The 2020 Social Media Marketing Guide for Small Businesses

2020 Social media marketing trends have reached a whole new level of tech-savvy 'adulting.' There has never been a more critical time for small businesses to design social media marketing pages that command attention and call for action to guarantee your brand stands out from the competition. The time to act and update your pages is now! And the best news? If you prefer step-by-step guides to follow, you can download my 2020 Social Media Design Checklist here.

First things first, throw that dusty, old, outdated 2019 guide to social media in the bin; it's dead to us now. Social media algorithms evolve quicker than the world's population rate, so it's time to move with the times and upgrade your pages accordingly. 

#1. Check Your Branding

One of the BIGGEST mistakes I see brands make on social media time and time again is to post without a clear strategy or any authentic sense of purpose. You need to know your brand, or how will page visitors understand you, and why they should follow you? Your bio, imagery, and content all need to align to tell your brand story engagingly. 


fullsizeoutput_a86.jpeg

#2. Imagery is EVERYTHING!

Use, and I cannot stress this enough, compelling imagery that isn't blurry. Imagery should trigger an emotional response, either laughter, nostalgia, or curiosity. Read on to discover the 2020 image sizes you should for each page.

  • FACEBOOK: The ideal profile photo size is 360 x 360 pixels and a minimum size of 180 x 180 pixels. Studies suggest a personal photo can work better on business pages rather than a logo to give users the impression they are speaking to an actual person. 

  • You can use video now instead of a static image on your Facebook image, which is in line with the 2020 trend and beyond of video being king.

  • The optimal size for a Facebook cover photo is 828 x 465 pixels.

  • INSTAGRAM profile Photo size: 110 x 110 minimum

  • Instagram photo size: minimum 1080 width for the best quality

  • Instagram landscape photo size: 1.91:1 proportion, or 1080 x 566.

  • Instagram portrait photo size: 4:5 proportion, or 1080 x 1350.

  • PINTEREST now recommends 2:3 proportion using 1000 x 1500

  • TWITTER profile size: 400 x 400 pixels

  • Twitter Header should ideally be 1500 x 500 pixels

  • Images you’re ‘Tweeting’ should be 1200 x 675 pixels

  • Twitter card images work best at 1200 x 628 pixels

  • LINKEDIN: the suggested cover image is 1,128 x 191 pixels. However, you’ll need to play with it and remember that the overlapping profile photo covers a chunk of your cover image. Test how your image looks on different devices; there can be variations between mobile, tablet, and desktop.

  • TikTok profile images work best at 200 x 200 pixels.

 

fullsizeoutput_a8a.jpeg

#4. Consistency Rules All

Few things aggrevate social media users more than brands who appear to be all over the place. Make sure your branding is consistent across all of your social media pages. Ensure the overall look and feel is consistent across all of your pages. 

#5. Go Minimal

A general rule of creating aesthetically pleasing social media page designs is to speak less, visualize more. Our brains process images way faster than we can process wordy text. 

#6. Play by the Rules

Last but not least, make sure all of your imagery and copy are compliant with each platform's rules to avoid getting flagged for spam or abuse. 

#7. Check Your Promotional Content 

Any copy or imagery you intend to use for promotional materials or social media marketing ads should include a clear call to action. Tell the user what you want them to do to get maximum results from your desired campaign objectives. 

Use this downloadable checklist to help optimize your social media pages for your business.












My first blog goes live on Forbes.com

So thrilled to see my first blog published on Forbes.com this week. Click the image to read the full article.

Sophie Wins a MarCom Award for Best Social Media Influencer

I'm so excited to announce that I won a Gold MarCom Award in October 2019, recognized as the best social media influencer building awareness for local businesses. I also received an honorable mention as the most creative social media influencer viral marketing campaign for South Florida businesses without a budget.


The Background Story

A few years ago, when everyone and their mother started claiming to be 'social media experts,' I decided to build my own Instagram account to show prospective clients that I can actually deliver results. Anyone can post content on Instagram; few have the insight and knowledge to grow an account and increase engagement.


fullsizeoutput_7c7.jpeg

Once I hit 10K followers, I was invited to join several influencer agencies. I was given access to free products and services in return for authentic posts if I genuinely like the gifts. When I hit 45K followers, I started getting invited to more events. Introduce my official affiliation with Forbes now as a contributing writer, and we have a whole new level of (online) power.

Sophie Bowman becomes an official MEMBER OF FORBES AGENCY COUNCIL

It's taken two years of perseverance, but I'm delighted to announce that I became an official Forbes Council Contributor in October 2019 writing about all things social media for businesses and entrepreneurs. Hello, Forbes!

SOPHIE FEATURED ON PODCAST FOR UNCONVENTIONAL LEADERS

When Podcast host, Heather Parady, reached out asking if she could interview me on her podcast to speak about all things branding for her army of entrepreneur listeners, the answer was a resounding YES! Check out The Weekly Parady below; it’s full of all types of hints and tips from a slew of leaders at the top of their industry game. Click on my face to listen to the show to get lots of tips on how to develop your brand online.

