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Social media allows us all to promote our businesses in a more cost effective way… but it’s not without its downsides! If you’re feeling a bit lost when it comes to your own equestrian and country social media, you’re in the right place! Blogs with this tag will contain information relating to equestrian and country social media in one form or another. Maybe you’ll find some hints and tips on improving engagement, or maybe you’ll learn about some of the things you really shouldn’t be doing to attract your tribe!

Getting your country or equestrian business’s social media up and performing well can make a huge difference to you business. In terms of revenue, not just adoration! By building your brand, allowing people to get to know you and increasing your touch points through platforms like Facebook and Instagram – platforms that people are already spending a fair amount of time on – you’re greatly increasing their chances of them thinking of you, yes you, when they need to buy something.

One thing to remember, always, and something you’re likely to read about on blogs tagged with this, is engagement. Yes. When someone comments – PLEASE try and reply. Building relationships is a great use of social media, and a huge part of that is the conversation.

Tag Archive for: equestrian and country social media

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Are you posting content that matters?

Are you posting content that matters?Are you posting content that matters?

You may think that this is a really odd question – I mean – of course you are. Aren’t you? Of course you’re posting content that matters. Or are you posting content that’s there to simply get a reaction? Not a reaction that aligns with your business… or your goals… or your customers… just a reaction. Any reaction? I’m seeing more and more people post content that doesn’t really matter and doesn’t really serve any purpose other than to get an reaction. Of course, if that’s your only objective, then go ahead. But to me that’s a LOT of effort for zero result.

What is ‘content that matters’?

Content that matters has a purpose beyond just being a piece of content. Maybe you’re sharing a client story? Or maybe you’re sharing something to help inspire and motivate? A useful blog or podcast your heard/read that you thought had value? What constitutes ‘content that matters’ differs from person to person. It depends on the objectives of your business/page/profile, but it should always add value. Otherwise what is the point? Well, I think I might know the answer…

Are you trying to outsmart the algorithm?

Ok, I get it. Social media’s algorithms can make our job more challenging… but let’s just break it down a little… can we? Social media (I’m talking Facebook, Instagram, etc etc) is built on the people who use it. The companies who run these platforms want the user experience to be good and engaging and interesting. They want to keep people on their platform for as long as they can (because, let’s be honest, that makes them an even more appealing advertising platform). But a recent algorithm update states that it has changed to help people have ‘more meaningful interactions’. Meaningful is the keyword here. Yes, Facebook’s algorithm does look at a range of factors to see if your content ticks this box… and reactions, shares and comments do factor here… but if your content is seen as engagement bait, your content could actually be demoted. In December ’17, as a response to user feedback, Facebook started demoting posts with this ‘engagement bait’ type content. To enhance the user experience.

Why posting content that matters, matters

There are a few reasons why posting content that matter, matters… hopefully one of these will strike a cord…

  1. When someone reads a post, you’re taking up their time. Time is the MOST valuable commodity that we all have the same amount of… don’t waste it!
  2. It’ll take you as much time to create GOOD content as it will poor quality
  3. Content that doesn’t add to your story or to your customer’s story is a waste of your skills
  4. Everything you put out on social media should, in some way, align with your business, your beliefs or your goals. If it doesn’t do this, why post?
  5. You can create engagement bait style posts. You might get a lot of engagement. Yay. But are these people actually interested in you or your business? Even a bit? Will they like the page and stay around, engage, ask questions and maybe even become a customer? If you’re asking them to tag a friend who is… I don’t know… blonde… are they going to buying your course/product/service? Engagement matters (a LOT), but PROPER engagement, from your tribe, your fans and people who get you is what to aim at. Not just random people who have a friend with a certain colour of hair!

So, that’s why I urge you to make sure you are posting content that matters – not just click bait or engagement bait to get some reaction. It’s a hollow victory, and no one needs those!

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Five facts about social media…

A while ago, I gave a TEDx talk about social media. Well, more specifically about how social media can connect rural communities and how it’s a force for good. I know, quite a wordy title. Part of my talk was social media stats. I felt this was an important if not essential part. Why? Well, I hear so many people say that Facebook is ‘dead’, or that no one uses social media anymore. Argh. It’s rubbish. We know this, but when you throw a few current stats at it, you realise how rubbish it is. So I thought I would share five facts about social media that I think are kind of mind-blowing… and the reason I think they’re incredible too. I have this thing that numbers are great, but adding a visual element is better. You’ll see what I mean…

Five facts about social media that you’ll want to remember…

Facebook is INCREDIBLE. Over 2.8 billion people are monthly active users of Facebook and 1.84 billion people use it each day – according to Facebook’s own stats. When you consider that there are around 7.6 billion people on the planet, this makes it even more incredible… don’t you think?

