The Found Gen

Marketing That Works.

Karey Mackin

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Instagram Hacks: Do You Even Understand That Darn Algorithm?

Lately, Instagram’s algorithm is a total Rubik’s cube. And just when we think we’ve solved it, there’s a new change and our posts are once again buried and unseen.

Is that why only seven people liked my snap of my puppy in his turtleneck sweater?! Ugh.

That darn algorithm is frustrating to all of us – from those who are capturing fire pics of our pets and babies, to those of us who relies on the medium for much of our branding.

So how do we master it?

Well, the first thing to know about Instagram is that the app is in the business of maximizing our attention spans, which is exactly what’s being sold to advertisers.

So, when you upload your latest awesome post, Instagram shows it to a small percentage of your followers. It then measures how quickly your audiences likes, shares, and comments, instantly comparing that stat with your previously posted pics. If this new post is garnering less attention than usual, it’s pushed farther down on your followers’ home pages. If, however, it’s blazing with hearts and comments and re-postings, your post will jump to the top and maybe even on other Explorer Pages, introducing you to more potential followers.

If you’re relying on Instagram to get your brand’s message to your audience, here are a few tips to outsmart that darn algorithm:

  • The new algorithm seems to limit your post’s exposure based on your quick responses to comments. (At The Found Gen, we always promote the idea of conversations over simply broadcasting, so we’re totally into this tip.)
  • Be verbose. Bot-esque comments apparently don’t count as true engagement, so make sure you use at least four words – not emojis – to alert the algorithm that you’re a genuine engager.
  • Story it. Instagram stories from accounts you engage with the most show up first, so polish up on your video – and selfie – skills.
  • Choose your hashtags wisely. Use tags that have high search results, but not so many that your post will be buried in the slew of other posts uploaded at the same time.
  • Test your content and measure engagement. Which posts draw the most attention? Do more of that.

Probably the greatest piece of advice we can give to those starting out in the Instagram branding game is to cultivate loyalty. True followers will find you, no matter the darn algorithm craziness.

Need some help with your Instagram marketing campaign? Our team at The Found Gen has mastered it, and we’re happy to guide you. Also, we’re here if you need help with your Rubik’s cube.

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Social Media is Transforming the Hotel Industry: Is Yours Fully Booked?

“Yes, we’re on social media. We monitor our Yelp reviews…”

There’s more to social media than customer reviews, especially when it comes to increasing customer engagement. Our hotel clients understand that their best strategy inspires and moves their base to book. Their goal? No reservations. In more ways than one.

If you’re a hotelier wondering how to craft the most intriguing, effective social channel presence, we’ve got a few ideas:

  • Bring your hotel to life. By focusing on events happening in real time, followers are always aware of what’s going on. Not only does this tactic inspire interest and excitement from future guests, it also helps create a visual and interactive cache of accessible and influential content.
  • Start a conversation. Rather than broadcasting your hotel’s content, why not chat with your customer base in an any-place, any-time manner, from pre-booking to post-checkout? Are you there to answer the questions that make customers comfortable enough to book with you? You should be.
  • Embrace video. Your hotel should cultivate an interesting short-lived presence on Instagram Stories and Snapchat. So engaging, in fact, that your followers will experience a heavy case of FOMO.
  • Appreciate user-generated content. Never underestimate the power of location check-ins, selfie photos, and status updates from your client base. Work with those who complement your brand, and encourage them to use an addictive hashtag to highlight your hotel’s brand, and reward its use with reposting.
  • Take good care of your customer service requests and issues. Complaints can go viral in an instant, but maintaining a helpful, there-for-you vibe goes a long way in erasing a misstep or two.
  • Retain your customers’ loyalty. As stiff competition for price-conscious customers increases, customer loyalty becomes more of a challenge. Award bonus points to those follows referring your hotel to their family and friends, while you collect valuable insights from your most engaged users.
  • Don’t just sell your hotel rooms; sell your lifestyle. Partner with your nearby-network of restaurants, local artists, and other like-minded brands, building your own horizontal reach.

