Category: Social Media Marketing

9 Mistakes Small Businesses are Making on TikTok (and How to Avoid Them!)

So you’re finally ready to get your small business established on TikTok but worried about making mistakes along the way? No worries, we’ve rounded up the most common mistakes small businesses are making on TikTok that you should avoid. Keep reading to learn what small businesses should AVOID and our advice on what your small business SHOULD DO instead when joining TikTok.

1. Not Joining TikTok

The most common (and the easiest to fix!) mistake we see small businesses making when it comes to TikTok is simply not joining the platform! It might feel like you’re already on so many social media platforms but we definitely recommend small businesses create an account on TikTok. Not sure which social media platforms your small business should be active on? Check out this blog post about ‘Why Your Small Businesses Should NOT Be on Every Social Media Platform’.

2. Not Watching TikTok Videos

The next most common mistake we see small business owners making on TikTok is creating an account but never logging in and scrolling through all of the great TikTok videos! It’s not only fun to watch TikTok videos on a regular basis BUT there’s a few key benefits to being active on the platform. By watching videos and interacting with the content you like, TikTok learns your preferences and will customize your ‘For You Page’ with TikTok videos they think you’ll love. Also, watching TikTok videos on a regular basis will help you keep up with all of the fun TikTok trends!

3. Not Creating Video Content

Not creating short-form video content isn’t just a mistake we see small business owners making on TikTok! Short-form videos are the future and there are so many reasons your small business should be creating video content to share on every social media platform, not just TikTok. It’s easy to create high-quality marketing videos for social media with Boosted, the video making app with tons of templates, stock video footage and great music!

4. Creating a Business Account

Okay, so not everyone will agree with this mistake but we think it’s a big no-no for small businesses to create a business account on TikTok. Typically we recommend small businesses to create a business account when joining a new social media platform however, we actually would consider this a mistake when it comes to TikTok. When it comes to social media platforms like Facebook & Instagram, creating a business account will allow you to see more insights and have more capabilities so why would this be a mistake when it comes to TikTok? Well, most of the commercial music that is trending on TikTok aren’t copyrighted for business use so if your small business created a business account you won’t be able to use all of the great, trending songs! We’d recommend joining TikTok as an individual and sharing about your small business through your own personal TikTok account. Read Next: “Why Small Businesses Should Be More Authentic on Social Media”

5. Not Using Trending Songs

Speaking of trending songs on TikTok… it’s a mistake for small businesses (and everyone else!) to not use trending songs on TikTok. If you aren’t familiar with TikTok yet, you’ll quickly learn that music is key to the TikTok experience. Songs start to trend and using trending songs will help increase the reach of your TikTok videos and boost the odds of your small business getting on the FYP faster. Curious about the FYP and why it matters? Read our blog post ‘How to Get Your Small Business Featured on TikTok’s For You Page’ for our best TikTok tips!

6. Not Content Planning

Another mistake we see a lot of small businesses make on TikTok is forgetting to plan out their video content ideas for TikTok. Not sure where to start when it comes to video content planning? Just start scrolling TikTok! Because of all the trends and challenges on TikTok, it’s actually encouraged to ‘copy’ other people’s video content. Check out a few videos in your FYP and see if there’s any videos with trends, challenges or songs that your small business could participate in. Keep a list of ideas as you’re watching, then plan out your content and recreate those videos with your unique spin on it. Looking for more advice when it comes to content planning? You’ll love this article “How to Create a Social Media Content Calendar: A Guide for Small Business Owners”.

7. Giving up on Video Content

If you’ve been trying to make videos within the TikTok app and you are finding it too difficult to create and edit videos on the app, don’t give up on video content all together! We know it can be hard to learn how to edit videos and it can be hard to figure out how to do the transitions and edits within the TikTok app. Instead of giving up on videos if you’re struggling with TikTok, definitely look into an app that makes the video editing process easy, like Boosted’s video making app that helps you create high-quality marketing videos in just a few minutes! Read Next: “16 Essential Video Marketing Tips for Small Businesses in 2021”

8. Not Posting Frequently Enough

A super common mistake that brands of all sizes are making when it comes to TikTok, is not posting frequently enough. TikTok is a quick moving platform and things can start trending quickly so it’s super important to post often. Posting just once or twice a week is definitely not enough – you never know exactly which videos will ‘go viral’ on TikTok so it’s actually best to post as many videos as possible to increase your chances of your videos being watched. We’d even recommend posting as many as 1-2 videos a DAY on TikTok if you’re able to keep up with the content creation.

9. Forgetting to Cross Promote

Okay, so if your small business is on TikTok and you are avoiding all of the mistakes we’ve mentioned so far, great job! The final mistake you’ll want to avoid is forgetting to promote your TikTok account on your other social media platforms. When you are putting in all the effort to create tons of great short-form video content, it would be a shame to not use them across all of your social media platforms! Select a few of your favorite TikTok videos that have done well within the TikTok app and try re-sharing those on Instagram Reels. You can even share the link to a TikTok video on platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn to boost the views on your TikTok videos!

Conclusion

TikTok might seem like a difficult social media platform to stay on top of but most of the mistakes your small business will want to avoid are easy ones to fix. We hope this list helps you successfully get started on TikTok and avoid some of the most common mistakes small businesses make with their TikTok accounts. If you’re looking to learn more about TikTok, definitely check out our articles, “The Ultimate TikTok Marketing Guide for Small Businesses in 2021” and “TikTok Analytics: Everything You Need to Know” for more advice.

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11 Instagram Content Ideas for July 4th

July 4th is upon us! We could all use an opportunity to think about fireworks, BBQs, and pool parties, right?

