an opportunity to improve your customer experience.

    Respond to all reviews, both positive and negative. The quicker you respond, the better your chance of improving your rating. Often, people want to be heard. Show empathy and put yourself in their shoes. Before making any judgments, ensure you verify both sides of the story.

    Use these experiences as teaching moments for your team. Negative reviews can be powerful tools for growth and improvement if handled correctly.

    Reputation Management: Key Steps for Handling Negative Reviews

    Negative reviews can significantly impact your business, as clients trust and value the opinions of their peers. Often, one negative review reflects the experiences of multiple customers who didn’t take the time to write a review themselves. Never underestimate the power of a negative review, but remember that handling it properly can help you gain respect and authority.

    Turning a negative review into a positive experience can demonstrate your commitment to customer satisfaction. Here are the steps you should take when dealing with an unsatisfied customer:

    Immediate Steps to Take

    1. Respond to the review immediately. The quicker you react, the higher the chance the reviewer will improve their rating. Resolving the issue within 24 hours makes the reviewer 33% more likely to increase their score. Additionally, responding to reviews shows future customers that you value their experience and are committed to ensuring each interaction is positive.
    2. Take the time to understand what happened. Listen for key phrases like, “if they had only,” or “I wish that,” which can highlight what the customer was hoping for. These insights are crucial for reaching a favorable resolution.
    3. If an immediate resolution isn’t possible, let the reviewer know you’re looking into the situation and set a time to follow up within 12-24 hours. This demonstrates your commitment to addressing their concerns promptly.

    Within 12-24 hours of Review

    1. Gather Information: Get both sides of the story. Did the customer mention names in the review? What was their impression of the interaction? Was anyone else present? Always discuss these details in private.
    2. Review and Reach Out: Assess all the information you’ve collected and then contact the customer. Seize the chance to develop a personal connection.
    3. Be Empathetic and Understanding: Show empathy and understanding while remaining impartial. Put yourself in your client’s shoes before responding. Each interaction is an opportunity to positively impact, it is not a burden.
    4. Listen and Resolve: Have a resolution in mind, but let the customer lead the conversation. This approach shows you value their input and are committed to resolving their concerns effectively.

    Within 36 Hours of the Review

    1. Find a Solution Quickly: Aim to resolve the problem by the 36-hour mark. Consider what it will take to make the customer feel better about their experience. Remember, a lost customer means lost revenue for a lifetime.
    2. Agree on a Resolution: Once you’ve found a solution, agree with the client. Before ending the conversation, ask if there’s anything else you can assist them with. Often, customers will give you another chance to impress them.
    3. Request a Rating Update: After agreeing on a resolution, politely ask if the customer can update their rating. Don’t request a specific score or offer incentives for a higher rating.
    4. Implement Changes: If the resolution involves changing policies, ensure everyone on your team is informed. This prevents the same negative experience from reoccurring with the same customer or others.

    Immediately Following the Resolution with the Customer

    1. Document the Experience: Take detailed notes on the incident, including the customer’s name, contact information, and specifics of the event. Record the resolution details and keep them on file for future reference.
    2. Respond Online: Publicly respond to the review. Apologize for the sub-par experience, mention the resolution, and thank the individual for their business.
    3. Educate Your Team: Use the experience as a teaching opportunity. Discuss the preferred solution for handling similar situations in the future. Focus on learning and improvement rather than punishment.

    Preventing Future Negative Experiences

    1. Make Necessary Changes: To avoid similar negative experiences in the future, consider what changes can be implemented in training, policies, or employee practices. Think outside the box to find effective solutions.
    2. Seek Additional Information: If you receive a negative review about an unfamiliar situation, don’t hesitate to contact the review site for more details. If the site cannot reach the customer to verify the details, they may delete the negative review.
    3. Follow Up Respectfully: If the customer does not change their review, reach out once to check if they are still dissatisfied. However, do not badger them to change the rating. Respect their decision and focus on improving for the future.

    Striving for the Ideal Outcome

    The goal is always a five-star review. We’ve fallen short of that goal when we receive a negative review. It’s time to make the best of a bad situation. Acting quickly, showing empathy, and truly listening to the customer’s concerns can transform a two-star review into a more acceptable rating. Demonstrate to your customers that you value them by addressing their issues promptly and effectively.

    Identify and eliminate pain points in your organization’s customer experience. Remember, your customer should always be the number one priority for your entire team. The moment the customer is no longer the focus, your business starts to lose ground.

  • Write Social Media Captions that Add Value

    Write Social Media Captions that Add Value

    Mastering the Art of Captions

    A value-packed caption can be as impactful as a photo that tells a story. Captions aren’t just a nice-to-have anymore—unless you’re a celebrity or influencer like Kim Kardashian. The right caption can transform a good post into a great one and make a great post blow up! If you’re still stuck in the past, thinking captions don’t matter, here’s the reality check: Captions Matter!

    A great caption speaks directly to your audience. It’s easy to read, easy to understand, and it grabs attention while adding value. Does that sound like a lot for just a few words? Maybe, but leaving the caption blank and hoping for the best won’t cut it. Social media marketing isn’t a walk in the park anymore. The prettiest picture doesn’t automatically win, even on Instagram. Social Media Marketing is a full-contact sport, so gear up and get writing! Crafting the perfect caption can add value for your followers and turn them into clients, making all the effort worthwhile.

    So, how do you write great captions for your posts? Check out some of the tips below.

    The Structure of Captions That Add Value

    There are many different ways to structure your caption, and the best structure for your niche and the kind of content you are delivering can vary. However, here are some overarching tips on the best structure to utilize for captions.

