How to Create the Best Instagram Posts for your Balloon Business

There is little doubt that a strong Instagram post for your balloon business can help to attract new customers and engage your current followers. Here are some tips for creating a great Instagram post:

Use high-quality images:

For every post, you should always use high-quality, visually appealing images of your balloon decor to showcase your work. Make sure the lighting is good, and the images are clear and sharp.

Design by Karla Bell-Marsh of Blooms and Balloons Portsmouth 

Use engaging captions: 

Write captions that are informative, interesting, and relevant to the image. Use a conversational tone and try to include a call-to-action, such as "book now" or "click the link in our bio for more information."

Here are some tips for constructing effective captions:

1. Know your audience: Understanding your target audience is crucial to creating captions that resonate with them. Consider their interests, preferences, and values, then tailor your captions accordingly.

2. Keep it short: Instagram captions have a limit of 2,200 characters, but shorter captions are often more effective. Keep your captions concise and to the point, using simple and direct language.

3. Use a clear call-to-action: Including a clear call-to-action in your caption can encourage users to engage with your post, whether that is by liking, commenting, or sharing it.

4. Tell a story: Captions can be an effective way to tell a story or provide context for the image or video. Use the caption to share insights, emotions, or experiences related to the content.

5. Use emojis and hashtags: Emojis and hashtags can help to make your caption more visually appealing and increase its visibility. However, use them sparingly and ensure they are relevant to the content.

6. Edit and proofread: Before posting, be sure to edit and proofread your caption for spelling and grammatical errors. A well-written caption can increase your credibility and make your content more engaging.

   
   

   
   

"Celebrating a whole year of love, laughter, and little moments that make life big! 🎈🥳🎂 #1stBirthday"

"Happy 1st birthday to the cutest little one in town! Let's celebrate with lots of balloons and fun! 🎈👶🎉 #FirstBirthday"

"One year down, a lifetime of adventure to go! 🎈🌟👶 #1stBirthday"

Highlight your unique selling points: 

Showcase what sets your balloon business apart from others. Whether it is your attention to detail, your custom designs, or your exceptional customer service, highlight these points in your posts.

• Emphasise your attention to detail; Share photos of your intricate designs and highlight how you pay close attention to every detail to ensure your balloons look perfect.
• Showcase your custom designs: Highlight how you work closely with your clients to create unique balloon designs that fit their specific needs and preferences. Share photos of some of the custom designs you have created in the past.
• Highlight your exceptional customer service: Share testimonials from happy customers who have praised your outstanding customer service. Demonstrate how you go above and beyond to make sure your clients are satisfied with your services.
• Share your expertise: If you have specialised knowledge in a certain area of balloon design, such as balloon arches or balloon sculptures, highlight this in your posts. Share tips and advice on how to create these designs, and position yourself as an expert in your field.
• Offer promotions and discounts: If you are running a special promotion or offering a discount, make sure to highlight this in your posts. This can be a great way to attract new customers and set yourself apart from your competitors.

Use hashtags: 

Use relevant hashtags to increase the visibility of your posts. Research popular hashtags related to your business and include them in your post.

Here are some popular hashtags 1st Birthday balloon decor: #1stbirthdayballoons #1stbirthdayparty #1stbirthdaydecorations #firstbirthdayballoons #balloon1stbirthday #1stbirthdaycelebration #1stbirthdayideas #1stbirthdayinspiration #1stbirthdayfun #1stbirthdayballoonbouquet #1stbirthdayballoonarch #1stbirthdayballoondecor #1stbirthdaypartyideas #1stbirthdaydecor #1stbirthdaycenterpiece #1stbirthdaypartydecorations #1stbirthdaypartythemes #1stbirthdayballoonarrangements #1stbirthdayballoonart #1stbirthdaypartyplanning

Remember to choose hashtags that are relevant to your post and your audience, and avoid using too many hashtags that may cause your post to look like spam!

Encourage user-generated content: 

Encourage your followers to share their own photos of your balloon decor by tagging your business in their posts. Share these posts on your own page to showcase your happy customers and increase engagement.

Show your team: 

Share images of your team creating balloon decor or working at events. This helps to add a personal touch to your business and can help to build a connection with your followers.

