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Dec 06 2018 
OPTIONS: Why is Instagram Shopping the latest EPIC THING?
Who doesn’t love shopping?
We all love getting new things. Clothes, stationery, gadgets; shopping of any kind makes us happy. And with the rise of digital platforms, you don’t even have to make that effort of getting up from the comfort of your couch to do the thing you love the most.
About 20 years back, the boom in digital shopping hit us. It started with the then lowkey eBay and Amazon, which transcended to inspire other players where today everyone has a ‘shop / store’ feature on their website. From e-commerce to m-commerce, we are all about ‘online shopping’ now!
We are now a generation who purchase our toothbrushes online if possible. (Yep, digitization is making us lazy, but well!) Yet if you think of it, who really has the patience to scroll through the website of every brand and everything we like.
This is where, one of our dear online best friend has stepped in to make us sing Hallelujah! In the last year, one of the most popular picture sharing portals, a.k.a. Instagram has made life easier for us.
Frankly, it should have done this ages back because with numbers like 25 million business having a page on Insta, with a total of 800 million users, it had to be the most EPIC one stop shop for all of us.
Let’s be honest here, we DO spend a LOT OF TIME on this app (a ridiculous amount of time maybe) and if we are getting information (I mean gossip) and shopping at the same place, IT DEFINITELY IS THE SEASON TO BE JOLLY!
via medium.comSomewhere at the start of this year, Instagram started to bless our lazy souls by giving us the feature that allowed product tagging. Product tagging, a little bit of the details and the price, all could be seen in one go and a few clicks later, it was time to wait for the delivery of the product.
WHY IS INSTA SHOPPING THE MOST EPIC THING YOU ASK?
Best of both worlds
via www.vate.org.au“Running late! No time!” is our mantra any day any way. Instagram has made life easier by making the app the grand-daddy of efficiency. So while doing the scroll, scroll, scroll, we could not just like what we saw, but also buy it! No remembering it, screen-shotting it or looking for it like a maniac.
Or WORSE, forgetting about that gorgeous kaftan you saw on some page you can’t remember! You can be busy judging your friend’s alcohol choice in one post and scroll down to buy that kaftan in the next.
NO MORE FOMO
via medium.comAs a business, your biggest fear is FOMO! Have you listed on enough sites, do the sites bring in enough traffic and many other such questions bog you down? All that can be easily tossed out because Instagram is a portal where FOMO doesn’t really exist. By designing your content and promoting it the correct way, you WILL get your kind of traffic, come what may!
Story to sell
via allevents.inWE LOVE NEW FEATURES ON INSTA! And with the latest one, you can shop through stories too! With 400 million users checking on stories everyday, Insta stories have its own market as well. Those few clicks of looking for that top which you saw on a brand’s BTS story are now saved!
Holiday season is round the corner. And with it, a lot of parties too! Perfect for business and for buyers. It’s time to go shopping, insta-style!
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Nov 10 2018 
Analysing your social media funnel with the right metrics
Social media isn’t just about posting and throwing out information. It’s also about using the insights into your audience in the best possible way. All this is possible through social media analytics. (We spoke earlier about the numbers that matter to your business. But how do these numbers affect your social media funnel)
via bufferapp.com
Each platform has its own simplified analysis of your page such as Facebook insights, Instagram insights and so on. You can further opt for one of the several paid, analytical tools to get a more detailed report of your audience. But if you don’t know what to look at and what metric is important to you, then the whole point of the exercise goes to waste.
To get a better understanding of this, you in-turn try to figure out of where you are in your social sales funnel.
Every layer – awareness, consideration & conversion, has its own KPIs (key point indicators) that matter.
1) Awareness Stage
This is where you are trying to create your brand value or establish your market. At this stage, you are still new and your focus at the moment is to reach as many people as possible, giving them precise information through your social media channels.
The KPIs that matter during this stage are reach, impressions, shares, mentions, links, audience growth rate.
2) Consideration Stage
Now you have started building your audience. The next step to take is to engage your audience and keep them occupied through your content. Giving them solution-based content and calls-to-action is a pathway to opt for. With call-to-actions, customers who are now considering your brand will get that extra nudge towards reaching the ultimate step, conversion, to being a customer for your brand.
via www.ethos3.com
Metrics such as post likes, comments, shares, saved, average engagement rate, video views, lead rates work as your biggest indicators for the same.