    Valuable Captions Have the Important Words First

    Having the most important words first seems obvious. But many of us lose sight of this. We forget how short attention spans are (8 seconds) and that we are scrolling social media feeds at breakneck speeds. If you have any chance of capturing your audience’s attention, you better do it fast. Include your keywords of the caption in the first couple of lines. Just like with any writing, I recommend the Say What You Are Going to Say, Say It, and Say That You Said It Strategy. Don’t be afraid to be bold, funny, or a bit controversial in your first statement. Make sure it captures the attention of your audience and is brand-appropriate. It is your hook, and if you don’t hook them in the first few words, they are out!

    Crafting the Body of Your Valuable Caption

    The body of your caption is where you deliver on the promise you made in the first few lines. This is the “say it” part. You’ve hooked your audience with a teaser; now it’s time to provide valuable information. This can be answers to questions, helpful tools and tricks, a compelling story, or a Q&A session. In most cases you want to make sure your caption connects directly to the image or video you’re using.

    After this you will quickly recap what you said, for the said that you said it portion of the caption and then its time for your call to action.

    Include Calls to Action (CTAs) and questions in the final paragraph. CTAs and questions are important for encouraging engagement. They prompt your audience to interact with you, turning passive viewers into active participants. Be creative with your questions and CTAs, but remember—simple, easy-to-answer prompts often generate the most engagement.

    Hashtags and @Mentions: Keep Them at the End

    Hashtags and @mentions are important for reaching a wider audience, but they shouldn’t clutter your main message. Place them at the end of your caption to keep your main content clear and readable. Write a valuable, engaging caption first, then add relevant hashtags and mentions to boost your post’s visibility.

    Give Your Captions Room to Breath

    A big text block can be intimidating, and your audience is less likely to engage with something that feels overwhelming. Break up your captions with emojis, paragraph breaks, and lists to create space and make them more inviting. Aim for one to three-sentence paragraphs to be the perfect length.

    Use Visual Elements

    Emojis can add personality and break up text, making it more engaging. Use them to highlight key points or add a touch of fun to your message.

    Paragraph Breaks and Lists

    Utilize paragraph breaks to keep your text manageable. Lists are also a great way to present information clearly and concisely.

    Keep It Simple

    Short paragraphs make your content more digestible and engaging. Remember, the easier it is to read, the more likely your audience will interact with your post.

    General Tips for Creating Captions that Add Value

    Always Know What You Want the Post to Accomplish

    Every social media post should have a clear purpose, goal, or reason for being there. When creating captions, keep that purpose in mind. What action do you want your audience to take after reading your caption? Determine the desired response and put yourself in your audience’s shoes. Ask yourself these questions while crafting your caption:

    • Does my audience care about this post topic?
    • If I saw this in my feed, how would I react?
    • Am I encouraging conversation or just preaching?
    • Is this interesting, thought-provoking, solving a problem, inspiring or entertaining?
    • What impact will this have on my brand?

    Write a caption to make you react how you want your audience to react. Create content your audience cares about, encourage engagement, and spark conversation. Ensure it’s exciting or thought-provoking and positively impacts your brand.

    Remember, it’s okay to experiment with different strategies until you find what resonates with your audience.

    Always Encourage Engagement

    Let’s get back to basics: social media is all about being social. It’s about having conversations, not just broadcasting at people. You want to engage your followers and get them involved in a dialogue. Encourage your audience to respond by asking open-ended questions in your captions. These types of questions drive better engagement, so get creative. Another effective strategy is to include a call to action in your caption.

    Tell a Story in Your Caption

    Your caption is the perfect place to tell a story. Stories are naturally engaging and have been a fundamental part of human communication since the days of cave paintings. They help build a connection between you and your audience, bringing emotion and personality into your social media presence.

    Share stories and anecdotes of success, positive experiences, and how you’ve created success in your business. Don’t shy away from sharing struggles, moments when failure seemed imminent, and days when you felt down and out. These stories of struggle can be even more powerful than success stories because they show you’re human and can encourage and inspire those who are currently facing challenges.

    By weaving stories into your captions, you highlight your personality and build deeper, more authentic relationships with your audience.

    Add Value to Your Caption By Being the Best Version of Yourself

    If you’ve built your brand on a solid foundation, it should already reflect what YOU do best, not what others do. Your brand should showcase what you want your business to be known for and mirror your personality. So, don’t hesitate to be yourself in your captions. Being a real ass human is engaging because there’s no one else out there like you.

    Branding is all about differentiation, so use what makes you unique. It’s fine to be quirky, funny, unique, or even weird. These qualities help you stand out and engage people. You’ll build a loyal audience that supports your brand because they appreciate what only you can offer.

    Keep the Value Simple

    Ensure your value is easy to see and digestible for your audience. This can vary by industry but aim to keep it straightforward and accessible. Avoid overstimulating your readers or talking down to them. Instead, offer bite-sized, valuable content that resonates and engages effectively.

    Final Check: Does Your Caption Add Value?

    You’ve written your captions, proofread them, ensured they make sense, and confirmed they align with your brand and the story you’re telling with your photo or video. Great! You’re ready to schedule them, right?

    Hold on a second!

    Before you post anything on social media, ask yourself these two crucial questions:

    1. Does this post have value?
    2. Is it valuable, or will it resonate with my audience

    Confirming Value: A Crucial Step

    If the answer to both questions is yes, you’re good to go. Consider these questions during social media planning, especially when crafting your captions. Reflect on how your post will serve your audience. Ask yourself and your team:

    • How will this serve my audience?
    • What value will my intended audience take away from this caption?
    • Is it teaching them a lesson they want to learn?
    • Is it answering a question they’ve asked?
    • Is it expanding on a story they’re interested in?

