The Only Social Media Algorithm Hack You Need Is Consistency

I don't know about you, but there's nothing I love more than when random people pop up in my DM's to share with me all these social media “hacks” that are guaranteed to bring you so many followers, traffic, and how to keep the algorithm happy.

Y'all, I don't care about social media algorithms, and you shouldn't either. I feel like all of this hyper-focused energy on trying to keep the algorithm happy has made us lose our joy for why we joined Instagram or any other social media platform in the first place.

On your gravestone, it is not going to read, “ Here lies XX, they had 100K followers and a viral Reel in 2022.”

 The only “hack” that I have found that brings in more leads and has the potential to triple sales is

C O N S I S T E N C Y.

 I believe that whoever is meant to find your business will find your business. Trying to fight artificial intelligence is a losing battle.  It seems like, as a collective, we've lost sight of why we're on social media because hardly anyone is being social. 

 When you implement consistency, consistency builds trust. Trust builds a relationship. Relationships create money transactions. 

Consistently posting, Consistently engaging with comments, Consistently finding and engaging with new people, and building a connection is the basis of all business.

Legitimate connection is at the heart of all of this. Let's bring fun back to Instagram, create content that excites you, not something that some guru with a team tells you works for them. 

What works for one account probably won't work for another. 

A little progress each day adds up to big results.

How To Make Your Social Media Accessible For The Deaf Community

If you aren't captioning your stories or videos, you're probably leaving money in the scroll.

I don’t know about you, but I do not know too many people whose phone volume is turned up when watching Instagram stories.  One of my favorite things to do is sit places and watch how other people consume social media. Observing helps me understand how people interact with the platforms and allows me to alter posts for the demographics I am targeting on behalf of clients.

For example, during lunchtime, I notice single people eating their lunches but scrolling Instagram stories without sound. You are getting tapped on by if you are talking during your Instagram stories and not captioning them.  If people do not have their earbuds, most likely they do not have the sound on. They will not be that person sitting by themselves with their phones sounds up for all the cafe to hear what it is precisely they are listening to; Especially when they aren’t sure what the account will be saying.

I have observed when people are out in public and scrolling while they are waiting for a table, picking up an order, or whatever else they could be waiting for, they will not turn up the volume just to listen to your story. They also are even less likely to go back and find your account to watch when they are in the comfort of their home. If you had the captions turned on, they would watch and read them, but you are getting tapped to the next without captions. 

Another reason to caption your stories and videos is that not everyone in the world can hear. Making your social posts accessible to all communities is an excellent way to show that your brand supports inclusivity when you caption your posts. This deaf community uses screen readers to correct the words and context of your videos because the screen readers pick up the words in the captions. 

Federal laws require closed captioning — or subtitles you can turn on and off — to be offered on broadcast television, including on live programming. But those laws, like so many others, were crafted before social media exploded and have not been extended in most cases to the user-dominated Internet. 2020 favorite and gaining in marketing popularity Tik Tok doesn’t even offer a closed caption feature; you manually need to type your captions in if you decide to use them. 

There is plenty of caption creator software out there, and Instagram even offers a caption sticker within the app itself; which side pro-tip, watch your videos back and read through the captions to see how accurate they are at translating your words. 

Hard of hearing or deaf social media users are part of the human condition, please consider them and the visually impaired community when creating video content. 

The Instagram Algorithm Is Not Human Plus Predictions For The "New" Algorithm

For the past few months, I’ve heard many business owners complain about how the Instagram algorithm hates them. Then they start “dressing” up their posts all fancy and out of character to impress some mystical human entity sitting at a wall of monitors somewhere in Silicon Valley that is swiping left on you. As if to deliberately doom your success because you just aren’t “fancy” enough. 

People, that is NOT what is happening!  

The algorithm is not this human entity gatekeeper holding you back from hitting all of your business dreams and goals. The hard pill to swallow is that your tiny piece of content is competing with 60 million other tiny pieces of content. Twenty million of which are dog/animal videos, and we all know how much joy falling down the rabbit hole of animal videos brings to our day.

Here’s the deal instead of focusing on getting all glammed up and impressing the algorithm, why aren’t you putting that time and attention into getting all glammed up and keeping the attention of the actual humans who are following you, purchasing from you, telling their friends about you, and overall resonating with you? 

There has been so much talk and hype lately about the Instagram algorithm going back to having the option to choose a chronological feed. While this could be beneficial, I want you to remember that this current type of algorithm also serves new people who’ve interacted with posts and brands similar to yours, your little slice of content. Don’t get me wrong; I am pumped that a chronological feed option is coming back, but we aren’t going back in time; I’m sure there will be a catch with most things that are Free to use. 

