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Tag: social media hacks

How often should your business post to Instagram Stories?

Posted on by Erin Reynel

If your business isn’t currently utilizing Instagram Stories, then you’re missing out on a huge opportunity! Instagram Stories are one of the best ways to increase your engagement, build brand awareness, drive sales and they’re just really fun to create! Let’s take a deeper look:

Why should your business optimize Instagram Stories?

Instagram Stories have over 500 million daily users, therefore Instagram Stories have the potential to reach new potential customers and build a stronger connection with your current audience. 

Instagram Stories allow you to:

  • Share everyday moments with ease
  • Start conversations and get interactive with followers
  • Inform your following of promotions/giveaways/events/launches
  • Share user-generated content

The aspect that we love the most about Instagram Stories is the opportunity for engagement – by adding question stickers or polls to your posts, you not only start conversations, but you can gain more insight and feedback from your audience, learning what they like and don’t like. 

instagram-stickers-legendary social media

 

Instagram has continued to develop its engagement-boosting features over the past few years, allowing you to be more authentic and humanize your brand. So if you’re not regularly publishing Instagram Stories for your business, then you’re missing out on an opportunity to connect with your audience. 

Posting consistently is key

There are no hard and fast rules to how frequently you should post on Instagram Stories, but we recommend keeping it consistent. Consistency is the key to social media in general and it’s no different for Instagram Stories. It will also depend on your business’s goals and the amount of time you are able to dedicate to your social media marketing. But if you can only post 3 times a week, then at least make sure you consistently do that. 

If you have a special event or promotion happening then we would advise you to bump up the frequency of how often you post to Stories! 

Ideally, you’re posting throughout the day, focusing on documentation rather than creation. Break it down and post 1-3 times morning, afternoon and evening to remind your followers of your event and showcase different aspects of the event! 

For example, you might want to try the following for a special event or:

  • BTS of your business operations
  • Showcase new products
  • How to use the product
  • Share customer reviewing the product
  • Customers unboxing/using products
  • BTS of packing orders

IG stories we created for our client The Facial Room during Black Friday week:

instagram-stories-legendary social media

So how many times should you post?

It’s up to you to find the sweet spot for your business’ needs, but we recommend posting to Stories up to 10 times a day. Any more and you risk being annoying and potentially getting muted by your followers. 

Some tips for posting to IG stories:

  • Don’t post all 10 Stories at once, schedule throughout the day
  • Don’t worry about the production of stories, your photos and video don’t have to be perfect (it’s a backstage pass into your business)
  • Engage your audience (ask them questions, answer their questions, and have meaningful conversations)

Are you and your business in need of help developing and creating a social media content strategy? Let us help with that! 

Is Instagram Checkout available in Canada?

Posted on by Erin Reynel

Instagram Checkout is now available to all eligible Instagram business and creator accounts in the US, but what about Canadian users? 

In short, the answer is no. 

Canadian business users still don’t have access to this feature as of the date this blog was posted. But since this feature will likely be released north of the border soon, here’s what Canadians can expect from Instagram Checkout. 

What is the difference between Instagram Shopping and Instagram Checkout?

instagram-product-tag- legendary social media vancouverInstagram Shopping gives businesses the opportunity to easily link their shoppable products within Instagram, either in Instagram Stories or Feed. Users can simply tap on the product tags and be led to the brand’s website to view more information and purchase the product. See the example of how we tag products for our client, The Facial Room. Here we have tagged several product suggestions for dry skin within one post, encouraging users to checkout via The Facial Room’s website. 

Instagram Checkout is similar, but the major difference with this feature is that everything is done within Instagram. Customers never have to leave Instagram to complete a purchase. The first time a customer checks out, they simply fill out their name, email, shipping and billing information.

See the screenshots below of the Instagram Checkout process. 

instagram-checkout-canada- legendary social media vancouver

Image source: Instagram for business

This feature is a great way to easily and quickly convert your Instagram audience into loyal customers. 