    When Your Caption Doesn’t Add Value

    If the answer to either question is no—if the post doesn’t add value, or it doesn’t add value for your intended audience—it shouldn’t make it onto your calendar. This final check ensures you always deliver content that benefits your audience, ultimately boosting engagement.

    Tips to Level Up Your Caption Game

    If you’ve mastered creating valuable captions and consistently adding value to your audience, it’s time to take your skills to the next level! As you explore advanced techniques, remember that the fundamentals still apply. Here are a few favorite ways to level up your caption writing skills:

    Pay Close Attention to Your Brand Voice

    One advanced move is to ensure your brand voice is consistent across all your captions and posts. Start writing all your social media content in a way that aligns with your brand language. Here’s how:

    1. Define Your Brand Voice: Clearly outline what your brand sounds like. Is it friendly, professional, quirky, or authoritative? Make sure this tone is reflected in every piece of content you create.
    2. Consistency Across Platforms: Your brand voice should be present in all communications, not just your posts. This includes profiles, comments, responses to comments, affiliate posts, and advertising. Consistency builds a unified and believable brand.
    3. Create a Brand Book: Develop a formal style and brand book. This guide should include your brand’s tone, language style, and key phrases. Ensure everyone involved in your social media, from posts to customer responses, follows this guide.
    4. Implement an Approval Process: Have a system in place for approving all posts, updates, and responses to ensure they align with your brand voice. This helps maintain consistency and quality.

    By paying close attention to your brand voice and ensuring it’s consistent across all platforms, you create a stronger, more unified brand that resonates with your audience. These advanced techniques will help you refine your caption game and make your social media presence even more impactful.

    Try the Mini Blog Format Caption

    Deliver more value with a mini-blog format caption. This caption type includes titles and sections covering a specific topic and providing key takeaways. While longer posts can be tricky and may not attract as many readers, those who invest the time are often your most loyal supporters. Some people may even save your post to revisit later. Use the mini-blog format to introduce broader topics or themes and engage your audience deeper. Pro Tip: Highlight key points from your longer caption by creating a story update featuring the text.

    Begin Utilizing CTAs to Drive Followers to Your Website

    Social media platforms can be unpredictable. Instagram could disappear tomorrow, Facebook might demand hefty ad spending for visibility, and Twitter could implode. Using these platforms to build a real audience is crucial—one you can reach even if social media goes belly up. If Instagram vanished tomorrow, how many followers could you still connect with? Use CTAs to drive your social media followers to your website, where you can capture their contact information. Make them engaged followers on and off social media to secure your long-term stability.

    Focus on 3-5 Themes

    Identify what works on your social media and what’s missing. Focusing on delivering valuable posts with strong captions will give you insight into what resonates with your audience. Use this information to determine your brand’s 3-5 best themes and build your content calendar around these themes. Narrowing your focus allows you to hone your expertise in these areas, making content creation more manageable and effective. This clarity helps your audience understand who you are and why you matter.

    Tools to Help You Write Valuable Captions

    Grammarly Is My Jam

    Want to be a better writer? Eliminate unnecessary words and be more concise. Grammarly Premium is worth its weight in gold as it catches a considerable percentage of grammar and spelling errors and advanced mistakes. The premium version includes critical grammar and spelling checks, conciseness checks, readability checks, vocabulary enhancement checks, genre-specific writing checks, tone checks, and plagiarism checks. A free version is also an excellent tool for catching all the critical spelling and grammar errors.

    The Hemingway App 

    The Hemingway App says it will make your writing “bold and clear.” It works by analyzing text and highlighting places where your content is sloppy or indulgent! It helps you eliminate superfluous and ornamental words and phrases. I like this one because it helps you clearly engage with your captions.

    Cliché Finder

    If you are anything like me, you may tend to lean towards cliches as a safe space. But when you consider the fact that cliches are cliches because they have virtually lost all their meaning, you realize they are not going to help you create real, impactful captions. This is where a tool like a cliche finder is so useful, you enter some text into the app, and hit the submit button. Cliches in your writing appear in red.

    Understanding the Value of Creating Valuable Captions

    Providing value in captions is the first step in getting your audience to want to get to know more. You have a few words to capture them and highlight the value you have to offer right from the first contact. Make the most of every caption and try the tips and tricks provided and see how they work for your business. We took a fairly deep dive into how to write valuable captions, but we could probably go even deeper on captions. We hope that you can build your social media presence with a solid foundation with the tips we provided. Captions are a crucial part of content creation and social media management. They should be a part of your content calendar planning and can help you tell your story on social media. Customized content and captions are also vital aspects of what we do differently here at JRH Graphics. And even though we covered a lot here, a deeper dive is certainly possible, so please let us know what you would like to hear more on, have us explore more deeply, or explain differently! Please take a second to leave notes in the comments below.

  • 9 Ways to Get Out of Your Social Media Rut

    9 Ways to Get Out of Your Social Media Rut

    Revised June 2024

    Stuck in a Social Media Rut?

    You might be in a social media rut if any of these sound familiar:

    • Your content feels uninspired.
    • Your posts lack engagement and feel flat.
    • Every post feels like a chore.
    • You feel disconnected from what you’re posting.

    Don’t worry; we’re here to help! Revitalize your spirit and social media presence with these 9 Ways to Get Out of Your Social Media Rut. These tips will help you reframe, refocus, and re-energize your posts without wasting time and effort.

    Save yourself the hassle and try these 9 Ways first!

    9 Ways to Get Out of Your Social Media Rut: 3 Inspirational Strategies

     

    Plan a Day of Inspiration

    The top recommendation for getting out of your social media rut is to plan a day of inspiration for yourself. Forget about social media and the stress it’s causing. Don’t post anything! Dedicate this day to activities that make you happy. Engage in things you love, whether related to your business or not.