Twitter is seen as a much smaller platform- because it is (let’s be honest), with an ‘advertising audience’ of around 356 million, it is. That number, however, is still pretty huge. And it’s also very funny that, whenever Facebook or Instagram have a wobble, everyone heads to Twitter to see if it’s ‘just them’ or if, indeed, the platforms are down!

Heard of the six degrees of separation? No? Well don’t worry too much… it’s a lot smaller now! According to Facebook’s own research, there’s not just 3.57 degrees of separation connecting everyone who uses Facebook. This was in 2016 for Friends Day, so the chances are it’s even smaller now!

Instagram has one billion monthly active users and 500 million daily active users. 500 million. Each day. On a platform that started in October 2010.

…and you know Instagram Stories? Some 500 million people use Stories EACH DAY too. 

So yes, I make no secret of the fact that I am a huge fan of social media. I find it incredible how many people we can connect to through it and the features it has. I mean, it’s amazing. I know it gets a bashing from time to time, but just look. Look at the potential it has. The potential for good. The potential for business. To me, that’s something that is very, very exciting and worth talking about. You can find a LOT more mind blowing stats about social media online… this just just a snapshot…

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Seven ways to use Instagram Stories

Seven ways to use Instagram StoriesYou might have realised that I’m a big fan of Instagram Stories (hop on over to my Instagram if you’re yet to!), but the good news is that they’re not JUST fun. In fact, they can provide a great way to connect with your audience. I was asked about Instagram Stories a little while ago in one of the Facebook Live sessions, so decided that it would be a good opportunity to talk about them and different ways to use Instagram Stories.

Seven ways to Instagram Stories

Depending on the nature of your business, blog or Instagram account, you can choose to use your Instagram Stories in a number of ways…here are seven ways to use Instagram Stories that you might find useful…

  • Document. Unlike your main feed images that are more than likely well thought through and carefully composed with a key point or message, Instagram Stories don’t need to be. They can be used to document what you’re up to in your day. Yes, you want to have a point to the Story, but it doesn’t have to be as specific as a main feed image.
  • Behind the scenes. Stories are a great way to show what goes on behind the scenes at where you work. It could be the creation of a product, getting ready for a show, packaging, personalisation… the list goes on.
  • Events. Instagram Stories provide the perfect place to put show and event content up. This kind of falls into the document category, but still.
  • Interviews. You can use Instagram Stories to record micro interviews with people. Brand ambassador? Customer? Team member… if they have something concise to stay, use Stories.
  • Poll. Yep – you can use Instagram Stories to ask an opinion and then integrate a poll into the Story that people can vote on.
  • Promotion. Promote a blog post using Stories. You can take an image of it on the screen, add an image or a graphic you’ve created, or even make a short video. It’s up to you. You could also use Stories to promote a specific hashtag on competition. Honestly, there’s SO much scope.
  • Share a thought. Instagram Stories can be the perfect place to share a thought. I do this a LOT.. usually when I’m walking the dog or waiting for my children to wake up from a car ride. It’s a nice way to connect with your audience authentically and let your personality come out.

And this is JUST the surface of it all and a few ideas. I use my own Instagram Stories for all of the above and more. I’ve showcased products for competitions through Stories, shared client posts. shown press clippings (with permission) and lots more.

How do you use Instagram Stories? What do you think of the ways to use Instagram Stories listed above? I’d love to know. And if you’d like to see my Instagram Stories in action, please do come and follow my Instagram at @rheafreemanpr

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Can you repost professional photographs on social media?

Can you repost professional photographs on social media?

Quote image by Sophie Callahan Photography.

In a fairly recently Monday Q and A on my Facebook page, I received a variation of this question: ‘can you repost professional photographs on social media?’. Now, I want to put this into context a little. The person who posted was asking about a rider that they sponsor. The rider had added what was clearly a professionally taken image to their social media media. So does that mean that the company can repost it? Well no, not necessarily.

Can you repost professional photographs on social media?

