How to make starter packs on instagram


The Instagram #Starterpack Gift Guide

With all the advanced photo editing software and cameras available in 2017—from Photoshop to 4k—one sector of the internet has remained low-budget, low-production quality, and yet maintains a pervasive presence across social media platforms: memes. Even with all of the tools at our disposal, sometimes it seems the poorer the quality of a meme, the higher it’s ironic value.

Enter the starter pack meme. These multi-panel photo sets, popularized on Twitter and Reddit, often represent a subculture, archetype, or movement—some very familiar.

On Instagram, explore pages are dotted with the memes, with #starterpack boasting 324,293 posts and counting. Many of the meme creators are teenagers, making for an interesting dichotomy. Generation Z is arguably the most technologically adept, yet many starter packs, quite frankly, look like sh*t. Why? The sh*t quality is imperative to their coolness.The idea translates to one of the hottest trends on Instagram right now: carefully curated posts heavily edited with effects meant to create the appearance of being hastily thrown together without care.

While these memes earn their “cool” factor partly from the #idgaf aesthetic they play into, they also serve as an outlet to voice everything from ire to admiration, and contain an unspoken longing—to be someone or something else. At the root of all these creations there is fashion; something covetable about the style of an other, “that girl.” We’ve combed through the memes, visual lists of items put together to deny or emulate a certain style, to the point where we find many of them to be actually shoppable.

Here, we’ve created a meme gift guide with our favorite pieces that translate across type, because that’s what fashion is all about: turning the aspirational into real, personal style one piece at a time. Scroll on, shop on.

#starterpack #starterpacks #nichememe #starterpackmemes #meme #giftguide #fashion #stealherlook #thatgirl

A post shared by ✨ (@easybakeovenmeal) on

@easybakeovenmeal

Theme: “Over-uses the Word Aesthetic”
Shop: The Boots |   Followers: 28,137

A post shared by ella (@thevoidishiring) on

@thevoidishiring

Theme: “If I had a Store”
Shop: The Scrunchies |   Followers: 28,505

A post shared by @itszhau (@iconicstarterpack) on

@iconicstarterpack

Theme: “Trendy Lady I saw in the Metro”
Shop: The Backpack |   Followers: 16,554

A post shared by gremlin hq (@spikymemes) on

@spikymemes

Theme: “Girl I Wish I Was”
Shop: The Crystal Elixir Water Bottle |   Followers: 10,213

A post shared by — kaitlyn ✨ (@astralhoe) on

@astralhoe

Theme: “Stuff I Would Wear if I Was Confident”
Shop: The Velvet Jumpsuit |   Followers: 2,785

A post shared by welcome my children (@spookyassbread) on

@spookyassbread

Theme: “Things I Would Buy if I had the Money”
Shop: The Record Player |   Followers: 16,544


THE GET

Another item that transcends type? Denim of any kind, of course.


We like that this Storets coat, with faux fur accent.

The Essential Starter Pack for Marketing your CPG on Instagram

If you’re marketing your CPG business online, you need to be on Instagram. It’s that simple. 

Why? Because Instagram notches up over one billion active monthly users and 500 million daily Instagram stories.

From posts on pets to yoga inspiration, food, fashion, and interiors – there’s something for everyone. As the second most accessed network behind Facebook, it's not hard to see why brands love the platform.

Plus, Instagram boasts highly engaged users. Most browse every day for almost an hour. This is great news for marketers, explaining why over 70% of US brands already regularly post.

The site’s visual nature provides many opportunities to personalize content, showcase products, communicate authentically, and ultimately sell to your target audience. So how can you use this to your advantage?

In this essential starter pack, we’ve got everything you need to create a stellar Instagram account for your CPG business.

From efficient posting tips to creating stunning content and cost-effective campaigns, this is your guide to growing your brand on Instagram. 

1. Your Profile

Let’s start at the beginning — with your profile.

This includes:

  • Business name (up to 30 characters)
  • Handle (your username)
  • Bio (up to 150 characters)
  • Website Link
  • Category (a business feature)
  • Location and Contact Information (if appropriate)
  • Profile picture

Your bio is one of the most significant features of your account.

You’ve only got 150 characters to tell the story of your brand. It’s how people will form a first impression and decide whether to follow you — so use it wisely!

Be sure to take full advantage of additional fields such as names, categories, location and contact information. Here are a few extra pointers:

  • Does your CPG business pride itself on local produce? Great! Make the most of this and call it out in your location.
  • Are your business name and handle easy to remember and search for? If people can’t find your account — they won’t be able to follow you.
  • What about your profile photo? For most brands, this should be your logo. Logos provide credibility and allow visitors to quickly recognize your brand. 
  • Upload a high-quality image and remember that Instagram profile photos are cropped to a circle. If you’ve got a square logo, zoom out to make sure it’s all showing.
Bonus tip: Stories highlights

Story highlights appear at the top of your profile (right under your bio). They’re a great way to shine a spotlight on different aspects of your business and boost your bio.

Create multiple albums to preserve your story content (more on Instagram Stories later!). Think about things like product categories, ethos, mission — giving followers more information about your brand. 

2. Goals and audience

Instagram is a fantastic tool to help your CPG business achieve its marketing goals.

But what are your goals? Ensure they’re clearly defined from the start, and use these to guide your social media strategy.

Your goals could be: 

  • Cultivating an online presence
  • Fostering brand awareness
  • Increasing consumer confidence
  • Gaining new leads
  • Encouraging conversations
  • Selling products directly

Know what your priorities are and use this to tailor your messaging.

You might already have sales and marketing data on key demographics for your product. Whilst most Instagram users are under 30 and residing in urban areas of the US — this doesn’t mean you solely have to speak to young Americans!

Carefully consider who your target audience are and craft your content accordingly.

3. Stunning visuals 

Instagram is a visual medium.