    The idea is to spend a day genuinely focused on what you enjoy without considering social media. This break will help you re-center your energy and efforts on what truly matters. Content creation should come from the heart and reflect your passion for your business. Focusing on what you love will reignite your creativity, and meaningful content will naturally surface.

    A Day of Inspiration for Jonathan at Success on .Social

    A day of inspiration for Jonathan at Success on .Social can take many forms. I plan a day behind my camera when I’m stuck in a content creation rut. On this day, my focus is solely on what my camera sees, not on what I want it to capture. The key difference between a content creation day (where I control what the camera sees) and an inspiration day (where the camera leads) is this shift in perspective.

    I don’t plan where I’ll go; I simply walk and see where I end up. With no schedule or specific purpose, I let the camera guide me. This spontaneous walking clears my head. I’m not thinking about creating social media posts or how I will use a photo to tell my story—I’m just taking pictures.

    Get Unstuck by Looking at Leaders and Brands That Inspire You

    Do you follow leaders, influencers, or brands because their content inspires you? Have you ever followed a brand hoping to create content as strong as theirs? Looking at the content of others that inspire you is a great way to reignite your creativity. Sometimes, all it takes is one great post to pull you out of your rut.

    When using others’ content as inspiration, ask yourself:

    • How would this post work with my brand?
    • What creative elements would I use to make this my own?
    • How could I adapt this focus for my brand?

    By asking these questions, you can analyze the content’s objectives that inspire you and create something uniquely your own.

    Get Out of Your Social Media Rut by Getting Inspired by Your Competition

    What is your competition posting? Do they have a new product, concept, or campaign? Sometimes, a little friendly rivalry can spark inspiration. There’s no harm in observing what your competitors are doing and using it as a source of inspiration. However, it’s crucial not to compare yourself directly to your competition or copy their content. Instead, view their efforts as a springboard for your creativity. Your goal is to be inspired to create unique and engaging content for your brand.

    Get Out of Your Social Media Rut: 4 Content-Based Strategies

    Did the 3 inspirational strategies not catapult you out of your social media rut? Sometimes, it’s not just inspiration that’s missing; sometimes, you need to mix up your content and engagement strategies. If you think this might be the case, try these four strategies to help get you back on track.

    Invest in the Relationships You Have

    You have a relationship with every follower. Invest in those relationships by engaging directly. Respond to all comments, acknowledge likes, and answer your followers’ questions. Basic engagement strategies encourage your followers to keep interacting with your posts.

    Every time an audience member asks a question, it’s an opportunity. How can you resolve their problem in a post or a series of posts? The more questions you can answer, the more content you can create. More importantly, you become a valuable resource for them. Investing in relationships is not just a strategy to get you out of your social media rut; it’s also a great way to build a loyal following.

    Reframe Your Role

    This strategy is closely related to investing in the relationships you have with your customers. Position yourself as a resource and an expert in your niche. Reframing your role on social media can dramatically impact what you can post. Let’s compare the content from Jonathan Howard, Everyday Guy with 2 Puggles, and Jonathan Howard, Owner of Success on .Social.

    Jonathan Howard, Everyday Dog Owner

    • Posts about my dogs
    • Content about my house
    • Talking about my photos
    • Discussing what I ate
    • Day-to-day activities
    • Talking about my family
    • Where I am going

    Jonathan Howard, Owner of Success on .Social

    • All the things the dog owner can post about
    • Content creation
    • Social media strategies
    • Storytelling and Building Your Story Bank
    • Developing Your Signature Style
    • Basic business strategies
    • Small business success tips

    By reframing your role, you can expand your content possibilities and establish yourself as a trusted expert in your field.

     

    Get Unstuck by Reposting or Repurposing Existing Content

    This type of content creation became popular with the rise of short-form videos. Experts often suggest finding your top-performing piece and recreating it as a reel. Previously, many of us relied on photo + caption style posts. Over the years, we’ve touched on many topics but often don’t revisit them because we think, “I’ve already done that!” However, this mindset can hold you back. If the content is still relevant, you can repost it or change the format and repurpose it.

    One key to being recognized as a leader in your niche is consistently repeating your message.

    Transforming photo posts into video posts forces you to rethink how to deliver the content effectively in a new format. By doing this, you create a new and relevant post. Each format—whether a live video, a recorded video, a short-form video, or a YouTube tutorial—requires a different approach. This strategy can lead to a wealth of content simply by reframing what you’ve already created.

    Have Your Blog Help You Out of the Rut

    I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again: Your blog is a powerful social media tool! It’s one of my favorite strategies to expand your reach on social media because it maximizes each piece of content. Your blog is also a great source of material to post on social media. Pair your words, a quote, or an action item with a relevant picture, and voilà—you have a piece of content to post.

    What’s even better is that you can include a call-to-action (CTA) that links back to your blog. A CTA that directs readers to your blog adds authority to your post and drives traffic to your platform.

    Get Out of Your Rut with These Two “Lone Wolf” Strategies

    Let Users Create Content for You

    Social proof is a powerful social media strategy that enlists your product or service users to tell your story without brand bias. User-generated content (UGC) is a form of social proof created by your followers. While encouraging UGC by reposting it in your feed or stories is beneficial, it’s not the most effective content creation strategy alone, as it relies on your audience to create content.

    UGC helps you understand how your followers use your product or service daily. Once you know this, you can build content encouraging others to share similarly. It also allows you to create content that serves the needs of those using your products.

    Challenge Yourself with a Challenge

    Social media challenges are plentiful, but finding the right one can push you out of your comfort zone and revitalize your content creation. Join a challenge that is within reach but still challenging enough to keep you engaged. Avoid too easy or difficult challenges, as you’re more likely to quit. Look for challenges that require daily content creation and have a structure with built-in accountability.

