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10 Key Steps to Becoming an Instagram Influencer

Posted: 31 Oct 2020 12:02 PM PDT

When I began my journey on Instagram, I had no idea that one day I would become a “top influencer.” In the beginning, companies reached out to me to review their products, seeing as I was CEO of the startup Garnysh.

From there, things took on a life of their own, and now I have over 191,000 followers on Instagram, and counting. More than 500 brands have approached me for sponsorship and promotions, including Target, Bumble Bizz, Amazon, Fresh Beauty, and Sephora.

Would you like to know my 10 key steps to becoming an Instagram influencer? Read on.

1. What's your Instagram niche?

It sounds clichéd, but this is vital. Not only should you examine what you're passionate about, but you also need to be honest with yourself about what you're good at.

Sports, cooking, beauty, art, interior decorating? Do you love making funky sushi dishes? Maybe you can create some bomb hairstyles that no one has seen before. Whatever it is, that's your niche. For me, beauty and fitness were an instant fit, and being a mom of two kids in the entertainment industry only expanded my horizons.

While you're throwing yourself into Instagram, go ahead and create a blog. This will strengthen your brand.

2. Instagram analytics (sigh)

It may sound boring, but you're going to need an Instagram Business Account to read those analytics. Learn about Instagram Insights. It gives you all the demographic data that you need about who follows you. You can also track profile views and audience activity times.

Since you have your niche, you're not posting things randomly, but strategically. What posts are your followers loving? Which ones create less interest? All of this will help you build your status on Instagram.

I have to be honest, not everyone loves analytics—I think it's fascinating. While starting out, learning this for yourself is going to put you at an advantage.

3. Focus on your Instagram bio

You know what it's like when you're applying for new jobs, slaving over your CV and resume. That's the same kind of precision you need when writing your Instagram bio.

Don't worry, you only have 150 characters to work with, but that short paragraph is your pitch. It's the introduction to your brand, what you're about, and what it is you seek to do. Your bio should capture the essence of who you are. Be sure to hook up a link in your bio if you have a website or blog.

4. It's all about Instagram aesthetics

Have you noticed that when you're surfing Instagram you always tap on the photos with a cool or interesting aesthetic? This vibe can come across in many different ways.

Learn how to take great photos. If you don't know how to do this yet, start learning! Have the cash to hire a good team? I suggest that you do that. Most influencers focus on a color scheme so that their photos are cohesive—it becomes their signature palate. While you don't have to do this, it does make your posts easily recognizable. My posts don't all look the same, but I go for a similar feel: glamorous but down-to-earth; sassy but still authentic.

Don't worry about being or looking perfect. Focus on professionalism, good quality, and a solid vibe.

5. Don't forget your Instagram captions

The photos engage your followers, but the short captions speak a thousand words. Don't ignore this small but significant element. You're not writing a sonnet. This is haiku. The captions make a brand seem interesting and real. This is your voice talking to your followers, so show some personality.

Start by asking yourself, What is my brand's voice? You know your niche, you know your aesthetic, but how are you speaking? Are you chill, feisty, fun, humorous? Your language and tone are as interesting as your images. Pick a voice that speaks to you and remain consistent.

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6. Select great Instagram hashtags

#InfluencerLifeGoals. Did you know that hashtags can increase your following on Instagram? Posts with hashtags lead to more engagement and views.

Say you're reviewing a new skin-care brand from Sephora. Do you think that post will be found with the hashtag #skincare? No! You need to be specific and you need to use many hashtags to ensure that post gets seen. For instance: #SephoraWatermelonMask, #SplurgingAtSephora, #BestUnderEyeCream. You get the gist.

Aim for between 5 and 30 hashtags for every post—somewhere in the middle works for me. You also want to avoid placing too many hashtags. Find your magic number. Also, never be afraid to see what hashtags other influencers are using. Instagram Insights will tell you how your hashtags are performing.

7. Create an Instagram posting schedule

I can't emphasize this enough: you must consistently post new content and determine your optimal posting frequency. Top influencers will post 1.5 times a day, studies suggest. You don't have to do this—I certainly don't and have still found success. When you frequently engage, you stay relevant to your followers. A lot of this comes down to Instagram's algorithm. If your weekly frequency goes down, you'll be ranked lower on the algorithm, meaning you show up less.

I find the best way to organize my time and schedule is to have a day each week where I take several photos and plan with my team when these posts will go out. You can try a scheduling tool like Sked Social. No matter how you schedule your posts, be consistent in everything you do.

