Showing posts with label social media inspiration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label social media inspiration. Show all posts

Friday, May 26, 2023

Tips on how to make your Social Media Posts Engaging and Memorable

Tips for Creating Engaging Social Media Posts

The first thing I always recommend when aiming for more engagement on Social Media is aiming to regularly post on Facebook and Instagram. However, to make your posts memorable and engaging, you must take a unique approach. Nowadays, people tend to keep scrolling and only engage with posts that catch their attention. So, how can you make sure that your potential customers stop, look, and follow your posts? Here are some helpful tips to consider:

Use eye-catching visuals: Incorporate high-quality images, videos, or graphics that grab attention and make your posts visually appealing. Visual content tends to attract more engagement than text-only posts.

These are my top three posts according to the number of impressions and the reach they have achieved over the past two years. All three posts have something in common; they don't just feature balloons, but also include a "human element".

Having a human element in an Instagram post adds a sense of relatability and authenticity, which can make the post more appealing to viewers. Here are a few reasons why:

Emotional connection: Seeing a person in a post allows viewers to connect on an emotional level. It evokes feelings of empathy, relatability, and familiarity. Humans are naturally drawn to other human faces and expressions, so including a person in your post can help establish a deeper connection with your audience.

Authenticity and trust: Incorporating a human element in your post can make it feel more genuine and authentic. It humanises your brand or message, showing that there are real people behind it. This transparency can help build trust with your audience and make them more receptive to your content.

Storytelling: Humans are natural storytellers, and featuring people in your posts allows you to tell stories visually. Whether it is showcasing a behind-the-scenes moment, sharing a customer's experience, or highlighting your team members, storytelling through a human element can be compelling and engaging.

Relatability and social proof: When people see others like themselves using or benefiting from a product or service, it creates a sense of relatability and social proof. It can help potential customers envision themselves in that situation and increase their trust in your brand.

Increased engagement: Posts with human faces often attract more attention and engagement. Studies have shown that photos with faces tend to receive more likes, comments, and shares compared to those without. Including a human element can capture viewers' attention as they naturally gravitate towards human faces.

While having a human element in your Instagram posts can be beneficial, it is still essential to ensure that it aligns with your brand and the message you want to convey. It should feel authentic and relevant to your content strategy and target audience. 


This post has achieved:
5297 Likes
42 Comments
2134 Saves
207,302 Reach
2,246 Profile Visits
1,802 Follows


This post has achieved:
2417 Likes
12 Comments
1180 Saves
107,737 Reach
3,209 Profile Visits
1,697 Follows

This post has achieved:
1855 Likes
11 Comments
573 Saves
66,842 Reach
1,747 Profile Visits
964 Follows


If you have an Instagram Business account, you can access Instagram Insights, which provides analytics and data about your posts' performance. Insights will show you metrics such as reach, impressions, engagement rate, and the number of likes, comments, and shares for each post. Use this data to identify your most successful posts.

Write captivating headlines or captions: using concise and attention-grabbing headlines or captions will make people want to click, read, or engage with your post. Use creativity, humour, or curiosity to pique their interest!



Tell stories: Stories have a powerful impact on engagement. Share personal anecdotes, customer success stories, or behind-the-scenes glimpses to captivate your audience and make your posts more relatable.


Here is a great example of a balloon business sharing more than just a photograph of a balloon wall; they go into detail and talk about how big the wall is, about how they love to create new colours and how they think the design will look fabulous in Pink! Their post is colourful, exciting and charming, everything a customer wants to see! 

Be authentic and genuine: Show your personality and let your brands authentic voice shine through your posts. Avoid being overly promotional and focus on building genuine connections with your audience. Use engaging visuals that showcase your unique style and personality.

Here are some great ideas:

  • Share your design inspiration and how you incorporate it into your work.
  • If you pre-design your decor either by hand-drawing or by using a design program such as BalloonPro.co, why not show the before and after? 

    Below is a balloon wall that I designed for a training course some years ago in Israel. The three images show the wall design, the wall made from balloons and finally a design image showing how the wall could be incorporated with other decorations. 



