SOCIAL MEDIA
How To Leverage Social Media For Your Business

Someone asked me the other day:

“If you could get free lottery tickets every day, would you?”

The answer for most people would be an easy ‘yes’.

Well, my friends, that is what social media is today. Too often are we getting caught up in discussions about the “algorithm”, engagement, optimization, and all that jazz.

And before we dive into those things, just remember that social media is FREE. Just 15 years ago, if you wanted your work to be seen by strangers on the internet, you had to pay a lump sum. Today, with just the click of a button, you can upload a piece of content and have it reach millions (maybe even billions) of people.

That’s insane if you really think about it.

But just because it can reach a lot of people, doesn’t mean that each person will be a qualified lead for your business.

So let’s talk about how you can start approaching social media in a way that will allow your business to attract the clients you want to.

1. Choosing The Right Platform

Every month it seems like there is a new social media. And if you listen to the gurus like Gary Vee, he will make you feel like an utter failure if you aren’t posting at least 9 times a day to every single platform.

Truthfully, he is right. The more content you post, the more likely you are to get noticed. This is called the Brute Force method.

It’s hard to do, and it can take years for it to pay off, which is why lots of us fizzle out. But if you were to post every single day for years, it is literally impossible to not see any success.

But depending on your business, certain platforms can be more valuable than others.

If you asked us just 2 months ago about the value of Tik Tok for wedding videographers, we would have just told you to spend your time elsewhere.

But we just booked a wedding in Greece because the bride saw that viral Tik Tok of Jake’s pre-first look pep talk and went down the Runaway Vows rabbit hole.

So in truth, every social media platform is valuable, but for different reasons.

• Tik Tok — Shorter moments such as BTS, reactions, before & afters, etc.. Although Tik Tok is now rewarding posts that go viral that are over 1 minute long.

• Instagram — Full films, beautiful clips, discussion topics, product reviews

• YouTube — Full films, commercial work, commentary and tutorials. Also YouTube shorts are the new thing. Simply repurpose your other social media posts and put them here.

When all else fails, just remember to not think too much about it. Getting in the habit of showing off your work is far more important than having the perfect strategy.

Devise a system for posting, then focus on optimizing it.

2. Creating Engaging Content

In case you missed it, the CEO of Instagram Adam Mosseri recently stated that a main driver of how well a piece of content will perform is how much it gets shared.

You can listen to a great podcast interview right here

If you have a friend send you a reel on instagram, how likely are you to watch the whole thing?

Pretty darn likely. And that just means that you are spending more time on the Instagram platform, which is exactly what any business wants. So you will be rewarded with having your content pushed to the masses.

So you need to find a way to create engaging content.

What we have been finding success in lately is creating a hook with captions on the t

3. Interacting With Your Audience

Rule of thumb": “Don’t Post & Ghost”.

Whenever you hit the ‘publish’ button. Have your notifications turned on so that you can respond to any comments that start happening on your post. No matter the social media platform, this is an easy way to tip the scales in your favor.

People are more likely to comment on content that has dozens or hundreds of comments already. So start racking up the count.

This is also a great way to build trust and community within your audience. This comes in handy especially if you have an offer that you are selling. Strangers need to know that there is an actual human being that they are intreracting with before they feel comfortable buying a service from someone off social media.

PRODUCTIVITY
The Case For Getting Better Incrementally

As creative business owners, we often strive for perfection in our work. However, the path to excellence doesn't always require massive overhauls or drastic changes. I can’t tell you how many times I have had my eyes pop open at 1 a.m. from an anxiety attack about how I am not getting enough done, how far behind I am from everyone else, and how much richer everyone is than me. What this usually produces is a stretch of a week or two of going all out, then burning out and feeling hollow and disappointed. Not to mention the effect that lack of sleep and nutrition has on your overall health and relationships.

The reality is that your business and personal life can (and SHOULD) excel by making small incremental steps, day in and day out. This is known as a philosophy called the Kaizen Method, which focuses on continuous, incremental improvements.

What is the Kaizen Method?

Originating from Japan, "Kaizen" translates to "change for the better" or "continuous improvement." This method emphasizes small, consistent changes that, over time, lead to significant improvements. If you look on social media, you’ll see that it has often been rebranded to “1% Better Each Day”.

It’s a mindset that encourages everyone, from the top management to the frontline employees, to seek ways to enhance their processes and products.

How Can You Apply The Kaizen Method in Your Business

1. Identify Small Changes: Look at your current workflows and identify small, manageable changes. For a videographer, this could mean tweaking your editing process to save time. For an artist, it could be reorganizing your workspace for better efficiency.

2. Involve Your Team: If you have a team, encourage them to suggest improvements. This not only fosters a culture of collaboration but also ensures that changes are practical and beneficial for everyone involved.

3. Regularly Review and Reflect: Set aside time to review the changes you’ve implemented. I like to do this at the end of the week when I don’t feel so stressed. Are the changes making a positive impact? If not, what can be adjusted? Continuous reflection ensures that you’re always moving forward.

4. Celebrate Small Wins: Recognize and celebrate the small improvements, then move on to make new changes. This boosts morale and motivates you and your team to keep striving for better.

CINEMATIC TIP
Tips For Things To Work On In Your Business

Recently we asked our community what they are working on this week, and we got a lot of answers.

Ranging from “learning a k-pop dance routine” to “learning how to use Notion”, we are seeing what other creatives in the space are doing this week to be more productive (except maybe the k-pop routine)

Let us know what you are working on this week and how we can help!

Simply reply to this email and let’s chat 💬