Hashtags were actually used back in 1988, the hashtag as we know it was used on a platform known as Internet Relay Chat or IRC. They were used then in much the same way they are today, for grouping messages, images, content, and videos into categories.

Fast forward to 2007 and a man by the name of Chris Messina started messing with how he communicated on twitter and was looking for a way to group conversations about specific topics together. He knew this type of idea worked before with IRC, so he brought it to twitter.

A blogger named Steve Boyd is said to have coined the word “hashtag” in a blog post around the same time, and as these things go, it didn’t take long for the hashtag to literally “break the internet,” as they say.

Hashtags are words or short phrases all connected, no spaces and start with the hash sign or pound sign used on social media websites and other applications,to identify messages, especially Twitter,  on a specific topic.

As we know, hashtags have gone way beyond twitter, they are everywhere! You see them on all social media platforms, articles, advertisements, text messages, and more. 

When I work with my clients, I encourage them to use hashtags and help guide them through the process of deciding which to use, how many, and where. 

I typically start with the business name or something similar. For example, #802Social. I use this on a majority of my social media content. If someone were to search #802Social, they would see everything I have shared since the beginning of my business. It’s simply a collection of content that I’ve shared and tagged. 

Another way to use hashtags for your business could be a location-based hashtag. For example, #vermont. This is where my business is so, therefore, I want to connect with other Vermonters. I could and often do get more specific with exactly where in Vermont I am. This is a really important strategy for location-based businesses. 

I just provided a couple of generic types of examples of how a business can use # to generate more traffic, but how is that actually happening? Like a business adds a # to their post and then they are just found? Well, sort of. But a clear example is this. 

A family who wants to move to Vermont, but just in the discovery phase of learning about a few different towns. One way to learn about their options would be to do research on social media. They could type in the names of the towns and see what’s there. The content they will discover could be from local businesses, or people tagging the town for whatever reason. It’s a great way for someone to learn about a location through the eyes of businesses or people who live or visit there. 

As I mentioned before, hashtags are clickable links that connect a common subject matter. So, if you are interested in learning or discovering something specific, type that in any search bar on whichever social media platform you use. 

You don’t have to be a business to utilize hashtags. Anyone can benefit from a collection of content organized by a keyword or phrase. In fact, businesses want you to use search hashtags more! 

After the podcast head over to your preferred platform and type in whatever you want and see what pops. 

Now, I will say, although hashtags are and can be used on any platform, there are certain platforms where they are utilized more. Like Instagram vs Facebook. 

But, you’ll have to tune in next week for more on that. 

Just about every business needs or should have a Facebook business page, but not every business needs to have a Facebook Group. 

A Facebook page is basically a non-personal profile page—such as a profile for a company, brand, organization, or website. You can also have Facebook pages for public figures such as politicians and celebrities. 

Pages differ from a typical Facebook profile in that they can be run by multiple people, they can be followed or liked by anyone on Facebook, and their posts can be monetized and promoted.

Main Features of a Facebook Business Page: 
 Business information - descriptions, address, hours. Posts can be promoted/boosted. 
 Analytics, Reviews, Messaging where a user can talk to a page Admin

A Facebook group acts as a hub for discussion and sharing information with people who share an interest, location, or another common trait. For example, there are groups for people based on professions such as teachers, marketers, travel agents, even medical conditions. Like a support group in some ways.  There are groups for people in the same neighborhood, and groups for people interested in specific music, bands, or movies. Expand on neighborhood… 

Some of the main features of Facebook groups include:
 Basic group info, such as a group description
 The ability to set group rules.
 Moderating tools for admin.
 You can set up questions that a person may have to answer to gain access to the groups. This is a great way to capture email addresses also. 
Most of the differences lie with their purpose, analytics, and their privacy. 

Pages - The purpose of the Facebook page is to connect with the audience, provide content about a business or service or whatever the page is representing. People can interact but mostly by reacting to comments of the page owners or replying to posts. People can post to the page but it’s shown in a separate area than on the main feed. 

Groups - Exist to encourage discussion and interaction between members. The owner of the group often times will view themselves as more of a moderator, not the owner of the page. I’m a part of quite a few groups that I use to bounce ideas and ask questions too. They really have been invaluable to my business in many ways. 

