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Building a Content Strategy for Social Media

Posted on December 21, 2023 - 3:30 pm by

Developing a content strategy for your business’s social media can be intimidating. With a packed schedule, setting aside time for social media strategy might seem challenging. However, an intentional social media strategy is essential. It not only saves you time but also enhances the quality and value of your brand.

Let’s break down our recommended approach and keep it simple for you.

Step 1: Define Goals

Begin by aligning your social media marketing goals with your business objectives. Review your business objectives and consider how social media can help achieve these long-term goals.

Step 2: Identify Your Audience

Ask crucial questions about your target audience. Is the content tailored to their preferences? Which social media platforms are most effective in reaching them? It’s not necessary to post across all channels; find the ones that work best for your brand.

Step 3: Content Audit + Determine Content Pillars

Once you’ve defined your goals and identified your target audience, proceed with a content audit. Analyze the analytics of your past posts to find common qualities. This analysis forms the basis for determining your content pillars — the primary topics your business consistently addresses. Maintaining a focus on these pillars ensures your content remains organized, relevant, and authoritative.

Step 4: Organize & Plan Content

With these defined content pillars, you’re primed to initiate the content creation process. Kick things off by brainstorming a comprehensive list of content ideas, utilizing your content pillars as a guiding framework. This list will serve as an archive for your ideas, proving valuable when you find yourself in need of inspiration.

Simultaneously, establish a content calendar to strategically plan when your content will be published. This ensures your social media plan remains organized and consistently engages your audience. For an added layer of efficiency, contemplate integrating a social media scheduling platform into your workflow. While several options are available, at Transcend Ideas, we like Loomy!

Step 5: Analyze and Measure Performance

Dive into analytics to gauge content performance. Business profiles on social channels often have accessible analytics. Enhance insights using tools like Hootsuite or Semrush for a deeper analysis. 

Step 6: Keep Churning out Content

Once a strategy is established, maintain consistency. On a monthly basis, allocate dedicated time to strategize and plan your upcoming content. Being intentional with your social media will save you time in the long run.

Feeling overwhelmed? Transcend Ideas has helped numerous brands and organizations develop social media content strategies. Let us assist you, too.

Social Media Building a Content Strategy for Social Media. "Feeling overwhelmed with social media? Let's get coffee" graphic.

Hashtags Banned vs Allowed

Posted on June 6, 2023 - 1:44 pm by

Did you know that Instagram has taken a stand against certain hashtags? Yep, they’ve implemented a ban to make sure those hashtags don’t get associated with any flagged content. It’s all about protecting users and businesses from potentially harmful or inappropriate stuff. So, if you want to keep your social media game strong, stick to using only approved hashtags.

Now, let’s talk about the power of hashtags!

Hashtags play a significant role in social media, allowing individuals to express themselves and explore new ideas. They enable users to share their experiences, perspectives, and achievements, connecting with people and places they may have never reached before. By simply clicking on a hashtag, you can discover a world that relates to your interests, location, and hobbies. Hashtags bring humanity to the internet, injecting emotion into an otherwise flat digital landscape.

Where does the problem lie?

However, the power of storytelling through hashtags can also attract negative elements. Some individuals and accounts exploit the platform for their own gain, providing no value to users. To combat this, Instagram has banned certain hashtags that have been flagged by the community for various reasons. By using a banned hashtag, you risk connecting with inappropriate or objectionable content.

Meta hashtags now offer a tool to check if a hashtag is banned. This tool allows you to verify whether the content you are sharing or connecting with is acceptable and approved by Instagram’s community standards. Banned hashtags include those that feature obscene phrases, explicit or violent material, and those associated with spam or bot accounts. Using banned hashtags repeatedly may result in a shadow ban, temporarily limiting engagement on your Instagram account until the issue is resolved.

Here are a few banned hashtag you should avoid using all together:

#valentinesday
#single
#nasty
#besties
#alone
#adulting
#dating
#humpday
#mustfollow
#parties
#workflow
#thought

Hashtags that connect to proven spam or bot accounts and other content that directly violates Instagram’s community standards will be banned, as well. If you are found repeatedly using banned hashtags, a shadow ban may be placed on any Instagram account. A shadow ban is a temporary limit to any account, they bring your engagement to low or none until there is a resolution to the problem.

Find the complete list of banned hashtags, access the list via desktop or on the Instagram app with the most recent additions. Make sure you stay up to date with what content is being nixed on Instagram so you don’t lose quality engagement from your viewers!

Keep Telling Your Story!

Despite these precautions, it’s crucial to keep sharing your story on Instagram. By maintaining high standards and adhering to community guidelines, you contribute to a positive online environment. At Transcend Ideas, we are eager to connect with you, discover your story, and help amplify your message to those seeking the services you offer. Join us on the bright side of Instagram!

Let Transcend Ideas help find the perfect balance of social media to use in your marketing campaigns and strategy. Let’s get coffee today!