3) Conversion Stage
With a social media funnel, you have successfully made an approach to achieve what you set out for. Your audience is not just committed to respond on the content you offer but has now become a customer to your brand.
via idunn.pro
Conversion rate, CTR (click-through rate), bounce rate, customer lifetime value, CPA (cost per action), CPM (cost per mille), CPC (cost per click) are the ever-so-important yardsticks that will signify the success rate of your strategies and campaigns and eventually your brand.
Module for your content can be flexible depending on the study of your metrics but taking this pathway will make it easier to turn an audience into loyal customers.
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Nov 06 2018 
Social Media Metrics: Numbers that matter
Picture this: You are a brand with an interactive Facebook page, Instagram profile, and an active Twitter account. But all of this isn’t translating into the business you’re looking for. How do you design a campaign to make the numbers, that are the most important, go higher? What are those hints you should be looking at, to strategize further?
Social Media Metrics
Metrics are details such as followers, reach, likes, views, retweets, shares, etc; these numbers are our data that helps gauge the impact our social media pages and campaigns have on the company and eventually, on our brand value and revenue.
via reportgarden.com
Social media metrics help us to divulge deeper in these everyday numbers, become high indicators of our business reach, impact and success as well as help us design our strategies and campaigns for the future.
What are the metrics we can use?
1. Reach & Impressions
While going through your social media profiles, you must have come across words like reach & impressions. Impressions tell you how many times have people come across your post on their timeline, organically. But it isn’t the strongest indicator as your post can be seen by the same account multiple times, and it still counts as a new impression each time. Reach is the index that tells you how many times a unique profile has come across your content. Together, reach & impressions play a crucial part in understanding the overall pattern as well as the quality of your content.
via squarespace.com
When starting a new business, reach metrics is the most important to you. Higher reach ensures that your content is viewed by a new set of people every day, which results in a growing audience.
2. Audience Growth:
Content consumption through the right audience is one of the initial focus of every social media profile. Not just any audience that checks on your profile once-in-a-while but an audience that is loyal and keeps returning to your profile regularly is what every brand looks for.
Keeping track of this metric helps you to understand at what stage or campaign have you received the highest audience and can repeat similar campaigns to continue growing.
3. Engagement Rate:
Engagement rate is influenced by the total likes, comments, and shares. The total engagement divided by your page audience gives you your engagement rate. Observing these figures, points to the number of the actual audience that is interested in your brand and has a higher potential to convert into a brand loyalist and ultimately, a customer.
Percentage – increase or decrease in your engagements can help you fine-tune your strategies and move ahead.
4. Conversion rate:
Every brand has a purpose, which is sales, and conversion rates are indices of how much of that traffic has converted into sales. Where bringing all the traffic, amidst battling changing algorithms is important, the most important factor for any brand is conversions. Conversion rate breaks down how much sales have been recorded against the traffic that has viewed & engaged with your profile.
via neilpatel.com
If your number is higher, means your audience is getting what they came for on your landing page. But lower conversion rate means you need to work on the landing page and also ensure that the right message is being provided beforehand.
5. Share of Voice:
Knowing your own metrics is great, but with thousands of brands competing in the same space, how do you know your brand position? With share of voice, you compare the number of mentions in correlation to your competitors. By knowing this number, you may adopt strategies that your competitor has used and create a bigger & better campaign.
Social media metrics are your step-by-step guide to making your brand successful. It also helps to plan your campaigns with the in-hand knowledge of data and make them more precise, keeping track of these tools and using them to your advantage will pose to be the slight difference in the massive success of your campaign.
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Oct 23 2018 
Social Media Calendar: Create a structured impact
Running a successful brand isn’t easy. Add to that, posting regularly on all your popular social media platforms? You are bound to miss out on posting some day or the other. Or keeping it till last minute, you wouldn’t know what to post and miss out on a particular time you favour.
How do you structure everything and make your life simpler? This is where a social media calendar comes to rescue.
What is a social media calendar?
A social media calendar is exactly as the name suggests. A calendar which helps you plan in advance for your posts; be it Facebook, Instagram or even Twitter. Details such as what to post, the correct hashtags, when to publish, all can be planned in advance.
Why use a social media calendar?