If I was giving a one word answer, that would be no. If, in the case above, a rider has posted a professional picture on social media, this doesn’t mean you can automatically. Even if the rider has asked permission for the photographer and this has been granted, this doesn’t automatically mean you can…

So, first of all, your rider might not have the proper permission. Many people buy prints and take pics of the prints and then post these. This isn’t right. Often, photographers will provide social media images (that can be purchased for not much money) that CAN be used on social media. Some photographers add this in a package when someone buys a print. They all don’t but some do.

Now, even if the above has been done properly, that does not mean that you as a business can repost without permission. I mean, people do, let’s be honest about this, but you need to reach out to the photographer and get their written permission for this. Some may request further payment… you don’t have to pay this. But if you decide not to pay it, do NOT repost the image. Please. It’s not good. Many photographers are happy, if the image has been purchased correctly and you credit it to let you use it on your social media. I did speak to a few photographers about this and they agreed.

What about sharing a picture?

Sharing an image from the original source is a bit different. If the photographer has posted the image and you share direct, then technically there shouldn’t be an issue here (as long as you SHARE the image, you don’t screenshot or save the image and then post as your own). Some photographers do explain on their page that they do not want this done, and some confirm that they’re happy if images are shared but no saved and posted. Respect this.

Sharing and reposting are very very different animals. Sharing and retweeting show the original source clearly… reposting should (if you use the correct apps) but doesn’t in the same way. You also move the image from the photographer (or rider’s) feed to your own and post it natively there.

If a rider has shared an image from a photographer with a watermark across it… don’t share it. Again, USUALLY, when an image has been purchased properly, the watermark is removed. This isn’t always the case for social media images but generally it is.

And what if the photograph is really good?

It doesn’t matter how good it is. If it doubt (any doubt!) always ask. Always.

Are photographers just being mean?

Sometimes you’ll find a really grumpy photographer, just like you’ll find really grumpy INSERT ANY OTHER PROFESSION HERE. But this? No, this is their livelihood. And as far as I’m aware, not that many banks take goodwill in lieu of a mortgage payment. Of course, if the image has already been purchased once (important point!), it’s to promote the rider, they sponsor the rider, or various other situations, you’re more than likely to get a ‘yes, no problem’ response. But if you don’t ask… well… you could really annoy a photographer and could be charged too.

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Why you should be excited about tagged products on Instagram

tagged products on InstagramAh… you know when you’ve been waiting for a social media update and willing it on to hurry up? And then it’s here?! And you go and carry out a standard action and you see the new options? And you let out a little shriek?! Well, that describes tagged products on Instagram for me. And I am very pleased that this amazing new feature is now here in the UK.

What are tagged products?

For quite a long time now, you’ve been able to tag products on Facebook, so I’m going to explain product tagging through Facebook’s functionality, just in case you have no idea what I am on about! Tagging products means that if you post a lovely image on your Facebook page, you can tag the image with the specific product/s featured. Tagging the product makes it infinitely easier for your fans and followers to shop, because the final destination is just one click away. And it looks really neat too. On Facebook, you click on the image of the product below the main post in the News Feed and BANG, you’re on the right page to make your purchase. BOOM! For the customer, this just makes the whole thing so much easier… you don’t have to go to the website, try and remember the product’s exact name and use the search function, or even guess which category it might be in. Previously, you could have included a link in your caption, but if you had a long caption, this would be hidden and very messy. The ability to tag a product on Facebook makes the shopping experience easier and more direct, and that helps brands and businesses. People invest huge amounts of time, effort and money into streamlining the buying process for a customer… and this continues this.

Until recently, this was not available on Instagram.

A very warm welcome to tagged products on Instagram!

I have read many an article about the introduction of tagged products on Instagram. I’ve seen pictures of the testing of this and I was excited. One of the ‘flaws’ (and I mean that in the nicest sense of the word… quirk might be a better word) of Instagram was the lack of ability to link from posts. Now, it wasn’t a huge issue as it kept the platform focussed on what it set out to achieve, but saying ‘link in the bio’ all the time and then directing the potential customers to your main site was always a big ask. Putting the URL in the caption was another option, but it didn’t have the ability to link. That was a faff at best… and didn’t really help you get those all important conversions…

When people are on a platform, then don’t really like to leave it…

See, when people decide to spend time on Instagram, they like to stay there because they made that choice. So, imagine you see a picture of a beautiful product on Instagram that you might like to buy. Previously you would have to click on the profile pic, then the link in the bio, then hope that went to the main site, then try and remember the product’s name or at least a keyword in order to find it and buy. Now, you have to be seriously committed to do this. Option two would be to copy and paste the URL from the caption into a browser… and I know with my fat fingers this is always a faff and results in a lot of swearing and cursing. It wasn’t easy for someone to buy something that they saw in a post in the main feed. Well, until now.