MIAMI 6: SOPHIE 1 OF 6 MODELS TO DRIVE SUPERCARS INTO 2019

Supercar Rooms Miami selected Sophie as one of 6 Instagram influencers to drive into the biggest New Year's Eve party in Miami to see in 2019 in style.

Check out some of the photos below. Click the photos to watch videos from the night.

Social Media Engagement: Where Did Everybody Go? 

 

Social media engagement of epic proportions is kind of like the marketing equivalent of locating  the fountain of youth.

It can be the Holy Grail of your online business success. If it were that easy to achieve perfectly delivered social media strategies with a huge return on sales for minimal marketing budgets, everyone would be doing it.

So, where did they go? In an ideal world, we'd all be on our own private island in The Bahamas paddling alongside their swimming pigs, but alas, if your content is engaging and your imagery of excellent quality, there is a reason why followers may seem to be dropping like flies... 

iStock-527879743.jpg

 

If you’ve been feeling recently like your online social media presence has been reminiscent of the dating pool for over 30’s (a lack of interesting engaging people and the distinct feeling that metaphorical tumbleweed is rolling by), then fear not! It’s not you, it’s that pesky Instagram algorithm. 

Every other month or so, Instagram updates its algorithm to make updates to their service.

This can be for a myriad of reasons. One being that they are launching new features, another being that they are purging Instagram. Remember when it made headlines news that celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and Justin Bieber lost millions of followers overnight? That's why. Instagram exterminated millions of fake accounts.

As a social media manager, I can usually see the tell-tale signs of an Instagram update within hours, as the most noticeable head's up is usually a significant drop in the usual average likes per post my clients start getting. 

In August, I saw a drop from the usual average number of comments my clients were getting per post. This is a huge annoyance, because we all know that an image with 300 likes and no comments looks fake.

Regardless of how many followers you have, you really want to have a minimum of 10-20 comments per post. 

Unless you’ve been sleeping under a social media-proof rock for the past few months, you will have heard some concerns raised over fears of Instagram being turned into the next money-making machine equivalent of Facebook, where posts are purposefully hidden from your followers unless you plough money into boosted posts and digital marketing ads. 

When this business move was made by Facebook some years ago, it eventually saw many small businesses leave the platform and/or boycott them entirely from their social media marketing activities, instead opting to focus their digital marketing efforts on more open and cost effective platforms like Instagram. 

The only question in my head right now is, if Instagram do take the Facebook route, where are people going next? My guess - an open video sharing platform using a similar concept to  Instagram that may or may not have come to fruition yet. 

How to slay the Instagram algorithm beast 

  1. Like a minimum of 100 posts from the Instagram comments you follow daily
  2. Comment on a minimum of 100 posts on Instagram per day - focus on accounts that engage with you the most and/or share similar interests who are more likely to comment back. For the love of all that is sacred, PLEASE do not delegate such tasks to companies or individuals who regurgitate generic comments on your behalf across hundreds of Instagram posts ever day in the hopes of getting a few comments back.  In short, they humiliate your brand. How? A journalist friend of mine posted a horrendous image of Puerto Rico during hurricane Irma - an area completely destroyed with people who'd lost their homes in complete distress. The sheer volume of obvious generic comments was astounding, but also ridiculous. What sane person would comment ‘Looking great in this image’ with a thumbs up next to such a national disaster? They don’t work. Don’t do it.
  3. Introduce an engagement post weekly which encourages users to comment on your post, or even better, tag someone to make your brand more visible. This could be as simple as posting an inspiring post motivating people to ‘tag a friend you’d love to be here with now’ or ‘tag a friend who needs this product in their lives’ and a Follow Friday image along with the added benefit of inviting users to introduce their brand in 4 words and/or tag an Instagram account that inspires them.

Visit my Instagram page for more tips and ideas here. 

 

 

 

sophie gets nominated for the liebster award

award.jpg.png

As we know, success in the online world is all about reputation. So, obviously super flattered and honored to be nominated for The Liebster Award which is all about discovering the best new blogs. 

Firstly, thank you to the founder of http://lavenderluva.blogspot.com.ng for nominating me - you rule! Secondly, read on for my answers to her questions and my nominations. Thank you please. 

  • Why did you start blogging? I work mostly within fashion, music, beauty, social media and SEO - blogging is a must-must

• What is your goal as a blogger? To share my social media expert tips while networking and having a lot of fun along the way...
• Is blogging your hobby or a job? Both. It's a necessity for my line of business and the brands that I work with in terms of SEO and brand awareness. I've been lucky enough to write for some of the biggest brands in the world, but also, it's just kind of a super fun hobby that happens to be a passion of mine that allows me to share everything I've learned along the way to help others too. 
• How do you promote your blog? Thankfully, I've built enough recognition in the field to drive a lot of traffic organically via engaged followers across my social media pages. 
• Do you make money off your blog? If yes how do you do it? No. I'm a certified/published journalist, editor, columnist and social media expert. Anything I share via my blog or social media are products, venues or services I've experienced (or been invited to try) and genuinely love. I do get social media marketing customers via my blog though, so that's a yes and no answer...
• Have you ever won other blog awards? I've never entered. The majority of my week is spent managing campaigns for clients or making the most of the little time I get with family/friends, so my own stuff (like a plumber whose own plumbing is always rubbish...) formerly took a back seat. 
• What is your advice for new and upcoming bloggers? Find your niche - find something you're passionate about, make it unique and own it. 