    Unexpected Benefits

    Every challenge I’ve participated in has led to unexpected discoveries and a renewed focus on content creation. Challenges are designed to teach you something new, prompting you to review your current practices and see how the new lessons fit into your business.

    Eve Voyevoda — Business & Brand Creator — Visibility Gym

    “I wasn’t in a rut, but I wanted to stretch myself. I knew I needed to explore different ways to include video in my content strategy. I’ve always been afraid of video, and when the opportunity to participate in this challenge arose, I was looking for every reason not to do it. So, I signed up before I could talk myself out of it and couldn’t have been happier. Not only did I improve my video presentations, but I also ended the experience with a ton of fresh content ideas. While this was one of the best challenges I’ve ever participated in, the lessons and content inspiration are benefits that come with every challenge if you make the most of the opportunity.”

     

    Free Yourself from the Rut & Create Engaging Content with Ease!

    Utilize these 9 strategies to get out of your social media rut, whether you use them together or pinpoint your problem and use just one. Each strategy helps you get out of your head, stop comparing yourself to others, and create content that feels authentic to you and your brand. Remember, you are doing your best at any moment, but there is always room for growth and learning.

    Even if you aren’t currently in a social media rut, these strategies can be used proactively to keep challenging yourself. Create better content that engages your customers and fosters deeper, more meaningful relationships with your followers.

  • Content Creation Made Easier: Using What You Have

    Content Creation Made Easier: Using What You Have

    Updated June 2024

    Content Creation is a Full-Time Job + Overtime

    Content creation can be hard. It can be time consuming. Content creation can be a downright pain in the butt. If you have ever been in charge of creating content for a business, non-profit, or even for your personal blog you know that at times it feels like content creation is your full-time job. And it is making you work overtime.

    Seriously, we feel your pain!

    We have adapted a couple tricks to make your life easier.  In Content Creation Made Easier we will discuss strategies that will make your content creation easier. The first one which we discuss here is what I called Breaking Down Your Blog. I believe that adopting the strategies outlined in these blog posts will revolutionaize your content creation strategy, and make you a happier content creator.

    Before The Creation Even Starts

    Prior to revealing our first hack, there is something that should be done before the content creation even begins. You must find a content scheduler that allows you to post as far as 6 months in advance and auto publishes to the platforms that you utilize. Yes, 6 months in advance. Although, I would prefer 12, but six will suffice. It should also be a tool that you like to use, not one that you dread. Simply because if its a drag you aren’t going to want to do it and you won’t get the most out of these content hacks.

    Breaking Down Your Blog

    Create Blog and Affiliated Social Media Posts Simultaneously

    Do you have a business blog? Are you creating regular posts for it? Is this content also being shared on your social media?

    If you don’t have a business blog, you should consider starting one, and you can read why (insert link). If you aren’t using your blog as the basis for your social media posts, you might be missing out. Your blog and social media should be closely related, feeding into each other and serving as powerful tools to answer your audience’s questions and establish yourself as a leader in your niche.

    Two to Twenty Birds with One Stone

    Creating your blog posts and the affiliated social media posts simultaneously is an efficient way to maximize your content creation efforts. If you write a well-structured blog post, it will naturally include sections that discuss specific topics. These topics often have sub-sections explaining certain ideas. If an idea is important enough to have its own sub-section, it likely deserves its own social media post too.

    For example, if your blog post has three main topics and each topic has three sub-sections, you’ve already got 10 social media posts. Here’s how: you’ll write a post about the overall topic of the blog and why it’s important, which is one post. Then, you’ll create nine more posts based on each topic and sub-section. So, 1 overall post + 9 topic/sub-section posts = 10 social media posts.

    Why The Scheduling Tool is Important

    I don’t recommend bombarding your audience with 10 posts on the same topic over two weeks. It’s essential to vary your content. What I do recommend is creating the content and then scheduling the posts. Typically, I write one blog post a week and post about two concepts from my blogs each week. The first post is about the new blog, and the second post is a subsection from a previous blog, ideally related to the week’s new blog topic, but this isn’t always possible.

    In an ideal scenario, you revisit blog topics on your social media with a fresh perspective (a new subsection post) every 5-6 weeks. When you publish the blog, you also add the posts to your scheduling tool for future dates. This approach allows you to “set it and forget it” (though you will still need to engage with the posts). You’ll adjust the posts for the best fit, but this method provides you with pre-set content weeks in advance.

    An Exercise in Abundance

    A few years ago, I asked members of my Facebook group to break down one of my previous blog posts into potential social media posts. The blog post we used is listed below along with the results. From this blog, we came up with the following social media post topics:

    1. Creating connections
    2. Selling the emotions (2 posts)
    3. Being heard in a crowded marketplace
    4. How your brand story creates uniqueness (example post)
    5. Why story is the most powerful and flexible tool (longer form post)
    6. Reviewing key aspects of a brand story
    7. Sharing TED Talks and EchoStory resources
    8. Tapping into emotions (example post)
    9. Connecting with your audience
    10. “First this, then that” storytelling examples (2 posts)
    11. Exploring the “Why” (Why you do what you do)
    12. Why your audience should care

    From this single blog, we identified approximately 14 social media posts. While this is above my average, it was a content-heavy blog covering many essential storytelling topics. Creating social media posts simultaneously with the blog keeps the content fresh in your mind. You’ll only need to do hashtag research once, the photos used in your blog are readily available, and other potential slow-downs are minimized.