8. Your Instagram followers want to hear from you

Have you ever reached out to a favorite influencer and heard back from them? If you have, you know what an amazing feeling that is.

At the end of the day, Instagram is a social platform, and interacting with your followers creates excitement and loyalty. Reach out to other influencers, comment on posts that are relevant to your brand, and keep your presence strong on Instagram. When you leave comments, you jump-start relationships and conversations; replying to comments that others leave on your posts can be fun and gratifying.

Taking the time to network and communicate with your followers on Instagram is essential to being an influencer. Always thank people for their support.

9. Do you reach out to brands, or do they come to you?

It's a good question, and it depends. I was in a lucky position. I had brands coming to me from the get-go, and they still do. If you're not the CEO of a company, you might want to consider taking all the steps I’ve mentioned: choosing your niche, finding your voice, being consistent with posts—until you have thousands of followers under your belt.

Once you have achieved this, it's possible to reach out to brands. You want to get your account on their radar. Send them a DM or contact them via email; use brand-related hashtags in your posts. And don't be afraid of rejection. It's impossible to avoid when you're finding your feet.

10. Own your influence

Did you know that top influencers can make thousands of dollars per post? An influencer is a trendsetter, a trusted expert, and a valued online personality. In fact, in today's modern world, major brands actually can't compete with influencers. Thanks to social media, a CoverGirl ad with a popular celebrity isn't as powerful as it used to be. People want to see something real.

When major brands, or even smaller brands, partner with influencers, they create a larger net that reaches the online community in a way that traditional advertising can't. This is also a wonderful avenue for brands to get the word out about new products.

Don't write your Instagram presence off as a hobby. Embrace your power.

Final note

To become a successful Instagram influencer, you need passion. My passion for Instagram shows through in my posts, and it resonates with my followers as well as the companies I partner with. I single-handedly took my passion for taking pics and selfies, and turned that into a business where I now get paid to do what I love.

My journey on Instagram started as a side-hustle and is now a full-blown business—something I’ve added to my list of entrepreneurial accomplishments. My content is personal, and spending a few minutes on my page gives you a very clear idea of who I am as a woman, mother, and CEO.

RELATED: The Instagram Influencer in High Demand: How She Got There

Photo credit: © Alex Matt

The post 10 Key Steps to Becoming an Instagram Influencer appeared first on AllBusiness.com. Click for more information about Meeta Vengapally. Copyright 2020 by AllBusiness.com. All rights reserved. The content and images contained in this RSS feed may only be used through an RSS reader and may not be reproduced on another website without the express written permission of the owner of AllBusiness.com.

Landing Page Best Practices: How to Optimize Your Web Pages for Increased Conversion

Posted: 31 Oct 2020 10:40 AM PDT

Revised and updated October 31, 2020

It’s often said you only get one chance to make a great first impression, and that holds true for your company website. The visual appearance and written copy on your sign-up and landing pages must be compelling enough to grab a visitor’s attention and convince them to take the next step in their relationship with your brand.

That can be easier said than done, so to help, we asked 16 members of Young Entrepreneur Council the following question:

In your opinion, what’s one best practice for optimizing sign-up and landing pages on a company website, and why?

1. Simplify your form fields

Ask for simple and concrete information. Complicated, complex forms can cause customers to get tired and decide to leave before completing them. It is important to offer as much comfort as possible in this aspect, requesting only elementary information for registration. This way it will make it easier for the person to continue surfing the web without problems. —Kevin Leyes, Leyes Media & Team Leyes, by Leyes Enterprises

2. Focus on your CTA

An essential component of any landing page is its call-to-action (CTA). If your CTA fails to provoke action in your users, then it’s useless. The entire point of a CTA is to encourage users to click through to give their information. So, make sure your CTAs are optimized for your audience so they produce conversions and boost sales. —Stephanie Wells, Formidable Forms

 

3. Create an exit intent pop-up

It's essential to target abandoning visitors. The whole point of a sign-up or landing page is to encourage people to give their contact info. If they try to leave without doing so, you need to try one last time. An exit intent pop-up can help capture visitors who will never come back to your site. It's a simple way to create a little FOMO in people so they sign up. —Thomas Griffin, OptinMonster

 

4. Include social proof

Including social proof on your landing page is a good way to get more sign-ups. Reviews, testimonials, and information about who is already using your product or service can have a powerful effect on getting someone to take action. Combined with other basic factors, such as professional design and a clear call-to-action, social proof can make a big difference. —Kalin Kassabov, ProTexting