Should businesses set up Instagram Checkout?

The opportunity to turn a browser into a purchaser with just a few clicks could have a huge impact on your conversion rates. This feature creates an effortless experience for customers by ensuring the purchase process is simple, convenient and most importantly secure! 

So, to summarize, the benefits of Instagram Checkout are:

  • Allows users to purchase products in just two to three taps without leaving Instagram
  • Eliminates checkout form issues and errors that often result in cart abandonment due to user frustration
  • Businesses no longer need to worry about maintaining and optimizing a mobile-first webshop (ideal for small businesses that are just starting out with eCommerce)

What are the disadvantages of using Instagram Checkout?

There are a couple of drawbacks to using Instagram Checkout that should be considered:

  • Instagram will collect a commission from the merchant on every order that is processed via the app. The current selling fee is 5% per shipment or a flat fee of $0.40 of $8 or less (including PayPal fees). 
  • Businesses could lose out on valuable customer data. For example, when customers check out on your website, you have the opportunity to collect emails for future marketing purposes. By using Instagram checkout, your business can only access limited customer information.
  • Instagram Checkout eliminates website traffic by allowing people to make purchases within the app. This may affect your website’s SEO performance and could reduce product reviews on your website.

Overall, we believe the benefits of using Instagram’s checkout outweigh these negatives. Offering up a great way for small businesses to break into eCommerce and showcase their products to new audiences. 

A few tips for driving sales with Instagram Shopping

So whilst Canada still doesn’t have access to Instagram Checkout, let’s make the most of the tools we can use! You can still drive sales through Instagram by following these simple steps:

    1. Be consistent with your product tagging. If you’re posting three times a week, make sure at least two of these posts include tags to your products that drive customers to your external website. 
    2. Create some excitement with an exclusive product drop on Instagram. A great way to create a little buzz around your products is by launching a product exclusively to your Instagram audience. 
    3. Add product stickers to your Instagram Stories. Don’t overlook this feature – it’s another opportunity to redirect customers to shop on your website. 
    4. Share a sale or promotional code on your products. Running a sale or promotion is an undeniably great way to drive sales.
    5. Work with an influencer. Consider working with an influencer who can drive their larger audiences to your Instagram or website!
    6. Create striking photography. Instagram is ultimately a visual platform, so if you want to stop a customer in their tracks, then create visually appealing images that make them want to shop! We can help with this. 

Final thoughts

As Instagram continues to enhance its eCommerce abilities, shopping via the app is growing in popularity leading us to believe it’s only a matter of time until Instagram checkout is available everywhere. So we encourage you to start building your product catalogues now and familiarize yourself with the Instagram shopping features in order to benefit your business and drive eCommerce sales. 

What apps are you using to manage your social media channels? We recommend checking out these nine apps. 

 

4 new ways to grow your Instagram audience

Posted on by Erin Reynel

Looking to expand your Instagram audience? Try these four tips to get new eyes on your Instagram account and grow your following. 

Go live, and bring a guest

People who use Instagram really value authenticity! And nothing is more authentic than being candid and personal in front of a live audience. Give your audience business updates in real-time with Instagram Live. You don’t have to put on a show, simply share tips, upcoming product launches, promotions, collaborations or virtual events that are coming up! 

To gain a wider audience for your Instagram Live video, try inviting a guest to join you and add their perspective to the discussion. You could interview an influencer, customer, co-worker or someone from another company within your industry. Try to find a guest who has a similar audience and value set to your business so you have something to offer new viewers. 

Live video should feel raw and organic. It’s about showing the audience your true self and being relatable. So, don’t panic if you stumble over your words or the background in your video is messy. Just be yourself! 

Create a shareworthy contest or giveaway 

A well-planned Instagram contest or giveaway helps you build your audience, increases engagement with your posts, and boosts brand awareness. Launching a new product? By creating a giveaway, you could generate some excitement and interest! 

