Why you should start a YouTube channel as a blogger

First let me address the biggest fear or misconception you might have when it comes to starting a channel.

NO, YOU ARE NOT TOO LATE TO START.

Video content is only getting more and more popular. You have thousands of creators you get to learn from so that you can start NOW and still see the success you’ve dreamed of.

Not convinced yet? Here are 5 reasons to start a YouTube channel as a blogger:

1. Improves your SEO

YouTube is owned by Google. And they are the top 2 search engines on the interweb! You can create dominance with your SEO strategy when you’re posting searchable blogs AND searchable videos.

2. You already have the content strategy

If you’re a blogger, you probably have already done research on how to rank in search engines and how to pick blog topics to post. YouTube isn’t much different. You just have the extra step of filming!

3. YouTube videos are another form of ‘macro-content’

I love using YouTube videos and blog posts as my ‘macro-content’. Macro-Content is long form content that can be broken up into smaller pieces to repurpose onto other platforms to save you time.

Let’s follow a path of a YouTube video being a form of macro content

You can follow a similar flow if you’re writing blog posts. Turn that blog into a script for a YouTube video!

4. Establish your authority and grow your audience

In addition to establishing authority through SEO, you will reach a different and new audience on YouTube. 

Believe it or not, Instagram users like to stick to Instagram. Pinterest users like to stick to Pinterest. So when you repurpose your blogs into videos, you are tapping into an audience you wouldn’t have been able to reach before.

5. Another stream of income

Last but not least, let’s talk about money. YouTube is one of the only social media platforms that pays its creators for posting content. And reaching that monetization threshold isn’t unrealistic. All you need is 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch time hours.

In addition to YouTube monetization, if you are growing your affiliate income stream, you can place your links in the description of each video. Since YouTube videos have a longer shelf-life than Instagram content, creating a passive income with those links becomes much easier!

If you have always had that thought in the back of your head, wishing to be a YouTuber, now is your time.

Watch this video on how to start and grow your YouTube channel from scratch.

The post Why you should start a YouTube channel as a blogger appeared first on Jessica Stansberry.

These 3 things are HURTING your Instagram Engagement

Get the Digital Product Blueprint

What’s a good engagement rate?

Before diving in, it’s important for YOU to set realistic expectations around the performance of your posts.

Did you know that brands consider a GOOD engagement rate for Instagram to be 3%+? That means if you receive about 200 likes/comments on a post with 1,000 followers, that’s a 20% engagement rate, WHICH IS AMAZING!

CALCULATE YOUR ENGAGEMENT RATE
(Likes +  Comments) / Followers x 100 = Engagement rate percentage 

Now let’s dive into a few things that might be hurting your engagement rate.

1. Posting and Ghosting

Let me ask you something.

How many people do you follow? How much time do you take to support them and engage with their posts? Are you supporting them the way you would want your followers to support you?

It’s easy to get caught in the rush of posting to hit your optimal post time, but if you’re posting and closing down the app right after. Don’t expect to have the post perform well. 

I like to spend 15 minutes before I post and 15 minutes after I post to engage with other users.

2. Engagement groups (PODS)

An engagement group is when a group of similar accounts get a group chat and are required to engage with each others posts every day.

While you might see an increase in your engagement at first, the long-term effects of this are BAD. 

Since you're spending your time engaging with THEIR posts, you're telling Instagram “this is the content that I want to see”, and vice versa, it tells Instagram who they should push YOUR content to…instead of your ideal client.

You use all your energy on your engagement pod instead of finding and building REAL connections.

If you’re in a pod right now, give yourself permission to leave it. Understand that your engagement might see a decrease after leaving, but it IS possible to build it back up.

If you’re going to create a group chat, create them with the intention to meet new people. NOT with the intention of increasing engagement.

3. You aren’t taking the time to plan

We’ve all been there: You look at the clock and it’s already 9:05 am. You were supposed to post at 9am but you haven’t written your caption yet! You quickly open the Instagram app, pick your photo and write some random mumbo jumbo in the caption.

The lack of intention, or the lack of planning, behind your content, will lead to a low engagement rate.

If you need to take a break from posting, to take a step back and plan out your content so that you can be ahead…DO IT.

While that might sound taboo to some because “Instagram loves consistency”, this is going to bring you peace in the long run.