    The Most Amazing Thing

    If you keep this up for just five weeks, with an average of 10 posts per blog, you’ll have almost one post per week ready for your social media for nearly an entire year! Imagine that—one less post to create every week for a year, and you’re only five weeks into this strategy. Isn’t that amazing? I promise, this hack can be a social media game-changer. For the past three months, I’ve been doing this, and I no longer feel the constant anxiety of needing to create content for my profiles. I always have something ready in the pipeline if needed.

    But What If I Don’t Blog and Have No Plans to Start One?

    I’m not here to argue (though I do encourage considering a blog)! You can use this hack for other content, such as breaking down your monthly newsletter to customers or creating five posts over five weeks based on an excellent article you found, like “The 5 Best to Do .” Content creation is challenging, but this hack is about working smarter, not harder.

    Pro-Tip

    Ready to go pro? Video content engages audiences at much higher rates than other forms of content. Whenever possible, create video content. When breaking down content into posts, identify which ones might be better as videos. Record these videos while the topic is fresh (wear season-neutral clothing) and use them when needed. Getting one video from each piece of content will help establish you as a leader in your niche.

    Now Your Blog is Working As Hard As You

    Your blog is now carrying some of the content creation load. Even if you handle all the content creation for your blog, you’re streamlining the work. Creating content in advance alleviates the “oh my god I need something to post” panic we’re all too familiar with. You can adapt this strategy to suit your needs, but I believe it can transform how you approach and manage content creation for your business.

  • Using A Content Calendar: Tips for Planning Social Media

    Using A Content Calendar: Tips for Planning Social Media

    Updated June 2024

    Using A Content Calendar Prevents These Types of Moments

    Close your eyes and imagine.

    It is Monday morning; you are already running late for a meeting. The barista at Starbucks can’t seem to spell Bob correctly. He certainly has no idea how to make your Triple Grande Iced Vanilla Latte with Skim Milk and Extra Whip. Today is going to be a long day.

    After you finally get your coffee, you run out of the cafe like your pants are on fire.

    You are halfway to your full-time job when your phone starts ringing, It’s Becky from Designing the Times, and your heart sinks into your stomach.

    Suddenly you remember you had promised to feature her watches on your social media page. How is this launch party already happening this afternoon!

    Answering the phone frantically, you promise Becky you would have the post completed. You will make sure it gets posted as soon as you get into the office.

    When you arrive at the office, of course, you forget to post, and at lunch, you get a call from the lovely Becky, who is a bit less pleasant. It is almost 4 p.m. when you remember to post about the collaboration launch party, and you accidentally used the wrong creative that had the launch party happening in 2 weeks!

    Becky needs to cancel at the last minute, and luckily she didn’t notice the wrong date on your late post. You both agree that Monday in two weeks is the best for the new time.

    Hyperbole Much?

    The above example is hyperbole. However, we have all had those moments when we forget to post something on our social media because it wasn’t on the top of our minds. Or that bad week where you miss posting on Instagram 3 days in a row. Certainly, not mistakes that will mean the eventual and fiery demise of your business. But flubs like these are preventable when you utilize a content calendar and the three levels of planning listed below. Added benefits of using this method are continuity in posting, ability to ensure varied content, and what I refer to as having a flexible structure to create your posts within.

    Levels of Content Calendar Planning

    When I talk to clients about content calendar planning, I break it down into three levels:

    1. Yearly Level Planning: Focus on holidays and annual events.
    2. Monthly Level Planning: Cover mid-level promotions and story arcs.
    3. Weekly Level Planning: Detail the specifics of individual posts.

    At the start of the year, dedicate an hour to yearly planning. Each month, spend another hour planning your monthly content. Then, set aside about an hour each week (perhaps on Sundays) to create your weekly content. I recommend leaving roughly 20% of your posts loosely scheduled to accommodate timely content and user-generated content.

    Using Your Content Calendar to Plan Your Yearly Content

    During your yearly planning, identify key holidays and promotion periods for your business. Determine if sales and events will align with the same fiscal weeks as the previous year. This planning ensures you don’t miss any important holidays or events and that your social media plans align with your business goals. Break down your business goals on the yearly calendar to help track your progress.

    Overview of Your Year

    To begin planning your year:

    1. Add Major Holidays: Start by marking significant holidays on your calendar.
    2. Review Past Marketing Efforts: Decide which promotions, sales, giveaways, and events will recur in the upcoming year.
    3. Plan Major Events: Add all major events to your content calendar.
    4. Repeat Successful Campaigns: If you had successful social media campaigns, plan to repeat them and add them to your calendar.
    5. Note Non-Recurring Events: For example, if you celebrated your business’s 10th anniversary in March 2024 with various events, you won’t be repeating this in 2025. Plan how to fill this gap with new promotions and sales.

    The Importance of Yearly Content Calendar Planning

    Yearly planning is crucial for both social media and overall business strategy. It provides a clear view of major events and promotions for the year, helping you align social media activities with business goals. For example, if your goal is to have one major promotion supported by in-store marketing and social media each month, you can identify any gaps in your promotion schedule. This allows you to plan evenly distributed promotions throughout the year, avoiding last-minute scrambles to fill gaps.

    Pro-Tip: Add your business goals and objectives to this calendar to ensure your content planning helps you achieve these goals.

    Monthly Content Calendar Planning

    The next step is your monthly content planning. At this level, you’ll define themes, story arcs, and details for the monthly promotions you scheduled during your yearly planning. Use the same calendar from your yearly planning to add this monthly information.

    Month-to-Month Plans

    In this stage, you’ll flesh out your month-to-month plans. Start by identifying the major events and promotions for the month, and plan your posts around these first. These yearly events provide structure for each month.

    Once you’ve scheduled posts for these significant events, outline your themes and story arcs for the month. For example, in February, you might choose “love” as the theme, with story arcs like #foreverlove and #bestfriends. These arcs support the monthly theme and contribute to your promotions, with the specifics of each post to be defined in your weekly planning.