Analytics is another main difference. Facebook pages give administrators insights into their audience demographics, post reach, audience engagement, and other analytics.

Security - Pages- Public. 

Groups- On the other hand, groups have multiple levels of privacy. A group can be public (anyone can view and join), subject to admin approval of member requests, or invite-only. This makes them suitable for large communities, but also tiny groups such as a family. Secret or invite-only groups don’t even show up in search results. 

Both Facebook groups and pages have their own set of advantages and disadvantages.
Groups are not for every business, whereas Facebook pages typically are. 
Facebook Pages - 
 Having a Facebook page allows you to advertise and collect very detailed demographic information about your audience. You also have the capability to use the scheduling tool for future posts. 

Pages are visible to everyone so although you may have a large audience, they may not really be 0y00our people. As most know, FB is really a pay to play situation now. To really make a difference with your page, you may need to do some advertising. At this point, about 2% of your audience actually sees your content. It’s frustrating I know, but luckily groups do not function in the same way. 

Facebook Groups are really for creating a community and discussion around a common interest with privacy controls. You also have the ability to decline or kick someone out if need be. 

A disadvantage for some may be that there is no&

Today, I’m going to start with a request for a local Interior Design Company, Keeping Good Company. They responded to my question with “what are some ways to engage your audience for more commenting and communication?” 

This brings me to another reason I asked that question, which was exactly what they are asking about, how to encourage engagement. I wanted to encourage engagement on my own social media accounts, and it worked. Whether you personally use social media or not, your customers do. The average time spent on social media is a little over 2 hours per day per person. Establishing a social media presence, building a following and engaging them effectively with quality content is tough, but necessary. Social media channels, particularly Facebook awards your social media efforts when you receive engagement from your community. This could be in the form of likes, comments, or shares. Facebook takes note and sees that the information you are engaging in must be important so not only will it continue to show you more information like that, it will rank the information higher in the algorithms. 

For example, referring back to the local Interior Design Company, Keeping Good Company I mentioned earlier. If they shared a before and after post of a job they worked on, and I liked it and shared it, Facebook will take note and show me more of their posts in my feed and/or other companies like that that I may also be interested in. If I was one of those people who just scroll on and never show the love, you know those people, well Facebook would stop showing their posts as much in their feed. With all that being said, it’s important to develop content that is eye-catching and interesting enough for someone to stop, read, and engage. 

Here are a few ways to encourage engagement. 
Ask simple questions - This could be something such as “do you prefer summer or winter?” Easy enough to answer. If you can make it about your business or even industry, even better. 

Use gifs or emoji’s as an option for your community to answer a question. Example - drop a gif for how you feel about your Monday, or which emoji represents the start to the typical work week? You would assume you would get either the muscle arm or maybe the crying emoji. Whatever it is, it will most likely ignite a bit of humor. Not all content has to revolve around your actual product or service, so this type of post is just fine. 

When making a Facebook post, there is a multitude of ideas to use. 
-You can create a poll with or without images. I do this quite a bit in my Facebook group for this podcast. It can be a powerful tool in learning about what your audience wants or doesn’t want. 

-Going live. This will send a notification to your community that you’re live and tune in. 

-Check-in feature. Asking your clients or customers to check-in is a great feature. When someone checks into your establishment, their friends see that on their timeline and then Facebook will ask 24 hours later if the person would like to leave a review. 
Now switching to Instagram - Encouraging emojis like mentioned before is definitely an easy way to get your audience to respond. Pro-tip for you… the first sentence of your post needs to be powerful enough that the person will actually stop and read the rest of the post. There are many opinions on short vs long content, but honestly, I feel you need to watch which type of posts resonates most with your audience. I prefer to read and share short and sweet types of posts. But, if longer works for you and your business, then do that. 

Contests, where you ask your community to tag others for a chance to win, maybe one of the easiest ways to encourage engagement. But of course, you have to offer up a great prize in re

A local florist, who I met at a speaking gig a few months ago called me last week asking for my help. She explained that she received a change of password email from Instagram, she followed the instructions, or so she thought. Soon after, she checked Instagram to find her account was no longer in existence. Like not there at all! She went through a series of steps to try and re-establish her account to no avail. 

Another colleague I’m connected with through Instagram and FB, had the same thing happen last year. She went through multiple steps to try to convince Instagram to help her, sadly to no avail. She finally gave up. 