Are your photos representing your brand successfully?

You don’t need professional photography, but your images need to be high-quality, aesthetically appealing, and well-composed.

Consider free online design tools such as Canva or Pixlr to create templates and a consistent visual identity. Lightroom is another good option for photo editing, with some free presets available.

A strong “look” should reinforce your brand and its mission, helping followers easily recognize your content.

As well as beautiful images, social media loves shareable content – so make sure that your posts are telling a story too.

For a mix of content, think about:

  • Behind the scenes: giving followers a sneak peek into your offices, manufacturing or farming processes.
  • Quotes and text-based images: providing a visual break and getting across important value-based messages and snippets. 
  • Give-aways and competitions: encouraging users to like, follow, and share, as well as offering opportunities for cross-promotion with other businesses.
  • User generated content: instilling a sense of trust and engagement amongst your community.
  • How-to posts: whether that’s cooking or self-care; giving your followers genuinely useful content.
  • Videos: across your feed, reels, story, or IGTV — videos are great for brands. Consider interviews, Q&As, workshops as well as fun shorts. 

If your CPG business sells a product that isn’t particularly visually appealing (for instance tinned goods or cleaning products), put your product in context.

This could be mouth-watering food pictures or How-to cleaning tutorials in beautiful homes. Showing how customers actually use the product will be much more engaging than just pictures of packaging.

Instagram posts vs. Stories

If you’ve used Instagram for any length of time, you’ll have noticed those little circles at the top of your news feed. These are stories, and they only stick around for 24 hours. Despite this, over 86% of users regularly post them.

Think of posts on your profile as your polished content — the images that you’re happy to represent your brand long term. Whilst you probably only want to publish a few posts a week, you can create multiple stories a day. Stories offer a fun, in-the-moment way to connect with followers.

Given their short timespan, you can worry less about honing the finished product and just have fun creating and sharing great content!

4. Great wording

We did say that Instagram was a visual medium (and it is!) but don’t ignore the wording.

For any business, not just in the CPG industry — establishing a tone of voice should be a vital part of your marketing strategy. If you’ve already defined your goals and audience, this will also inform your writing style. Is it fun? Serious? Educational? Expert? Playful?

There are two main aspects to writing for Instagram: captions and hashtags.

Captions 

Instagram captions can be up to 2,200 characters, meaning they can be used for both quick taglines and long-form storytelling.

Remember only the first two lines will appear in your followers’ feeds — so make sure the start is particularly attention-grabbing. Users tend to scan through captions rather than detailed reads, so get any important information in there early.

Some brands distinguish themselves with a specific style of captions, all one-liners, one-worders, capitals, emojis, or even haikus. Whilst you don’t have to pick just one thing, make sure anything you write adds value to the image and feels true to your brand.

Hashtags

Hashtags are usually found at the bottom of captions. They are a great way to increase your discoverability on the platform. 

Users can search for and “follow” specific hashtags. 

When selecting yours, start by looking at your competitors. What hashtags are other CPG brands using? What about consumers? What hashtags are most relevant to you — and which seem most popular?

Many accounts insert a few lines between captions and hashtags to make the copy less busy and easier to read.

Whilst you can use up to 30 hashtags per post, 5-10 is the optimum amount. You don’t want to use too many and look like you are spammy or “hashtag stuffing”. On the other hand, if you don’t use any at all, it will hurt your discoverability.

Keep track of the hashtags you’re using. Analyze which are performing well, adjust over time and have fun.

Bonus tip: Engagement

It’s all well and good posting great quality content — but if you want real engagement with your posts, you have to engage yourself! 

Interact with other profiles, reply to (and encourage) comments, tag accounts, and share content. Just like in real life, the best conversations are mutually rewarding.

5. Content management

Last but not least, it’s time to think about how you’ll manage and promote your posts.

For any small business, help with centralizing processes, collaborating, and automating tasks is key.

Creating content and tracking analytics can quickly become a time-consuming job, especially if you’re working over multiple platforms.

Luckily, there are many social media management tools to help with just this. Here’s a few of the best:

Sprout Social

A great option for businesses, Sprout Social offers a massive array of scheduling tools and analytics. Not only can you schedule posts across accounts, you can also read all your social media messages in one place.

Sprout Social offers a 30-day free trial (useful if you want to test out a few platforms), with professional plans starting around $99.

Hootsuite

Hootsuite is one of the original social media management tools, and still one of the best. Along with auto-scheduling tools and easy-to-view calendars, their analytics tools are second to none.

Hootsuite also offers a free 30-day trial, as well as a free plan. The free version does limit much of the reporting and functionality however, with professional plans starting around $50 per month.

Buffer

Buffer is a cheaper alternative (starting at just $15 per month for professional plans).

It allows for intuitive post scheduling, Instagram tagging and a useful calendar view tool. Do bear in mind that whilst Buffer links with most main platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter – it currently doesn’t work with others such as YouTube.

6. Advertising

If you’re investing in content management systems and allocating budget to your social media posts, you might want to think about advertising on Instagram.

Of course you can grow your Instagram audience organically, but as you’ll have probably guessed — it takes time. Liking and commenting on posts, tagging accounts and building your following is hard work.

If you’ve got a small budget, play around with promotional posts and campaigns.

You’ll need a Facebook page to create and pay for Instagram promotions. Facebook and Instagram provide a massive array of targeting options (every CPG marketer’s dream), based on location, demographics, interests, and behaviors.

Start with low-budget campaigns. Set your goals and figure out what works and what doesn’t. Keep your eye on analytics insights and remember that even in paid ads, your visuals and tone of voice should be consistent. 

Buffalo Market are the leading distributor of mission-driven food and beverage brands. We specialize in products that are good for the earth and good for you.

