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Top 5 Reasons The $1.80 Strategy Will Cost You Money

Unless You’ve Been Living Under A Digital Rock Or Are Very New To Online Marketing, This Strategy Is Not New To You.

I doubt there are many people who haven’t heard of Gary Vee. Most of Us have heard of his $1.80 Strategy for Engaging on Instagram (and now other platforms). But in case you haven’t, here’s the TL;DR for that:

Gary Vee's $1.80 Instagram Engagement Strategy

You Follow Top Hashtags In Your Industry
You Comment (or Drop Your Two Cents) On The Top 9 Posts in 10 Of Those Hashtags
Do This Daily

He breaks it all the way down in this post on his website.

Here’s a video if you want to watch him explain it:

Now that we got all that out of the way, let’s talk about why that strategy sucks balls for small biz

Too general
This Engagement Strategy is super general despite it sounding niche. It doesn’t take into account the size of the business, type of business, or any of hundreds of other factors. However, when you have a wide array of business, you think like a generalist.
Works best if you have a team or social media manager
When you’re digging through posts to leave a meaningful comment, checking the profile, and then leaving the
I can't say something meaningful to YOU the poster if you give me nothing to work with.Click To Tweet
comment.. yeah. Most small businesses just don’t have the brain equity for all that plus all the other content they need to handle, all the other engagement, all the other marketing… all the other hats we wear in one day both in business and personal arenas.
Must already have a comprehensive social media plan in place
The crux of this strategy is to use hashtags. Which makes absolute sense. But if your social media plan is “throw it at the wall to see what sticks” (guilty here!), then this strategy is not going to bring in ideal clients. You’re more likely to bots and other spam accounts.
Relies on other Instagrammers to have used good caption practices
I’m going to try not to rant here. So many users drop hashtag only captions. Or, even more fun, totally blank captions. Nothing there to engage with, even if it is a quote or other meme. I can’t say something meaningful to YOU the poster if you give me nothing to work with. Often, these are the same people who have bios that are vague as fuck. See the problems here?
Takes too much time
With all the issues above, if you even hit 10 hashtags in a day, you’re going to be sick of Instagram. You will likely have wasted most of a day. Especially if you hit a lot of those captions that are absolute shit. I don’t know a single small business owner who has time for all that. Maybe if they’ve grown enough to outsource. Maybe.

Want To Optimize Your Instagram Bio?

A fully optimized bio will get you more customers/clients and more targeted followers!

Click here to get your FREE Instagram Bio Optimization Notes and Checklist

Now, before we go fix this Buck Eighty mess, you can give a listen to how Gary is adapting this for LinkedIn. Not my jam. I didn’t listen to much of it, but maybe it will help someone.

Here’s Five Ways To Use This Instagram Engagement Strategy Better As A Small Business Owner

Make it time-based
Instead of focusing on the number of posts or hashtags, focus on the time you’re spending on this engagement strategy. With limited time in the day, you want to ensure you get your highest ROI tasks done as well. Engagement and social growth are important, but it doesn’t help if you don’t have offers or lead magnets for those ideal people you’re interacting with.
Comment on recent rather than the top

Search out your top industry/brand/niche ones and follow those babies. This gives you the opportunity to interact with new people in those communities while you’re actively engaging with your audience and those you follow.Click To Tweet
I recommend this (and so do some others) for the simple fact these are the accounts most likely to still be online to interact back. Having a conversation, especially nearly real time, is much more memorable than a simple comment. It also gets you into each other’s feed if you interact a good bit in a short time.
Update hashtag research at least once a month
Instagram is constantly updating what hashtags it likes and what ones it is “shadow banning”. I wouldn’t go any longer between double checking your hashtags. If you can find time to check every two weeks or more, that might be ideal. This is a personal theory, your mileage may vary.
Follow your most important hashtags in order to engage with posts in your feed
I hope you know you can also follow hashtags just like you do people. If not go search out your top industry/brand/niche ones and follow those babies. Don’t follow too many, I’d say maybe 5-10. You then start seeing top posts in those hashtags in your feed as you scroll. This gives you the opportunity to interact with new people in those communities while you’re actively engaging with your audience and those you follow. Talk about massive win-win!
Only engage with posts and accounts who are your ideal customer, of interest to your ideal customer, or someone you would want to collab with.
Well, mostly. Only is kind of strict. The reason is similar to why interacting with accounts you don’t follow can be beneficial. And with hashtags. You’re teaching Instagram what content you want to see. So you want to be careful about what you interact with. I’m saying you need to be douche and stop interacting with friends and family and random people who follow you to support you. I AM saying to interact with those more targeted types of accounts more.

