How To Write ✍️ Your Own Book ~A Five Minute Guide to Creating Your First Product
A Five Minute Guide to Creating Your First Product
Ever wanted to make a product? To create something tangible that people can actually hold in their hands and use? As an entrepreneur, there is perhaps no thrill quite as exciting as creating a physical product – especially if that product is something you’re very proud of, something that you think could really make a difference to people.
What’s more, is that making physical products is still the best way to make money. Unlike a service, a physical product is completely scalable meaning there’s no limit to the potential revenue you can generate. Unlike a digital product, a physical product is something that anyone can appreciate and something that can sell to a huge audience.
To demonstrate the difference here, try and sell an ebook to your Grandma and see how you get on. Now try and sell an ebook to 10 of your friends. Chances are, unless they are very tech savvy and interested in internet marketing, most people you know aren’t going to be interested in buying digital products that they can’t actually hold. MOST people don’t read ebooks and MOST people don’t even understand why they would pay for something they would be able to get online for free (essentially). A digital product on the other hand has very clear inherent value, it’s easy to explain and it feels like a good value proposition. And if they still don’t get it, you can actually show it to them.
For your own sense of satisfaction and for the understanding of your audience, there is nothing quite like making a real actual thing that has a clear function and a clear material value. When you start adding physical products to your site, you’ll find that it immediately elevates your business and that people start taking you more seriously. Only ‘real’ businesses sell real products!
So with all that in mind, why aren’t more people creating their own physical products? Why are there a million ebooks on how to make money from a blog, an ebook affiliate sales and so few on how to create and sell a real, genuine product?
The answer comes down to perception. And specifically, the perception that creating physical products must be hard and probably out of your capabilities.
But the reality is actually quite different from the perception in this case. That is to say, that creating physical products doesn’t have to be hard. In fact, thanks to the tools afforded us by the web, it can actually now be rather easy. In fact, you don’t actually have to do much of it yourself – you can outsource a vast amount of the process and you don’t even need to invest any of your own cash! Read on and we’ll see how this can be possible…
To create your own new product from scratch, you’re going to need a few things. Firstly, you need your idea. From there, you then need a plan to put that idea into effect. This plan should essentially include a 3D CAD file (computer aided design), functional specifications, bill of materials and a minimum order of quantity. You’ll also need a prototype.
From here, you then need to find yourself a manufacturer and order X number of products so you can start selling them at a profit. This will require a big upfront payment/investment.
Okay, so admittedly that all sounds a little complicated. But it’s not. Not in today’s digital age anyway! And in this guide, you’re going to learn everything you need in brief. Then, if you want to deliver further, you can read the full eBook (Your First Product) to learn all the shortcuts, trade secrets and alternative options to help you get there even faster!
In short, by the end of this document, you’ll have all the knowledge you need to go ahead and start building your product!
To come up with the idea, it pays to first think about the audience you want to target/the niche and then to try and come up with an idea in that area. This will be easier if you are already a blogger, or a YouTuber or otherwise have your own audience of some sort. So if you have a fitness YouTube channel with 10,000 subscribers, you might want to consider making a fitness product. If you often blog about DIY, then creating a DIY tool can help.
Now look for ‘pain points’. What are the most frustrating aspects of that thing you love to do? What could be made quicker? Easier? More fun? This is called ‘scratching your own itch’.
Another idea I like to apply is something I call the ‘step back technique’. This is basically a thought experiment that involves coming up with an idea that is purposefully too ambitious and then ‘stepping it back’. For example, you might decide you want to create a suite of Iron Man armor. Realistically, that’s not going to happen. So instead, think about what the closest thing is to that that you could realistically build. Likewise, think about what it is about that idea that gets you excited. For instance, if you decided you wanted to make something that could make you fly, then you might have been the inventor of the wing suit that was recently on the news. If you decided you wanted to make something that made you travel fast, you might have designed something like an electric skateboard.
Then, you need to make sure that your idea is actually likely to be profitable. Is there an audience out there for what you’re proposing? It’s no good to invest a lot of time and energy into an idea, only to later learn that there’s no-one out there who actually wants to buy it! SO do your market research, ask your audience if they like the idea and look at the competition.
Finally, think about the actual design of your product. This is called ‘design engineering’ and what it basically means, is that the look and feel of your product should be intimately connected to its function. You design what your product looks like and how it works around the intended objective.
So if you invented the hammer, then you might have come up with the idea that you should build something that would make nails easier to drive into wood or walls. But that’s not a product. Rather then, it’s the way you design a tool to give that function that becomes the product. This means creating the handle, making it ergonomic and deciding on the shape and material you’re going to use for the hammerhead.
This stage is also where you need to start thinking about resilience, safety and cost. What materials will you use? Could it be make either bigger or smaller in order to save money, or to make it more resilient? How thick should the product be?
This leads us nicely into the next stage of the process…
Creating a 3D File
So you have your idea and a rough concept of how it’s going to work. The next thing you need to do is to take that idea and turn it into a set of clear instructions that a machine can potentially understand. This means you need to create a 3D model, which is a file that works very much like the 3D graphics in computer games or in films. The only difference is that it needs to be a 3D model that accurately reflects how the end product is going to look. You can create your 3D model yourself by downloading CAD (computer aided design) software. A free example of such a tool is Blender, though there are many other programs that do the same thing such as Rhinoceros 3D. This is easier than you would expect to use and you can find instructions online.
If you want to add a circuit board to your product though, then you’re going to need to also create a gerber file. You can do this using more 3D software such as Cadsoft Eagle.
Getting daunted? That’s where the first example of the internet ‘being wonderful’ comes in. That’s because it’s actually possible to outsource this whole process to other people – and remarkably cheaply. Sites like CrowdSpring, CAD Crowd or Idea Bounty will allow you to crowdsource this step in the process. All you do is explain your idea, perhaps add a sketch and then pay the person who comes up with the solution you like. You can get some great designs for as little as $7 on some of these sites and they’re regularly used by big companies. Of course you can subsequently tweak the files as much as you like to get it just right. There is a full run down of these resources in the ebook. Something else to consider is that you can create products using circuit boards that are ready made. For example, the Raspberry Pi can be used to create a wide range of products and you don’t need to pay any license or fee in order to use it in a commercial project! Don’t you love open source?
Making a Prototype
Now comes the fun bit… making your prototype!
What you’re doing here is creating a basic version of your product that might still be a little rough around the edges. But it’s going to serve as a ‘proof of concept’ for you to check over, as well as something you can show to your manufacturers as an example. It can also be used when trying to drum up funding and support on sites like Kickstarter, which we will come to in a moment. So how do you make your prototype? Well there are plenty of options. One obvious option is just to DIY it. This might mean hammering together some wood or building something from card. Really though, you’ll be better off with something with a similar look and material to the intended finished article. That’s why you’ll want to use ‘3D printing’ which is a tool that basically ‘prints’ a 3D model in a chosen material and with no need for up-front investment. Essentially, 3D printing lets you create as many units of your product as you want and you’ll only pay for the cost of the material plus a small fee for the company handling the printing. Of course you can also buy your own 3D printer but these are expensive depending on the type of objects you need. A great example of a site that handles 3D printing is Shapeways. This site will let you send off a 3D STL file and will return your object in the post, made from your chosen material. You could create a plastic action figure for example of yourself and it would only cost whatever the plastic, metal or china cost. Assuming you’re using a plastic resin and the model is a few inches tall, it probably won’t cost much more than $5-$30.
