Instagram Advice & Tips For Business

Let’s talk about hiding likes on Instagram

Have you heard all this talk about hiding likes on Instagram? There’s a lot of talk online at the moment about Instagram hiding likes on posts. How do you feel about this? Are you infuriated? Are you secretly pleased? Are you a bit confused?! Well, in this Small & Supercharged Podcast episode, I chat about my views on hiding likes on Instagram. And as I say on the podcast, this is just my own view based on what I’ve read and learnt… and obviously added my own spin on it too.

Let’s talk about hiding likes on Instagram…

I decided to record this podcast as a result of the Instagram TV video I did all about it. I did it because I HATE all this social media scaremongering. Whenever any social media platform releases an update it drives me MAD when I see so many people whining and moaning about it. Actually, what I hate even more is when people use these updates to scare people into things. And that’s why I decided to record the podcast.

In this episode, I talk all about hiding likes on Instagram. I discuss why likes shouldn’t be the only measurable on Instagram and how REAL engagement in terms of comments (that are relevant) and DMs are much more valuable. And I also talk about how Instagram removing the likes count (potentially, if they decide to, obviously!) could have big and positive impacts on people’s engagement, content, and their feeling of self worth when this is linked to popularity on the social media platforms we use each day?

So hiding likes is all good?

Now, of course, these changes don’t come without their downsides. Or not downsides as such, more adjustments. If people appreciate that the number of likes is only seen by them and no one else, the chances are that people will be looking at how to foster more visible engagement, such as comments.

There are, potentially, a lot more positives than negatives about hiding likes on Instagram. Real, genuine community is definitely one. Please don’t fear these changes. If and when Instagram decide to roll this out, there is nothing you can do about it. All you can do is look at what the people behind the platform are trying to achieve, think about why, adapt, go with it, and crack on. Or you can leave the platform.

Is there anything else?

In this episode, I also have a little chat about why, when social media platforms make these changes, it should remind us all of the importance of our own website hubs. I am a HUGE fan of social media (well, obviously, I talk about it a lot and do a lot of work on it!), but I also know why it’s so so important to have your own owned space on the internet too. Because that should be yours. It won’t just change overnight (well, it really shouldn’t!), you can customise it however you like, the features won’t change without your say so… and if you have a newsletter set up on your website or connected to your site too, you can reach out to those people whenever you like without having to worry about the algorithm or the visibility your content is receiving.

So, there you go, my take on hiding likes on Instagram – why it’s not something to fear – how you can embrace these changes… and how it might encourage better, genuine connections…

May 22, 2019/by Rhea Freeman

Social Media

#takefivethings and answer them on Instagram! Instagram Challenge

In my last ‘take five’ blog, I gave you five Instagram post ideas. Number one was to introduce yourself.

Have you done it yet?

Whether you have or you haven’t, I’m going to give you a teeny bit more help and, more than that, hope to start a fun little hashtag over on Instagram – I’m going to call it #takefivethings. And it’s simple. You just pick five things from the list below and write a caption giving us (that’s me and your Instagram following) the answers. Are you game?

Now, let me explain the method to this. Getting your face on your grid is REALLY important… but it’s the thing that most people seem to be the most uncomfortable with. And I get it. Introducing yourself is a very good reason to put your face up on your grid in all its glory. But when you’ve done that – what are you meant to do? Obviously you can introduce yourself on Instagram when you have a surge in new followers, or just when you fancy it. You can put your picture on your grid whenever you like – it’s YOUR grid, but if you’re struggling for a reason, I have one. This little challenge.