  • Don't be afraid to share your mistakes or failures, as they can be valuable learning experiences or relatable moments for others.
  • Show your appreciation for your audience and the support they give you. 
  • Use language that is authentic and easy to understand, and avoid jargon or technical terms that may alienate your audience.
  • Be consistent in your messaging and tone across all of your design content.
  • Remember to have fun and enjoy the creative process, as passion and enthusiasm can be contagious.
Encourage interaction: Pose questions, ask for opinions, or invite people to share their experiences in the comments. Encourage your audience to engage with your posts and create a sense of community.

Use hashtags strategically: Research relevant and trending hashtags and incorporate them into your posts. This can help increase the discoverability of your content and attract a broader audience.

Provide valuable content: Share informative, educational, or entertaining content that your audience will find valuable. Offer tips, tutorials, industry insights, or exclusive deals to establish yourself as a trusted resource.

Utilise storytelling formats: Experiment with formats like Instagram Stories, Facebook Live, or TikTok to deliver content in a more interactive and engaging manner. These formats allow for behind-the-scenes glimpses, Q&A sessions, or interactive polls.

Be consistent and frequent: Regularly posting fresh and engaging content keeps your audience interested and coming back for more. Find a posting schedule that works for you and consistently deliver valuable content.

Analyse and learn from your data: Monitor your social media analytics to understand what type of content resonates with your audience. Pay attention to metrics like engagement rate, reach, and click-through rate to optimise your future posts.

Remember, creating engaging and memorable social media posts requires experimentation and adaptation. Continuously monitor and analyse your results, listen to your audience, and refine your content strategy accordingly.

Personally, I know that this information will really benefit my own social media posts. When I look at my Instagram posts, I can see that with a little bit more thought and a few more words, I can transform my posts into something that my potential and current followers want to see.

Happy Ballooning!



Sue

www.suebowler.com
#suebowler



Thursday, July 15, 2021

Inspiration for Social Media Holiday Posts - for July, August and September 2023

Just like with birthdays, there are usually some kind of holiday to look forward to! Some are both well known and widely celebrated, while others are diverse and attract less attention. The great thing about holidays is that they can make outstanding social media content, especially if we can relate our posts to the products and balloon decor that we offer. These types of posts tend to generate many “likes” and they can be some of the easiest posts you will create all year. 

To help you get started, I have highlighted a selection of holidays that occur in July, August, and September 2023. Please feel free to use any of this information to help you with your social media posts.

July

  • 17th July 2023
  • 😀😍😎 World Emoji Day #WorldEmojiDay
    World Emoji Day is an unofficial (social media) holiday. The purpose of World Emoji Day is to promote the use of emojis and spread the enjoyment that they bring to those around us.
  • All these images are available to download individually from 
    www.Qualatex.com
    www.Northstarballoons.com
  • 16th July 2023
  • 🍦🍨 National Ice Cream Day (Third Sunday in July) #IceCreamDay 
  • History of Ice Cream Day
    We have US President Reagan to thank for Ice Cream Day. He wanted to commemorate the treat that more than 90 percent of the population in the United States enjoy, and so he decided he would decree a day for ice cream. He did so in 1984. Doing this actually ended up glorifying the dairy industry in the United States, and so it probably does not come as any surprise for you to learn that Amercans eat more gallons of ice cream per year than anywhere else in the world.

  • Money can't buy happiness

    but it can buy Ice Cream! 

    And that's almost the same thing !

    For more inspiration check out: "Ice Cream Theme Party Decor Ideas"
August

  • 4th August 2023 
  • 🍺 International Beer Day (First Friday in August) #InternationalBeerDay
  • This is a celebration on the first Friday of every August founded in 2007 in Santa Cruz, California by Jesse Avshalomov. It celebrates those responsible for brewing and serving beer, and helps to unite the world under the banner of the beloved brew, by celebrating the beers of all nations together on a single day.
  • Cheers! Beer Mug

    • Size and shape: 35"
    • Package item #: 23488

    If you would like to learn how to create this fabulous Beer Sculpture check out: 

    Cheers! Learn How to "Craft a Brew" with Nick Anderson, CBA! With a Great Video Tutorial!