The great thing about 3D printing is that it’s so easy and accessible As long as you have the requisite file, you can build anything you like. This means that in theory, you could actually sell basic products this way. Say you want to build a phone case, all you’d have to do is design the 3D model (making sure to get the measurements right) and then order a bulk of that item for you to sell on to others.
In fact, if you want to make your own smartphone or some other ‘smart’ product, then it could be a simple matter of 3D printing the casing and then filling it with a Raspberry Pi or another circuit board. Again, you could buy each part in bulk, assemble them yourself and then send them out to your buyers!
There are some limitations to this option though. For starters, the overheads will be higher than if you were to create your product through a factory, thus damaging your margins. At the same time, this option would make it much harder to get your product into stores and would require much more work on your part. And you likely wouldn’t have the resources to assemble anything that complex.
So for now, use 3D printing and the other methods available to you to create your prototype.
We’ll then look at how to go about manufacturing that and getting the funding you need.
Finding a Manufacturer
Now you have your idea, your design files and your prototype you have mostly everything you’ll need to send to your manufacturer. But not quite! Next, you’re going to need to create some more documents for the manufacturer. One example is a BOM or ‘Bill of Materials’. This is basically a list of all the different materials you’re going to need. You may need an ‘electrical BOM’ as well if you’re going to be making anything with electronic components. This will list things like capacitors, resistors, motors, LEDs etc. that will be needed for your product. You can also include functional specifications if you are interested. This is basically a document that details things like how you want your product to perform, what you want it to look like, how long the battery should last, how big it should be etc. If you have provided detailed enough instructions, then you won’t actually need this element. Rather, this is for anyone who wants a little more guidance from the manufacturer and perhaps hasn’t settled on the type of battery they want or other aspects. You can opt to include it anyway though if you want to be absolutely clear about the aim of your product.
Finally, you’ll want to include an MOQ or ‘Minimum Order of Quantity’. This basically tells your manufacturer how many units you want made and how you’re going to sell them. It’s very important to include this so that you can get an accurate quote but also so that the manufacturers know which processes will be best for your order. That’s because some techniques are better at producing large quantities and others are better/most cost effective for shorter runs.
We’ll talk about the quantities in a moment because of course it will be tied very closely to your budget. Make an estimate of what you want though and that way you can get a quote so you know what your goal should be. Finally, you need to actually locate the company you want to use for this service. To do that, you can try using a site that lists manufacturers. These include Alibaba and the excellent Makers’ Row. Unfortunately, Makers’ Row charges a fee but it is very useful in that it provides a community, support and more to help you get your projects off the ground.
Funding
Before you can put in an order for 5,000 units though, you’re first going to need the money to invest. You can obviously choose to fund this yourself, in which case you will probably use a business loan (PayPal is good), savings, or money from another arm of your business.
However, this is always going to involve something of a risk as you may not manage to sell all your products. This is why it’s a better idea to try and get free backing from a crowdfunding site like Kickstarter. All you need to do is to create a project page, set a timeline and set a target amount (based on your quote from the manufacturer). Explain in a video what your product will do and why people should care, show off your prototype to build trust and try not to be too greedy with the amount you ask for. From there, it’s then a matter of promoting your page and marketing yourself as much as possible to get the maximum exposure. You’d be surprised how generous people are if they’re excited about your vision! This is how Oculus got its start, Pebble and many more tech companies that are now changing the world.
Finally, you always have the option of finding an investor the old fashioned way. This might mean going to a site like AngelList or Seedrs – but it’s important to note here that you’re going to be giving a way a portion of your business and a portion of your profits.
There are actually many more ways you can design, build and fund a product – and some of them are much quicker and simpler depending on what you want to build. Read the full book and you’ll learn how to turn your digital ebook into a physical ebook with no risk, how to license a product in order to make money from it without having to do any of the leg work yourself or how to create custom merchandise that you can create in less than an hour.
From there, it’s just a matter of creating a store to sell it from on your site or, better yet, trying to get your product into highstreet stores and big box stores. Once again, all that is explained in great detail in the full ebook so if you want to get all of the most advanced tips, tricks and secrets make sure to head over there and check it out.
Otherwise, why not start on your product today? Once you know what it’s going to be
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💰 👀 👀 💰 The Affiliate Marketers Training Camp ~ Boost Your Memory, Focus and Performance by Better Understanding Your Brain
Psychology is a fascinating subject for anyone who wants to learn more about themselves, about the way the world works and about how to have successful interactions with other people. Psychology is fascinating in this way because it provides us with effective models for understanding our thought processes and even what makes us human.
Psychology is used in this way to help us gain more insight as to the way our brains work and even to help treat and avoid mental illness.
But it can also be a fascinating tool for actually enhancing our capabilities. Once you understand how your brain works, then you can look for ways to get more out of it or even upgrade it. In this report, we’ll be taking a look at some of the different strategies that psychology reveals to us that can be used to hack the way our brains work and to get more out of them. And if you can do that, then you can be happier, more productive, more focussed and even smarter.
So, let’s start with a little history lesson…
A Brief History of Your Brain
The study of psychology really began with Sigmund Freud and psychodynamic theory. Of course there was interest in the subject before then, but Freud pretty much brought us the first approach to therapy, the first ‘talking cures’ and the first attempt to really dissect why we think and behave the way we do.
Psychodynamic theory was highly popular and influential at the time but it has since fallen out of vogue. The central concept was that we have unconscious thoughts (not ‘subconscious’, which is a misnomer) and motives. We might do something for reasons that we are unaware of.
These unconscious thoughts often came from suppressed (hidden) aspects of our personality like the Id, or from buried traumas deep in our past. The purpose of psychoanalysis was to talk through
these issues and to help patients come to terms with every aspect of their personality, to prevent them coming out in destructive ways (i.e. creating psychoses).
The problem was that Freud linked almost every issue back to sex. Not only that, but there was no real evidence for the existence of ‘suppressed’ memories or desires. The biggest sin of all is that psychodynamics are completely unfalsifiable. They can’t be disproven, meaning they can’t be subjected to the scientific method.
So, perhaps in a backlash to this, we got behaviorism. Behaviorism looked at the subjective human experience as being an entirely learned one, accomplished through conditioning. Conditioning and reinforcement meant that the brain would learn to associate two things if they consistently occurred together. So, if you consistently experienced being punched every time someone gave you a grape, you’d learn to cringe at the sight of grapes.
The most famous experiment demonstrating how classical conditioning could work, was Pavlov’s dog experiment. Here, he managed to train dogs to drool at the sound of a bell.
So how might complex human behavior arise from such a basic premise? It would occur through layering these different experiences on top of each other. As infants, we might reach blindly and find that something gets passed to us. In doing so, we learn to associate reaching with reward and learn the basis for communication. Further interactions with caregivers and others might help us to develop more complex patterns of behavior and communication.