If you’re looking to grow your brand and social media presence, our experts will get your products out to the right audience. Get in touch today to find out how we can help accomplish your business goals and increase your sales.

create and earn — Marketing on vc.ru

How to find or make a mask on Instagram using SparkAR.
Using a mask in advertising is a unique way to launch.
Visual effect as a tool for engagement and sales growth.

80 526 views

If you have already created a mask, perhaps the example below will be familiar to you:

Peter is an entrepreneur. He has a small chain of pizzerias around the city. The main source of traffic is Instagram. Perth marketer suggested creating a mask to increase the number of subscribers and loyalty. There was no question of its promotion - after all, it has a "viral effect". "In part, that's true." In the first week after publication - subscribers actively used the effect and made it. But after - its use "came to naught", and the effect of "virality did not come like that." Then Peter ordered a mask advertisement from bloggers. This paid off: the number of subscribers and the number of use of the effect increased. There were even a couple of orders from advertising. But the effect was also short-term and "did not pay for itself." "Bullshit all these masks of yours" - thought Peter and forgot this experience, like a bad dream.

No matter how sad it may sound, but the situation described above takes place ~ in 90% of commercial accounts. Masks on Instagram are in demand for the first few weeks, and after that they become unpopular and almost of no use.

What mistakes did Peter make?

  • Created an entertaining, not a selling mask
    You are promoting a product or service on Instagram. The main task of the visual effect is to increase sales . However, it only increases the number of subscribers and attention to the account.
    ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ NO
    ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ more subscribers ≠ more sales
    AR content should encourage buying, not just entertain.

Let's show and tell - what should be the mask to sell, and not just entertain.

Step by step and instructions for writing sales posts on the link below:

  • Didn't advertise his mask on Instagram
    How promotion usually works: Notification about the appearance of the mask of subscribers. A call to use it. In rare cases, buying ads from bloggers using the AR effect.
    ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ NO
    ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ " the effect of virality" occurs extremely rarely
    Let more people know about the mask.

Let's give the chronology of actions for launching an ad with an AR object. Advertising indicators will pleasantly surprise you.

➤ Let's launch an Instagram ad with AR content using the instructions below:

  • Did not engage the audience and did not receive feedback
    In most cases, the mask does not motivate subscribers to interact with you (reply in Direct with a story). At best, it is saved for future use.
    ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ DK
    ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ more engagement = more trust → more sales
    Use AR content for engagement, not just entertainment.

Let's show how to engage in content using the AR effect.

➤ To create an engaging mechanic, we use the Instagram chatbot:

And now about everything in order.

1. Varieties of masks on Instagram

  • Masks - visual effects that are applied to the face.

cupcakes @tiposmm

  • Camera Effects are visual effects that apply a filter to the entire image area.

Orange & teal @nahir.esper

  • Object projections - 2D/3D projections of objects, characters, objects that are embedded in the entire image area.

Dancing Rich @tarasius

  • Projections of objects + Target Tracker - similar to the concept of "projection of objects", but the effect occurs only when pointing at a specific object (marker).

Concert on a Cookie @oreo

  • Interactive AR content - recreated gaming environment inside the Instagram app, where the gamepad is your eyes.

The Internet Game @newarfilters

2. How to find a mask on Instagram

  • Effect Gallery.
    The most popular masks are in the "Effect Gallery" section.
    ▿To get to this section:
    "open the camera in Stories shooting mode" → "select any standard effect" → "Click on its name" → "View effects". (see video)

Hole in the head @marcwakefieldards

◟To "try on the mask on yourself" - click "Try".
◟To save the effect - , click on the corresponding icon with a hint that you see in the demo video.
◟To find a specific effect, use the search.

If you don't have subsections in the "Effect Gallery" - update the Instagram app

  • User stories.
    You can take a mask from any Instagram user whose story you are viewing.
    If an effect is used in stories, click on its name at the top.
    ◟The name and author of the effect is below the Instagram login in the story
    Next → "Try" or "Save effect"

like a diamond @anastasia_miln

To see other effects from the creator of the selected effect - click on the Instagram login.

  • Thematic accounts with AR content.
    Recently, Instagram accounts that publish masks from various authors have become popular.
    ▿It's very easy to find them:
    Go to the "Search" tab → "Accounts" → Write the request "masks for stories" or "instagram masks"

Of the minuses: It is often necessary to subscribe to the author's private profile in order to receive the mask.

3. How to create a mask on Instagram

Mask development process:

  1. Definition of goals and objectives;
  2. Preparation of materials;
  3. Creating a mask in SparkAR;
  4. Preparing a video presentation and icon for uploading a mask to Instagram;
  5. Loading and moderation;
  6. Publication.

In which program does the development take place?

SparkAR is the official Facebook/Instagram software for developing AR objects.

This place should contain a text instruction for creating a mask. But we decided to replace it with clear and informative video content.

Masks on Instagram | Overview of programs and services

Masks on Instagram | Drawing an image on the face

Masks on Instagram | Preparing the mask for loading

Masks on Instagram | Unload mask

Our colleague - Vlad Yasko kindly provided training videos on how to create a mask on Instagram.

After watching the video, you will:

  • Master basic functionality SparkAR;
  • Learn how to create simple AR content;
  • Upload your first Instagram mask.

4. Instagram masks as a business tool

Conventionally, all visual effects can be divided:

  • Commercial is AR content that is created primarily to increase sales , and only after that for entertainment and involving purposes.

The basis for the selling mask is loyalty.
Give a potential customer a discount/promo code/gift.

The Dodo mask is a great example of AR content that encourages the user to complete an order.

Pizza or action @dodopizza

Inside random actions that can drop - promo codes added.
They encourage the user to order pizza.

An anti-example of is a mask from the local pizzeria "Stacey"

stacy @stayseepizza

The mask is interesting. It should help the client decide on the choice of pizza.
But where is the motivation for using it? How will it increase sales?
▿Why would a user "bother" and go a long way?
"find the effect" → "use it" → "share it on story" .
What will he get for this?