#takefivethings Instagram Challenge

You can use this list whenever you like – I’ll be checking and following the #takefivethings hashtag, but if you tag me too (@rheafreemanpr) I’ll do my best to comment and like in a timely fashion. Deal? So… #takefivethings

Are you a dog person or a cat person?
Why do you do what you do?
What’s your job?
Who are your role models?
If you could go back and start your journey, what would you tell your old self (good one @equissentialsdressage)
Last book you read
Best book you’ve read
Fictional character you most relate to
Horse you’d most like to own
Favorite quote
Describe yourself in no more than six words (another good one @equissentialsdressage)
Best clean joke
Dream dinner party guest list
Podcast you love to listen to
Tea or coffee
Favourite biscuit
Favourite cake
How did you get into your current career? (thank you @marthalilyphotog)
Badminton or Burghley?
Wine or gin
Night in or night out
What’s your hidden talent?
If you weren’t doing the job you do, what would you do instead?
Filter or no filter?
What’s in your handbag?
Dressage or cross country?
Showing or show jumping?
Heels or flats?
Vlogging or blogging?
YouTube or IGTV?
Facebook or Instagram?
Early bird or night owl?
Something your followers might not know about you?
Greatest achievement (to date!)
A goal for the next 12 months
Which James Bond?
What couldn’t you live without?
If you could take three things to a desert island, what would they be?
iOS or Android?
Mac or PC?

So there you go, the #takefivethings Instagram Challenge – just take five questions, write your caption, tag me on Instagram and voila!

April 4, 2019/by Rhea Freeman

digital marketing, Equestrian Business, Equestrian Marketing, Social Media

5 Instagram post ideas…

Instagram – you know how much I love this little app, but I realised that I don’t talk about the main grid all that much. Those little squares that reveal snippets of our lives that we then share with the world. I usually talk about Instagram Stories, but I thought I’d change in up a bit and give you five Instagram post ideas today – for when your inspiration is lacking a little. These Instagram post ideas will work for all businesses, whether you have an equine business, a country business, or whether you have a business completely unrelated. They’re broad in theme but should help you come up with some great posts…

Instagram post ideas – five to get you started

Introduce yourself. Making sure your followers know who the person behind the account really is can be a great way to increase engagement and, also, creates real connection with your followers. The great thing about Instagram is that your account will continue to grow and change, and this means that your audience will too. You can introduce yourself at regular intervals. Maybe when you’ve had a steep increase in followers or on special occasions. A simple ‘I wanted to say hello to all my lovely new followers, so here’s a little bit about me…’ will do (spoiler alert- next week’s Thursday post will be a little challenge all around this subject…)
Where are you working today? Whether you’re an influencer or a business, sharing your world with your followers is important. And one way to do this is showing the behind the scenes of your day to day life… and one of these could be where you’re working today.
Share a quote you love. Quotes are, usually, pretty popular on Instagram. If you follow me over there, you may have noticed I use them quite a lot. I create quotes on a couple of different apps and use a mixture of my own quotes, famous quotes, and podcast quotes too.
Awareness days. There are SO many awareness days, I can’t even tell you! If you have a Google or buy a media diary, you’ll be able to find them. These can help you connect to a popular theme or # and just give you a few more ideas. Things like Wear A Hat Day are a real thing… and there’s a load more of these days ranging from the really random to the oh so serious.
Testimonials. If you listened to episode 28 of the Small & Supercharged podcast, you will have heard me rave about the power of testimonials – and one place to use these is on your social media. You could publish an image of the person who left the testimonial, then add the copy to your caption, you can create a graphic and use bits of the testimonial on that, or maybe you could combine the two in some clever way? Testimonials can be great for your business or blog… but you have to promote them!

So there you have it, five Instagram post ideas that are super easy to implement and should, hopefully, give you some inspiration. If you need additional help, Sophie Callahan has created a full year’s worth of social media prompts that give you ideas for what to post each day of the year. It might be worth a look!

March 28, 2019/by Rhea Freeman

General Blog Posts, Small business, Social Media

5 reasons Instagram isn’t working for your business…

Do you feel like Instagram isn’t working for your business? That you’re putting in effort and generating nothing in return? You’re not alone. Here, I’m going to give you five reasons Instagram isn’t working for your business, (and therefore five ways to fix it)… and a link to a podcast too, where you can find out more. Are you ready?

You’re focusing in the wrong thing

How do you judge your account’s success? How do you know Instagram isn’t working for your business? The number of people who like it? STOP… followers are great for the ego but you can’t base your success/failure assessment purely on this. Look at engagement. The people who comment on and like your content. The DMs you receive. The conversions to your website. If you’re basing ‘success’ on the number of followers, by that rationale you could just buy more (it’s a thing – don’t do it!) and you’d be winning at life – right? See, you don’t just want followers, you want the *right* followers who are interested in what you do and want to engage.