Likewise, we could learn to walk simply by repeatedly stumbling and falling. We thereby learn to fear certain sensations and to gravitate toward others.
Behaviorists admitted that a particularly traumatic single event could much more rapidly increase this learning process. So, a phobia might be learned either by repeat reinforcement to create an association between a stimulus and a negative consequence, or it might be learned through one traumatic event. But the fact remains that it was learned and the behaviorist approach to treating this condition would be to help the patient ‘unlearn’ that link through ‘re-association’ or ‘disassociation’.
Behaviourism is an appealing theory because it is simple (satisfying the rules of ‘Occam’s Razor’) and because it provides tangible results that are easy to repeat.
But there is a fair bit missing. Behaviorism boils all of the human experience to simple learned behaviors, learned through nothing but repetition. This suggests that there is nothing more to a human than the ability to simply rote learn skills and behaviors. That our awareness is an illusion or a mere emergent property. And that our personalities are completely malleable.
Most of us would object and say that we have some kind of internal experience. And behaviorism would need something to that effect if it was going to explain why someone might have a phobia of a snake without ever seeing a snake, or how factors like our memories or context would impact on our behavior.
Enter cognitive psychology, or to use its full title, cognitive behavioral psychology. This school of thought takes behaviorism and then it layers on top a ‘cognitive’ element – an inner experience. In other words, it explains that our thoughts and that our emotions can actually end up influencing our perception of events and also creating new associations of their own.
So, if you continually tell yourself you are going to get laughed at if you try speaking in public, then you can actually cause yourself to learn to fear public speaking… even without actually having a bad experience of any kind!
CBT might approach a phobia by using reassociation methods then, but it would also look at the cognitive element – by looking at how someone might think about a stimulus or a situation (using mindfulness) and then teaching them to deconstruct those beliefs and to assume more constructive and helpful narratives. This can also be useful for addressing things like depression, low confidence and more.
CBT is incredibly powerful because it has been shown to get tangible results without even requiring one-to-one meetings between a therapist and a patient. They can accomplish wonders themselves simply by following written instructions!
The Biological Element
Alongside all of this development was increasing understanding of the human brain and how it operated in a physical sense.
With Darwin’s theory of evolution came an evolutionary perspective on psychology – the understanding that all behavior must have evolved and must therefore be adaptive to our survival. This is very apparent when it comes to our motivation and our desire for food, sex and shelter but even more complex behaviors can be seen as directly aiding our survival or being a by-product of an adaptive trait.
If you’ve read the full book then you will know by now about neurons and neurotransmitters. The connectome (web of neurons) and brain plasticity can be seen as perfect physical representations of behaviorism in action. Neurons that fire together, wire together. So when Pavlov repeatedly rang that bell while serving up food, the dogs learned to associate the bell with food because they created new neuronal connections.
And we can even explain how some interactions might more rapidly lead to those connections forming – because highly traumatic, exciting or subjectively important events will trigger the release of neurotransmitters such as dopamine, norepinephrine and cortisol and these strengthen new connections and increase their likelihood of forming in the first place.
We can also explain how you might learn by watching (called vicarious reinforcement) – thanks to the role of ‘mirror neurons’ which fire when we see something else happening.
But what is the biological basis of cognitive psychology? What is actually happening in the brain when you visualize? Or when you ruminate?
The fascinating thing that we now know, is that you actually cause areas of your brain to light up as though you were engaging in that activity. If you visualize going running, then your brain lights up as though you are running. Thus you can actually trigger reinforcement through your ruminations and your thoughts. You can thereby learn and even alter your personality, simply by changing the course and the nature of your thoughts. And therein lies our power to heal ourselves and to hack our brains for even greater cognition.
An even more exciting theory that explains this further is something called ‘embodied cognition’. Embodied cognition effectively explains how we think, how we understand language and what makes us human.
So, let’s imagine you’re reading something in English. Of course, you understand this text, but what does it mean to understand text? What does it mean to interpret information?
Psychologists once explained this away by making the assumption that language or thought would be translated into some kind of ‘base’ code for the brain, some kind of innate language that the brain understood. They gave this the name mentalese, but made no attempt to explain what this might look like or how it might work.
Embodied cognition however suggests that this essentially amounts to visualization. So, when you read something, you light up areas in your brain to experience what is being said. So, if you read a story, you picture the characters. If someone explains a concept to you, then you use your experience of the world to build a representation of it – by simulating that thing happening in your mind’s eye.
Even something abstract like math is only possible for us to understand because we have interacted with the world around us and because we have experience of counting objects, of visualizing quantities. In fact, some people with synaesthesia will even see visual representations of numbers as they perform the math. And it should come as no surprise that the maths areas of our brain are situated closely to those associated with movement and spatial awareness.
This further explains how the world informs our psychology and how our psychology informs the plasticity of our brains. We understand things by visualizing them and experiencing them – even the things that people are saying to us and this then causes plasticity and causes classical conditioning. That’s why someone who keeps insulting you can eventually damage your confidence and why visualizing your golf swing can improve your game.
Strengthening Your Working Memory
If you have read the full book, then you will know how this relates to working memory. Working memory was once described by psychologists Baddeley and Hitch as being a kind of ‘store’ for information that you were about to utilize. It was once explained as being a kind of holding pen for numbers, names and other information you needed to hand.
We now know that it boils down to an ability to create an internal representation of information inside your brain, by activating specific parts of your brain. In the full book, we have explained how you can enhance this by improving brain energy – using supplements like creatine in order to help yourself focus on a concept.
But you can also improve working memory simply by practicing it. Meditation is one fantastic tool for doing this because it ultimately challenges you to focus on emptying your mind. To choose a mantra and to focus purely on that. Or alternatively to try simply emptying the mind all together and to resist the temptation to be distracted by other thoughts.
If you can do that, then you can also focus more on the activation in your brain corresponding to your internalized thoughts. You can focus more easily on the numbers you’re trying to juggle or on the names you’re remembering.
And if you can improve this ability, then you can improve nearly every aspect of your cognition because you will be able to hold more concepts in your mind as you engage in conversation – becoming wittier, cleverer and improving your memory. Likewise, you will be able to better visualize where everyone is on the pitch while playing sports, or you’ll be able to imagine your location on a map, which you can successful internalize and focus on. If you are interested in brain training for improved cognition, then nothing will beat meditation for this reason.
But other ways to boost working memory include learning more to strengthen your neural plasticity, as engaging specifically in activities that utilize the working memory – such as playing chess which requires you to store in your memory the positions of all the pieces on the board. Playing computer games, believe it or not, can also be a highly effective form of brain training.
And you can also simply practice using your visualization and in this way, you can enhance its usefulness in real world settings. For instance, if you would like to improve your abilities when it comes to navigation, then you can do this by visualizing routes you take regularly in your head. What turns do you need to take to get to X destination for instance?
Changing Mental States
The usefulness of CBT in a therapeutic setting is similar to the lessons preached by the stoics. The idea is that while you can’t control the events that happen to you, you can certainly control your reactions to those events and thereby choose how you want to interpret them and feel about them.