Below is a collection of photographs from a corporate balloon job that I did some years ago. I have mixed prep work with an end result photo to create this collage!

By following these tips, you can create engaging Instagram posts that showcase your balloon business and attract new customers.

And finally, how often should a business post on Instagram?

The ideal frequency for a business to post on Instagram depends on various factors, including the type of business, its audience, and the content being shared. However, a general guideline for businesses is to post at least once per day, or a minimum of 3-4 times per week to maintain an active presence on the platform. That said, it is important to note that quality should always be prioritised over quantity. Posting too frequently or posting low-quality content can lead to decreased engagement and may even turn off followers. It's also important to consider the best time to post, as posting during peak hours when your target audience is most active on the platform can increase engagement and reach. You can use Instagram Insights to track your audience's activity and engagement and adjust your posting schedule accordingly. Ultimately, finding the right posting frequency for your business requires experimentation and analysis of your audience's behaviour and preferences.

I won't even pretend to understand algorithms, but I certainly try to create posts that will hopefully help to improve and increase engagement and visibility. Never be afraid to try out new things, and remember to check your account insights to help you to understand what works well and which posts are the most successful for you.

Happy Ballooning!

Sue

www.suebowler.com

Follow me @suebowler

How to Avoid having your Instagram Account Disabled, or worse, Lost Forever!

Breaking the "rules" on social media is easier than you may realise!

Are you committing copyright infringement and don't realise that you are doing it?

Last year a ballooning friend of mine told me that her business Instagram account had been disabled before Christmas for violating Instagram Community Guidelines  - her account was never restored and she never found out why - but a cheeky little "Elf on the Shelf" had something to do with it! 

There are several things that you can do to cause your Instagram account to be disabled or worse, lost forever! 

Banned Instagram Hashtags

As we all know, hashtags get your posts noticed, but did you know that there are many banned Instagram hashtags! Some of the bans are permanent - others are temporary, usually when someone has reported content that may not meet Instagram's guidelines. These come and go so be careful when using hashtags that they are permissible to use at that time.

How do you know if the hashtags that you are using are okay to use?

• In the search bar, type the hashtag you want to use.
• If it does not appear in the search results, it usually mean that the hashtag is banned. The hashtag could be banned temporarily or indefinitely. This means that one day it might be blocked, another day it might be usable.

I've read several articles on this subject and was really surprised to see that words like #Valentinesday and #newyearsday were both listed as banned hashtags, so I checked and saw that they have both been re-instated. I suppose if someone posts something inappropriate and it's reported, that hashtag is temporarily disabled.

There is a great article A Complete List Of Banned Hashtags You Should Avoid In 2020, I recommend that you take a look.

Infringing the Copyright of other people or businesses - please read this as you could be easily infringing copyright or trademark laws.

Under Instagram’s Terms of Use and Community Guidelines, you can only post content to Instagram if it doesn’t violate the intellectual property rights of another party. The best way to help make sure that the content you post to Instagram doesn’t violate copyright law is to only post content that you’ve created yourself.

You might also be able to use someone else’s content on Instagram if you’ve gotten permission (for example, a license), or if your use is covered by fair use or some other exception to copyright. It’s generally a good idea to get permission before posting content, and to get that permission in writing.

The key words in the above statement are licenses and copyright. 

How many balloon artists regularly copy licensed characters without permission? This is where a balloon artist creates a character entirely out of balloons and does not used a licensed balloon such as the Mickey Mouse Bubble as shown below. I see it all the time on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest! Not only do they copy the licensed characters, they hashtag them too, which makes it really easy for the license owners to catch people using their license without the relevant permissions required.

It might bring an artist kudos to re-create famous character designs, but is it worth having your Instagram account disabled for posting those photos? 
Here is an article on Legal Use of the Disney Characters - by Marilyn Linblad

It's not just Disney, there are so many characters and other famous things that are heavily licensed and trademarked, such as the Olympics and anything Oscar related to name just a few... there are many!

Making designs like the Mickey Mouse design using licensed balloons does not break any licensing rules.

Making designs using licensed balloons is perfectly acceptable
and does not break any licensing rules. 