For example, Mosseri (head of Instagram) did an Instagram Live about how there will be three different options to curate your feed. 

You will have three feed options at some point here in 2022:

Home:  Your default and algorithm-based feed, which he says should have more recommendations in the future as in accounts you don’t always follow-hello Tik Tok based.

Favorites: You will create a list of all the accounts you don’t want to miss.

Following: This is the chronological feed you all have been asking for.

My predictions:

1. The hottest call to action at some point this year will be “Add us to your favorites.”

2. You will have absolutely no idea which feeds your customers favor using and where you fall into that, so you will have to figure out how to get scroll stopped on them all.

3. The hottest story poll is going to be “ What feed do you scroll most, Home, Favorites or Following.”

4. This will take up much more time because now people have three feeds to scroll.

5. Stories will become even more critical because it sounds like they will live on all three feeds, but who knows.

6. If you were complaining about engagement before, these changes would possibly negatively affect it. Content that stops the scroll will be even more clutch.

If you need any more of a reminder that the algorithm is not human, here you go, you are working against a machine. 

Like any new changes, we will have to wait and see when it gets out of the test phase and adapt when implemented. But the one thing that I know works through the eight years I have been doing this, communicating to the other humans in a way that resonates. 

If You Don't Post It To Social Media Does It Mean It Didn't Happen?

"I don't give a fuck; Twitter ain't a real place." Dave Chappelle

Last night I watched the “controversial” final Dave Chappelle special on Netflix, and this quote got me thinking that he's right. Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram aren't real places.

We put all of this value, worth, and expectations of our "Human Experience" on these places that aren't even real. They aren't the next town over; they aren't a plane ride away; it's a place made of nothing and everything at the same time that one day we could wake up and it would be gone.

Last week I went to Red Rocks, and with the first hint that the band was coming on, almost the entire crowd pulled out their phones, slid over to the video setting of their camera, and tapped start. They were watching the concert through their phone when they were at Red Rocks, one of the top concert venues in North America.

Instead of choosing to be in the moment and have a human experience in a real place, they chose to have that experience through their phone. Watching this happen makes me wonder whether we are who we present online, or are we indeed who we are when we are walking around in real life.

We put all of this effort into being in real places but creating images or videos to share to this non-existent place to make us look the way we want the world to perceive us. And it makes me wonder just how much of the experience we are experiencing and how much of going to a place is to side brag to our followers that we've been there. If we don't filter and post our experience to social media, does it mean that it didn't happen in real life?

It may sound like I am hating on the social media spoon that feeds me when that's quite the contrary. I have been talking a lot in person about the core purpose of social media, and after 2020, many people are ready to jump the ship, and when people say that to me, I remind them that social media is a "necessary evil." The foundation of the social platforms is still there; with every user's post, it gets buried a little deeper down, but there is still an opportunity there to connect with like-minded people.

The fact is that your business does need to have a presence on social media. Social media is one of the top three search engines, and you want your business to show up on social media to connect with the searcher. Still, it's also true that you don't have to give up your human experience to do social media well.

When businesses hire me for coaching or management, my superpower is that each post, story, reel, email, or digital piece of information your brand puts out there translates to how the viewer, customer, or client would feel when they are around your real-life energy and the energy of your establishment.

Many people think that I will come in and turn your marketing upside down when I'm only coming in to redecorate the walls. You have a following because your voice has been established, and you, your voice, and your vision are why people have invested in you. The only change will be a decluttering to find the message, consistently share that message, and a zhuzhing of your visual assets.

If you live your most authentic human experience in worlds that don't exist, you are not doing your marketing wrong. You're doing it differently, and people stop their scroll for different. Every independently owned business is unique to the person who operates it, whether IRL or a made-up digital world, hold your uniqueness.

Instagram Reels Are A Commercial For Your Business

It’s time to start thinking about Reels as a commercial for your business.

When I am uninspired I will turn on the tv, that’s right the good old tv. Not streaming, I’m talking the alphabet networks where you are forced to watch the commercials because the commercials can inspire you.

It was in the midst of the commercials where I realized that Reels are just bite-sized commercials for your business.

The big chatter lately is about Instagram Reels and while I do love a good reel and see the significance of them bringing in new viewers it’s time to start looking at them as an old-school television commercial for your business.

It’s easy to hop. on the trend train but the problem with that is that eventually, viewers will see the same video and not know who is who. And honestly, after you’ve seen a trend in your feed a few times you are scrolling right past it anyway.

Putting your products in a lifestyle-based Reel helps to sell the emotion and imagination of the product in the person’s space.

I know that creating Reels can be extremely time-consuming and intimidating which is why I am creating a new offering of Reels Creation, if you can ship your product then I can style and shoot your product giving you professional-looking growth content and hours back in your day.