FYI I write this as I'm under mandatory evacuation order in Miami, nervously awaiting Hurricane Irma who is rumored to obliterate us and the city we know and love. What can I say? I like to be productive, and being so keeps me out of mischief (mostly...) 

My nominees: 

1. Danny Brown - cool dude

2. Jenn Herman - perfect for social media beginners

3. The Fashion Poet - flawless fashion blog

4. Social Media Examiner - The how-to for all social media enthusiasts

5. Antonia Burrell - my favorite beauty handbook

6. Josh Steimle - favorite Forbes blogger and personality

7. Priya Chandel - be prepared for serious travel and life envy

8. Forma Studios - I'm just obsessed with signature custom concrete designs - #housegoals

9. Vero Yoga NYC - because I need more yoga and relaxation in my life

10. Dustin Constantino - this branding agency is going places... 

My questions for you, nominees:

1. What's the most important lesson you learned along the way about blogging the hard way, and why?

2. What's the weirdest thing about you that you've never told anyone? 

3. IF you could start your life all over again, what would be your No.1 game plan for launching a killer blog? 

4. Where are you right now? And what are you doing as you write this? Be honest (within reason - keep it PG)

5. If you could write about one thing all day/every day for the rest of your life, what would it be - and why? 

Sophie gets nominated for the liebster award 2017

award.jpg.png

As we know, success in the online world is all about reputation. So, obviously super flattered and honored to be nominated for The Liebster Award which is all about discovering the best new blogs. 

Firstly, thank you to the founder of http://lavenderluva.blogspot.com.ng for nominating me - you rule! Secondly, read on for my answers to her questions and my nominations. Thank you please. 

  • Why did you start blogging? I work mostly within fashion, music, beauty, social media and SEO - blogging is a must-must

• What is your goal as a blogger? To share my social media expert tips while networking and having a lot of fun along the way...
• Is blogging your hobby or a job? Both. It's a necessity for my line of business and the brands that I work with in terms of SEO and brand awareness. I've been lucky enough to write for some of the biggest brands in the world, but also, it's just kind of a super fun hobby that happens to be a passion of mine that allows me to share everything I've learned along the way to help others too. 
• How do you promote your blog? Thankfully, I've built enough recognition in the field to drive a lot of traffic organically via engaged followers across my social media pages. 
• Do you make money off your blog? If yes how do you do it? No. I'm a certified/published journalist, editor, columnist and social media expert. Anything I share via my blog or social media are products, venues or services I've experienced (or been invited to try) and genuinely love. I do get social media marketing customers via my blog though, so that's a yes and no answer...
• Have you ever won other blog awards? I've never entered. The majority of my week is spent managing campaigns for clients or making the most of the little time I get with family/friends, so my own stuff (like a plumber whose own plumbing is always rubbish...) formerly took a back seat. 
• What is your advice for new and upcoming bloggers? Find your niche - find something you're passionate about, make it unique and own it. 

FYI I write this as I'm under mandatory evacuation order in Miami, nervously awaiting Hurricane Irma who is rumored to obliterate us and the city we know and love. What can I say? I like to be productive, and being so keeps me out of mischief (mostly...) 

My nominees: 

1. Danny Brown - cool dude

2. Jenn Herman - perfect for social media beginners

3. The Fashion Poet - flawless fashion blog

4. Social Media Examiner - The how-to for all social media enthusiasts

5. Antonia Burrell - my favorite beauty handbook

6. Josh Steimle - favorite Forbes blogger and personality

7. Priya Chandel - be prepared for serious travel and life envy

8. Forma Studios - I'm just obsessed with signature custom concrete designs - #housegoals

9. Vero Yoga NYC - because I need more yoga and relaxation in my life

10. Dustin Constantino - this branding agency is going places... 

My questions for you, nominees:

1. What's the most important lesson you learned along the way about blogging the hard way, and why?

2. What's the weirdest thing about you that you've never told anyone? 

3. IF you could start your life all over again, what would be your No.1 game plan for launching a killer blog? 

4. Where are you right now? And what are you doing as you write this? Be honest (within reason - keep it PG)

5. If you could write about one thing all day/every day for the rest of your life, what would it be - and why? 

Brunch Heaven: Green Eggs Cafe, Aventura.

Only when a friend recommended this cafe did I realize I'd passed it a million times before but had no idea what culinary delights were waiting to be discovered on the other side of the door. 

If you prefer to eat without being elbowed by nearby tables in over-packed popular trending brunch spots, you'll love the surprisingly spacious layout, delicious food, friendly servers and the atmospheric playlist looping rhythmic classics from the likes of Al Green and Aretha Franklin. PLUS, they'll put strawberries in your mimosas - what more could you want? LOVE. 

Steak & eggs with a cheeky mimosa 

Steak & eggs with a cheeky mimosa