Some people are highly anxious personalities and this often comes from their inability to focus on anything other than the worst outcome. They find it hard to picture positive outcomes and instead will picture the worst thing that could happen to them at any point. When they are called into the office, they visualize being shouted at and they visualize losing their jobs.
Remember, when you picture this or tell yourself this is going to happen, you actually affect the body and the mind in just the same way as if it actually already happened. So as far as you are concerned, you already are being shouted at and you already are in trouble.
And this triggers the ‘fight or flight’ state – the highly alert stress state that prepares us for battle and prepares us for fleeing.
In fight or flight, the body produces more adrenaline and more cortisol. This is combined with dopamine, norepinephrine and other neurotransmitters that trigger alertness, focus and fear. The muscles contract, the heartrate speeds up and blood is rushed to the brain. We get tunnel vision, our veins constrict and our breathing increases. Blood is diverted away from less critical functions like digestion and like the immune system.
In the short term, all of this is highly useful. In the short term, these changes allow you to perform better in a fight, or during sport.
But when you’re giving a speech, having tunnel vision does not help. When you’re focussing on work, worrying about what is going to happen later on doesn’t help.
And if this aroused state is allowed to continue indefinitely, then it becomes ‘chronic stress’ and that can lead to serious health problems. Conversely, when we are relaxed, our brains become more creative but we can also struggle to focus to the same degree. This is how the brain is supposed to use neurotransmitters and hormones to alter its state – to ensure that you are in the right mental zone for whatever challenge you currently face.
Unfortunately, visualization, rumination and more can sometimes put us in the wrong mental state for the situation at hand – and especially when you consider that our brains evolved in very different circumstances.
So one of the keys to unlocking greater happiness and greater performance is to use CBT and similar techniques like visualization in order to put yourself into the right mental state for whatever the given situation is or whatever you want to accomplish.
In other words, if you are highly stressed and you need to deliver a great speech, then you need to stop focussing on how it might go wrong – which will only work you up much further – and instead focus on convincing yourself of things that can help it to go right.
One CBT technique you can use to help you do this is called ‘cognitive restructuring’, or more specifically an aspect of cognitive restructuring called ‘thought challenging’. The idea is to look at the beliefs that are informing your predictions and your simulations and to challenge them.
Perhaps you think that if you stutter in front of the crowd, then they are going to laugh at you and tease you. Maybe you think you’ll be instantly fired?
But now let’s look at the reality. If you stutter or can’t think of your next line, then you will simply wait. You will simply wait until you can think of the right next line and then begin talking again more slowly. And you probably know deep down that you’re not going to get booed off the stage, or get laughed at. After all, everyone knows how hard it is to deliver a speech and most people are thus very sympathetic to it. More likely, people will politely wait for you to finish.
Teach yourself this and genuinely believe it and you can thereby prevent yourself from being stressed during a speech. The same goes for interviews or meetings. If you can stay calm, then you can avoid narrow tunnel vision and you can stay focussed.
Likewise, you can also use a similar technique to the opposite end – to ramp yourself up, to increase focus and to remind yourself why something is important and why you need to wake up and focus.
Using CBT to change your mental state can allow you to achieve the right mental state at the right time and with practice, perhaps it can even allow you to achieve the coveted flow state…
***
There is much more to learn when it comes to unlocking the full potential of your brain. We’ve only touched on one small aspect without looking at brain plasticity, accelerated learning, focus and concentration or nootropics. There are countless things you can do to get more from your brain and in the full book, we’ll dive much deeper and help you to get a smarter mind, and a better life!
This is a Prelude of the valuable information ℹ️ contained in “The Productive Solopreneur”
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Reverse 🔄 Type 2 Diabetes With This Simple All Natural Proven Method
Receiving a prediabetes diagnosis is a scary wakeup call that comes with a heavy dose of reality, but the good news is you can do something about it. Prediabetes does not mean you’ll get diabetes. In fact, with lifestyle changes and new habits, you can significantly lower (and possibly reverse) your risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes. .Dr. Robert Graham
In Type 1 diabetes, the body’s own immune system damages the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Type 1 diabetes can’t be cured and requires daily insulin treatment. In contrast, type 2 diabetes can be managed by diet and lifestyle changes, although some people will also need medication to manage their blood sugar levels.
Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body doesn’t handle insulin well or cells stop responding to it, causing blood sugar levels to become too high. Over time, if it isn’t treated, high blood sugar causes serious damage throughout the body, resulting in vision problems, skin infections, and an increased risk of heart disease and stroke.
The main risk factors for both prediabetes and type 2 diabetes are the same. They include:
• Being overweight or obese
• Having a waist circumference of 40” or more for men, or 35” or more for women
• Being 45 years or older
• Having a family history of diabetes
• Having had gestational diabetes or having given birth to a baby over 9 pounds
• Being sedentary (physically active less than three times a week)
• Being of African American, Hispanic, American Indian, Alaska Native, Pacific Island, or Asian American descent
While the risk of type 2 diabetes increases with age, people of any age can get it. In fact, the number of children diagnosed with type 2 diabetes has steadily increased over the past couple of decades, alongside the rise in childhood obesity. The number of youths under 20 with type 2 diabetes is still small – less than 200,000 children and teens – but as childhood obesity increases, these numbers are likely to increase.
A healthy diet and plenty of activity is the key to preventing type 2 diabetes in children. Only one in three American children get daily physical activity, yet children and teens should be active for at least an hour every day.
How Diabetes Is Diagnosed
Type 2 diabetes is diagnosed with several tests that show your blood sugar levels. Your doctor will test you if you show symptoms of diabetes. Many doctors will also conduct regular blood sugar tests as part of your annual check-ups. This is important since in its early stages, type 2 diabetes may not show symptoms, or the symptoms may be very mild. You should talk to your doctor about routine diabetes screening if you:
• Have a body mass index (BMI) over 25 (23 if you are of Asian descent) and have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, are sedentary, have a history of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), or have a family history of diabetes.
• Are older than 45. If your initial test is clear, retests are advised every three years.
• Have a history of gestational diabetes.
• Have prediabetes with mildly high blood sugar.
Diabetes is diagnosed through blood tests. The most common test is a glycated hemoglobin (A1C) test, which measures your average blood sugar level. An A1C level of 6.5% on two separate tests means that you have diabetes, an A1C level between 5.7 and 6.4% shows prediabetes, and less than 5.7 is a normal reading. In some cases, your doctor may also recommend a random blood sugar test, a fasting blood sugar test, or an oral glucose tolerance test.
If your doctor suspects that you might have type 1 diabetes rather than type 2 diabetes, you will need urine tests for specific byproducts that are produced in the kidneys of people with type 1 diabetes.
If you have been diagnosed with prediabetes, it’s important to make lifestyle changes as soon as possible to prevent diabetes. The same lifestyle changes are needed with diabetes, and your doctor may also recommend some medications.
Many hospitals and health centers have diabetes courses, and some insurance providers also provide online courses about diabetes.