1. Post consistency
Social media is all about consistency. New, fresh content keeps your existing followers engaged and attracts new followers. Miss a moment and it may cost your brand big. As a brand, you will never have a “what do I post?” or “I missed my favoured time!” moment if you pre-plan all your content. You will be prepared for the coming few days or weeks, and posting will be a 2 minute job rather than a half-an-hour panic.
via www.onlinemarketinghq.co.uk
2. Perfect content mix
Maintaining an Instagram grid is not an easy task. Coming up with new set of hashtags customised day-wise becomes tedious. All these and more can be solved through pre-planning with a calendar. Make your content mix, the perfect mix – with posts on information of your brand, interactions with your followers (#AskMe) or even select posts/news from your industry.
via blog2social.com
3. Avoid cross-platform errors
Planning ahead and segregating posts as per platform helps you to avoid mistakes like using Instagram hashtags on Facebook, or last minute editing of captions to be Twitter ready. Another advantage is that with a calendar you can keep track of the correct handles to on the right platform instead of having to search last minute for the account or tagging a wrong account.
via buildmyplays.com
4. Content Planning
Careful and systematic planning = NEVER REPEAT YOUR POST (unless #throwback or #flashback). Having a clear outline of your week ahead, helps you to prepare content for the next few weeks. This also gives your graphic designer, copywriter enough time to devise something spectacular for you.
Curate your best work, create your best mix and put it all on (digital) paper, and YOU ARE GOOD TO GO!
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Oct 15 2018 
Make your Instagram, Grid-friendly
Social media today, is dynamic. Trends are changing rapidly to grab the maximum attention. From worded content, to picture content and videos, digital-info consumption is evolving continuously. Instagram is about pictures & videos and we all keep looking for new ways of attracting potential digital traffic to your account and have them press that ‘follow’ button. The latest trendsetter with Instagram is the ‘grid’.
Grids are nothing but a set pattern which helps page owners attain the look that they have envisioned for their brand/page and eventually helps attract the digital traffic that your brand page is aiming for. Also, it’s always easier to work in a routine and Instagram grids are here to do just that. Specially if we are aiming to be the gen-next influencers that want the Instagram page to attract not just viewership, but also economic gains and business prospects.
3 CREATIVE (AND EASY) HACKS TO MAKE A GRID
1. CHECKERBOARD
Content that is ‘tile’ style. Make a visually appealing theme, alternating your posts between either two theme colours or alternating between a minimalistic slide and busier slide. Think of a pattern that resonates with your brand theme, showcases your CTA (call-to-action) and convinces a viewer to respond immediately. Not very difficult to maintain, just remember to alternate your posts correctly and the grid will maintain itself
via schedugr.am2. HORIZONTAL LINES
Do you want your Instagram page to tell a story, appealing to the people who are scrolling through your page? Travel, restaurant and pages that put up elaborate and picturesque posts, turn towards this style of planning their Instagram posts. It requires careful editing techniques to make a picture into 3 or 6 parts, maintain continuity in all pictures but also has a maximum impact on a viewer about to scroll down through your account
3. VERTICAL LINES
Only if you are prepared to be very very VERY committed to maintaining a grid, look no further. This grid simply requires you to maintain 3 equally attractive rows of content. Your visitors are now hooked on to the creativity (with discipline) exhibited and will keep scrolling down to look further into your brand and the variety of information you offer
via refinery29.comOther than the above, themes can also be maintained with a singular colour background or a single colour border. Something as simple as a plain white border can also help sustain a theme or grid.
Instagram grids give your visitors, instant gratification. A few scrolls and they get the gist of what your page is all about, your highlights and takeaways. Well-maintained grids in Instagram pages give that extra nudge to your visitors to not just ‘double-click’ a few pictures here and there but also add your account to their must-see list.
So choose your grid and start planning now!
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Mar 20 2017 
Sugar Rush – Top 5 Chocolate Brands On Instagram
Chocolate sure can bring a smile to anyone’s face. Dark chocolate. Milk chocolate. White chocolate. Fruit based chocolate. Nuts based chocolate. There are so many combinations and permutations of treating chocolate to brighten up anyone’s day. If you have a sweet tooth and eat, breathe, sleep chocolate, then here are five chocolate brands you must follow on Instagram right away!
Lindt Chocolate
One of the finest chocolate brands out there, Lindt’s Instagram feed showcases their own yummylicious chocolate offerings, along with desserts and beverages such as hot chocolate, cupcakes, brownies, cookies and more concocted using their chocolate options. Formed in 1845 in Switzerland, Lindt’s truffles and chocolate bars have stood the test of time for good reason.