 

5. Create interactive experiences

I recommend that you add interactive content to your landing page. Encourage visitors to engage with the content, quiz, or game, and at the end, encourage them to subscribe. This strategy will help you get people invested in what you’ve created, which will encourage them to subscribe so they can see more relevant and entertaining content. —John Turner, SeedProd LLC

 

6. Offer gated content

Create fantastic gated content. It doesn’t matter how well-designed your landing page is if the actual piece of content you’re offering is obviously not valuable. Create in-depth white papers, templates, and guides that are clearly unique and of value to your audience, and the copy and design of the landing page becomes less important. —Kelsey Raymond, Influence & Co.

 

7. Run A/B tests

A/B testing is an excellent way to optimize your sign-up forms and landing pages. I like this strategy because if you’re regularly reviewing your analytics, you can make educated guesses about changes that will provoke a positive response in the form of more sales and conversions. You can run multiple A/B tests and truly refine the performance for specific pages and campaigns. —John Brackett, Smash Balloon LLC

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8. Make your page mobile-friendly

One best practice for optimizing sign-up and landing pages on a company website is to make them mobile-friendly. Most landing pages are done for a desktop, but metrics show that more than half of the users will visit a sign-up page from a mobile device. It’s important to think about mobile first when assembling or designing a landing page. —Alfredo Atanacio, Uassist.ME

 

9. Personalize the experience

The best practice for optimizing your landing page is to use personalization. Not every landing page will appeal to every user and that’s fine. Instead of putting out a landing page that targets everyone who lands on your website, create specific instances of your page that appeal to specific users based on the products they browsed on your storefront or the content they read on your blog. —Chris Christoff, MonsterInsights

10. Offer one-click sign-up

Implement a one-click sign-up process. Services like Google OpenID make it super easy to join a free plan or a trial period. The best converting sign-up form is the one that takes the least effort from your leads. —Mario Peshev, DevriX

 

 

11. Deliver a clear, precise message

Make your message clear and precise. We tend to make our landing pages beautiful with CTA buttons, excellent photos and videos, and good content—but how clear is your message? How effective is your message for your audience to understand and then to do whatever your main goal is? If your ideas are scattered and content is overwhelming, then you fail and your efforts are wasted! —Daisy Jing, Banish

12. Keep user attention focused on one objective

Manage the “attention ratio.” This is a landing page principle that so many marketing experts overlook. To optimize your landing page for conversion, you need to keep a user’s attention focused on a singular objective. Every goal has a dedicated campaign. Every campaign has a dedicated landing page. Every landing page should have only one call-to-action and place to click to. Keep it simple! —Ryan Meghdies, Tastic Marketing Inc.

13. Hone in on the benefits

Make your headline benefit-oriented. Nobody wants to be asked to sign up for anything out of the goodness of their hearts. Instead, show them what they have to gain. Offer a free trial, a steep discount, or a freebie. Let them know that by signing up or registering, they can solve a problem that they’re facing or get one step closer to a solution. —Amine Rahal, IronMonk Solutions

 

14. Know the psychological need you’re fulfilling

Understand your customers and the deeper psychological needs you’re fulfilling. Deliver clear, concise, and compelling messaging with strong visuals that touch the heart and mind of your customers and convince them to take action. —Kevin Getch, Webfor

 

 

15. Mix and match the best-performing elements

There is no need to reinvent the wheel! Start with all the standard elements of personalization, clear and easy calls-to-action and the rest is optimizing. Split test several iterations of your page to see which elements perform the best for your brand. Mix and match these elements to “land” on the versions that capture the most lightning in a bottle using the scientific method. —Reuben Yonatan, SaasList

16. Be consistent

Be consistent across your advertising pipeline. It’s important that the message that is reflected in your ads is the same message that is found on the landing page. Often people make the mistake of changing too much during an A/B test. The result is a mismatch between the initial expectation of the customer and the delivered result. —Nicole Munoz, Nicole Munoz Consulting, Inc.

RELATED: Conversion Rate Optimization 101

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The 3 Basics of Startup Branding

Posted: 31 Oct 2020 09:01 AM PDT

One of the most important steps when starting a business is branding your new company. Do you know what defines your brand? Three elements—logo, website, and domain name—are key to building a startup's brand.

Let’s take a look at what makes each element so vital to successfully branding your business.

