Have you ever found yourself in a room full of colleagues who are ready and willing to share their social media best practices? This was me last month! As you might imagine, there was an immense amount of learning and resources shared through informal conversations. I’d love to share some of those social media tips with you as well.

This Just Got Reel:
INSTAGRAM AND FACEBOOK REELS 101
Inspired by Devon Boulay of A2Z Science and Learning Toys
Make fun and engaging posts. There can be so much monotony in our lives, so why not add more fun to your audience’s lives (and to yours at the same time?)? Think about ways to make your posts have a life of their own while at the same time reflecting the personality and values of your business.
Stand out and make your audience want to interact. Y’all, have you seen A2Z’s posts (if not, check out this one with the one and only puppet Reel star, Dr. Moody). Having a hilarious and loveable puppet star in their Reels is not only a way to stand out, but it’s hard to NOT respond to these Reels. And it’s hard to not keep checking back to see if he (I mean, A2Z) has posted anything new. Best part? It’s so on-brand for a fun and engaging toy store where everyone feels like a kid again.
Incorporate trends into your Reels. This one is easy to follow. And it can be fun! And you don’t have to reinvent the wheel, which is a nice “toe-in-the-water” for Reel beginners. By taking advantage of trends in filters, audio, and meta tags for social media, entrepreneurs can boost their brand’s visibility, increase their website traffic, and grow their followers. Curious about how to find trends? Check out these tips from Instagram.

Tell Me a Story:
CREATING ENGAGING FB & IG STORIES
Inspired by Juls Marchetto of TeleBelle
Provide your followers value and education. Yes, we love trends and cute posts. But what learning do you have that you can share with others? Check out Telebelle’s example if you are wondering what this might look like. Looking for a place to start? Ask yourself: What knowledge might be useful to others? Better yet? Ask a customer or two!
Create a “Call to Action.” Why ask followers to do something? Because it increases the likelihood that they will do it! What are you asking the audience to do? Like, follow, answer a question…think through how you want your audience to engage.
Solidify your vibe. If your brand was a person, what three words would you use to describe them? Listing those will be a great start to finding out what the personality or “vibe” of your socials might be. For my business, The Community Classroom, those words are fun, professional, and authentic. Our posts try to embody those three words!

Smart phone Photography:
GETTING YOUR BEST SHOT FOR SOCIAL MEDIA
Inspired by Anna Pearlman of Waite Creative Photo & Design
Keep backgrounds clean, less distraction for the viewer. So many of these tips seem so simple, but I’m not sure I ever followed them! I tried this tip out with Anna in tow, taking photos for our social media feed for The Sphere. She also had me use portrait mode and play around with the light settings. These tips made so much difference! Check out the results here.
Pay attention to your lighting. Direct lighting is a no-no! Golden hour (around sunset) and cloudy days actually allow for beautiful, filtered light with a soft glow. Avoid midday, outdoor lighting. It tends to be harsh and allows for a lot of shadows.
Don’t crop off anything that bends (i.e. Don’t crop people at the knee, elbow, etc.). This one is pretty simple, folks. Just don’t do it! No explanation needed.
Looking for more resources? Look no further!
- This one-pager of ‘Let’s Get Social Salon’ Social Media Tips
- Watch the WWLP News Channel 22 interview with The Sphere on social media tips for your business
- These social media tips from Hubspot
- Sign up for The Sphere’s email list and be the first to know about our next event!
Check out our photos from the
‘Let’s Get Social’ Salon last month!
Photo Credit: Hillary Lynn Photography
Thank you so much to the Northampton Arts Council for the Arts EZ 2023 Grant that allowed us to host expert Facilitators for this event!
