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How To Take Good Photos and Use Them to Grow Your Business

Meredith — Sun, 01 Nov 2026 15:00:17 +0000

How To Take Good Photos and Use Them To Grow Your Business

Are you wondering how to take good photos and how to use photography and videography to better market your business? Great photography and video do more than make your business look good. They tell your brand’s story, showcase what makes your products and services unique, and give customers a reason to connect. Whether you’re looking to improve your photography, create professional video content, or build a visual marketing strategy, the right imagery can help you stand out, reach your audience, and turn attention into action.

In this guide, we’ll explore how to take good photos, where to use them, and how to make photography and video a more effective part of your marketing strategy.

In this blog, you will learn:

Why Learning How to Take Good Photos Matters for Your Business
5 Ways to Use Photos and Videos to Promote Your Business
How Good Photography Builds Trust and Brand Awareness
How to Take Good Photos That Improve Your Website SEO
How to Get More Marketing Value From Your Photos and Videos
Where to Learn How to Take Good Photos
When to Hire a Professional Photographer or Videographer
Photographers and Videographers We Work With
Final Thoughts on How to Make Great Photography and Videography Part of Your Marketing Strategy

Why is learning how to take good photos and incorporating them into your marketing so powerful? It’s simple: we’re visual creatures. Images can communicate ideas, emotions, and information much faster than words alone. Think about the last time you visited a website or scrolled through social media. What caught your attention? Chances are, it was an interesting photograph or video.

In a crowded digital marketplace, compelling visual content helps your business stand out. It gives potential customers a reason to stop, look, learn more, and ultimately connect with your brand. But creating great imagery is only half the equation. Knowing where and how to use those photos and videos is what turns good content into an effective marketing tool.

If you want to learn how our team works with photographers and videographers, and how we might be able to work together, our Photo and Video Production page gives you detailed examples.

How to take good photos? Work with a professional. Photographer Wil Matthews has supported Top Rope Media with beautiful images for major bike brands, professional athletes, and cycling apparel.

5 Ways to Use Photographs and Videos to Create Brand Awareness and Generate Revenue

Before we dive into how to take good photos and improve your photography skills, let’s look at where those images can make the biggest impact. Here are our top 5 ways to use photos and video for your business:

1- Product Photography for Your Website

High-quality product photography can draw more attention to your products and help turn website visitors into potential customers. From clean, thoughtfully styled flat lays to detailed product shots and lifestyle imagery, great product photography helps bring your website to life.

Customers get a closer look at the highlights, features, and details that set your products apart. Great product photography also helps them imagine how those products fit into their own lives. Consistent, high-quality imagery also builds brand credibility, creates a more polished shopping experience, and gives visitors more confidence to make a purchase.

2- Social Media

Whether you’re posting to Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, or TikTok, compelling photography and video are essential to creating an engaging social media presence. People scroll quickly. Strong visuals help capture attention, communicate your message, and encourage people to stop and interact with your content.

Think beyond product shots. Behind-the-scenes photography, team pictures, customer experiences, and lifestyle images can all help tell your brand’s story.

Need more help with social? Check out our Social Media Best Practices!

3- YouTube and Video Marketing

Every day, people around the world watch more than a billion hours of video on YouTube, making it one of the most powerful platforms for businesses looking to reach new audiences. From product demonstrations and behind-the-scenes footage to customer stories and brand videos, YouTube gives businesses an opportunity to showcase what they do, build credibility, and connect with potential customers.

Video is especially useful when you need to demonstrate how a product works, explain a service, or show your audience something that a photograph alone cannot communicate.

4- Email Marketing

Email remains one of the most effective ways to reach and engage your audience, with 93% of people checking their inbox daily. But with so many messages competing for attention, making yours stand out matters. Learning to take good photos and incorporating those images into your email newsletters can give subscribers a reason to click, explore your content, and learn more about your brand.

Think about using strong product photography, lifestyle imagery, or an engaging video thumbnail to introduce a new product, promote a seasonal campaign, or share your latest company news. Here are more tips on how to make those holiday email campaigns sparkle!

The right visuals don’t just make your emails look better; they can help turn a quick glance into meaningful engagement.

5- Digital Advertising: Google Display Ads and Social Media Campaigns

Whether you’re running Google Display campaigns, social media ads, or video advertising, compelling photography and video can make your ads more effective. Strong visuals capture attention, communicate your message quickly, and help potential customers connect with your brand. The right creative can make the difference between an ad that gets scrolled past and one that inspires someone to learn more.

But simply adding pictures and video to your marketing efforts won’t automatically bring customers to your door. Quality, messaging, and strategy all matter. Professional photography and videography, paired with thoughtful copywriting and a well-managed campaign, can help you get more from your advertising investment.

DROP US A LINE

Whether booking an appointment online, waiting in the shop, or checking out after a haircut, we wanted to create opportunities to capture customers’ attention and drive additional sales for Mister Brown’s Barbershop. Through a strategically planned photoshoot featuring their products, accessories, and apparel, we created a library of versatile images for in-store displays and social media campaigns, helping showcase products and encourage add-on purchases at every stage of the customer experience.

How Good Photography Builds Trust and Brand Awareness

Now that we’ve covered where to use photography and video, let’s look at why investing in good visual content can have such a lasting impact on your business.

A Picture (and Video) Is Worth A Thousand Words

You’re probably familiar with this proverb, but it still holds true. Anyone who has ever read a set of IKEA instructions understands that pictures can be better than words at expressing complex topics. Don’t get me started on how long it took to put that bookcase together!

Don’t just tell your customers about the products you sell. Show them. Static photos of your products are great, but what about a video demonstration showing your product in action? Or an athlete, ambassador, or customer actually using it?

Photography and video give your audience a better understanding of what you offer and how it fits into their lives.

Show the Real People and Products Behind Your Brand

It’s incredibly easy to find great-looking stock photography that costs little or nothing to use. We use resources like Adobe Stock and Canva ourselves when appropriate. However, stock photos have their limitations. If your website and social media feeds are filled with the same generic images your competitors are using, what makes your brand stand out?

Original photography showcases your actual products, customers, team, and experiences. It helps communicate what makes your business unique and gives potential customers a more authentic connection to your brand.

If you want customers to trust your business, show them the real people and products behind it. Learning how to take good photos or working with a professional photographer can make all the difference.

Top Rope Media clients Jeff Huckleberry and Craig Gaulzetti of Summer Cycles in California during a photoshoot we set up to capture their new shop, the high-end bicycles they would carry, and the services they would be offering.

How Professional Photographer Helps You Make a Good Impression

Yes, we hear you. Professional photography can be expensive! And with today’s smartphones capable of taking impressive pictures, you might wonder whether hiring a professional photographer is really necessary.

While smartphones are great tools for everyday photography, there’s more to creating a compelling image than having a good camera. Lighting, composition, timing, experience, and the ability to tell a story all play a role. At Top Rope Media, we’ve built relationships with professional photographers who understand our clients’ products, brands, and audiences. Those relationships make a difference when we’re developing campaigns and planning shoots.

For example, when we work with athletes, having a professional photographer on-site helps capture authentic moments while creating opportunities to strengthen the relationship between the athlete and the outdoor brand we’re representing.

Here’s what professional racer Kelly Catale had to say about working with photographer Wil Matthews during our Seven Cycles photoshoot in Monterey, California:

“Wil is a remarkable photographer, and working with him during the Seven Cycles KellCat photo shoot was an absolute blast! He brought such a great vision to the shoot, which paired well with his positive energy and ability to put me at ease in front of the camera. What’s most striking about Wil is his passion for capturing candid, genuine moments on camera, and this passion shines through in his final products. If ever given the chance, I’d work with him again in a heartbeat!”

— KELLY CATALE, PROFESSIONAL XC AND CX RACER

Pro rider Kelly Catale during our Seven Cycles photoshoot at the Sea Otter Classic with photographer Wil Matthews and Jake Orness.

How To Take Good Photos That Improve Your Website SEO

Great photography doesn’t just make your website look better. Properly optimized images can also support your search engine optimization (SEO) efforts. If you want people to find your products and services, you need to make your website easy for search engines like Google, and even ChatGPT and Claude, to understand.

Image optimization is one part of that process. Here are a few things to consider:

Use descriptive file names: Instead of uploading an image called IMG_1234.jpg, give it a meaningful name that describes what’s in the photo.
Write useful alt text: Alternative text helps search engines and people using screen readers understand what an image depicts.
Optimize image sizes: Large image files can slow down your website. Compress images appropriately while maintaining good visual quality.
Use relevant imagery: Images should support the content on your page and help visitors understand your products or services.

Learning how to take good photos and properly optimize them can improve the overall quality of your website experience while supporting your SEO strategy.

How to Get More Marketing Value From Your Photos and Videos

You’ve invested time and money in creating great photography and video. Now what? One of the biggest mistakes businesses make is treating a photoshoot as a one-time project rather than an opportunity to build a library of marketing content.

Professional photography can be used across multiple marketing channels, including:

Website banners and landing pages
Product pages and online stores
Social media posts and paid advertising
Email newsletters and promotional campaigns
Media kits, brochures, and trade show materials
Blog posts and press releases

At Top Rope Media, we’ve created dozens of media kits for brands and athletes, including one for skier, surfer, and mountain biker Jeremy P. McGhee. A well-planned photoshoot can give you a collection of evergreen images that you can use throughout the year, across multiple campaigns and marketing channels. Check out some of our projects here, and if you need a media kit for the next Outdoor Retailer or Eurobike show, we’d be happy to help!

TOP ROPE MEDIA PROJECTS

Where to Learn How to Take Good Photos

Now we know you didn’t come here for just a good read. You want to take action! If you’re interested in learning how to take good photos yourself, there are plenty of resources available, whether you’re just getting started or looking to improve your photography skills. Here are a few places to begin:

Here are more recommendations from NY Magazine on online photography and photo editing classes that will make you a better photographer.

My brother picked up a camera in 2025, and hasn’t been the same since. He now shares his content on Refresh Garage, and even brought his camera to visit us in Italy and captured Lucy in her element.

When To Hire a Professional Photographer or Videographer

Of course, not everyone has the time or interest to become a professional photographer. And that’s okay! If your time is better spent running your business, hiring a professional photographer or videographer may be the right investment.

A professional can help you develop a creative direction, plan your shots, manage lighting and production, and deliver high-quality images and video that align with your marketing goals. But how do you find the right person for your project?

What To Look For When Hiring a Photographer or Videographer

Unless you’ve worked with a professional photographer or videographer before, your search will probably start online or with a recommendation from your network. But how do you know if the person you’re considering is right for your brand?

Here are three things to look for:

1- They Take Photos and Videos You Like

Every professional photographer should have a portfolio of previous work. Take a look at their images and video projects. Do you like their style? Does their work align with the look and vision for your brand? If you don’t like what you see, move on to the next photographer.

2- Their References Check Out

Just because an individual is accomplished artistically, it doesn’t mean that he or she is right for your brand. Just as with any other professional you might hire, you should always check their references before you commit to the project. Ask about their communication, ability to meet deadlines, reliability, and overall experience working with them.

3- The Chemistry Is There

You’ll need to work closely with your photographer or video crew to get your project done. In addition, you have to communicate your expectations clearly. Therefore, it’s important to have a photographer or videographer you work well with. One that understands the overall goal of the project.

Friend and action sports photographer Erin Hogue shot this image of pro snowboarder Charles Reid that won her the X Games ZOOM photo contest!

How Much Does a Professional Photographer Cost?

Budgeting for a photography class to learn how to take good photos, or hiring a professional, is something you need to consider as part of your annual marketing budget. The cost of a photoshoot will depend on many factors, including:

Location of your photo or video shoot, studio or venue rental
Number of images or length of video required
Shot list and production schedule
Number of models, athletes, or talent needed
Style and complexity of the shoot
Props, equipment, and gear rental needed
Post-production: photo editing and video final cuts
Licensing agreements and photography rights

After exchanging an email or two with the photographers or videographers you are considering, pick up the phone. Discuss the project in detail. Review your goal and objectives. Then, shut up and listen to their recommendations.

Remember, these are the professionals. Your photographer or videographer may have a better idea of how to get the shots you are looking for.

As a starting point, expect to pay anywhere from $850 – $1,500 to cover the day rate of your photographer or videographer. However, professional rates vary considerably depending on experience, location, crew size, equipment, and production requirements. Be sure to request a detailed estimate for your specific project.

Lastly, want to shoot in a remote location or a gorgeous destination? Well, as with the Amalfi Coast featured in our cover photograph by Kat Reynolds, be prepared to cover transportation and accommodations, and a per diem for your camera crew!

Shooting on location in Positano, Italy with lifestyle and adventure photographer Kat Reynolds.