    Weekly Level Content Calendar Planning

    After completing your yearly and monthly content calendar planning, it’s time to move on to weekly-level planning. At this stage, you’ll create the actual content for your posts, ensuring that each post contributes to an engaging story. This part of the planning process is detail-oriented. If multiple people are involved, make sure to allocate sufficient time to avoid scrambling to create, approve, or post content.

    The Details and Post Creation

    During weekly planning, focus on the details and specifics of your posts. Utilize the holidays, promotions, themes, and story arcs defined in the previous planning stages. This is where you bring your storytelling to life, creating posts that align with your brand story and themes.

    Consider the following as you create and plan your content:

    • Storytelling: Ensure your posts tell a coherent story that ties back to your brand.
    • Value: Provide educational, entertaining, and inspirational content, with just enough promotional posts.
    • Variety: Maintain a balance in your content types to keep your audience engaged.

    Fill in some of the open 20% of posts during this stage, leaving room for spontaneous content. If you plan to post six days a week, make sure you have content ready for all six days. Once this planning level is complete, you can load your content into your scheduling and posting tool.

    Things to Review Before Posting Content

    Before scheduling your content, review the following:

    • Consistency: Ensure each post contributes to the story it supports and is brand-appropriate.
    • Visual Appeal: Check how your posts look together, especially on platforms like Instagram. Use tools like Later’s Instagram Grid Preview to ensure a cohesive grid.
    • Story Arcs: Verify that your story arcs have a beginning, middle, and end.
    • Details: Make sure holiday-specific or promotional posts include all necessary details.
    • Brand Story: Confirm that your posts support your overall brand story.

    The Planning is Complete

    With your planning complete, you are ready to tell compelling stories, provide valuable content, and promote your brand on social media. These planning steps ensure your social media efforts are focused and goal-oriented, moving away from random acts of posting to a strategic approach. Your story will be clearer, and even with potentially fewer promotional posts, they will be more impactful. This planning, combined with the “9 Essential Posts for Businesses on Social Media,” will help you maximize the effectiveness of your social media campaigns.

  • Social Media Strategy: 9 Photos & Videos to Keep Your Content Fresh

    Social Media Strategy: 9 Photos & Videos to Keep Your Content Fresh

    Updated June 2024

    Social Media Strategy: 9 Photos to Keep Your Content Fresh

    Creating fresh and current content for your social media posts can seem daunting. Or is it? In this blog, we’ll provide you with ideas for 9 photos and 9 videos that you can easily capture each week to keep your content vibrant. These will streamline your content creation process and ensure all your social media profiles remain engaging and on point.

    Yes, 9 photos and videos a week, and the best part is they feature you going about your daily life. While these won’t replace the need for professional shoots, they will complement them with high-quality content, helping you build your own custom stock photo and video library. For more details on maximizing a photoshoot, check out this blog post! As you know, I am a huge advocate for using your own photos on social media; it’s the best way to differentiate yourself from the get-go.

    It’s Almost Time to Reveal the 9 Photos, But First…

    First, take a moment to consider the type of content you typically post on social media.

    What kind of content generally resonates with your audience?
    Are you regularly posting on specific topics or categories?
    What do you have planned for the next three to five weeks?

    Keep these questions in mind as you review the nine photos you can take daily. You can tweak, stretch, or expand on one or all of them to fit your specific needs. Remember, I don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. I’m giving you these nine images and videos as guidelines based on my social media expertise and what has the potential to engage. Feel free to adapt them to your needs!

    9 Photos and Videos to Keep Your Content Fresh

    Drumroll Please

    1. Daily Routine
    2. Morning Coffee
    3. Full Body Shot/Big Movement Video
    4. Detail Shot
    5. At the Office
    6. With a client or customer
    7. Work close up
    8. Behind the scenes
    9. Life Outside of Work Shot

    The Daily Routine

    I made this the first of the 9 Photos and Videos to Keep Your Content Fresh because it’s the easiest to capture. Simply take a photo or video of something you do every day.

    Why this?

    Because it’s something you do daily, there’s a high chance you’ll talk about it on social media or it will impact your content in some way. Having a relevant visual ready to use when discussing this routine saves you from scrambling for a post idea. Plus, you won’t need to rely on overused stock photos to showcase a unique aspect of yourself or your business.

    Additional Tips and Tricks

    Think about what you enjoy posting and what your audience engages with. Is it your fitness routine? Haircare? Outfits? Are they asking you specific questions? Use this insight to guide which daily routines you should document. Need a starting point? Pizza, pets, and babies always perform well on social media.

    The Morning Coffee Shot

    I know what you’re thinking: “Really, coffee? You want me to take a photo of my coffee first thing in the morning?” And maybe even worse, “You expect me to take a video of it?” Yes, even if it’s before you’ve had your first sip! Capture that perfect coffee cup shot or a video of your coffee-making ritual.

    Why This?

    Food, babies, and dogs are universal favorites; everyone eats, dogs are man’s best friend, and babies are cute! Similarly, coffee is a nearly universal connector on social media—something almost everyone can relate to.

    Additional Tips and Tricks

    Not a coffee drinker? No problem! What’s your drink of choice in the morning? What jumpstarts your day? Whether it’s tea, a donut, a protein smoothie, or even a pair of stylish shoes, whatever gets you moving and motivated in the morning works. The key idea behind the coffee posts is to share what energizes you, so feel free to substitute with your own morning motivator.

    The Full Body Shot & The Big Motion Video

    Next on your list of daily photos to keep your content fresh is the full body shot. This means capturing a photo of yourself from head to toe, doing something—anything. As long as your attire is brand-appropriate, you can’t go wrong. For the video, aim for a big movement, such as walking.

