Category: Social Media (Page 3 of 6)

7 Awesome Social Media Ideas for September

August 31, 2021 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

Happy September! 🍂 Need some September Social Media Post Ideas?

In need of some creative social media ideas for September? Look no further as here are seven from my Best-Selling 365 Social Media Post Ideas Calendar.

Social Media Post Ideas September

Post three self-care ideas for national #SelfCareAwarenessMonth (or one idea for every day of September) and ask followers theirs #selflove.
Go to the tallest building in your city and take a photo from the bottom looking up (or from the top looking down) for national #SkyscraperDay (September 3^rd). Tag the building and the city.
Post a fall-themed graphic that says, “I love September because ____________” and ask followers to respond in comments.
Post your favorite fashions or trends from New York Fashion Week #NYFW (it runs from September 9^th to 14^th).
Use the app Stylebook to create and post a #FallOutfit as well as outfit of the day (#OOTD) for #SundayStyle.
Post your top 5 places in your country to see beautiful fall leaves changing colors, and ask followers to add theirs in comments.
Post a time lapse video or carousel post of your latest creative effort for national #LiveCreativeDay (September 14^th).
Get the rest of the ideas for September and the year in my 365 Social Media Post Ideas Calendar.

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About Me

As a long time marketing consultant who has been blogging about e-commerce since 2012, I advise, coach and mentor small businesses selling online. My advice has been featured in the NY Times, Success Magazine, Yahoo Finance, American Express Open Forum, Big Commerce blog, Business2Community and SheKnows to name a few. Be sure to read an article on Yahoo I was recently quote in: “4 Businesses to Start in the Fall ”.

What to Post to Social Media in July

June 24, 2021 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

July Social Media Ideas

Need July Social Media Post Ideas? Here are 10 fun ideas from my best-selling 365 Day Social Media Post Ideas Calendar.

July Social Media Post Ideas

July 1: Post a fun Canadian fact, graphic or meme wishing Canadians a happy #Canadaday.
July 2: Take a poll asking followers their favorite alien or UFO movie for #worldufoday.
July 6: Post your top three cities to visit this summer for #wanderlustwednesday and ask followers theirs.
July 9: Post a photo taken lying down and looking up at the #summersky #summerclouds #cloudporn.
July 10: Post a photo of a Pina Colada in front of a #sunset for national #pinacoladaday #sundaysunset #sundayvibes.
July 11: Post a photo of your pet wearing something red, white & blue for national #allamericanpetphotoday.
July 13: Post a #shoutout to your favorite local French fry truck for national #frenchfryday.
July 15: Post an offer for a free gift, #giveaway or download to customers for national #givesomethingawayday.
July 20: Post a few fun facts about the moon for the 53rd anniversary of the American moon walk #moon #moonwalker #todayinhistory.
July 22: Post a cute photo of England’s Prince George for his birthday today #princegeorge #royalfamily.
July 27: Post a photo of a dog hanging out a car window for #dogsincars #weeklyfluff #woofwednesday.
More in my best-selling 365 Day Social Media Post Ideas Calendar.
Are sales slow? Have you run out of ways to promote to your business? Guess again! My 12-Month Marketing Plan Downloads are packed with innovative, creative, low-cost and no-cost ways to drive more traffic.
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What to Post on Social Media in April

March 30, 2021 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

April Social Media Post Ideas

Stuck for April social media post ideas? Here are 8 awesome ideas, from my best-selling download 365 Social Media Post Ideas.