Action Sports, Lifestyle, and Commercial Photographers And Videographers We’ve Worked With

While I, Meredith Caccese McConvill, shoot almost all the photo and video for Top Rope Media’s Instagram and YouTube channel, we’ve had the opportunity to work with incredibly talented photographers and videographers across the outdoor, action sports, and lifestyle industries. Below are a few photographers we’ve worked with and the disciplines they cover. There are literally hundreds of talented photographers out there, so do your homework. And remember, think of this as the start of a long-term relationship!

Wil Matthews– commercial and editorial photography with a cycling focus
Kat Reynolds– lifestyle, surfing, and adventure
Jack Delulio– commercial videographer
Celia Miller– action sports photography
Richard Caccese– auto, lifestyle (while not a professional yet, he’s got talent.)

Final thoughts on how to take good photos and make photography part of your marketing strategy

No matter what industry you’re in, learning how to take good photos can be an extremely valuable tool for your business. Photography and video help communicate ideas, showcase your products, tell your story, and connect with customers in ways that text alone simply cannot.

Taking a photography class or hiring a professional photographer may seem like an unnecessary expense. But when you consider how many ways you can use those images across your website, social media, email marketing, and advertising campaigns, the investment can have a lasting impact.

Hopefully, this guide has given you some new ideas for your next photo or video project! At Top Rope Media, we help brands develop photography and video content that does more than look good. We create visual assets with a purpose, designed to support your marketing goals across digital platforms, advertising campaigns, and beyond.

Until next time, enjoy the beautiful images and give thanks for the people behind the lens.

– Meredith Caccese McConvill, Top Rope Media

The post How To Take Good Photos and Use Them to Grow Your Business appeared first on Top Rope Media.

Chat Said: Can You Trust AI? What Happens When It Gets It Wrong?

Meredith — Wed, 21 Oct 2026 11:31:13 +0000

Can You Trust AI? What Happens When It Gets It Wrong?

“Chat said…” I caught myself saying this yesterday. But how can you trust AI? It has gone from a tool we consciously use to something that feels like a trusted friend, researcher, travel agent, and occasional know-it-all.

When did Chat become a regular part of my conversations? Not just something I use to clean up an email or brainstorm a blog post, but a source I casually reference as if I’d just gotten advice from a friend who happens to know a little bit about everything.

Planning a trip? Ask Chat.

Trying to decipher Italian bureaucracy? Ask Chat.

Looking for a hike, researching a new piece of outdoor gear, or figuring out whether that little restaurant in a mountain village is worth the detour? You guessed it. Ask Chat.

ChatGPT is convenient, it’s fast, and it can be remarkably helpful. But somewhere along the way, I started wondering: When did we become so comfortable trusting a machine to help us make decisions? And what happens when it gets things wrong?

How We Have Come to Trust AI Tools

What used to involve multiple Google searches, scrolling through forums, reading reviews, and texting friends can now start with one question. In one box. On ChatGPT or in places like Google Gemini or Claude. Why have AI tools become so mainstream?

The convenience of having one place to ask almost anything
The speed at which you can produce results
Feel less like a search engine and more like a conversation
We have ‘made’ ChatGPT and Claude very, very smart

Discovering ChatGPT and Learning to Love It

Several years ago, I discovered ChatGPT and learned how to use it. I taught our team how to use it to create content. I even wrote blogs to help others become familiar with using ChatGPT. To create social posts for Instagram and Facebook. To create blog posts. To build videos and graphic designs. Can you trust AI to do almost anything these days? We were certainly testing the limits.

By the way, if you haven’t read either of these blogs yet, bookmark them for later. They will give you the basics and get you comfortable using AI tools!

Can you trust AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Google Gemini to help your business grow and replace your content creators?

But Can You Trust AI to Replace Your Content Creators?

While everything seemed to be going well, I could see the writing on the wall. If I could trust AI and use tools like ChatGPT and Claude every day, how long before my clients would use them to replace me?

Can you trust AI to replace your content writer? Your graphic designer? Your video editor? The answer was, sadly, yes.

As expected, we then began losing clients who employed Top Rope Media solely for content creation. In 2025, I had to let team members go because our client roster began dwindling. This was not good. My way of life, the foundation I built Top Rope Media on, began crumbling. Creating content and driving a client’s storytelling was now something ChatGPT could do. And in seconds.

How AI Kills Your Website Traffic

During this same time, we began to notice our clients’ website traffic began to dwindle. People were using Claude, Google Gemini, and ChatGPT to organize trips, get health advice, or build the best marathon training plan. And they never left the AI tool. Can you trust AI? Even with your mental health and well-being? The answer seemed to be a resounding yes.

Someone might ask an AI tool to recommend a cycling training plan, or build a training plan informed by a coach’s website, and never click through to that website. The business’s expertise may have influenced the decision even though the visit never appears in Google Analytics.

In addition, we noticed new traffic coming to their websites from places like Pakistan. Singapore. New Delhi. At first, I saw this as strange. Many of our clients only sell to the US market. Therefore, none of our ads were targeting places like India or Indonesia. Then it started to make sense. The foreign hits to a client’s website could be coming from AI bots and website crawlers. Alternatively, a visit from an overseas IP address could be a real person, but likely a VPN, a proxy, or automated AI activity.

As we began digging deeper, we discovered new reasons to loathe how AI was taking over. I even wrote a full blog on How AI Search Tools Are Killing Website Traffic for Small Businesses and what to do about it.

Getting Referred to By ChatGPT

Then, a funny thing happened. I began getting referred by ChatGPT, Claude, and Google Gemini. I would hop on an introductory call with a potential client and ask how they found us. The answers were always surprisingly similar.

“I asked ChatGPT who the best marketing agencies in the outdoor industry were, and you were at the top of the list.”

“I asked Google to pull the best holiday marketing tips, and Google Gemini gave me tips from one of your blogs.”

“I asked Claude who could help us book our cycling tours and sell more trips, and Top Rope Media came up.”

The more I asked, the more I heard “Chat said…” “Google recommended.” “Claude referred me.” It was as if they were real people, friends even, providing advice.

How to Make ChatGPT Work For You

For us, this was incredible. Most of our clients had come to us through referrals from current and past clients. We were now getting strangers to sign up for our marketing services. All the content we had been developing for Top Rope Media- the blogs, the videos, the SEO work on the back end, the social posts- it was all paying off.

How do you do this for your business? Well, the way people discover everything, from marketing tips to tour operators or outdoor gear recommendations, is changing. Even if your business hasn’t caught up yet. A traveler might no longer start with “guided hiking tours in Greece” on Google. They might instead ask Claude, “Where can I find a small-group, multi-day hiking trip in mainland Greece that avoids crowded tourist destinations and has knowledgeable local guides?”

This type of search changes what your business needs to communicate online. You need to explain your offering in enough detail that both people and AI-powered search tools can understand it. Generic marketing copy is unlikely to answer the questions or get you referred.

I even had a new client pay me to teach them how to get referred to by ChatGPT! I organized a 2-hour training session on how to build out their new website and create better content to be more easily discovered by AI tools. This became a new offering for us, and if you are interested in setting up your own training session, drop us a note!

Can you trust AI fully to help you write a blog or give you recommendations on marketing your online gear shop?

Can You Trust AI to Deliver Accurate Information?

The Benefits of Using AI

We began to work more in harmony with AI tools than ever before. With our client work, we were saving time, money, and resources we were being used more efficiently. Chat could help us rewrite an email to sound more professional. Generate marketing ideas for our fall campaigns.

Outside of work, we were using ChatGPT to recommend hikes, plan our trips, and navigate the Italian citizenship process. It was like speaking with an extremely knowledgeable friend who gave you the best recommendations. From where to have aperitivo to ride routes and things to do. I stopped using Hotels.com and TripAdvisor.

And unlike searching on Google, Chat keeps all your searches neatly stored. You can continue working in the same Chat, or start a new Chat on a different subject.

The Downside of Trusting AI

The downsides of depending on AI Tools like ChatGPT began appearing slowly. And when Chat got it wrong, it was very disappointing.

We’d drive an hour to a mountain refugio that Chat highly recommended and said was open, only to find a closed-for-the-season sign hanging on its door. Or when Chat said we should do this beautiful loop on the bike, only to realize the road wasn’t fully paved, and it involved more elevation gain than we anticipated.

In 2025, I began seeing Instagram Reels of people hiking up via ferratas near where we live in Italy, the famous ‘iron ladders’ of the Dolomiti, with their mountain bikes. It was hard to tell if these were real ascents or generated by AI. Then word spread that ChatGPT was actually recommending and providing instructions on how to do this. This prompted the Rotaliana Alpine Rescue team to issue warnings. “If ChatGPT recommends cycling on the via ferrata…”

Taking your bike on a via ferrata was absurd! I’ve hiked some of these ferratas, and the techniques required to summit do not include shouldering a 30-pound mountain bike.

Can You Trust AI for Travel and Trip Planning? You Can, But It Can Be Extremely Dangerous.

Then, the news got worse. In September 2026, I read an article about three novice hikers who were rescued trying to summit Mt. Shasta in California, after using Google Gemini to plan their ascent of the 14,000ft. volcano. In October, a 16-year-old was rescued by a helicopter from a technical cliff known as the “Widowmaker” in British Columbia after using Claude to map his route.

The final nail in the coffin was when we were researching our recent trip to Sardinia. Tyler used Claude to build out our trip, which was focused primarily on road cycling and rock climbing. Claude recommended that our first stop should include rock climbing at Cala Spinosa on Capo Testa.

I pulled up images of Cala Spinosa and Capo Testa on Instagram and Facebook; it looked absolutely gorgeous! Climbers ascending stunning granite routes right above the sea. I then looked at our climbing app, Vertical Life, and pulled up sites like Climbing Sardinia, the Crag, and Planet Mountain to learn more about the climbing there. Turns out local climber and guide Maurizio Oviglia and the Climbing Sardinia Association have issued urgent, high-risk warnings pleading with people NOT to climb at Capo Testa. That despite what you might see on Facebook, YouTube, or Instagram, it is extremely dangerous. The old stainless steel bolts were rotting from the inside out due to exposure to the heat, humidity, and the sea air. Bolts could fail without warning.

Um, okay. No thanks, Claude. I reorganized our trip.

Can you trust AI tools like Claude to plan your climbing trip when it recommends using a route that tops out at this bolt hanger??

Final Thoughts: How Much Can You Trust AI?

AI should be your starting point, not the final authority. Do not let it make every decision for you. Especially when it involves risky adventures. Even an easy walk in the park can be dangerous if your AI-generated plan leads you down the wrong trail or suggests a route will take you two hours when it actually takes six.

Sometimes the unexpected discovery, the wrong turn, or the conversation with a local becomes the best part of the experience. Sometimes it doesn’t.

By trusting AI, we’re trading some of the process of discovery for convenience. By all means, use your friend ChatGPT to explore. Brainstorm, compare, summarize, and build a first draft. However, don’t forget to check the sources. Confirm schedules, closures, pricing, and availability. For technical outdoor safety, medical questions, and other high-stakes decisions, use qualified people and authoritative information.

The same can be said for trusting AI for your business needs. Question things. Talk to people who know their stuff. Always be learning. Reading. Figure something out the hard way.

Can you trust AI? Here are the blogs I’ve referred to help you discover it for yourself.

Thanks so much for reading. Or asking Chat to read this for you,

Meredith Caccese McConvill, Top Rope Media

The post Chat Said: Can You Trust AI? What Happens When It Gets It Wrong? appeared first on Top Rope Media.

5 Simple Spring Marketing Campaign Ideas

Meredith — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 18:29:40 +0000

Spring Marketing Campaigns: 5 Simple Ideas You Can Launch This Week

Spring isn’t just a time of year. It’s a feeling. And it is one of the most overlooked windows in marketing. Everyone goes big for the winter holidays. Summer gets the outdoor lifestyle content. Fall gets the pumpkin-spiced everything! But spring? A spring marketing campaign could generate sales and engagement during a season where momentum quietly builds.

Spring is when people start thinking differently. Hello, Spring cleaning! Then there are new routines, new goals, and refreshing what’s not working. That mindset shift is exactly what makes a spring marketing campaign so powerful.

The mistake most brands make? They run a generic “spring sale” and call it a day. If you want your marketing to actually work, you need to align with what people are already feeling this season: renewal, fresh energy, and forward movement!

Here are five simple, effective spring marketing campaign ideas you can launch right now.

1. Create a ‘Start Fresh’ Spring Marketing Campaign

Spring is all about fresh starts. Lean into it! Instead of simply pushing products and services, position what you offer as part of a Spring reset. Tie it into one of these areas:

Fitness & Health
Work and Personal Goals
Mindset

A spring reset campaign works because people are already in that headspace. Spring naturally triggers a desire to refresh habits, workflows, and your daily routine. Here’s how you can get started quickly to take advantage of the seasonal changes:

Create a few aspiration “Start Fresh” social posts and blogs that share your company’s ‘reset’ moments
Bundle 2–3 spring-like or fresh-start products or services
Share employee or customer transformations!