If you are looking for DIY Reel tips here are some things to keep in mind;

A FEW REELY KEYS THINGS TO REMEMBER:

1. If you are featuring your products in the Reels, tag the products on the Reel. People are lazy and especially during the holiday season, tag the product to make the impulse buy that much more convenient. If people need to go to the link in your profile or to another site to make a purchase, they are going to bounce and move on to the next gift idea.

2. In the caption of the Reel always tag your account, something like “Make sure to follow us @ insertyourname.” Users are finding new brands and profiles because a video will automatically pop into their feed next when they are hanging out in the Reels neighborhood. Nudge and remind them to give you a follow to see more of your rad content.

3. You do not need to post a Reel every day, seriously just working one Reel a week into your digital marketing calendar will help put your name out to more people.

2021 Holiday Marketing Starts Now, in September

I know your Pumpkin Spice is barely cooled to a drinkable temperature, but if you haven't begun planning your holiday digital marketing strategy, you are missing out on valuable brand awareness times.

Your holiday marketing doesn't start with your first social media post on Black Friday. You want to make sure that you are capturing and keeping your audience's attention throughout September and October. Kicking into your holiday sales phase without the proper build-up and preparation could leave you falling flat by December 1.

Here is what you should be concentrating on from now until Halloween:

Brand Building: Concentrate on activities that showcase your brand, products, and messaging.

Increase Reach: Increasing your reach will be vital in adding new potential customers to go from scroll pause to purchase.

Entertain for a Scroll Stop: If you want to integrate yourself with potential new holiday customers, you need to give bite-size entertainment to get them to stop their scroll, pay attention and remember your name. Entertaining content does this best. 

Social Channel Zhuzhing: If you want significant results from your accounts, you will need your accounts in their best condition. Concentrate on Zhuzhing things like irrelevant hashtags, poor engagement rates, and images that don’t perform.

Reels: The key for September and October is to build brand awareness, and nothing builds this faster than reels. Make it a goal to post at least one reel a week from now until Halloween. 

Pins: If you are selling products to a female demographic it’s time to resuscitate your neglected Pinterest account by checking for dead links, and creating fresh pins.

If you are feeling overwhelmed by all of this, let me help you. Snag the Kickass Holiday Social Media Marketing Guide bundle or send me an email and let's get your business on track to Kickass this holiday marketing season. 

The Future Of Still Photos On Instagram

Do you like to see pictures?

I am constantly staying up to date on all things happening behind the scenes on social media platforms.

Yesterday, I watched an IGTV from the head of Instagram, and he said, “Instagram is no longer ‘just a photo-sharing app” and went on to explain how Instagram plans to reintroduce and promote entertainment, videos, reels, and stories.

This statement about taking the emphasis off images is one that I saw coming three miles away, but it still makes me so sad.

While I do love a good video and a crazy reel, I need the still images. And feel that your business needs the still photos.

There are still people out there who need to look at something that doesn’t move from their screen two seconds later. Some people still want to look at a stunning image, study it and read the words in the caption.

The still images in your feed help capture and convey the tone for the atmosphere and ambiance you are trying to achieve when the viewer signs up to work with you or walks into your store. The still images are an excellent way to convey your messaging to your people.

If you’ve been following or been around me for a while, you know that I believe in looking at your feed as a portfolio of your work and that the other neighborhoods of Instagram more of entertainment.

Reels should be looked at as a commercial, a hook to bring the reel viewers to your feed and capture them to follow and stay in touch with you.

Stories are a great place to give that behind-the-scenes footage and access to who you are as a person or team, not just a brand, because, let’s face it, we’re all nosy.

IGTV is for you to put videos of your expertise to listen or watch as we need.

While one of the head people of Instagram is saying that they are working on taking photos, I still believe that is where your business should keep its primary emphasis. With the introduction of Keywords and the SEO implementation on the platform, I feel still photos are not going out of style any time soon.

How To Use Instagram Keyword Search And Get Seen

A few weeks before the US election, Instagram removed the search hashtags in the explore tab to stop the spread of misleading information. 

While we were all annoyed that the hashtag search was disabled, they rolled out Key Word Search, which to me is a million times better than just a hashtag search.  There is so much optimization potential in this feature; let’s start to think of it as SEO for Instagram.

Previously, you could only use keywords to find Instagram profiles in the name, user name,, or bio. Now, however, you can use keywords to search posts as well.

As part of the Explore page, Instagram Search is the directory to every account in the app.  Just like you would type a search term into Google, you can use the search bar on top of the Explore page to find and discover accounts, posts, hashtags, and locations.

For example, if you search “linen spray,” in the search bar Instagram will populate several recommendations in the search results that contain that keyword. 

