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5 Simple Ways to Upgrade Your Instagram Profile

Instagram • Social Media 12 Comments

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Are you discouraged by your lack of Instagram engagement? Here are some simple tips to upgrade your Instagram profile — which can often help increase engagement!

iPhone in hand

Instagram is one of my very, very favorite topics and my favorite place to hang out.

I also believe Instagram is one of the best ways to build and grow your business — for FREE!

If you’re interested in increasing Instagram engagement or growing your Instagram following, making some simple tweaks to your Instagram profile can really help!

Today, I want to give you 5 simple ways to upgrade your Instagram profile:

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How to Increase Your Facebook Page Engagement

Facebook • Social Media 8 Comments

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Feeling discouraged about your Facebook page lately? If you’re looking for tips and tricks to increase engagement on Facebook, this post is for you!

Social media icons on keyboard

I recently received this question from a follower:

“I’ve been feeling discouraged about my blog lately — in particular, my Facebook engagement. My reach is only a tenth or so of my total followers and on any given post, I only get 10-20 likes. So my question is how do I improve on Facebook? I think I have a dedicated audience in some ways, but at the same time I don’t think these numbers are very good or helpful.”

First of all, let me start by saying that if you are experiencing this on your Facebook page, you are not alone!

Just about everyone I know has experienced a dramatic decrease in Facebook reach over the past couple of years. It is very common! The Facebook algorithm is constantly changing, and seeing a reach of only a tenth of your total followers is pretty normal.

That being said, I do believe there are some practical tips and tricks you can try to boost your Facebook engagement a little bit!

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The Best Way to Promote Your Blog Giveaway

Blogging Tips • Social Media 1 Comment

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Are you hosting a giveaway on your blog and not sure how to get the word out? Read this for my top suggestions on how to best promote your blog giveaway!

Promote Your Blog Giveaway

When you’re working with a brand and they’re offering a giveaway to your readers, you want it to be as successful as possible!

Here are my best tips on promoting your blog giveaway:

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8 Ways to Grow Your Instagram Following

Instagram • Social Media 20 Comments

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I absolutely love Instagram and think it is one of the best and easiest (and most fun!) ways to grow your online following, get more loyal readers, and even convert leads to your email newsletter or sales of your products or affiliate products.

Here are 8 ways to grow your following on Instagram:Continue Reading

5 Ways to Know What to Post on Live Video

Blogging Tips • Facebook • Instagram • Social Media 9 Comments

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It makes me SO happy to see so many of you getting brave and getting on live video lately! Thank you for tagging me on Instagram, sharing your live videos with me, and sharing about your live video experiences with me!

While I’ve heard success stories from many of you, I’ve also had quite a few of you write in and tell me, “I just don’t know what to talk about on live video.”

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3 Reasons You Should Still Have a Facebook Account

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I recently received a question asking, “Is it still worth it to have a Facebook account for your business?”

My answer? Maybe, maybe not. I really depends on your audience, where they’re hanging out, and what kind of content you’re producing.

Unfortunately, we’ve really seen the power of Facebook decline over the past few years and I no longer see it as important as it used to be.

Once upon a time, Facebook was the driving force behind MoneySavingMom.com. But our Facebook numbers have continued to plummet with each passing year.

That being said, there are still some really great reasons to have a Facebook account for your business. Here are the top three:

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Why You Should Send Direct Video Messages on Instagram

Instagram • Social Media 2 Comments

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Why You Should Send Direct Video Messages on Instagram!

Guest post by Erin Port from SimplePurposefulLiving.com

Instagram stories are my favorite way to authentically engage with my tribe, and they have single-handedly fostered the sense of community that I have with my followers. One of the methods I’ve used to do this is direct video messages.

If you’re looking for unique ways to meaningfully connect with your tribe and increase engagement, I’d highly recommend trying out direct video messages.

Why I Started Sending Direct Video Messages

One day I was responding to a tribe member via Instagram direct message and I saw there was a video message component built in right next to where I could send a text response. I remembered some advice I had received that face-to-face conversations could not be replaced by a written word and I decided to try sending my first video message response.

