You can add hashtags in the caption or comments of your post. If you have a public account and add hashtags to a post, the post will be visible on the corresponding hashtag page.
To tag a photo or video with a hashtag:
Take or upload a photo or video.
Choose to add a filter, then tap Next.
Tap Write a caption… and type # followed by text or emoji (example: #flower).
Tap Share.
If you want to add a hashtag to a post you’ve already uploaded, edit the caption or include your hashtag in a comment on your photo.
After you tag your post with a hashtag, you’ll be able to tap the hashtag to see a page that shows all photos and videos people have uploaded with that hashtag.
Things to keep in mind:
When people with private profiles tag posts, they won’t appear publicly on hashtag pages.
Numbers are allowed in hashtags. However, spaces and special characters, like $ or %, won’t work.
You can only tag your own posts. You can’t tag other people’s photos/videos.
You can use up to 30 tags on a post. If you include more than 30 tags on a single photo/video, your comment won’t post.
To start an Instagram Live broadcast, tap on the Your Story profile photo (with the + sign next to it) at the top of your Instagram news feed. Or if you’ve scrolled down your news feed and don’t see that bar anymore, tap on the camera icon at the top left of your Instagram screen.
Click the Your Story profile photo to start an Instagram story. This takes you to your Instagram Stories, where you can choose from 7 options:
Live:
Create
Normal:
Boomerang:
Layout
Superzoom
Hands-Free
Use your finger to slide over to Live to get to Instagram’s Live broadcasting feature.
Check Your Instagram Story Settings
You’ll want to look over your Instagram story settings before you go live. Tap the settings wheel icon at the top left. to configure your Instagram Story Settings.
Then make sure all of your Instagram settings are in order.
Always check your Instagram Story settings before you go live. These settings let you configure whom you want (or more likely, don’t want) to see your Instagram story and who can message you about your story. It also allows you to repost or download your video once the live has ended.
Flip Your Camera
Is your camera pointed the wrong way? Tap the icon (circular arrows) to the right of your Start Live Video button to flip your camera. Once your camera is facing your target, make sure that the visual is clear, you may need to adjust your angle to ensure good lighting or clean your camera lens if the picture looks musty.
Tap the arrow icon to flip your smartphone camera. Note that you can’t use flash lighting in Live video mode.
Go Live:
After you have everything set up, click Start Live Video to start your broadcast. Once you start your live video, Instagram will notify your followers .
#2: MANAGE YOUR LIVE BROADCAST
While you’re live on Instagram, it’s good to know some key settings. At the bottom of the screen, you can see the number of viewers and the users who have joined your live video. You can even prompt a conversation by starting and replying to comments.
You can reply to comments at the bottom of the Instagram Live screen. This helps you keep tabs on whether your audience is engaged in what you’re showing them, based on how often you see people comment or exit. If you want to close commenting, tap on the three dots at the bottom right.
Tap on the Live button at the top left of the screen to find out how long you’ve been broadcasting.
To see who’s watching your broadcast, tap on the number of viewers to the right of the Live button (at the top left).
If you need to kick someone out click the X next to a person’s name to remove him or her from your Instagram Live broadcast.
#3: END THE BROADCAST
When you’re ready to end your broadcast, tap the End button at the top-right corner of the screen.
You see the below screen when you end your Instagram Live broadcast. Tap “End Now”.
#4 Save/Download Your Live Video
Once you have ended your live, the following options will appear. This is a very important part of your live as it will determine what happens to your live video once it has ended.
Instagram has now made it possible to download or share your live video once you are done. Simply select the option that you want.
Share to story: your video will feature in your stories and then disappear after 24 hrs.
Share to IGTV: Your story will be uploaded to IGTV, you can add a title and description to your video as well as select a cover for your video and preview the video on your timeline.
Download Video: your video will be saved to your gallery on your device. Remember that this needs to be set up in your Story Settings before you go live.
Delete Video: this will delete the video permanently and you will not be able to retrieve the video once deleted.
#5: KEY TIPS
Try choosing a clean and aesthetically pleasing background/room so you don’t distract the viewers from your message.