First, you will see posts with “linen spray” and its variations written in their caption. Next, you will see any accounts with “linen spray” composed in their bio, and lastly, you will see hashtags with the keyword you are searching. 

When you click on one of the keyword search results,  you’re directed to a page featuring posts that are related to the keyword- along with other relevant keywords at the top of the page.  These posts make their way here because the keyword has been written in the caption itself. 

What does this mean for you?

Adding keyword searching is huge news, and there are more opportunities to have your content discovered in the Explore tab!   Hootsuite released its 2020 statistics and said that 45% of internet users say they use social to find a product or service.  The shopping statistic is colossal news. Knowing that almost half of internet users use social media to discover a product or service, you can optimize your Instagram posts for various relevant keywords and get found faster and easier than the hope and guess hashtag game. 

The keyword search feature is currently only available on the grid form. Keyword optimization is not installed on Reels, IGTV, Stories, Shopping, or anything else.  However, when you optimize your Instagram posts for various keywords by writing descriptive captions and including alt text, you better your chances of being found in the sea of photos. 

The rollout of keyword optimization signals that Instagram could be moving toward adding SEO into the algorithm, which ultimately comes down to how it will optimize your content to be as discoverable as possible in the explore tab. It is now more important than ever to begin getting accustomed to writing keyword-enriched captions.  Most users do not even understand what precisely this rollout does, so if you can start to make it work for you before the masses learn how you’re one step ahead of your content being seen. 

On March 9th I will be teaching an Instagram Best Practices Zoom Room on how to implement using keywords into your content strategy. Register Here.

Speaking of getting seen, have you downloaded your copy of Maven & Muse’s Social Media Marketing Checklist to optimize your social profiles and keep them operating at full capacity.

How To Use Instagram Guides For Your Business

The latest Instagram update has provided us with this rad new feature called “Guides.” There are three types of guides that you can create Places, Products, and Posts. Creating one of these guides is an excellent way to combine your content and share other people’s content on Instagram.

What Is Instagram Guides?

Guides are collections of your posts and other users’ posts related to a particular topic. Think of guides as Instagram’s version of a Pinterest board, a highlight reel for your posts, or as your very own curated digital content zine.

The guides you set up can be about anything you want, but I would encourage you to create relevant guides for your business. For example, when this feature rolled out, I made my first guide for Holiday gift ideas from Women-Owned Business Owners. One of the most significant parts of guides is that they are shareable, meaning that other users can share your guide as a DM, in their story, or as a post.

How Can My Business Use Guides?

With the three categories; Places, Products, and Posts, the possibilities for how your business can make use of this feature are endless. 

If you are a retail business, you can use the product guide to feature your specific products and share other companies that go with your product. For example, sell artisan body care products and feature your products. You can add towels or other home accessories that enhance the user’s experience with your product. If you are a store, you can create a guide representing the products available in your storefront.

I have had a few B2B and other service providers reach out and ask me how they can use guides. If you are a real estate agent, you can use the “places guide” and share posts related to specific neighborhoods of cities that you specialize in. 

B2B service providers can create guides related to your industry’s news, your posts related to the industry, and share other users posts that resource another part of your industry that you do not specialize in but are essential. 

Share Your Guide 

Since this is such a new feature that snuck in the right under the holiday time, many users are not aware of this feature. To bring awareness, make sure that you share the guide that you worked so hard to create in your stories and on your feed. 

If you need ideas on how guides could benefit your business, reach out for a FREE 20-minute consultation on making this feature work for you.

Why Are Instagram Highlights Important To Your Digital Marketing Plan

Every day I see so many important Instagram stories on businesses feeds that would be useful content for consumption in future scrolling. There are a few times that I have gone back to a business’ story because there was something that I saw to see if they saved it as a highlight, but that vital content disappeared because it was past 24 hours.

The Highlight buttons on your Instagram profile are an essential piece of your rented Instagram real estate. Think of these highlights as a landing page for all of the aspects that your business offers. If you are stumped on what types of highlights to create, begin with each category that you have on your website. Give people a taste of all of the products or services that your business has to offer.

As business owners, we already have so much content that we create that should resemble our brands. The good news is that not all Instagram story slides need to be branded.

The point of stories is for people to get a peek into who you are and what goes on behind the scenes at your business. If you are creating content that you know is important and that you are going to want to save into one of your highlights, take the time to brand this content. There are plenty of free story slide design apps where you can create on-brand templates.

My challenge to you is, start thinking about your overall Instagram profile as a landing page for your website ore commerce store. Social media is quickly becoming the second place where potential consumers and clients search for things to buy, places to order food from, or places close to them to visit. Moreover, users consume stories and highlights at a higher percentage than items in your feed.