If your business isn’t based in the USA, it’s still a good idea to acknowledge Independence Day for your American followers.

Here are some content ideas to post on Instagram – both feed and stories – in honor of the 4th of July.

1. Deck out your workspace in red, white, and blue

Decorate your office, studio, or workspace with red, white, and blue streamers, banners, and wall hangings. Capture the festive atmosphere in a video or photo. For stories, try experimenting with Boomerang or Layout. Add some text and fun GIFs, and you’re good to go.

2. Showcase a specialized July 4th product or project

Create something special for the 4th of July. Decorate a cake with stars and stripes, craft some patriotic jewelry, make a red, white, and blue edition of your custom-made quilts — whatever it is. Then, showcase the product or project creatively to your feed and/or stories.

Some DIY inspiration from crafter @amandakingloff (Note that carousel posts are a great format for showcasing step-by-step projects):

https://www.instagram.com/p/BkwI5hBHVS2/

3. Post your favorite patriotic song

Use the music sticker for stories to post a segment of your favorite patriotic song. Don’t have access to the music sticker, or can’t find the song you want? No worries — you can use VideoBoost to create a video with the lyrics you want and add music to the background.

If you’re a musician, consider performing a cover, or even composing an original song in honor of Independence Day, and sharing the content to your feed and stories.

4. Poll your followers about their July 4th plans

One of the great things about Instagram Stories is how easy it is to encourage your followers to interact with you with very little effort. Use the poll, quiz, or question stickers to ask them about their plans for the 4th of July. Are they planning a BBQ? Watching fireworks? Spending the day with family and friends?

5. Share a historical tidbit

Find a historical fun fact about the 4th of July, the War of Independence, or the founding fathers — preferably one that ties into your business somehow.

Pro Tip: when sharing your selected fun fact to stories, summarize it succinctly. Keep in mind that your followers won’t have time to read too much text, so it shouldn’t be much longer than one sentence!

6. Make a 4th of July tutorial

Find a fun 4th of July craft or recipe, preferably one related to your business, and create a tutorial. Here’s a great Independence Day cooking tutorial from food brand @wildwayoflife:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bzf_1x4Himi/

Check out our post on How to Create a Tutorial with Instagram Stories to learn best practices for customizing your tutorial for Stories.

7. Launch a special 4th of July giveaway or sale

Offer a special discount or flash sale, or organize a contest or giveaway! Read our post on How to Run a Successful Instagram Giveaway to learn how and find some ideas.

8. Video your local fireworks show

Who doesn’t love fireworks? Take your smartphone with you to your local fireworks show and capture some good footage. Post your best video to your feed and share some 15-second clips to your Stories, wishing your followers a #happy4thofJuly.

9. Take a photo or slow-mo video of a flag

Is there a flag hanging somewhere near your office, studio, or home? Maybe you can hang one outside your door for this occasion. Get a good shot of it and share it to your feed and/or stories with a Happy Independence Day wish. If it’s blowing nicely in the wind, a slow-motion video of it waving will look particularly cool. Pro tip for stories: You can capture a great slow-mo video using SuperZoom!

10. Post a patriotic quote

Find a patriotic quote that speaks to you and share it with your audience — maybe alongside a photo of the author of the quote, or maybe simply using a red, white, and blue color scheme.

Quote inspiration from home decor small biz @hartandhess:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bk0MiQFAyLA/

11. Red, white, and blue selfie

You can always dress up in red, white, and blue and post a photo of yourself! If you have additional staff at your business, consider posting a team photo with all of you wearing those colors, or waving American flags.

Action Items:

  1. Pick one or more of these ideas that sound like a good fit for your business.
  2. Plan ahead: if you’re planning to issue a specialized product or craft, or to post a graphic or video, start working on it ahead of time so it’s ready for July 4th.
  3. Add your favorite 4th of July Stories to your Highlights so people visiting your profile can check them out!

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11 Instagram Content Ideas for Service-Based Businesses

For service-based businesses without a physical product, creating content for Instagram might sound like a really difficult task. But we’re here to reassure you that there are actually tons of fun, engaging and educational content that service-based businesses need to be sharing on Instagram. And if you are feeling stuck when it comes to brainstorming Instagram content, we’ve got you covered! Keep reading for tons of unique and easy-to-create Instagram content for your service-based business. 

1. Answer FAQ

As a service-based business, you might notice many of your clients and prospective clients have similar questions. Jot down a few commonly asked questions and create a series of posts to share on Instagram weekly or monthly to answer these FAQs. Not only is this the type of high-quality, educational content your clients are craving but it also helps cement you as an expert in your field!

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Emma | Social Media Strategist (@ninety.five.media)

2. Behind the Scenes Video

Who doesn’t love seeing some behind the scenes footage? Next time you are working with a client or wrapping up a project, be sure to quickly record a few short videos or snap a few photos on your phone. Later you can compile these quick clips together to create a fun, BTS video your clients will love! Not sure how to edit video clips together? With the video-making app Boosted, it’s super easy to create videos from photo or video content. Plus, there’s tons of templates, music and font options to create professionally branded videos! Read Next: “16 Essential Video Marketing Tips for Small Businesses in 2021”

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by ADVENTURE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER (@rebekahviola)

3. Client Reviews

Have clients that absolutely love your work? This is the PERFECT content for service-based businesses to be posting on Instagram. You might already have a few client testimonials on your website but in order to help drive potential clients to your website to book your services, you need to be sharing these great reviews on Instagram. So don’t be shy about posting these as often as you can!
 