Why am I excited about tagged products on Instagram?

Well, it’s just made one of my favourite social media platforms a WHOLE lot more commercial. Shoppable links are something I have been waiting for and willing on, because I think it will help prove the huge value of Instagram for business even more. I also think it’s going to encourage much stronger imagery and styling because it’s now a place that can generate easy leads. Tagged products on Instagram- you’ve made me a very happy camper.

Have you tried tagging products on Instagram yet? Do you think it’ll help you and your business?

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What I learnt from doing the #30dayruralbusiness challenge

#30dayruralbusiness challengeWhat a month February was! It was Valentine’s Day, it was my Dad’s birthday, it snowed, it was cold… but more important than all that, it was the month of the #30dayruralbusiness challenge.

What was the #30dayruralbusiness challenge?

This was an Instagram challenge created by photographer, vlogger and blogger (and client and friend!) Sophie Callahan. The idea was a simple one, and that was to encourage people to embrace and use Instagram more. The way to do this – create a list of simple prompts that gave people a focus for the image they put up that day. I say simple in a positive way, because the simplicity of the prompt gave a huge amount of scope, allowing people to post what felt right to them. It was a genius challenge. I spoke to Sophie at the very start of the #30dayruralbusiness challenge to find out more, but I thought revisiting it now would also be useful.

What did I learn from the #30dayruralbusiness challenge?

I actually learnt quite a few things…

  • I knew that the rural business community and Small & Supercharged community were brilliant, but I LOVED the way that they really embraced the #30dayruralbusiness challenge
  • I loved seeing everyone’s posts. Not a huge surprise, but I went and checked the hashtag very regularly to look at the latest posts… they were superb.
  • A hashtag has the power to unite people. The #30dayruralbusiness challenge did this incredibly well. Obviously big hashtags concerning awareness days and news also have this power, and I get that, but with something as niche as this, it was brilliant to see this level of unity.
  • I don’t have a shortage of content ideas. This sounds like I’m blowing my own trumpet and that’s not my intention at all. What I mean is that I usually post twice a day, sometimes three times, but with the challenge too, I was finding a lot of content I had saved in drafts had to be dumped to another day… some is still waiting to emerge as more time sensitive stuff needed posting instead.
  • It was hard work. Creating content, for me, isn’t too hard (I mean, I do it for part of my job!), but to a schedule? When I had to plan specific pics that fitted the prompts? Yes – that was quite hard, but in the best possible way… it made me think, try, batch photographing things, and look for opportunities to get some good pics in stock.
  • How to take better pics. I’m not an expert, and I would not for a second pretend I was, but I played around with my now beloved portrait mode, moved things around, cropped them differently, took a LOT of pics of the same thing, got a bit obsessed about light and much more. Don’t get me wrong, there is MASSIVE room for improvement, and I mean massive, but I felt the concentrated effort of having to photograph specific things made me think and pushed me more than usual.

To me, it also emphasised the power of, not just Instagram, but of community. Some people in my free small business group, Small & Supercharged, enjoyed huge growth (percentage wise – I’m all about percentages as I think it’s the only fair way to level the playing field) and it’s given their account a huge boost. A big thank you and a big well done to Sophie for putting the time and effort in to come up with this idea. I learnt a lot – what did you learn?

If you loved the #30dayruralbusiness challenge and are feeling a bit sad it’s finished, WORRY NOT, Sophie is planning to create monthly post prompts for Instagram over on her blog. Enjoy!

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How not to sell on social media

How not to sell on social mediaDo you want to have a coaching session with me?

In short, I have just committed what I believe to be a cardinal sin in terms of social media, content marketing… actually any form of PR at all. I have committed this to illustrate a point- it’s horrible on every level. And if it made you feel half as uncomfortable as I felt typing it, then I apologise.

How not to sell on social media

If you didn’t see anything wrong with my direct approach, then you have a little bit to learn about social media. But worry not. Because you’re here now and we’ll get it sorted. You’re going to find out how not to sell on social media. And you’re not alone if you think this is OK. It’s not, but you’re not on your own.