Instead of one long Spring marketing campaign, run short bursts for 2-3 days. Short, focused campaigns outperform drawn-out ones almost every time. Don’t forget to create emails, Reels, and graphics filled with spring colors, inspiring quotes, and fresh energy!

Spring is a feeling. Starting over, trying something new, getting back outside. Now is the season to share these feelings and imagery with your audience.

2. Build Spring Marketing Campaigns Around the Spring Holidays

Feeling stuck with what to post on social this month? Or what to lead with in your next Spring email newsletter? Tie it into one of the many Spring holidays! Besides the big holidays: Easter and Mother’s Day, there are also the lesser-known ‘holidays’:

Spring Equinox
Opening Day at the Ballpark
Cycling fans love watching the Spring Classics!
International Women’s Day
Tax Day (okay, not our favorite holiday…but as a small business, you can be a proud taxpayer!)
Earth Day
May 4th (Star Wars fans rejoice- May the Fourth Be With You!)
Cinco de Mayo

If you are not tracking these and other key holidays on a Content Calendar, download ours for free and get started today! Besides holidays, you can also use a Content Calendar to track:

Email campaigns
Social posts
PR campaigns
Product launch dates

Having everything in one place on a content calendar makes it easier for everyone on the team to know what’s happening and when. Once you’ve planned out your spring marketing campaign’s social content, use a scheduling app like Hootsuite to schedule your posts. Even if you are using one social channel like Instagram, planning and scheduling your posts will help you stay consistent. Social networks love that!

After a long winter, Spring is a time to get outside! Ask your audience to tag you in their best outdoor adventures…bonus if they are wearing your gear!

3. Create Spring Marketing Campaign Content That is AI-Friendly

Search isn’t just in Google anymore. People are asking tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Google Gemini questions like:

What are the best rainy day activities for kids?
Where are the top spring break destinations to visit without crowds?
Can I book a farm stay that has baby goats and lambs?

And here’s the shift: Those tools aren’t just ranking pages. They’re pulling answers. If your content isn’t structured clearly, written conversationally, and built around real questions, it won’t show up. For more on how to create AI-friendly content this Spring that is discoverable and referred to, read our Social Media Best Practices blog!

To turn your spring marketing campaigns into searchable answers, instead of writing, “Check out our Spring Gear Collection”, try working these phrases into your social posts, blogs, and actually say them out loud in your videos (not just include them in the description!):

Best waterproof jackets for spring cycling
What to pack for a spring trip to Italy
Top spring cleaning hacks to organize your gear

Springtime also means new babies on the farm. Here in the Dolomiti, there are lambs, calves, and chicks peering out over the fences!

4. Make Your Spring Marketing Campaigns Interactive

Spring is a high-energy season. Your spring marketing should reflect that. Instead of simply telling people to get out for a bike ride or clean out their gear closet, get them involved during your spring marketing campaigns!

Engagement on your social posts, website blogs, or YouTube videos outperforms likes and impressions. In addition, by encouraging engagement, you are creating more buzz, and you’re playing nicely with the social media algorithms.

Create seasonal polls or quizzes on Instagram
Share your behind-the-scenes Spring cleaning…and ask for tips!
Create a Spring Giveaway
Ask your audience to tag your products in their spring adventures

Interactive campaigns consistently drive higher engagement because they give people a reason to participate, not just scroll.

When you post on social or add images to your blog, ensure you caption the images with phrases you want to show up for in AI searches. And don’t forget those alt tags!

5. Clean Out Your Closet First Before Launching Spring Marketing Campaigns

Before you launch any new Spring marketing campaigns, focus on 1-2 projects you’ve left on the back burner this winter. If you’ve been delaying updating your website’s homepage, get on it! Here’s some tips on how to redesign your website to generate good leads!

Other spring refresh ideas you can tackle quickly:

Refresh your product images- bye bye winter, think bright Spring colors and pastels!
Organize your assets- creating files and naming conventions for images and videos allows for easier access
Create a Spring blog that creatively showcases your products and offerings

Final Thoughts on Spring Marketing Campaigns

Spring marketing campaigns do not need to be complicated. Align yours with what people are already feeling: rejuvenation, growth, and fresh goals. Start with one of our ideas above. One message. One offer. One channel. Then build from there.

Outdoor and lifestyle brands that win in Spring aren’t the loudest…they’re the ones that feel the most relevant this season.

Thanks for reading, and happy Spring!

Meredith Caccese McConvill, Top Rope Media

The post 5 Simple Spring Marketing Campaign Ideas appeared first on Top Rope Media.

2026 Social Media Best Practices

Meredith — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 23:29:53 +0000

2026 Social Media best practices: What has changed and how to adapt

Social media has evolved rapidly in the past few years. Algorithms are smarter, AI is now part of nearly every social media marketing workflow, and users are increasingly turning to social platforms as search engines.

For brands, social media best practices are no longer about posting consistently. It’s about creating discoverable, authentic content that works across algorithms, AI apps, and social communities.

Three major changes are shaping social media marketing in 2026:

1. Using AI Tools

Artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini have become standard tools for marketers to brainstorm ideas, generate drafts, analyze performance data, and repurpose content.

Nearly all social media professionals now use AI in some capacity, though the most successful brands still rely on human creativity and editing to maintain an authentic voice. If you have never used an AI tool like ChatGPT, read our blog, How to Use ChatGPT to Create Social Posts.

In addition to using AI applications to generate ideas and rewrite content, you will also need to consider how to create content that is found and referred to by ChatGPT, Claude, and Google Gemini to allow your content to be more discoverable.

2. Authentic content matters more than ever

On the flip side, as AI-generated content floods social media, audiences increasingly value real human voices and experiences. Research shows many consumers trust brands more when they believe the content was created by a real person rather than entirely generated by AI.

3. Social Media and AI platforms have become search engines

More users are now searching directly on platforms like Instagram and YouTube instead of Google. In addition, searches start in ChatGPT and Claude rather than in the Google search box. That means two things.

#1: Captions, titles, and even spoken words in your Instagram Reels and YouTube videos should include keywords you want to be discovered for.

#2: You need to create content that is AI-friendly.

In short, social media success in 2026 requires a mix of authentic storytelling, smart use of AI tools, and search-friendly content. Let’s dive in and explore new changes you should embrace this year!

Social Media Best Practices for 2026

In the ever-evolving realm of social media, staying ahead of the curve is crucial for both B2C and B2B businesses aiming to make meaningful connections and drive results. As we move through 2026, understanding social media best practices, creating posts on the best days and times, and using AI correctly can help you maximize your social media efforts.

1. Using AI in Social Media Marketing (without losing your voice)

AI tools like ChatGPT have dramatically accelerated how marketers create content, but they work best when used as assistants, not replacements. The most effective brands use AI to support their creativity, not automate it entirely. Smart ways to use AI in social media marketing include:

• Brainstorming post ideas or campaign concepts
• Repurposing long-form content
• Summarizing blogs into multiple social posts
• Identifying keywords or hashtags
• Analyzing performance trends

Keep in mind, AI-generated content should always be reviewed, edited, and personalized before publishing. Social platforms are increasingly detecting and labeling AI-generated content, and overly automated posts may see reduced engagement if they feel generic or impersonal.

The AI social media best practices for 2026 involve a “human-in-the-loop”. Therefore, here are the steps to guide you:

Use AI to speed up brainstorming and drafting
Edit heavily to add real experience, personality, and brand voice
Publish content that feels human!

For a deeper look at how to use AI tools effectively in social media marketing, read our guide: How to Use ChatGPT to Create Social Posts.

2. Be More Authentic

Wth AI-generated posts dominating the landscape, one of the best social media practices for 2026 is to be more authentic. Human storytelling wins!

Be honest, revealing, and show that a human is still driving your business. Authenticity can help you build trust and foster a stronger connection with your followers. In addition, create more empathetic posts instead of relying solely on sales-focused messages. Our blog, Empathetic Marketing: How to Communicate in Times of Crisis, can help!

3. Optimize your content for Social search

Creating content for social search means thinking like your audience and how they ask questions. Instead of posting generic captions, use natural, keyword-rich language. Use phrases like “best cycling gear for cold weather” or “how to train for a triathlon”.

Where to use keyphrases to optimize your content for social search:

In your copy
Video titles
Saying the keyword or keyphrase out loud in the audio
Descriptions
Image ALT tags

This enables your content to be found when viewers search within channels like Instagram or YouTube. The goal is to make your content discoverable not just in the feed, but long after it’s posted.

Creating this optimized, AI-friendly content means structuring your posts so algorithms can easily understand, categorize, and recommend them. Use clear language and descriptive captions so platforms can confidently surface your content to the right audience.

Got a brick-and-mortar shop or restaurant? Or even a coworking space? Include your Instagram handle in a high-traffic area to allow visitors to find you on social and tag you in their posts!

4. Build community and foster engagement

Social media best practices are not just about broadcasting messages; it’s about building a community around your brand or organization. Engagement is worth more than likes or follows! By engagement, we mean your readers or followers are:

Clicking on your links
Adding a comment
Sharing your post with others
Sending you a DM (direct message)
Sharing your posts in a text or on WhatsApp

These last two, sending you a DM and sharing your post in a text or WhatsApp, are a more ‘dark social’ or private engagement, but are still important. In addition, engagement means liking, commenting, and sharing like-minded posts from respected brands and leaders in your industry.

How do you determine which of your posts are getting the most engagement so you can replicate them? Take a look at your LinkedIn, Facebook Analytics, or Instagram Insights to see which posts not only have good reach but also good engagement. Tools like Hootsuite are also helpful as they can tell you when your audience is online and more likely to engage!

How to Foster Engagement

Other ways to foster engagement and build community are to share testimonials and product reviews, and recount one-in-a-lifetime experiences!

If you’re not already doing so, encourage past customers or clients to share their experiences, photos, and videos through social media and with a review on your site or through Google. See how we’ve done this for Maui Snorkeling!

In addition, make it easy for someone to leave a review. On a trip to Sayulita, Mexico, we booked a boat tour with Chica Locca, and their staff had QR codes on the backs of the shirts! You could easily scan and leave a review or submit a photo or video during the tour. Leverage your social media platforms to amplify these authentic stories and testimonials!

One of the best social media practices is to foster a sense of belonging. Make followers feel heard and valued.

5. AI Is Driving What Content Is Seen

In 2026, social media algorithms rely heavily on AI to determine what content users see, analyzing signals like watch time, interaction patterns, and even scroll behavior. Social media success isn’t about “hacking” the algorithm. It’s about creating AI-friendly content that holds attention and feels relevant in the moment.

The more your content encourages people to pause, watch, save, or share, the more the algorithm learns to distribute it. In this AI-driven world, strong storytelling and authentic moments will outperform overly polished or overly promotional posts every time.

6. Strategically use hashtags and emojis

Hashtags remain important for increasing your discoverability and reach on platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and X. However, it’s crucial to use relevant and targeted hashtags rather than relying on generic ones. Instagram now limits hashtags to a maximum of 5 per post or Reel. Research trending hashtags in your industry. Create a hashtag for your brand! Remember, everything can’t be #instagood

For emojis, go lightly. Social media best practices are to use emojis to break up copy; 2-3 in a post is plenty! A runner emoji with the wind behind them or a monkey covering its face could catch your reader’s eye more than just text.

With the worldwide daily average a person spends on social media at 2 hours and 30 minutes, it’s a great place to build or scale your brand!

7. Where to POST

Determine the best channels to distribute your content by defining your audience. Once you know who they are and which social channels they spend most of their time on, focus on those channels. First, if you need a refresher on how to use Facebook, Instagram, and X, read our blog: Social Media Back to the Basics!

YouTube has more viewership and a larger active base than Instagram!
X (formerly Twitter) has faced a rapid decline.
TikTok is still the most popular among younger demographics.
LinkedIn remains the go-to platform for B2B marketing.
Facebook remains the largest social network!

Keep in mind, these social platforms may not be where YOU spend most of your time. You may have deleted your personal Facebook page in 2016! Instead, think about where your target demographic spends most of THEIR time. Facebook users are an older demographic, but one with high purchasing power!

Not sure which social channels people are using to find your brand? Look at your website’s analytics, or better yet, Google Analytics. The data may surprise you! Need more help? Drop us a line!

Take a look at which social media channels are driving the most traffic to your website using Google Analytics!

8. What to post on social

Many of us stare at the blank slate when it comes to writing engaging copy. This is where AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude can help! Easily create captions for your photos and videos, then edit to add your own voice and brand messaging. If you haven’t read our ‘Using ChatGPT for Social Posts‘ Blog yet, bookmark it for later.