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Anita | Chartered Accountant 💷 (@goselfemployed.co)

4. Tutorial

As a service-based business, your followers and clients look to you for educational content in your field and a tutorial is the perfect type of quality content your clients will enjoy engaging with. Choose the topic you want to talk about, write out a few step by step instructions and create a few Instagram Stories or carousel tutorial to share on Instagram. Read Next: “7 Secrets For Entrepreneurs to Get The Most Out of Instagram Stories”

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by social⚡️digital⚡️strategy (@lindsaysganga)

5. Mistakes to Avoid

You probably see many of your clients making the same mistakes often. *cringe* Help out your clients and potential clients by (nicely!) sharing a few mistakes people often make with their social media, accounting, fitness, etc and give advice on what they could be doing instead.

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Jess | Branding + Web Design (@graceandoak)

6. Mood Board Monday

If you’re a service-based business in a creative field like photography, graphic design or wedding planning, we have a fun and refreshing type of Instagram content to test out… mood boards! Simply compile a few aesthetically pleasing photos and create a mood board to help your clients get inspired!

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by TORONTO WEDDING PLANNER (@prettyplans.ca)

7. Time to Hire

If you work with a lot of small businesses, it’s a great idea to share a few signs that they are ready to hire you for your services. As a small business owner, sometimes it’s hard to know when it’s the right time to start outsourcing and hire service-based businesses to help you run your business. Let your clients know exactly what you are looking for in clients that are ready to work with you and signs that it’s time for them to hire you!

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Rebrand + Launch Copywriter (@aleisekay)

8. Reading Recommendations

Have any great books you’ve read recently? This is a super easy and fun topic any service-based business could share on Instagram! Select a few books you’ve read recently (brownie points if they are related to your service offering!) and create an Instagram Reel to recommend these books to your clients. Not sure how to create Instagram Reels yet? It’s easy to create high-quality marketing videos in just a few minutes with the video-making app Boosted!
 

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by JENNA | Virtual Fitness Coach (@jennafit_)

9. Pros & Cons

As a service-based business, part of your job is selling your services and a great way to do this is by sharing the pro’s and con’s of using your services. (Hint: Share lots of pros of hiring you!) You can share these in an Instagram caption but creating an Instagram Reel is even more fun and engaging for your clients to watch! Read Next: “13 Instagram Reels Content Ideas for Small Business Owners”

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by SHOSHANA SOCHER | Realtor (@shoshana_socher)

10. Share a Stat

Are there any interesting stats related to your business that your clients might find relevant? Sharing industry-related statistics is an easy and educational piece of content you could share every once in a while on Instagram. Make it visually interesting and be sure to make it clear why you clients should know or care about these statistics. 

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Socialfly (@socialfly)

11. The Lingo

This last idea for Instagram content for service-based business might just be our favorite! There are likely tons of terms you use in your business on a regular basis that are pretty basic to you, but this doesn’t always mean your clients will know the lingo! Share some of the terminology that you use on a regular basis to help your clients learn more about your industry and make it easier for them to communicate with you once they’ve hired you for your services!

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by CL Designs | Graphic Designer (@_clieu)

Has your service-based business created any of these types of Instagram content yet? We hope you enjoyed these ideas and can’t wait to see all of the great content you create! 

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8 Instagram Growth Hacks for Small Business Owners

Looking to grow your small business’ Instagram in 2021? Check out our top 8 Instagram growth hacks specifically for small business owners. We’ve covered it all – from a few small, simple changes you can make to your Instagram strategy, such as hashtag secrets, content ideas and engagement tips, to bigger changes like utilizing ‘secret’ Instagram features, creating video content and knowing how to use the Instagram algorithm to boost growth. 

1. Create Reels – Reels is Instagram’s short-form video feature (similar to TikTok) and is one of our top tips for small business owners to grow their Instagram accounts in 2021. There are SO many types of video content small businesses can create for Reels (get inspired here!) and your customers will love engaging with this type of content. You can create Reels directly within the Instagram app or you can create high-quality marketing videos in just a few minutes with a video-making app like Boosted. Read Next: “The Small Business Owner’s Guide to Instagram Reels.”

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Jo & Rae Co. (@joandraeco)

2. Utilize Hashtags Strategically – If growth on Instagram is one of your goals in 2021, hashtags are a key Instagram growth hacking strategy. You might already be using hashtags, but are you using the best ones to help your small business grow? Don’t just use hashtags with millions of tags – look for more niche hashtags for better reach and to connect with your target audience.

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Social Media Agency (@_hellomedia)

3. Create Shareable Content – Shares are now more valued within the Instagram algorithm, so creating shareable content is more important than ever. A great example of shareable content are simple quote graphics that your community can relate to or find inspiring. Need some help brainstorming content for your small business? We’ve put together a complete content creation guide for small business owners: “Brainstorm 20+ Social Media Content Ideas for Your Business in Less Than an Hour”.

 

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

A post shared by LARK Skin Co. (@larkskinco)

4. Encourage Saves – Just like shares are more valued now within the algorithm, so are saves. Be sure to encourage engagement and don’t be afraid to give specific calls-to-action at the end of your Instagram posts. For example, you can host a giveaway with a requirement to save the post to be entered to win. Or you can even include a small arrow and a CTA to save this post in the bottom right corner of your post.

5. Instagram Guides – Instagram launched ‘Guides’ this past Spring and they’ve recently expanded the feature to everyone. Instagram Guides allow you to curate posts and videos alongside helpful tips and advice. Not only is this great content to share via your Stories, but your Product Guides might even be featured in Instagram Shop, Instagram’s new shopping destination within the Instagram app that helps customers discover new products from brands and businesses like you.