You’re not being consistent

You know how magazines publish in a regular pattern, not just when they fancy it? You know how TV programmes come out each week/day in a pattern? It’s not just for kicks. Being consistent with your social media is REALLY important… how can you expect loyalty and engagement if people aren’t even sure when you’re going to show up? You don’t have to burn yourself out over this – use scheduling tools to make sure you post consistently as you can schedule a load of content in one hit. But do. If you want your Instagram account to work for your business, you HAVE to be consistent.

Your images are a bit rubbish

Sorry – it had to be said. You don’t need to be a professional photographer to ‘win’ on Instagram, but you do need to take good images. And by good images I mean in focus, accurate, and representative of your brand. Of course, if you can get some professional shots, do, please, but it’s a really good idea to up skill yourself. Take lessons, take a course, Google and watch YouTube videos about it. You don’t need a fancy camera, your phone will be fine, but you need to learn how to use it and how to take pictures that are going to inspire your fans or followers.

You’re not thinking about your captions

Don’t just post a picture and leave your audience hanging – talk to them – include a question or other call to action. On Instagram, you can have pretty long captions that can be used to talk about whatever you want… use them. Separate out paragraphs, use emojis, add value…use that space to engage your fans and followers. If the image you post makes people stop scrolling, a strong caption is the next thing you need to encourage them to comment and engage with what you’re saying or doing.

You’re not USING the app properly

Do you post and run? Do you schedule and never check in? Have you tried any of the functions beyond the grid? I’m a HUGE fan of scheduling, but I still spend a HUGE amount of time on the app after a scheduled post goes like. I comment, answer DMs, add to Stories, look at hashtags and comment on the feeds of others and more. I try out new features, I do a lot of hashtag research. I try new things. If you want it to work for you, use it.

For me Instagram is an essential marketing tool for my business. In addition to my own account, I manage a range of other accounts for clients of all shapes and sizes – into the many tens of thousands, all of who have seen consistent, quality, engaged and genuine growth by following the above. The five reasons your Instagram isn’t working for your business detailed above is all logical – it’s not rocket science at all- and if you take these and change your ways, you’ll be amazed at the difference you see.

If you’d like to learn more about how to use social media to grow your equestrian business, following on from the five points about, have a look at the Small & Supercharged Podcast episode – how to use social media to grow your equestrian business. Enjoy!

February 28, 2019/by Rhea Freeman

General Blog Posts, Small business coaching, Social Media

Instagram stickers you might not use (and why you should)

Have you used Instagram stickers? These can be such a great way to add something extra to your Instagram Story and, actually, encourage engagement too. And that’s what today’s Small & Supercharged Podcast is all about.

In addition to Instagram stickers, I’m also going to talk about GIFs, which can be great things to add to your Instagram Stories, to make them more fun or relatable, or just to add an extra dimension.

Instagram stickers, GIFs and more that you might not use…

In today’s Small & Supercharged Podcast, I talk about Instagram stickers that you might not use, the great things about GIFs, and what you can link to from Stories. Here are the show notes from episode 22, Instagram Stickers you might not know about or use…

I talk about GIFS. I love a GIF. I talk about the kind of GIFs you can use, when and why you could use them, and why you need to keep on brand when adding them.

The Product Tag. I talk about how the Product Tag works, when it’s useful for brands (especially those with under 10k followers). The Product Tag allows people to move from Instagram to your website without having to go to the link in your bio and embark on a rather clunky process. If you have over 10k followers (and a business account) you can have swipe up (which is also good!), but the product tag can provide more information in a shorter amount of time.
The Countdown Sticker. This is a great way to show how much time you have until a launch, event or something else. The Countdown Sticker automatically updates too, so you don’t need to worry that someone looking in 12 hours will be receiving out of date information.
The Poll Sticker. This is not a new thing, but it’s still great. It’s a really good way to get feedback on any question you like (that has two possible answers!). You could ask people what colour they prefer in a piece of clothing, for example, which can be useful and great for engagement. You can also change the ‘yes’ and ‘no’ to words of your choice. Don’t forget, you can share the results of the poll, which can help you with your content creation and, also, shows that you value the opinion of your fans.
The Questions Sticker. This is good for lots of different things. Make sure you guide them with the sticker – sometimes being really broad, like ‘Ask Me A Question’ can be a bit wide, depending on your audience. Try and make it easy for them to ask a question. You can use the Questions Sticker for so many reasons – what’s your favourite event, share a winter must have, etc. Use these instead of Polls when you have more than one possible answer.
Links. Not quite a sticker but (maybe) even better. We talk about what you can use this for. If you have over 10k followers, you can link to a URL, and then swipe up to a page on your or any other website. If you don’t have over 10k followers, you can add a link to an IGTV video, which can be a good way to get it under the noses of your following.