Running your own contest/giveaway can: 

  • Attract new followers faster. Studies have shown that Instagram accounts that hold a contest or giveaway grow 70% faster than those that don’t. 
  • Engage with current and potential followers. By creating a contest that requires followers to tag friends, you’re increasing engagement signals to Instagram’s algorithm which will result in your content being featured more regularly in your audiences feed and potentially as a top post in the hashtags you used!
  • Build and nurture relationships with your existing audience. When you give away something to your audience, it helps cultivate an emotional connection between you and your followers. 

Check out these two giveaways we ran for our client, The Facial Room. These giveaways generated engagement, profile visits and website visits – which is the ultimate goal! instagram-giveaway- legendary social media vancouve


If you decide to run a contest or giveaway, just ensure you’re abiding by Instagram’s rules and regulations. 

Offer a lead magnet and build retargeting audiences

A lead magnet is an incentive that marketers can offer to potential customers in exchange for their email address or contact information – very valuable information if you’re running email campaigns. Lead magnets usually offer up a piece of free digital, downloadable content that is of value to your potential customer. Examples of valuable content you could create:

  • E-book
  • Guide 
  • PDF Checklist 
  • Report 
  • Whitepaper 
  • Video tutorial
  • Free trials of product/service

Consider the obstacles and challenges that your audience faces. How can you help them overcome these? Could you package your insights into a free download? If so, then promote and offer them on your Instagram. 

We suggest using Linktr.ee to set up links from your Instagram Bio to allow users to download your lead magnet. 

Paid Instagram ads

Another way to ensure more people see your Instagram account is through paid Instagram ads! Before you set your Instagram ad campaign, make sure you understand your target market. It’s important that you have a great understanding of your target audience’s demographics so you can specifically target them. 

Instagram ads are a great way to effectively communicate your products and services to potential customers! Instagram is owned by Facebook, so when you set up your ads, you’ll have superior campaign customization options, diverse formatting and various targeting capabilities, via Facebook’s powerful advertising platform. 

Final thoughts

To increase your visibility and expand your audience on Instagram, focus on building a social community. Your social presence on Instagram has the potential to boost your brand awareness, build a reputation, strengthen your credibility and ultimately lead to sales. 

Leverage some or all of the tactics mentioned above to gain more followers. Once you start attracting new followers, it’s important to ensure you engage with them, so reply to your messages, comments and make use of all of Instagram’s tools (pinned comments, swipe ups and polls). 

Looking forward to having a successful holiday season? Check out our most recent blog! Now is the time to put your online marketing into overdrive to ensure your business has a profitable holiday season! 

Client Feature: Love & Natural Skincare

Posted on by Erin Reynel

Love & Natural is a new client to Legendary and we’re so thrilled to be working with them! 

They initially came to Legendary for our Product and Social Media Photography Services with an eCommerce photoshoot of their beautiful custom facial oils. We’re so lucky to now be working with them in a larger capacity!

Who are Love & Natural

Winnie, the owner and founder of Love & Natural, has been working in the spa industry for 25 years and owns the beautiful Tao Day Spa, located in Steveston, BC. Winne is incredibly passionate about the skin and body, and its intricate network of systems. Her passion and genuine commitment to helping people are very apparent when you speak with her. She is trained and certified in the following: 

  • Licensed esthetician 
  • Certified in aromatherapy 
  • Certified in Thai body massage & reflexology 
  • Certified in Skincare
  • Certified podologist via the North American School of Podology 

Winnie wanted to help more people than she could in person at her spa, so she started Love & Natural to bring her holistic skincare expertise to customers across Canada. 