6. Send More DMs – If you want to grow your Instagram account AND make more sales this year, your small business needs to get active in the DMs. Instagram Direct Messages allow you to communicate more personally with your customers, answer questions and build stronger relationships. Here’s everything you need to know about how to utilize Instagram DMs. Read Next: “8 Easy Ways to Get More Instagram DMs From Customers”

7. Engage Before & After Posting – In order for your content to keep showing up prominently in your followers’ feeds and Stories, it’s important to engage with your audience – especially right before and right after you post. Before posting, comment on several posts within your community and after posting, respond to DMs, like old comments, etc to help your account stay relevant in your followers’ newsfeeds!

8. Post to Stories Daily – And last but definitely not least, one of the most important elements to successfully growing your small business’ Instagram account is consistency! You don’t need to post to your Instagram feed every single day, but we definitely recommend posting to your Instagram Stories on a daily basis. This can be something simple like sharing one of your past posts, something you are working on or a quick hello message to your followers. Posting daily to your Instagram Stories lets customers know you’re active on Instagram and will help your content stay relevant in their newsfeeds so they don’t miss any of your posts. Read Next: “7 Secrets For Entrepreneurs to Get The Most Out of Instagram Stories”

We hope that these Instagram growth hacks help you boost your small business’ Instagram followers, engagement and drive more sales! Looking for a few more ideas to improve your Instagram strategy in 2021? Check out our “21 Ideas to Revamp Your Social Media for 2021” article next.

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13 Instagram Reels Content Ideas for Small Business Owners

Whether you’re a service-based business owner or a product-based business owner, there are tons of great video content ideas you could be creating for Instagram Reels. In 2020, Instagram announced the release of Instagram Reels. Reels provides Instagram users and businesses with a new way to create fun and engaging short-form videos. Most small business owners already know the power of being on Instagram – with over one billion monthly active users on the platform, it’s a smart move for business owners to focus marketing efforts on Instagram. 

If your business is already active on Instagram but hasn’t posted a Reel just yet, now is the time! Don’t let lack of content inspiration hold you back – read on for 13 Instagram Reels content ideas you can create for your business, anytime.

Why Now is the Perfect Time to Create Instagram Reels

Instagram recently shared that mobile-shot Stories ads have a 63% chance of outperforming studio-shot ads – which means your small business can make a huge impact with videos created on your phone.

And most excitingly, Instagram JUST announced the release of new and improved insights for Instagram Reels to help your small business know exactly how your Reels content is performing. With the new Reels insights, business owners can see important new metrics like Accounts Reached, Plays, Likes, Comments, Saves and Shares. The new Instagram Reels Insights will show users specific metrics like what kinds of accounts they’re reaching with their Reels and which content formats are most engaging with their audience.

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Instagram’s @Creators (@creators)

13 Instagram Reels Ideas for Product & Service-Based Small Business Owners

1. Share your favorite tools – As a business owner, you’ve likely tried and tested quite a few things to help you be most productive and keep your business operating smoothly. So why not share these learnings with your followers? Sharing some of your favorite tools that you use in your business is a great idea for an Instagram Reel and something you could create every few weeks to share new tools and tips that you’ve recently been using.

2. BTS photoshoot – Photoshoots aren’t just for photo content! Whether you’re doing a big shoot with new products or a small DIY photoshoot for Instagram content, this is a great opportunity to create a Reel. Be sure to take a few quick videos during the photo shoot to create an Instagram Reel showing the Behind the Scenes of your business’ shoot.  

3. How to book – For service-based businesses, an important Instagram Reel video you should create is telling potential customers how to book your services. Provide a simple step-by-step video explaining exactly where customers can book your services and what to expect after they’ve booked. This might just be the final thing that helps push interested customers to hit ‘buy!’

4. Your story – As a business owner, you have a unique and powerful story that deserves to be shared and celebrated. No matter what your story is or how long you’ve been running your business, a great video for Instagram Reels is a short video sharing your story. This will not only will help your customers get to know you better, it can also provide motivation for your followers and fellow business owners.

5. Answer a FAQ – Do your customers ask you a lot of questions? If you seem to be responding to a lot of comments or DM’s with similar questions, this is something you have to create an Instagram Reel about! Your customers frequently asked questions provide you with important insights into things they need to know about your business and their interests. Keep track of FAQ’s and create several Instagram Reels to answer all of your followers’ questions.

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by NIKKI // FIT & NUTRITION COACH (@nicoleprins)

6. Show off your fave products – Do your customers know which of your products are your favorites? Create a fun Instagram Reel video to share some of your favorite products and styling tips with your customers! They will love learning which ones you like best and getting some styling ideas directly from the person behind the brand.

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Bodomint | Diaper Bags (@bodomint)

7. Mistakes to avoid – Who doesn’t want help avoiding mistakes? Whether you’re a product-based or a service-based business, you can share mistakes you’ve made along your entrepreneurial journey or common mistakes you see customers making. Just be sure to keep your Reel informative and helpful to avoid making anyone feel judged.

8. Share some of your recent work – Obviously you should be showing off your recent work all the time as a business owner, but have you created an Instagram Reel yet to share some of your work? We love this content idea because it’s a great way to promote your products or services on a regular basis and is genuinely interesting to your customers. For the most engaging Reel, try picking your very favorites and share why you love them.

9. Perks of being your customer – Do you like to surprise and delight your customers and clients? Let potential customers know about a few of the fun and special perks they can enjoy as your client. Not only does this show how much you care about your customers, but it also helps people who are interested in buying from you in the future picture how enjoyable it would be to work with you.

