Marketing your business can be hard, y’all. Seriously. You want to increase your visibility on social media but it’s stressful to figure out what to post, how to caption it, what time of day to post it, how often to post… the list goes on and on. Then, after all the time you put into it, no one even seems to see it. A few likes, no comments, your follower count stays the same. What’s the point, right?
But here’s a secret, friend: its not about the number of followers you have and likes you get! Do you know what followers and likes equate to? Vanity metrics.
#truthbomb
Think about it: if you have one million followers and no engagement, the algorithm thinks no one wants to see your content so they don’t show it to anyone (and when no one sees it, no one engages… its a vicious cycle!). Instagram built their algorithm that way in order to keep serving up content that audiences want to see and keep people scrolling through their app longer. If they serve content that the user isn’t interested in, the user is more likely to close the app and find something else to do.
What’s favorable to the algorithm these days?
Right now (January 2021—it changes all the time!), Instagram is still big on video content. I mean BIG! Instagram Reels just rolled out a few months ago and, in order to get buy in, Instagram is rewarding those who use it in a huge way by giving them more visibility.
When more people are able to see your content (and its VALUABLE content—interesting, educational, inspiring, behind the scenes, free tips/resources, etc) they are more likely to want to stick around for more. In fact, video has quickly transitioned to one of the most important ways to market yourself online. Videos generate more clicks than still images and people are more likely to remember brands that they see through video than when they quickly scroll past a still image on social media. When they stop to watch your video, they’re spending more time getting to know you, your product and your business!
“But Rachel… who has time to use video to increase visibility on social media?!? ”
I get it… video can be overwhelming and creating a good Reels can be time consuming and cumbersome. Who has time to build content like that?!? Spoiler Alert!: That’s what I’m here for!
First things first, I am NOT a videographer. My DSLR is my best friend. I have a solid grasp on how to use light and manual mode to create stunning images that will wow your clients. You might say it’s my Super Power! I wanted to use my skill set to build video content that is INTERESTING and will increase their visibility in the social media marketplace and I realized how often stop motion animation is used in the commercial industry to grab the attention of viewers. It’s short form video that, to me, is more interesting than a video because it doesn’t FEEL like an advertisement. People will actually stop to watch it because they are interested in how it is done and want to see how it plays out (and, usually, they’re pretty cheeky and cute, too!)
Take a look at this simple stop-motion animation that I made of a cup of coffee… basic, right? (You can say it… it won’t hurt my feelings. That was the POINT!)
If you were scrolling past it, which would you be more likely to stop and actually pay attention to? The video is clearly more interesting! The key is to keep them short and sweet and stop motion animation is PERFECT for that! Remember, videos start playing automatically on Instagram. As soon as it pops up on the viewers screen, it starts the animation. As a result, your audience is instantly intrigued. It triggers their brain to want to know what’s going to happen next. EASY marketing!!
Want to learn more?
I love creating visually interesting content. These little gems are my newest go-to to help my clients grow their business. I’d love to help you do the same! Head on over to my contact page and let’s chat about how we can bring your product marketing to life and follow me on Instagram to see more!
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