Love & Natural is an online eCommerce platform with personalized skincare solutions. By booking a skincare consultation, you’ll receive an expert holistic skincare ritual curated to your specific needs or suggested products. Love & Natural take into consideration the following elements before making recommendations: 

  • Environmental factors
  • Diet
  • Wellbeing & lifestyle

What we provide for Love & Natural

We built a multi-faceted social media plan for Love & Natural. Our work so far has included creating and managing the following:

  • Social media management on Facebook and Instagram (including running contests and giveaways)
  • Content creation (captions and stories)
  • Community management
  • Product photography & styling 
  • Traffic ads (leading audiences to your website)
  • Conversion ads (converting to sales on the website)

To build up Love & Naturals following, our content creator, Michelle works alongside Winnie to create posts with educational captions that also have a strong emphasis on self-care. Then our in-house photographer, Kat creates photographs to match the theme of each post using their products and some simple props. 

Thank you, Winnie, for putting your trust in us! We are so excited to be working with you on Love & Natural.

social media photographer- legendary social media vancouver

What can we do for you?

Are you ready to up your social media game? Legendary Social Media can help with that! We have a well-rounded team of experts who can help your business reach its goals. 

 

3 reasons why August is the time to plan your holiday marketing

Posted on by Erin Reynel

For most businesses, the last quarter of the year is all about building up momentum in preparation for the holiday season! Why? Well it’s typically the most profitable time of the year! 

But anyone who’s been to that rodeo knows that leaving any holiday marketing to the last minute is problematic.

At Legendary Social Media, we start our holiday planning in August, so we’re never caught off-guard in November and December. Here’s why your business should do the same.

One. Planning & strategy take time to implement

Start planning your holiday campaigns now! Avoid the last minute scramble and stress of pulling a marketing campaign together for the festive season. As early as August, your business should have the following outlined for the festive season:

  • Product options
  • Promotions
  • Campaign concepts

Planning in August allows time for revisions and perfecting your campaigns, gaining traction with your paid campaigns, testing/optimization, creating content and any other prep work that needs to be done.

Creative and marketing teams get booked solid as of October, so you should pick a team to work with now! 

Two. Your social media is your storefront

Due to COVID-19, fewer people will be flocking to malls this year. Instead, they’ll opt to shop from the comfort of their own homes. 

Now that platforms have shoppable posts, product tagging and eCommerce built in, it’s super important to ensure your social media is visually appealing. Think of your Instagram feed as a shopping mall and scrolling through Instagram is window shopping! How are you going to make your audience stop scrolling?

It’s vital that you create thumb-stopping content! By posting high quality content consistently, you’ll stand out in an oversaturated market! 

Creating this type of content takes a lot of time planning, so to ensure you get the social campaign of your dreams – book your photographer and social team now!

Three. Establish influencer campaigns early

Influencers are a great way to get your products or business exposed to a new audience! Marketing through social media influencers allows brands to advertise their products to a larger and new following – a community the influencer has cultivated and fostered trust with. Trust in marketing is super important because if someone you trust vouches for a brand, then you’re more likely to purchase from them too. 

However, awesome influencers get booked up fast! After all, the holiday season is busy for everyone. So start planning your influencer partnership now, or you’ll miss out on your first choice. 

Conclusion

Early planning allows brands to create a clear plan of action, as well as partner up with the creative collaborators of your choice. Having your plan and campaign ready to drop as early as November 1st will keep your brand in the forefront of holiday shoppers minds! 

Get in touch today to start planning your holiday campaigns. We are currently booking clients for:

  • Social media photography
  • eCommerce photography
  • Lifestyle photography
  • Social media strategy
  • Online paid campaigns
  • Influencer campaigns

 

Q&A: What should you do with your social media marketing if your business is closed during the COVID pandemic?

Posted on by Erin Reynel

When coronavirus called for businesses to close their doors mid-March, we heard from clients and non-clients alike asking question about their social media marketing:

  • What do I do now?
  • Should I post on social media if I’m still closed?
  • What do I talk about with my customers?