With so many balloon companies using vinyl cutters, we are seeing many licensed designs and fonts being copied, again this is breaking copyright and licensing rules.

If you are ever in doubt, simply search "is 'xxxx' protected by licenses or trademark laws" and it will give you all the relevant information.

Be warned, re-creating anything that is licensed or has a copyright can get you into trouble - posting it on social media and hash-tagging it simply flags it for all to see.

So let's go back to Elf on The Shelf - as I mentioned right at the beginning of this blog post, a ballooning friend of mine had their Instagram account disabled and is really struggling to get it back. 
They were informed that Instagram had removed a post for copyright infringement - this was a video that they had made showing their Elf On The Shelf stuffing balloons, the video had been hash-tagged "elfontheshelf". Thinking it was because they had used the hashtag, they continued their Elf on the Shelf marketing campaign by posting photographs of the elf being naughty each day, but this time without the hashtag, sadly after a few more posts their account was completely disabled, and it's really hard to find out why.

It's difficult to understand what's okay and what's not! The words "Elf on the Shelf" are trademarked and I suppose around Christmastime they are checking to see if it's being use appropriately. I saw so many Elf on the Shelf campaigns it's hard to know which of those were legal and which broke the rules. Or was my friend just one of the unlucky ones that got noticed?

Last week I noticed that a company had posted a photograph of mine (without permission) on their Instagram account to promote their business - which incidentally is not a balloon decor company! 

Here are the rules on this:

To repost someone else's Instagram post, you first have to obtain that person's permission to re-use their content. Then, you can use an external app such as Repost for Instagram, Instarepost, or DownloadGram.

The company that used my photo did neither, they did hashtag my name but that does not constitute as obtaining permission.

If someone has posted a photograph of yours that you took, you have to decide if you are unhappy that they are using one of your photos to promote their business, and to be honest it is probably best to contact them directly and ask them to remove the photograph, which in most cases they will. If they refuse, then you are well within your right to report them to Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest.

And there are even more reason why Instagram might block you!

• Mass Following and Mass Liking
• Excessively Frequent Publications
• Images/Videos Violating Social Network Rules
• User Complaints
• Different IP addresses and Devices

Rather than going into more details regarding the above reasons, I will guide you to a great post - 6 Reasons Why Instagram Blocks You. To-Do Actions if You Get Banned - by Julia Minnie who explain each of these really well.

To be completely honest I was unaware of many of the reasons for having an Instagram account disabled, and researching for this blog has really opened my eyes. When it comes to copyrights and trademark laws, I am always very careful, as it's so easy to break these rules. When in doubt always check!  For example did you know that you are not allowed to have an "Oscars" theme party but you can have a "Hollywood Nights Party" - even words are protected by copyright laws! 

Keep your Instagram and other social media accounts safe by not inadvertently breaking any rules.

Happy Ballooning!


Sue
www.suebowler.com
Follow me - #suebowler

A Few Simple Steps on How To Build Your Instagram Following

Last year, I made a commitment to myself to work on my Instagram account. I have always been a Facebook kind of girl, but today, I find Facebook cluttered and a little overwhelming with the number of unwelcome posts, videos, and adverts that appear constantly in my newsfeed. Instagram, on the other hand, I find inspiring and filled with content that I want to view. I wonder how many of our customers feel the same way?


Like any social network out there, there are right ways to use it, wrong ways to use it, and clever ways to use it.

Let's begin with hashtags.

I have written about hashtags before, but this time I would like to be a little more specific. Using hashtags is one thing. Using the right tags is a completely different thing. 

If you want to tag your photos properly, you'll need to find and use the most relevant hashtags. This means doing the appropriate research to make sure you're using hashtags that not only describe what you do but are also being searched for on Instagram. So how do you do this?

Have you heard of Webstagram? Not only does it show you the most popular Instagram hashtags, but it also offers a free search tool that allows you to find all the top hashtags related to your post. 

There is also another free site called All Hashtag. It has a "hashtag generator." Be selective with your hashtags. Using the top-rated hashtags might mean that your posts get lost and never seen. 

The important thing is to build your own hashtag list. There are two types of hashtags: BRANDED and COMMUNITY.

