BRANDING:
When starting a business you first want to think about a good suiting name. I often think BRAND. You want to pick a name that is going to be well suited for your business but also represent you! If you’re in network marketing skip to the next paragraph where I talk about branding yourself there. The biggest thing when name choosing is making sure it’s not already taken so I suggest making a list of a few names you like to not be disappointed if one or a few are already taken. The easiest way I check is simply typing in that chosen name on Facebook, Instagram and Google. I’m going to use my business for example. When I started my moccasins shop I chose the name HauteMoccsDotCom. When searching on social media you want to keep the name easy and the same all across your platforms so you are easy to find. For example on Instagram you don’t want to have to add periods or dashes, like @hautemoccs-dotcom or @haute.moccs.dot.com. If you run into an issue and your chosen name is already taken I usually recommend moving on to another name on your list.
If you’re in network marketing I coach guys and gals slightly different here. You are branding yourself not the products. You likely are already a distributor for a company and the products represent that companies name. You want to BRAND YOU! The reason I say this is because you want to build a community where you add value daily and then sprinkle your products in. If you can do this you will be successful in any company you’re with. Now back to branding, if you’re stumped I like to think about hobbies, or personal favorites. You can also ask your parents to describe you in 3 words but 3 words that would describe you now AND how you were as a child or a teen. This is giving you some grounds in the area how others feel about you and a path in how you can provide value to others when building your brand and community.
If you have a name your next task is getting yourself a logo, an email, a website, a domain name and set up on all your desired social media platforms. You don’t need to be prospering to start on social media. We all start from ground zero, the key is starting!! If you need recommendations besides the ones I list below for the things I just mentioned you can write in the comments and I can help you further.
LOGO - me
Email - yahoo or gmail
Website - google buying a domain
Blog platform - blogger.com or Wordpress
Social media recs - Facebook or Instagram
SOCIAL MEDIA BASICS:
On Facebook, it’s best to start with a business page. You can find tutorials on YouTube for setting one up. Once you have this set up I recommend inviting your friends to like the page and then start posting daily. Facebook wants you to utilize it’s features so posting, liking, commenting, stories and live videos. If you’re not familiar with any of these YouTube/google it. There are many ways to grow your page following a few to name would be paid ads and giveaways. Paid ads can be tricky because you really need to narrow down your target market before making it live. This will give you the best results, again I recommend doing some research before spending a lot of money here. Giveaways can look different for everyone. The biggest thing is making people tag friends below, leave comments and like or share the post. The algorithm is no ones friend, so you want to set yourself up where Facebook is going to show the max amount of people your giveaway or post. Facebook frowns upon outside links (meaning a link that takes the user off Facebook) so if you have a link you’re posting always post that in the comments vs in your caption. When you have it in your caption Facebook lowers your algorithm score.
On Instagram, it’s best to also make your profile and switch to the business setting. You’re able to access more features like “insights” where you can see when your users are on and most active which helps you to know when’s a good time to post. Like Facebook you’re dealing with the algorithm here as well. You want engagement on your posts. A few ways to start building engagement and a following are as follows. When making posts, post at your busy time. Also use hashtags. This is how others will find you organically. You also want to use the hashtag library to find other people to engage with. There are services you can pay for to grow your following (through loops and giveaways) I own a social media marketing business INSTALOOPS1 where you can pay to do just that. If you don’t want to invest money into growing a following you need to invest time. I would suggest doing this by following others, commenting, liking and engaging with others in hopes they come back and engage with you. You can find people either through the hashtag search feature, searching location or using the recommended follow feature. As you follow people, Instagram will suggest you follow others based upon who you just followed. You’ll see people pop up right after you follow someone!
STARTING ON ETSY: If you have a business with a craft base, I suggest starting or creating an Etsy account. Etsy is a searchable platform used by many. You have to pay for your listings but to get started and your name out there, it is worth it! When making listings you can use hashtags and searchable words that put you in categories widely searched! You have the highest chance to be found on Etsy without having to pay for adds. GENERAL SOCIAL MEDIA TIPS:
- use the features! I already mentioned this but it’s important. The more you use the more Instagram and Facebook will favor you and push your content to more people.
- use a nice device to take photos. The higher quality the camera the better the photos will turn out. I use an iPhone XS Max and edit my photos in Lightroom
- be aware of your background and lighting (I would research this as well)
- follow other inspiring accounts on Facebook or Instagram. Study what they do and use their content to inspire you.
- utilize Facebook market place if you’re selling an tangible good. Selling locally will get your name out there and help you get established as a business owner in your community.
GENERAL BUSINESS TIPS:
- CONSISTENCY!! Be consistent. Show up every day in some form to promote yourself or your business. You want people to fall in love with you and what you do so they think of you and your business first!
- the content you put on your personal social media accounts should align with your business posts. I DONT MEAN POST YOUR BUSINESS ON YOUR PAGE. I mean your photos should be bright and clean, your content should be adding value (I always think to myself, is this photo going to get a lot of likes and comments on it. If it’s a yes, I post it) Think about your content before posting. Don’t share those stupid memes you see everywhere. Once in a while is okay, but refrain from that! A good general rule of thumb. Don’t post about politics, religion or current affairs. At least the controversial topics that could make someone unfollow/ unfriend you. You want to be liked and looked up to. What you post on your personal page matters because people are watching. Think back to branding yourself! Even if you’re not in network marketing, you are associated with your business and you should always keep things professional. Last but not least, dont air your drama out for everyone to see. People want to see positive and motivating content. Not someone who cries poor me or complains constantly! I know theres a lot here but these are just a few of the important tips ans basics Ive learned over the years when building a brand and business! Xo, Cara
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