5 Digital Marketing Reminders for 2023
If you're still using the marketing tactics you strived for in 2014, you're officially about to be a decade behind the times.
It’s wild to me to think that it was over ten years ago that Pinterest and Instagram were founded and starting changing the game when it came to work-from-anywhere culture and online marketing. Where would bloggers be today if it was not for these online platforms?
It was 2014ish when the Instagram was hitting its tipping point and Gen X was figuring out how to create six- and seven-figure income solely from creating and teaching online. I myself studied under the tutelage of Hilary Rushford, back when her Instagram grid was heavily filtered and looked like this:
This was a time when the cohesiveness of your grid was key, and video on Instagram consisted solely of square videos to the main feed that could not exceed 59 seconds. We’ve come a long way since then!
And with the updates to the internet in general—who’s on it, the information available, how algorithms have been added and evolved, new apps out there—what works and what’s trending has changed. A lot.
In today’s post I want to unpack some of the ways you might want to update your social media strategy—particularly on Instagram—if you feel like your hard work is starting to yield minimal returns. With these tips, your engagement should pop back up in no time!
No. 1: Photography and Editing Styles are Fresh in 2022
You can officially tell I was a mid-eighties baby by the kinds of photography and photo editing styles I wish would stay in vogue forever. I like bright, curated with a candid feel, with minimal to zero distractions in the frame. Kind-of like this:
But since everyone has a sophisticated camera on their phone these days, it’s actually harder than it used to be to get that blown-out “bokeh” look, and it’s easier than it used to be to get images in what’s known as “hard light”—the kind of light where the light source is bright so the shadows are dark and provide almost an outline by contrast. When shot on a phone, often no detail is lost in either the brightest or the most shadowed parts of the photo. Kind-of like this:
And here’s what it can look like on a pro-camera with a little Lightroom magic:
This is the look we’re seeing the most of now for both photo and video—and it’s an aesthetic people really like. If your audience has stayed the same age while you’ve matured, it’s time to change your photography style to match your audience, and consider images that showcase stark contrast.
No. 2: Consistent Video Creation is Key
It’s nothing new that video is the most engaging form of content out there. There are zero statistics to say that a photo and a caption will outperform video on any sort of consistent basis—so if you want to grow, you’ve got to vide-o.
The good news is, you don’t have to be tech-savvy to create video and you don’t need a film crew that will make you feel more self-conscious than you can help. You can just pick up a phone stand, set yourself up near a window that lets in natural light, and go.
The maybe-a-bit-of-a-bummer news is that you can’t just create one video, post it to your website, and call it a day—not like you could back in 2010. Today, you’re going to want to put out video content regularly—whether that’s once a day or once a week—so that your audience that scrolls every day on social media gets regular reminders that you exist and you’re up to exciting things.
Need some low-barrier ideas for video? See my post on How to Create Easy Video Content for a bunch of simple ideas to get you started!
No. 3: Captions Are Out; Text Carousels Are IN
I don’t know about you, but my attention span shortened a lot during lockdown. (This was after Facebook announced six or so years ago that 8 seconds was how long content creators had to grab someone’s attention; they now say it’s closer to 2!) What does this mean for me—and what seems to be a lot of people?
It means people aren’t tapping that little “…” to read the rest of your caption anymore. So if you’ve got something to say, you’ve got to say it where your audience is already paying attention—and that’s right within your visual content.
If you want to share “3 Secrets for X” or “My Top 5 Tips for Y,” you now want to put that into either (a) a Carousel post, which is one of those photo posts you can swipe through; or (b) a Reel. In both cases you want to put the text on the visual element—that is, either the slides or as an overlay on the video—rather than simply in the caption.
No. 4: Online Marketing Costs Money
It’s taken a long time for business owners to understand as a majority that an effective social media strategy isn’t going to be 100% free.
Whether you’re paying for a schedule-ahead app like Later, you’re outsourcing content creation to a photographer like me, or you’re picking up props to highlight your seasonal specials, you’re going to end up putting in a little if you want to get out a lot.
If you’re still thinking social media should be a totally free way to advertise your business, you’re likely making one or more of the following mistakes:
Thinking you can talk about your business, rather than about the lifestyle and goals of your dream client (and wondering why your engagement sucks)
Thinking the algorithm is punishing you because you’re not paying for ads (and wondering why your engagement sucks)
Thinking “if I post it, they will come” (and wondering why your engagement sucks)
Social media requires thinking ahead, getting creative, engaging with people, and being willing to experiment and invest over time.
No. 5: Your Brand Needs a Face Now More Than Ever
Social media has always been about relationship, just like marketing has always been about relationship… but with more users than ever on virtually every platform, standing out can be difficult, especially when so many photos are shot and styled in the same way. What makes a certain account’s content unique enough to remember and follow? A person that people can recognize and connect with!
Before you get up in arms about how much you don’t like yourself on camera—in my experience working with women in over 30 different industries, their ages ranging from 24 to 50, in all shapes, colors, and sizes, it usually only takes a couple, three times getting out in front of the camera to start feeling comfortable or even natural at it.
The trick is working with someone who can coach you through it and make you feel at ease when you’re first starting out, showing you the pro secrets that can help you look and feel your best. I make that a big part of my photographic process, so if you’re in the United States and looking for a photographer who feels like a friend, reach out to me here!
Did you love these tips? Then pin this post so you never lose it! And as always, leave some love below with your favorite tip on the list. I’ll respond as soon as I can!
HELLO! MY NAME IS ALEXIS.
Coffee lover, day dreamer, foodie, and creative. I believe in doing what you can with what you have where you are. I blog to help you do more with what you have. I hope you love it here!
