Social Media Conference
On October 27, Mochee virtually attended “Your Social Team Conference”, which featured a variety of social media gurus specializing in optimizing Instagram for Business and discussing topics regarding monetization, leveraging reels, incorporating hashtags strategy, and translating your authenticity to your brand.
Your Social Team
After working as a creative at Cartoon Network for 15 years, Manu Muraro, founded @yoursociealteam with the mission of helping women grow engagement and sell with confidence on social media through providing Instagram training and content templates. She kickstarted the conference and discussed how Instagram changes have been happening all along, and we’ve survived them all. To put it into perspective, Instagram is 12 years old now, and significant changes on the platform have been an ongoing phenomenon, not just a new initiative that Instagram is implementing. At the end of the day, Manu emphasized that all these platform changes are for good, as they are tools that enable us, as creators and businesses, to monetize and increase relative engagement on our platforms.
Manu’s Insights on IG
1. Accounts that make it look like it’s easy also see drops in engagement
2. Focusing only on likes and comments may be blinding you from your wins
3. Engagement and followers may be a struggle right now, but there has never been a better time to make money on IG
4. Adjust your expectations: expect to see similar IG numbers to what you saw last month – not six years ago
Confidence on Social Media
The next session featured Christi Lukasiak @christilukasiak, a former Dance Moms cast member. She discussed the importance of having confidence in social media. She described confidence as the “seed of success in online business” and how it’s important to approach it from a place of authenticity. When she was inauthentic online, she said that she “saw a drop in engagement and unfollows.” As a result, she stressed that comparing yourself to other individuals on social media is a losing game, and it’s crucial to realign your own vision.
Her tips for being more comfortable on the camera were the following:
1. Give yourself a couple of tries to get it right; If it’s not working, joke about it and, most importantly, be authentic
2. Play with your angles
3. Use natural light when available (and invest in a ring light!)
Find your voice
Christi’s session was followed by the “Finding Your Voice on Social” panel, presenting Katelyn Rhoades @socialmarketingqueen, Gabby Layne-Avery @struttosuccess, Shyne Webster @designedbyshyne and moderated by Marina Girgis @vivaciouslymarina. Each social media queen had drops of wisdom and the takeaways were the following:
1. Katelyn’s Tip: Achieve a healthy mix of jumping on trends and thinking outside the box
2. Gabby’s Tip: Authenticity is embracing that I’m a forever student – I can teach people things and people are teaching me things
3. Shyne’s Tip: When you speak up and share with people your intentions, your audience will be more supportive and understanding
The next time you feel you’re doubting yourself and even experiencing imposter syndrome, look to these influencers who have been in your shoes and simply be yourself!