    Why This?

    A full body shot is versatile and can be used in both your stories and feed on social media. People do business with other people, not faceless companies. To get people to do business with you, you need to build trust and let them feel like they know you. These photos and videos help create that connection and build trust more effectively.

    Additional Tips and Tricks

    Don’t worry about looking like a model. You don’t have to be a model—just be yourself. Avoid overthinking, over-staging, or over-editing. This photo isn’t about creating a perfect, imaginary life. It’s about featuring your authentic self, the real face of your brand.

    The Detail Shot

    The detail shot or video is essential for defining your signature style. For example, my Converse sneakers have been a staple in my brand. This was intentional, as I often feature content of my shoes in stories and on my feed. My footwear subtly communicates that my brand is fun, bright, disruptive, and not your typical business. Similarly, my sequin hat reflects the fun and sparkly nature of my brand.

    Why This?

    Detail shots and videos can be used for various purposes on social media. I used my shoes to convey an abstract aspect of my signature style. For a simpler, more straightforward example, a watch could be used in a post about deadlines, setting SMART goals, or your dislike of waiting.

    Additional Tips and Tricks

    Be creative with this one. It can be details of what you’re wearing, elements of your office, or a part of your everyday life. This approach is also useful for future content about specific aspects of your business. For example, if a housing form is due by a certain date, take a photo of the top of that form on a desk, or a video of someone filling out the form and use it in your post. It’s much more engaging than a generic stock photo.

    In The Office/Work Shot and Video

    Another great way to keep your content fresh is with office shots. These are photos or videos of you at work, doing what you do best. While a day at the office might seem mundane to you, your loyal followers are interested in seeing more about your daily routine. Mix it up by capturing different parts of your office or various aspects of your job. Focus on the more interesting tasks you perform and document them through photos or short videos.

    Why This?

    You’re on social media to showcase the work you do and attract your ideal clients. It’s natural to show your audience what you do, how you do it, why you do it, and where you do it. Consider what your ideal client would want to see from someone in your role, and create content that will engage them.

    Additional Tips and Tricks

    Review your previous content to identify what performed well on social media. If you’re a web developer, for instance, you could include photos of you working at your computer, videos of you collaborating with a web designer, or attending a training session on a new programming language. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box and get creative with your shots.

    With a Client

    I know you might be hesitant about this next photo or video idea, so let me say this: the client does not need to be identifiable. The focus should be on you. Be creative and find a way to show yourself interacting with a client or customer. It could be as simple as you behind a desk with the back of your clients’ heads facing the camera, or a close-up video of you demonstrating something to the client, with only your hands visible.

    Why This?

    You can’t build trust on social media and demonstrate your expertise without showcasing your work. Featuring client interactions is crucial. Highlight your first touchpoints or ways you build trust with clients. Even if you use stand-ins instead of real clients (totally our secret), it’s so important to depict these interactions.

    Additional Tips and Tricks

    Professional development sessions, speaking opportunities, media events, and more are perfect for capturing photos and videos of you working with clients or potential clients. Make sure someone is available to capture these moments, whether it’s your hubby, friend, or a professional photographer. Take advantage of these opportunities to showcase your client interactions.

    The Work Closeup

    This is what I am doing right now, as I revise this blog post I am recording myself (two birds, one stone) So the idea here is to capture some content up close of you doing something in your business. This is great for stock photography and also to use as B-roll for short-form video. Think about things like, you writing out your plans on an eisel, or your fingers typing on the computer, or writing in a jourmal. Those all work.

    Why This?

    Because when you talk about your work, it is great to have photos that you can post that show you working. Be sure to capture  a variety of photos and videos so you have a library to choose from, although It doesn’t matter that you are writing down the steps to take in your business over the next nine months, but you use the photo in a post about how writing allows your thoughts to flow. In most cases they can’t see the text. You will find that these are the most flexible and useful photos to take as many of them as you can!

    Additional Tips and Tricks

    Think about the things that you tend to post about and what an excellent generic visual could be that highlights either what you are talking about in the post, or the feeling you want people to get from the post, etc. We are working on creating a library of flexible and usable stock photos and videos for your business.

    Behind the Scenes

    What are some of the things that you do for your business behind the scenes, or what things would people not ever be able to guess about your business? Photos and videos of different behind the scenes aspects or videos of prepping for an event, photoshoot, or other special occasions are always phenomenal for engagement. Be sure to grab content of this. 

    Why This?

    This is essential because everybody likes a peek behind the curtain. Behind the scenes is always engaging because people want to see the real life person behind what they see that they assume is scripted and perfected.

    Additional Tips and Tricks

    All of the images you take should feel real; they shouldn’t be too polished. They should not depict a beautifully perfect life. Make sure to leave your behind the scenes content believable. If it’s too perfect, it shows up as inauthentic, and you could lose credibility.

    Life Outside of Work Shot

    I completely respect a person’s choice not to include aspects such as children in their brand. That is your choice. What I do advocate for is that every business shows off a little bit of life outside of work. If it is you going home and reading a book, walking a dog, cooking, or going to the gym. Those are all great, and you should take photos or videos of you doing them.

    Why This?

    It makes you human, a real person outside of the walls of the business that does cool things and has actual struggles, goals, and dreams. Don’t wipe all the things that make you human from your business; it will erase any possibility of you being able to engage your ideal audience out with it.

    Additional Tips and Tricks

    Social Media is supposed to be social. The things you do outside of work are just as important as those you do at work. 

    Those Are The 9 Photos and Videos to Keep Your Content Fresh

    Using these nine photos as a guide will help you eliminate some of the stress caused by social media. We promise you will feel less overwhelmed, have stronger posts and be able to level up on social media much more quickly.