Don’t rely solely on static images or text-based posts! Experiment with videos, infographics, and Instagram Story panels. Use a poll or ask a question to keep your feed dynamic and engaging. If you are not using Canva yet, get on it! With Canva, you can easily use their AI tools to build out infographics, YouTube videos, and Instagram Reels.

How to Create BetteR Videos with less effort

You do not need to pay someone to help you create videos! Experiment with recording yourself, and use Canva’s video templates for YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok to save time and money. Ensure you make them more authentic by overlaying your recorded audio, your logo, and using your brand colors and fonts.

As video content continues to be a powerhouse on social media, driving higher engagement and retention rates, we’ve packed this section with lots of ideas you can begin using today!

Leverage short-form videos like YouTube Shorts to capture your audience’s attention. Think more Instagram Reels and less polished full-length YouTube videos.

Videos and multiple images will perform better than a single static image almost every time. Therefore, here are 2 blogs to read for more ideas to take better photos and videos:

Pro tip: Do not post the same exact copy and imagery across each social media channel on the same day. First of all, the links, videos, image size, copy style, and @ mentions will not work across all channels in the same way. In addition, broken links or missing images can be seen as spammy. Or just lazy. Change up the copy and imagery slightly for each post.

Split Your weekly posts into themes

1 sales post (advertising services or products)
1 curated or UGC post (user-generated content). Share something from an industry leader or an article.
1 blog post share (from your blog)
1 stellar customer review or success story!

This mix can change depending on what your marketing strategy is that month. Are you running a sale or hosting a fundraiser? If so, prioritize that in your weekly content mix!

Taking great photos can help improve your content engagement. Here we used photographer Wil Matthews and videographer Jake Orness to help with a photo shoot at the Sea Otter Classic!

9. How to post: use a content calendar + scheduling app

Plan out your social media posts and videos using a content calendar. You can also use a Content Calendar to:

Track email campaigns
Blogs to be written
PR campaigns
Product launch dates
Events and holidays

Having everything in one place makes it easier for everyone on the team to know what you’re posting and when. Once you’ve planned out your content and everything is approved, use a scheduling app like Hootsuite to schedule your posts. This saves you time and, therefore, money, and is one of the best social media practices you can get started with today!

Even if you are just using one social channel like Instagram, planning and scheduling your posts will help you stay consistent. Social networks love that! In addition, this will also give you a good idea of how posts will look on your Instagram profile page and help you stay on brand with a color profile or page style.

Read more on how we’ve helped brands get started with scheduling posts!

Don’t use a Content Calendar yet? Get started by downloading our Content Calendar Template from Google Docs for FREE! We’ve included Instructions for Use in the Content Calendar template. Make a copy of it, and start populating your content today.

10. When is the best time to post on social media?

Besides what to post, the next question we get asked about our social media best practices is when to post. Specifically, what days and times are best to post on social media?

How do you determine when your followers are most active? First, take a look at your social channel’s analytics. Schedule posts at peak times and on peak days.

Days with the best engagement: Tuesday- Thursday
Best times to post: 9am-3pm

Keep in mind that some posts may do well regardless of the day or time you post! And the opposite is true. If something newsworthy or scandalous happens, your post may not get as many likes and engagement.

Sometimes it’s a combination of the image or video, copy, hashtags, day, or time of day that gets posts lots of love!

11. How to listen on Social media

A great way to write more engaging content for social media is to listen. Social ‘listening’ involves hearing what people are saying. Are you creating content that addresses their issues or answers their questions? Learn more about how and why we follow the They Ask, You Answer philosophy.

How do you listen well? Set up a Google Alert. In addition, this is a great task to have ChatGPT, Claude, or Google Gemini help with!

Pro tip: Another social media best practice is to listen to your competition. How do you do this? Follow them on social. Sign up for their email newsletters!

12. Sharing Links on Social Media to Articles, Blogs, or Videos

When you share a URL or website link on platforms like Facebook, X, and LinkedIn, and there is no social sharing or preview image that appears, first, shame on the author of the article or news source for not adding a preview image! If this is the case, you can leave the URL in your post and then add your own image. A warning: Often, this does confuse people if they click on your image and it does not take them to the link. To avoid this, be clear in the wording of your post.

Pro tip: Once you add a link to a website or news article to a social post, clean up your copy by removing the URL link from the text. The preview image (with the embedded link) will remain. Then you can schedule or post.

For posts on X, leave the link in place. For Instagram, you cannot add a live link to your copy, so you will need to use the link in bio- more on this below.

Pro tip: Give credit, tag, or @ mention the news source or publication you are sharing. Ex: “Read more about traveling to Italy from our friends @AFARMedia!”

13. Update your social media Bio and Profile Links

In this ever-changing world, the copy you wrote last year for your YouTube or Instagram bio may no longer be relevant. Update your bio or social profile a few times a year.

In addition, your bio is a great place to put limited promotions or holiday sale discount codes! For example, “Save 50% by using code SUMMER50.” This could easily fit in your Instagram profile. Use tools like Linktree or LinkinBio to share several links under one profile link on Instagram.

Why do this? You want people to take action in the least number of steps. As an example, if you only have your homepage linked in your Instagram profile, and you just launched a new blog, how do you get readers there quickly? If you are saying ‘link in bio’ and it only directs people to your homepage, do you think they will take the time to click the link in bio, then find your blog page, then find the right blog you were speaking of?

14. Your Content is Your Storefront

Treat your content as your storefront. As more and more searches begin on platforms like YouTube and Instagram than on Google, make your social channel a place where people can see your products or services in real life. Allow for in-app shopping!

Do you use Facebook and Instagram and have a separate store on Shopify or WooCommerce? One of our social media best practices is to connect your store and import your products through Meta Commerce Manager.

In addition, you can choose whether to sell directly through Facebook or Instagram, or people can complete their purchase on your website.

15. Use AI to Evaluate Your Social Media Performance

Social media best practices for 2026 include not only reviewing your social media analytics, but also using AI to help! Ask ChatGPT and Claude to evaluate a channel’s performance and make recommendations!

Still not seeing steady growth?

Review your posting strategy
Switch up days/times of posts
Change up the type of content posted (hint: more videos!)

16. Instead of AI, work with brand ambassadors + content creators

Instead of solely using AI tools to generate your social content, work with content creators and ambassadors. If you haven’t read our blog on Finding the Right Brand Ambassadors– get on it!

It takes time to find and build relationships with the right content creators or brand ambassadors. So be patient, ask lots of questions to make sure you have the right fit, and think long-term. You’ll find the investment is worth it when your ambassador is connected with your brand for years to come!

Takeaways from our Social Media Best Practices

We’ve covered a lot of ground in our review of the 2026 social media best practices. Here are a few to remember:

2026 Social Media Best Practices Takeaways:

Be smart about using AI tools!
Determine which social channels your potential customers use
Be authentic and engage
Plan out content with a Content Calendar
Be an active ‘social listener’
Use AI tools to evaluate performance
Work with brand ambassadors and content creators instead of solely relying on AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or Google Gemini

Thanks for reading and happy posting!

Meredith McConvill, Top Rope Media

The post 2026 Social Media Best Practices appeared first on Top Rope Media.

Empathetic Marketing: How to Communicate In Times of Crisis

Meredith — Thu, 16 Jan 2025 00:09:20 +0000

Empathetic Marketing: How to Communicate In Times of Crisis

When crises strike, brands in the outdoor and travel industries face unique challenges. Whether dealing with natural disasters, war/conflict, economic, or health crises, using more empathetic marketing can help you maintain communication with your followers and customers, and show your support and compassion.

At Top Rope Media, we’ve supported outdoor recreation and travel/tourism brands through significant, life-altering events such as avalanches, hurricanes, wildfires, economic downturns, and the COVID-19 pandemic. In this blog, we share some key ways to adapt messaging, and how focusing on being more empathetic can help you navigate the challenging times ahead. Posting, “We’re All in this Together,” or using the trending hashtag might be your first instinct. However, brands that actively listen and engage meaningfully with their customers will be better equipped in crisis situations.

We’ll cover the following topics:

Why Practice Empathetic Marketing
Understanding Customers Needs
Being Transparent with Your Business Operations
Adapting Your Messaging to be More Empathetic
Avoid Opportunistic Marketing
Plan for Recovery, Rebuilding and Reopening

How do you switch focus from promoting sales of your product and services to showing empathy for the crisis in your community?

1. Why Practice Empathetic Marketing

Empathy isn’t just about feelings, it’s a skill that needs to be honed through practice and reflection. While the capacity for empathy is innate, its application in professional settings requires intentionality. By cultivating empathy in your messaging, you can foster deeper connections, enhance customer trust, and create communications that resonate in a meaningful and lasting way.

In this blog, we’ll give you real-world examples of what works well, what could have been better, and the lessons learned we’ve learned from marketing in crisis situations.

2. Understanding Customer Needs

Crises often hit outdoor and tourism-related industries hard, disrupting travel plans, sporting events, and recreational activities. To navigate these challenges, start with assessing how the crisis affects your audience. Actively ‘listen’ to your audience, and read what they are saying, or not saying.

Are people canceling trips?
Prioritizing staying indoors?
Are they displaced and need somewhere to stay with their kids and pets?
Are they raising funds and providing donations to those directly impacted?

While most people are naturally capable of feeling compassion, understanding someone else’s needs, emotions, or challenges often demands conscious effort. This is especially true in diverse markets where customers’ backgrounds, preferences, and pain points may differ significantly from our own. Tailor your messaging to address their concerns and add value. Provide solutions relevant to their current situation.

Example: During the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us turned to outdoor activities like hiking, cycling, and camping due to restrictions on indoor gatherings and international travel. We needed to give our clients’ customers ideas on things they could do close to home, and if they couldn’t easily get outdoors, we’d have to bring the adventure to them. This led to many Instagram Lives, and YouTube tutorials, videos of people ‘skiing’ and ‘climbing’ in their homes. These pieces provided a human connection and valuable resources and gave hope that we would all be back outside together soon.

Shift your focus and provide solutions to meet your customers’ evolving needs. Understanding the impact of the crisis on your audience allows you to create more empathetic marketing that aligns with current consumer priorities.

Social distancing and wearing a mask was the norm for so long. To get back outside at sporting events and connect with others felt so special.

3. Be Transparent About Your Operations in a Crisis

Understand how the crisis is impacting your business and your industry.

Will supply chains be disrupted?
Do you need to close the shop, limit hours, or cancel events?
Will you be short on staff?
How long until you can reopen?

Be open and honest about any disruptions or changes to your operations. Communicate clearly with customers to build trust and show empathy.

Example: During Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy, many coastal businesses remained without power, or were shuttered for months on end. Daily operations screeched to a halt. Protecting physical properties from further damage remained a priority, as well as caring for employees and loved ones. Keeping customers informed daily and giving them up-to-date information on shipments, reopening, and how they can help with the recovery efforts was key.

Instead of ‘going dark’, stay active with your communications, yet be transparent with your priorities and obstacles you and your team are facing.

4. Adapting Your Messaging to be More Empathetic

In the constant rush to reach sales goals and meet deadlines, it’s easy for messaging to become transactional. Practicing empathy helps you nurture relationships, which fosters loyalty and an emotional connection. Businesses operate in a results-driven environment. Incorporating empathetic marketing into your messaging requires re-prioritizing the human connection as a cornerstone of your strategy.

Example: During the wildfire that struck Lahaina in Maui, we had two clients who were operating in Hawaii at the time. Understanding the situation on the ground, from a local’s perspective, was key. There were conflicting messages of ‘tourists get out’, ‘don’t come to visit’, but then soon switched to ‘tourists, please come back’. The loss of an entire town was heartbreaking, yet many Maui residents rely heavily on tourism dollars to sustain their businesses. Therefore, it was a delicate balance of adapting messaging to showcase the ‘boots on the ground’ effort, sharing stories of resilience, standing in solidarity, and then slowly rolling out a re-opening strategy to invite visitors back when the time was right.

Empathy is a fundamental human trait, but its application—especially when you need to market your products and services—is not always automatic. If you operate in an area where you serve tourists and outsiders as opposed to locals, adapt your messaging to be more empathetic to the crisis the local community is facing.

Here are other ways you can transition to more empathetic marketing:

Avoid using insensitive language, imagery, or emojis that could come across as tone deaf
Press pause on scheduled social posts
Avoid dropping email marketing campaigns
Pause ads, especially those that might be serving to that community
Offers solutions to travelers- free rebooking, refunds, discounts, etc.

Think about how your actions, even if it’s just an Instagram post or an email blast, might be perceived by others. Demonstrate care and compassion before profit to build lasting goodwill.