Yes, this mask can be used for advertising integration with a blogger. But here we are talking about the presence of loyalty for a potential client.

However, the visual effect of this format can be used to engage.
Which subsequently will lead to an increase in sales. More on that below.

  • Non-commercial is AR content created for entertainment purposes. And also to increase the number of subscribers / coverage of the author of the effect.

@iamvictorcrespo

You can find masks of this type in the Effect Gallery. Commercial effects do not fall into this section.

5. Advertising using AR content

As we wrote above - "viral effect" occurs extremely rarely.

For the mask to gain popularity without advertising investments, you need high-quality/catchy/emotional AR content and a lot of luck.

The chance to trigger a "viral effect" for a commercial effect is ~0.0001.
With non-commercial things are a little easier.

A good example of the "viral effect" is the T-killah mask

Napitok @t_killah

The mask is simple but mega-effective.
◟Motivation to use : possible receipt of money.
promotion methods: own audience + use by other popular bloggers.
◟Result : over 1 million new subscribers in 5 days + a crazy increase in coverage.

6. Promotion methods:

  • Profile Followers

After uploading the effect - tell your subscribers about it.
Offer to try on a mask, and in return make a repost in your stories.

Pluses:
✓ "Starting push" of promotion
✓ Loyal audience
✓ Does not require investments

Cons:
900⠀2⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀4 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀_____________

  • Mutual PR

Find a mask maker with a following close to yours.
Tell us about each other's masks.

❝ Pros and cons are the same as the first point.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀_____________

  • Blogger advertisement

AR content is great for promoting your profile.
In addition to subscribers, you will receive new mask users.

Pros:
✓ Opportunity to find a similar audience
✓ Effective advertising integration with bloggers

Cons:
✕ Limited number of audience
✕ Paid placement
✕ Many bloggers with boosted activity

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀_____________

  • Targeted advertising on Instagram

In our opinion, targeted advertising is the best way to promote a visual effect. But..

You can't promote a story with AR content. For the target, create a separate video with a call to "sip" to try on the mask

How to create a video with AR content for advertising?

  • Record a video in Instagram Stories using the effect.
    Do not publish it - save it to the gallery.
    At the end of the video, make a call to "swipe" to try on the mask.
  • Adapt video for advertising.
    Add music, pop-up text/hints/effects.
    To do this, you can use the Supa video editor.

How to launch an ad to promote a mask?

  • Go to Business Manager Facebook → "Ads Manager" → "Create"
  • Specify the goal "Traffic" → "Edit audience" → Destinations "Instagram Stories" → "Specify advertising budget" → Media objects "Add video" → Destination - " insert a direct link to the promoted visual effect".

❝ Tips for setting up an audience, creating video content, editing destinations - see the article on targeted advertising on Instagram.

Where can I get a direct link to the mask?

  • "Select the desired AR content" → "Click on its title/author" → "More" → "Share effect link" → "Copy"

* Or copy the link inside your SparkHub account

The above methods promote AR content, BUT do not directly increase sales.

Use AR content as a product demo.
Advertising figures will shock you.

At the end of 2019, Instagram announced the possibility of using AR content in advertising.
Today, a number of popular brands (Ray-Ban..) can use the mask in targeted advertising.

❝ The bottom line is that the client has the opportunity to "try on" the product on himself before buying. Without leaving home. Without leaving the Instagram app.
Two clicks and a customer with sunglasses that he plans to buy.
Cool, huh?

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ NO ⠀⠀⠀

Already today, any user can launch ads with AR content and the ability to instantly purchase an item from a mask.

❝ Demo Square face type @witness_optics

The client sees an ad with a call to write to Direct to try on glasses. After - the bot sends detailed information about the product and a direct link to try on the visual effect. More details about this at the link below:

The current approach is also applicable to publishing regular stories - without running ads.

Who is this type of advertising ideal for?

  • Who sells: glasses, lenses, patches, masks, creams, etc.
  • To those who provide services: make-up, cosmetology, tanning, dentistry, hairdressing, barbershops, tattoos, piercings, jewelry, etc.

What do you need to run such an advertisement?

  • AR-object (mask) reflecting your product or service.
    If you sell glasses - make an exact copy of several models. You will be surprised how much easier and more effective sales will be.
  • Video creative.
    Show your product in a video. Make a call to write in Direct to "try on" it.
  • Set up auto-reply in Direct.
    You can answer manually, but automation will allow you to earn more.
    Set up a chatbot on Instagram and each client will receive an answer in 4 seconds.
  • Run an advertisement.
    Detailed instructions for launching advertising on Instagram will help you understand all the subtleties and nuances. Even a novice can handle the setup.

Why write in Direct if you can give a direct link to the mask?

  • Availability of prices, product descriptions.
    If you link directly to the mask → the camera opens and the effect is applied.
    This is not perceived as selling - this is entertainment.
    ✕ It is necessary: ​​"go to profile" → "find a product" → "understand how and where to order it" - this is a long and inconvenient way for the client.

    Another thing - when there is a price, a description of the product, the ability to order it.
  • Customer contact.
    If you have a dialogue with a client - you can remind yourself at any time. Clarify all the necessary nuances or ask why the client did not make a purchase.

7. Engaging with AR Content

Finally, we would like to demonstrate some simple engagement mechanics using AR content.

7.1 Using existing masks.

At the very beginning of the article, the problem was described:

The situation described above occurs in ~ 90% of commercial accounts. Masks are in demand for the first few weeks, and after - they become unpopular and almost do not bring any benefit.

Indeed, the vast majority of developed masks are not used after a couple of weeks. This situation also happened with the visual effect of the local pizzeria "Stacey".

stacy @stayseepizza

Yes, the mask is not perfect, but it can be useful for a long period of time.