10. Pick a style – A great Instagram Reel content idea to show off your products in the most engaging way is to round up several different products and ask your followers to pick their favorite! Instagram users love polls and quizzes and this is a fun way to take the voting element everyone loves and apply it to your Instagram Reels.

11. Share your struggles & successes – Everyone knows it’s not easy being a business owner! If you’re looking to create more raw, authentic Instagram content, you could share some of your struggles and successes over the past year on Instagram Reels. Being open with your customers helps them be more empathetic, feel like they know you personally and creates a stronger bond over time. 

12. Your top tips – Is there anything you wish you had known earlier in your entrepreneurial journey? These insights and learnings are valuable content to share with your customers. You can create an Instagram Reel video talking to the camera about something you’ve learned or put together a quick roundup sharing your favorite tips you’ve mastered along the way.

13. Announce a sale – Last but not least, you can announce a sale with Instagram Reels! Customers obviously love sales and we love the idea of sharing the news of an upcoming sale through Instagram Reels to get your customers even more excited. You can share behind-the-scenes of prepping for the sale or details about the sale like how much the discounts are and when the sale ends.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CPRUfWYneMa/

There are so many ways for your customers to learn more about you and your business through Instagram Reels.  And we hope you take full advantage! If you’re looking for a tool to create Reels with, check out Boosted – the video-marketing app for professional templates with stock photos, fonts, music and more that makes it quick and easy to create quality, on-brand Reels for your brand.

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5 Social Media Content Ideas for National Small Business Week

Happy National Small Business Week! This year, National Small Business Week takes place from May 2-8, 2021. NSBW celebrates the 31.7 million small businesses across the United States. Small business owners have hustled hard this past year to keep their businesses alive and deserve this week of recognition more than ever. 

Wondering how you can celebrate this occasion for your brand on social media? Here are 5 creative and engaging content ideas for NSBW.

1. Inspire your audience with actionable ways to support small businesses 

Share specific and actionable ideas with your audience as to how they can support their favorite local businesses – during NSBW and beyond. For example, here are 5 ways to encourage your audience to support their neighborhood pizzeria: 

– Buy pizza from them once a week / once a month etc. instead of eating out at a bigger, national chain 

– Be sure to tip your server or deliveryperson  

– Purchase a gift card for a friend

– Give the pizzeria a shoutout on your Instagram Stories next time you visit 

– Leave a positive review on their Facebook page

No matter what industry you’re in, you can create a post or video on this topic. Here are some posts to help inspire your content:

2. Share your own small business journey 

How did you (and your business) get to where you are today? NSBW is a great time to reflect on your journey and celebrate your successes as a small business owner. Share a post or video detailing your story. Some questions and prompts to help get you started: 

– When did you start your business? What motivated you to initially start your business?

– What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced as a small business owner?

– What is your why – what keeps you motivated as a biz owner day after day? 

– Share 3 things that your customers may not know about you.

– Be sure to thank the people who helped you along the way, whether that’s friends, family and/or customers.

Here are some great posts from small business owners sharing their own biz journeys:

3. Create a video in honor of National Small Business Week 

Spread your NSBW message across social media with an eye-catching video! People are twice as likely to share video content with their friends, compared to any other type of content. 

If you’re new to video content creation for social media, don’t worry! Boosted, the video creation app with professional, ready-to-go templates, has a unique template in honor of the occasion that you can customize for your own brand in only minutes: 

4. Create an Instagram Guide of your favorite small business products & services

Instagram Guides is a new Insta feature that enables users to share tips, insights & longer-form content. Consider creating a Guide of a roundup of products and / or services you love from various local businesses⁠. Within Guide Types, you can select either Products or Posts to create this type of Guide. 

Check out our post here for more insights on how to create your own Instagram Guide: 

5. Enter the #GrowWithBoosted Challenge 

We’re hosting a special-edition #GrowWithBoosted Challenge over on our Instagram (@boosted_by_lightricks) in honor of National Small Business Week. Enter the challenge this week for the chance to win a $500 Amazon Gift Card or lifetime access to Boosted Premium!

Here are all the details you’ll need to enter: 

We hope that these ideas help inspire your brand’s social media content in honor of National Small Business Week 2021! Be sure to check out our blog for more social media marketing insights for your small business.

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9 Mistakes Small Businesses Are Making on Instagram Stories (And How to Fix Them)

There are so many reasons for small business owners to utilize Instagram Stories. Stories offer a quick, convenient way to share short-form content on-the-go to easily engage with your customers on a daily basis.

But when it comes to Instagram Stories, there are several common mistakes we often see small business owners making. We’ve rounded up the nine most common mistakes small businesses are making with their Instagram Stories, along with tips on how to fix them.

1. Not using Stories at all

One of the biggest mistakes small businesses can make when it comes to Instagram, is not using Instagram Stories at all! There are so many benefits for small businesses when it comes to Instagram Stories – Stories are an easy way to engage with your customers daily, drive more traffic to your website and create quality content quickly.

2. Not branding your Stories

Just because Stories don’t have a permanent spot on your feed doesn’t mean that they can’t be customized and beautifully branded! The simplest way to make your Instagram Stories feel on brand is to always use your brand colors. Did you know that you choose any color you want on Instagram Stories? Simply upload an image that has your brand colors to your Instagram Story, then use the drawing tool to tap and hold to select custom colors.