The more you know about your condition, the more you will be able to take charge of your health. You will need to improve your diet, commit to regular physical activity, and may need medication. The good news is, with these changes, most people can manage their diabetes and may even be able to achieve normal blood sugar levels without requiring medicine.
Diet
Dietary changes are the number one way to help prevent, treat, and manage type 2 diabetes. Our blood sugar levels are directly connected to what kinds of foods we eat, how much we eat, and when we eat.
If you are newly diagnosed with prediabetes or diabetes, it’s important to learn everything you can about how to change your diet to improve your condition. Your doctor can refer you to a diabetes educator or registered dietitian who can help you make changes tailored to your lifestyle, tastes, and medical needs. Working with a professional is the best way to make sure that your diet works for you.
Fortunately, the dietary changes that help you manage diabetes will also help prevent obesity, as well as lowering your risk of heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers. In other words, a diabetes diet involves (with a few specific tweaks) the same healthy eating principles that your whole family should adopt.
The amount that you need to eat each day depends on your current weight, activity level, health, gender, and weight-loss goals (if any). Suggested daily intake can range from 1200 to 3000 calories a day. A dietitian can explain how much you should be eating based on your personal situation. As for what to eat, eat plenty of:
• Fruits and vegetables. The fiber and nutrients in fruits and veggies helps fuel your body and keep you full. However, most fruits and some vegetables are high in carbohydrates, and you may need to limit how many carbohydrates you eat. Speak to your dietician about exactly how many fruits and vegetables you should eat in a day.
• Whole grains. Whole grains such as oats, brown rice, whole wheat, rye and barley contain fiber and nutrients that can help manage blood sugar. Whole grains do contain carbohydrates, and you may need to control how many portions you have in a day. Again, speak to a dietitian about the right amount for you.
• Lean protein. Protein helps build muscles and keep you full. Good lean protein sources include poultry, lean pork, oily fish such as salmon and mackerel, and legumes. In addition to being an excellent vegetarian source of protein, legumes also contain plenty of fiber.
• Healthy fats. It’s important to consume moderate amounts of healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats such as olive oil, avocados, nuts, and seeds.
• Low-fat dairy foods, which offer protein and minerals that help keep your bones strong.
Reduce or avoid:
• Sugary drinks, such as sodas and energy drinks. Studies show an association between consumption of sugary drinks and diabetes rates.
• Candy, desserts, and other sweet foods. Consuming high-sugar foods can make your blood sugar harder to manage.
• Foods high in saturated fats, trans fats, and cholesterol. These foods include high-fat dairy products, red meats, coconut and palm kernel oil, shortening, egg yolk, and many packaged baked goods and pastries. Diabetics have a high risk of heart attack and stroke, and these foods raise your risk further.
• White rice and white flour. Eating lots of white rice is associated with increased diabetes risk.
• High-sodium foods. Try to keep your sodium to less than 2,300 mg a day, or less if you have high blood pressure.
• Alcohol. Alcohol can cause blood sugar to go up or down, depending on the type and amount consumed. This can make managing blood sugar difficult. An occasional drink can be ok if your diabetes is well managed. Ask your doctor or dietician whether an occasional drink is safe for you.
By changing your diet, you may be able to reduce your need for diabetes medication. Some people are even able to manage their blood sugar levels through diet alone, and no longer need medication. It’s important to remember that it’s never too late to improve your diet, even if you have been struggling with diabetes for several years. Even the smallest changes can make a big difference in your health.
Exercise
Exercise is an essential component of diabetes management. Exercise helps lower blood sugar and increases insulin sensitivity. It also helps with weight management.
Generally, adults are advised to get at least 150 minutes of brisk movement in each week. That’s just 20-30 minutes a day. If that sounds like too much, though, it’s ok. Studies have shown that as little as 10 minutes of brisk movement can offer significant health benefits. It’s important to know that with exercise, even a little bit is much better than none at all. Brisk movement includes anything that gets your heart rate up, such as brisk walking, riding a bike, household chores, dancing, or any other aerobic activity you choose.
Strength training is also important, and adults should aim for two sessions of strengthening exercises per week. Strength exercises include lifting weights in the gym, as well as some forms of yoga, Pilates, and body weight exercises (calisthenics). Studies show that both aerobic exercise and strength training can improve blood sugar management. The key is finding an exercise you like to do and doing it regularly.
Before you start exercising, speak with your doctor about how much exercise is safe for you. Exercise affects blood sugar levels, so ask your doctor how to monitor your blood sugar before, during, and after exercise.
Weight Loss
If you are overweight or obese, losing weight will help with diabetes management. For most people, changing your diet and exercise habits as described above will help you reach and maintain a healthy weight for the long-term.
Weight loss does not need to be dramatic or quick to make a difference in your health. A recent study found that people who lost as little as 10% of their body weight within five years of a diabetes diagnosis had better blood sugar management than those that didn’t lose weight. For a 200-lb person, that’s just 20 pounds. As an example, you could lose twenty pounds in around 40 weeks by cutting just 250 calories a day, which is equal to around three slices of bread.
Medication
Lifestyle changes are essential for managing diabetes, and many people are able to control their diabetes without medication. However, some people need medication to bring their blood sugar under control.
There are many medication options for diabetes and your doctor will discuss a specific plan with you, based on your health history and your blood sugar levels. Diabetes medications include medicines that lower glucose production, increase insulin sensitivity, or increase insulin production. In addition, some people with type 2 diabetes may require insulin therapy.
If you need diabetes medication, expect some trial and error as you work with your doctor to discover the right medication for you. Your medication needs may also change over time. Some people find that as they change their lifestyle, their need for medication is reduced. Others may find that they need to add medication over time. Check in with your doctor regularly to make sure that your current prescriptions are still the best for you.
Monitoring Blood Sugar
Anyone with diabetes will quickly get used to checking their blood sugar levels. If you are on non-insulin medication or can control your diabetes through diet and exercise, you may not need to check your blood sugar daily. However, if you are on insulin, you will need to check blood sugar levels as often as two to ten times a day.
Your doctor will give you specific blood sugar targets based on your age, other health conditions, severity of diabetes, and other personal considerations. Generally, the American Diabetes Association recommends a target blood sugar range of 80 to 130 mg/dL (4.4 to 7.2 mmol/L) before meals, and less than 180 mg/dL (10.0 mmol/L) two hours after meals.
To test your blood sugar, you will need a device called a glucose meter (glucometer). Your doctor or diabetes educator can recommend the right device for you and teach you how to use it. It’s important to carefully follow the instructions on any device you choose. Generally, to test your blood sugar, you will wash and dry your hands, insert a test strip into your machine, prick your finger with a needle or lancet, squeeze out a drop of blood, and touch the test strip to the blood.
Testing your blood sugar helps you manage your medication, and it also gives you valuable insights that can help you take control of your health. If you combine your blood sugar levels with notes about your diet and exercise habits, health, stress levels, and sleep, you will begin to understand how different foods and life events affect your blood sugar.
Bariatric Surgery
Some people who struggle to control their weight in other ways benefit from bariatric surgery. Surgery can help those with a body mass index (BMI) over 35 who have tried and failed other methods to control their weight.