Toblerone
Not all triangles have to be messy – some triangles are a bundle of joy, as is the case with Toblerone bars. The perfect mix of honey, chocolate and almond nougats, the Swiss sure got it right with Toblerone! And, they have also figured out the perfect recipe for Instagram, ranging from featured chocolate products and pancake recipes to cute-as-a-button chocolate look books.
Afternoon essentials ? By @donutscarves #Toblerone #Chocolate #InstaFood #Triangle #MilkChocolate #SwissChocolate A post shared by Toblerone (@tobleroneglobal) on
Godiva
One of the finest premium chocolate brands, Godiva’s truffles, coffee, biscuits, dipped fruits and more are the perfect gift for a loved one. This Belgian chocolate brand was formed way back in 1926, and they now have a headquarters in New York, as well. Their Instagram page captures the irresistible quality of their products to perfection.
Ghirardelli
A US division of Lindt, Ghirardelli was incorporated in 1852, and is the third oldest chocolate company in the United States. Ghirardelli is also quite on top of their Instagram game, with delicious photos of their chocolate squares and baked goods using their chocolate chips, as well as yummy food look books.
The #Oscars are this Sunday! We’ve got you covered for all your entertaining needs so you can enjoy the show. Head over to our Pinterest board for tips on hosting your #OscarsParty this weekend (link in bio) | PC: @modestmarce A post shared by Ghirardelli Chocolate Company (@ghirardelli) on
Hershey’s
123 years ago, Hershey’s was born in Pennsylvania. It soon went on to quench the appetite of chocolate lovers all over the globe. From Kisses and M&Ms to Reese’s and more, The Hershey Company’s Instagram page showcases a bit of good ol’ Hershey history and staff alongside their products, in-store displays and more.
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Mar 17 2017 
Write to Inspire – 6 Hand Lettering Artists to Follow
Remember all those annoying handwriting classes in elementary school? Manuscript. Cursive. Calligraphy. These were the classes that made us think we might have a shot at being a doctor, gauging how messy our handwriting was! So, naturally, when we see something pretty, it is difficult to not be in a state of awe. We came across six amazing hand-lettering artists on Instagram – their work is so good, that, too, in a digital day and age where people hardly handwrite anything!
Mary Kate McDevitt
Philadelphia-based artist Mary Kate McDevitt is a powerhouse of talent to watch out for – her choice of color palettes and simple, yet visually appealing typography is endearing. We also love her penciled out lettering uploads.
Abbey Sy
An artist and author, Abbey Sy’s Instagram uploads reflect a deep sense of distinct style and careful attention to fine details. We love her collage uploads and scenic pics – good overall variety!
Cyril Vouilloz
Berlin based Cyril Vouilloz, aka RYLSEE, is a visual artist who also hosts many workshops on lettering. His lettering and design take up a life of their own, with a 3D touch to it. We especially love the lettering uploads, in which he uses objects, such as real pencils – sheer brilliance and innovation!
Leslie
California-based DIY and lettering artist Leslie makes bespoke pieces, and her work sure stands out. Her Instagram uploads offer a look into her colorful and pretty world – she seems to have a thing for floral motifs, which is easy on the eyes and classy.
Dana Tanamachi
Dana Tanamachi is a busy designer and hand lettering artist. Her choice of rich colors and unique style will grab your attention and maintain it forever. We like the personal touch to her Instagram account, where she showcases her life behind-the-scenes and also her adorable dog!
Danielle Evans
Danielle Evans might not have the biggest following in the lettering world, but when you take a look at her food typography, you’ll be amazed with the innovation. So much creativity! Her uploads are simply a yummy feast for the eyes.
Spamming #lunch since 2012™. ? I spoke at @madeinthemiddle in KCMO and was overwhelmed by the warm welcome and care of those in #themiddle. Lots of hardworking, humble talent originates here, sandwiched between the coasts, among them fellow speakers @ann.willoughby @migreyes @jenniferxdaniel @mikeperrystudio and @benradatz. Many thanks to @carpentercollective for hosting such a kick-ass event. #mitmcon2016 #handcraftedtype A post shared by Danielle Evans (@marmaladebleue) on
What do you think of these lettering artists? Do you wish you had taken handwriting and art classes a bit more seriously now? Comment below and let us know!
