Subscribe

New Issue Published

Read Latest Issue

Back to top

Tag: Small-Mid-Sized

5 Top Tips for Effective Communication

Posted on by Heather Ryan

Effective communication is a common challenge across organisations of all sizes and it’s something that we, at AI have been discussing a lot over the course of this year.

Remote working has brought with it a raft of new communication challenges but despite this and regardless of the platform, there are some very simple techniques that we can all employ in order to play our part in improving our own personal, and our corporate communications.

  1. Think Before Speaking – Being knowledgeable and confident in your subject is essential and it’s important to consider the point you are trying to make before you start to speak. It’s simple advice but this small step is vital in your overall articulation.
  2. Listen – Don’t interrupt others and take the time to listen clearly to the points they are making, this is essential in ensuring you are not talking at cross-purposes. Active listening will enable you to respond appropriately and therefore communicate effectively.
  3. Be Open – Try to enter into all of your communications in a neutral and open frame of mind. Putting a firmly fixed agenda to one side will enable you to be more receptive to ideas and will make the other parties more comfortable.
  4. Be Mindful of Your Body Language – Make a conscious effort to consider your non-verbal signals. Body language is often conveyed instinctively rather than consciously so try to remain aware of how others may interpret your crossed arms and lack of eye contact.
  5. Stick to Topic (Concisely) – Be mindful that people are giving up their time to take part in discussion so strip out unnecessary details and stay on topic to ensure you are both making effective use of your time, and not wasting theirs.

Here’s to better communications in 2021!

4 Instagram Marketing Tips for Brands

Posted on by root
instagram

Your Instagram marketing strategy shapes the success of your Instagram presence. Amazing content is nothing without the right kind of exposure to the best kind of audience. Brands often overlook the importance of some of these marketing tips that could be a lifesaver on Instagram.

From the content you make to everything in between – this blog is meant to help you utilize this platform in the best way possible. Some of these steps are your one-way ticket to real organic growth. The better you are at executing content, the more people will want to gather around to see it!

But without any further ado, let’s begin with the basics.

 

Business for Business

When it comes down to utilizing, there’s no better way to begin than by switching from Personal to Professional account. 

The Business features connected to this specific account are out of this world. Instagram has made sure to create a comfortable atmosphere and space for growth for all businesses on its platform.

Using that welcoming nature for your own business is what you should do.

 

This is how to switch to business mode:

  • On your profile, Tap Settings.
  • Then tap Account.
  • If you have a Facebook business page connect it to your Instagram account.
  • Add business information and details.
  • Press Done.

And that’s it! It doesn’t take more than 10 minutes for potential internet stardom.

 

Optimise Your Instagram Account 

Information should be optimized and spoon-fed to your audience as well. You have to find a silver lining between not overwhelming your folks and not being too reserved.

Here are some guidelines on how to practice this important step:

  • Username: Make it short and clear, no need for special characters. 
  • Name: It’s up to 30 characters, but being straight to the point works here as well.
  • Category: Pick a category that best describes what your business is about. 
  • Your website: A URL that’s clickable and changeable any time you want to change it. 
  • Call-to-action buttons: Give your audience the option to connect with you from the get-go.
  • Contact information: Don’t make it difficult to get in touch with, you’re no Beyoncé! 

 

Expand your Community 

One of the things Instagram is known for is giving an opportunity to its creators to create a community around their brand. These are not just physical numbers on someone’s page. These are real people with genuine interactions and thoughts on both you and your business. Here is where Flock Social comes into the picture. Their organic growth service can help you immensely! From actually growing your business to how to get shoutouts on instagram. The possibilities are endless and their free trial requires no credit card! They are a great way to get you started off on the right foot!

 

The Content & Caption Duo

Your content is as valuable as the marketing strategy itself. You need quality posts to carry your top-notch exposure game. Especially if you sign with Flock for example. Take your time to capture and edit photos. Even if you need extra time, take it. That’s the part of your brand and account people will connect to the most. As for the captions, make sure they are both words of value and engaging. You don’t them to be too long, so people won’t be bothered to actually read them. Try giving a question to your audience or something that’s going to provoke their thought process until they comment on it. That’s the real trick right there!

There are many aspects to social media strategies, especially on Instagram. Testing most of them out until you find what works for you is the best policy. Until then, try giving your account to the pros of marketing. They might take your brand to heights you ever thought were possible!