For clients of Legendary Social Media who were negatively affected by the pandemic, we provided free posts to help frustrated and confused business owners communicate effectively with their customers via social media.

Now that we’re deeper into the pandemic and businesses are starting to open again, these questions remain relevant. Businesses are pivoting toward online sales, curbside pickup, delivery options and private shopping.

So to answer the questions above, and help you develop a stronger social media presence than ever, here’s what you need to know, from our team of social media experts.

Q: “My business is closed due to COVID-19. Do I still need to post on social media?”

A: Yes. But why? During this time, more than ever, it’s important to connect with customers on an emotional level. This deeper sense of connection turns casual customers into a tribe who believe in what you do, and what you stand for. 

And here’s a fun fact: Time spent using apps (including Instagram and Facebook) has increased by 15%, according to research by App Annie Intelligence.

People are turning to social media to connect with others, since in-person interactions are at a low. In short, social media is more important than ever.

Q: “What should I post on social media during COVID-19?”

A: It’s time to make people smile, and dive deeper into the philosophies, values and ethos behind your brand. Make people think. Post something fun. Educate your fans. Give them a behind the scenes look into who you are as individuals behind a brand. This makes people feel more connected to who you are, in addition to what you sell.

Just as important is keeping customers in the loop about your business.

Trust us, your customers are wondering if you’re open, when, and how you’re providing your products/services.

You should post:

  • Whether you’re open
  • Days/times that you’re open
  • How people can contact you
  • How people can buy from you
  • Any changes coming soon, so people know what to expect
  • How you’re accommodating people’s needs during this time

Q: ”Where should I post my updates?”

A: In short, anywhere and everywhere. 

  • Put a popup and/or banner on your website. 
  • Update your Google Business Listing
  • Update your Instagram Bio
  • Update your Facebook Page
  • Update your Yelp and Tripadvisor listings

Q: “What messaging can I use to connect with customers better during COVID-19?”

A: Sincerity and authenticity should be behind everything you post on the best of days, and that’s even more true now.

Here’s how.

Post content that is sensitive to others

Express your understanding of how your customers are impacted by COVID-19

Share personal stories of how you/your team are impacted, if appropriate

Keep posts positive

Offer ways to help your customers

Post content that informs your customers

Frequently post information about your opening times/days, as well as delivery and pickup options

Share behind the scenes information

Take this time to let your customers see the processes and behind your brand

Post content that is sincere

Show your compassion for your customers

Humanize your business

Show how your business is connected to the greater community

Be thoughtful and kind in everything you post.

Final thought: Embrace the pivot 

In Vancouver, it’s been so inspiring to see how local businesses have pivoted to online and social platforms so that they can still serve their customers in some capacity. 

Adapting to the needs of a society dealing with COVID19 is essential to any business right now. You have to be innovative and ask yourself ‘how can I serve my community right now?’

We’ve witnessed clothing retailers pivot to create face masks, coffee shops and cafes selling grocery items, restaurants offering takeout services and fitness studios teaching their classes online.  

As a brand or business, you need to be intentional with your marketing

When all else fails, you can still have a business (in most cases, we appreciate there are exceptions with some services) if you have a website and social media channels. 

Coronavirus has taught us how essential social media is to your marketing. The importance of staying present and communicating with your followers is crucial to keeping your business relevant and running in the current climate. 

Some expert tips on generating revenue with social media

Instagram

If your business sells physical products, consider setting up your Shoppable Instagram account, by tagging your images to make them shoppable. 

You can do this by using the Facebook shop or catalog. Here’s a quick tutorial on how to set this feature up.

Facebook

Go live with Facebook and humanize your brand by taking the time to speak to your followers. Answer questions and give updates on your business. Keep your followers and customers in the loop! 

Facebook Live recently just announced they’ll soon be adding the option for people to charge users to gain access to their live Facebook streams. 

