BLOG

It can be hard to keep up with the latest add-on tools and feature launches on social media platforms and truth be told, not all are created equal. But there’s one gaining traction with business owners that’s helping to boost engagement, audience reach, and sales, too! Chances are good you’ve seen or used this feature before—perhaps unknowingly. Instagram’s “Quick Reply” allows users to create pre-selected responses for specific keywords or phrases in direct messages (DMs). This tool streamlines communication by allowing users to respond efficiently to common inquiries or products of interest. The best part is your response or link becomes easily visible in that follower’s direct messaging inbox, making it more accessible. Curious how to tailor the Quick Response feature to meet the needs of your business? Here are some examples we encourage you to try. Customer Inquiries Have you been utilizing the “Link In Bio” CTA without much website traction? It may be time to switch things up. Try having followers comment with keywords like “Product” or “FAQ” which allows you to automatically send them a direct link to your website for purchasing or help with a question. Upcoming Events Avoiding last-minute RSVPs can be a hassle, but mitigate that by making it more convenient to register for an upcoming seminar, book an appointment, or reserve a timeslot for a consult. The easier the process, the greater the likelihood of a follow-through. Feedback and Reviews Replying to messages in a timely manner is essential for building a positive rapport online, but sometimes it gets pushed to the end of a long to-do list. Create quick replies to acknowledge and show appreciation for positive comments and address any concerns promptly. Sales and Promotions Selecting a keyword like “sale” or “savings” lets business owners seamlessly send customers coupon codes or special discounts straight to their inboxes. It’s great to share promotional codes right in your newsfeed, but try utilizing this feature instead to give your engagement a boost at the same time. Ready to give it a try? Simply go to the Settings tab in your Business account, find and select  Quick Replies , and then create a new reply based on your needs. This feature is currently available on Instagram only, although Facebook does offer the ability to preset replies to messages via Meta Business. If you’re looking for more assistance, the team at Officially Social has you covered. Contact us at alison@officiallysocial.com, and we’d be happy to answer any questions you have about incorporating this and other up-and-coming tools in your current social media package.

We hear it from our clients all the time. “I’m not on TikTok personally, so why should I use it professionally?” While we understand the aversion to new technology, we’r e here to tell you that regardless of your personal social media preferences, this trending platform is a great marketing tool for your business. With over 1.5 BILLION active users in 2023, TikTok continues gaining momentum for everything from entertainment to education. So, what’s the buzz all about? Unlike other platforms, TikTok does not limit content to direct followers. Their algorithms make it easy for anyone, anywhere, to find videos based on interests and search history. That means the next viral video is just a click away, and it could be yours. Here are our top five tips for a seamless TikTok transition: 1. Do Your Research Like other social media platforms, TikTok requires a little advanced planning for the greatest impact. Start by scoping out your competitors and look at their videos with the most likes and engagement. What are they doing that works well? It could be anything from song choice to the time of day they post. Use them as inspiration to create a marketing plan tailored to specific customer needs. You’ll also want to plan diversified content. Yes, dance videos are entertaining, but how-to, tutorials, and DIY also do very well on TikTok. Find a balance that caters to the audience you serve. 2. Build Your Brand Branding on TikTok begins with your bio, where you have just eighty characters to introduce your business. Be creative and make each word count. Tone matters, and there are ways to be both professional and personable. Focus on similar themes for a cohesive look, but also experiment with different layouts and music. Your profile should tell a story, not just serve as a sales pitch. 3. Create A Calendar Daily activity is necessary when you're first starting out on TikTok. The algorithms favor engaged users, so make this a priority to build a strong following. This includes sharing and commenting on other accounts too! Need inspiration for filling up a month’s worth of material? Followers enjoy getting sneak peeks at daily routines, so even things that seem mundane to you might pique someone else’s interest. And take inspiration from influencers and industry leaders—chances are you’ll come up with new ideas in no time. 4. Yes, Hashtags Are Important! Hashtags are a powerful search tool, especially on TikTok, so use them to your advantage. Include location-specific and industry buzzwords, plus any keywords directly related to the post's topic. You can also research the most popular hashtags on any given day, which can help generate more visibility. Most importantly, try to mix up the hashtags you include. Algorithms are tricky and sometimes flag accounts that are too repetitive.  5. Build Community Remember, your priority is to market your business, but your followers also want to feel emotionally connected. Respond to comments and questions promptly, and show some love to others in your industry. Ask for feedback on a new idea or product. Social media is a powerful tool, but that stems from a human connection. Something as simple as “liking” a comment lets people feel noticed and valued. Regardless of the size of your business, TikTok is slated to remain a valuable addition to your social media toolkit. Develop a unique profile, target your audience, and create a meaningful content strategy to increase your chances of success. Need help getting started? The team at Officially Social is always available. Email alison@officiallysocial today!

We’re all looking for easy ways to grow our businesses in the coming year. Stepping up your online marketing strategy is an easy place to begin. But where to start? Which platforms are best for your niche? Each offers versatile options that can be tailored to your audience—the key is using them to your advantage.

Ask any small business owner why they post content online, and most will give the same answer—to generate more sales. But that's exactly why many accounts fail to do well on social media. When companies prioritize profit over personal connection, they often lose the exact audience they wish to gain.