  • Beer Fest Balloon Sculpture by Nick Anderson

  • 10th August 2023
  • 🦁 World Lion Day #WorldLionDay
  • Was created with the aim to raise awareness and gather support for lion conservation. The big cat is listed as an endangered species in the IUCN Red List.

  • Lion Cub
    Designer name: Stephanie Morace, Balloonatics of Baton Rouge, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
  • Fun facts about lions:
  • Lions are the only cats that live in groups.
  • A group, or pride, can be up to 30 lions, depending on how much food and water is available.
  • Female lions are the main hunters. 
  • A lion's roar can be heard up to eight kilometres away.
  • Lions scent mark their territory, using their wee to create a border.

  • Lovable Lion

  • Size and shape: 29"
  • Package item #: 16154
  • 12th August 2023
  • 🐘 World Elephant Day #WorldElephantDay
    On August 12, 2012, the inaugural World Elephant Day was launched to bring attention to the urgent plight of Asian and African elephants. The elephant is loved, revered and respected by people and cultures around the world, yet we balance on the brink of seeing the last of this magnificent creature.
  • Write a poem about elephants and share it on your blog or on World Elephant Day's Facebook. Sign the pledge to support a world that protects elephants, wildlife, and their habitat. Donate money to an elephant organisation working to conserve and protect the elephant population.
  • https://worldelephantday.org/take-action
  • Decorated Elephant

    An elephant sculpture inspired by the Indian Elephant Festival.

    Designer name: Vadim Shushkanov, CBA, Moscow, Russia

September

  • 4th September 2023
  • National Wildlife Day #NationalWildlifeDay
    National Wildlife Day encourages awareness of preservation and conservation efforts for the many endangered species that we share our planet with. This day should be used to not only celebrate the many beautiful animals on our planet, but to also generate awareness and action towards ensuring these animals have a safe place to live and call home going into the future.





  • 8th September 2023(USA)
  • Stand Up to Cancer Day (Second Friday in September) #KissCancerGoodbye #SU2C

  • Awareness Ribbon

    Designer name: Lisa Swiger, CBA, Blooming Balloons

  • Started in 2008, this day is part of the foundation Stand Up to Cancer’s overall movement to fund innovative cancer treatments to help patients and their families.

    • Never Give Up

      Designer name: Cam Woody, CBA, Pioneer Balloon Company, Wichita, KS, USA

  • 19th September 2023
  • Talk Like a Pirate Day #TalkLikeAPirateDay
    Talk Like a Pirate Day is a not-so-serious holiday that encourages all of us to talk like a pirate in celebration of the (heavily romanticised version) Golden Age of Piracy. 

  • Quick Link Pirate Ship

    Designer name: Dante Longhi, CBA, Dream Factory Balloons, Kenilworth, NJ, USA


  • Here are some words and phrases you can use to participate in this day:
  • Ahoy - hello
    Avast ye! - Stop you!; pay attention!
    Blimey - something said when one is in a state of surprise
    Heave ho - instruction to put some strength into whatever one is doing
    Savvy? - a question that means, “Do you understand?”
    Shiver me timbers! - an expression used to show shock or disbelief
    Sink me! - an exclamation of great surprise
    Yo ho ho - possibly from yo-heave-ho, a chant when doing strenuous work, but also can be used to call attention to the speaker-bilge

  • Twisted Pirate and friends

    Designer name: Bob Armstrong, CBA, Doctor Bob's Balloons Unlimited, Fiona Fisher, CBA, Worldwide Balloon Décor, Shirley Ray, CBA, Leeds, UK

Pirate Party Towers & Arch

Designer name: Sue Bowler, CBA, Balloon Art by Sue Bowler, Oxfordshire, UK

I think that social media holidays are great! Not only do they give you the opportunity to generate great content for your posts, they can also initiate opportunities to support awareness of international campaigns such as endangered animal species, and help to offer the right circumstance to encourage fundraising initiatives and much more! 

I truly hope that this post has helped and inspired you! 

Happy Ballooning! 

Sue

www.suebowler.com

Follow me @suebowler