In bariatric surgery, the size of the stomach is surgically altered or a portion of the small intestine is bypassed. Bariatric surgery often produces dramatic improvements in blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. However, the surgery can have serious side effects and requires life-long lifestyle changes.
If you are considering surgery, speak with your doctor about the risks and benefits. If surgery is right for you, many health insurance plans will cover the costs.
Diabetes Complications to Watch Out For
Vision Problems
High blood sugar damages the tiny blood vessels throughout the body. The blood vessels in your eyes are particularly delicate and susceptible to damage. When blood sugar is too high for too long, blurry vision can result. If this is caught early enough, the blood vessels can heal and vision may return to normal. However, if left untreated, vision problems may become permanent, and blindness is a possibility. More than two in five Americans with diabetes have some vision problems. The risk of vision problems is higher if you are also a smoker.
Your best defense against vision loss is to keep your blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol within normal ranges, and have a full eye exam each year, which can help catch problems early. If you smoke, speak to your doctor about ways to quit.
Slow-Healing Wounds
As well as damaging the blood vessels in the eyes, high blood sugar can also damage blood vessels in the legs and feet. This leads to reduced circulation in the feet, which can slow the healing of any small injuries. In addition, diabetes can damage nerves in your extremities which can lead to a condition known as peripheral neuropathy, or reduced sensation in the feet and legs. As a result of this nerve damage, people with diabetes sometimes don’t feel small blisters, splinters, cuts, or other small wounds in their feet and legs.
Combined with a weaker immune system and slow circulation, a small, unnoticed blister can quickly turn into a serious infection. In some cases, infected tissue has to be surgically removed, and amputation may be required. Fortunately, thanks to better diabetes care, the number of people with diabetes who require amputation has dropped over the past 20 years.
Prevention is your best option to avoid infected wounds. Carefully look after your feet and legs and visit your doctor at the first signs of a problem. Wash and dry your feet daily, regularly inspect your feet for injuries, and always wear clean socks and shoes to help prevent blisters, scratches, bug bites, and other injuries. Regular visits with a podiatrist can help spot problems before they become serious.
Heart Disease and Stroke
• Keep your blood sugar within normal ranges
• Lower your blood pressure to less than 120/80
• Lower your cholesterol to less than 200 mg/dL
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Quit smoking
Fortunately, the same lifestyle changes that help you manage your diabetes will also help you lower your blood pressure and cholesterol and reach and maintain a healthy weight. In some cases, your doctor may also prescribe medications to help you manage your blood pressure and cholesterol.
Conclusion
Expand Your Business Reach With Instagram Marketing Mastery
Expand Your Business Reach With Instagram Marketing Mastery
Using Instagram can be beneficial for all types of businesses. Whether you own a small hardware store or a high-end luxury boutique,
Instagram is the perfect platform to help you market your products. This is because it provides your company with significant online exposure and appeals to your more visual audience, which leads to more sale conversions and profits.
Building on solid Instagram strategies helps to attract your targeted audience and increase your customer base. Small and medium sized businesses sometimes shy away from using Instagram; however, trends have shown that Instagram works. With more traditional marketing mediums becoming less compelling to younger audiences, it’s important to maintain a steady stream of new and/or young people to grow your business.
Some businesses believe that if you don’t have a visually appealing product to showcase Instagram is probably not worth the hassle but that is the farthest thing from the truth. Businesses that sell services and products can all benefit from Instagram. The key is to push your brand more often than your products in order to gain greater brand recognition and influence on Instagram.
Compelling content that drives audience engagement is key. Posting with Purpose and having high quality content can spark conversations and optimize engagement. Whether it’s an expertly photographed image or a series of videos, content creation is the backbone of successful Instagram Business accounts.
However, engaging content is not enough to keep up with the business trends on Instagram. To properly leverage your account, you will want to engage with your customers and audience often. This can be through giveaways, contests, targeted campaigns and other ideas.
Many businesses use Instagram instead of traditional advertisement space to make their followers aware of deals and sales they are hosting. It is also a powerful platform to capture leads and generate new revenue. In this guide we will go over all of the best practices of establishing your small business on Instagram.
Instagram is a very visual platform which is why compelling content is key to getting your followers to stop and actually read or view your post. There are many ways to do this, but the number one way is to always be authentic and genuine in your branding and message. What are you company’s core values? What is a catch phrase associated with your company? What demographics does your company primarily serve? These are just a few of the questions you will want to ask yourself when taking your brand online to Instagram. Many of these factors have already been established but your messaging needs to be tailored and curated for Instagram.
The best way to make sure you have Instagram content that resonates with your audience is to consistently post relevant content and plan it out. Some small businesses decide to hire a social media manager or social media planners that are already skilled in these areas. These specialists are creative and have experience in creating words and imagery for brands to generate leads and sales. If you are not in the position to hire a social media planner just yet, you can give it a go yourself. It may take some experimenting to learn what captions and posts work best for your audience, but it is totally achievable.
Pick a theme based on your business or industry and create a brand guide that includes your company’s logo, colors and fonts. Creating unique branding can ensure that whenever your content is seen, people know just by viewing a post that it belongs to your company or brand. It’s wise to learn and implement Canva, a simplified graphic design tool as it will come in handy to create visually engaging images and graphics.
The best way to optimize your Instagram feed and plan what to post is to consider a website that schedules your content out over time. Whether it’s two weeks or one month in advance, have an editorial calendar can be really beneficial and reduce the time spent to create posts.
There are thousands of social media management tools and schedulers for Instagram on the market so deciding which one works best is all up to you. You may decide to start with one platform and then change direction based on new needs and that is perfectly okay. Platforms such as Buffer, Hootsuite, Plann, and Later are some of the more popular options on the market today. These apps will help you visually layout your content and help generate ideas of clever things for you to post. What to post:
The type of business you have will dictate what you post. Research the competition and likeminded businesses to see what they’re posting and the hashtags that they are using to drive engagement. Use this as inspiration for what your content should like. What other businesses are in your industry or niche that are performing very well on Instagram?
If you are selling products, you could create quick 30 second tutorials on how to use them. If you are offering a service, you could create quotes and statistics about your industry to inform your audience of trends and current best practices. Memes are also pretty popular and if you find some popular ones that are already created that takes the duty of content creation out of your hands.
Videos are pretty popular on Instagram ad well. Utilizing Instagram TV could give you a significant advantage as they are always on the Explore Feed of Instagram. Instagram is a fantastic way to connect with your audience and create expertise-like credibility with them.
Another great content idea is to create behind the scenes videos of your business such as product creation or a in depth look at your storefront, factory or wherever your place of business is. Show your audience how ideas come to fruition and you will gain their trust.
Using your existing customer’s social media to showcase testimonials is also a great idea. Do you have repeat customers who are loyal to your brand that use Instagram? If they are not already posting about you, you should reach out to them and ask them to if they are satisfied with your business. This brings us to our next point which is influencers.
Many businesses are turning to creative agencies who hire influencers and micro-influencers that are already using similar products or services and pay them to push and advocate for your brand. The word “influencer” includes a wide range of socially informed experts. Skincare, beauty, “foodies” and tech influencers, among others, will help businesses to accomplish what can be challenging demographics. According to Buffer.com, recent studies show that 70 per cent of millennial consumers are influenced by their peer’s recommendations for purchasing decisions on brands.