Try looking for a small quiet room for maximum sound quality and minimum distractions.
Film right next to your window for ideal lighting.
Don’t forget to charge your phone!
Promote your post (before and after your live) not only on Instagram, but Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube as well.
One of the common questions I get is “Do I really need a makeup artist for a content creating and social media photoshoots?” The answer is YES! YES! And YES! Professional makeup is very important for a successful photo shoot, even if you want to achieve a natural look.
Model: Flavia Motsisi IG: Make Up: @Lungi
Makeup, not only gives you a beautiful, natural glow, it also brings out the confidence that translates in every image. Some even say that makeup and photography are synonymous! They go hand in hand. It is also important to note that makeup for photography is entirely different from everyday makeup.
LIGHTING
You ever wonder why you looked so great when you were putting on your makeup in the bathroom and then completely different when you get outside? That is because of the different lighting inside a room and outside. A professional makeup artist will know what type of products to use less or more of, depending on the shoot’s lighting. They also know how to manipulate makeup to work well under different types of light. Makeup application will not only accentuate your best features, but it will also minimize editing/retouching.
There are two main features that I like to focus on when applying makeup on my clients:
SKIN: I love to focus on the glowing complexion. I want my clients to look flawless but most importantly I want my clients to look like themselves.
EYES: The eyes are important because they bring out the client’s personality. Whether a soft smokey eye, a neutral eye, or a pop of colour, an eyeshadow look brings together the style of the shoot and the client’s personality.
Focusing on these elements helps to bring our client’s confidence; which in turn, results in a successful shoot.
Book a content creating photoshoot with us at lungi@zeloiagency.co.za
The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the world of brands in the past two months, shifting them into a new era of social media. Brands, small business and influencers have been accelerated to re-think their marketing strategies and the ways in which they communicate with their audiences on social media. To better adapt your social media content we have put together a top list of ideas and sharing, COVID19 Insights from the Facebook team to help you engage with your audiences.
Analyze the Market!
Based on the analysis by Facebook, stats indicate there has been a 27% reduction in ads with imagery showing social interactions (such as hugging or shaking hands) and a 400% increase in ads showing fitness or health activities.
Focus on adverts with less social contact
18-34 are the least impacted physically, but the most impacted socially. However, many people are more worried about financial outcomes than health effects.
Offline shopping (except for groceries) has taken a huge hit. Initially online spend also dipped but it is now recovering across some categories.
Despite all this passive consumption, people are becoming increasingly bored, illustrated by this 918% increase in volume of posts including the word ‘bored’ on Instagram. – Facebook
– Facebook EMEA Team
The fear and increase in boredom are contributing to a shift in attitudes towards advertising. Youtube and Movies have been a source of entertainment, up 46% over the past 2 weeks with 18-34-year-olds. It seems that this group are also turning to online retail as a source of relief.
‘Go LIVE’ to reach your consumers.
There has been huge growth of live across Instagram and Facebook, first from consumers and celebrities, but now brands are in hot pursuit.
Source: Facebook
Brands are using content, often in partnership with celebrities, to create content that is timely and quick and easy to produce remotely. The added advantages of live are that it gives a push notification to all your followers and you can track how many people are watching in real-time.
– Facebook EMEA team
In the countries hardest hit by COVID-19 like South Africa, total messaging has increased more than 50% over the last month. Voice and video calls have more than doubled in Messenger and WhatsApp and now ZOOM conference, proving that video two-way communication on video is more desirable for consumers.
Purchases: Delayed not Cancelled
As we move towards more active consumption, consumers do not want brands to be putting profit before people, and it is clear that how brands act now could have massive repercussions for how consumers perceive them for years to come. Speaking up is important, but it is crucial that brands say the right thing.
During this COVID-19 state of altered reality, consumers are be calling on brands to help with their daily lives.
Most people are delaying, rather than cancelling. Create Content that is lockdown friendly and shareable
Before the COVID-19 pandemic brands gained trust with clients through advertising, discounts and promotions.
