Instagram for business - what you should know

Can you promote your business with images? If so Instagram maybe a great platform for you. If you find it tough to come up with ideas it may just mean you need some inspiration. I suggest the first you do is signup (personal account) then search under the #hashtags you are most likely to be promoted through and see what results you would get i.e. how many other people are using those #hashtags. This will give you an idea of what, where and how to use Instagram for your business.

You can then connect your Facebook business page to your Instagram account and get started.

So, what is a #hashtag?

A word or phrase preceded by a hash sign (#), used on social media websites and applications, especially Instagram and Twitter, to identify messages on a specific topic.

#hashtags have a presence of their own. For example I live in Wellington, New Zealand. So one of the first #hashtags I would consider looking at are my local tags #wellington #newzealand and with a little research I would discover that #wellingtonnz is a very well used tag. If I post on Instagram and used these tags people also posting using these tags are likely to look through the feed for #wellingtonnz, they can even follow this #hashtag so any posts under this tag are promoted in their personal feed - objective find posts that are relevant (in this case local).

You can use #hashtags for all searchs e.g. The #digitalmarketing is one for me as it is relevant to what I do and it has 5.4 million posts. So when I have a relevant post where I use this tag I have the potential to hit quite a few people, building followers, likes and maybe, just maybe a sale.

Facebook & Instagram

Well, just in case you did not know, Instagram is owned by Facebook and is the number two social platform in the world for Business to Consumer marketing. Facebook is number one and by a long way. Instagram allows you to push you post from Instagram to your Facebook page, but Facebook does not allow you to this unless you are buying paid advertising. My advice do neither. Each platform has differences and to maximise your reach and message you need to posts different things using the rules that apply to each platform.

Making Instagram work

Build a great profile, include a great photo and in your details add your website address maybe your Facebook messaging system address or email and a bio that is clean and clear so people know who you are and what you are about.

It probably goes without saying, but if you want to offer a better, more attractive, cleaner feed for your followers, you’ll need to start with better pictures in the first place. Your ‘Wall’ tells alot about you to potential followers make sure you have great images with consistent quality e.g. if you use a filter for your images make it the same one.

FYI: Your wall is the block of pictures people see when they first check you out on Instagram.

Learning how to great photos using your phone is important, so is getting a phone that is capable of taking great photos.

Building your audience

When you start out you need to build your audience and the best way is to connect with people on Instagram who are interested in the same things you are promoting. This is critical no matter what marketing you produce. You might create the most beautiful Instagram content in the world, but if it doesn’t appeal to your target buyer, what’s the point?

Don’t talk at people, talk to them. It’s all about them your posts should be about the audience not you. Take this approach and you are going to be ahead of 95% of Instagrammers today.

Be consistent and persistance, two to three posts per week of high quality will work much better than bombing the market with posts every second hour. Also, don’t go missing make sure you plan your posts and you do post on a regular basis.

Check out your Business insights

To track whether you are getting things right you should look at your insights. You don’t necessarily want millions of people following you from around the world if you only provide local services or products. You maybe more interested how many people in your region are engaged with you.

As we mentioned Facebook owns Instagram, and they’ve introduced a similar ‘Insights’ tool to help ‘Insta’ Users.

The tool offers some interesting insights into the people following and interacting with your account. 

• Impressions: How many times your content was viewed

• Reach: Total number of unique accounts that viewed a piece of content

• Website clicks: How many clicks the link in your business profile has received

• Follower activity: How often your followers are on Instagram daily

• Video views: How often your video content has been viewed

• Saves: How many people have saved your posts

Insights also includes demographic information, so you can see where your followers come from, their age, and their gender.

With this, you’ll have plenty of information about your existing Instagram audience. 

I hope you found this helpful. If you would like to hear about more digital marketing tips please join my message system on Facebook here https://m.me/tonycuttingdigital

I’ll let you know when I post my next blog and you may even go into a draw to win some FREE 1:1 training either Face to face or via Zoom.

Happy Posting

Tony C
Personal Coach / Digital Marketing Specialist
e. hello@tonycuttingdigital.co.nz
m. https://m.me/tonycuttingdigital
w. tonycuttingdigital.com

Red Beef Curry with Cauliflower rice - Julie Buckley

It is a great feeling to be able to make a curry from scratch. This red curry is spicy so cut back on the amount of chilli you add if you don't like hot curries. You could double the sauce recipe and keep half in the fridge for next time.

Beef in this curry can be swapped for chicken, seafood, lamb or vegetables.

