The Instagram Reels feature is an incredible tool for growing your small business organically and economically.  Creating high quality content is possible with just a phone and a few tips. 

1. Shoot your video for where you plan to post it.  For filming Reels, its best to film with your phone vertically. This fits the format of the app best.  And be aware if you are putting clips together, film them all holding your phone the same, so they can easily be edited together.

2. Film in 4k for the best quality footage.  iPhones can film in 720p, 1080p and 4k, with 4k being the best quality.  Higher quality footage is more likely to catch the attention of your audience, which should increase engagement on your page.

3. Pay attention to your frame rate.  iPhone has 3 frame rate options when shooting 4k, 24, 30 or 60 fps.  For general videos, 30 fps is great, but for action, you will want to use 60 fps for the clearest quality.

4. Ensure you have enough light.  Your Reel will not gain traction if the footage is too dark for your audience to decipher.  Use natural lighting as much as possible, as it's more pleasing to the eye and won't earn you a quick swipe to the next.

5.  Practice makes perfect.  The more you shoot, the more content you can create and the better the footage will be over time.  As they always say, the best camera is the one that it with you and gets used.

To learn more about Instagram content for your small business, check out my earlier blog post about marketing your brand.

Need help growing and marketing your small business or growing your brand, contact The Daly Brand for a consultation.  

Meta Business suite is an all inclusive way to manage your business pages on Facebook and Instagram.  It allows you to ensure your brand is consistent across both platforms and even includes post scheduling, which is a fantastic tool to plan your entire week or month of social media marketing.  I absolutely recommend moving to Meta Business Suite to manage your business, as I find it much more responsive and user friendly than just utilizing the Facebook website or app.

Meta Business Suite can be used on a desktop through your prefered browser.  If your business is connected to your personal profile, you will have the option to "Switch" into the Business Suite.

Or Meta Business Suite can be used on a mobile device by downloading the Meta Business Suite app from the app store (available for Apple and Andriod devices).

Home

Once you have downloaded and logged in, ensure your Instagram pages are linked.  Once this is done, you should be able to view all your business Facebook and Instagram messages, likes, comments here.  

Of the many benefits of Business Suite, includes a "To Do List" that only your page managers can view.  This is a great space to delegate social tasks to your team or just simply make your own checklist.

You can also connect your pages to external apps such as appointment apps from this page, if you business would like to take appointments on social pages.

Notifications

All your comments and engagements will be on this tab. Replying to post comments on a personal level is always helpful to your business.

Inbox

You can respond to all messages and comments easily in Business Suite as your business.  Posts & Stories

From here you can create posts and stories, schedule posts, and view some limited Insights on your posts.

Planner

Another feature that benefits small business owners is the "Planner" tab.  This is basically a calendar that allows you to create, schedule, and manage your content.  This page also includes some ideas (first day of winter, National Cupcake Day, etc.) but not many at this time. 

Insights

Managing your Insights, or your online engagement is incredibly easy in Business Suite.  You should be checking in on your post insights weekly, this way you know what is working for your business and what is not.  This way you are able to tailor your content to your audience, to increase post engagement.

Ad Services

Business Suite also includes Ad Managing services.  Ads in Business Suite are very user friendly to create.  You are able to sort by likes, demographics, age groups, and more.

Overall, I recommend all business owners to make the switch to Meta Business Suite for managing their Facebook and Instagram business pages.  It's very user friendly and includes many helpful tools.

Need more help with your social pages? Send The Daly Brand a message and see what we can do for you!

Why?

Why would you want to show off your 5 star reviews for your business? Because it can help convert possible customers into new customers!  Reviews don't just belong on your Google or Facebook page, they should make an appearance on your website too!  Below are a few quick tips to get the most out of your 5 star reviews!

Where should I put reviews on my website?

Most people are not going to click through your entire website, so having a dedicated page of reviews is probably not the most effective option.  Placing reviews on each page is a great way to show potential customers that your business is highly rated.  Do you have a great review that mentions your incredible customer service? Place it on your "About Us" page!  A good review about money well spent? Place that on your "Investment" or "Prices" page to show that your business is worth the pricing you have spent so much time perfecting.  Placing reviews strategically makes them more effective at attracting the right customers than if they are all placed on a "Testimonials" page.

Clean them up!

No one wants to read a rambling review paragraph, so if you need to, pare down the words to only the most important parts.  Then the review will make more of a statement on your website.

Bonus tip

Video marketing is an effective tool.  If you have a customer that doesn't mind saying a few great things about your business on camera, make a short video!  

Looking for more reviews for your business? Check out my blog post Increasing your Reviews 

What catches your eye when scrolling through Instagram and Facebook?  For almost everyone, its beautiful, light and airy photographs.

Did you know you can achieve this with your own iPhone? The cameras on phones these days have come a long way, they now can produce high quality images right in the palm of your hand.  Check out below some tips and tricks for getting the best images for social media for your business!

Use Natural lighting if possible

Natural lighting makes us look our best.  Position by a window (window casting light on the face, don't stand with a window behind you!)  Diffused light gives a soft, even glow.  Harsh lighting like direct sun can wash out your subject or create shadows.  

Create layers using Portrait Mode

New phones have this great feature called Portrait Mode.  With this, you can put the focus on your subject, and blur the background.  This can really draw the eye to your subject.

Keep thinking of your brand

One cool way to do this is to position your subject in front of something that has your logo on it, or incorporates your logo color into it.  Do you happen to have a wall in your office painted your brand color?  Even better if it also includes your logo. You can have vinyl wall decals created with your logo online, they are easy to install and do not damage the wall!  This would make a great background for social media posts! Think of it like a red carpet background for your social media posts.

Use the Rule of Thirds

Think of your frame as divided by 3 vertical lines and 3 horizontal lines and place your subject at the intersection of these lines.  This helps draw the eye around the image and makes it much more interesting than your subject directly in the middle of the photo.

Make sure your background is CLEAN

Too much stuff in the background of your image creates a distraction.  Look at the images that catch your eye online, most of the time the background is simple and clean so you can focus on the subject.  When taking a photo for social media, look around your subject, is there distractions, photos, knick knacks, and other stuff distracting? Clean it up, or move your subject to a new location.

And there you have it, some tips and tricks to help your photos stand out on social media!

Instagram reels are a new-ish feature for Instagram that can be used to grow your social media brand.

What is a Reel?

Reels are a new way for Instagram users to create short, informative or funny videos.  Many users add music or sound clips overtop, to get across the purpose of the video.  Users can also browse relevant Reels via a tab on their Instagram app.  With the success of Tik Tok, Instagram has created its own version, which is how Reels was born!

Why use Reels as a business owner?

Video marketing is a very powerful tool for business owners, and now with Reels, you can easily create your own!  

Reel ideas for the small business owner

1. Share Educational Content

You are an expert in your field, why not take the time to make a quick 15 second video to share something informative for your audience?

2. Share Inspirational Content

Do you have a client that has found success with your business? Share their story!  Remember to focus on the after, this is where your business shines.

3. Showcase your Product

Share some of your products, how to use them, and what they do.

4. Showcase your Personality

There are tons of silly ideas on Reels, how can you relate something popular or funny to your business?  This kind of Reel can show that your business is fun and personable!

And there you have it, using Reels to grow your business can be fun and effective!