Don’t use the same stickers each time as people will just switch off… and you don’t want that. It can turn something that should be engaging and fun into an annoyance.

So here are six ‘functions’ you can add over your Instagram Stories. Go off, have a play, and I would LOVE you to tag me if you give them a spin. I’m @rheafreemanpr on Instagram, as always!

February 13, 2019/by Rhea Freeman

digital marketing, Equestrian Business, General Blog Posts, Social Media

5 ways to use Instagram challenges

Did you take part in Sophie Callahan’s #jan19ruralbusiness challenge? I dipped in and out (sorry Sophie!), but I did do most of the days and really enjoyed in. At the end of December, I ran a short five day #5thingsimproudof Insta challenge too, so I have experience from both sides of the coin! With this in mind, I thought I would use the opportunity of two recent Instagram challenges to chat about their value and how you can use Instagram challenges for your own gain.

How to use Instagram challenges – five ways…

They inspire you. If you’re feeling a bit ‘meh’ about Instagram, an Instagram challenge can really help. With specific prompts for as long as the challenge lasts, you can use the ideas listed to create your content. Saving you from having to worry about the idea behind the content.
For blogs. Yep – you read that correctly. I launched my Instagram challenge with a blog about five things I was proud of. I did this as a way to explain the challenge. However, a number of people also wrote their own blogs around the theme, which was great. If you can use the prompts or ideas to create additional content, then get on that case!
They can organise you. If you know you need to get images for your challenge, you can look ahead and see which images you have/source the props you need for when you get time to take the images. This can be really useful if you’re a busy bee.
You can use it on other social media platforms too. You might be taking part in an Instagram challenge, but there’s nothing to say you can’t use the prompts on other platforms too.
To connect. Most Instagram challenges are connected by a hashtag. Search that hashtag and you can find others who are also taking part. You might find new people to follow in your field, or new brands to love, And you might get found by these people too.

January 31, 2019/by Rhea Freeman

Business, General Blog Posts, Small business, Social Media

5 things I’m proud of (and I want to hear yours!)

5 things I’m proud of, hey? This might be one of the most self indulgent posts I’ve ever written, so please don’t discount me as an egotistical so and so. If you know me at all, you know I’m not. However, as we look ahead to 2019, I think it’s also important to look at how far we’ve come in our businesses. Do you ever do that?

See, I am a devil for pushing on with things. I’m always looking ahead and onto the next thing. I’ll work my backside off to get it and I’m pleased when I have, but I’ll then assess what’s happened, improve, and move on. Sometimes without so much as ‘yeah- good job’ to myself.

Can you relate to this?

I meet so many business owners who are the same. And that got me thinking. So for the next five days (please join me!), I’ll be sharing five things I’m proud of over on Instagram… and I really would love to know five things you’re proud of. As I said, I’m going to run this over on Instagram (#5thingsimproudof) where I’ll be giving more detail on each of these each day… and I would love you to join me…

5 things I’m proud of…

1 – Two TEDx talks. Being the ‘special’ person I am, I decided getting the first, and not combusting/being heckled or booed, must have been a fluke, so I went again and secured a second at TEDxTelford. I’ve talked about my TEDx talks on my blog before, but I’m really proud of both of these achievements. I know many people have this as a life goal and I would urge you, if you do, to follow it. It did take work to land both, but I think it was a lot easier than many people would have you believe…

2- The Small & Supercharged Podcast. You know when something has been bouncing around your skull for a while and then, even though you’ve spent AGES convincing yourself it’s too difficult, you give yourself a slap? Yep, that’s what happened to me. The Small & Supercharged Podcast is alive and kicking and I’m SO proud of it. I love it.