Let’s face it. As a small business owner, planning meaningful, interesting content can feel like a full-time job. And if you’re already strapped for time and resources, it can seem downright impossible to plan, create, and post. However, successfully scheduling social media content is also necessary to reach a wider audience and boost engagement. While developing a calendar (and sticking to it) may feel tedious, we promise it’s essential for building your network. Luckily, there are some simple strategies to incorporate that will make planning your social media schedule a little easier. Here are four ways to improve your social media scheduling without giving yourself more work. 1. Post Consistently Consistent action creates consistent results. We can’t stress it enough—to positively position your business on social channels, you MUST post regularly. Doing so creates a welcomed expectation from your audience so they keep tuning in to see daily updates, business announcements, and other inspirational content. 2. Share at the Right Times Do you know your social media “sweet spots”? If you’re not posting when followers are tuned in, you risk missing a huge chunk of your audience. Statistically speaking, early weekday mornings, especially Tuesday-Thursday, are the best days and times to post, but that varies based on many factors. Diving into monthly analytics is a great way to determine when your audience is the most active and engaged. 3. Create a Calendar You use a calendar for client meetings and business reminders, so why not use one for your social media, too? When your ideas are already outlined, it becomes much easier to create engaging content and takes the guesswork out of what to share. We recommend using a spreadsheet, a template, or tools like Google Calendar to organize your ideas. Consider what types of content you want to share (image or video), the topics you want to cover that week or month, and any time-sensitive promotions, holidays, etc. We also realize that this is often easier said than done, so we’ve recently added industry-specific content calendars to the list of our services at Officially Social. They're complete posts with images, links, text, and hashtags for an entire month- all you need to do is download and share! 4. Use a Scheduler While you can choose to post organically to each social media channel you subscribe to, many find it daunting logging into multiple accounts daily. A social media scheduler helps streamline all of your content in one easy-to-access place while also allowing you to schedule posts in advance so they’re automatically published when you want. We have partnered with Social Champ so our clients can load Officially Social content directly into their calendars to create, schedule, organize, and analyze multiple social accounts. Social Champ also has a free plan, and it's easy to use! Just like you’d prioritize time for any other business task, scheduling your social media content in advance is a game-changer, saving you valuable time and headaches later. Whether you choose to DIY or outsource, there are plenty of tools available to make the process seamless. And as always, our team is here to help answer any questions! Email us anytime at alison@officiallysocial.com .

One of the most common complaints we hear from small businesses is that they want to build a social media presence but don’t have the time—and it’s easy to see why. With the average American spending a whopping 127 minutes on various platforms, creating and scheduling content is a struggle for many busy business owners. B ut , thanks to a surge in social media management companies around the country, it’s getting easier to outsource this task. At Officially Social, we’ve successfully increased the reach and engagement for our clients in various industries. However, with recent changes in platform algorithms and budget constraints, we realized a specific niche was missing—and we wanted to fill the void. Our NEW industry-specific content calendars provide affordable, engaging, and complete monthly posts created by experts. Our team comes up with great ideas—all you have to do is subscribe, download, copy, and publish! Ready to learn more? Here are some frequently-asked questions to help you better understand how they work and what’s included. What does each month’s calendar include? Each month brings fresh content, keeping your audience tuned in and excited about your online presence. The posts cover a range of topics including: Industry-specific graphics created by the Officially Social team Fun facts and educational information Links to popular articles in your industry Relevant holiday posts Links to engaging TikTok videos Do you need to be social-media savvy to use the calendars? Not at all! We’ve made the download process simple and seamless, so you can check social media off your list and use that time toward something else! Here’s how it works: Choose between a three, five, or seven days per week plan, depending on your budget and social media needs. Create a username and password, and log into your account to view an entire month’s worth of posts at a time. Simply copy/paste the text and download the graphic. You can use the post as is or add your business name and logo for a more custom look. Paste the content directly into your social accounts, or use a scheduler like Social Champ. We love Social Champ because there’s a free version for just the basics, and it's super easy to use. Can I change the order of the posts? Yes, our calendars are flexible! Want to use Monday's post on Wednesday? No problem. Adjust the content however you'd like. Our calendar order is simply a suggestion. How are we different? Maybe you’ve tried other social media services but found the content limited and boring. We’ve been working in this industry since 2014 and have seen it all. We understand where other social media services fall short. Officially Social content calendars are written by real experts (no AI and no outsourcing). Our creative team curates thoughtful, fresh content to help elevate your online presence. And our posts are complete! Each comes with a caption, image, links, relevant hashtags, and links to TikTok videos. My business isn’t on TikTok. How will these videos help me? H ere’s the thing. Even if your business is not on TikTok (yet), a large portion of your audience likely is. And now more than ever, these short, trendy videos are gaining popularity across all social media platforms. Our team has pre-selected some of the most interesting and engaging ones to share, saving you the time and hassle of scrolling and searching for them yourself. Still not sold on TikTok? Share our video suggestions in your Instagram Stories! If you’re looking for an affordable, easy solution to simplify your social media strategy, Officially Soc ial Content Calendars are the solution! Our industry-specific content is detailed, engaging, and will give your business a professional, polished edge. Visit us at officiallysocial.com to preview samples and subscribe today.

Marketing your business on social media can seem overwhelming. From eye-catching videos to clever taglines, there is always something new to adapt and incorporate into your strategy.

2023 is the year of social media. Why? Social media channels are ever-evolving, and current shifts across various platforms (hello, Twitter) mean there’s room for everyone to take advantage of new tools and a new audience.

2023 is the year of social media. Why? Social media channels are ever-evolving, and current shifts across various platforms (hello, Twitter) mean there’s room for everyone to take advantage of new tools and a new audience.