Possible engagement mechanism:

✓ Pizzeria employees post stories using AR content.
✓ Pizza that drops randomly - gets a discount or other loyalty.
✓ The client writes a "key" in Direct to get loyalty.
◟Set up the reaction of the chatbot on Instagram to a specific word.
◟The client writes "Get promo code" - Bot sends a discount.

Result:

  • Increasing coverage.
    Users will be watching more closely when promotions appear in your stories.
  • Sales increase.
    Received loyalty in the form of a discount/promo code will help you make a purchase.
  • Customer contact.
    The client wrote to Direct - you have a closer contact with him + the level of trust and loyalty has increased.

7.2 Use of entertaining masks.

This can be any AR content that allows you to think / guess / guess, etc.

For example, take this mask:

BLEEP! @lukehurd

Possible engagement mechanism:

✓ You record a story with a mask, but you "beep" a certain word.
✓ The user must answer the story and guess the word.
✓ For a correct answer, you send a check list / give loyalty.

Result:

  • Increasing coverage and increasing loyalty.
  • Promoting the use of your visual effect.

7.3 Conducting interviews.

You can make AR content an obligatory part of conducting a survey / expressing your position on a given topic.

For example, take this mask:

love question @atiunlika.m

Possible engagement mechanism:

✓ We write down an appeal to subscribers and offer to speak on a particular topic.
✓ A prerequisite is the use of a mask and an account mark.
✓ As a loyalty - repost stories to your profile.

Result:

  • Increasing coverage and increasing loyalty.
  • Promoting the use of your visual effect.

8. Output

Note to the entrepreneur:
Mask ≠ entertainment
Mask = sales

Use these life hacks and your business will become more profitable.

Chatbot on Instagram will answer everyone in 4 seconds. Check out what he can do!

How to Set Up and Manage a Business Social Media Account: A Beginner's Guide

Let's say you've been given the task of building a company's presence on major social media, but you've never experienced it. In this article, we will look at how to create and set up business accounts on social networks, and analyze the features of promotion on Facebook, Instagram, VKontakte and Twitter.

  • What is a business account on a social network and why is it needed
  • How to create and set up a Facebook business account
  • Creating a page
  • Which format to choose for the profile photo and cover photo of a business account
  • What images to use
  • Facebook business account main settings
  • Facebook business account promotion tools
  • The first stages of promoting a business account on Facebook
  • How to create and set up a business account on Vkontakte
  • Creating a page
  • The main settings of a business account on Vkontakte
  • How to get your cover and profile picture right
  • Tools for promoting a business account on VKontakte
  • The first stages of promoting a business account on VKontakte
  • How to create and set up a Twitter business account
  • The main settings of a business account on Twitter
  • Tools for promoting a business account on Twitter
  • The first stages of promoting a business account on Twitter
  • How to create and set up an Instagram business account
  • Switching to a professional account
  • Basic settings for a business account on Instagram
  • Tools for promoting a business account on Instagram
  • The first stages of promoting a business account on Instagram
  • Conclusion

What is a business account on a social network and what is it for

A business account is a page on a social network with a special design and tools. With it, you can promote a company or product, increase audience loyalty, establish feedback, and so on.

A business account helps to solve the following tasks:

  • Understand your target audience . Analyze users who subscribe to the page and actively interact with its content. Analyze the needs and pains of the target audience.
  • Increase reach and awareness of . By creating high-quality branded content, the company encourages subscribers to distribute it.
  • Get feedback . By communicating with your audience on social networks, you can learn about how customers feel about the brand, better understand their needs.
  • Activate site transitions . For registration, collecting leads, sales.
  • Create a positive brand image for . With the help of targeted publications, the right feedback, reactions to criticism.

How to create and set up a business account on Facebook

Only the owner of a personal profile can create a business page. Therefore, first you need to go through a standard registration on Facebook.

Creating a page

To create a business profile, click "Create" in your account on the menu bar and select "Page".

The first step in creating a business page on Facebook

The next step opens the choice: "Company or brand", "Community or public figure". For a business profile, the first category is suitable. The second is intended for fan pages of various organizations, public accounts of politicians, famous people.

Page category selection

After you click the "Start" button, a menu will open. In the first field, Facebook prompts you to enter the name of the company. It is better to make it complete and understandable. Examples: “Prime Logistics Company” or “Internet Marketer Ivan Ivanov”.

In the second field of the menu, you need to enter one or two keywords that characterize the line of business. Write them and the system will suggest suitable thematic categories.

Creating a business page on Facebook: title and category selection

After selecting a category, the system will prompt you to enter the company's physical address and phone number. Recommendations are as follows: indicate the address if information about the location of the company is really needed by customers. For example, in the case of a local store, cafe, hairdresser, and so on. If you sell online or you have outlets in different cities, you do not need to do this.

Click "Continue" and a dialog box opens to upload a profile photo. Next to it is a window for downloading the cover. If you don't have these photos yet, you can skip the steps and come back to them later.

What format to choose for your profile photo and business cover photo

Here are the most important criteria to consider to make your profile look correct and professional:

  • 's profile photo is automatically rounded by Facebook. Therefore, you need to upload a square image with a resolution of 170x170 pixels, make sure that the desired part is in the center. In the mobile version, the avatar will be cropped to a size of 128x128 pixels.
  • Cover photo - with a resolution of 820x312 pixels. But keep in mind that for the mobile version, the system crops the image to 640x360 pixels. Here, too, think over so that exactly what you need is in the center.
  • You can place a video on the cover : size 820x462 pixels and duration 20-90 seconds.

For a complete list of profile photo and cover image requirements, see the official Facebook policies.

Which images to use

There are unwritten rules for Facebook business pages. The profile photo for the company has a logo without inscriptions. If this is the page of a specialist or expert, a portrait on a neutral background. The cover photo should complement the avatar in color and style. As information, the company's slogan, contact details, relevant advertising information, for example, a message about a promotion, are placed on it.