Stores like Pick n Pay, Shoprite, Spar and Woolworths have collaborated on social media bringing their consumers more value by being transparent and active on social media. These brands are engaging consumers on fake news, pricing hikes, delivery during, health measures and variety of entertainment during COVID-19 lockdown.
By partnering with other brands, it gives more strength to smaller brands and consumers who are searching for innovative ways to get through the lockdown.
According to Mention’s 2019 Instagram engagement report, 71% of Businesses have registered an account around the world, Instagram has 1 billion active users per month, has increased by 25% from 2018. The only way to break through so much clutter is to create a successful content plan for Instagram.
In this blog, you’ll learn how you can do this.
STEP 1 – CONTENT
Outline Your Content Feed in Advance
Brands post an average of 20 times per month. In other words, you need to post almost every day if you want to keep up with your brand reach and engagement. This, in turn, means you need to plan your Instagram feed at least 1-2 weeks in advance. This planning, although somewhat time-consuming and demanding, will help you build a cohesive content feed that keeps attracting your target audience. Your content feed is where the users will first interact with your brand. So, keeping up a consistent editing style and aesthetics can help you build a brand image.
SCHEDULING: You can use tools like Later AND UNUM to schedule your content or schedule your Instagram posts to publish at a later time through Facebook’s Creator Studio.
THEMES: You can devise content based on periodically and weekly themes. Whatever your theme is, make sure to keep all images, videos, and other content related to it ready. That said, you will need to have some wiggle room to post content on unexpected developments in your niche or in general..
STEP 2 – HASHTAGS
Using hashtags with your content increases your chances of being discovered by or reach your target audience in time to maximize its impact. The best way to make your content discoverable is to use the most relevant and precise hashtags. Hashtags can also get your content viral on Instagram and assist you to analyze your campaigns.
TRENDING HASHTAGS:
These are currently the most popular hashtags on Instagram. General Hashtags: Most commonly used and popular hashtags throughout the year. Niche-Specific Hashtags: These are specific to your industry. They also include your brand name hashtags. Instagram has a boundary of 30 hashtags per post. But, using all 30 hashtags can look spammy. On average, 6-7 hashtags should be plenty.
HOW MANY HASHTAGS CAN I USE:
Recent research, however, shows that posts with 9-11 hashtags get the best engagement. Make sure to research hashtags before using them. You can use tools like Hashtagify, All Hashtag, or Display Purposes website to identify suitable hashtags. Try to maintain a list of relevant and popular hashtags.
STEP 3 – POSTING TIMES
Time is a important factor that will make sure your high-quality content reaches the right audience is the timing. You need to post the content when your target audience is online. Here are the best and worst times for brands to post on Instagram, according to SproutSocial data: Best times to post in South Africa: 9:00, 16:00, 18:00, and 21:00 is the best time to post.
We do put a disclaimer and admit these timings may differ slightly depending on your niche, and demographic profile. Instagram analytics will provide you with a better idea when your target audience is the most active on the platform.
FIND ANALYTICS FOR YOUR PAGES:
Open Instagram, select the settings tab the bar-chart icon on the top right of your business account profile page to go to Instagram Insights. Go to the Audience tab. You will be able to see the audience activity under the Followers section. You can use this information to schedule your content accordingly. Alternatively, you can use Instagram analytics tools like Later, Hootsuite Analytics, or SproutSocial to find your best times to post.
STEP 4 – MEASURE RESULTS
Measure how well each of your content campaigns and posts performs to improve your content creation, timing, and hashtag optimization.
COMMENTS & LIKES:
You should keep track of the following key metrics:
Take a look at the comments by followers to get a better understanding of how well-received your post was as they require time and thought. More comments often indicate that your content has found a connection with the audience. So, you can get inspiration from the posts with the highest number of comments.
REACH & IMPRESSIONS:
You can find your extension for each post with Instagram Insights. This metric tells you about the total number of people who have seen your post. Unlike an impression, even if the same person sees a post multiple times, it still counts as one reach. So, it provides you with a more accurate measure of how successful your post was.
Using these 5 tips should help you create a content plan that can help you increase your brand reach and conversions on Instagram. Make sure to tweak your content plan to keep up with the changing social media trends.
