Hey! I'm Amy Riordan, a Coeur d'Alene Commercial Photographer & Social Media Strategist. On April 5th, I had the honor of teaching a Social Media Bootcamp for KCYP. This bootcamp was designed to spark motivation & inspiration into our local community to be more consistent & applicable in online media - specifically on Facebook, Instagram & Tik Tok. 

The Details

Creating content for your business can be difficult, especially if you find yourself feeling less than professional on your social media platforms. It's important to take inventory of everything that you have posted, any content that you have on your phone that has yet to be featured & ultimately why you feel the way that you do. What is it that has you feeling less than amazing? 

Sometimes it's as simple as just doing the work. In our bootcamp, I provided several resources that would encourage attendees to feel better about posting online, but I also made sure to push them forward with a couple ideas that I provided to them - & ultimately had them complete - in the moment. 

The Process | Instagram & Facebook Stories

Stories only last 24 hours on your feed, but are incredibly important when it comes to showing these platforms that you mean business. It also shows your followers that you are present (because your profile picture is highlighted & up above their main feed each time you post something new). 

Take a moment to post something simple as simple as a Boomerang "∞" - a simple bouncing video updating people on what you're up to today; take a black background image & add a question sticker over it to get them to interact with you (I highly recommend you encourage them to ask you questions specific to your business); OR get really gutsy & show your face on stories. Tell them about your day, your struggles, your success, etc. People love knowing you're human in your business - they really do!

*NOTE* Instagram Stories can be shared on Facebook, which I highly recommend. To do this, go to Settings > Privacy > Story > Share your story to Facebook.

The Process | Instagram Reels

If I could only teach you one thing about social media, I'd reiterate over & over again to you that using the NEWEST FEATURE of any platform is the way to go. Instagram Reels are the hottest thing & what the platform is promoting the most right now to compete with TikTok. Consider posting a reel or two today, & then share it to your story for more exposure. 

Reels can be simple too! Scroll through reels & watch for the trending icon "⭧" in the bottom left, which will replace the music note. This means that sound is trending & that is what Instagram is recommending you use to jump in on the trend. Using this sound in your reel will boost your views.

Join The KCYP Social Media Blog Challenge!

While the challenge offered to the attendees was specific to them, I've also created the following with KCYP blog readers in mind. Just as I challenged them, I'd like to see if you can push yourself to post two Instagram/Facebook Stories & two Instagram Reels TODAY. Serious kudos if you also transfer those Reels to Tik Tok!

Challenge 1: Post an Instagram Story with a Question sticker that is applicable to your business. For example, a real estate agent might ask "What questions do you have about the home selling process?" or a Salon might ask "What questions do you have about balayage?" These questions will help you to interact with your followers, & also learn what they need to know before booking with you. Tag @amyeriordan & I'll throw out some questions to get you more interaction. (Remember to send the story to Facebook for more exposure!)

Challenge 2: Post an Instagram Reel! Browse through various Instagram Reels until you find trending audio that is simple to apply to your business. (Check out my profile @amyeriordan for recent reels with simple trending audio - my most recent posted on April 3rd & 5th, 2022.) Serious bonus points if you are willing to show your face!!!

Challenge 3: Follow @KootenaiYoungProfessionals & @AmyERiordan for more amazing entrepreneur workshop opportunities!

Make The Commitment To You & Your Business!

In the wise words of Mel Robbins, “No one’s coming to push you. No ones coming to tell you to turn the tv off. No ones coming to tell you to get out the door & exercise. No one is coming to write that business plan for you. It’s up to you…. Unless you understand that you’ve got to parent yourself - you’ve got to push yourself - you’re never going to make your dreams come true. You’re just not.”

Going Live, Videos & Basic Photo Posts
If you asked me what is second, third, fourth & fifth most beneficial for your business social media wise, I would rank all of it like this:

1. Reels/TikTok Videos: This is what’s trending, they are short & sweet, people are obsessed.
2. Live: Notifies followers, can be scheduled in advance, & allows immediate interaction.
3. Stories: Shows consistency, gives them a glimpse of your day to day life, easy content.
4. Standard Video Posts: Great for longer videos, educational content & better than photos.
5. Standard Photo Posts: ALWAYS post in multiples - one photo won’t cut it anymore.

Additional Resources
If you were unable to attend, you're welcome to check out a few of the resources provided that day on my website at amyriordan.com/resources, my Social Media Content Course, the KCYP Blog at KCYP.org/blog, & be on the lookout for more amazing KCYP events by checking out kcyp.org/events!

Have any social media or photography questions? You can reach me at amy@amyriordan.com. Ready to join KCYP & have a like-minded community that is eager to help you grow your business, encourages you to get involved in the community & plans amazing events that promote personal & professional growth? You can sign up HERE.

*This bootcamp benefited Safe Start Northwest (DONATE HERE); a local non profit organization that started as a support system for families who’ve lost children to SIDS or miscarriage. In addition to this, they now provide FREE educational resources for families in our area & beyond. Just a few of the amazing resources include in person car seat checkups, online car seat safety classes, childbirth classes, child safety classes including CPR, safe sleep classes & much more.*