So… social…

I’ve heard both Gary Vaynerchuk and Dan Meredith use an analogy that perfectly describes why the above is wrong. But it’s not really ‘PG’ content so we’ll go a different route. Imagine you are at a bar, or a restaurant, or a party. You walk over to someone you see and out of nowhere ask them to buy from you or do something to help you. Just because you want them to. They don’t know you. You haven’t added any value to them or their lives. You haven’t even had the courtesy to introduce yourself. How do you think that encounter will go? Do you think they’ll be reaching for their purses and wallets while asking you if you accept cards? Or do you think you’re more likely to get told where to go? Or laughed at? Or, depending what you ask, a slap in the face? I know where I’d put my money…

See, there’s a reason why you can’t just ask for what you want. It’s not socially acceptable. The clue is in the name. I mean… it’s flipping rude! Social media isn’t about saying ‘I have this – buy it’. An advert can do that. Social media is about being sociable. Finding out about your fans and followers and what makes them tick. It’s creating interesting content and tips to help support their goals and objectives. It’s about actually caring about your audience. It’s about delivering more than they could hope for and asking for nothing. You should look to make friends of your fans and followers. To forge real connections and to actually engage with them in an authentic way. And if you don’t want to, don’t be surprised to get slapped in the face. Metaphorically or otherwise!

How do you sell on social media then? If you can’t ask?!

You can ask, but you can’t ask all the time, and you can’t ask without putting in any effort. Treat your fans and followers as friends. Share things you think they might like to read or watch, create content that might be useful to them, tell them where you’re going and share information about new things you’re doing. Create polls, how tos, videos, memes… whatever appeals to your audience and strengthens your brand. You can say you have things for sale. You can share news of products and services. You can do all these things, but they mustn’t be your sole online strategy… because it won’t deliver.

If you’re looking for a little help with how to sell on social media (or how not to sell on social media!), you might find Five Ways To Grow Your Equestrian Business On Social Media a good read. Enjoy 🙂

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How to use polls on Instagram

how to use polls on instagramSo, quite a while ago, Instagram added a poll feature to Stories. Everyone went mad about it and there were polls about everything, everywhere. I reached my poll limit very quickly and made a small protest about using them. Because I didn’t want to be just someone else asking a question. Because I wanted to use any poll I created to actually influence a change, or relate to something relevant. And not a lot of people were doing that. But now the initial excitement about polls seems to have worn off, I’ve embraced them a little more. Here’s five ways to use polls on Instagram.

How to use polls on Instagram

First of all, let’s just remember that at the moment, polls can only be used on Instagram Stories. This isn’t a problem (in fact, I think having a pretty ugly looking poll on a main feed image would look wrong, but maybe I’m just a bit old fashioned?), but it’s something to be aware of. Like any other Instagram Story, a poll will exist for just 24 hours…

Here are five ways to use polls on Instagram…

  • Market research – can’t decide whether to stock a product or not? Want to make sure there’s a demand for something you’re planning to sell/offer? A poll is a great way to do this.
  • To show options. If you offer two colours in a product, or offer personalisation, or can wear something two ways, a poll can be fab. Create an image (if you don’t have fancy graphic design software, look at Canva) and then place your poll on the image (in the app). It’s a nice way to show what you have to offer.
  • Engagement. Oh yes. Stories tend to get good a good number of view in relation to the size on an Instagram following (especially if you use hashtags and geotags… but that’s a different blog!), but do these people merely look at your content and swipe on, or do they actually care? Asking someone’s opinion can make them feel important and enhance a connection, which is important.
  • Test an idea. Want to try something new on your blog or vlog? Then you can ask your following what they think or even what they’d like to see. Ok, you can only give them two options, but I recently did this and I found the results really interesting. For example, I asked whether people would like to see more brand information (which I see as people behind the brand, how it developed, etc) in contrast to product information. Of course, you can’t see the why with a poll (and it would require greater input by the person who’s been kind enough to get involved), but the information I gathered has given me food for thought and I will be using this feedback.
  • Share an opinion. This might be on something tame (I did one about the weather!) or it could be something a lot more daring. If you have a strong opinion you want to share, and you want to see if you’re alone in your thinking/find people singing from the same hymn sheet, a poll can do the job. However, if you’re planning to share a strong opinion, as with doing this anywhere, be aware that you might have push back.

So, there are five easy ways to use polls on Instagram. However, I would still urge people not to overuse polls as, like anything, they can become a little boring. However, when used well, they can be a positive addition to an Instagram Story, for that day at least.