To create a brand logo, you can use the Logaster service: it generates dozens of logo options. This service allows you to download a ready-made package of images for Facebook: profile photo and cover photo in appropriate sizes.

Example of images for a business page

Uploading a photo is the final stage of creation. Next, you need to set the business page settings.

Main settings for a Facebook business account

First, set a username. It will appear in the business profile URL. In fact, this is the domain name of the company, which must meet the following requirements:

  • uniqueness;
  • length - up to 50 characters;
  • only latin letters, dots and numbers.

If you already have a brand name, use it. Click on the "Create @username for Page" option. In our case, Facebook suggested this URL: https://www.facebook.com/drug.zheludka.

Changing the URL of the business page

Enter a name in the window that opens. If it is unique and complies with the rules, the system will mark it with a green checkmark. If everything is in order, it remains only to click the "Create username" button.

In the next configuration step, add profile information. To do this, select the category "Information" in the menu on the left.

Go to business profile information settings

A tab will open with the following settings:

  • General - everything that you entered during the page creation steps. If there are no errors and nothing has changed, skip the step.
  • About the company - here you can specify the price range and date of establishment of the company.
  • Additional contact information - specify contacts for communication. You can also add links to other company social media accounts here.
  • More information . Click Edit to add a short description of your brand - up to 255 characters. This data is displayed on the main profile screen. The item "Legal information" does not apply to Russians. The remaining points are clear and do not require explanation. By the way, they may differ depending on the chosen thematic focus of the profile.
  • History . This is your brand presentation page. You can add a separate cover to it and describe the company in such a way as to encourage the visitor to subscribe to the page. There are handy tips for filling.

The next step is to add a call to action button. Click "Add Button" below the page cover.

Adding a call button

Facebook will offer five thematic categories. Each of them will have one or more button options.

Choose the one that fits with your company's marketing strategy. Next, set up the button. For example, for the "Message" button, you need to select the type of messenger through which visitors will contact you. Other button options: Book Now, Learn More, Watch Video, Go To Store, Use App, Send Email. letter".

Don't forget to check the added button. Hover over it and select "Test" from the menu that opens. In the same menu, you can edit the button or delete it.

Other settings you can set through the menu in the upper right part of the page.

Go to business profile settings

A window with sections and sub-items will open. Hints and descriptions of each setting will help you easily understand everything.

Facebook business account promotion tools

In this section, we will talk about different tools for promoting a business page that will help you gather a large audience of subscribers and win their loyalty.

Facebook Messenger and chatbots. Chatbots help you work with standard requests: answer standard questions, place orders, and so on. The page administrator may not be in place or may not be able to quickly process all requests. And the chatbot is active 24/7 and serves several requests at the same time. For example, the Lego chatbot helps you choose a building kit or contact support.

Lego Chatbot

Would you like to set up such an assistant for yourself? Then use SendPulse to build a chatbot.

Notes. Facebook posts have a dynamic address. To focus on the publication and not lose sight of it, you can pin the post or use the "Notes" function, because they have a statistical address. The functionality allows you to post long publications, structure the text and decorate it with images. You can combine informative notes with commercial posts. For example, the MIF publishing house uses notes to publish large articles with photos and infographics, publishes book reviews and information about the results of competitions.

Notes on the Facebook page of the MIF publishing house

Live. Facebook live broadcasts provide more reach than regular posts. One reason is ranking. Facebook shows live broadcasts in priority order. Especially if there is a stream from a production or event. On the air, you can tell the audience important news, demonstrate the "behind the scenes" of the company, share opinions about important events. It is a common practice for TaoBao-listed stores to broadcast product demos to boost sales.

Live TaoBao on Facebook

Facebook Stories. Short videos or photos that disappear 24 hours after posting. For businesses, they can be used to test a new posting format and collect response to non-standard content, increase loyalty and trust, demonstrating the "human face" of the company. Stories also advertise products, share temporary promo codes, announce sales, and post product teasers.

Creator Studio. A handy tool for creating, managing and tracking business account content statistics. It helps to process posts, edit videos, go live. Synchronized with Instagram. With it, you can:

  • track content on administered pages and manage its effectiveness;
  • receive data on audience interaction with content;
  • prepare new content, schedule its publication - the service gives access to a free collection of sounds and templates.
Facebook Content Creation Tool

Facebook Ads Manager . Paid tool for advertising promotion of business accounts, content and products. It is convenient to collect statistics and set up targeted advertising for a specific audience. It also gives you access to the Facebook Pixel tool for audience tracking and remarketing.

Facebook Ads Control Center

Getting Started with a Facebook Business Account

First, analyze the interests of your audience and explore other business profiles in your niche. Determine the style and subject of publications, develop a content plan and create posts with information that is useful and interesting for the target audience.

When the page is set up and has 3-5 posts, start promoting:

  • Invite your friends to like it. Use the "Invite" tool located on the main page of a business account.
  • Do you already have an audience in other social networks? Create posts with links to your Facebook business account and invite users to follow.
  • If you use email marketing, make a newsletter and tell that you have a page, describe its subject and motivate to subscribe. Add social media icons to all newsletter templates or create an invitation signature.
  • Interact with your audience: respond to comments and feedback. Post polls to get feedback. Use the "Offers" tool to notify the audience about promotions, discounts.
Ready-made offer

How to create and set up a business account on VKontakte

First, register a standard profile if you don't have one. This is the only way you can be an administrator of a business account.

Creating a page

Vkontakte developers have created a separate business platform where you can register, set up and promote commercial accounts. To create a profile, scroll down a little and find a menu called "Don't know where to start?". Click "Business Page", and in the next menu that opens, "Create a Business Page".