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Mar 07 2017 
Lesbian Life – 4 Accounts You Need to Follow Right Now!
We’re celebrating Women’s Day 2017 not just on the March 8th, but the entire week here at Kiss Doodles. Today, we are spotlighting the best Lesbian accounts, ranging from Instagram accounts to YouTube channels and blogs. Check it out! –
Vivienne Errington-Barnes
Vivienne Errington-Barnes isn’t just the Global Head of HER Social App, but is also quite a force to reckon with on Instagram, with over 22,000 followers. She re-shares stunning uploads of lesbians from around the world, and every image is priceless and charming.
Bria & Chrissy
Singing duo and lesbian couple – that’s Bria and Chrissy for you! Their YouTube channel has won the hearts of over 700,000 subscribers. Plus, they have over 75,000 followers on Twitter, 130,000+ followers on Instagram and more than 51,000 fans on Facebook – clearly this powerhouse couple is ruling the world of social media. Their original music and inspiring videos have struck a chord with many people around the globe, as they continue to promote awareness for LGBT rights, anti-bullying and revenge porn.
h_e_r_s_t_o_r_y
Founded by a NYC based producer, Kelly Rakowski, h_e_r_s_t_o_r_y showcases lesbian history. This unique Instagram account is all about lesbian pride and documents culture beautifully.
Photo printed in the booklet for LESBIAN & GAY PRIDE WEEK JUNE 17-24 1979. STONEWALL 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY, 1969-1979. ❤ #dykewarning #lesbianculture #stonewall A post shared by ⚢ (@h_e_r_s_t_o_r_y) on
What Wegan Did Next
A lesbian couple, which managed to conquer the distance between Hawaii and UK, Whitney and Megan’s relationship has drawn nearly 41,000 subscribers on YouTube. And, they have a steadily growing following on Instagram and Twitter, as well. Their YouTube channel documents their love and life, including their adventurous travels.
What do you think of these Lesbian accounts? Are there any accounts you swear by, which we’ve left out? Go ahead and comment below to let us know!
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Mar 06 2017 
Women & Wanderlust – These Women Are Capturing the World on Instagram
With Women’s Day coming up on Wednesday, March 8th, we have decided to dedicate this entire week to celebrating womanhood and recognizing women who are killing it in their field of work.
Today we are profiling seven female travelers whose Instagram posts will make you want to drop everything, back your bags and explore the world. These amazing women have truly done an incredible job of letting their wanderlust take Instagram by storm. Don’t believe us? Go ahead and take a look! –
Jennifer Mel Tuffen is a British travel blogger and content creator based in Turkey. The warm images she captures are simply stunning and joyous, which explains her enormous Instagram following of 2.7 million! All of the images she uploads have a positive and feel-good element, which surely we all could use throughout the week!
Fashion meets scenic locations in Sweden on Elin Hansson’s Instagram account. And, with over 258,000 followers, clearly her charming uploads are resonating with Instagram users around the world.
London-based Amelia Liana is a vlogger, blogger and traveler currently exploring St. Petersburg. Her photos uncover the softer and happier side of traveling. With 352,000 followers on Instagram and over 456,000 followers on YouTube, she sure is doing excellent in the digital space.
Dutch photographer and travel blogger, Jacintha Verdegaal is currently traveling in The Netherlands. She has nearly 24,000 people following her journey closely on Instagram. Her work showcases travel and food and has a slight old-world charm to it. There is an interesting undertone of isolation and emptiness, which comes across in a moving way throughout her uploads.
A travel writer and photographer, Neelima Vallangi has been capturing the many scenic facets of India. She recently quit her job as a software engineer, which must have taken a lot of courage. With over 31,000 followers on Instagram and her work featured in BBC, NatGeo Traveller, Mint, Indian Express and more, Neelima sure is doing well!
Polish freelance photographer Magdalena Bagrianow has won the hearts of over 30,000 followers on Instagram with her gorgeous portraits. She has captured many faces in India. To say her work is powerful and mesmerizing would still be an understatement – her portraits showcase the beauty in rawness.
California native Kiersten Rich sure is having a blast after having quit her job in the finance sector – she has visited over 50 countries since then, which is very inspiring! Life sure seems like one big scenic party on her Instagram feed, which is followed by over 344,000 people.
Know of a female traveler who is gaining momentum on Instagram? Comment below and let us know. In the meantime, please excuse us while we go plan our next travel adventure!