April 2nd: Post your favorite handmade finds from small sellers for national #HandmadeDay.
April 3rd: Post a graphic “79 Days Until Summer”.
April 6th: Post a “This Day in History: In 1896 the first modern Olympic Games opened in Athens”.
April 7th: Post an interesting fact about the solar eclipse tomorrow.
April 9th: Post a reel to TikTok with a tutorial that has something to do with your business for the popular #learnontiktok.
April 11th: Post a cute photo of your pet wearing a t-shirt with your business name on it for #NationalPetDay.
April 22nd: Post an answer to top searches: “What can we recycle? What things can I reduce?” for #EarthDay; maybe even mention how your business is eco-friendly.
April 30th: Post a photo of an animal at your local animal shelter for National #AdoptAShelterPetDay and tag the shelter in hopes the animal gets a new home.
Download at my Etsy shop, just $1.95!
Get more social media posting ideas in my download, download 365 Social Media Post Ideas.

About Me

I’m Gail Oliver and since 2012 I have advised thousands of online businesses and I can help yours too! Feel free to email me at attentiongetting@gmail.com with a question.

What to Post to Social Media in March

February 19, 2021 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

March Social Media Post Ideas

Stuck for March social media post ideas? Here are some from my best selling 365 Day Social Media Post Ideas Calendar, on sale for just $1.95!

March 8th: Post a photo or reel of a famous woman from current day or from history that you admire, with a quote from her laid over top, on March 8th for #InternationalWomensDay #womensupportingwomen #womenempowerment. Ask followers the woman they admire most.
March 10th: Post something clever, maybe an animation of the Easter Bunny jumping over a clock (read my post, How to Use Canva to Create Social Media Posts) as a reminder that tomorrow is #DaylightSavingsTime #ClocksForward #ClocksAhead #ClocksGoForward #LoseAnHour.
Download at my Etsy shop for just $1.95!
March 14th: People love taking #polls so post one asking followers their favorite brand or flavor of potato chips (suggest brands for them to choose) for #NationalPotatoChipDay #Question #Poll and tag the brand.
March 20th: We always seem to want to know what the #weather will be, so post the #SpringForecast for the various parts of your country from the Farmer’s Almanac for #FirstDayofSpring #Spring2024
March 22nd: Post a #shoutout to your favorite #podcast and ask followers theirs for #CurrentlyListeningTo
March 31st: Searches for “How to Cook a Ham” and “How to Cook a Turkey” skyrocket on Easter weekend, so be sure to post a quick reel or video that you can curate from a popular food blogger #Howtocookaham.

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Best Tips for Doing an Instagram Giveaway

September 30, 2020 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

Instagram Giveaway Tips Rules

Here are some Instagram Giveaway Tips Rules to know. A giveaway is a great way to get the attention of your potential customers and increase your social media following.

Instagram Giveaway Tips: Be Clear What They Will Win

Use caps and emojis so your offer stands out, but be clear about exactly what they will receive if they win. For example:

CHANCE TO WIN! We’re giving you the chance to ⚡️WIN⚡️ a jewelry set worth US$75! Includes a pair of gold star studs and a gold crescent moon necklace.

It can only be products that you giveaway. You CANNOT giveaway money. That is against Instagram’s rules.

Instagram Giveaway Rules: State How to Enter

You want to list, step by step, what they need to do to enter the giveaway. For example:

TO ENTER, YOU MUST DO THE FOLLOWING

Follow @{your Instagram account}
Like this post
TAG a friend in the comments

The reason you want people to like the post, is because then when people on Instagram search “giveaway”, posts with the most likes appear at the top of results.

Instagram Giveaway Tips: More Ways to Enter the Giveaway

Now, there are more things you can ask people to do to enter, but beware, many people find that if there are too many steps, they’ll take a pass. For example:

Like and share this post to your IG Story for an extra entry. If your page is set to private, DM a screenshot so we know.
Comment with hashtag #YourStoreNameGiveaway.
Tag at least 10 friends (More Friends Tagged = More Entries).
Repost the image on your own feed with hashtag #YourStoreNameGiveaway.
Follow these 10 accounts as well (you give the Instagram names of your sponsors, for example, known as a “loop”).

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Instagram Giveaway Rules: Indicate When the Instagram Giveaway Ends

For example:

Ends at 11:59pm PST on 10/2/21.