If you want to join other small businesses and chat about all things social media, marketing, PR, sales and a lot more, make sure you check out my free Small & Supercharged business group on Facebook… if you liked this article, I think you’ll love it!

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Should you try Vero?

Should you try VeroAnother day, another social media platform has come into our lives (and, potentially, stolen a teeny bit more of our time). What was your first thought? ‘Not again’ or ‘Ohhh… sounds interesting!’. If you’re the latter, you will have probably decided to sign up, but if you’re sure, I hope to answer the question – should you try Vero?

Why is Vero different?

I’m not going to lie and say I’m an expert on Vero. I signed up a few days ago and have done a fair amount of reading and video watching since then. So I’m going to tell you how I see it.

The main idea behind Vero seems to be to promote real, genuine and true content… and the main part of this being that the content isn’t filtered or impacted by an algorithm. The algorithm of any social media platform is what ‘decides’ what content you as the user will see, based on various factors. The algorithm restricting reach on posts has been the source of a lot of people’s annoyance… and I can completely see why. You pour your heart and soul into a post, or spend hours on the perfect pic… and then next to no one sees it. And it’s gutting. And the algorithm gets the blame. And it is to blame… but it doesn’t have an easy job. Generally, the aim of an algorithm is to rank posts in order of importance or relevance rather than time, to allow you to see the most relevant and engaging content. It doesn’t always work like that, granted, but that’s the idea. Of course, it’s not quite that simple. It’s not just relevance that influences the algorithm and what you can see… but I digress.

One of the key things that makes Vero different is that there is no algorithm reordering your posts. And the business model means that there are no ads either. Two things that users of social media have become increasingly frustrated by on other platforms.

How does Vero make its money?

Subscriptions. That’s how Vero plans to make its money. As of yet, I can’t find how much the subscription will be and I can’t see it online. The first one million sign ups will not have to pay for their subscription, for life, according to Vero’s Manifesto.

First impressions of Vero?

At time of writing, I haven’t been on the platform a lot… and that’s mainly because the server keeps timing out. At the moment, it is a bit glitchy in my experience BUT let’s not forget its age. We’re used to Facebook and Instagram and Twitter – platforms that have been around for a long time are now fully fledged adults in this social media life. Vero has recently got a lot of attention on social media and online, and based on the Twitter feed, this sudden influx has caused them some issues. It’s good they have been open and communicative about the issues and it does look like (again, according to Twitter!) that these are being resolved. There will be teething problems, there always are, with any new thing.

I also have found it a bit overwhelming. I think that while we like to moan about the algorithm, it has actually removed a LOT from our feeds. When you look at Vero, you’re greeted by everything that has been posted from people you follow or have connected with. And that can be a lot… even in the early stages. I think it’ll make me very careful about who I follow as I just won’t be able to process everyone’s posts. And that will mean that the things that are the most relevant to me will get lost. And then I start thinking that the various algorithms have, perhaps, done me a favour? Maybe?

What about the founders?

I have to address this issue. I’ve read about one of the founders and the issues that he has had with another business (and I appreciate that ‘issues’ doesn’t do the problems justice in many ways!). This doesn’t make me 100% comfortable BUT I am also aware that stories can be spun. I’m not saying the information isn’t accurate, but what I am saying is that I personally haven’t done enough research to discount a platform that some seriously big influencers are supporting. I also think that the press can twist things to suit. And that these stories have only started to surface since Vero became popular. I’m reserving judgement. And I haven’t dug deep into the other social media platforms, their founders and all previous businesses/current business dealings either. That’s not belittling the issue and I wouldn’t want you to think that at all. It’s just my honest view on it. As I read more and learn more, I might decide that everything reported seems to be accurate and it’s not something I want to support… I’m not pig headed enough to never change my mind when evidence supports that change.

Should you try Vero?

Should you try Vero? It’s completely up to you. And if you want to, do your own research, read all the Ts and Cs and then decide. I have – here’s why. We all know that early adopters to any platform have the greatest chance of success on it, so that’s that box ticked. The idea is interesting too.

Now, you might be thinking ‘but what if it doesn’t last or changes?’… and my answer would be ‘and?’. See, for the first million sign ups, it’s free, so you haven’t lost any money. You will lose some time if it doesn’t work out, but I see it as research and learning… and really the amount of time involved to learn about this new platform is minimal… and can be controlled by YOU. If you want to get on it and spend five mins messing around, good for you. You don’t have to commit to the next three weeks solidly. The choice is yours – as it is with all social media. And if you hate it for whatever reason, you can delete your account.