I started doing this often and my tribe loved it. They even started to respond with their own video messages, which was SO cool because I could see their faces and hear their voices!

These direct video messaging exchanges have been invaluable. Not only have I increased engagement, but I’ve also gotten to know my audience on such a more intimate level. I’ve been able to have direct connections with them and listen to their stories — which in effect has helped me create content that better reflects my audience and meets their needs.

So, How Do You Start Sending Direct Video Messages?

Don’t let video messages intimidate you; just try it out! Direct video messages are just like an Instagram story except they are sent to one individual instead of posted on your stories feed.

Here’s how to get started…

  1. In order to receive a direct message, you need to give your audience a reason to message you. Ask them a question on Instagram stories and tell them to message you their answer. It could be something as simple as asking them to tell you their favorite recipe or tv show — just something to get the interaction started!
  2. When someone responds to your story, message back with a video message. Simply click the video icon next to where you would type a response and record a personal video for them.
  3. Once you have recorded the video, you can modify how many times the video can be viewed. When you start out, I would recommend at least allowing it to be viewed again. People might be surprised at first to see a video message from you and will want to watch it again!

How Direct Video Messages Have Increased My Engagement

The social media world is run by algorithms, and those algorithms love authentic engagement. When you send direct video messages, you are not only getting to know your tribe better but the algorithm also sees you are engaging in a meaningful way. That’s a win-win!

Since I started using direct video messages, I have seen a large increase in the number of daily messages I receive. On average I receive about 100 messages each day. I take the time to respond by video message to everyone every day. (After all, I did ask my tribe to message me, so I want them to know they can expect a response from me to make it worth their time!)

We all have a desire to be seen, known and heard in this crazy world. Direct video messages give your tribe that ability to be seen and heard, and it feels more real and personal — like you’re friends! It completely changes the way you engage with your tribe on social media.

If you want to make authentic connections with your audience and increase your engagement in a meaningful way, I’d highly encourage you to try out direct video messaging!

Erin Port is wife and mom of three, soon to be four by international adoption. In addition, Erin is a public speaker and blogger. She founded Simple Purposeful Living to empower and equip women to lead simple and purposeful lives in a chaotic world so they can do what matters most with those that matter most. In her free time, she loves to find simple adventure with her family.

5 Ways to Overcome Social Media Burnout

Facebook • Instagram • Social Media 15 Comments

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Stressed out or overwhelmed by Instagram? Check out these 5 ways to overcome social media burnout!

A YBM follower recently wrote in with this really great question:

“Hey Crystal, I need some help! I started my Instagram account back in January as more of a mini blog because I didn’t want to have a full-fledged blog. I started as more of a home decor influencer, but I tired of always talking about home decor and it wasn’t fun anymore. I found myself desiring to be more of a lifestyle/homemaker blogger, but I have been floundering trying to pull it off. There are just so many things to include!

Do I need a niche? I have this thing set up for myself where I talk about certain things on certain days, but I feel like I’m seriously all over the place: Monday Motivation/Tuesday Home Tips/Workout Wednesday/Healthy Thursday/Friday Favorites. My brain is fried from trying to focus on so many topics so often, but I’m not sure how to fix it. It doesn’t seem to make sense to concentrate on one thing each week — like it’d be difficult to keep up a following. Help me stop floundering in this Instagram/blogging world! Please!”

If any of you have ever felt like this (I know I definitely have!), I’m sure you can relate to this feeling of being overwhelmed about what to post or talk about, how to choose what to focus on, and how to organize your thoughts and ideas.

Honestly? It can just feel like total social media burnout sometimes, and to avoid giving up and walking away from it all, I think it’s really important to learn how to combat these feelings of being completely overwhelmed by social media.

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ABOUT ME

Hi there! I’m Crystal Paine, wife, mom of three, veteran blogger (12+ years!), New York Times bestselling author, speaker, business consultant, and founder of MoneySavingMom.com.

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