This update was created to support small businesses and artists alike who can no longer host live events, performances, classes and conferences etc. This update will give businesses the opportunity to sell tickets and create a revenue stream during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Large events and gatherings will likely be postponed until 2021, so this will be a game changer. 

Are you still working from home? Check out our blog on how to still be productive whilst WFH!

How to make your Tweets more engaging

Posted on by Erin Reynel

Twitter is still undeniably a great social media and marketing tool (best used for customer service, in our professional opinions). With limited characters, you have to make your tweets short and punchy, ensuring you grab the attention of your intended audience.  

While we’ve previously covered the topic of how to generate leads with Twitter, today we want to show you how to improve your Tweet format. 

Bad copy, good copy

There are some very simple ways for you to up your Twitter game, and improving your Twitter copy is the easiest way.

Twitter’s Global Creative Lead, Joe Wadlington, recently released a series of videos called ‘Good copy, bad copy’ – check it out below. 

In each episode, Joe shares tips for writing effective Tweet copy by demonstrating his “bad” copy and then fixing it. In the videos, Joe explains the reasons behind each correction.

Watch him walk you through it here:

Key takeaways from the video 

  • Avoid all caps, as this gives the impression that you’re angry or shouting
  • Use % instead of $ off when mentioning discounts as research shows users are more likely to click through on a percentage off
  • Reduce the number of hashtags you use, no more than 1 or 2 is adequate
  • Use a website card instead of a URL to add a visual component, making your Tweet more appealing and “clickable”, as well as increasing traffic to your website

Twitter Business has now shared at least three of these short video clips, so consider checking those out for more advice on creating effective copy. 

How to create a website card on Twitter

Not sure what a website card even is on Twitter? A Twitter Website Card is essentially an ad that features an image that leads to an external website, product, brand or even article.

This feature is on a cost per click, so you only pay when users click through to your website/external link. 

If you decide to use this feature, then we encourage you to pay attention to your metrics from Paid Campaigns – use this information to create a strategy going forward. 

Here is a quick tutorial on how to set up a website card on Twitter, it’ll only take 1 minute of your time.

Other things to consider in your Tweet copy

  • Add a call to action to your Tweet
  • Avoid extra unnecessary words in your copy
  • Add spaces in your copy to add height to your Tweet
  • Add capitals in your hashtags, #MondayMotivation instead of #mondaymotivation to make it more “readable”

Twitter apparently still boasts a cool 330 million active users each month. Want to know if and how you should use this social media platform? Ask us – here at Legendary, content creation is part of our service! 

Want to repost a photo from Instagram? Read this first

Posted on by Erin Reynel

Instagram is abundant with amazing imagery, but it’s not all fair game for your own use!

Let’s tackle this tricky topic that is copyright! Specifically, image copyright and how it pertains to Instagram. We’ll discuss image copyright and how to avoid running into any potential legal issues.

What is image copyright?

In short, image copyright is the legal term for image ownership. The creator of an image is automatically assigned the copyright. The creator can then decide how the image is used and distributed. In Canada, photographs are considered “artistic works” under the current federal law that governs copyright. 

If you want to get into the real nitty-gritty, you can check out the government of Canada’s website which lays out the basics of copyright. And for Instagram, you can read their rules and regulations around image copyright here. 

To sum up, the misuse of an image can lead to a lawsuit, a cease and desist order, fines, or other legal issues. 

So before you just use an image you found on the internet, first consider what you’re using it for. 

There are some exceptions which might come under the ‘Fair Use’ act. 

What is ‘Fair Use’?

Fair use is the exception to the rule in copyright law. It allows people to use copyright-protected images or works for free/without permission under certain conditions. 

Exceptions often include the work being used for news reporting, commentary, educational purposes, research and even parody. 

In determining fair use, the following factors are to be taking into consideration:

  • The purpose of use of works (such as commercial, educational or non-profit)
  • The nature of the copyrighted work (the more creative and original the work is, the harder it is to claim under fair use) 
  • The amount of copyrighted work use (is it just a portion of the original work you’re showing/using?)
  • The effect of the use upon the potential market (are you depriving a copyright owner of income or a new potential market?)