Read Next: ‘5 Ways to Make Your Instagram Stories Stand Out’

3. Not using Instagram Shopping

If you are a product-based small business, you should definitely be using the Instagram Shopping feature. This enables you to tag your products in your Instagram Stories to make it super easy for your customers to shop your products  directly through Instagram. In order to use the Instagram Shopping feature to tag your products in posts and Stories, you’ll have to get your Instagram account approved then set up a catalogue of your products through Facebook. Learn how to set up Instagram Shopping here.

 4. Not posting videos

Short-form video content is extremely popular and highly engaging – which is why it’s a huge mistake if your small business isn’t sharing videos on your Instagram Stories! Photos might seem like the easiest type of content to create and share but a tool like Boosted makes it simple to create high-quality videos, quickly and easily. Boosted has tons of beautiful templates and stock footage to choose from. And you can easily customize the colors, fonts and logo to create a branded, custom video for Instagram Stories in just a few minutes!

Read Next: ‘7 Creative Ways to Use Video on Social Media’

5. Not including Instagram Stickers – When you upload a photo or video to your Instagram Stories, there’s a wide variety of Instagram Stickers you can choose from. Instagram Stickers are easy to include in your Stories and can make your Instagram Stories more engaging for your customers. So, which stickers are the best for your small business to use? Try using the question and quiz stickers to ask your followers a question – this is a great way to get feedback directly from your customers!

6. Not using hashtags – One mistake small businesses make when it comes to Instagram Stories is thinking that hashtags are just for feed posts. However, using hashtags on your Stories is an important step that many business owners forget! There are two ways to include hashtags in your Instagram Stories and you should be using both.

The first is the Instagram Hashtag Sticker – this is a sticker that your followers can click to view more posts under that hashtag. (This will help your Instagram Story reach even more people too!) And the second way is a great Instagram Story hack that every small business owner should know about – you can copy and paste a paragraph of related hashtags into the font option and make the font the same color as the background or hidden behind a GIF. These ‘hidden hashtags’ are another way to help boost your Instagram Stories to more potential customers.

Read Next: ‘7 Secrets For Entrepreneurs to Get The Most Out of Instagram Stories’

7. Not sharing your feed posts – Once you’ve shared a post to your feed, you should be sharing it to your Instagram Stories as well! Many small business owners forget to promote their content and sharing your posts to your Instagram Stories is a free way to help boost both the reach and engagement on all of your Instagram posts. By sharing your post to Instagram Stories, your followers will be more likely to see and engage with your post right after you’ve posted it (which is an important strategy when it comes to the Instagram algorithm!).

8. Not posting daily

As a small business owner, it isn’t realistic for you to post on your Instagram feed every day, but you also don’t want to make the mistake of not posting daily to your Instagram Stories. The beauty of Instagram Stories is how simple it is to create and share content. Some days you might post more often on Instagram Stories than others, but you should make an effort to post something to your Instagram Stories every single day, even if it’s just a quick check in to say hi to your followers, an inspirational quote or even sharing a relevant past Instagram post.

Read Next: ‘How Many Times a Day Should You Post to Instagram Stories?’

9. Not saving Stories to Highlights

Last but not least – the final mistake that small business owners are making when it comes to Instagram Stories is forgetting to save their Stories to their Instagram Story Highlights. The Story Highlights feature allows you to organize Stories you’ve previously posted into easy-to-access collections directly under your Instagram bio. When you’ve created great Instagram Stories with helpful info for your customers, it’s a shame to let them disappear forever after 24 hours. Utilizing Instagram Story Highlights helps your customers quickly find the content they are looking for, drive more traffic to your website and provide another way to engage your followers.

Read Next: ‘How to Use Instagram Story Highlights Strategically as a Small Business Owner’

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The Ultimate TikTok Marketing Guide for Small Businesses in 2021

By now it’s almost impossible to have never heard about TikTok – the new social media platform that Generation Z is obsessed with. If you’re considering checking out TikTok to help your small business grow, we’ve got you covered! Keep reading for the Ultimate TikTok Guide for Small Businesses in 2021 – covering all of the basics, tips for how to succeed on TikTok, video content ideas and more. 

Ultimate TikTok Guide: What is TikTok?

In the most basic terms, TikTok is a social media app to watch and create short videos. TikTok calls themselves the “destination for short-form mobile videos” and they’ve been gaining popularity extremely quickly. In 2020, TikTok was the most popular app downloaded globally and in 2021, it is now the sixth largest social network.

Short-form video content is king in 2021 and TikTok proves it – the ideal video length for the platform is 15 seconds. TikTok users can record a short 15-second video within the app with a maximum length of 60 seconds. Not sure how to create your own videos within the app? Here’s a video tutorial from social media expert Rachel Pedersen that will walk you through the process:

Check out the next section of our Ultimate TikTok Guide for Small Businesses to learn all of the TikTok basics like terminology and features!

The TikTok Basics Small Businesses Need to Know

It wouldn’t be an Ultimate TikTok Guide if we didn’t cover the basics, right? If you’re not familiar with TikTok yet, here are a few basic terms and features you’ll want to know about to help you better navigate the platform.

FYP: FYP is TikTok’s lingo meaning “For You Page.” The FYP is TikTok’s version of a “homefeed” within the platform. As soon as you open TikTok, you will land on your “For You Page” and will be able to immediately begin scrolling and watching videos. What’s unique about the FYP is that you won’t only see videos from TikTok accounts you follow, you will also automatically be shown videos that TikTok thinks you will enjoy. Learn how to get your small business featured on TikTok’s FYP here.

Music: TikTok isn’t the type of app you can enjoy without sound – music makes up a huge part of the fun of the video app! TikTok is integrated with Apple Music and they have a massive music library full of all your favorite songs and sounds. Keep an eye out for sounds and music that are trending within TikTok: these are the audio clips that are most popular on the app at the moment and are an important element to growing on the platform.