When the giveaway is over, update the post to say “CONTEST CLOSED”.

Instagram Giveaway Rules: Indicate Other Restrictions

For example:

No purchase necessary. US residents only. Official rules here: (include a link to the rules on your blog or website).

Instagram Giveaway Tips: Use Giveaway Hashtags

Consider launching your giveaway on a Friday to take advantage of #freebiefriday. Other hashtags to include (so your post shows up in searches): #giveaway #giveaways #giveawaycontest #giveawaytime #contest #free #win #freestuff #freebies #freebie

Instagram Giveaway Tips Rules

Instagram Giveaway Tips: Have an Eye-Catching Graphic

Make sure, at very least, the graphic says “Giveaway” and has your brand identity. You can have a photo showing what they will actually win, and even list the requirements to enter right on the graphic itself.

Instagram Giveaway Rules: Indicate When the Winner Will Be Announced

For example:

Winner will be contacted by DM and announced here on December 5, 2021.

Instagram Giveaway Rules: Include a Disclaimer for the Instagram Giveaway

You have to make sure to let people know this has nothing to do with Instagram. For example:

Disclaimer: This giveaway promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by or associated with Instagram.

Be sure to read Instagram’s full rules for a giveaway.

Instagram Giveaway Tips Rules

Get Creative Instagram Posting Ideas!

Be sure to check out my best selling 365 Social Media Posting Ideas Calendar. It will make posting so much easier and time-saving!

You might also like 35 Free Business Card Templates.

My Killer Instagram Tip to Drive Crazy Traffic to Your Business

June 17, 2020 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

Want my killer Instagram tip to drive traffic to your business?

I give lots of awesome Instagram posting ideas in my Best-Selling 365 Day Social Media Posting Calendar, but one of my favorites is for your small business to try and take advantage of the Instagram hash tag #MySuperG.

What is this exactly? Google loves to repost and give a shoutout to anyone who posts a unique photo that features the letter “G” in a creative way.

Think about it. Google has 12.5 million followers, so even if only 1% of their followers clicks on your link, that’s 125,000 people!

For example, Google posted online plant store Greenery United’s video using their plants to spell out the “G”, as well as online bow tie store, Knotzland, who used their bow ties (in Google’s colors).

Some Ideas You Can Do for #MySuperG

With July 4th around the corner, if you’re an American business find a way to use your products to create out a red, white and blue “G”.
Take advantage of upcoming National days that do so well on social media. For example, if you sell bikinis, use them to spell out the “G” for #NationalBikiniDay (be sure to include #MySuperG in comments and post it the day before to give Google time to see it).
If you’re an online bakery, then use Google-adorned sugar cookies to spell out the “G” for #NationalSugarCookieDay on July 9th.
Cosmetic brands could color the “G” in various lipstick shades for #NationalLipstickDay (July 29th).
If you don’t have a product that works, try creating a “G” using the supplies that go into making your products. For example, a jewelry shop could use beads to create a “G”. Get creative!

Want More Awesome Instagram Posting Ideas?

Download my best-selling 365 Social Media Posting Ideas Calendar, with more ideas like this one!

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About Me

Do you need your Brand Story written or an SEO-Optimized Blog Post or a Personalized Business Consultation? As a 20+ year marketing professional and small business consultant, all of my services are super affordable.

I have consulted for thousands of small businesses since 2012, and my advice has been featured in the NY Times, Success Magazine, Yahoo Business, American Express, Big Commerce, Business2Community to name a few – so this is professional advice you can trust!

My Publicity Pitch service has also gotten my clients featured in Real Simple Magazine, Apartment Therapy, House Beautiful, Vanity Fair, Houzz, Martha Stewart, Glamour Magazine, LONNY, DesignMilk, Emmaline Bride,– just to name a few.

What to Post to Social Media in January

December 24, 2019 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

In need of some creative and fresh January social media post ideas?