Branded, is specific to your company - your company name, for example. It's amazing how many people don't hashtag their own company name, including me! 

Community, like branded hashtags, can connect like-minded users around a specific subject. But, unlike branded hashtags, community hashtags don’t need to be directly related to a business. They can be broader and much less focused. You might decide to do a #happymonday or #TBT (throw-back-Thursday) campaign. This is a great way to engage with a wider community.

A slightly sneaky but great way to discover new and trending hashtags is to check out the hashtags that your competitors and industry influencers use.

The power of the #Hashtag

Hashtags — what do they actually do? I see hashtags that have been added to posts. I have even used them, but if I am honest, I am not really sure how they work!


Hashtags were first used on Twitter and are now used on Facebook, Google+, Google search, Instagram, Pinterest,  and I am sure many other places, too! 

The hashtag appears to be the most popular means of categorising content on social media. It makes your own content discoverable and allows you to find relevant content from other people and organisations. The hashtag also allows you to connect with and engage other social media users based on a common theme or interest.



It has become common practice to use hashtags at balloon events. I believe that it started at the World Balloon Convention 2014 with #Worldballoon14.  It is a fantastic way to see all the different photographs posted by everyone attending. I was recently at the Qualatex Event in Johannesburg, South Africa. We created a unique hashtag for the event, #QualatexSA2016 and asked everyone to add this hashtag to all their pictures when posting on Facebook. We even turned it into a competition and awarded prizes to the photographers that captured the spirit of the event. We had great results and were able to see lots of wonderful photographs that we might not have seen without this common link! Plus, we can easily find these photographs again in the future simply by using the hashtag. These are the winning hashtag photographs from the event.

Balloon Wall with Jag Dhillon by Fyah Lighter
Photo Frame and Arch by Balloon Pop
Photo Frame by Madeleine Janse van Rensburg 

Using hashtags on Twitter

A hashtag—written with a # symbol—is used to index keywords or topics on Twitter. This function was created on Twitter and allows people to easily follow topics they are interested in.

Using hashtags to categorise Tweets by keyword:
People use the hashtag symbol (#) before a relevant keyword or phrase in their Tweet to categorise those Tweets and help them to appear more often in Twitter search results.
Clicking or tapping on a hashtagged word in any message shows you other Tweets that include that hashtag.
Hashtags can be included anywhere in a Tweet.
Hashtagged words that become very popular are often Trending Topics.

Tips for using hashtags:
You cannot add spaces or punctuation in a hashtag, or it will not work properly.
If you Tweet with a hashtag on a public account, anyone who does a search for that hashtag may find your Tweet.
Twitter recommends using no more than 2 hashtags per Tweet as best practice, but you may use as many hashtags in a Tweet as you like.
Type a hashtagged keyword in the search bar to discover content and accounts based on your interests.

The Twitter Cheat Sheet Infographic above, is based on data from Buddy Media and was from an article that I read, "Twitter Cheat Sheet To Increase Engagement And Followers" on Linchpinseo. It's a great read and gives some very helpful information and statistics!

I was really interested to read that Tweets with one or two hashtags have higher engagement than Tweets that use more than two hashtags.

Using Hashtags on Pinterest

In Pinterest, hashtags are only clickable and searchable in pin descriptions and they work a bit differently than they do on Twitter or Instagram. Clicking on a hashtag in a pin's description will not only result in pins that include that hashtag but also in pins that include the same word or phrase in the description.

I tested hashtags on Pinterest, and sure enough if you click on a hashtag it brings up every picture with or without a hashtag that relates to that word. So it's not such a great filter on Pinterest as it is on other social media channels.

Using Hashtags on Facebook

Hashtags turn topics and phrases into clickable links in your posts on your personal Timeline or Page. This helps people find posts about topics they’re interested in. To make a hashtag, write # (the number sign) along with a topic or phrase and add it to your post. For example:

I just saw the cutest puppy! #dogs

When you click a hashtag, you’ll see a feed of posts that include that hashtag. You may also see some related hashtags at the top of the page.