Menu for creating a business profile "VKontakte"

Specifically for commercial purposes, "VKontakte" offers two types of communities:

  1. "Business" - for shops, catering establishments and other companies.
  2. "Brand or organization" - to promote a brand name or a specific product.

Select the appropriate one and go to your business account settings.

Main settings for a business account on Vkontakte

Specify the full name of the company, which reveals the essence of its activities, for example, instead of "Friend of the stomach" - "Café "Friend of the stomach" for vegetarians." Select the type of activity so that social network algorithms can recommend the page to your target audience. Provide a link to the company's website.

Fill in the description: tell about your company briefly and interestingly. In the same category, you can enter a phone number and address.

Company contact details

The easiest way to properly set up the page is to follow the recommendations of the social network. To do this, go down a little lower on the page and click "All recommendations".

Go to recommendations

You will see a page with the main tips for setting up a business account and preparing for its promotion. Click on each recommendation in turn and follow it.

Tips for setting up a business page on VKontakte

For example, the recommendation "Fill in the description of the community" will open access to the settings page. In addition to the description itself, here you can:

  • add a community cover;
  • edit page URL;
  • enable and configure the action button;
  • specify additional data: date of foundation, country;
  • Enable or disable the ability to add custom content to the profile feed.

How to design your cover and profile photo

The cover and profile photo are the main visual elements of a VKontakte business account. There are official requirements for their sizes. In short:

  • Full avatar - 200x500 pixels, thumbnail (displayed in posts) - 200x200 pixels. You can upload a large avatar as long as the aspect ratio is 2:5.
  • Cover — 1590x400 pixels, for the mobile version — 1196x400. The inscription on the cover should be placed with an indent of 85 pixels on top and 140 pixels on the edges. This is necessary so that important data is displayed correctly on mobile devices.
Page with profile picture and cover: display in desktop versionMobile version of the designed VKontakte page

Tools for promoting a business account on VKontakte

Pinned posts. Well suited to tell the audience about important changes, discounts, promotions and other events of the company. The post appears at the top of the business page feed. To make such a publication, in the post menu, select the "Pin" command. For example, Tinkoff Bank uses the option to talk about promotions.

Pinned entry in the bank's VKontakte profile

Chatbots . In the section on promoting a Facebook business page, we have already talked about this tool. In VKontakte, chatbots are used for the same purposes. For example:

  • process requests of the same type;
  • organize mailings;
  • collect information about orders;
  • filter by topics of contacting technical support;
  • quickly respond to customer requests.

Chatbots can be entrusted with the functions of registration, sales. Or, for example, searching and ordering plane tickets:

Chatbot for buying air tickets

There is an official instruction for connecting and setting up messages for communities.

In the coming days, the SendPulse service will also offer the opportunity to create chat bots for VKontakte.

Statistics is a tool for comprehensive analysis of page audience activity. Shows reach and attendance indicators, gender and age, visitor geography, number of views and actions, and other metrics.

Paid post with a button is a post with text and a button that acts as a call to action: “Order”, “Buy”, “Go” and so on. Suitable for product promotion, promotional offer.

Settings for an ad post with a button in the ad accountExample of an ad post with a button

Carousel — scrolling up to ten images with links in one ad. You can post product cards, photos of one product, step-by-step instructions.

An example of an advertising post on VKontakte in the carousel format

The first stages of promoting a business account on VKontakte

Post quality content . The basis of promotion is high-quality content, to which the audience reacts vividly. The "smart feed" of the social network selects the best entries and shows them as recommended ones. If the interest is high, the post will be tagged "Prometheus", which will significantly increase the reach.

What kind of content the audience might like:

  • non-standard personal opinion;
  • play on oppositions, for example, Canon is better than Nikon;
  • posts with a topic for discussion in the comments;
  • contests;
  • stories from the "behind the scenes" of the company.

For example, Beeline skillfully alternates promotional publications with useful information for subscribers, entertaining posts and announcements. All this is done in a single visual style:

An example of an entertaining publication from Beeline

And in this format, the company submits useful information:

An example of branded business profile posts

After posting several posts on the page, use the “Tell Friends” function to encourage them to become the first subscribers.

Share your VKontakte business account on other platforms . Add a link to the community on the site, in promotional printed materials, in other social networking accounts. If you use email newsletters, dedicate a separate email to your new community. Tell what it will be interesting to the audience.

Run promotions with a drawing of prizes for subscribing and reposting on the website and other communication channels.

The classic "follow and repost" raffle

Use targeted advertising, to invite subscribers to the community. To optimize advertising costs, analyze the target audience in advance: age, region of residence, interests and other characteristics of potential subscribers.

An example of targeted advertising on VKontakte

How to create and set up a business account on Twitter

Twitter does not distinguish between personal and commercial accounts. Therefore, consider the standard registration. On the account creation page, provide a profile name and a phone number or email address.

The first step of registering with Twitter

The next step will prompt you to activate the settings for the selection of personalized ads and content. Include them or not - decide for yourself.

In the third step, you will see the data that you entered first: the name of the profile and the selected contact information option. Check everything and click "Register".

The system will send a verification code to the specified contact. Enter it to complete registration.

The final step is to create an account password. You can use the provided password or enter your own. This completes the registration.

Main settings for a business account on Twitter

Conveniently, immediately after registration, the social network prompts you to enter the standard profile settings.

Picture of . First, you will be prompted to upload a profile picture: the recommended size is 400x400 pixels. For a commercial account, the ideal solution would be a photo with a large logo in the center.

Profile description . The system gives 160 characters for this. In the description, you need to indicate what the page is about and what content will be on it. For example: "Cafe for vegetarians" Stomach Friend "". News, secrets of our menu, global culinary trends.”

Setting up a Twitter profile

Next, Twitter will offer to download the contacts that are stored in your Google profile in order to automatically send them a notification about the registration of your page. Take your time - this can be done when you finish all the settings and publish the first few posts.