3- I had a flipping photoshoot. I tell all my clients that they need good quality pics. Because it’s true. But I do not like having my photo taken. And I don’t HAVE to take my own advice now, do I? Well, when Sophie Callahan gifted me a shoot I was kind of screwed as it would be rather rude not to take her up on such an amazing opportunity, wouldn’t it? Well, I had the shoot, and it was incredible, I’ve written all about why having a photoshoot is important and… wait for it… I loved it. I know. I was surprised too.

4- The Small & Supercharged Mastermind Group. This only launched a few months ago but the results that the amazing people inside the group have seen warms my heart. And makes me smile. And I’m so so proud of them all. I can not wait to see the Small & Supercharged Mastermind group grow and develop more during 2019!

5- Getting out of my own way. This year I’ve told my negative self talk to pipe down a bit more… and I can’t recommend it enough. I’ve given a seminar at the Farm Business Innovation Show (which was packed out and people were waiting outside), chaired the PR and marketing panel at the event, worked with the Hiho team on the really successful Style, Skills & Silver event at The Fish Hotel in September and more. If I’d listened to the voice in my head that said ‘I’m not sure you can do this’ I wouldn’t have done any of these things…

I wanted these five points to be specific, rather than ‘grew my business’ or ‘helped other businesses grow’. It does, however, go without saying that I am so, so proud of all the businesses I work with. Working with some of the best businesses in the industry and seeing how hard these people work and the results they achieve is a constant source of inspiration. I know that sounds a bit slushy but it’s true. When you’ve seen people making faux grass boards for selfies, going above and beyond on a customer service level, taking some of the most amazing images you’ve ever seen, designing jaw droppingly beautiful stands and products. Well, it just spurs you on, doesn’t it?

Will you join me and celebrate 5 things you’re proud of?

OK, not me, YOU! Using the #5thingsimproudof hashtag on Instagram I’d love you to join me in celebrating five things you’re proud of between now (27th December) and the end of the year (31st December, inclusive). Each day, I’d like you to post something you’re proud of, using this hashtag. I’d also love you to search the hashtag and support other people using it… who’s with me?

You can find me on Instagram @rheafreemanpr – come and join me and see 2018 out with a bang!

December 27, 2018/1 Comment/by Rhea Freeman

digital marketing, Equestrian Business, General Blog Posts, Social Media

Equestrian Social Media – 5 ways to hide hashtags on Instagram Stories

Did you know that you can use hashtags on Instagram Stories too? Actually, you can hide hashtags on Instagram Stories too!

If you use Instagram at all, you’ll know that hashtags are really important. These nifty little words and phrases prefixed by a # allow your content to be categorised and searched by these terms making it a lot more discoverable.

But what about Instagram Stories? You might not realise, might think that not that many people use them, or might thing they would look ugly. Thing is, you can hide a hashtag on an Instagram Story, which means that more people might be using them than you think… and that they won’t mess up any aesthetic either. So, without further ado, here are five ways to hide hashtags on Instagram Stories.

5 ways to hide hashtags on Instagram Stories…

1 – Colour match. This is particularly good for still images or text based posts on a coloured background. You can type your hashtags in and then just use the colour match option to make the hashtags the same colour as the background. This hides your hashtags. Simples.

2. Make them REALLY small. You can make your list of hashtags really, really small by just pinching them and making them tiny. This doesn’t mean they’re completely hidden from view but depending on the image or video, it’ll make them hard to spot.

3. Put them behind a sticker. For this one, just put your list of hashtags onto your Story and then use a Sticker over the top. Shrink the list down and it’s a lot easier to hide!

4. Put them behind a gif or Emoji. The same as the above applies really – get the hashtags added, decrease their size and pop them under a gif or an Emoji as relevant – and then you’ve hidden them on Instagram Stories.

5. Put them behind a shared story. When people tag you in Stories you usually have the option to share on yours (depending on their settings). When this is the case, you can share at full size, but you can also shrink and rotate the shared image and, if you like, you can pop your hashtags behind it. Good eh?!