Please keep in mind:

• A hashtag must be written as a single word, without any spaces.
• You can include numbers in a hashtag, but punctuation and special characters (like $ and %) won't work.
• You can search for a hashtag using the search bar at the top of any page.
• You'll only see posts that were shared with you.

When you add a hashtag to your post, the people you’ve shared your post with can also see it in that hashtag's feed. For example, if you share a post with a hashtag  #Friends, they can see your post in that hashtag’s feed.

Keep in mind if you use a hashtag in a post you share to Public, and allow people to follow you, your post will appear on your public profile and in that hashtag's feed.

Using Hashtags on Instagram - extracted from an article by By Brittney Helmrich from Business News Daily.

Hashtags are a great way to help other users find your content on Instagram, just like on Twitter. Since users can both search for hashtags and click on hashtags they see in posts on the app, using relevant hashtags can be a highly effective tool for getting noticed. However, just like on Twitter, you have to make sure you're using the right hashtags for your brand, and that you don't go overboard.

Hashtags like #nofilter (if you're sharing a photo that hasn't been heavily edited with filters added), #selfie (if you're sharing a picture of yourself,) and #tbt or #throwbackthursday (if you're sharing an old photo) are all incredibly popular on Instagram, but they may not work for you or your brand. Using popular hashtags just because they're popular might annoy your current and potential new followers, and it will be obvious you're just trying to get more followers and exposure.

It's a good idea to look at other established brands (or even personal users and bloggers) in your industry for examples of what to do, especially when it comes to hashtags. A fashion boutique, for example, would want to use very different hashtags from those used by a bicycle repair shop, so following and paying attention to other successful Instagram users in your field can help you get a feel for what works and what doesn't.

On Instagram, it's not just the hashtags you use that matters, but also how many. Instagram allows a maximum of 30 hashtags in a post or comment, but 30 hashtags is a lot, and using that many would be excessive. The fewer hashtags you can use to get quality responses, the better. Using a large number of popular hashtags might earn you a lot of likes from other users, but it probably won't increase your following all that much. The interactions you get will likely not be from people who are interested in your brand, but rather those who just saw and liked your image. If you aim to keep your hashtags relevant, interesting, and specific, you won't need 20 hashtags to gain exposure.

It's also important to note that hashtags can include letters and numbers, but they can't contain any non-numerical symbols (so #DaveAndBusters might work as a hashtag, but #Dave&Busters does not, for example). Using hashtags that don't work on the app might make you look like you don't know what you're doing, and they won't help you gain followers or likes, either.

Searching hashtags on Instagram is also a good way to find new users to follow and get your account noticed. For example, if you use a certain hashtag on your posts, or if there's a certain hashtag that is relevant to your brand, you can do a search for it and see all of the photos posted with that hashtag. Scroll through and like the ones you find interesting, and follow users with content you like. If those users think your content is relevant to their interests, they'll likely follow back — or at least check out (and maybe interact with) your posts.

Incorporate hashtags to categorize your content and make it easier for non-followers to discover you. We recommend up to three hashtags so they don't detract from the simplicity of the post. Ask questions to engage people.

To read the full article, Instagram for Business: Everything You Need to Know - See more at: http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/7662-instagram-business-guide.html#sthash.nUdI9s8q.dpuf

Well, that was a lot of information! But it has helped me to understand hashtags a little more. It is important that you understand how hashtags work for each of the social media channels that you use. Hashtags used on Pinterest, for example, are not as effective as those used on Twitter or Instagram. One of the biggest tips that I have learned is that you should not use too many hashtags on each of your posts. Often, 1 or 2 are more effective than 3 or more! 
Businesses can really benefit from using hashtags in their posts. Adding one or two hashtags to a post can help to increase their social reach and improve brand awareness. Following and using trending hashtags can help a business if they join in on a high traffic discussion on topics related to their industry and service.

Here are just a few of the top trending hashtags that can be related to the balloon industry:

Twitter
#giftsforhim
#gifts
#gift
#bridesmaid

Instagram
#love
#picoftheday
#party
#pink
#black
#work
#christmas
#sweet
#birthday

Simply by using any of these hashtags in your posts could give your business a greater reach to new customers! Check out what's trending and start hashtagging!

#happyballooning!

Sue
www.suebowler.com