Adapt your marketing and messaging to be more compassionate and kind during times of crisis.

5. Avoid Opportunistic Marketing in a Crisis

To avoid opportunistic marketing during a crisis, prioritize authenticity and genuine support over profit-driven messaging. Refrain from exploiting fear, urgency, or vulnerability to push sales, as this can damage trust and cause adverse reactions. Instead, focus on providing meaningful value and solutions that align with the audience’s needs and circumstances. Ensure that campaigns are respectful, empathetic, and consistent with your brand’s values.

Example: A home improvement brand might consider launching a campaign during the Los Angeles wildfires promoting “Fireproof Your Home Now”. The campaign uses the imagery of burning homes in the Palisades and focuses heavily on pushing fire-resistant products without offering meaningful support or context for affected communities.

This is problematic as it exploits people’s fears during a vulnerable time and prioritizes profit over empathy. This can lead to public backlash, eroding trust and damaging the brand’s reputation. Instead of using fear-based tactics, the brand could focus on offering genuinely helpful resources:

Free fire safety guides
Discounts for affected areas
Donate to local fire relief efforts
Volunteer to be a donation drop-off site

Messaging should emphasize support and solidarity, such as “We’re here to help you stay safe,” while providing actionable steps without adding to the panic. By demonstrating empathy and focusing on the community’s needs, you can build trust and provide helpful resources.

While we are all capable of being empathetic, using it in our marketing and business operations takes practice.

6. Plan for Recovery, Rebuilding, and Reopening

During a crisis situation, monitor the news cycle. Stay updated on the evolving changes and have a communication plan in place. If needed, designate a spokesperson who can be the main contact for questions or media interviews. Crises demand adaptability, and you may need to have daily meetings to address concerns and customer sentiment. Stay agile and adjust your marketing campaigns quickly to reflect changes.

As the community begins to recover and rebuild, share positive stories of resilience, employee actions, or user-generated content. Avoid purely sales-focused messaging if possible during this time. Wait for local authorities to announce the reopening of areas affected before resuming tours and activities.

After reopening has begun, you may notice a heightened consumer awareness of sustainability, safety, and responsible practices. Outdoor recreation and travel brands are uniquely positioned to lead in this space. Re-engage customers by including messaging that highlights eco-friendly, sustainable practices and conservation initiatives.

Final Thoughts on Empathetic Marketing and How to Communicate During a Crisis

Humans are influenced by personal experiences, biases, and assumptions which can limit their ability to fully understand someone else’s perspective. Practicing empathy and using empathetic marketing involves recognizing and setting aside these biases to engage with people authentically.

Here are some of the tips we shared that can help you accomplish this:

Share valuable resources and provide genuine support
Donate, volunteer, or highlight relief efforts
Increase customer service and provide flexible policies
Actively monitor the crisis, and customer sentiment, and address issues promptly

Empathetic marketing during a crisis requires outdoor and travel brands to show compassion and embrace adaptability. By understanding your audience’s evolving needs and staying true to your values you can maintain relevance, inspire, and connect with your customers during difficult times. For more on how to be more empathetic, here’s a good blog from the Calm app.

Thanks for reading,

Meredith C. McConvill, Top Rope Media

The post Empathetic Marketing: How to Communicate In Times of Crisis appeared first on Top Rope Media.

The DIY Guide to Creating Facebook and Instagram Ads

Meredith — Mon, 05 Aug 2024 23:44:41 +0000

The DIY Guide to Creating Facebook and Instagram Ads

In today’s digital age, leveraging social media to advertise your outdoor, travel, or lifestyle products is essential. Especially when people spend 2.5 hours on average on social media a day!

Facebook and Instagram ads in particular, which can both be managed through Meta Business Suite, can help you reach your target audience effectively and sell more products than organic posts alone. At Top Rope Media, we’ve managed ads across all social platforms and have put together this DIY step-by-step guide to creating effective Instagram and Facebook ads.

We’ll walk you through how to use Meta Business Suite to set up your ads, which provides more robust tracking and insights compared to simply boosting posts. Meta Business Suite also integrates Facebook and Instagram ad management in one place and offers comprehensive tools for creating and optimizing your ads. Therefore, in this blog, we have included steps to set up your Meta Business Suite for successful social advertising!

The Why Behind Facebook and Instagram Ads

Why advertise on Facebook and Instagram? Well, besides the fact that Facebook has 3 billion users, and Instagram about 2 billion, these social platforms allow you to target people where they spend their time. Which is not in the shopping mall, but on social!

Let’s start with an example: I’m in the market for a new wetsuit for surfing here in San Diego. Here’s what my typical research might look like:

Do a Google search for ‘Best Women’s Wetsuits’
Find out what brands my friends wear and would recommend
Check Instagram for the hashtags #womenssurfing or #womenswetsuits
Check Amazon for deals
Search for sales from my favorite brands like Patagonia and O’Neill

Each time I go through this process, I provide tons of third-party cookie information to Google and Meta (Facebook/Instagram), which uses this data to send me very targeted ads. You’ve probably already seen this happen. The new sneakers you’ve been drooling over pop up on sale in your Instagram feed. Pretty sneaky sis, but effective!

Now you may have closed your Facebook account years ago. You may also have tried to boost posts but with no sales to show for it. However, if your brand’s target audience is between the ages of 25-34, this demographic makes up 30% of Facebook’s traffic! In addition, if you are trying to reach an older demographic, 45-65+, that accounts for another 25% of Facebook users!

Lastly, Facebook and its Meta for Business platform have undergone some major changes. There are now more options than ever to set up high performance ads. Let’s get into it!

Ever notice that you begin to see Instagram ads for the products you’re searching for? And now there’s a discount with purchase? This is not by coincidence.

Setting Up Meta Business Suite

If you haven’t taken a few minutes yet to set up your Facebook Meta Business Suite, do it now. Go to ‘Create Account’ and follow the prompts to set up your business profile. You will also want to connect the following accounts:

Facebook Page. Go to ‘Business Settings’, select ‘Pages’, and add your existing Facebook page
Instagram Account. In the same ‘Business Settings’, click on ‘Instagram Accounts’, and connect your Instagram profile
Facebook Ad Account. Go to ‘Ad Accounts.’ Add your business credit card.
Facebook Pixel. This step is key to ensure proper tracking! Go to ‘Data Sources’ then click on ‘Pixels’

If you need help, and would rather have our team at Top Rope Media manage your social advertising on Instagram and Facebook, just holler!

Creating Your First Facebook and Instagram Ads

Once you’ve completed your Meta Business Suite setup above, open Ads Manager. If you have multiple accounts, toggle through in the upper right corner to ensure you are on the correct Facebook Page and Ad Account. Next, click the green button that says ‘+ Create’ to begin the ad setup process.

1. Choosing Your Facebook and Instagram Ad Objective

Your first step in the ad creation process is to choose your Facebook ad objective or goal. The objective determines the ad format, bidding strategy, and overall goal of your campaign.

Facebook and Instagram Ad Goals can include:

Drive traffic to your website
Creating conversions or sales
Generate more brand awareness or engagement

Things to keep in mind:

A brand awareness or traffic campaign will get lots more eyeballs on your products, but may not yield conversions.
A conversion campaign will be more expensive and use up more of your budget because it’s a loftier goal than simply getting website visitors.
Your conversion window (the time between when someone is shown an ad and they make a purchase) may need to be adjusted based on the price of your product. Estimate 1 day for impulse buys, 7 days if it’s over $100, 28 days for $1,000 or more.

If you have never set up a Facebook or Instagram ad, do some testing first by setting up a traffic ad. This gives you the most bang for your buck. Begin by generating traffic to your chosen landing page. Once the ad is running for a few weeks and shows good results, then you can set up a conversion ad.

Once you’ve selected your Facebook and Instagram ad campaign objective, you can choose the preset ad settings or create an ad from scratch. If this is your first ad, go with the ‘Recommended Settings’ or preset campaign optimizations.

Next, give your campaign a name, and select any special categories. In this section, you can also choose the AI tool ‘Advantage Campaign Budget’ to distribute your budget across all ad sets. This may improve your results depending on your performance goal choices and bid strategy. Lastly, you can select A/B testing to help improve ad performance, and test versions with different images, text, audiences, or placements.

2. Set Your Facebook and Instagram Ad Budget and Identify a Landing Page

In this next section, you’ll set your budget and identify where you want your ad traffic to go. For most of us, you’ll want your Facebook or Instagram ad to send visitors to a landing page on your website. This should not be your home page, but a page specifically designed to allow a potential customer to learn more about the product you are advertising and easily make a purchase. If you do not have a strong landing page already in mind, pause here and read our last blog, How to Use Your Website to Generate Better Leads.

Next, set up your ad budget. Start small, around $5-10/day until you can determine your ad is working correctly. Then, increase your budget once you confirm everything is working as expected. In addition, you can select whether your ad runs all the time, or just on certain days and times. For example, if you are a travel company that sells tours, and most of your sales happen from Friday through Sunday, run your ads on those days.

3. Identify Your Target Audience

The next step in your ad creation process is defining your audience. Targeting ensures your ads are seen by potential customers who are most likely to be interested in your products. In this section, you can use an existing Audience or Create a New Audience. In the ‘Audience Controls’ section, hover over ‘Locations’ and then click ‘Edit’ to create a new audience.

Next up, use Facebook’s AI tool ‘Advantage+ Audience’ to define your audience based on a few specifics. This is where you can set up the demographics and interests of your ideal customer. Here you can hone in on the locations you want your ad to be shown in, and what age range, gender, interests, and behaviors your ideal customer has. Remember to save your Audience so you can use it again in the future.

As you dial in these parameters, look on the right-hand side of the screen. Here you’ll begin to see estimated data on how your ad will perform.

4. Determine Facebook and Instagram Ad Placements

Once you’ve identified your audience, determine where you want your ad to be shown. By default, it must appear on your Facebook Page, but you can also select Instagram, Instagram Stories, Facebook News Feed, Facebook Messenger, Facebook Audience Network, etc.

If this is your first ad creation, use the ‘Advantage Placements’ or Automatic Placements. With this setting, your ads are shown in more places to increase the number of people who can see your ad and help you get better results!

5. Creating your Facebook and Instagram Ad Copy and Imagery

Finally, you can begin to create your Facebook and Instagram ad copy and select imagery that best showcases your product! In this section, you will complete the following:

Upload Images or a Video, or build your own video
Create Primary Ad Text
Headlines
Description
Call to Action
Info Labels

As you complete each of these steps, examples of what your ad will look like will appear on the right side of your screen. What’s nice is that you can view your ad as it will appear on Facebook, Instagram, or Instagram Stories!

Once you’re happy with your ad copy and appearance, add the link to your landing page, along with any tracking parameters. In this section, you will also ensure your Facebook Pixel is tracking. Finally, click ‘Publish’ and that’s it!!

Your ad will go through a review process and a learning phase before it begins to appear on Instagram and Facebook. You will also receive an email that lets you know if your ad is approved, or if any changes need to be made. Facebook and Instagram ads can be rejected if you violate Meta’s advertising policies.

6. Evaluate Your Facebook and Instagram Ad Performance

Give your Facebook and Instagram ads 7-10 days to begin delivering, generating impressions, and link clicks. Keep an eye on Meta Business Suite’s analytics to see which ad copy and imagery gets better engagement or conversion rates, and refine your ads accordingly. You can also use A/B Testing for this!

Regular monitoring of your Ads Manager Account helps you understand how your ads are performing and allows you to make necessary adjustments. Pay attention to the reach, impressions, clicks, and conversions. Based on performance data, tweak your ads by changing the targeting, adjusting the budget, or swapping out images or videos. Keep in mind, any changes made to an ad will need to go through another review process before serving the ad.

Final Thoughts on Facebook and Instagram Ads

Creating Facebook and Instagram ads for your outdoor, travel, or lifestyle products allows you to leverage each social media channel and use more advanced tools for targeted advertising. By following the steps above, you can build compelling campaigns that reach the right audience, drive engagement, and boost your sales.

We know Facebook can be challenging, but embrace the power of Meta’s integrated platforms to elevate your digital marketing efforts. If Facebook and Instagram ads are something you want to get started with, but you’re not ready to take on this project, drop me a line, I’d be happy to help you set up your first ads and get you rolling!

SCHEDULE A CALL

Lastly, here are a few more blogs we’ve written that give you DIY tips for advertising online:

Until next time, happy advertising!

Meredith McConvill, Top Rope Media

The post The DIY Guide to Creating Facebook and Instagram Ads appeared first on Top Rope Media.