And if it does become the next big thing, then you’ll be an early adopter and that’s a great position to be in.

What do other people think about Vero?

A lot of people seem very excited about it on other social media platforms, but I first heard about it through Sara Tasker of Me and Orla fame. Sara is an Instagram legend and produces a superb podcast called Hashtag Authentic that I would recommend anyone in a creative industry listens to. I asked Sara what she thought about it and why she got involved. She said: “I like the premise of algorithm free – I genuinely miss that on all my social media. Plus it’s the first platform in ages that enough people have adopted to make it worth being on!”

And if that’s not enough of a nudge to give it a spin, I’m not sure what is. I’m just keeping everything crossed that it starts working a little more reliably for me…

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How to use Instagram Stories (and stop them taking over your life)

How to use Instagram Stories (and stop them taking over your life)Instagram Stories – another ‘thing’ you have to do? Well, if you want to fully embrace the functionality of Instagram, then yes. You kind of do. You might feel that your social media commitment is already bursting at the seams and you can not take on ANYTHING else. And I hear you and I understand. But in this blog, I’m going to share a few ways to help you with how to use Instagram Stories without them taking over your life. Well, more than social media does already!

Now, before, I venture down this path, just one point to note. If you do not want to Instagram Stories at this moment – don’t. I encourage clients to have a go and to try it because I know how well it can work. But if your plate is overflowing at this second, it’ll wait. I wouldn’t wait too long, but if you feel like it’s another job to do and you’re feeling overwhelmed, don’t stress.

But if you do want to know how to use Instagram Stories, I have some ideas below that are really easy to implement. Especially if you don’t want it to completely take over your life…

How to use Instagram Stories

  1. Document. I’m sure this is a Gary Vee-ism… document, don’t create. I use Instagram Stories to share what I’m up to. Unlike a ‘proper’ video, I don’t get the tripod set up, storyboard, etc etc… I just press go and crack on.
  2. Mix your media. You might not fancy video today – that’s fine, take a pic. Don’t have a pic? Mess around with Boomerang or Rewind or Stop Motion. There’s lots of functionality built into Instagram Stories… and with GIFs recently introduced and lots of other things, it’s set to get better.
  3. Volume. You don’t HAVE to add to your Story every hour. Or even every day. Personally, I try and have something on Stories all the time, because I’m a bit of a geek like that and I’ve been seeing Stories get more and more visible on the app.
  4. Use your Camera Roll. You don’t have to include pics you’ve just taken… you can use older pics or even screenshots from your website! If you have an amazing special offer on an item, you can screenshot it, do a bit of editing inside the app and get it out there.
  5. Special events. If you’re attending an event, or exhibiting at a show, Stories is a great way to share lots of exclusive content about what you’re up to. I think you should use your feed for your best work, but you can add fun content on Stories that might not fit the aesthetic of your feed, but is bang on for your brand.
  6. Personality. Video content, candid snaps… even a bit of crazy dancing if it suits, is a great way to show the personality of the people behind the brand, which then helps to give the brand those personality attributes too.
  7. Behind the scenes. If you’re setting up for a show or an event, if you’re a photographer doing a shoot, if you’re opening a special delivery or parcel… why not share what’s going on behind the scenes of your business? It allows people to connect to you and your business on a deeper level… and people really do buy from people.
  8. Stay on brand, but don’t take yourself too seriously. It takes a lot time to build a brand, so make sure your content feeds into this… but don’t overthink. A nice contradiction… but let me explain. You might be a fun, young brand who likes to enjoy some bubbles and country shows. You can capture that fun on Instagram Stories – brilliant. However, fun and being drunk and ill, and feeling rough as hell the next day is not on brand. So I wouldn’t advise that… do you see what I mean?

Enjoy it. The best way to use Instagram Stories and to see what works for your audience is by just having a go. If you record a video clip or take a pic and you hate it, don’t publish it, just delete it… no one will know and you can just go again. Instagram Stories is a great tool, and finding out how to use Instagram Stories for your business could be a really big deal for you too.

If you’d like to see how I use Instagram Stories (and maybe even follow me on Instagram!), my Instagram handle is @rheafreemanpr. I’d love to see you there.

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