This one's fairly obvious, but one of the most common ways that hackers gain access to people's accounts is through “phishing.” How phishing attacks work is hackers will send you an email that contains a link to a fake Instagram login page. When you log in with your email and password, they get your credentials.

Security Tips
Here are some things you can do to help keep your account safe:
https://help.instagram.com/369001149843369

• Pick a strong password. Use a combination of at least six numbers, letters and punctuation marks (like ! and &). It should be different from other passwords you use elsewhere on the internet.
• Change your password regularly, especially if you see a message from Instagram asking you to do so. During automated security checks, Instagram sometimes recovers login information that was stolen from other sites. If Instagram detects that your password may have been stolen, changing your password on Instagram and other sites helps to keep your account secure and prevent you from being hacked in the future.
• Never give your password to someone you don't know and trust.
• Turn on two-factor authentication for additional account security.
• Make sure your email account is secure. Anyone who can read your email can probably also access your Instagram account. Change the passwords for all of your email accounts and make sure that no two are the same.
• Log out of Instagram when you use a computer or phone you share with other people. Don't check the "Remember Me" box when logging in from a public computer, as this will keep you logged in even after you close the browser window.
• Think before you authorize any third-party app.

Two - Factor Authentication

Profile

Hamburger - 3 lines

Security

Two-Factor Authentication

 They’ll send you a code that you may need to enter in the future. 

Next:
Download Data

Sends to the email address associated with your account. 

Personal or Business accounts.

App and Websites - This area shows which other websites your Instagram account is connected to. For example, Square Space, and Planoly. 

The biggest takeaway should be that you know that security measures are in there for you, you just need to remember to review them from time to time. 

Hi everyone, welcome back to The Social Media Download, this is episode 5. I’m Molly Goodyear, owner of 802Social We are a social media marketing company helping entrepreneurs and small business owners navigate their marketing message through the overwhelm and confusion that social media often creates.  If you would like to learn more let me know. 

Last week I had the pleasure of attending the Agents of Change digital marketing conference in Burlington, VT. They typically host their event in Maine, but for 2020, they are taking it on the road and we were their first stop. The conference was held at the Vermont Comedy Club which turns out, was a great venue for the day. Lunch was provided, Q & A at the end, and of course networking at the bar afterward. For this episode, I thought I would share my key takeaways from the day that helped me and I know will help you. 

Tune in for tips tricks around Google, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Rich Brooks
Joe Paglio
Agents of Change
Sara Munro
Kate Paine
Dorien Morin-van Dam

Are you a service-based business struggling with how to use Instagram for your business? Do you stress over what type of images to use? 

Well, stay tuned as we dive into Episode 4 where I will share tips on what to talk about with your audience and how to make it happen. 

Over the years, I've asked my audience what they would like to learn more about when crafting blogs or social media posts, now I can finally ask what they want to hear about through my podcast. 

So, this morning I asked my Facebook group for this podcast what are a few topics that would be of interest? I immediately received a few great ideas which I’ve added to my list. However, my good friend Natanya Lara, who is an energy healer in Shelburne Vermont, asked a great Instagram question. Actually, before I get into that… can I just say, I just learned about energy healing 4 years ago from Natanya. I had no idea that was even a thing. She specializes in helping kids with anxiety and works remotely. How cool is that!?! If you’re curious about her work, check her out at NatanayaLara.com or message me and I’ll connect you. 

Ok, so… Natanya has a service-based business and struggles with what to share on Instagram since Instagram is all photo-oriented. When I work with my clients, I suggest they break down their business in content buckets, 3-5 if possible. If you have more, that’s great, but I don’t want to add to overwhelm, so I typically start with 3-5. 

When I say content buckets, I’m referring to basically a listing of topics and ideas. 

For example 

1. Testimonials
2. Quotes
3. Business/services information 
4. Industry-related content. (Studies, Blogs, Videos)

Testimonials - Hopefully you are collecting testimonials from your clients. If you’re not, I suggest starting immediately. I will have a future episode on testimonials, so if you struggle in this area, let me know. I would love to hear more about it so I can address your issues in the podcast. 

Pick 2-4 testimonials to use and create an image. 

Now, you may say…stop right there Molly… creating the image IS the problem! I had a feeling you’d say that. Let’s continue on with the what and then I’ll explain how. 