1. Logo

A logo is a design or symbol that is created by an organization and identifies its offerings and services. Iconic logos, like the Nike Swoosh and Coca-Cola script, are instantly recognizable to consumers.

Beyond recognition, logos play several important roles in branding for small businesses:

  • They make a strong first impression. Even at a distance, seeing the Golden Arches is a reminder that you that you're close by to a McDonald's restaurant.
  • A logo can help convey the company's values and personality. If you look at the FedEx logo, for example, you'll notice a subtle arrow design between the “E” and “x” in “FedEx.” This optical illusion suggests that the company is known for its speed and accuracy in package delivery.
  • Logos provide credibility. Customers build trust with logos and their associated brands. For example, the apple found on Apple products is a reminder that you're not only purchasing an authentic Apple product, but that there is a team of experts who can help you out if anything should negatively impact the product.
  • A logo creates familiarity over time. You'll always know you're at a Starbucks location, thanks to the recognizable green siren found on each coffee cup. In fact, you likely can easily picture this logo in your mind with little effort!

How do you create a logo? New startups generally have their logos created from scratch. Companies already in business may refresh their existing logos. When the time comes to register a trademark for your logo, you'll need to conduct a logo search prior to filling out the application. This ensures you are not infringing upon a registered trademark with a similar or exact logo design.

2. Website

If you don’t have a website, you’re missing out on the benefits that come with a web presence. Having a website, particularly in the Covid-19 landscape, has plenty of positive, long-term effects on a small business and its brand. Take a look:

  • Websites increase visibility. Customers who are looking for you online can find you, especially if your site has been SEO-optimized for search engines. The more online visibility you have, the more you are able to grow your business, sales, and customer base.
  • Customers may contact your business through your website. You may provide them with email addresses and phone numbers to reach you. In some cases, chatbots may be used for conversation while the customer is on your website.
  • Websites showcase offerings and kudos. Post high-resolution photography of the products you sell or services you offer in portfolio pages. This entices customers to click, learn more about what you have to offer, and make a purchase. If you have favorable customer reviews or great press, you can also share these items on your site. This gives your brand more credibility and shows off the recognition and trust you have with the media and consumers.

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3. Domain name

A domain name, for anyone unfamiliar with the term, is a component of the URL used to access websites. For example, www.mycorporation.com is my company’s domain name. It's the address where users can access our website and find us online.

Choosing the best domain name for your business ties back in with its brand. When possible, it's preferable that the name of the business matches its domain name. Think Netflix and netflix.com, for example.

However, this is not always the case for all businesses. Brands do not always have to opt for an exact-match domain name. Some choose to create domain names that are rich in SEO-optimized keywords. Ideally, these keywords also tie in to your company’s offerings and location so customers can easily search for—and find—your business online. Outside of using keywords, also keep in mind that domain names should be short, memorable, and easy to pronounce by your customer base.

It’s also a good idea for your domain name to have a dot-com URL extension. What happens if this isn't available? There are other options available to small businesses and brands, depending on your industry. Popular extensions include dot-us (.us) and dot-co (.co), with dot-us so popular even videoconferencing platform Zoom uses it as its extension!

Start thinking about your business as a brand

Nearly everything about your business can contribute to your brand—from the colors used in your marketing materials to your mission statement and values you strive to practice every day.

Once you start thinking of your business as a brand, you can shape how customers perceive it, and these three elements will help get you there.

RELATED: Forget About Social Media Influencers—Here's How to Better Market Your Business With Brand Advocates

The post The 3 Basics of Startup Branding appeared first on AllBusiness.com. Click for more information about Deborah Sweeney. Copyright 2020 by AllBusiness.com. All rights reserved. The content and images contained in this RSS feed may only be used through an RSS reader and may not be reproduced on another website without the express written permission of the owner of AllBusiness.com.

3 Ways to Strengthen Your Business in Uncertain Times

Posted: 31 Oct 2020 08:49 AM PDT

Imagine going back in time and looking at your business and how well it was doing in 2019. Now take a step back and see how your business is doing today. What a different picture you may be seeing.

We've all read, wrote about, and discussed Covid-19 and the financial and mental collapse for many small business owners time and time again. Unfortunately, for some, the discussion hasn't sunk in and many business owners are still sitting on the sidelines, waiting for a clue on what to do next, while others have adapted to such changes and are back in business.