Filters & Effects: You can do a lot of fun things with your video content within the TikTok app. Within the app, there’s everything from filters, visual effects, transitions, stickers, GIFs, text overlay and more. Play around with some of the effects, but don’t feel pressured to use them in every video you create – some of the top trending TikToks don’t use any effects!

Trends & Challenges: Something unique about TikTok’s platform is the way the content shifts based on trends and challenges that are popular at the moment. A TikTok trend could simply be the use of a trending song with your own spin on it. There are also dancing trends, hashtag challenges and more. The thing these all have in common is the way users are encouraged to “copy” a trend by creating a TikTok with their own twist.

Live: Most social networks now have some feature that enables users to ‘go live’ and broadcast in the moment. TikTok’s Live feature is similar to going live on Instagram or Facebook, but for now this feature is only available to accounts that have 1,000 subscribers or more.

Advertising: TikTok also offers a variety of ways for brands to advertise on the social network. There’s everything from in-feed video ads, branded hashtags and challenges with branded pages. TikTok advertising can be pretty pricey, so for now it’s mostly large brands with big marketing budgets that are paying to play on TikTok. Here’s our guide on everything you need to know about advertising on TikTok.

Why Small Businesses Should Care About TikTok

Some brands aren’t taking TikTok seriously yet because it’s an app known for having younger users. The reality is though that TikTok is a powerful platform growing among all demographics. While Gen Z is the largest user demographic on TikTok currently, it’s important to remember that most social media platforms tend to gain popularity among younger users first (just like Facebook and Instagram did!).

Not only is the platform itself growing – short-form video content is increasing in popularity across every platform. Customers today love video – in fact, the average consumer is now watching 16 hours of video in just one week!

It’s also been reported that 86% of customers would like to see more video content from brands. If you aren’t sure where to start with video content creation for your small business, tools like Boosted can help you create professional videos to grow your brand on TikTok, Instagram and beyond.

Not only is it important for your small business to create more video content, but it’s also important to care about TikTok as a platform – whether you are creating videos or consuming them. TikTok sets many trends for the type of video content that consumers enjoy, so even if you prefer to create and edit video content outside of the TikTok app, it’s still important for your business to be aware of what’s happening within the platform itself.

Small Business Guide: How to Get Started on TikTok

If you understand the value of TikTok for small business owners, but aren’t sure where to begin, we’ve got you covered. Here are seven simple steps to help your small business get started on the platform.

1. Create an account: TikTok is an app that you can download from the Google Play or App Store. Simply install the app, select a method to sign up and create an account.

2. Complete your profile: Setting up your TikTok profile is similar to other apps. You’ll want to create a username, add a profile photo and a short bio. Keep in mind that TikTok only allows up to 80 characters for your bio.  

3. Link to other socials: If you’d like to use TikTok to help grow your small business, it’s important to link your other social media accounts that you might be more active on within your TikTok profile. It’s easy to link to your Instagram within the TikTok app. Doing so helps users find another way to easily connect with your brand.  

4. Watch videos on TikTok: There’s a ton of different types of videos on TikTok! One of the most important steps to getting your small business started on TikTok is a fun one – simply watch lots of videos! This is the best way to learn how consumers are using and enjoying the app. To find out what type of content other small business owners are creating, check out #smallbusinesscheck, #smallbusinessowner & #smallbusinesstiktok.

5. Follow a few accounts: As you are watching some TikTok videos, you’ll want to start following a few accounts as well. Focus on finding some of your social media connections you’ve built on other platforms and following them on TikTok also. You should also try to follow accounts in your niche. 

6. Engage with videos: Once you’ve started following accounts, it’s important to engage with videos that pop up on your FYP. By liking and commenting on videos, TikTok will begin to learn what type of content you enjoy seeing. Then, the platform will start showing you even more content that you’re interested in, which makes the TikTok experience super personalized to you, unique and more enjoyable!  

7. Make your first TikTok! And finally, after you’ve set up your profile, watched several videos and engaged on TikTok, it’s time to actually make your first TikTok video! Don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be perfect. And if you are having trouble figuring out how to record and edit videos within the TikTok app (it can be difficult!) don’t forget you can upload video content created outside of the app. Boosted has tons of video templates to help you create high-quality TikTok video in just a few minutes.

Here’s a great TikTok on the topic from social media strategist @jera.bean:

@jera.bean

How to make your FIRST TikTok video #tiktok101 #howtotiktok #tiktoknewbie #tiktoktutorial #howtomakeatiktokvideo #howdoitiktok #tiktokhelp

♬ original sound – Jera Foster-Fell

Tips & Tricks for Small Businesses to Succeed on TikTok

It wouldn’t be the Ultimate TikTok Guide for Small Businesses without sharing all of our favorite tips and tricks for small business to succeed on TikTok! Keep reading to learn a few key strategies to help boost your small business’ presence on TikTok.

Cross Promote Socials: While you can’t usually add your website to your TikTok profile, you can (and should!) cross promote your other social media accounts that do drive traffic to your website. Cross promote your Instagram easily by linking it in your profile or adding your IG handle at the end of your TikTok videos.

Post Often: While some TikTok videos go viral overnight, it can take a lot of work to create a strong presence on TikTok for your small business. It’s important to post on TikTok often to help your small business grow and succeed on the platform.

Find a Niche: Niche content does extremely well on TikTok. As you are watching videos, see what niches other users are focusing on and begin thinking about how you can create content for your own niche.