Quotes - These can be based on your business industry, quotes for specific days like Motivation Monday, or ones that resonate with you and your audience. It’s really up to you and what you feel makes sense. 

Business/Services Information - Tell your audience what you do, it’s ok. People who you want to connect with may not know fully what you do, or maybe you have multiple offerings that someone may miss. It’s ok to throw in business-related information. For example, I run a service-based business so for me to talk about what I do is very important but can also be tough. I think, don’t people know what I do already?? Not necessarily! 

Industry Related Content - This is a way to use information about your industry from other professionals in your industry that you like and trust. For example, my friends over at Eternity in Burlington share a lot of industry-related blogs that make sense to share with my audience. I don’t need to recreate the wheel and write up the same information that they're sharing. I’ll just share theirs, which they appreciate b/c it’s promoting them and potentially getting more eyes on their biz. 

Alright, so let's get into the how. 

While there are many sites to help you create images, my go-to is Canva. Canva.com is a favorite for many using social media for its ease of use. Granted, it may take you a little bit to get started and feeling comfortable with it, but it shouldn’t take too long to master the basics. And the best part, it’s relatively chea

As Jay Bear says, “Social media allows big companies to act small again” – Jay Baer. Today we’re highlighting a few companies nailing it when it comes to community engagement and how you can too

Welcome to episode 3 of The Social Media Download. As mentioned in episode 2, we’re starting with the basics of Social Media. And for some that are simply figuring why they should include social media marketing within their marketing strategies. In episode 1, we discussed the importance of Brand Awareness. In this episode, we’ll move on to community engagement, and what that means. I’ll share a few examples, and talk about how you can improve or implement this as part of your own social media strategy. 

Community Engagement is a fantastic way to build connections with your community while gaining new customers in addition to keeping the attention of existing customers. 

Just like with friends or someone you meet, the more you get to know them, the more you’re likely to interact with them. This is when the relationship really takes off. 

The big question is how to keep your community, or customer engaged so that when they have a need for your services you are the first in which they think of. 

With community engagement, the goal is to be engaging, attractive, fun and thought-provoking. 

One of my favorite examples is Wendy’s restaurant. Their brand voice is sassy and playful which they certainly exude with their jokes and roasting of competitors. And within that mix, they promote their menu, give away free food and more.   

They utilize Facebook and Instagram, but they recognized early on that twitter was the right platform for their messaging. Their tweets are engaging, clever, a bit shocking at times, and definitely funny. All this keeps people talking about their brand, engaging in the conversation, and ultimately dining with them. They continue to grow in popularity, while their employee morale continues to sore. They equate this with their strong culture and the conversations they continue to have online and off. 

Jetblue is another great example. They also focus on twitter. They are quick to answer any issues, or questions, essentially listening and having conversations with others. If you have been at the mercy of an airline, you know that when you finally get a hold of someone or someone actual listens, it can change the whole experience. 

Engagement is rewarded by social media platforms, particularly Facebook and Instagram. Using the 4 ideas I’m about to share, will encourage conversation and hopefully increase your engagement. So the more engaging content you can develop, the better. In the meantime, let's discuss 

4 Ideas for Community Engagement - 
Have a conversation - Bots are a thing now, but can really be a turn-off. I understand the value of them at times, but typically when people are reaching out to a brand, it’s to have an actual conversation. 

Know the best channel for your brand - Twitter seems to work for the previous examples, but it’s not the best fit for all. Do your research, what your analytics, and note where the true conversations are happening. 

Promote others - Other brands, companies, and even your employees. No one likes to hang out with someone who only speaks about themselves. The same applies online as well. 

USG - User Generated Content is when others are promoting you by sharing your message somehow. An example of that would be someone taking a picture of your product or location, tagging you, and sharing on their social media channels. This provides a perfect opportunity to “thank them” or to address an issue they may be sharing. 

You may be thinking, Ok, Molly, those are accounts with thousands if not millions of followers, what does s

Yes, it’s 2020 and we’re still answering this question. “Why should I use social media for my business?” Honestly, when I hear this, I'm a little thrown off and think, “how can you not?” After a long pause, I usually find myself rattling a long list of reasons until I see that all too familiar glaze over.

Welcome to episode 2 of The Social Media Download. Over the next few episodes, discuss why a business should use social media for their marketing. For this episode, episode 2, let's focus on Brand Awareness. 