Social media trends are moving faster than ever, and users quickly become exhausted by the same-old methods of managing a social media campaign. If you’re ready to reignite your followers and turn them into guests, give us a call. We can promise you’ll have no reservations after hearing our plans for your property.

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Your Blog is Boring. Let us fix that for you.

“No one reads blogs anymore.”

We hear that all the time. We hear how people only consume bite-sized bits of information, so why bother writing blog posts if no one has the attention span to appreciate them?

Well, if that’s true…Why bother installing ovens in our homes? We mostly microwave, right? Let’s close all the libraries and bookstores. Too many pages. In fact, I’ve just decided I have no patience for pants with zippers and buttons. It’s yoga pants from here on out, people.

Sigh. We’re better than that, aren’t we?

We say it all the time: Blogs are there when you’re not. They assure potential clients that your company knows its stuff, that you’re trustworthy, and that you’re here to stay. Also, your blog shows that you’re smart and witty and super likeable. Maybe even exciting.

Is yours doing all that? It really should be. If you need some help with re-energizing your blog, here’s a start:

  • Assess your content. Is your expertise overwhelming the entertainment factor? If you’re an HVAC company, is your blog a primer on circuits and fuses and mechanical processes? Yawn. Tell your readers how to maintain their equipment to save on house calls. Inform them of the latest and greatest in the home improvements that will add to their home values and lower their bills.
  • Assess your tone. Do you sound like an expert, or a trusted friend? We like to skew our content somewhere in between because, well, we’re all in this together, aren’t we? Let’s help each other out.
  • Don’t overthink your word choices. Steer clear of technical mumbo-jumbo. Here’s a trick we use: Pretend you’re in a real conversation with a customer. Now, write that down. (Sound easy? It is for us. Call us and we can show you how to do it.)
  • Expand your topics. You’re not just interested in strictly business matters; you’re a real person with a life and concerns and joys just like the rest of us. Share yourself – your whole self – with the rest of us.

Or, you can forget all of the above, including the stress and extra work, and simply hire it out. Sometimes the one thing that’s holding back your blog from being the boldest and brightest is…you. We get it. It’s hard to be the best in your business AND be a great, engaging writer. Let us do that part for you. You won’t regret it. (Your readers won’t, either!)

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Is Social Media Bringing You Down? You may be doing it wrong.

“Social media makes me sad.”

That is a real quote from one of our favorite clients, and the reason why she didn’t want us to create a social media campaign for her totally kickass company that would totally kick ass on any stream: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

“What? Why?” You know we had to ask.

Long story short, her bad mood was caused by a perfect storm of following the wrong accounts for long spurts of time, and second-guessing what she had to offer the mediums. She determined there wasn’t room for her contributions.

Wow, was she wrong.

See, we explained to her, passive consumption of social media – and also, of the entire internet – brings about feelings of inferiority and underground confidence levels. Not good.

But do you know how to avoid all that? Easy: Actively contribute your own voice. There’s an audience waiting just for you. Here are a few ways to contribute:

  • Provide fresh content. You’re the only you out there, and we know you’re doing cool things, even if you might not consider them cool. Listen: There’s an entire Instagram account dedicated to the detritus a dad finds in his kid’s pockets at the end of each day, and it’s wildly popular. There is room for your detritus. Your audience is curious and hungry for more. Feed them.
  • Share your findings. There’s an old wartime quote that goes “If you see something, say something.” It’s true for suspicious activity and social media! If you find something interesting or thought-provoking or just plain entertaining, share it with your followers. Chances are, they will be moved by it, too.
  • Spread the love. Retweet, like, heart, and always give credit where credit is due. Kindness often gains more loyal followers than any gimmick out there.
  • Stay active. You don’t show up for work every other Wednesday at noon and maybe a Friday here and there, and expect to keep your job. Show up reliably on social media and your followers will do the same.