Okay, Super Stars. Do you think Gary Vee had it on the money for small business with his $1.80 strategy or does it make more sense to modify it? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Want To Optimize Your Instagram Bio?

A fully optimized bio will get you more customers/clients and more targeted followers!

Click here to get your FREE Instagram Bio Optimization Notes and Checklist

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Content Creation can be a pain in the ass

However, creating fresh content on a regular basis is necessary as a business in today’s world. According to Bambu from Sprout Social, about 2/3 of the marketing funnel is navigated online, with at least 5 pieces of content being consumed before a decision is made. So, what does this mean for content creators and markers?

'About 2/3 of the marketing funnel is navigated online, with at least 5 pieces of content being consumed before a decision is made.' Click To Tweet

Regular Content Distribution Is Still Necessary

Yup, we’re stuck making content like crazy. But this doesn’t have to be a bad thing. It doesn’t even have to be a struggle. How can we fix the struggle? I’m glad you asked. I actually have a quick fixes for you today. You’ll need both.

Pre-Fix Work

I see you rolling your eyes! Gimme a sec, okay! Every plan needs a good foundation. And you know this, maaaaan.

Key 1: Create A Schedule

The first key to any content creation strategy is to decide how often you will create content on each platform. Also, for the love of your sanity, don’t try to be everywhere! Pick 2 to 4 social media platforms and your blog. That’s it. Each piece of Facebook should be counted separately in my opinion as they have different strategies and need different content.

Now, decide how often you will post to each. I promise you don’t have to post every day to every platform. Want to see my post schedule? No problem!

Jennifer Weiner's General Content Marketing Post Schedule | Content Creation Tips — My General Content Marketing Posting Schedule

That’s just me….your post needs will vary based on your ideal customer, the platforms you choose, and your available time and energy.

Struggling With Your Ideal Customer Profile?

You’re not alone! Many of us struggle with this for way too long! My branding notes and worksheet will help you get this and more nailed down so you can present your brand with clarity and confidence to win more clients!

Click here to get your FREE Branding Notes and Worksheet

Key 2: Batching Content

This is tough at first. Right now, I’m using three days to batch content and I’m still struggling a little. But it’s much better than before! I’m actually putting out content! It just tires me out a lot more than I like, however, I expect that to change as I adjust to the process.

Here’s my process at the moment. Your mileage may vary!

Key 3- Scheduling

Posting on the fly all the time is a recipe for disaster. You’ll end up with an emergency or just plain forget if you get deep into your money making activities. Heck, if you’re like me, you might end up taking a siesta due to the heat or even a good meal!

Scheduling using an app can take a lot of stress and pressure off! It can also help with consistency so your fans know when to expect to see your next bit of wisdom and fun. Consistency is also how we build authority as well as know, like, and trust. We have to have all of that to sell or influence. Hang with me to the end and I’ll have a full list of my my favorite tools for every step of this!

'Consistency is also how we build authority as well as know, like, and trust.'Click To Tweet

Ready for the ninja tip to make the actual brainstorming and content making super easy? Drum roll, please!

Ninja Content Creation Hack: Theme Days

Don’t look at me in that tone of voice! I’m not talking about Taco Tuesday on your blog. Though you can totally do that on your Instagram or Facebook here and there. And we are going to plan out all your platforms. Let’s take a look at my schedule but put in my themes and hopefully this will connect for you!

Jennifer Weiner's Themed Posting Schedule | Content Creation Tips — My Posting Schedule by Themes

As you see, some of my themes are very broad. Some are laser focused. This what works for me. You’ll have to do some testing to see what works for you. Not sure what kinds of themes you can use? Let’s look at some ideas!

Theme Ideas

There are probably a million ways you can theme your content days. These are just a few off the top of my head.

Not Sure What Your Content Pillars Are?

Don’t worry. I can help. My branding notes and worksheet will help you get this and more nailed down so you can present your brand with clarity and confidence to win more clients!

Click here to get your FREE Branding Notes and Worksheet

Tools To Make The Whole Content Batching Process Easier

I’m not going to sugar coat any of this. Easier, faster, more simple. It still sucks sometimes. However, we both know that as business owners, online marketing is a must these days. People want to read reviews and more before they buy. Here’s a list of tools that I’ve tried and liked that will make content batching, creating, and all of it just a little less sucky.

'I'm not going to sugar coat any of this. Easier, faster, more simple. It still sucks sometimes. However, we both know that as business owners, online marketing is a must these days.'Click To Tweet

NOTE: Links in this section may be affiliate or referral links. If you sign up for a paid version, trial version, or even free version, I may receive compensation of some sort at no additional cost to you. If you prefer I don’t get the additional compensation, feel free to Google the service to find a plain link. No hard feelings. I’ve also listed any perks you may receive by signing up through my link!