As Simon Senek, author and motivational speaker said: "Whether you are an entrepreneur, an employee, a leader of a team, or are looking to find clarity on your next move, your WHY is the one constant that will guide you toward fulfillment in your work and life.” 

Simon Senek, Find Your WHY - https://simonsinek.com/find-your-why/?ref=mainNav

So as we discuss different “whys”, I think most businesses can benefit from each that we’ll be discussing, but there is typically one that really stands out. That constant that will keep you on track and should be your top focus, while the others fall closely behind. 

It’s a question I always discuss with my clients. If they know, we move on. If they aren’t quite sure, we start there. 

I often suggest, once you have it, write it down. Sometimes we all get off track but if we review our why and our purpose from time to time it helps us to stay on track. 

Brand awareness is making your brand recognizable to your current and potential customers. 

They may not be a client yet or ever, for that matter, but they recognize your name, logo, and possibly your message. 

To me, this is one of the most important reasons for any marketing, brand awareness. 

Nike is a company that everyone knows. They have been mastering their story with their branding longer than many of us have even been using the internet. 

Whether you’re a past, current, or perhaps future customer, you most likely know the swoosh and their “Just Do It” slogan. It’s a way to sell without selling, a soft sell if you will. 

Take me for example. A few years back I was in need of a  new pair of sneakers but really didn’t know where to begin, there’s just so many options and brands to pick from, so I started with what I knew, Nike. It had been a while since I treated myself to high-end sneakers, but they were the first sneaker company that popped into my mind and I knew why. Their branding, and my awareness. Job well done Nike. 

No matter the size of a business, social media branding is important. Here are 4 points you can review to make sure you have in place or begin to do so. 

Identity - Know your business. What defines your brand. What makes your brand special and set you apart from the competition. 

Audience - Who are you speaking to? As they say, if you’re speaking to everyone, you’re speaking to no one. What problem does your audience have that you’re trying to solve? What product or service does that? 

Content - Create and share appropriate content across each platform. 

Visuals - Consistent or similar visuals throughout all platforms. Not necessarily the image itself but the message you are trying to convey through the image should reflect the same concept. 

If you have any comments or questions, jump over and continue the conversation in the Social Media Download facebook group. As I begin growing this podcast your feedback and reviews are very important to me, so please rate and leave a review. And remember, you can follow 802Social on any social media channel.

Woah! It’s finally happening!! My first podcast episode! I’ve been talking about starting one for a while,but I finally gave myself a January deadline last month which included telling a lot of people about it. Once you tell people, you HAVE to do it, right? Well, anyway, thank you for listening in, I’m excited to get started! Welcome to episode 1, where I’ll dive into my story and set the stage for future Social Media Download podcasts. 

Let's get started and welcome again to the Social Media Download podcast which is sponsored by 802Social. And what is 802Social some of you may ask? Well, let me take a step back for a minute… wait! Grab your coffee, wine, whatever you like and relax. I have a story to share. 

I’m Molly Goodyear, and if you hear a bit of a Southern accent, that’s because I’m from Charleston, SC. I moved to Vermont over 20 years ago, I’m married and have two teenage daughters. 

In 2012, with the support of my husband Brian, I opened up 802Social. Around that time social media was really starting to take off for the businesses. But add a great unknown to any small business or entrepreneur can be very overwhelming. I immediately saw the power, the need, and the strength that social media marketing could provide to businesses of just about any type. 

802Social was created to assist small to medium size businesses with their social media, whether for consulting or full content management, we just wanted to help. 

Oh, and a side note here.. The 802 in 802Social is the area code for Vermont. We are 1 of 12 states with only one area code. I don’t know about those other 11 states, but 802 is used all throughout the state for branding purposes, so it’s very familiar to Vermonters. 

So that’s me and 802Social in a nutshell, there’s much more to the story, but you’ll have to continue tuning for that. 

For the Social Media Podcast… this will be a weekly podcast, released every Tuesday where we’ll break down social media marketing into bite-size pieces to reduce the confusion and stress I see too often with my clients. As they say, the struggle is real folks! 

That’s all I have for today. Thank you again for tuning in. I’d like to invite you all to join me in my Facebook group over at The Social Media Download. 

Until next time, have a great day!