However, when it comes to social media and “reposting” a photo, it’s highly unlikely that you’ll meet the criteria for fair use and you could land yourself in trouble if you use an image without consent.  

Now that you know what image copyright is, it’s important to connect this idea with Instagram – every image you see in your feed has an image owner!

Reposting an image without permission could be considered copyright infringement. 

How can I legally use someone else’s image on Instagram?

You have to ask for permission from the original image owner! It’s that simple. 

If you ask to use an image, and the owner grants you the right to use it, keep a record of this communication. 

It’s a common misconception that you can get around asking, by simply crediting the original owner or “regramming” their original post. This only informs them of the use of their image. 

You have to consider that the original owner of the image might not want to be associated with you or your brand. They might not share your views or ideologies, for example. 

Sharing photos on social media

Instagram doesn’t have a native repost function, however, there are apps like ‘Repost for Instagram’ that you can download – these allow you to repost other users’ Instagram posts to your own account. This makes it easy to reshare images, but it doesn’t make it legal!

Depending on user settings and permissions, you can share posts to Instagram Stories that automatically link back and credit the creator. 

You can ask permission by leaving a comment on their post, sending them a DM or even an email if that information is available on their account. 

We understand that for brands, UGC (user-generated content) adds a lot of value to your marketing by giving it authenticity from a real person. Later has written an awesome blog on this and how to navigate it properly.

Key takeaways:

  • If you’re the creator of an image, then the copyright belongs to you
  • ‘Fair use’ only comes into play if it benefits society or is educational
  • If you want to re-share or use an image from Instagram- ask for permission!
  • There is no easy way around asking for consent

Please note that this is just a guideline and is in no way, formal legal advice.

Check out this previous post we did for some killer Instagram feed inspo!

 

The Instagram Feed might go chronological. Here’s what you need to know

Posted on by Erin Reynel

Rumours started circulating in mid-February that Instagram’s chronological Feed was making a comeback! This came after a ‘Latest Post’ feature was found deep in the app’s code. 

The discovery was first made by Jane Manchun Wong, a hacker based in Hong Kong who discovers unreleased features on apps just for fun. She has gained a significant following since revealing new features on Instagram, Spotify, LinkedIn and other apps months before they’ve officially been announced. 

Wong was the first to report on Instagram’s testing of hiding likes and revealed her findings on Twitter 2 weeks before Instagram started publicly testing. 

To keep up with her findings, follow her on Twitter https://twitter.com/wongmjane

Instagram’s chronological Feed could possibly be making a comeback. How will this affect when and how often you post? 

What Instagram says about the chronological feed

Instagram has claimed the new feature is just a prototype, but highly requested tools have come to fruition in the past. 

It appears that the new feature will run parallel to the normal feed and the “Latest Posts” feature will act as a pop-up over the main feed when users log in – leading them to a new page that shows the most recent content from the accounts they follow. 

If the user chooses not to click through on “Latest Posts” they will just return to the standard feed based on Instagram’s algorithm. 

We’ve covered more on Instagram’s algorithm myths too. 

Since Wong’s Tweet about Instagram’s new features, Facebook has responded saying: “Latest Posts” feature came from their Hackathon, where employees come up with creative ideas, but they have no plans to move forward with the feature. 

What the chronological Feed would mean for your business

When Instagram removed the chronological feed in 2016 in favour of its current algorithm, it was met with backlash. Users now have to scroll through a feed ranked on what the algorithm calculates they’ll like best, personalized by profiles they follow and content they interact with regularly – as well as using past behaviours to predict what is important to the user. 

However, the algorithmic feed has often paid off for brands and businesses! Because the feed is personalized to each user, your business or brand is more likely to generate leads from loyal followers. 