How to Find Work as a Brand Ambassador: Get More Than Just Free Gear

Meredith — Tue, 30 Jan 2024 07:37:05 +0000

Finding a Job as A Brand Ambassador or Influencer

Interested in finding a job as a brand ambassador or influencer? And getting more than just free gear? Here are some thoughts as to why you would want to represent an outdoor brand:

Get paid to do what you love
Be part of the team or club
Meet awesome people who share the same passion
Adding ‘Patagonia Brand Ambassador’ to your resume makes you more attractive to recruiters!
You want free stuff, discounted gear, and equipment

If any of these sound like you, read more about how to best present yourself for brand ambassador jobs! However, if you are here as a brand and seeking ambassadors to create more brand awareness, check out our last blog: Finding the Right Brand Ambassadors!

Sports like surfing can be expensive, and being a good brand ambassador could help you save on that new wetsuit you’ve been eyeing.

5 Things to Consider to Become a Great Brand Ambassador

First, finding a job as a brand ambassador or influencer should not start by simply applying for the brands you want to work with. Here are a few things to think about before you scour the web:

1. Are you an expert?

To be a great brand ambassador, you need knowledge. Presentation skills. Personal experience. And, the capability to deliver. It doesn’t mean you have to be as good as Kelly Slater when you paddle out to surf! You should know enough about the industry trends and come prepared with ideas on how to help a brand generate revenue.

2. Are you active on social media?

You don’t have to be active on every channel. However, you should have a strong presence on at least one. YouTube. TikTok. Instagram. Bonus if you’re active on a few! Your number of followers and views are important metrics, but they quake at the sight of the almighty engagement. Be sure to create content that encourages your followers to like, share, and comment.

3. Are you good at creating content?

At its root, finding a job as a brand ambassador or influencer is about being a good content creator. Yes, there’s more to it than just creating content. You want to be available for in-person events, provide the brand with ideas on how to best reach their audience, etc. However, at its core, being a great ambassador does mean creating good, authentic content. Here are tips on how to get started if you are not yet creating content:

4. Can you stick to a schedule?

One of the perks of being a brand ambassador full-time is freedom from the cubicle! However, you still have to be responsible and submit your content on time. Even Patagonia ambassadors need to submit photos, videos, or write blogs regularly!

Failing to follow through with your agreement with a brand can get your brand ambassador contract canceled. In addition, it can give you a bad rap with the brand and its other ambassadors.

5. Do you have the right attitude to be a brand ambassador?

Most brands, especially in the outdoor space, have positive vibes as a cornerstone of their brand identity. But don’t fret if you’re not a naturally cheerful, bubbly person. It means you may have to work a little harder! Or, pitch them on your sarcastic, dry humor instead. Either way, authenticity is key. You do not want to enter into an agreement with a brand where you cannot be yourself.

This is just a small sample of Patagonia’s Brand Ambassadors, and just the climbers! They also have surfers, fly fishers, trail runners, skiers, snowboarders, and Global Sports Activists.

The Journey to Finding a Job as a Brand Ambassador

So you’ve found the trailhead to the brand ambassador wilderness. Consider this your trail guide! If you need extra help and want a sherpa on this trek, send up a signal. For now, here are the action items you should focus on.

1. Find Your Passion

What are you truly passionate about? When seeking a job as an influencer or brand ambassador for your favorite brand, make sure there’s PASSION behind it.

If you’re not passionate about the brands you work with and what they represent, it will be extremely tough to fake it. Plus, brands want expertise and experience. And, if you’re passionate, you’re more likely to put in the work to get the experience in the industry you’re targeting!

2. Learn the Best Digital Marketing Practices

Are you really good at creating content? Being active on social media? What about supporting brands you love? Take time to learn everything you can about the best digital marketing practices.

Got this down already? Already demonstrating it in your YouTube videos, Instagram Stories, on TikTok, or Facebook? Well, then you are much more knowledgeable than your competitors!

HubSpot, one of the leaders of the digital marketing world, puts out great content constantly to further prove how the way we market to consumers has changed.

3. Niche Down

This piggybacks off the first step but has some majorly important distinctions. Take your knowledge and experience and translate it into a niche within the outdoor industry. We often try to cast a large net to catch the most fish, but with a more targeted approach, you can bring home a tastier catch!

Brand Ambassador Example: Camping

Let’s use camping as an example of a brand ambassador’s niche. Niching down may mean focusing on glamping, cold-weather camping, or just good old-fashioned backpacking. By choosing one of these areas and becoming an expert, you’ll be a more trusted specialist.

Spending in the camping sector is growing strongly! 7 out of 10 millennials are going camping. You can bet that all people are researching online before making a purchase. Show a brand how you can help, and also support them on YouTube or Instagram!

Niching down doesn’t mean you can’t broaden your scope or go outside your niche from time to time. By proving your worth in that niche market, you make yourself a great ambassador for brands. Plus, by niching down, you’re much more likely to get a paying gig rather than just free gear!

4. Start Networking

How do you start developing more contacts at outdoor brands within your brand ambassador niche? Follow them on social media. Not just passively following. Liking, commenting, and engaging with them!

Another one of our favorite activities? Hanging out with our favorite brands and their amazing employees. Joining them in the sport you both enjoy!

Example: CABDA Show Networking

For example, at the CABDA West Show (all things bike-related), there was an Industry Ride. This is a pretty common occurrence in the cycling world. The week began cold, rainy, and gloomy. Rare in Southern California. Therefore, I wanted to sleep in and stay warm.

However, I set my alarm for 5:30am. Drove in rush hour traffic. Pedaled out of the parking lot in Del Mar in the misty rain with a great group of cycling industry peeps. And, a surprise guest appearance by pro cyclist Mark Cavendish!

Documenting these events from your perspective allows your followers to walk a mile in your boots. And, shows brands you know what you’re doing. Need more reasons to be at these events? Read our Best Tradeshows in the Outdoor Industry!

Joining your favorite brands in their favorite activity is also a great way to show your interest and get to know the players. Here’s our crew from the CABDA Industry Ride!

5. Develop Impactful Content And Offer Your Services

With your niche chosen and some connections in your industry, build a portfolio of high-quality content. In other words, start by creating impactful content today, and leverage that into a paying gig tomorrow. Read more about how you can use great photos and videos to market yourself or your business.

Brand Ambassador Example: Becoming a Tiny Home Expert

For example, do you live in a small space? If so, share your story about being a minimalist and living in a tiny home. Or, what storage hacks work best for small spaces? In addition, you might create how-to videos for building and outfitting a tiny home. Or, stunning photos with your favorite gear in that tiny space. Climbing and skiing videos of people in their homes during the COVID-19 lockdown went viral!

Remember, you serve as a resource for those in the industry. Give them vital feedback on what is trending! Get to know existing ambassadors at your favorite brands. Remember not to be the guy or girl who’s always asking for handouts. Reach out and see how you can help them. Ask what types of content they are looking for. What comes around truly goes around.

6. Stay True To Yourself

Think of brand ambassadorship like dating. And, as your mom always told you, “Just be yourself.” Altering your interests and core values may pay off in the short term. If you want a long-term gig representing the brands and values you really care about, make sure to stay true to what you believe in.

If you are that bubbly, energetic person… let your personality shine through! Yes, Black Diamond pays Alex Honnold to be a brand ambassador because he is constantly pushing the limits of rock climbing. But, they also hire him because he’s a goofy, laidback, and fun-loving human. In other words, he represents what they’re looking for in a customer.

Black Diamond loves Alex Honnold’s work as a brand ambassador so much that they’ve created the Alex Honnold collection- with part of the proceeds going to support the Honnold Foundation.

How to Kickstart Your Brand Ambassador Career

With all your provisions in place and a map in your pocket, howl to the wide wilderness that you’re open for business! How do you do it? Below are just a few of the ways to send smoke signals:

express yourself through a website

Having a website will benefit you in many ways. A good website will add credibility, save you time explaining who you are, and showcase exactly what you do. Need help with yours? Howl at us today.

Create a slide deck, media kit, or press kit

We help athletes build out a media kit to take with them to events and to better pitch to the companies they’d like to work with. Here’s more from our Shopify partners about how to create a great press kit!

Learn how to take great photographs and create engaging videos

One of the best ways to share your content is through photos and videos. There are so many tools and apps that can help!

In addition, YouTube is also a great resource for how-to videos. Or try a Masterclass: Adventure Photography with pro climber and photographer Jimmy Chin

Learn how to take better adventure photos and videos through Jimmy Chin’s MasterClass!

Target the brands you love

One of the perks of being a brand ambassador is working with brands you already love. Take stock of what products and equipment you already use. Make sure you are using their hashtags and tagging them in photos.

Use a BRAND AMBASSADOR PLATFORM

Today, there are dozens of platforms out there to help you be a better brand ambassador. These platforms often feature brand RFPs or a request for a proposal from a brand ambassador interested in participating in their upcoming campaign. They’re a great way to be more strategic in helping you find paid gigs! In addition, ambassador platforms will also help you increase visibility as a more established brand ambassador.

Here’s a great list of the Top 12 Brand Ambassador Programs and the pros and cons of each! What else can these platforms assist with?

Easier to find brands seeking ambassadors or content creators
Helps brands find you
Earning rewards and getting paid!

What You Don’t See from brand ambassadors

Whatever your reasons, the truth is that becoming a good brand ambassador takes time, knowledge, and a bit of skill. Sure, it seems easy. You see an abundance of ambassadors on Instagram with thousands of followers. All out there sending perfect jumps on a mountain bike. Cruising through fresh pow on a snowboard. Or sitting on their longboard, waiting to catch that perfect wave. What you don’t see is the time and effort they’ve put into creating that video or photo!

High above the clouds, temps at 13 degrees, but still able to get a few shots that make it look like I’m all by myself out here.

Final Thoughts: Finding a Job As A Brand Ambassador

Here’s a quick review for you of what we’ve covered:

Pick your passion and niche (or get one)
Learn best digital marketing practices
Start creating useful content
Network, network, network
Be true to yourself
Create a website, YouTube page, or somewhere people can find you
Take a class or brush up on your photography and videography skills

Thanks for reading! If you want more of Top Rope Media’s adventures on the regular, subscribe with your email below, or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, or X.

– Meredith McConvill, Top Rope Media

The post How to Find Work as a Brand Ambassador: Get More Than Just Free Gear appeared first on Top Rope Media.

How to Use ChatGPT for Social Posts

Meredith — Mon, 27 Mar 2023 23:54:07 +0000

Using ChatGPT for social media: Your New Secret Weapon for Content Creation

Wondering if you can use ChatGPT to create your social media posts? Well the short answer is yes!

As social media continues to play an important role in our lives, individuals and businesses alike are always looking for new and efficient ways to create compelling social media posts that engage and resonate with their audience. This is where ChatGPT comes in – an artificial intelligence language model that can help you generate creative social media copy for Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter or any other social platform in a matter of seconds!

In this blog post, we will take a look at how you can use ChatGPT to create social media posts and highlight the pros and cons of using this tool.

Getting Started with ChatGPT: 4 Easy Steps

1. Choose Your Platform and Topic

Before getting started with ChatGPT, you’ll need to decide which platform you want to create content for – whether that’s Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter. In addition, you can use ChatGPT to create longer form content, which we’ll get into in our next blog! Once you’ve chosen your platform, identify the topic you want to create content about.

2. Access ChatGPT

To access ChatGPT, you’ll need to use a platform that supports it. There are a few different options available, such as OpenAI’s API or Hugging Face’s API. You can also use third-party platforms that integrate with ChatGPT, such as Copy.ai or Jarvis.ai.

You will not need to pay to access ChatGPT, but you will need to create an account and provide your email address.

3. Create Your Prompt

The next step is to create a prompt for ChatGPT. A prompt is a sentence or phrase that gives ChatGPT context for the content you want to generate. Therefore, try a much more long-form question and write out how you would like to see the response. Keep in mind, this is not Google Search. And you will be very surprised at the results!

Example: If you’re creating social media posts about the benefits of outdoor recreation, your prompt could be “Please write 5 Twitter posts (or Tweets) that outline the benefits of outdoor recreation for busy professionals, families, and kids.”

You can also include specific parameters in your prompt, such as the length of the response you expect or the number of responses you want to see, even what style you want the responses to be in. A table that shows pros and cons perhaps?? Yeah, ChatGPT can do this!

Example: Here’s another option to try “Create 5 social posts for LinkedIn to advertise my latest blog post on Fundraising for Non-Profits to drive visitors to read the blog on my website.” Include the link you want to be referenced.

As you are using ChatGPT for social posts, you can also ask that relevant hashtags be included, although we’ve been finding they often are already without asking!

4. Review and Edit

Once ChatGPT has generated content for you, take some time to review and edit it. You may need to revise your prompts several times to get the responses you need or expect. Click ‘regenerate response’ if you’d like to see a new reply.

While ChatGPT is great at generating content, it’s not perfect, and you may need to make some changes to ensure that the content is accurate and relevant to your audience.