Ingredients
Curry paste:
1 small red onion chopped
1 stalk fresh or frozen lemongrass finely chopped 
1-2 red chillies deseeded and finely chopped (with gloves on)
4 cloves garlic peeled and chopped
1 thumb of ginger sliced
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
¼ tsp ground white pepper
2 Tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp shrimp paste
1 Tbsp chilli powder
1 can coconut milk
2 Tbsp lime juice
1 cinnamon stick
Curry
500 grams beef rump sliced thinly
2 Tbsp coconut oil
1 eggplant diced
100 g snow peas
½ cauliflower grated or chopped in a food processor into rice

Place all of the paste ingredients except for the cinnamon stick and the coconut milk into a bullet or blender. Add 3 tablespoons of the coconut milk and blend until smooth. Heat coconut oil in a heavy based pan on medium heat and cook the curry paste until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the meat and cook in the paste until beef is just starting to colour. Pour in the rest of the can of coconut milk and add in the cinnamon stick. Simmer for 20 minutes and add in the eggplant. Cook for another 10 minutes until beef is tender. Finally, add in the snow peas and cook for 2 minutes making sure to not overcook to retain the crunch.

Heat a pot of water with salt added while the curry is cooking. When boiling add the cauliflower rice and cook for 4-6 minutes until just tender. Drain and serve with the curry.

Healthy Eating

-Julie Buckley (Coach/Chef)
Diabetes Clinic New Zealand

If you know someone who would like to reverse pre-diabetes or Type 2 Diabetes get them to message the Diabetes Clinic here https://m.me/diabetesclinicnz

or visit www.diabetesclinic.co.nz

Cherry Berry Chia Pudding - Julie Buckley

Chia seeds are a real powerhouse for their tiny size. They are full of nutrients and antioxidants and are a great source of fibre, making them very beneficial to the digestive system. Studies show they may be of benefit as a prebiotic in the gut by providing fuel for the healthy bacteria.

One of the most amazing benefits of chia seeds is they are high in alpha-linolenic acid which helps to maintain stable blood sugar and insulin levels by slowing the conversion of carbohydrates to sugar in the digestive system.

This recipe makes a great breakfast or have it for pudding if you like. Use any low carbohydrate fruit in this recipe, berries of any sort are a great option.

Cherry Berry Chia Pudding
Serves 4 people

1 400ml can of coconut milk or cream
5 Tbsp chia seeds
1 tsp vanilla essence
5 drops of stevia (optional)
1/2 cup fresh or frozen and defrosted berries (freeze dried are a good option too)
100ml water

Optional extras: Cacao or cocoa powder or nibs, cinnamon, ground ginger, spirulina powder, protein powder, LSA, activated nuts, toasted coconut, maca powder, bee pollen, hulled hemp seeds. Options are only limited by your imagination.

Mix together coconut milk or cream and water, stevia if using, and vanilla in a bowl. Whisk in the chia seeds, fruit and any other flavourings you would like to add. Reserve some of the fruit and/or flavourings to decorate when serving.

Refridgerate for at least 2 hours or make in the evening and refridgerate overnight.

Healthy Eating

-Julie Buckley (Coach/Chef)
Diabetes Clinic New Zealand

If you know someone who would like to reverse pre-diabetes or Type 2 Diabetes get them to message the Diabetes Clinic here https://m.me/diabetesclinicnz

Beetroot hummus - Julie Buckley

A beautiful dip that tastes amazing without chickpeas which can be high in starch. This one contains butter beans which are much lower in carbohydrate.

Beetroot hummus

2 medium beetroot scrubbed and cut into quarters
1 400g can butter beans drained and rinsed
1/4 c tahini (sesame paste)
1/4 c water
Juice of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Place the beetroot on a baking tray and roast for 30 minutes on 180 degrees celsius. Cool and place in a food processor with the remaining ingredients. Puree until smooth adding a little more water if it's too thick.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds and a little more olive oil drizzled over and serve with vegetable sticks and seed crackers

Healthy Eating

-Julie Buckley (Coach/Chef)
Diabetes Clinic New Zealand

If you know someone who would like to reverse pre-diabetes or Type 2 Diabetes get them to message the Diabetes Clinic here https://m.me/diabetesclinicnz

Digital Marketing Tools - iPhone

If you are keen to become a competent Digital Marketer or Social Media Influencer you will need to understand and learn how to use the tools of the trade. One of your most important tools is your smart phone. My choice is Apples iPhone as it comes with a whole bunch of features that makes life so much easier for you.

Like any tool. I suggest you search out great training. I can help if you choose to invest in an iPhone.