Graphics

Canva– For all your graphics needs, this is a powerhouse. You’ll look like a pro but it’s great for even novices. I highly recommend going for the pro subscription. Resize is a dream, the extra free photos and graphics are the bomb, and being able to add new fonts and save your brand colors and fonts makes everything even faster!

Scheduling

Tailwind – I’m currently using this to schedule to Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. I took advantage of a $30 credit promo to get a month of paid features for Instagram and Pinterest and I must say I’m fairly impressed already. This link is a referral link that will get you a $15 credit for a free month of one of the platforms (it does require a debit or credit card) and into my content creators tribe for Pinterest. Tribes are unique to Tailwind and Help us promote each other on Pinterest without spamming Pinterest too fast (if that even matters?).
Later– This one isn’t just for Instagram anymore! I was shocked to see it also posts to Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest. You get 30 posts to all but Twitter which gets 50 (on the free plan). For each referral you send (like the link I just shared with you) both people get 10 extra posts per month. Not sure if it’s per platform or what, but still a cool referral program. It says you can earn up to 150 per month, so it’s also pretty generous.
Planoly– I use this to schedule to Instagram as well. I haven’t used the paid plan as the free plan with 30 uploads a month works well for me.

Research

All-Hashtags– Hashtag Research.
Display Purposes – More hashtag Research
Flick – Paid Hashtag Research Tool That Sunny Lennerduzzi Recommends. This link will give you 10% off if you continue after the 7-day trial. It does require a credit/debit card or that you link a PayPal account for the trial.
Keywordtool.io – Not just hashtag research. Keyword, Youtube and more. Free with paid options.
Keywords Everywhere – Extension for Chrome and Firefox. Great for Keyword Research and totally free.

Organization and Communication

Trello – You create boards for projects, tracking, teams, whatever you can think of. Lists hold cards that have so many functions. You can get Trello Gold (up to 12 months at a time) by referring people like I’m doing you. You can pay for it. There are higher plans for business, but I don’t see most small businesses really needing all that. Trello Gold is just some extra perks, so read carefully before you pay for it.
Slack– This way to communicate is ah-maze-ing. It’s Facebook Messenger with integrations to make it way more effective for client and team communication. It’s free, works on desktop and mobile, and is way easier to navigate between conversations. Give it a try. You’ll be hooked. I’m doing awesome with the free version.
IFTTT– A way to make apps and software that don’t communicate with each other…well, communicate with each other.
Zapier– Basically, another way to makes apps communicate with each other when they normally don’t

Review

So, we covered three keys to content creation success. A ninja strategy to make it less sucky. I also listed 13 tools to help with your batching, research and other content strategy and creation needs. That was a lot! Thanks for hanging with me to the end! I’ve got a free PDF right here with links to all the tools and the TL;DR of the keys and ninja strategy with the pretty pics to help you remember some of the rest. Just click, not even an email required.

Over To You!

What did you find the most interesting or useful in this post? Drop me a comment, I’d love to hear from you!

<3 Jenn

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8 Highly Effective Hacks You Need To Grow Your Instagram

If you’ve followed me for long, you know I’m an absolute fan-girl of Vanessa Lau. Today I’m giving you a quick low down of her top eight Instagram hacks to grow your Instagram. These come from a couple of different videos, which you’ll find at the end. Let’s get right into the hacks!

1. Make Good Use Of Your Name Area For SEO

Basically what you’ll want to do here is add in what you do. So, instead of me having Jennifer Weiner or Southern Hospitality Consulting, I have Jenn | Web + Graphic Design. So if someone searches for Web or Graphic Design I have a chance of showing up. Pretty cool, huh?

Want To Further Optimize Your Instagram Bio?

A fully optimized bio will get you more customers/clients and more targeted followers!

Click here to get your FREE Instagram Bio Optimization Notes and Checklist

2. Write Good Captions

Her second tip for Instagram growth is to write good captions. This one seems like a no-brainer, but I still see posts with nothing but hashtags or emojis. This won’t increase your followers, but it could lose you some. Watch the video to see her awesome tips for this one.

3. Mix Your Hashtag “Sizes” To Maximize Instagram Growth

This one requires some research but is well worth it. I know… I know! But trust me, it will help you gain some followers and it will help you find communities you want to be interacting with. Watch the video for Vanessa’s strategy for mixing it up (Your Mileage May Vary… I go even more niche than she recommends, personally)

4. Change up those hashtags!

She recommends keeping several groups of hashtags on your phone. I actually keep mine in a spreadsheet as I post using a scheduler. You’ll want that research you did in number three. This keeps the algorithm happy so you don’t get flagged as a spammer for using the exact same hashtags with every post. Yup, it still happens from everything I can find out.