Consuming too much social media is no doubt bad for your health and may be the reason for your sour moods. There’s a right way to social media, and we at The Found Gen are eager to show you how. Follow us. We promise not to make you sad.

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Instagram Matters: Unofficial Rules to Remember Before You Post

It’s hard to ignore the power of Instagram. It launches modern day insta-celebrities, transforms brands seemingly overnight, and is a space where many of your potential customers can while away hours without even noticing the time.

It’s magic.

But it doesn’t take witchcraft or complicated spells to succeed. There are ways to carve your own niche in the enchanted forest of Instagram. Here, let us be your guide.

  • Determine parameters on what you’re sharing and when. This requires some research and development, gauging what topics interest your audience, what topics will draw in your potential audience, and what topics will keep them all following. If you’re an interior designer, your followers want to know your insider secrets. Show them your marble choices and let them weigh in. Same with paint swatches. Give them awful before pictures with the promise of swiping left to see the gorgeous afters. They’ll love it.
  • Offer something unique. Our Found Gen team advises an up-and-coming Instagrammer whose trajectory has taken off because she is so inspiring. A true doer who accomplishes more in a day than most people do in a month, she’s a constant reminder that anything is possible with a positive attitude and strong work ethic. Early on, we recommended that she focus less on pretty pictures and more on Insta-stories because her happiness with her life is contagious; her followers are addicted to it, and honestly love following her throughout her day. It’s worked, and that’s kind of an understatement.
  • Think of your Instagram stream as your brand’s wardrobe. Is it chaotic and poorly organized? Ill-fitting and dated? Throw away anything that isn’t working for your brand’s overall look. Keep the style of photos the same, too. If you’re drawn to a specific filter or angle, keep it consistent. We know it’s difficult to think of the big picture when you’re concentrating so hard on the little ones, but we can help when you need it.

One more thing: Don’t forget to have fun. Your audience can feel your mood, so keep it upbeat. Everyone loves to be around happy people, so be one. (At least, on Instagram!) If you need help, call us at The Found Gen. We’re pretty happy over here.

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How to Tell Your Brand’s Story… So that none of your customers fall asleep

You’ve been there from day one. From that cocktail napkin inked with your ideas to the first few pitch meetings until right where you are this very minute.

Your brand is your baby. And whoa, do we love bragging on and on about our babies, on and on and on until our audience base rolls their eyes or, worse, loses interest altogether.

At The Found Gen, we’re very good at telling stories about babies. Errrr, brands.

Like the one about these bohemian, ultra-romantic treehouses tucked deep in the Jamaican Riviera, a getaway surrounded by waterfalls at the ready for your “me Tarzan, you Jane” moment, a remote idyll where you can touch the stars and kiss the sun…oh, and there’s rum. Lots of rum.

Yeah, that’s a really good story.

But you don’t need Tarzan or rum to tell a brilliant story. (They don’t hurt, though, so whenever possible, you should use either. Or both.)

Here’s what you do need:

  • An unforgettable hook. Think of it as an elevator pitch that’s had a few cocktails. It’s maybe one tiny, endearing fact about your brand from way back when, buried under all the new team members and paperwork and technology and day to day operations. We can help you remember.
  • Less how, more why. There may be a lot of yous in your specific industry, whether you’re an interior designer, a personal trainer, or a tech wizard. Set your brand apart by forgoing the details of how you work and emphasizing why you work instead. It can be very powerful and set you apart from the pack.
  • Your story can be the best story in the world, but that doesn’t matter one bit if your audience isn’t interested in the story. Tell them why, specifically, it matters to each of them. Make it relevant. Make sure they can’t turn away. Your goal is to keep them hanging on every last word.

And when all else fails, you’re more than welcome to use that whole Tarzan angle. It gets them every time.

For more tips on how to best tell your story, give us a call.