The year 2020 will undoubtedly go down as the year of uncertainty—not only for small and large business owners, but for everyone. Hopefully, many of us have adapted to this new environment that we are all forced to live in.

For those who haven't or are still in the process of figuring it out, here we will highlight some of the most effective ways to help your business survive, come back stronger, and also prepare you for any uncertainty to come.

3 ways businesses can adapt and prepare for changing times

There are two types of businesses in the world today: those that sell and make money 24/7, and those that make money only during working hours.

Unfortunately, during this whole shutdown period, the businesses that were limited to making money while being open and fully functional were the ones that were hit the hardest. This does not always have to be the case.

Most businesses have already adapted to the power of the internet, and if they haven't already, they likely will do so now, with the intention of selling services, products, or anything else. Here are three great ways to get started.

1. Market and sell online to secure payments faster

With small local and retail businesses being hit the hardest, it's been important for them to focus their efforts online—not in the form of using social media and having a live website, but to actually conduct business.

It doesn't matter if your service needs to be provided face-to-face, your business can still generate revenue 24/7 through the power of the internet and online selling. One key way that small service businesses are maintaining healthy enough cash flow is by offering prepaid bundles of services. With so many businesses in lockdown, customers are often happy to support the service providers they love by buying in bulk.

With this model, local businesses, like fitness coaches, nail salons, tutors, hairdressers, and professional service vendors, can keep the lights on while strengthening and incentivizing loyalty relationships. This is often done through the use of a management platform which makes it simple for merchants to offer these types of bundles and to integrate scheduling and fulfillment workflows as well.

For the business or professional providing services, this type of order processing is likewise ideal, as it allows for customers to purchase services online without actually needing to be on premises. Looking back at the beginning of the pandemic, if local businesses had already had these sales channels in place, they could have been generating revenue throughout the shutdown period.

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2. Limit human interaction and go virtual where possible

While 2020 will be remembered as the year of Covid-19, it will also be remembered as a time when we were all forced to go virtual. And along with the bad, always comes the good—and the good in this case was the move to virtual for businesses like Zoom and others in the virtual teleconferencing and online meeting space.

However, Zoom isn’t the only one benefiting from such changes. As millions of businesses are adapting to these changes, they are also finding better ways to conduct business. Many companies are now seeing in-person meetings and in-office work isn't as important as originally thought.

A perfect example of this can be seen in a recent write-up from Cision that highlights six benefits associated with going virtual. Such benefits include being able to reach a much larger and wider audience online, while also being able to use content over and over again to new audiences.

As more businesses and brands are expanding to virtual in many different areas, this is ultimately leading to the same (if not more) work getting completed, while also lowering business operating costs in the process.

What will be even more interesting, is seeing how many businesses will go back to normal day-to-day operations, with people returning to the office, or if companies will stick with virtual to save on costs, while also limiting themselves from future similar episodes.

3. Master the art of cash flow management and automation

Every business has costs, but off-line businesses tend to have more of them. These often consist of rental space, office supplies, products and inventory, and staff—all of which were huge costs and liabilities during the shutdown period of 2020.

As highlighted in a recent article by Bizwomen, "Goldman Sachs reported up to 51 percent of survey participants said their business will only be able to operate for up to three months if the COVID-19 trajectory continues"—which isn't just a matter of better cash flow management, it's also putting an emphasis on better business management and always being prepared.

Unfortunately, many offline businesses were forced to pay rent while not even being open. This in itself was another business killer. Business owners quickly found themselves becoming their own financial managers and accountants—just trying to get buy.

As horrible as all of this has been, it’s a reminder of how important money management and cash flow can be for a business. And with no money coming in and being forced to pay money out, the benefits of automation and online businesses are now more attractive than ever.

With all of these factors in play, it's become more important to have your business finances and operations in your control at all times.

How to make a pandemic-proof business

No one ever could have imagined that the world would be shut down for as long as it has been. At the same time, no one would have thought that business owners would still be expected to pay rent while also being told they can't legally be open for business!

Unfortunately, for large and small business owners, the likely truth is no one is going to come and rescue you. This ultimately means the future and success of your business is your own hands. However, entrepreneurs and business owners are strong and we will get through this!

It's not just about coming back strong and building a better business model for the future, it's also about making sure your business is both pandemic-proof and “uncertainty”-proof.

Be sure to consider each of these recommendations and working methods, while also implementing them into your existing business as soon as possible.

RELATED: Business Lessons From a Bar That Shut Down Because of the Pandemic—Here's How It Bounced Back

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