January is all about fresh starts, new goals, weight loss, getting in shape, travel and winter activities, to name a few. This will be the most popular type of lifestyle content that followers will want to engage with.

Luckily, I have some creative posting ideas for you to try, all from my best-selling 365 Social Media Post Ideas for 2024

January Social Media Post Ideas

January 1st: Post a bucket list of #24ThingsToDoIn2024 and ask followers to give their bucket list in comments.
January 3rd: Post the winter forecast for the various parts of your country from the Farmer’s Almanac #weather #winterforecast
January 5th: Post a This or That – Favorite Diet: Keto or Mediterranean? as dieting is a top Google search every January.
January 8th: Post a positive affirmation for the new year for #MondayMotivation, and for every Monday of the month.
January 11th: Post an answer to a top searched January question: “How to make a snowman?”
January 16th: Post 3 favorite locations for a spring break vacation and ask followers theirs #TravelTuesday.
January 17th: Post a tip to avoid getting a cold or flu for #WellnessWednesday.
January 24th: Post something nice about another small business for #NationalComplimentDay.
January 31st: Post a collage of several of your favorite indie art prints for national #InspireYourHeartWithArtDay and tag the artist.
Get the rest of my 365 Social Media Post Ideas

How to Market on Instagram

August 20, 2019 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

how to market on instagram With the release of my Instagram Planner I wanted to give you a few basic tips on how to market on Instagram.

While I have been using Instagram and helping clients with it for a while now, I actually only opened my own Instagram profile at the start of 2020. This is because, as you all know, social media takes a lot of time and effort, and being a one-person business, I simply don’t have that much time to spend on it. But for those of you who do, here are some tips of mine to make it work better for your business.

Create a Descriptive Instagram Name

The first mistake so many businesses make is not creating a descriptive Instagram name. I don’t mean username, which should be your business name, but your name. For example, my Instagram “username” is attention.getting, but my “name” below (the line in bold) gives insight as to what my business is about.

The reason I did this is because this line gets seen whenever you show up in someone’s followers’ list. It acts like an ad telling people what your business is all about, so make it descriptive to peak people’s curiosity.

Write a Descriptive Instagram Bio

You only have 140 characters, so be concise and accurately describe either your business, or the type of content your followers will see should they decide to follow you. Point form is a good idea. You can use emojis, but don’t overdo it or you will look like a 11-year old girl.

Links In Your Profile

I come across so many Instagram profiles that do not link to back to their business. Since you cannot link within a post, it is so important to link here. You can use an app like linktr.ee because you can then use this as a launchpad to give people several links of yours – from your shop to a blog to a blog post. It is only $5 a month.

Follow People Who Follow Your Competitors

An easy way to find sales leads is to start by following people who follow your competitors. Obviously, if they like their products and services, they might like yours too.

Add URL to Post Images

Again, since Instagram does not allow you to link directly from your post, it is a good idea to try and include your url on your post images. It also helps if someone comes upon your image in a search, they then know where to find you.

Engage with Comments

Search on Instagram using a # and the word you think is relevant to your customers i.e. #bride. Then like the post and leave a short but nice comment. It will get their attention.

Use the DM

Direct Messaging (or DM) is a way to reach out to people who have followed you, and thank them for following by giving them a special offer. Who doesn’t love a special offer? But just once, don’t keep bothering them.

Use “Suggestions for You”

In the right side bar Instagram will give you suggestions of who to follow. I advise following anyone who looks like they could be a potential customer and indicates that they are new to Instagram. Reason being, new people are more likely to follow you back.

Throw Branding Rules Out the Window

I never normally say this as a marketer, but social media is a different animal. If all of your posts use the same background, colors and fonts, (because you are trying to create brand awareness) the problem is that they will become white noise to your followers. In other words, your followers are going to swipe past it in their feed because it looks familiar, so they think they have already read it. Change up your look up to keep people interested.