My iPhone has been used for many projects and has helped me build my business. Once you have mastered how to use the functions and hold it steady your iPhone will be your go-to tool of choice.

Here are some handy tips to get you started.

Creating incredile still shots with your iPhone

Still life photography might seem tough, but it doesn’t have to be.

Use A Tripod For Perfectly Sharp Still Life Images, To get a beautiful still life, you must avoid camera shake. So for product shots especially your investment in a tripod will be well rewarded.

NB: Camera shake results in crappy photos.

This is because the best still life photos are taken in indirect light. So you’re not going to be taking still lifes under a bright sun. Instead, you’re often going to be taking still lifes indoors or in the shade. And these are places where the light is weak.

That’s why a tripod is essential. I like to arrange my still lifes on the ground. That way, I can shoot from a standing height. I recommend you do the same.

This also gives you a lot of flexibility when choosing a tripod.

Here is a great article on tripods from the iPhone photography school. https://iphonephotographyschool.com/iphone-tripod/

Use Indirect Natural Light For The Best Still Life Photography

But what light is ideal? How do you get stunning still life photos?

Use natural light. And make sure it’s indirect.

Because indirect light will result in soft and even lighting–perfect for still lifes and portraits. I love taking portraits with my iPhone in some of my favourite Cafe’s. The indirect lighting and iPhone ‘Portrait’ setting help me to create wonderful, natural shots of my clients.

Ana Hetem (Life Coach, NLP Practioner) Photo: Tony Cutting iPhone. Location Peppermill Cafe, Porirua NZ.

By “indirect” natural light, I’m speaking broadly. For instance, one of my favorite types of indirect light is window light. As you can see with the shot of Anna the indirect sunlight provides great lighting on my subject - Ana.

Ideally, the light coming through the window is indirect–that is, the sun isn’t shining straight through.

Another method of lighting your still lifes is to photograph outdoors–but only on cloudy days. Clouds act as a giant diffuser. They’ll make sure that your still life is lit softly and evenly.

The rule of Thirds

The final tip I am going to share with you today is a photography tip used by nearly all professional photographers. The rule of thirds is a "rule of thumb" or guideline which applies to the process of composing visual images such as designs, films, paintings, and photographs If you notice the photo of ‘Ana’ above she has been taken in 1/3rd of the photo. This allows for space and creates a story in terms of the location.

For more tips and tricks

If you are truly interested in becoming a Digital Marketer or Social Media Influencer please feel free to message me through my messenger system. I send out regular notifications to those in my messenger system providing more tips and tricks to help you get started.

Message me here https://m.me/tonycuttingdigital

Have a very Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year.

Tony C
Personal Coach / Digital Marketing Specialist
e. hello@tonycuttingdigital.co.nz
m. https://m.me/tonycuttingdigital
w. tonycuttingdigital.com

A christmas gift from the Diabetes Clinic

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from the Diabetes Clinic.

To help you have a healthy Christmas we have created a Christmas recipe book together 17 recipes that your family will love.

If you are keen on a FREE copy simply download the book here

You can have a healthy, happy Christmas.

Merry Christmas,

The Team @ The Diabetes Clinic

Raspberry and Lemon Christmas Tarts - Julie Buckley

Have a very healthy Christmas from the team at the Diabetes Clinic. This recipe comes with a FREE special Christmas offer.

These little tarts are just the thing for a Christmas plate in the lead up or on the day. They have a shortcrust like shell and raspberry and lemon curd centre, sweetened with either monk fruit or stevia.

Raspberry and Lemon Christmas Tarts

Makes 24-30 bite sized tarts
Cases can be made the day before and stored in an airtight container and filling chilled in the fridge.

Pastry
1c ground almonds
½ c ground walnuts (Blitz walnut pieces in the blender)
⅓ c coconut flour
½ c tapioca starch
2 Tbsp psyllium husks
1 small egg 
2 Tbsp butter
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp stevia liquid

Filling
250g fresh or frozen raspberries defrosted 
Juice and finely grated zest of 2 lemons
¼ cup monkfruit sweetener or stevia equivalent
4 egg yolks
75g butter chopped
1 ½ Tbsp chia seeds

Topping
100g 70% dark chocolate
75g cacao butter
25g coconut butter
20 drops stevia

To make the pastry place all of the ingredients into a food processor and combine until the mixture comes together into a ball. Turn out dough, wrap and chill for 30 minutes. Place tablespoon sized balls of dough into well greased mini muffin tins and press with fingers to cover the base and up the sides of each hole. Prick the bases with a fork. Bake for 12 minutes until golden.