You could curate a press package and send it to influencers so that they can try out your product and give a review. User generated content enables advertisers to share this information through their social media accounts in order to build social proof and gain trust.
User generated content is bringing real customers into the fold. This will increase your credibility score, while consumers will be delighted to see their content shared or retweeted. Leveraging influencers and micro influencers and featuring them on your feed and stories with product placement or services can help to create authenticity and bridge the gap between your brand and a larger and steady audience.
Giveaways
If you implement it the right way, giveaways can help establish your Instagram account and brand, build loyal customers and an active audience who will share your incredible products or services with a wider audience than you can organically. Decide on what it is that you want to give away. Whatever the service, product, or experience you’re giving away as your reward should be interesting to your audience. This will differ contingent on your goal. For example, if your goal is to spread awareness about product launch, you should most likely to give away the specific product as your reward.
Reaching out to other similar brands is also a great idea to cross-promote. Brand partnerships are especially helpful for younger, newer businesses. Aligning yourself with other reputable businesses and outlets can help to build your credibility. Move this process along by working with brands in your industry. Exchanging content or co-hosting an event and promoting it on Instagram and other social media platforms can push your businesses way farther than doing it alone. Your content will be twice as powerful with half of the effort.
Snapping Photos & Creating Videos
If you are creating content in house there are tons of apps on the market that can help you get started with producing great photography and videos. Below we will outline some of the most popular apps and websites to help you jumpstart your Instagram content.
For high quality photos:
• Afterlight 2 is a pretty popular and powerful iOS-only photo editing solution. It’s pretty affordable and offers a lot of tools to make the perfect edits. It’s a flexible platform that works both for portrait shots and for capturing candid photos. A number of filters are included along with color and overlay capabilities.
• Lightroom is a dependable mobile version of the much-loved Adobe suite platform. The application has a variety of presets that add a beautiful picturesque quality to your images. The free version is easy to use and has a sophisticated look, with color and lighting features that will take your Instagram photos to the next level. Even better, if you opt for the paid subscription option you can unlock tons of more tools and features to enhance your images.
If you want to start creating video sooner than later there is good news. There are thousands of mobile applications and web-based apps that exist now that can take your video to next level. Good news: There are a number of free and inexpensive video editing applications and tools you can download that run from super simple to powerful in-depth abilities. Some of the more popular options are listed below:
• Magisto is an online video editor with a web application and a mobile app for automated video editing and production for businesses and consumers. According to the website, Magisto uses Artificial Intelligence technology to make video editing quick and easy.
• Inshot is a HD video editor that allows you to trim and cut video and movies, add music and video effects to stand out amongst the competition. It helps you create and edit videos with ease across multiple platforms, not just Instagram.
• Hyperlapse is an application that allows you to create time-lapse photography, method that enables your photographs to become motion pictures.
Optimizing Your Hashtags
Optimizing your hashtags is a great best practice to make sure that your relevant audiences are finding and following you. There are a host of websites and apps that can help guide to using hashtags in a smart and manageable manner. When you use the right hashtags, you directly help Instagram organize and arrange your posts. This will help them reach people who value your products and your brand. But is important to know how to use them effectively.
There is a balancing act to using hashtags. You need to balance the ability to use common hashtags against the possibility of being squeezed out of trending and high-demand topics. This is similar to SEO in many ways. As you try to search for keywords in the Google search engine that are more generic, you will get more broad and generic results back.
Your business will do much better if you choose to rank for long-tail terms and curated hashtags. For example, if your business sells skincare products and solutions, using a hashtag such as #hyperpigmentation is more curated than going for an already very saturated hashtag like #skin care products or # beauty products. This directly targets an audience and consumers who may be looking for help with hyperpigmentation issues.
This is one of the main reasons why you need to provide some “long tail” hashtags in your posts. It will make it easier for your posts to compete with thousands, sometimes millions, of others using common hashtags. It is also wise to stay abreast of trending topics and use trending hashtags on your posts because it is current, and many people follow what’s new and relevant.
In 2018 Instagram enabled the capability for followers to follow hashtags. This enables users to stay up to date on new posts that feature certain hashtags that they deem relevant to them. It is also wise for your business to follow certain hashtags to stay in the loop on the content that is being generated and it could help you identify new trends and inspire your own feed.
There are even websites and apps that will help you generate the best hashtags to use based on your brand and show you how other competitors are performing with those hashtags. Websites such as Ingramer.com and apps such as #HashMe are the perfect place to start if you need to get insight on what could work for your business.
The Instagram Algorithm
The long-debated concept of the Instagram Algorithm has seen much criticism since its inception. No longer are users seeing content from their closest friends and family first, but instead they’re being shown content of that the algorithm thinks they’d like the most. It used to be complex to understand, but in an effort to increase Instagram’s transparency Instagram released more details on this last year.
According to their latest reports, posts are prioritized based on three key factors of the user: interest, timeliness, and the relationship the user has with the accounts they are following. Understanding these trends can help Instagrammers to reach their desired number of Instagram impressions and followers.
Many experts have written articles and think pieces attempting to debunk the algorithm, but the main takeaways have been the same: Instagrammers who post consistently and engage with their audiences consistently are given priority on the timeline over other posts. This is important to note as you are building up your account on the platform.
The primary goal of Instagram is to increase the time that users spend on the platform. The longer the users stay, the more advertisements they display. So, directly or indirectly, the accounts that help Instagram achieve that goal will be rewarded.
Instagram Insights
Using Instagram’s built-in insights is a great benefit for accounts that are signed up as businesses. This tool gives you actionable information on how you can reach more people and meet your business goals. The tool has information on the demographics of your followers, your most liked posts, your activity and more.
It is wise to check this often to understand the times and dates that you are audience is online and the type of content they are engaging with the most. You can also learn what actions people are taking once they click on your profile. If they decided to visit your website or clicked on your profile based on a post, you will know it by checking the insights. Knowing your best performing content can help you generate more ideas to produce similar posts instead of doing your own research and trying to come up with what you think is best.
The downside of Instagram analytics is that it only lets you see about a week’s worth of growth from the app. To track the growth of your account with more detail and insights you can use third party apps and websites such as Later.com or PlannThat.com.
Building trust with your Instagram community
Businesses and marketing companies today face a massive challenge in trying to reach out to young consumers. According to a study conducted by executives from Crowdtap, Weight Watchers, and MRY 84% of Millennials do not like or trust traditional advertising.
Building trust on Instagram is easy, just use the same methods and strategies that you use in other areas. Your brand needs to have reputable products or services, and your message needs to be authentic. Share a clear, sharp vision of what your company stands for. This includes your company’s core values, philosophies, and outlooks.
Social media and brand-loyalty go together, hand-in-hand. It’s a modern method that helps brands engage emotionally by building trust with their consumer base. Pay careful attention to the type of content that engages users and focus on delivering it, and people will simply want to learn more about your brand.