Gone will be the days where you stressed about what you’re going to post. It’s a freeing feeling! 

Everyone knows that the algorithm can be a pain in the booty, so don’t get discouraged when you see a low number of likes. Focus on what you CAN control, and try to avoid these 3 things that are hurting your Instagram engagement.

If you’re curious about how to GROW your account, that’s a whole other story! Download this “5 steps for growing on Instagram in 2021” guide for more strategies.

The post These 3 things are HURTING your Instagram Engagement appeared first on Jessica Stansberry.

5 Tips to Create the Best Hashtag Strategy for Instagram in 2021

The first thing that is important to understand before focusing all your energy on hashtags is this:

Hashtags are just a small piece of the puzzle. They, alone, will not make or break your success on Instagram.

Everyone is looking for the “one size fits all” hashtag-strategy that will magically work every time you post. Well…I don’t mean to rain on your parade, but that magic formula does not exist.

So take a breath and take that pressure off yourself. You don’t need to make sure your hashtag strategy is “perfect”.

1. Focus on SEO and Keywords FIRST

SEO is search engine optimization and in case you didn’t hear, Instagram is starting to pivot to be more SEO and keyword-driven. 

This means that in the future, you and your posts can be discovered via Google. Also within the app, you can search using keywords instead of by hashtags. Similar to how you search keywords on Pinterest!

2. Don’t be afraid to mix it up!

Mix up the type of hashtags you’re using. If you’re using all 30 hashtags, you can mix up the popularity of tags as well. For example:

• 1-10 hashtags that have less than 50k uses
• 1-10 hashtags that have between 50k-100k uses
• 1-10 hashtags that have between 100k-300k uses.

You can also mix up the number of hashtags you use, where you place them (whether in the caption or comments), and what the hashtags say.

3. Test, test, test your hashtag strategy!!

This ties into the previous tip because as previously mentioned there isn’t ONE THING that will work for everyone. We all have different account types, with a different # of followers, in different niches and different parts of the world, using billions of different hashtags.

The best thing you can do is test what works for YOU. While you’re “mixing things up,” pay attention to your analytics and see what is working and what isn’t. Eventually, you will find a pattern with what is working for you.

4. Be specific

Make sure the hashtags you’re using are specific to your photo and your caption. 

If you share a photo of you in Hawaii with the caption sharing “5 tips for the best Instagram hashtag strategy”, stay away from irrelevant hashtags like: #coffee #instagramreels #youtuber #bye2020

5. Stay away from using BANNED hashtags

Instagram has been cleaning certain hashtag groupings because they're either overpopulated or they've had content that has violated their community guidelines.

How to check if a hashtag is banned?

Go search the hashtag you want to use on Instagram, if you see this pop-up, that means the hashtag is temporarily or indefinitely, banned.

While these tips are helpful, remember that hashtags are a TOOL and only a small portion of your Instagram strategy. 

There are other areas to focus on that will be more beneficial to helping you grow your instagram before you spend all your energy trying to “figure out” hashtags. What can you focus your energy on first?

• Making Reels
• Stepping up your visuals (photography/graphics)
• How to make your content MORE valuable
• How to create genuine connections with your following
• Implementing SEO and keywords into your bio and captions

Just to name a few 😉

Learn the 5 secret steps I took to grow my Instagram by 10,000 followers in one month!

The post 5 Tips to Create the Best Hashtag Strategy for Instagram in 2021 appeared first on Jessica Stansberry.

There are three different strategies when it comes to landing collaborations: pitching, catching, and baiting. 

In this post, we’re going to focus on pitching and you will learn what strategies work, and which ones totally don’t!

Now, don’t worry! If you feel like you’re not ready to pitch yet or you aren’t sure where to start, here is a free training for anyone who is just getting started!

How to Pitch and Land Brand Deals As A Small Influencer

NOW! Let’s get something straight… 

If you are here and you are thinking to yourself:

• “I don't have enough followers to work with brands yet.”
• “I don’t think brands would want to work with lil ol’ me.”
• “I don't have the skills it takes to pitch to brands.”

Write those thoughts down on a piece of paper and set it to flames. THOSE ARE COMPLETE LIES. Your voice matters. Your art matters. Your perspective is a perspective that no one else has. Embrace it. Own it. Flaunt it. Your goal with pitching should always come from a “service” mindset.