Melt the butter for the filling in a medium sized pot. Add the raspberries, lemon juice and sweetener and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and whisk the egg yolks into the hot mixture one at a time to make sure they don’t scramble.

Return to the heat and cook over a low heat stirring continuously to avoid catching on the bottom until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Cool and stir in the chia seeds. Refrigerate until ready to assemble.

To make the topping place the dark chocolate and the cacao butter into separate heat proof bowls. Place the dark chocolate bowl over a pot of simmering water to melt. Do not allow water or steam to get into the bowl. Spread the melted chocolate onto a sheet of baking paper. Place the bowl of cacao butter over pan of hot water and add the coconut butter and stevia. Stir until melted. Pour into a zip lock bag and cool until it is starting to thicken. Snip the corner off the bag and pour lines of cacao butter over the dark chocolate while it is still soft and swirl through.

Place on a tray in the fridge until set and remove and cut star or other shapes from the chocolate. To assemble spoon raspberry filling into the cases and tope with a chocolate star. You may not want to assemble until you are ready to use them as the cases are delicate without the gluten and will go soft quickly.

Healthy Eating

-Julie Buckley (Coach/Chef)
Diabetes Clinic New Zealand

To get hold of our FREE 2018 Christmas Cook Book please ‘like’ our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/diabetesclinicnz/ and tag a friend in the comments section under this recipe and then send us a message “Xmas Cook Book please”.

The 2018 Xmas Cook Book will be delivered digitally to those in our message system. It is full of great healthy recipes for the whole family. Feel free to share your book with family and friends and have a very merry Christmas.

How do Social Media InfLuencers make their money?

Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

Have you ever wondered how social media influencers make their money? Does it just seem like they have a lot of fun doing the things they love but maybe they just have a rich dad or something? They are all just either on holidays taking photos or wearing the latest fashion or frequenting Cafes and Restaurants…

Far from it.

As a Digital marketer who has built his business from scratch, I figured there was much more to becoming a successful Social Media Influencer and making a real career or business from this activity. So, I have done some research and here is what I have found to share with you…

To qualify as a Social Media Influencer, you don’t have to make money, however those who do work hard to build a business or career just like other successful people do. The cool thing though is they seem to LOVE what they do!

You can fast track your social media influencer business or career by learning from those who have gone before or working with someone like me who can leverage my networks and reach and help fine tune your approach.

Anyway to whet your appetite for a career as a Social Media Influencer here are some of the ways you can make money.

1.      Build a following then simple sell them products you love (Products that match your brand/style). There are brands who will pay you a commission on sale if you can sell their products.

2.      Sell you own digital products - can be low cost to develop. Build your followng then offer them something they will love. Kayla Itsines is someone who has done just that. Another of my favourites is Ty Moyer from iPhone Photography School

3.      Becoming a brand ambassador is another viable way for people to enter the career as a social media influencer. Here is a good example of a very talented Brand Ambassador who has been developed by a major organisation JP Morgan she is awesome and possibly not what you would think of as a brand ambassador. This is an example of securing a career and developing into a ‘Employment’ Brand Ambassador. So, does this make you think “there are a lot more options out there for me to become a brand ambassador”…

4.      Social Media sponsored posts. Be careful here, your followers follow you for a reason but if a product or service connects with your market then yes you can make money promoting a sponsored post. You will also need to declare to your followers it is a sponsored post so choose wisely.

5.      Podcasts/Webinars/Online Courses all work in similar ways. If you have something to teach your followers and they are willing to subscribe here is another way to generate a good income. This is how you turn your hobby or skill into an online income maker whether it be how to weave flax’ or ‘how to draw pictures’ the scope here is endless.

6.      Coaching other Social Media Influencers - Once you are making a living from your craft, others will always want to know how they can too. There are multiple ways to deliver this training including (5) above.

7.      Become a digital marketing consultant. Use your skills to build a following for other people/businesses and get paid for it.

The fact is there is so many ways you can generate an income once you have something other people are interested in. Whether you do this part-time after school or work, during your lunch hour or even before you start you start the day give it a go. You may find a way to leverage your way into a career or business that you LOVE too.

Smile and have a great day

Tony C
Personal Coach / Digital Marketing Specialist
e. hello@tonycuttingdigital.co.nz
m. https://m.me/tonycuttingdigital
w. tonycuttingdigital.com

For more tips on Digital Marketing or becoming a Social Media Marketer please feel free to follow my Facebook page Tony Cutting Digital

PS. If you liked this blog please share it with someone you know who would like it too :-)