5. Engage with the Community to Grow Your Instagram Followers

Make it so! You’re going to want to respond to every comment as you’re growing your followers on Instagram. You’ll also want to comment on posts in hashtags that are related to your biz. You know you can follow those, right?

6. Use Your Other Platforms to Increase Your Instagram Followers

Vanessa herself will tell you that a lot of her growth on Instagram has been due to having a successful YouTube channel. Where is your most successful social media channel? Be sure you mention your Instagram there!

7. Answer Comments Of Your “Competitors”

Now, I think there are no competitors as there’s room for all of us. However, we need a way to frame this tip. Of course, you should always be super respectful of the other person. Also, just be chill and helpful to the person commenting. Never directly pitch to the commenter. That’s no way to grow on Instagram. It’s truly an asshole thing to do, and you’ll get called out on it.

8. Turn On Post Notifications For The Big Dogs In Your Niche

Wow. the last tip! You want to do this so you can leave thoughtful comments quickly on those big accounts to get some exposure! Vanessa says to try to be in the first five if you can!

Find Vanessa Online

You can check out her Youtube, her website, and her Instagram. If you go to her website, you can get her top Instagram tips for growing your followers by scrolling to the bottom. It’s a great guide to have to keep up with the first five hacks here until they become a habit.

Here are The Videos With The Hacks To Grow Your Instagram

I also made a little playlist of my favorite hacks for Instagram. Yes, those two above are included. Save them for later!

What’s Your Take?

Did these tips help you? Which one are you most excited to use?

Want To Further Optimize Your Instagram Bio?

A fully optimized bio will get you more customers/clients and more targeted followers!

Click here to get your FREE Instagram Bio Optimization Notes and Checklist

We all wish there was a magic formula for instant success as an entrepreneur.

However, even the so-called overnight successes worked in the background for months and even years before “hitting the big time”. Vanessa Lau spent six months working on her biz after she quit her 9-to-5 corporate job. She spent a year doing research and planning before that. She’s now a 6-figure entrepreneur. I’m also a bit of a fangirl, in case you couldn’t tell.

All of the big names in whatever field you can think of didn’t make it without a lot of blood, sweat, tears and long nights. Just like there’s no crying in baseball, there’s no instant success in the business world.

Just like there's no crying in baseball, there's no instant success in the business world. Click To Tweet

Not even Gary Vee was a millionaire overnight.

So what’s a new entrepreneur to do?

It’s not really all that hard. Okay, it is kind of hard, but it’s also dead simple. Don’t believe me? Here’s the list!

Five Shocking Secrets To Entrepreneurial Success

Have a plan
Shockingly simple, right. However, too many of us (myself included) jump in and throw things at the wall to see what sticks. Don’t be like me. That’s way too hard. Instead, be like Vanessa! Do your research (yucky, I know!) so you can have a solid plan to hit the ground running. I mean seriously? I want to have a multiple six-figure launch, don’t you? But you also have to do the next step!
Get Off Your Butt and Work That Plan
Shockingly to the point, no? Just my style!

A plan does us no good if it just sits on a desk or hard drive looking pretty.Click To Tweet
Once we have the big plans, let’s break them down into yearly, quarterly, monthly –on down to daily goals with tasks and dates and all that good stuff. This is so not my forte! But I do know it works. Any suggestions on how to make this part work better for me and those like me?
Surround Yourself with Like-Minded People
Shockingly fun! It’s super hard getting friends and family to understand. Your best support system will come from other entrepreneurs in your local community. Facebook groups can also be a great source for finding biz besties. This tip is also shockingly short!
Always Be Failing Foward!
Just plain shocking! Did I say I want you to fail? Technically, I hope you’re always successful. Realistically, this is highly unlikely unless you never take any risks. No risks mean you’ll never be likely to have big gains or scale your business to more than maybe a comfortable living. I want more than that for you, and I hope you do too! So take those risks, Fail a few times, figure out why it failed and get back up. Without failure, we never learn. When we don’t learn, we don’t grow. Which brings me to my final secret!
Always Be Learning
Shockingly less than fun for some of us. Me, I love learning. It’s a passion for me, and I hope it becomes one for you.
Learning will keep you on the cutting edge of your fieldClick To Tweet
so you can be the leader that others in your industry turn to. It will also keep your mind fresh and active into a nice old age. The great news is there are many free ways to keep learning! My two favorites are the website edX and reading–use your local library and only buy those books that are truly timeless or moving.

Now I want to hear your thoughts!

What shocking secrets to entrepreneurial success do you know? I’d love to hear them in the comments below. Thanks for stopping by.

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Content Creation Got You Down? You Need To Read This Now

Content Creation can be a pain in the ass