If the “Latest Posts” feature comes to fruition, identifying your follower’s habits and learning when they’re online will become crucial to when you publish your posts. 

Digging through Instagram’s analytics will give you some insight. Hootsuite wrote a blog and created a tutorial on how to use Instagram’s insight.

Content is King

Algorithms and app development aside, the most important thing your brand or business can do to keep followers engaged is to consistently create quality content! 

How to WFH and still be super productive during COVID-19

Posted on by Erin Reynel

As we all learn to navigate this new reality that is COVID-19, working from home has become the new norm. For those of us who are lucky enough and have the ability to WFH, it can be tricky staying focused and on track. Bed and Netflix are oh so tempting after all! Especially during a pandemic when everything is so uncertain! 

The team at Legendary Social Media works remotely every Friday, so we’re pretty familiar with this WFH thing. Here’s our list of tips and helpful tools you could use to keep your workflow efficient and productive. 

 

Create a designated workspace within your home

Make sure it’s clean and organized. Keeping this space tidy will help keep your mind refreshed and productive.  

Tidy up at the end of the day. Add a quick 10-minute tidy session to the end of your workday. This will help you be set up to hit the ground running tomorrow morning. 

Do not work from bed! We know it’s tempting, but you’ll eventually just be horizontal and snoozing with a laptop balanced on your chest. We know… from experience! 

 

Set up time management tools

Most importantly, establish a work schedule. In order to stay on track with work, you need to budget your time accordingly. It helps to keep a structured work schedule and routine, work 8-4 or 9-5 for example. 

Start your day with a reason to get dressed. We suggest working out in the morning – that way you have to shower and get dressed before you start your workday. Obviously, during COVID-19, we’re not suggesting you go to the gym – but perhaps a jog in your neighbourhood or even a brisk walk around the block would do the trick. 

Set yourself a timer! Set it for 60 minutes and commit to not moving away from your work for that allotted time. Then take a short 10-minute break, make a drink or go for a walk, then set another timer for 60 minutes!

Keep yourself accountable for time management. A great tool for this is Harvest. This software is a paid service, but will allow for the incredible insight into how long tasks are actually taking you and your team members! It’s also a great tool for billing potential clients and invoice estimates. 

Eliminate distractions. Use apps like SelfControl or Focus. With this software, you can literally restrict yourself from distracting websites for a block of time. 

Create a list of tasks to get done by the end of the day/week. You can use tools like Trello or Asana. These nifty programs allow you to prioritize work and assign tasks to each team member. Checking off your to-do list has never felt so good!  

 

Make it easy to communicate with your team

Stay in touch with your team members! Slack is an instant messaging app, and a great alternative to emailing! It’s less formal, quick and very collaborative in its functionality. 

Sign up for video conferencing apps. For video conference calls, Hangouts Meet and Zoom are some great options whilst working remotely.

Commit to communicating, even when you’re self-isolating. Human connection is important for our mental health, so checking in with other team members once a day could help prevent feelings of anxiety, depression and loneliness. Your COVID-19 experience doesn’t need to be a lonely one.

 

Automate your work to reduce stress and pressure

Wherever possible, add automation into your workflow! A very simple suggestion is adding Grammarly plugin to your Google Chrome, this will detect any errors in your writing and will save you from making spelling mistakes in your communications.

Need a simple tool for resizing files for your laptop? If you’re working within the creative industry, and have a number of high-resolution images that need to be resized, try JPEG mini! This software allows you to reduce file sizes whilst preserving the image quality. Ideal for uploading to websites and you can do it in large batches! 

Find the right tools for your unique work. Depending on the field of work you’re in, there are going to be many, many different applications available to you. Explore your options and create better WFH habits so you can effectively get work done but also have time for yourself once you’re off the clock. 

 

Here’s a list of awesome software/apps we love for WFH during COVID-19

Project Management

Time Management 

Sharable Documents & Files

Communication

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