Well, it’s the start of a new year and although the whole country is locked down, many businesses will still be busy. And even those which are on ice should still be working behind the scenes to be ready when things open up again.
So I thought I’d share some of the great (free!) resources and tips I’ve learned recently, to improve your business and marketing online.
1. How to succeed at Zoom
I’m sure this time last year most people hadn’t heard of Zoom, let alone used it. It’s old hat now but do you know how to get the most out of it, to sound and look as good as you can?
This guide is by Jonathan Pollinger, a social media and online expert whom I used to work with many years ago. His tips include how to use slides as your background which is a really cool trick if you’re doing a presentation, and how to adjust lighting and use filters to make you look your best! Maybe it’s vain but I’m sure we all want to look our best on video don’t we?
2. The best image sizes for social media
If, like me, you create lots of graphics for social media then it can be difficult to choose the best proportions for each social media platform.
Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest all have different sizes for posts, profile pictures, cover photos and the rest. It’s impossible to keep up as the proportions are constantly changing.
This article from Hootsuite is a brilliant summary of all the different sizes, with plenty of tips for creating the perfect image proportions. It’s been updated for 2021 and you can download a free cheat sheet to keep handy when you’re creating your next graphics.
➡️ Image sizes for social media in 2021
3. Creating all your social media content for 2021 in a few hours
I’m a member of Janet Murray’s Build Your Online Audience programme (which is brilliant) but she also produces loads of free content on how to write engaging social media content (amongst other things).
Her recent podcast talks about how to create a whole year of content in just a few hours, which although it might sound mad is actually achievable.
The reality for me is that I create a few weeks of ideas for clients upfront, and then write and schedule them as regular tasks, but you can take it further if you want to and plan content for the whole of 2021.
Janet has so many brilliant ideas, and if you’re looking for something inspiring to listen to when you’re on your daily walk or cooking dinner then I’d highly recommend this podcast.
➡️ How to create your content plan for 2021 in just a few hours
4. How to use WhatsApp For Business
You may have seen WhatsApp icons on business websites for a while but not realised how useful it can be for your own marketing. Most of us use WhatsApp on our phones and it’s great as a secure way of messaging friends and family. But with WhatsApp For Business you can message companies from a PC as well as on a mobile device, and as a website owner it’s a great way of marketing your services.
You can set up groups of users to send outbound notifications (with people’s permission, in line with GDPR) so it is ideal for lead nurturing and letting your clients know about your current offers. Unlike normal WhatsApp groups, not everybody can see other replies, which keeps it more private for conversations.
To find out more read this great guide to WhatsApp For Business which explains why it is such a useful tool.
➡️ How to use the WhatsApp For Business marketing tool
5. Spring clean your social media
My final tip for January is to spring clean your social media profiles. How long is it since you updated your profile picture or cover image, and have you considered any of the new ways of standing out in the crowd?
Experts Kim O’Rourke and Jonathan Pollinger have written a free guide which has some fantastic ideas, many of which I hadn’t heard of but will be implementing this month. The new year is a great time to review how others see you online and so hopefully this will give you plenty of ideas on how to do that.
➡️ How to grow your followers on social media
Can I help?
If you’d like to spring clean your business in 2021 but don’t have time to implement ideas yourself, then I can help! Whether it’s planning 3 months of social media content in my Power Hour or writing blog posts, updating your website or creating some graphics for social media.
Book a free discovery call to find out more!
More tips
If these ideas have got you all fired up then read my blog below for my top 10 cheap or free business tools which could really help with productivity!
➡️ Free or cheap business tools