THAT is how you pitch and land brand deals as a small influencer.

Collaborations are not for selfish gain, but for mutual growth.

When crafting your pitch here are a few strategies that you should keep in mind.

WHAT WORKS: 

• Leverage your strengths.
  Your follower number ISN’T everything! Brands are looking for Influencers of ALL platform sizes.

I’ve helped influencers with under 500 followers on Instagram land collaborations (both gifted and paid). IT IS POSSIBLE.

• Start with local businesses/brands or “shelf” brands.
  Instead of starting with the “Big Dogs” like Target and Starbucks, start with businesses in your neighborhood. Or think about what items those big stores sell at their stores, aka “shelf brands.”
  
• Send your pitches during normal business hours
  I like to use a program called “Google Streak” to schedule my pitches. Most of my down time is on the weekend, so I would batch pitch a bunch of emails and schedule them to send Monday or Tuesday morning.
  
• Pitch to brands that make sense with your brand
  If you’re a food blogger, partnering with GymShark for their athletic clothing wouldn’t be a successful partnership. Even if you LOVE GymShark, remember the collab is to SERVE the brand. As a food blogger, your audience probably won’t be interested in athletic wear.

WHAT TOTALLY DOESN’T WORK:

• Avoid “template” pitching
  
  I’m not saying “don’t use templates,” because templates are AMAZING and time savers. I’m saying, if you’re going to use templates, make sure you customize EACH pitch so that it feels personal to the brand. They will ignore most generic emails.
  
  
• Avoid pitching through Instagram
  
  Pitching via email is the best way to send a pitch. If you can’t find an email to contact them, shoot them a DM on Instagram asking what email you can use to get in touch with someone in charge of partnerships!
  
  
• Avoid writing a novel
  
  You don’t need to write a novel. Briefly introduce yourself, your strengths, explain why you love them and any idea you have for a partnership! Brands get dozens of emails a day so you’re doing them a favor by keeping your email short and sweet.
  

I know it can be scary pressing that ‘send’ button for the first time, so here are my free pitching templates that I used to land my first couple dozen brand deals and still use to this day!

Happy pitching!

Grab Millie's free pitching templates right here!

The post How to Pitch and Land Brand Deals As A Small Influencer appeared first on Jessica Stansberry.

I remember during the beginning of my Instagram journey I would look through countless Youtube videos and blog posts for tips to help me create my own “drool-worthy” feed without success.

In this post, I’m sharing with you 5 TIPS to create a cohesive Instagram aesthetic so you can make your feed suit your look and branding. Let’s start with the basics and then get to the nitty-gritty that not a lot of people talk about!

5 Tips to Create A Cohesive Instagram Aesthetic 

#1 Know Your Colors

This falls hand-in-hand with knowing your brand. If you already know your personal brand colours, then you’re one step ahead!

If you don’t have brand colors yet, then don’t panic! A simple Pinterest search on “color psychology” and “brand colors” can give you a nice head start.

When you have 3-5  colors, you want to make sure you are using them when editing your photos and keeping the focus on those colors.

Get the Digital Product Blueprint

#2 Use Presets

I’m sure you’ve heard this tip before, but that’s because it has some value to it!

If you want your photos to have the same overall look and feel, try to use the same pre-set or edit on each photo. This helps to ensure you are maintaining the same colouring and consistency within your feed.

If you don’t know where to find presets, or you are not able to afford them at this time, go to Pinterest and search “VSCO free filters.” Voila! You should now be bombarded with stunning filters that you can use on the VSCO app to make your own perfect preset!

You can even narrow down the search on Pinterest to find filters that suit your specific style: bright, vintage, minimalism, or whatever your heart desires!

#3 Stick to Your Colors

Shoot only in the colors that you want in your feed. Wear them. Be them. 

Once I understood this simple mindset shift, everything clicked and the whole process of making my ideal Instagram feed became so much simpler!

Go to your favorite influencer right now and you’ll probably notice they do this too. They most likely only wear colors from the same palette in almost every photo, and that is how they've managed to establish that dreamy-looking feed.

#4 Plan with Purpose

This is something I can never say enough! Plan your feed ahead of time. When you do this, you can create patterns with your colors, composition, or graphics.