Now that you’re content is edited and ready to post, use a Content Calendar to lay these posts out, and a scheduler like Hootsuite to schedule each post. Need help? Review our DIY Best Social Media Practices!

Pros and Cons of Using ChatGPT for Social Posts

Pros of ChatGPT for content production:

Saves Time and Effort

One of the biggest advantages of using ChatGPT for social posts is that it saves time and effort. With ChatGPT, you can generate high-quality content in a matter of seconds, rather than spending hours brainstorming and writing posts from scratch!

Increases Productivity

Using ChatGPT can also increase productivity by allowing you to create multiple posts quickly and easily. This means you can focus on other important tasks, such as engaging with your audience on social or creating email campaigns!

Provides Fresh Ideas

ChatGPT can provide fresh ideas for your social media content, which can be especially helpful if you’re feeling stuck or uninspired. By entering different prompts and adjusting the settings, you can generate a wide range of content that’s tailored to your audience and goals.

Improves Engagement

Finally, using ChatGPT can improve engagement by helping you create more compelling and relevant content. When your audience sees posts that are interesting and relevant to them, they’re more likely to engage with your brand and share your content with others.

Cons of Using ChatGPt for Social Posts:

social posts May Lack Originality

One potential drawback of using ChatGPT is that the content generated may lack originality. Since ChatGPT is using pre-existing data to generate your social posts, there’s a risk that the content you create may come across as inauthentic. Vague. Spammy.

chatgpt Requires Editing

Another potential issue that we mentioned earlier is when you use ChatGPT for social posts the generated content may require editing. ChatGPT is great at generating content, but be prepped to make edits and fact-check the content before sharing to ensure it’s on brand and accurate!

Content created is not your own

Content that is supplied by ChatGPT is not your own. Someone else can prompt ChatGPT to create almost identical content to what you’ve created. Especially if they are using the same exact prompts. In addition, you should never include any personal data within your prompts.

need help with using chatgpt for your social posts?

ChatGPT could be your new secret weapon when it comes to creating content. And, not just for social. If you haven’t guessed by now, we’ve used chatPGT to help write parts of this blog!

Need help getting started with ChatGPT, or want us to create and manage your social media posts? Let’s chat! Also, check out other posts we’ve written about marketing and paid advertising:

To learn more about what we do on the regular, follow Top Rope Media’s adventures on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.

Until next time, happy posting!

– Meredith McConvill

The post How to Use ChatGPT for Social Posts appeared first on Top Rope Media.

10 Tips to Get Started Blog Writing

Meredith — Wed, 21 Sep 2022 20:57:59 +0000

A huge component of successful digital marketing is blog writing. Why write blogs? Well, relevant and effective blogs can help:

Drive traffic to your website
Generate good leads
Establish you/your brand as a thought leader or industry expert
Provide content for you to share via email and social media
Expand your reach
And blogs keep working for you years after they’ve been published!

Want to get started writing blogs for yourself or your business? Here are Top Rope Media’s 10 Tips to Get Started Blog Writing. Got a question that can’t wait? Drop us a line and let’s chat!

Tip #1: Identify Your Niche Before Blog Writing

The first step to writing blogs is finding your niche. Here are the most popular blog topics:

Health & Fitness
Travel: We store all of our Travel blogs here!
Finance
Fashion
How-To Guides: Check out some of our DIY Digital Marketing guides!

There are so many types of blogs out there, each with its own flair, voice, and audience. To figure out your niche, consider your passion, and even more importantly, your audience:

What’s easy and comfortable for you to write about?
What topics are you an ‘expert’ in or have a good deal of knowledge?
Who will be reading it? Sketch out a persona of your average blog reader!
What type of tone should you use- playful, professional, thought-provoking?

Once you know what type of blog you’ll write, and for whom you’re writing, you’re ready to brainstorm topics and dive into your first blog! Want more ideas? Here are WP Beginners’ thoughts on Which Are the Most Popular Types of Blogs!

Tip #2: Research Your Blog Topic

The more informed you are on your blog topic, the more effective your blog will be. This isn’t to say you need to be the expert of all experts on your topic before you start writing. But—it is important to set aside some time to learn more about your topic before you write.

Here are a few things to get you started in researching your blog:

Read up on your topic
Have conversations with experts, or read what the experts are saying
Watch YouTube videos on your area of interest
Listen to podcasts as people discuss the niche you want to cover
Consider pulling a few relevant, poignant quotes from credible sources to make your blog stand out!
Create an outline and drop some notes in a Google Doc to go back to during the blog writing process

Soak up all the information you can before you begin blogging! And then once you are ready, you can begin to flesh out your first draft.

Tip #3: Write a Draft Intro for the Blog

Once you feel comfortable with your topic, next is drafting your blog intro. Use a Google Doc or Word doc for this instead of writing directly on your website. Why? Because some blog applications may not autosave, and if you make changes, you may not be able to return to previous versions.

What does your reader need to know before you explain all the details? Remember, this is the first impression your reader will get of your blog. Make sure it grabs their attention while giving them just enough information that they want to keep reading the rest. Start with a quote, a question, or a bold statement. Whatever it is, be captivating!

Check out this intro from our Backcountry Travel Adventures Blog:

“I didn’t think I would ever get caught in an avalanche. I bet the kid sitting next to me at the top of the 9990 Lift, just past the backcountry access gate outside of Canyons- Park City Resort didn’t think so either. He begins to crank down the straps on his snowboard. He’s ready to drop down hundreds of feet into fresh powder. Just before leaving the ridgeline, he turns to his buddy and says, “Hey, don’t let me die today, bro.” Read the rest of the blog here!

Often we write a brief introduction to the blog topic and then we go back and refine it once we’ve written the full blog. It can also be helpful to start with a “brain dump” of information. Like you’re telling a friend what you’re going to write about. This can help you discover how you most naturally tell your story and discern on paper between what information is necessary and what would be better left out.

Heading out the backcountry gates can be fraught with danger, so our Avalanche Safety Backcountry Travel blog goes deep into how we stay safe out there!

Tip #4: Writing the Body of the Blog + Blog Length

Now that you’re well-informed on your blog topic, and crafted an introduction, it’s time to tackle the actual blog writing! The most important part of this step is to just write!

You probably don’t know exactly how it’s going to come out, and that’s ok! You’ll get a better idea of how the rest of the blog will go once you get those first words out. Let your draft be imperfect and trust that the revision process will iron out all the wrinkles.

Blog Length

We often get asked, “How long should my blog be?” Well, we write blogs that are 1,200-2,000 words or longer. However, you can go as short as 500-800 if you’re just providing a quick update, if it’s a roll-up piece that leads to your other posts, or if there’s a video embedded in the blog and that’s the main draw.

Longer is often better when it comes to SEO, but if your blog rambles on, you need to ensure your audience is very eager to read your thoughts and opinions. And finally, Hubspot did some digging, and the 50 Most Read Blogs of 2019 were 2,100-2,400 in length!

The Body of Your Blog

The body of your blog is where all your supporting points will live. Every blog needs to have interesting evidence to back up your main point or idea.

To help with this process, break up the body of your blog into more manageable sections. Go back to your outline. Establishing organized sections in our blog will make the writing process more streamlined for you, and the reading experience more enjoyable for your followers.

Your Blog Conclusion or Final Paragraph

Lastly, it is important to wrap up your blog with a good conclusion and compelling call to action or CTA. If you successfully pull in readers to read to the end, you need to give them something to do with your idea. Key takeaways or a quick summary works well. Or you could direct them to:

Read your next blog!
Explore your services or offerings
Contact you for personalized support
Leave a comment about their experience with the blog topic

This is your opportunity to clearly invite your readers to leave a comment, ask a question, or engage with your post in some way. Every blog post should end with clear, direct CTAs that keep your reader engaged.

Tip #5: Create an SEO keyphase for your Blog

Search Engine Optimization or SEO means designing or optimizing your website to be found easily by search engines through natural, unpaid, or organic means. We’ve managed SEO for several clients, and having a good SEO strategy is key to growing your business.

Good SEO strategies will boost traffic to your website from searches across devices. Getting on that first page of Google when someone searches your keyphrase comes down to good SEO!

How to Make SEO work for you:

Pick a keyphrase that is relevant to your blog, not used on another page, and that would most likely be typed in Google search by your audience. For example, the keyphrase for this blog is “blog writing!”

Think of a list of other semantically relevant terms to your keyphrase and scatter these throughout your blog, so when someone searches your keyphrase or something similar, the chances are higher that your website will turn up. And finally, read our latest SEO blog to learn more!

Tip #6: Add Blog images, and include alt tags

Time to enhance your blog with images and alt tags. Images should be intentional and thoughtful. They should elevate the reader’s experience, clarifying your point or highlighting something important or interesting.

Alt tags are the alternative text that describes an image or visual on a webpage. These are useful for search engines, screen readers for the visually impaired, or if the image isn’t displayed properly. In addition, make sure your Alt tag contains your keyphrase!

Next, add a striking cover image. You take all these photos with your phone, now’s the time to use them! The cover image will live beside the title, helping attract readers. And it could also be used as your social share image. More on that in a bit!

Tip #7: Create Your Blog Title and/or Subtitle

Go over everything you’ve written and create a great title for your blog. Depending on the blog, you might also consider including a subtitle. Remember, include your keyphrase in the title!

Your title and social share image are the first things your readers see. Pique your readers’ curiosity and make your title attention-grabbing, descriptive, and interesting.

Generating a good title, subtitle, and great imagery can help more readers click that button to read more!

Tip #8: Dial in that Blog Writing SEO

Besides adding a keyphrase, really dialing in that SEO when blog writing will help your blog get found and read more often. We use a tool called Yoast, an SEO plugin for WordPress.

However, if your blog is built on a different platform or you do not have access to Yoast SEO, here are the other items you will need to optimize for search engines to better find your blog:

Meta description- write a concise description of your blog, and include your keyphrase!
Title or Title tag- work that key phrase in there
Header tags- these break up your blog and can be different sizes based on whether they are a header to a new section or a subsection within that section. These also go by H1 tags, H2, H3, and so on. And, yes, you guessed it, include the key phrase whenever possible in the section headings.
Include internal and outbound links- Backlink to other blogs you’ve written, link to examples, or to other industry experts!

There is a lot that goes into having a great SEO strategy, and it’s completely possible to DIY it! Get a deeper understanding of how to do this by checking out our tips to improve your SEO and generate more web leads.

Tip #9: Add categories and tags when blog writing

Categories keep your blogs organized and help your readers find information on your website. Categories will break up your blogs into clearer, more specific sections, and subcategories.

For example, if your niche is travel blogs featuring your photography, broad categories on your website may include “Travel Tips,” or “Photography Tutorials.”

Tags are another way to help readers find desired info through their search. These often appear at the bottom of your blog and you should include your keyphrase and other relevant terms that describe the blog.

Tip #10: Add blog social share images

An often overlooked step and one we eluded to earlier is adding social share images. Have you ever shared a link to a website or blog and a blank white or gray box pops up where a relevant image should be? This is often because a social share or cover image has not been selected.

Therefore, make sure to find the section in your blog application where you can include an image that will appear when someone shares your blog on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or by text message. Again, this will be key to attracting readers who might only click on your blog because of the image and/or title. So make it a good one!

Final Thoughts on Blog Writing:

Once you get the hang of it, blog writing is an awesome way to boost traffic and engagement on your website. Readers will become more familiar with you, and your business. And your ideal customers will be more likely to reach out!

Have more questions about blog writing? Contact us! We’d love to chat.

Until next time, happy blog writing, and remember to check out some of our DIY marketing blogs!

Meredith McConvill, Top Rope Media

The post 10 Tips to Get Started Blog Writing appeared first on Top Rope Media.

Social Media Growth: How to Gain More Followers

Meredith — Mon, 11 Apr 2022 21:09:28 +0000

how to grow your Social Media and gain more followers

One of the most common questions we’re asked is how to achieve social media growth and gain more followers. It’s become more challenging than ever to cut through the clutter and gain the attention of your potential customers.

And, since we generate many of our leads from social media channels like LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter, we continue to improve our social media strategy each year. What worked in years past may no longer be generating the same engagement, impressions, or likes. So we’re going to show you how to change up your strategy to continue growing!

The quick + Dirty way: Why we don’t buy followers

Before we dive in, If you are looking for an easy way to gain followers and engagement, and have some room in your marketing budget, we got you covered. In our steps below, we share how to more quickly achieve growth by spending on Instagram ads or promotions.

However, since we often get the question about social media growth as it pertains to Instagram follower counts, we wanted to emphasize why we do not buy followers or use 3rd party apps to help grow on Instagram.

Instagram began cracking down on those that buy followers, create fake accounts, and accounts using 3rd party apps to generate likes and comments. In addition, Instagram is quick to flag or suspend accounts that violate their terms of service.

