With the number of social media users around the world approaching 3 billion, it’s now more important than ever to execute a solid social media strategy as a small business. If you want to stand out against your competitors and make noise in your space, digitally connecting with your customers is no longer an option — it’s a necessity.

Each social media platform offers unique benefits, but which one will tell your business’s story best? When it comes to brand-building, Instagram may seem like the obvious choice — just make sure you’re going deeper than posting beautiful content if you want to see meaningful results and significant ROI.

Fundera created this infographic to break the process down into actionable steps from creating the perfect bio and sharing the right mix of content to perfecting your engagement strategy.

The article below was written by our friends at 99firms.com.

If you are a new entrant and starting from scratch on Instagram, Stories can help you gain followers on the social media platform. This feature lets you share photos and videos effortlessly which disappear automatically after 24 hours.

If you do it right, you can easily boost your brand loyalty. The competition is significant, but the 300 million users that watch Stories daily can be a game-changer for any business.

How Does It Work?

• Instagram Stories plays chronologically as you add content to it.
• These Stories cannot be liked or commented on. All that users can do is see the content in the form of a slideshow.
• You can make a Story interesting by adding emojis, text, stickers, and the like.
• Instagram Stories provides analytics and you can easily track the number of views and other important details.
• Your Stories can be viewed by anyone.

Its Ever-Rising Popularity

Instagram Stories gained a wide traction these days, all because:

• They are easy to create. All you need to have is the right content and an eye for creativity.
• They help you in engaging directly with your end users.
• They disappear automatically after 24 hours.
• They are a great way to launch products, collect feedback, conduct polls, and other activities.

With this in mind, let’s have a closer look at the infographic below related to Instagram Stories:

Click on the image to see the full infographic.

Perhaps one of the most important lessons you learned in kindergarten was to share. And now, that life lesson takes on even more meaning if you’re an aspiring business owner. The sharing economy has made it possible to leap in the world of entrepreneurship using assets you may already possess.

What is a sharing economy?
There is no specific definition that accurately illustrates what, exactly, a sharing economy is. As Money Crashers points out, it’s been called many things including a peer economy, collaborative economy and gig economy. Whatever moniker you choose, a sharing economy is simply one that allows members to lend their assets to others for a predetermined sum.

Investopedia explains that the sharing economy has quickly evolved and is now an all-inclusive term that refers to any sort of online transaction initiated and completed by two individuals, or in some cases, two businesses, outside of a traditional goods and services relationship. A few examples of shared economy businesses include Uber, VRBO and ThreadUp. Freelancing platforms including UpWork and Fiverr operate as networks for people to come together and share their talents and skills. These connections are vital in a sharing economy.

Pros and cons
There are multiple pros and cons to this new type of economy. For one, freelance work allows an individual the opportunities and freedoms to work on their own terms. They can charge what they want for their services. It’s an attractive situation for people who like to travel and those with children still at home. On the downside, work is never guaranteed and there is always someone else with a bigger, brighter room for rent, vehicle to ride in, or more stylish outfit up for grabs.

Getting started
It’s not just enough to simply want to make money. If you want to be successful, you must be willing to take risks and adapt to your environment without notice. There are certain personality traits you can look for, including tenacity and problem-solving abilities that can give you a better idea of whether or not you’re suited for self-employment. Being an entrepreneur requires self-discipline and the ability to get up when you get knocked down. Always be prepared for success and failure. You’ll need to be a skilled multi-tasker and have the ability to understand the fundamentals of running your own business.

Once you have decided that you’re ready, you’ll need to decide what service you will provide and how much to charge. When determining your rates, keep in mind that you will be responsible for approximately 15 percent in employment taxes paid directly to the IRS. As an employee, your boss paid this; as an entrepreneur, you arethe boss. Start slowly and avoid the temptation to take on more than you can chew. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is failing to deliver your best to your first few clients. They won’t come back, and it may be more difficult to convince others that you’ve gotten your act together. When it’s time to grow your business, hold onto this mindset and go at a steady pace. Remember, you are a one-man (or woman) show and you can only stretch so far without flexing your abilities first.

Sharing economy gigs
There are no rules when it comes to what products or services you can sell. But a few ideas to get you started include:

• Rent a spare room in your home
• Rent your vehicle when not in use
• Sell space on your car windows for companies to advertise
• Rent your boat
• Delivery groceries
• Use your muscles to help people move
• Walk dogs
• Post social media updates for other small business
• Utilize Skype to teach music

With nearly 50 percent of all Americans now working as freelancers or contractors, the sharing economy is only going to grow. If you’re not satisfied as an employee, there has never been a better time to become an entrepreneur.

Image via Pixabay

Every successful marketer knows that creating great visual content is the key to high customer engagement and strong brand identity. This is why content creators everywhere are now using social cards rather than regular images to drive more traffic from social media.

Social cards can be posted on all major social media platforms and used for many different purposes. What makes social cards so good at getting customers to engage with your content is the fact that – unlike normal image posts that simply expand when clicked – social cards send users directly to your chosen landing page.

Since creating social cards can be tricky, it’s always a good idea to use one of the free online tools such as AnyImage to help you.

AnyImage allows you to create clickable social cards in a matter of seconds. If you don’t believe us, just take a look at the informative infographic below.