These are five easy ways to hide your hashtags on your Instagram Stories. Of course, if you want to use them and not hide them, all power to you! You can even use the hashtag sticker if you like (although this will only allow you to post one). But do give it a spin and have a look and your insights to see if it helps the reach of your Stories, you might be surprised.

Pssst – Episode 8 of the Small & Supercharged Podcast was all about Instagram Stories… you can listen here…

November 15, 2018/by Rhea Freeman

Business, digital marketing, General Blog Posts, Podcast, Social Media

Small & Supercharged Podcast – Let’s talk about Instagram Stories

Well hello there- and welcome to this Small & Supercharged podcast… well, the show notes. To listen to the Small & Supercharged Podcast, you can listen below or you can follow the iTunes link here. Today it is all about Instagram Stories. I adore these. I add to mine every single day and I love the engagement, the comments, the responses and more I get from it. In this Podcast, all about Instagram Stories, I share why I love them, five ways to use them… and there’s a freebie you can download too. I know, I spoil you. Enjoy…

Let’s talk about Instagram Stories…

Let’s talk about Instagram Stories and how you can use them for your small business

Show notes for the Small & Supercharged Podcast – Episode 8 – Instagram Stories. What you’ll hear in this episode..

The difference between Stories and the grid… and the difference in the kind of content you’d post on the two
How Instagram Stories can be used to show the behind the scenes of images you post on the grid
How to access Instagram Stories (sorry if you feel I’m teaching you how to suck eggs. I just think it’s good to make sure everyone can get involved).
We talk through the different kinds of Stories.
Why I usually do Stories when walking the dog (and why you might like to do something similar).
We talk through ‘behind the scenes’ ideas.
How you can use them to share a thought, talk about something you’ve seen and loved… or just #firstworldproblems. Such as when you have a hole in your sock… yeah… I’ve added that to notes too. I’ve not got over that…
We talk about how you can use Instagram Stories to show a process – taking ‘behind the scenes’ to an extra level.
How you can use stickers and how these can encourage engagement and can also create additional content.
Using Stories to show what’s new. You should never use social media as a hard sell, but you should use it to tell your customers, fans and followers about you and what’s new.
I touch on shoppable links and how these can be integrated.
How to hide hashtags in your Stories, and why hashtags are good on Instagram Stories.
And for the freebie – download the pdf here about Five Ways To Use Instagram Stories.
Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram.

If I’ve whet your appetite, I have a few blog posts about them too. To get some tips, tricks and hacks to take your Instagram Stories to the next level, they’re all on this website!

November 7, 2018/by Rhea Freeman

Business, Equestrian & Rural Business Branding, General Blog Posts, Small business coaching, Social Media

Small & Supercharged Podcast Ep 4 – how Kylie Jenner’s Face Filter changed the game

In this episode, we’re talking about Kylie Jenner, augmented reality… and how all this matters to your business! This is a solo show, so we’ll be hanging out for the next few minutes. I hope you enjoy it. So, without further ado… shall we have a chat about Kylie Jenner’s Face Filter, augmented reality… and why I’m very excited about both!

Have a listen here…

Let’s talk about Kylie Jenner, augmented reality and why Face Filters could rock your business

Show notes for the Small & Supercharged Podcast – Episode 4 – augmented reality, Face Filters and Kylie Jenner… what you’ll hear in this podcast episode…

What augmented reality is and how you’ve (probably) already used it.
How Kylie Jenner’s Face Filter didn’t just make me look a whole lot more polished, it also signalled the start of new applications for this function inside an app.
How powerful Instagram really is and how many users it has.
How the Face Filter and its application connects to real life sales.
How filters could help to bridge the gap between the online and in store shopping experience.
How augmented reality could make shopping from home even more realistic and useful than going to a shop.

Don’t forget to subscribe to the Small & Supercharged Podcast so you don’t miss an episode! You can find it on iTunes, Spotify and Podcast Player – just search ‘Small & Supercharged Podcast’ or my name. Another perk of having a weird name!!

October 15, 2018/by Rhea Freeman

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