Get Good Lighting: Videos don’t have to be perfect on TikTok! Users expect and want authentic videos that look like the average person could have created them. That being said, it’s still important to have good lighting and overall good quality for your videos.

Use Trending Sounds:  If your TikTok videos use a trending sound, it will increase the chances of your videos being shown on more people’s FYP. Simply save a song from any video you’re watching to use the sound or you can search trending sounds in TikTok’s playlists when you are looking for a sound to add to your video.

Be Authentic: While consumers might want more video content from brands, they don’t want salesy videos, especially on TikTok! Be sure to create relatable content, be authentic and avoid creating videos that seem like ads.

Engage Frequently: And finally, don’t forget to engage often. TikTok is a social network after all! Engaging with content you like not only helps customize your FYP even more, but it’s a great way to build connections and grow your own following as well. And most importantly, if someone is commenting on your small business’ videos, be sure to like and comment back! 

29 TikTok Video Ideas for Small Businesses

Now that you know the TikTok basics and all of the tips & tricks you’ll need for your small business to succeed on TikTok, it’s time to start creating! As we mentioned before, it’s a great idea for you to find a niche to post about on TikTok. There are tons of small business owners on TikTok and some of their top trending videos are super simple TikToks showing the behind the scenes of running their small business.

We’ve put together a great list of questions or thought starters for you to begin brainstorming a list of video content ideas to create and post on your small business’ TikTok account. For even more TikTok video content ideas, read our “41 TikTok Video Ideas For Small Businesses” blog post next.

Who: 

– Who are you? 

– Who works with you?

– Where do you work? (Show off your workspace!) 

– Why did you launch your small business? 

– Why are you so passionate about what you do? 

What: 

– What is your small business? 

– What are your products/services? 

– What are your most popular products/services?

– What does a day in your life as a business owner look like?

– What does your inventory look like?

– What does it take to run your business? 

– What are some lessons you’ve learned along the way?

– What are tools you use to run your small business?

How:

– How did you start your business? 

– How do you make your products/services?

– How do you package your products/services? 

– How do you manage inventory? 

– How do you market your services? 

– How do you run your small business?

We hope our Ultimate TikTok Guide for Small Businesses has been helpful! It can seem overwhelming to learn the ins and outs of a whole new social media network but once you’ve learned the basics, explored all of the amazing TikTok features and have created several videos to boost your small business, it won’t seem so difficult. If you need help creating video content to post on TikTok (or any social media platform!) be sure to check out Boosted.

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Should Your Small Business Join Clubhouse? Here’s Everything You Need to Know

By: Cori Widen, Product Marketing Lead at Boosted by Lightricks

Clubhouse is the newest social platform on the scene – and it’s already been making quite the impact. As of February 2021, the app had 10 million global downloads. 

⁠We know what you’re probably thinking – another social media platform!? Should I download the app and check it out? Better yet – should I be creating a Clubhouse marketing strategy for my business? To help inform your decision, here’s everything you need to know about Clubhouse as a small business owner. 

6 Fast Facts About Clubhouse 

Here’s are 6 fast facts about the platform to help get you acquainted: 

1. Who has access to the platform? Clubhouse is still in beta-testing and is currently available only for iOS. The app is invite-only. According to their website, you can “sign up to see if you have friends on Clubhouse who can let you in.” ⁠

2. Audio-only – Clubhouse is an audio-only platform. It’s best described as having an ‘interactive podcast feel.’ ⁠The fact that Clubhouse is audio-only truly sets it apart from other social platforms, which are all visual by nature. The only photos that exist on the platform are users’ profile pictures. 

3. How it works – When you open the app, you’ll have a choice of various ‘rooms’ to enter. When you join a room, you’ll automatically be connected to its live audio. Each room has a host and co-hosts who lead the conversation. Interested participants can raise their hands to join the discussion. You can enter and exit different rooms as you please. 

Here’s an engaging app walkthrough from marketer Ben Leavitt:

4. Focus: value – The conversations that take place on Clubhouse provide value across all topics & industries. ⁠There are rooms on virtually every topic imaginable – from public health to business tips and augmented reality. 

5. Big names – Many celebs & entrepreneurs are helping spread the Clubhouse hype – including Oprah, Drake, Mark Zuckerberg and Gary Vaynerchuk. Clubhouse gives its users the chance to network and engage directly with figures they’d never normally be able to. ⁠

⁠6. Rise of audio-only – Other social platforms are noticing the rapid rise in popularity of audio-only social networking. To this end, Twitter recently introduced Spaces. According to the @TwitterSpaces bio, ‘Twitter Spaces is where live audio conversations happen. We’re in test mode but rolling out soon. Stay tuned!’ Facebook is also reportedly working on its own Clubhouse competitor.

So, Should I Join Clubhouse as a Small Business Owner?

⁠You have the unique opportunity now to join a platform in its beginning stages. We recommend trying to score an invite, creating an account & getting a feel for the app! If you’re an Android user or haven’t been able to access an invite just yet, don’t worry. According to the company blog, the platform is “…working hard to scale Clubhouse as fast as we can and open it up to everyone soon.”

If you do try out Clubhouse and feel like it’s the right fit for you and your business, get involved! Join rooms that match your niche & interests. Raise your hand & participate in conversations. Network with other like-minded business owners and entrepreneurs. You never know what you’ll learn, or who you’ll meet! 

Who knows – maybe you’ll even be hosting your own room one day, sharing your expertise. ⁠

Cori Widen is the Product Marketing Lead at Boosted by Lightricks. She has been leading product marketing campaigns and doing qualitative market research in the tech industry for 10 years.

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