Here are 10 different pattern ideas that I made for you to look at and see what you think would fit your feed best!

I like the checkerboard pattern, which is where I switch between orange and teal, then alternate every other photo to be either a close-up or full body photo.

Making sure you have a pattern to guide your feed will help create a cohesive Instagram aesthetic.

#5 Master Your Editing

Here’s a part A, part B editing tip for you. 

1. Focus on the “whites” in your photos and make them all the same shade! If you’re taking photos in different lightings, then the white balance filter is going to be your best friend!
   1. White balance is the process of removing an unrealistic color shade. So, an object which appears white in person, such as a wall, is rendered to be true white in your photo.

2. Play with the “HSL”! You can turn oranges to red, blues to greens, and more!
   1. If you’re using LightRoom or VSCO, there is an option called “HSL” which stands for “Hue, Saturation, Lightness”. You are able to manipulate SPECIFIC colors in a photo.

Go follow Millie on Instagram to learn all the latest social media trends!

The post 5 Tips to Create A Cohesive Instagram Aesthetic appeared first on Jessica Stansberry.

How to Grow on Instagram

While there are no “easy and instant success” secrets for growing your business, this may just be the next best thing.

The Instagram algorithm has changed once again, but this time it’s favoring Instagram Reels. While this might be frustrating for some people who spend most of their time creating in-feed photos, this is actually a blessing in disguise! I strongly suggest you accept the new shift and adapt while the algorithm is looser than it has ever been!

Get the Digital Product Blueprint

First things first…

In case you’re not familiar with Instagram Reels, watch this in-depth tutorial that will go over the basics of how to create an Instagram Reel from beginning to end. In this blog, I’m diving into what strategies you should implement so that you can use Reels to your advantage and BOOST your growth.

Here are the FIVE tips to help you create Instagram Reels content that will convert to followers:

TIP #1: Know that Reels content should be different than stories

What’s the difference you may ask?

Stories are for people who are already following you. They are a GREAT way to nurture your relationship with your followers and welcome them into the “behind the scenes” of your life…the good, the bad, the ugly.

Reels get sent out to your followers as an in-feed post would. However, Instagram is pushing Reels more than any type of content available on its platform. Reels are THE BEST way to get in front of NEW people on Instagram.

TIP #2: Create content specifically for your target audience.

Make sure you can answer questions like:

• Who are you trying to reach? 
• What does your “perfect client” look like?
• What are their pain points? 
• What problem do you help them solve!

Then you can craft your videos around that!

Now it's time to start brainstorming. What type of content do you make? How do you know what content will perform well?

TIP #3: Focus on “Viral-styled” content

I’m sure you're thinking “NO DUH!” So let me explain. 

Viral content is content that provides value and is shareable.

The best way to create viral content is to get out of the “I, I, I. Me, me, me.”. An example of “me” content would be making a Reel like: “My morning routine”.

When someone new comes across your Reel, they don't know you. They are watching from a selfish mindset because that’s human nature! If your video isn’t providing THEM value, they will skip right over it.

Instead of a “my morning routine” video, create a “morning routine to help YOU feel less anxious during the day” 

TIP #4: Stay on brand

While some trends going around might be fun, try to stay “on brand” as much as possible. 

If your goal is growth and maximizing your reach, be smart about what you’re putting your energy toward. Use your energy on creating videos that will convert instead of videos that are “trendy” just because.

If you're feeling a lack of inspiration, look up a hashtag that fits your brand and watch a few Reels to pull inspiration! 

TIP #5: Have attention-grabbing text in the first 5 seconds of your video

Most of the time when people come across a Reel it's muted so they have no idea what it’s about if you’re talking. Pop up a few words in the first couple of seconds that will capture their attention and BOOM, you just increased the chances of them watching your video and following you in return.

BONUS TIP:  TRY IT ALL. 

There might be a specific style video that “meshes” well with your target audience. You won't know what that is until you try them! 

• Talking to the camera
• Screen recording with a voiceover
• Smiling and pointing to words

There's absolutely no shame in testing what works for your business, studying what does well, and doubling down on that style!

Don't forget to watch my YouTube video to learn more about how to grow on Instagram using Instagram Reels!

The post How to Grow on Instagram appeared first on Jessica Stansberry.