So while buying likes and follows could be the fastest way to grow, you put your account at risk of being deactivated. Don’t take our word for it. Read more on experiments gone bad from our friends at Hootsuite.

Finally, we also urge you to think about the reason you want to reach 25K or 250K followers on Instagram.

Is it just a vanity metric?
Do you believe those bought followers will visit your website?
Will they buy your products or services?
Share your stories on their social channels?

Sadly, they will not do any of this. So, here’s ways that actually work!

Best Practices for social media growth

1. Post AND ENGAGE on the social media channels where your audience spends their time

First, make sure you are posting + engaging on the social media channels where you have the best chance to connect with those interested in your non-profit, outdoor, or lifestyle brand. Not sure where that is?

Well, start by defining your audience. As an example, we tend to attract non-profit leaders, startups, and small outdoor + lifestyle brands without a marketing department. Therefore, we make most of our connections via LinkedIn, but also on Twitter and Instagram.

Need a refresher on how to best use social channels like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter? Read our last blog!

Keep in mind, this may not be where YOU spend most of your time. You may have deleted your personal Facebook page in 2016! Instead, think about where your target demographic spends most of THEIR time.

Not sure where to find this information? Look at your website’s analytics, or better yet Google Analytics, to see where you acquire your website visitors. The data may surprise you! Need more help? Drop us a line!

2. Plan Out posts with a content Calendar

Now that you’ve outlined what your brand’s personality is, write out your posts for the month using a content calendar. You can also use your Content Calendar to track the following:

Email campaigns
Blogs for each week or month
PR campaigns
Product launch dates
Events + holidays

Yes, we know you have a calendar already, maybe two! But adding all of these items to a separate Content Calendar makes it easier for everyone on the team to stay on the same page when it comes to what you’re posting and promoting, and when.

Select a weekly theme. Or have certain days reserved for different types of content- sales, blog shares, or sharing curated content from like-minded brands or leaders in your industry!

Don’t use a Content Calendar yet? Get started by downloading our Content Calendar Template below!

3. Write authentic content that showcases your brand’s personality

The best practice for what to post on social media begins with remaining true to your brand’s mission and values. You can’t ‘stay on brand’ if you’re not quite sure what your brand stands for these days.

Dial-in the persona that showcases your brand’s personality.

Is your outdoor brand or non-profit fun and playful?
Super into design or fashion?
Trail running or camping?
Do you always have your dog in tow as your co-pilot?

Remember, this may not necessarily be YOUR personality. But, that of your brand.

If you will be using these posts across several social media channels, change up the copy slightly for each. Do not post the same exact content on as you do on Tiktok as you do on Instagram or Twitter. Links, videos, image size, copy style, and @ mentions will not work across all channels in the same way.

And that Tiktok logo in the corner of your Instagram video? Yeah, you can do better.

Pro tip: Videos and posts with multiple images will perform better than a static image almost every time. Therefore, read our blog on how to take better photos!

4. what to post + how often for better growth on social media

Best practices for how many social media posts are needed each week varies widely depending on the social network you are using. And how much time you or your team have to dedicate to this!

If you can post everyday, great! We do not recommend posting more than this, unless you are posting to Instagram Stories or Twitter.

We break up our posts, and our clients’ posts, into the following categories:

50% sales (advertising services or products)
30% curated content
20% just for fun!

This mix can change depending on what our marketing strategy is that month. Are you running a sale, or hosting a fundraiser? If so, that should take up more of your content!

Get creative and use social posts not only to share what you or your brand is up to but to direct traffic back to your website!

example: what to post

2 posts per week that focus on your brand and drive traffic to your website. Advertise your products, services, case studies, or blog posts. Not enough content on your website fill these posts? Well then read How to Use Your Website to Generate Better Leads!
1-2 posts per week that share curated content. So for Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter, this might be a post that links to an article that you loved or found helpful. Expert advice from an industry leader. Something that provides value to your followers. Remember to always give credit to the source you are linking. This also helps them recognize you as a trusted name or expert in your industry.
1 post per week that’s just for fun. Fridays and Sundays are great days for this! Showcase what happens behind-the-scenes, or your latest adventure. Just be sure to stay true to your brand and personality!

example: how to Curate Content on Instagram

As we mentioned earlier, with Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter, you can easily share content you curate like articles you think your readers might enjoy. With Instagram, this becomes more challenging as you can’t share links in posts.

However, you can save Instagram posts that you love, and reshare them, creatively, in your Stories. Here’s how:

Click on the flag in the lower right corner under the posts you like and want to reshare in your Instagram Stories.
Once you’ve selected all of the posts you like throughout the day or week, go to the upper right corner of your Instagram Profile Page and click on the Instagram menu to get a drop-down of options.
Click on ‘Saved’ or flagged posts and here’s where you will find all of your saved images.
Here you can also create Collections to further organize the images.
Then, you can then repost these in your Instagram Stories, creating a theme by topic, product, color, sport, etc.
You can add a link, yes, regardless of follower count, you can now add a link to bring people right to the website or article to learn more or shop!

Bam! Beautifully-curated content ready to share each week!

5. When to Post

Besides what to post, the next question we get asked to improve social media growth is what days and times are best to post on social media.

Your potential clients and customers might be on social throughout the day. Here’s steps to take to determine when is best to post for your non-profit or outdoor brand:

Determine when your followers are most active by looking at your social media analytics.
Days with typically the best engagement: Sundays and Tuesdays
Best times to post: 7-9am most days

Keep in mind that some posts, based on the content shared, may do well regardless of the day or time you post! And the opposite is true. If something newsworthy trumps your post that day, you may not get as much love.

Sometimes it’s a combination of the image, copy, or the hashtags used to get your post lots of love!

6. Schedule Your social Posts

The best practice for social media growth by far is to schedule your posts. This saves you time and therefore, money. We love using Hootsuite to schedule both our posts for Top Rope Media and posts on behalf of our clients. Why? Some days we may have 15 different posts going out on 4 different social channels!

However, even if you are just using LinkedIn or Instagram, scheduling your 3-4 posts per week will help you stay consistent. Social networks love that. Read more on how we’ve helped brands getting started with scheduling posts!

Next, once your post is scheduled, check that is posted correctly. For Instagram, add locations, tag brands, partners, collaborators as you cannot do this in Hootsuite. And lastly, engage on behalf of your brand when your post goes up. Like, comment, or share the post or similar posts in your Stories!

7. create more engaging content

Engagement is worth more on social media than likes or follows. By engagement we mean your readers are:

clicking on your links in a post
visiting your profile page
Adding a comment
Sharing your post in their feed or Stories

How do you figure out what posts are getting the most engagement? First, take a look at your Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook Analytics, or Instagram Insights. Pay attention which posts not only have good reach but good engagement. Not seeing much?

Take a good look at the content you’ve been posting. Can you create more engaging posts? Need more ideas on how we do it? Ask for help!

Now then, when you do get a comment, message, or DM on social media, respond promptly to keep your response rate up as well!

8. begin Social Listening + engage

A great way to write more engaging content for social media is to listen and engage with your audience. Social ‘listening’ involves reading what people are saying about your brand, product, service, or industry online. Are you creating content that addresses their issues or answers their questions? Learn more about how and why we follow the They Ask, You Answer philosophy.

How do you listen well?

Set up a Google Alert
Follow your brand’s hashtags, and also ones that align with your brand
Listen to your competition. Follow them on social. Sign up for their email newsletters. Add them to your Facebook Page Watch list!
Read your industry publications!!

And what do we mean by engage? Like, comment, share relevant content that you love and you think your audience will love too! Apps like Instagram give you more love, and show more of your content to others when you spend more time on the app!

9. run ads + promotions

If you want that extra boost, and can afford to pay to play, run ads or promotions on your social networks! So instead of paying $25/month to some 3rd party sketchy Instagram growth service to boost your followers or likes, pay Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn directly to do it for you!

Using Facebook or Instagram Ads can help you:

Generate more brand awareness
Get more donations for your fundraiser
Increase the amount of followers on your social accounts
Build more engagement
Sell more products!

Get step-by-step instructions on how to run ads on Facebook or Instagram.

10. Update your Bio and Profile Links

In this ever-changing world, the copy you wrote last year for your Instagram profile or LinkedIn bio may no longer be relevant. As a best practice, update your bio or social profile every quarter.

In addition, put promotions and discount codes in your social media bios. For example, “Save 35% this holiday season by using code MBHOLIDAY35.” This could easily fit in your Instagram profile.

Update your profile link often. Especially on Instagram. Examples: If a client’s content theme for a certain week focuses on summer activities, we may change the link to share a blog post where readers can learn more about how to prep for summer. If we want to encourage more appointment bookings, we might swap out the main website link for the appointments link. You get the idea.

Why take these extra steps? Because you want people to find what they are looking for in the least amount of steps. If you only have your homepage linked in your profile, and you just launched a new blog, how do your readers get to it quickly?

If you say ‘link in bio’ and it only directs people to your homepage, do you think they will take the time to click the link in bio, then find your blog page, then find the right blog you were speaking of?

Lastly, you can use tools like Linktree with Instagram to share several links under one profile link.

11. Use Emojis in your social posts

Use emojis to help break up text or to emphasize a point you’re trying to get across. In this world of constant scrolling, a campfire or a monkey covering his eyes could catch your reader’s eye more than just text!

12. use Hashtags to help with social media growth

Everything can’t be #instagood. Therefore, do some research on which hashtags are trending within your industry. If you do not already have a hashtag for your brand, create one! Or, take a look at what your brand ambassadors or competitors are using. You can also view your post Insights on Instagram to see how many likes you get from your hashtag use!

What platforms do hashtags work best on? Instagram and Twitter. You can use up to 30 hashtags on Instagram, and as many as you want on Twitter. However, as Twitter is limited to 280 characters, so keep your tweets to 2-3 hashtags!

Where should you put your hashtags? After your copy. We often separate our copy with line breaks and drop the hashtags so they are out of view, especially on platforms like Instagram. Get the full scoop on Instagram hashtags from Hootsuite!

13. Sell Through your Social media channels

If you use Facebook and Instagram and have a separate store on Shopify or WooCommerce, you can easily connect your store and sell directly through Facebook or Instagram, or people can complete their purchase on your website.

14. work with brand ambassadors + content creators

Work with content creators and ambassadors to help you create more brand awareness for your products or services! If you haven’t read our blog on Finding the Right Brand Ambassadors– get on it!

At Top Rope Media, we think of working with content creators, which is the more PC term now as opposed to ‘influencers’, like backpacking. To get the best results, to see the most beautiful and untouched terrain, you have to plan. Prepare. And, be willing to walk – a lot!

It takes time to find and build relationships with the right content creators or brand ambassadors. So be patient, and think long-term. You’ll find the investment is worth it when your ambassador is connected with your brand for years to come.

15. Evaluate Your Post Performance

If you are not reviewing your social media analytics each week, you could be missing out on some great insights into your customers. Set an alarm or add a meeting to your calendar each week to review your Google Analytics, along with your social media metrics.

Still not seeing steady growth?

Switch up the days and times you are posting
Engage on the network- this means spend time on it liking, commenting, and sharing other posts you find compelling!
Change up the type of content posted (hint: add more videos or multiple images!)
Upgrade your phone for better photos, use a camera, or buy a GoPro!

final thoughts on Social media growth

One of the biggest reasons to continue posting on social media for your brand is that shopping habits have changed tremendously! In addition, there is a growth in online spending not only from Millennials, but Gen X, and Baby Boomers alike.

What are millennials, Gen X, and baby boomers purchasing through social media?

Apparel + Accessories- Clothes, shoes, anything to save us from having to go to the store!
Health + Fitness- gadgets, sneakers, yoga pants, swimwear, you name it.
Jewelry- especially hand-crafted unique pieces
Beauty + skincare products

And which social channels can you reach these Millennials, Gen Xers, and Baby Boomers? Well, 67% of millennials are on Instagram, and 75% of baby boomers are active Facebook users. 9 out of 10 Gen Xers are on Facebook.

slow and steady Social Media growth takes practice

We’ve covered a lot of ground, but here are the top takeaways for growing your social media presence:

Create videos and share multiple images in posts
Use a Content Calendar and schedule that content using a tool like Hootsuite
Be an active ‘social listener’ by following hashtags, creating Google Alerts, and pay attention to your competition!
Engage on the social network you want to grow on by liking, commenting, and sharing relevant content
Work with brand ambassadors or content creators
Run ads or promotions in combination with your organic posts for that extra boost!
Upgrade your phone, work with a professional, or learn how to take better photos

Thanks for reading and happy posting!

Meredith McConvill

The post Social Media Growth: How to Gain More Followers appeared first on Top Rope Media.