Instagram has singlehandedly taken the place of Yelp. Dare I even say; it might be giving Google a run for its money, too. Lofty statement, I know, but here’s what I mean: A few years back, when you were looking for a recommendation, say, for a good Italian restaurant in the area, you’d head to Google or Yelp. But in the ever-advancing technological age, most people head straight to Instagram. They don’t only want to know if there’s a restaurant in close proximity and how it's rated on Yelp; they also want to see its aesthetic firsthand, gauge the number of followers it has, and assess its value based on its Instagram grid. This is why having a captivating Instagram feed is great practice when you own your own business. With these four keys to a grid that wows, you are sure to gain confidence in your Instagram "game" and lay the groundwork for consistent growth. 1. Establish a cohesive color scheme.Disclaimer: I mention this one first, not because it’s the most important, but to get it well out of the way. It is no doubt important (which is why it’s on this list at all!), but many people put too much weight on this and only this. By stressing over how one post might look compared to another one, you waste precious time. Instead, establish your color scheme in advance, and do your best to stick to it. Craft a color scheme that speaks to your branding vision and stands apart from competitors. You can use apps like Canva to input your exact hex codes into a color palette so that you don’t stray from the specific hues. Scheduling platforms like Planoly are a great way to see all of your posts in advance and make sure they’re cohesive well before they post. (We can’t speak highly enough about Planoly; we use it for all of our social media management clients, and it makes our lives so much easier!) 2. Create little consistencies on your Instagram feed that enhance branding.People love consistency. We are creatures of habit, and we experience instant gratification when someone we follow on social media feeds into that natural desire, whether we know it or not. Take advantage of the way we’re wired, and create habits on your own grid. For example, if you have a lighter caseload on Wednesdays and like to pop on social media in some of your down time, create a Wellness Wednesday segment on IGTV that provides people with a new mental health tip for the week. Or maybe you have a podcast episode that comes out every Friday. You might schedule posts every Friday to promote your podcast guest with a little soundbite from the episode, for example. 3. Be yourself!I can’t stress this one enough— Only do what comes naturally to you. Communicating your authentic therapeutic voice is the biggest favor you can do for yourself and your marketing efforts, and I promise it will make your life easier. People love little insights into your personal life and the behind-the-scenes. It helps them see that you’re human, too (getting rid of that silly Superhuman Therapist notion) and makes them feel like they can trust you. For example, you might take a little video of you doing yoga between sessions, writing your caption about how important it is to take mindful breaks to ground yourself periodically throughout the day, no matter what your line of work is. Or perhaps you do an IGTV tutorial of how to bake your secret chocolate chip cookies and talk about how crucial it is to do things you love, especially during this holiday season. Read: “Find Your Authentic Therapeutic Voice” 4. Allow flexibility on your grid.It can be tempting to lock yourself into a grid scheme that looks really fantastic. But that last thing you want to do it restrict yourself so much that you can’t post important information on a given day because it doesn’t align with your specific scheme. Allow yourself the opportunity to use social media as an authentic mode of communication with your ideal client.
For more tips and tricks on upping your social media game, follow along on Instagram!
0 Comments
|