To build a consumer-facing business, you need to use good marketing strategies and techniques. Businesses that have a hazy stance on community concerns will not get very far when trying to attract new customers or sell to existing customers.
Customers want authenticity that they can relate to. Making sure that you provide valuable content that solves a problem or answers a question is a great way to build up trust and increase audience retention.
Take communication to the next level by enabling consumers to post their photos and videos of their products on social media. Today, customers want real people to use the product before buying it themselves. The best way to get prospects and repeat customers to engage and follow you is to get in front of them and provide relevant information.
It’s particularly important to spend time on your own Instagram account, as well as participate on other relevant sites. Consider sponsoring user-generated content to get your brand in the feeds of your customers. You can also hold an Instagram contest to bring attention to your brand, while appealing to a slightly different segment of your target audience.
Social media platforms foster two-way and group conversations. Use proven techniques to promote discussion and stay around to respond. Regramming and commenting on customer posts about your brand can also promote brand loyalty.
Don’t be spammy. What is this you might ask? Well it is when the content you are posting or the comments you leave under other accounts don’t appear authenticate or meaningful. This is harmful because it usually results in people unfollowing you or engaging less with your own content.
You’re probably eager to tell Instagrammers all about your awesome products or services. But before you post a glaring ad, take a break. Social media users rate over-promotion as their top pet peeve. Don’t break your audience’s trust by being spammy. Pay close attention to the type of content that attracts users and focus on providing that, and people naturally want to know more about your brand.
Address negative feedback sooner than later
If you are running an Instagram business account, it’s almost impossible to avoid getting negative feedback even if your products are the best first in class products around. Simply put, you just can’t meet the expectations and demands of every consumer.
Customers are now flocking to social media platforms, when they are dissatisfied, where they can complain about your product or service and get a response. It’s easy to leave feedback on social media, as customers can reach you wherever they are, especially since it is sometimes quicker than calling a customer service number and being put on hold or e-mailing a company for help to receive a response days later.
Consumers want and need to be heard. Especially if their business originated from them seeing a product on your Instagram for the first time. Instagram has become an important part of customer service, and selling your products is not enough to enhance authenticity. Even when a mishap is not 100% your company’s fault or if things are a misunderstanding, consumers almost always take the other consumers side. Most small businesses do not have a Public Relations Specialist on hand that they can dial up in a crisis. It is best to address things quicker than later, even if you don’t have all the facts prepared when it happens.
Recognize and acknowledge the customer’s problem quickly. Don’t wait until things snowball and then other customers are alerted. This gives other customers the opportunity to air their grievances with your company as well. You do not have to have another way. You really do not need a solution right away, but it is important to be transparent and open to what your customers have to say. The last thing you want is for the issue to go viral because you didn’t take action soon enough or tried to ignore the issue.
It is also important not to address every negative third party that might chime in or have no business with your company at all. The internet calls these people “social media trolls”. These people just want to join in on the conversation and stir up trouble for the fun of it. It is important to be able to discern between genuine dissatisfaction in your customers and those who get a kick out of it trolling.
When you finally do come to a resolution there is nothing wrong with doing a PSA of sorts to let the rest of your audience know that an issue has been handled. This will help reaffirm their trust in your brand and confirm that your company is proactive when mistakes do happen.
Brands that have successfully used Instagram:
There are hundreds of businesses and brands that are successfully executing Instagram campaigns and have case studies you can learn from. Instagram is growing larger each day and it is one of the go-to platforms and best places for businesses to invest in ad space. From smaller startups to the largest global brands, everyone is using Instagram in some shape or form, to boost their business. Below we will outline some of the most notable business case studies, which use it effectively, and their results.
Adidas #My Neo Shoot
As one of the top brands in apparel and footwear, Adidas has utilized social media marketing to surpass its competition. In 2018 Adidas executed a campaign called #My Neo Shoot. to promote their Neo brand which launched in 2012.
The Neo brand was a new subset division of Adidas geared towards trendy, youthful consumers. They invited their followers to create Adidas-inspired Instagram posts with the hashtag and labeling them with the hashtag #My Neo Shoot. They then invited the best content creators were to model in a professional photo shoot for them and share their branded photos with engaging social media followers and on Adidas own account as well. They even recruited Selena Gomez to help with the contest.
As a result, the campaign generated 71,000 mentions of the #My Neo Shoot for Adidas. The hashtag also enabled them to gain 41,000 new followers. This was a splendid example to show that a creative contest is enough to engage your viewer and to underscore the importance of social media influencers.
Old Spice
The Old Spice brand is somewhat known for its reputation for their clever and quirky ad campaigns but sometimes credibility can be more of a burden than a reward. How does Old Spice stay on the forefront of edgy advertising? How do you create engaging marketing assets when your target audience already has clear expectations for you to be creative? The answer for Old Spice was to focus efforts into unknown territory: social media with their Dream Runner Campaign.
In 2016, Old Spice introduced The Dream Runner campaign. The campaign encouraged their followers to win things by posting photos of their running routes in the shape of a prize they wanted to win – complete with the hashtag #run old spice.
Using the thousands of apps that are out there, runners tracked their daily runs and highlighted the routes they took across the different cities to win prizes. Their campaign motto was “If you can run it, you can own it.” It was a case study of how to use your audience’s favorite activities and interests to boost your campaign.
Once again, this campaign showed how, prominent Instagrammers played a major role in helping Old Spice hit their campaign goals. It’s also a great example of reducing marketing pressure by selecting influencers that already fit the brand’s ideals to promote the brand and their products that would be enjoyed by the majority of people who were exposed to the advertisement.
Camp Brand Goods:
Camp Brand Goods is a great example of a smaller company getting in on the Instagram trend. Their brand is inspired by the outdoor and travel niche and lifestyle.
According to Business.com, the brand created the #keepitwild contest which awarded a weekly t-shirt to users who posted the most original photo with this hashtag. They ran this contest to increase their followers and increase engagement. During the competition, the company partnered with other Instagram users who are well known in the outdoor world and helped them attract more followers.
Monetizing Strategies to Drive Sales
Instagram has now added the ability for qualified, eligible businesses to tag their products in posts. This practice is called “shoppable media.” Customers can get details about your products from your posts and purchase them.
Once you have enabled a shoppable post customers can click on the link directly from Instagram and it will take them to a checkout page on your whatever landing page or e-commerce website you have your products on. To do this you will also need a Facebook for Business account to setup a catalog of your products. Unfortunately, this isn’t available for business selling services but there are other ways to connect your services through Instagram.
Utilizing Instagram stories is great for both businesses selling products and services. If you have Instagram businesses account over a certain following you can advertise to consumers directly from your stories and enable a call-to-action for them to swipe up to view more about whatever it is that you are selling.
Use this guide to learn how to properly start executing your Instagram strategy. All-in-all focus your efforts on the solutions you deliver to your customers and not just the products. Instagrammers want to know how your brand and products can deliver value to their everyday life.
You may think it’s better to be broader with your messaging to gain more followers, but the more niche your tactics are the better for conversion of followers into actual buyers. Keeping your customers interested is a key part of any successful marketing campaign. Don’t underestimate the potential value that Instagram has to grow your business.
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