Note . All of the above settings can be entered later: in the "Profile" menu - "Edit profile". Here you can also add a photo for the profile header with a size of 1500x500 pixels. So you can click "Ignore" on all dialog boxes and come back to this later.

Basic Twitter profile settings

Profile settings . A complete list of Twitter account settings is available by clicking "More" in the menu item on the left. In the window that opens, select "Settings and privacy".

Twitter account settings menu

The section is convenient and clear, so it doesn't need any special explanations. What we recommend to do for a commercial account:

  • Set up a username in the "Account" tab: write a word in Latin letters that will be easy to read. In our example, this is drug jeludka.
  • Privacy & Security tab: Set up access to your tweets, turn off location information if you post from outside the office, add the ability to receive private messages, allow your profile to be found by company contacts.
  • Notifications. Customize the characteristics of Push, SMS, email notifications from users and the system.
  • "Display" - here you can set the font size, select the background, and color. Choose a color scheme in accordance with corporate colors.

Design the channel correctly: use corporate colors and symbols, individual design. Add contacts for quick communication: hotline number, email. Or indicate that you are ready to communicate in direct.

Brand account example

Tools for promoting a business account on Twitter

Hashtags . Needed to increase the reach of each publication. Use two hashtags per tweet: for a large number of hashtags, you can get under the sanctions of the social network. As recommended by the Twitter team, hashtags on political events, religion, and other controversial topics should be avoided in posts.

Advertising . A paid tool with a standard set of settings: budget, duration and characteristics of the target audience. Twitter has a dedicated platform for setting up ads and tracking results. In the advertising account, you can set up ads according to the goals: to increase brand awareness, increase clicks to the site, and so on.

Features of the Twitter Advertising Platform

First Steps to Promoting a Business Twitter Account

Manage your business Twitter account consistently to keep up with trends and keep readers on their toes. Post regularly to increase your visibility rate. This is what, for example, the administrators of the Tinkoff bank business account do:

Post several tweets a day for greater coverage

Respond to user requests . To do this, click on the reply icon in the tweet. Your tweet will appear in your profile feed with an additional tag "In reply to...".

Follow the trends . They are fleeting, so have time to post a publication that relates to the most discussed topic. Accompany it with popular hashtags.

Use relevant hashtags . They attract twice as many users. Hashtags can be placed anywhere in a tweet. To do this, just put the symbol "#" in front of the keyword.

Accompany tweets with images . They will get more attention. Recommended image size for a tweet: 1024×512 pixels. Supported formats: JPG, GIF or PNG;

Link to your business account on other social media and marketing materials. This will encourage users who are comfortable following you on Twitter to follow you.

Follow other accounts. The practice of "mutual subscription" is widespread in this social network. No percentage data is available, but in general most account admins you follow will do the same.

How to create and set up an Instagram business account

First you need to register a business profile (fan page) on Facebook, we wrote about how to do this above. You also need to have a regular Instagram profile. It can be reclassified to commercial directly in the mobile application.

Switching to a professional account

  1. Go to "Settings" - "Account" - "Switching to a professional account".
    Switching to a professional account
  2. Choose the type of profile: "Author" (personal commercial account) or "Business" (commercial profile of a company, brand).
  3. Select the appropriate category for your line of business.
  4. Set up profile contacts: enter the company email, phone number and address, if any. These contacts will be public.
Indication of contact information in Instagram

Registration completed. Now you can use additional business features. In particular, these are statistics for each publication and for the entire profile. This is the amount of published content, audience interaction with publications, audience data. To receive them, you need to have at least 100 subscribers. This information will be in the settings menu: just select the "Statistics" tab.

Basic settings for a business account on Instagram

Let's take a look at how to set up a business account on Instagram so that it works properly.

Profile picture. A business account will need a main photo - a square avatar of 110x110 pixels. The system will automatically round it up. Therefore, it is important that key information, such as a logo or portrait, be centered.

Call to action button. You can add a CTA button to your Instagram business account. To do this, on the main page of the account, click "Edit profile", and then - "Methods of communication". In the window that opens, select "Add an action button".

A list of third-party integration applications opens. Focus on the purpose of your button and make a choice based on this. Options: "Order", "Book", "Buy tickets", "Sign up" and so on.

Enter the URL that users will go to when they click the button and click Finish.

Instagram business promotion tools

Stories Highlights : A photo or video that appears below the profile description and does not disappear after 24 hours. In Highlights, you can post up-to-date information for the audience: news, messages about promotions and discounts, prices, reviews, detailed information about contacts. Big brands use Highlights to tell more about the company and increase loyalty. For example, General Electric dedicated several recent Stories Highlights to its employees: they show the "behind the scenes" of the company and talk about work.

Stories Highlights on Instagram: GE employee shows behind the scenes of the company

Business Tools on Instagram . Specialized official platform. It will help you set up a shop on a social network step by step, teach you how to create Stories. Cases of successful business accounts deserve special attention. There are also courses on doing business on social networks and tools for setting up advertising. Paid advertising on Instagram is necessary to attract new subscribers, customers. Facebook Ads Manager tools are used to set up targeting.

The first stages of promoting a business account on Instagram

Take care of the visual part of the content . The target audience is “buying with their eyes” here. Therefore, high-quality visual content is important. These are bright, clear photos.

Adobe Company Profile

Brand Profile . Use the original avatar, create a beautiful grid of publications, leave the logo as a watermark on the photo. All content must match the chosen color scheme and style.

Airbnb profile

Showcase your product in all its benefits . You can do this by combining different thematic postings. It can be entertainment publications, stories, revelations.

Company profile H&M

Attract new subscribers with discounts and bonuses . Post information about them in Stories or in posts. Come up with a format for a permanent promotion for new customers, as well as regular discounts and offers for regular customers.

To get subscribers and increase their number: