LinkedIn Analytics is a helpful tool for LinkedIn creators to measure their visibility, content reach, and other metrics on the platform. LinkedIn users can get insights from LinkedIn Analytics for their profiles or business pages.

In this LinkedIn Analytics guide, we cover the following topics:

• What is LinkedIn Analytics?
• LinkedIn Analytics Metrics
• How to Use LinkedIn Analytics
• Incorporating LinkedIn Analytics into Your Strategy
• Frequently Asked Questions about LinkedIn Analytics

What Is LinkedIn Analytics?

LinkedIn Analytics is a data monitoring tool built into LinkedIn that allows users to see key metrics about their LinkedIn performance, such as post reach or profile viewers. Although casual LinkedIn users may not have much need for LinkedIn Analytics, those that use the platform as part of their overall marketing strategy can likely find it helpful.

Most often, LinkedIn creators use the platform’s analytics to inform their content strategies. Thoughtful LinkedIn posts crafted to gain attention from ideal clientele could help generate new leads. For tips on creating compelling content that performs well on LinkedIn, check out this video from Social Media Examiner:

Officially launched in May 2003, LinkedIn is now two decades old, making it one of the oldest social media platforms. Still, it maintains a large active user base, with more than 950 million members spanning 200 countries and regions around the world.

Image via LinkedIn

Whether you’re marketing your small business, looking for a side hustle or second act, or managing social media marketing for your company, LinkedIn can be a valuable platform for networking, connecting with industry thought leaders, and reaching and engaging a target audience. Knowing how to use LinkedIn analytics to your advantage will help you get the most from the platform. 

LinkedIn Analytics Metrics

LinkedIn Analytics provides metrics for personal profiles and business pages. Users can see the following metrics for their personal profiles:

• Followers: The number of people who have followed your profile over a period, including some key demographics, like their job titles and company sizes. 
• Profile viewers: How many people have and who has viewed your profile over a specific period.
• Search appearances: The number of searches you’ve appeared in, companies searchers work for, and other relevant information.
• Post impressions: Gives insight into the performance of your LinkedIn posts, including a snapshot of your top performers and a graph of your content performance over time. Clicking on an individual post will also display metrics for that post, like viewer demographics, post reach, and number of engagements.

Screenshot via LinkedIn

In addition to content and traffic metrics similar to those you’ll find for a personal profile, business pages can view the following LinkedIn Analytics metrics:

• Leads: Insights related to the people who have filled out lead generation forms through your company page.
• Career metrics: Learn more about the people who have engaged with your career pages on LinkedIn, like applicant behavior and talent flows.
• Competitors: Find out how your page stacks up to the competition by viewing data about trending competitor posts or comparing your follower metrics with that of similar companies. 

How to Use LinkedIn Analytics

To access LinkedIn Analytics, you’ll need to have Creator Mode turned on. Log into your LinkedIn account. Then, click on your profile picture in the top right-hand corner of the screen, and tap the View Profile button. Find the Resources section to turn Creator Mode on. 

Above your profile is an Analytics section that you can click to see your full analytics. You can also view your past content posts to see their data. 

For analytics of your company’s page, first switch to your page admin view. Then, in the left menu, click Analytics. From there, you can choose a metric category to view.

Incorporating LinkedIn Analytics Into Your Strategy

LinkedIn Analytics is best for LinkedIn users looking to expand their networks to generate lasting partnerships with like-minded professionals and leads. 

LinkedIn is content-heavy, so its analytics lean primarily toward increasing your presence on LinkedIn. Through your analytics, you can learn more about the audience you currently reach with your content and profile or company page to determine whether you need to make changes or keep doing what you’re doing to target your ideal followers. 

Checking LinkedIn Analytics at least once a week is a good starting point for fostering a content strategy on LinkedIn. You can also boost your strategy by adding a LinkedIn share button to your website to encourage visitors to share your content to their LinkedIn feeds.

Frequently Asked Questions About LinkedIn Analytics

Can I disable LinkedIn Analytics?

Yes, you can disable LinkedIn Analytics by turning off Creator Mode. To do this, visit your LinkedIn profile and find the Creator Mode setting in the Resources section. Keep in mind that turning off Creator Mode doesn’t stop LinkedIn from tracking and storing your analytics. Turning on Creator Mode once again will allow you to view your analytics. 

Is LinkedIn Analytics free?

Yes, LinkedIn Analytics is free to use for both individual creators and companies with LinkedIn pages. 

Who should use LinkedIn Analytics?

LinkedIn Analytics can be helpful for anyone who markets using LinkedIn. The tool offers helpful analytics to learn more about your content and who interacts with it, allowing you to tailor your content to your ideal audience. 

How far back can you see LinkedIn Analytics?

The length of time LinkedIn tracks analytics depends on your content type. For example, article content tracks for 730 days, while video content tracks for 180 days. However, other content types, like single-image posts or text-only posts can track data for up to 1,000 days.

The post LinkedIn Analytics Guide: What You Need to Know appeared first on ShareThis.

Twitter Verified has evolved in recent years. Originally, it was intended to authenticate the accounts of celebrities, influencers, politicians, businesses, and people in the public eye.

Since then, it’s transitioned into Twitter Blue, a paid subscription with additional benefits for Twitter users. Now that Twitter has rebranded to X, there have been more changes made to the service.

If you feel out of the loop or are new to Twitter/X and aren’t sure whether to become verified, this guide will walk you through what being verified means and how you can earn a blue Twitter Verified checkmark.

In this article:

• What is Twitter Verified?
• Changes to Twitter & Twitter Verified
• What are Gold & Grey Checkmarks on Twitter?
• How to Become Twitter Verified
• Is Twitter Verification Necessary?
• Frequently Asked Questions about Twitter Verified

What Is Twitter Verified?

Screenshot via @premium via Twitter

Let’s start by saying that although Twitter is now officially X, we know that the rebrand has been challenging for long-time Twitter users. Therefore, for simplicity’s sake, we’re going to refer to the new platform as Twitter/X in this guide.

Twitter Verified was Twitter’s initial verification system. To verify an account, a user needed to fill out a form for Twitter’s verification specialists to review. A person also had to have some proof that they were a public figure in some way, such as media articles written about them. 

Once verified, the user earned a blue checkmark for their profile. This checkmark signified that the account has been verified and is, therefore, an official account for that person. Verification made it more difficult for parody and fake accounts to resemble public figures and businesses.

Changes to Twitter & Twitter Verified

In 2022, Elon Musk bought Twitter and made changes to the verification system, transforming it into a paid subscription. For $8 a month, Twitter users could subscribe to Twitter Blue to get a checkmark and other features, like Tweet editing and high-quality uploads. 

In 2023, anyone who previously earned verification through Twitter lost their verified status and checkmark unless they subscribed to Twitter Blue. Because anyone could pay for Twitter Blue to get a blue checkmark on their account, there was no longer a way to determine whether an account was authentic.

Fast forward to later in 2023, when Twitter became X. Twitter/X has maintained the Blue subscription model, but it appears that new features may be in the works following the rebrand. For instance, the first change, announced in August 2023, allows Blue subscribers to hide their checkmarks if desired.

What are Gold & Grey Checkmarks on Twitter?

Screenshot via Twitter

If you’re browsing Twitter/X, you might also notice profiles labeled with gold and grey checkmarks. Here’s what they mean:

• Gold Checkmark: The gold checkmark is used for official business accounts through Twitter Verified Organizations. Users can sign up for Twitter Verified Organizations here. This is a paid membership and fees vary, but in the U.S. a base subscription is $1,000 per month and affiliate seats are $50 per month for each additional affiliate.
• Grey Checkmark: The grey checkmark represents government/multilateral organizations and government/multilateral officials. These checkmarks are complimentary for eligible accounts, although users must apply to receive one using this form.

How to Become Twitter Verified

Since the switch to the Blue premium subscription model, the only way to become a verified account on Twitter/X is to subscribe. Twitter/X no longer has a verification form for users to fill out to verify their accounts.

To sign up for Twitter/X Blue:

• Visit Twitter/X
• Tap the Verified link on the left sidebar
• Choose whether you’re an individual or a business
• Tap Subscribe
• Choose a monthly subscription for $8 or an annual subscription for $84

Screenshot via Twitter

Once you sign up, Twitter/X will review your account. Accounts subscribed to Blue must be active and have a display name, verified phone number, and profile photo. An account must also be at least 90 days old.

Is Twitter Verification Necessary?

Having a blue checkmark on your Twitter/X account might help your account stand out from the pack. For example, the checkmark can make it easier for your posts to catch the eye of someone scrolling. Therefore, it can help you expand your reach, increase impressions, and grow your Twitter followers.

However, with the swap from traditional verification and true authentication of accounts to the Twitter/X Blue subscription model, Twitter/X verification has lost its primary benefit of helping Twitter/X users distinguish real people from fake personas. Although each subscribed account still goes through a review process, this is more of a general review to keep spam accounts from signing up rather than an in-depth evaluation of the account or person behind it. 

Twitter/X Blue does come with a few benefits—namely, the option to edit tweets and have longer posts—but if true verification is your primary reason for subscribing, the service may disappoint.

It’s also important to remember that the ultimate recipe for success remains the same, regardless of whether you have a blue checkmark next to your handle or not. This includes:

• Posting high-quality Tweets
• Tapping into Twitter trends
• Making smart use of Twitter hashtags
• Posting consistently
• Engaging with your followers

Finally, don’t forget to install social media share buttons like the Twitter share button on your blog or website, enabling your followers to share your content to their Twitter profiles with a simple click. Essentially, when users share your content, it’s like a word-of-mouth recommendation. It’s an excellent way to get more exposure while simultaneously getting a boost in credibility.

Frequently Asked Questions About Twitter Verified

How much is it to get verified on Twitter?

The current Twitter/X Blue subscription model costs $8 per month or $84 per year when paid annually. The subscription automatically renews until canceled, which users can do from their Twitter/X accounts. 

Who can get a blue tick on Twitter?

Anyone who signs up for Twitter/X Blue and meets the basic rules of the program, such as having a non-deceptive account with a display name and profile photo, can get a blue tick next to their display names.

Can I hide my blue checkmark on Twitter?

Yes. A recent change to the Twitter/X Blue subscription program now allows subscribers to hide their blue checkmarks if they choose. The option should be available in subscribers’ Twitter/X Blue dashboards.

The post What Is Twitter Verified? Twitter Verification Guide appeared first on ShareThis.

YouTube Analytics is a platform that tracks and provides data about a YouTube channel and its videos. YouTube creators should consider using YouTube Analytics to gather information about the type of content that’s popular on their channels and learn about the people who make up their audience.

Armed with this information, YouTube creators can focus on producing the content that resonates most with their audience. Creating targeted content with your audience in mind increases views, boosts engagement, and helps grow your subscribers.  

In this YouTube Analytics guide, we explore the following:

• What is YouTube Analytics
• What YouTube Analytics Tells Creators
• How to Use YouTube Analytics
• Should I Use YouTube Analytics?
• Frequently Asked Questions about YouTube Analytics

What Is YouTube Analytics?

Screenshot via YouTube Help

YouTube Analytics is a tool for YouTube creators to learn more about their audience and channel. 

Like other creative and social media platforms, YouTube is driven by engagement. The more people watch and interact with videos by sharing, liking, or commenting on them, the higher those videos rank in its algorithm. Creators who want to make high-ranking videos to extend their reach on YouTube likely take advantage of YouTube Analytics, which offers the data they need to do so. 

By using YouTube Analytics, you can learn how many people watch each video, whether they watch a video all the way through, the number of rewatches a video has, and how many subscribers you received in a specified period, to name a few data points. In other words, it’s a critical tool to have in your toolkit as you work to scale your channel and presence.

What YouTube Analytics Tells Creators

Screenshot via YouTube Help

YouTube Analytics provides a wealth of information by tracking various metrics. It categorizes its metrics into the following:

• Overview: The Overview section provides a simple overview of your YouTube channel with a graph displaying views, subscribers, and watch time for a specific period. By default, this period shows the last 28 days, but you can view stats for a month, year, week, or even over your channel’s lifetime. In the sidebar, you can view real-time stats for your channel, like the number of subscribers currently watching your videos.
• Content: The content section digs deeper into your videos by showing data on impressions, views, click-through rates, view duration, and traffic sources, including YouTube searches and external pages. You can also view your top videos to help you determine the type of content that performs best with your audience. 
• Audience: In this section, you’ll understand who visits and subscribes to your channel and watches your content. Learn what other channels your audience watches, when they usually browse YouTube, the devices they use to watch videos, their age ranges, and other important data. This information can help you tailor your content to your audience by creating content they enjoy and releasing it when they’re likely to watch. 

Tap the Advanced Mode link in your dashboard to see even more metrics, like end-screen data, translation usage, and sharing services used. 

How to Use YouTube Analytics

YouTube creators can access YouTube analytics from the desktop or mobile app.

On the desktop version, log into your YouTube account and click on your profile picture in the top right of the screen. Then, click YouTube Studio, followed by Analytics. From there, you can click the tab you want to view more data within, such as Content or Audience. Use the pull-down menu in the top right of the analytics dashboard to change the period view, such as the last 90 days or the entire year to date.

Screenshot via YouTube Studio App Help Center

On your mobile device, open the YouTube app and make sure you’re logged into your account. Then, tap your profile picture, followed by Your Channel. Next, tap the analytics icon (it looks like a bar graph). You’ll find some basic stats about your channel, content, and audience here. 

For more in-depth analytics, tap the button that says View more analytics in Studio. This opens the YouTube Studio app, which offers the same information as the desktop version of YouTube Analytics.

Should I Use YouTube Analytics?

If you regularly create YouTube content that you consider a key part of your content creation strategy or online presence, then YouTube Analytics can be an excellent way to ensure you’re making effective content. The tool lets you see what’s working well as you learn more about your audience, what they like, and what brings them to your channel.

On the other hand, if YouTube video creation is just a hobby for you that you don’t plan to use for marketing or building a business in any way, using YouTube Analytics may not be necessary. Still, it’s free to use, so there’s no reason not to incorporate it into your content creation process.

For more tips on growing your YouTube channel, check out our YouTube marketing guides. For an effortless way to grow your YouTube following, install the YouTube follow button on your blog or website. It’s simple to install and allows your visitors to follow your YouTube channel with a simple click.

Frequently Asked Questions about YouTube Analytics

Is YouTube Analytics free?

Yes, YouTube Analytics is free for YouTube users. Anyone with a YouTube channel can access and use YouTube Analytics for free. 

How do you see YouTube video stats?

YouTube video stats are available on YouTube Analytics, the platform’s performance measurement tool. You can view YouTube Analytics by clicking your profile, navigating to your channel, and tapping the Analytics tab to see information about your content, channel, and audience.

How do I track traffic sources in YouTube Analytics?

Once in the YouTube Analytics dashboard, you can view where your YouTube traffic comes from by navigating to the Audience tab. Then, click on Advanced Mode, followed by Traffic source, to see where people are visiting your YouTube channel from.

The post YouTube Analytics: What You Need to Know appeared first on ShareThis.

Instagram Insights plays an important role for Instagram users seeking reach and growth. Whether you use Instagram to build your online presence as an influencer or to promote your business, Instagram Insights provides beneficial data for tweaking your strategy.

In this guide, we explain Instagram Insights, including what it is, how to find it in the Instagram apps, and what metrics it includes. Use the following links to jump to the section you would like to learn more about or read all the way through for a complete Instagram Insights overview:

• What is Instagram Insights?
• Instagram Insights Metrics
• How to View Instagram Insights
• Should I Use Instagram Insights?
• Frequently Asked Questions about Instagram Insights

What is Instagram Insights?

Image by BFC SOFTTECH from Pixabay

Instagram Insights is Instagram’s analytics tool that lets Instagram users better understand their audience and reach. Instagram Insights shows users both an overview of their Instagram account and more specific information for each post, Reel, or story. Using this information, users can shape their Instagram strategy by posting more content that performs well or targeting specific audiences. 

Instagram Insights Metrics

Instagram Insights provides several metrics, some applying to your overall account and others applying to individual posts:

• Total followers: The total number of followers you’ve gained or lost in the period you set, like the last week or month. 
• Follower data: Tap on the number of followers to learn more about your followers’ locations, genders, age ranges, and active times.
• Accounts reached: The number of accounts your content has reached within the specified time period. Tap the metric to see a drill down for stories, Reels, and posts.
• Accounts engaged: The number of accounts that interacted with yours in the specified time period. Tapping this metric provides a further breakdown of top posts, post likes, top Reels, and Reels likes.
• Content you shared: This area shows the pieces of content you shared, including posts, stories, and Reels. Tap on a piece of content to see its specific metrics, like reach and engagement.
• Impressions: The number of impressions a piece of content has, meaning how many times it was shown to other Instagram users. 
• Story interactions: How many shares or replies your story has.
• Story navigation: What people do when they come across your story, such as forward through your next story or exit the story.
• Profile activity: The profile actions visitors to your story take when they view your story, such as visiting your profile or following your account.
• Ad: When viewing a specific post that’s been promoted with Boost, this section shows ad-specific information, like the number of messages or profile visits the promotion resulted in.

How to View Instagram Insights

To view Instagram Insights, make sure you have a business or creator profile on Instagram. To switch to a professional account, go to your profile and navigate to Settings and privacy. Then, tap Account type and tools, followed by Switch to professional account. 

Once your account is set to a business or creator account, you can visit your profile, tap the ☰ symbol, and then tap on Insights, as shown in the screenshot below. 

Once you’ve arrived in the Insights area, you can tap on individual pieces of content to see more information or browse your profile’s overall stats.

If you want to check the data for a specific post, you can visit your profile, find and tap on the post, and tap the View insights link below the post to go directly to its Insights page.

Should I Use Instagram Insights?

Almost anyone interested in growing their Instagram account for personal or business purposes can benefit from understanding how to use Instagram Insights. This simple tool drills down the most important stats about an Instagram profile and its content, helping creators target their audiences better. 

Instagram Insights is just one piece of the puzzle, though, as a lot more goes into a solid Instagram strategy. Follow along with our Instagram marketing guides to learn more about creating giveaways, sharing posts, pinning comments, starting Instagram collabs, and more. Also, grab the Instagram Follow Button for your website to link your website visitors to your page.

Frequently Asked Questions About Instagram Insights

Can anyone use Instagram Insights?

Instagram Insights is only available to creator or business accounts on Instagram. If you currently have a personal account, you can switch to a business or creator account in the Settings and privacy section of Instagram. Tap Account type and tools, followed by Switch to professional account.  

Does Instagram Insights show you who viewed your profile?

Although Instagram Insights displays information about the number of people who visited your profile in a specified timeframe, it does not tell you the accounts that viewed it. Instead, you can learn more about the gender, age range, and location of visitors and followers, which can help you determine what type of people generally interact with your account the most. 

What can Instagram Insights help me with?

Instagram Insights offers helpful information for growing an Instagram account by producing content your audience is drawn to. With Instagram Insights, you can learn the average demographics of people who visit your profile, what people do when they view your story, how popular a piece of content is, and other metrics that help you to tweak your content strategy.

The post Instagram Insights Explained: Everything You Need to Know about Instagram Insights appeared first on ShareThis.

For those wondering, “What is Meta Verified?” here’s the short answer: It’s a subscription service that gives subscribed Facebook and Instagram accounts verified blue checkmarks and a few other perks non-subscribers don’t get. However, it may not be a necessary service for all users to spend money on. 

In this Meta verification guide, we get into more detail about the Meta Verified program and what it means for Meta users. We’ll discuss:

• What Is Meta Verified? 
• The Benefits of Subscribing to Meta Verified
• How To Become Meta Verified
• Is Meta Verified Worth It?
• Frequently Asked Questions about Meta Verified

What Is Meta Verified?

Meta Verified is a subscription service Meta first introduced in February to Instagram and Facebook users as a beta program. Select users could subscribe to Meta Verified to get a verification badge — the well-known blue checkmark — by their names, plus exclusive features not available to accounts not using Meta Verified.

As of June 27th, 2023, Meta announced that it would be rolling out the program to most global markets for non-business users aged 18 and older. Currently, Meta Verified is priced at $11.99 per month when you subscribe on the web or $14.99 per month when you subscribe on the app.

The Benefits of Subscribing to Meta Verified

Meta Verified’s primary draw is its blue checkmark that many social media users look for when seeking authentic accounts to follow. However, the subscription service comes with some additional perks:

• Prove yourself to your audience: When someone signs up for Meta Verified, they need to prove they are who they say they are by sharing their government identification to receive a verification badge. Users who follow them can feel secure knowing they’re real, which may help verified users establish a presence on Instagram and Facebook.
• Direct account support: Meta provides live chat support to Meta Verified subscribers for quick and convenient assistance, something not offered to non-subscribers. The support team for Meta Verified is also well-versed in specific issues related to the service.
• High-level account security: Not only can Meta Verified subscribers protect their accounts from fraudulent use with two-factor authentication, but they also get regular monitoring to prevent unauthorized use of their accounts and suspicious activity.
• Support other creators: Meta Verified subscribers receive 100 free Stars per month to support their favorite creators. Stars are a form of Facebook currency that lets users “pay” creators during their live streams.  
• Exclusive Stories and Reels features: Creators using Meta Verified can access stickers and other features for Stories and Reels only available to subscribers, allowing unique opportunities to create fun and interactive posts for their audiences. 

Another feature early Meta Verified subscribers once benefited from was increased reach and exposure on Facebook and Instagram, potentially placing their posts in more ideal spots on newsfeeds. However, Meta removed that feature before the program’s rollout in the United States, and it’s unclear whether it will return in the future. 

How To Become Meta Verified

Meta Verified is available for Facebook and Instagram users who are 18 or older and live in an applicable region. Follow these steps to sign up for Meta Verified:

1. Sign up for a subscription: Choose the Instagram or Facebook account you’d like to use with Meta Verified. Go to Settings, Accounts Center, Meta Verified to begin the signup process. If you don’t have the Meta Verified option in your account, then your account is currently not available to sign up for the service.
2. Set up a payment method: Choose a payment method for your subscription. This payment method will be used each month for automatic payments.
3. Verify your identity: Now, you’ll follow the instructions to verify your identity. Meta Verified asks for a photo of your government-issued identification and, for some, a selfie video to prove your identity. The name on your identification must match the name on your account to be approved. 

Is Meta Verified Worth It?

Prior to Meta Verified, Twitter Blue, and other forms of paid social media verification, social media platforms reserved verified checkmarks only for verified accounts for celebrities, internet personalities, and other well-known influencers. The designation helped distinguish official accounts from parodies and impersonations.

With the introduction of paid verification systems, the original intent of a verification badge is no longer. Now, anyone who can verify their identification and doesn’t mind paying for a subscription can become Meta Verified on Facebook and Instagram.

As a result, the checkmarks have become less significant to social media users. In fact, one 2022 study found that the verification badge had a negative impact on trust when advertising a product on social media.

Getting verified by Meta could be a good idea for people and businesses that worry their social media accounts could be copied. It also has some features that non-verified accounts don’t, like direct account support and exclusive features for Reels and Stories.

However, signing up for Meta Verified is not guaranteed to improve your social media performance, so you’ll need to implement other social media strategies and best practices to continue growing your audience. For instance, install social media share buttons on your blog or website. This simple step helps to grow your social media presence by enabling your visitors to share your content with a simple click.

Frequently Asked Questions about Meta Verified

Can anyone use Meta Verified?

Anyone aged 18 or older who lives in an area where Meta Verified is available can sign up for a Meta Verified account. Subscribers must also be able to verify their identity before being approved.

How much does Meta Verified cost?

Meta Verified is a monthly subscription costing $11.99 per month for users who sign up online or $14.99 per month for users who sign up on the Facebook or Instagram app.

Can I get Meta Verified for just Facebook or Instagram?

Yes. When you sign up for Meta Verified, you sign up for just Facebook or Instagram. You’ll need a separate subscription for each if you’d like to use Meta Verified with both platforms.

The post What Is Meta Verified? Meta Verification Guide appeared first on ShareThis.

Have you tried hosting an Instagram giveaway to treat your audience to something free and promote your brand? As fun and exciting as Instagram giveaways can be for your audience, they’re also excellent for growing your followers. Successful Instagram giveaways bring more people to your page, spread awareness for your brand, and increase engagement for your account. 

7 Ways to Grow Your Instagram Following with Instagram Giveaways

Here, we uncover the top tactics you can use to make a successful Instagram giveaway that grows your follower account and converts followers to fans — and possibly even customers. 

1. Encourage New Followers

One of the easiest ways to ensure those who participate in your Instagram giveaway benefit your account is to request a ‘follow’ as an entry. Instagram does not allow accounts to require that others follow their account as a giveaway entry. However, you can encourage people to do so and count it as an entry when they do. So, for example, if someone were to like your post as a mandatory entry and follow your account, they can have two entries rather than one.  

2. Make Tags Count as Entries

Screenshot from @after13weeks via Instagram

Ask your giveaway participants to tag other accounts for extra entries. When someone tags other accounts in a comment, those accounts will get notified, and it could lead to more entries on your giveaway.

Be aware that this may lead to several tags for spam and bot accounts. Therefore, it’s a good idea to have some restrictions in place, such as only allowing two tags per person or making it known that you or your moderators will manually check tagged accounts for validity. 

3. Collaborate with Someone Else for the Giveaway

An Instagram collab post lets you invite another account as a collaborator on your post. They’ll receive the same comments, likes, and shares that you do for that post, and their audience will see everything that your audience does. That means double the eyes on your giveaway post. To add a collaborator, create your Instagram post as usual. Before posting, tap ‘Tag people’ and ‘Invite collaborator.’

4. Promote the Giveaway on Instagram Live

Use Instagram Live to promote your giveaway. You can show the product or service you’re giving away, give people a chance to ask questions, and give exclusive opportunities for extra entries for people who attended the Live session. If your audience has their notifications set to alert them when you go live on Instagram, they’ll be able to view your Live as soon as it starts. To ensure that plenty of people attend, you could create a couple of promotional Instagram posts leading up to the event.

5. Share Your Giveaway to Your Story

Screenshot from @happypillco_ via Instagram

After creating a giveaway post in your feed, share that post to your Story to allow more people to see it. Your Stories can be viewed by any current follower or anyone else on Instagram if you’ve made them public, potentially giving more visibility to your giveaway. Consider adding an entry for people viewing your Story, such as answering a question you post in the Story or sharing your Story with someone else. Another idea is to offer an extra entry to users who share any of your previous posts to their Story and tag your account, like @happypillco_ did in their plush toy giveaway.

6. Ask a Question for More Engagement

Leave a question for your giveaway participants to answer in the caption of your post or in the post itself. More comments lead to more visibility and potential engagement on Instagram. Therefore, requiring an answer to your question as a giveaway entry can build engagement quickly and could grow your following. Make the question highly relevant to your giveaway or brand so that it makes sense for your audience. 

7. Create a Giveaway Series

Instagram audiences often enjoy the predictability of following an account with cohesive branding and a regular posting schedule. Lean into that predictability with your giveaways by offering regular contests for followers to enjoy. Hosting a giveaway series is one way to do it. You can run a weekly or monthly giveaway, for example, which might encourage Instagram users to follow you to avoid missing contest updates. Use Instagram giveaway templates to save time setting up and launching your contests.

Start Hosting Successful Instagram Giveaways

Instagram giveaways don’t need to be complicated. In fact, some of the simplest giveaways with straightforward rules gain plenty of traction and engagement to help build audience growth. These giveaway examples are good ones to gain inspiration from as you dive into Instagram giveaways. 

After hosting a few, pay attention to what works well for your brand, account, and audience. Use Instagram Insights to pinpoint your most popular giveaway content, making note of what you did differently in your top giveaways that might have led to interaction and audience growth. Meanwhile, install the Instagram follow button on your blog or website for steady Instagram growth even when your giveaways aren’t actively running.

The post How to Use an Instagram Giveaway to Grow Your Following appeared first on ShareThis.

Twitter is a fast-moving social media platform that prioritizes fresh content with frequent feed updates. After spending a few minutes scrolling through your feed, you can refresh the feed to see dozens of more Tweets at the top.

But, what if you want to find an old Tweet from someone else on the platform? For instance, you might remember one of the accounts you follow tweeting about a topic that’s relevant in the news right now. Maybe you want to share that Tweet with your followers. In that case, knowing how to search for a Tweet from that user can be helpful. 

Before we get started, if you’re here to learn how to find your own old tweets, check out this guide instead. In this article, we’re solely covering how to find old tweets from other users.

How to Find Old Tweets from Other Users

Screenshot via Twitter

Finding old tweets from other Twitter users is easy if you know how to use the search function. Here are the steps to take:

1. Put your cursor in the Twitter search bar.
2. Type in the formula to find someone else’s Tweets: from:[username]. For example, if you want to find Tweets from the ShareThis account, you’d type: from:ShareThis. 

Twitter will pull up all Tweets from that account in the search results. However, you’re searching for old Tweets from that account, so we need to narrow it down more.

To do that, you can enter a date range into the formula:

From:[username] since:[YYYY-MM-DD] until:[YYYY-MM-DD]

Let’s say that you’re relatively confident the Tweet you want to find from ShareThis was somewhere in February or early March of 2016. To find it, you’d use this formula:

from:ShareThis since:2016-02-01 until:2016-03-15

Screenshot via Twitter

The results will show you all Tweets from the ShareThis account from that time period. However, the default setting is to show you the top Tweets from that account during the period. Switch over to ‘Latest’ if you want to see the Tweets in chronological order from newest to oldest during that period instead. 

Tweaking Your Search for Old Tweets from Other Users

This tactic can work on any account on Twitter to find Tweets from specific periods. If an account did not have any Tweets during the period you specified, you’ll see a ‘No results’ message. In this case, use a different time period in the formula. You might need to broaden your search by a few months.

If your search results in too many Tweets to sift through, try adding a keyword or phrase to your search. For example, the search from:sharethis since:2018-01-01 until:2018-07-31 leads to several ShareThis Tweets.

Screenshot via Twitter

However, adding ‘referral traffic’ to the end of the search term (like this: from:sharethis since:2018-01-01 until:2018-07-31 referral traffic) results in showing only the Tweets that have that phrase included.

Screenshot via Twitter

What To Do If You Can’t Find the Tweet You’re Looking For

If you don’t have a specific date range in mind to find a Tweet from another Twitter user, you can use other parameters to search for Tweets.

For example, you might want to find Tweets from that user about a specific topic, like in the example above with the search for referral traffic. To search for this term in the user’s Tweets, you’d search from:[username] [search term]. 

You can also do the same with hashtags (from:[username] [#hashtag]) and mentions of other accounts (from:[username] [@account mention]) from that Twitter user. 

Alternative Method for Finding Old Tweets from Twitter Users

Screenshot via Twitter

If the search formula method above doesn’t suit you, try using Twitter’s advanced search feature to find old Tweets from other users. The advanced search tool lets you search for any word, phrase, hashtags, languages, and other parameters you set. Scroll down, and you’ll also find space to enter a specific account to search only its Tweets. 

At the bottom of the tool is where you can enter the date range you’d like to search. This method shows the same results as the formula method, but it can be easier to navigate for some users.

Finding Old Tweets from Other Users

Once you find the old Tweets you’re searching for, you can use them the same way as any new Tweet by liking, commenting, retweeting, or quote-tweeting them. Retweeting or quote-tweeting old Tweets from other users may even help you spark engagement on your feed when used in relevant or timely contexts. For instance, you might retweet an old Tweet from another user about a topic that’s trending right now to bring attention to your feed and help grow your followers.

To boost Twitter engagement effortlessly, install the Twitter share button on your blog or website. Your visitors can share your carefully crafted content with their Twitter followers with a simple click, driving more traffic to your website and more followers to your account.

The post How to Find Old Tweets from Other Users appeared first on ShareThis.

If you’ve browsed Instagram, you’ve likely seen references to the Instagram link in bio. The Instagram link in bio is exactly what it sounds like: a link, or URL, that most Instagram users have in their Instagram bio. However, links are limited on Instagram, so the Instagram link in bio is valuable real estate.

In this article, you’ll learn how to create an Instagram link in bio and how to use Instagram link in bio tools to drive traffic to your other digital properties like your website or blog, online store, or other social media profiles: 

• Why Do You Need an Instagram Link in Bio? 
• How to Create an Instagram Link in Bio
• Instagram Link in Bio Tools
• Frequently Asked Questions

Why Do You Need an Instagram Link in Bio?

Screenshot from @rockmywedding via Instagram

Initially, Instagram only allowed users to put one link in their bios — and none in their post captions. Now, you can add up to 5 (plus your Facebook profile), but many users need more. You can also add a link to an Instagram Story using the “Link” sticker, but it’s not the most effective way to drive traffic to other platforms.   

Because you can’t put links in your posts (unless it’s a paid ad), many users include “link in bio” in their captions to let their followers know where they can find more information. For instance, if you’re showing off a new product, you can let users know there’s a “link in bio” where they can easily visit your website or product page to learn more or make a purchase. 

How to Create an Instagram Link in Bio

Adding links to your Instagram bio is simple: 

• Edit your profile: Go to your Instagram profile and click “Edit Profile.” 
• Tap the “Add Link” field: Under “Bio,” tap on “Add link.”
• Enter your links: On the next screen, tap the + button to the left of the “Add external link” text. 
• Add more links: Click the + button up to 4 more times to add up to 5 external links. 
• Reorder your links: After adding all your links, you can drag and drop them to the order you want them to appear. 

Pro Tip: Don’t use one of your links for your Facebook profile. Click the Facebook icon where it says “Add Facebook link” (under “Add external link”) and connect your Facebook profile, and it won’t count as one of your 5 links.   

Instagram Link in Bio Tools

Instagram link in bio tools allow you to create a single landing page that includes all the links you want to share. Use the link to this landing page in your bio to give followers quick access to all your digital content. 

Link in bio tools were particularly helpful when Instagram only allowed one link in your bio. But many people have more than 5 links to digital content across various platforms, such as: 

• Websites
• Blogs
• Other social media profiles
• Online stores
• Portfolios 

With an Instagram link in bio tool, you can direct your followers to as many links as you like. There are several excellent tools to choose from, such as:   

Linktree

With Linktree, you’ll create a single landing page you can share across all your social media profiles. It’s easy to use, and you can customize your landing page to match your brand. Linktree also offers built-in analytics to monitor engagement and discover what your audience likes most.  

Feedlink

Feedlink is another robust link in bio platform. With built-in templates, built-in analytics, and the ability to send an automated social media newsletter, it offers many features to meet the needs of today’s creators. 

Start Page

Start Page, from Buffer, creates a mobile-friendly, grid-inspired landing page to share all your links. It’s fully customizable, and you can track link clicks and performance and even schedule updates with links, images, and text to your Start Page to keep your content fresh.   

Pallyy

With Pallyy, you can manage multiple link in bio pages from the same dashboard. Choose from pre-built themes, customize colors, add buttons, change your background, and more to create a link in bio page that’s in line with your brand. 

Linkin.bio

With Later’s Linkin.bio tool, you can recreate your Instagram feed and add links to individual posts — up to 5 links per post. It also offers analytics, customization options, advanced link scheduling, and Shopify integration. 

There are many great tools to choose from, so it’s easy to find a link in bio tool that fits your needs and your budget.     

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Instagram always say link in bio? 

Instagram doesn’t allow links in post captions, so the Instagram link in bio is one of the only ways to direct followers to your other digital content, like your blog or online store. Instagram posts often say “link in bio” to let followers know that they can find more info about the products featured in the post, the brand, or other information by clicking the link in the user’s Instagram bio.

What is the bio on Instagram? 

The Instagram bio is the section at the top of your profile where you can write a brief description about yourself or your brand, your interests, and other things new followers might want to know about you. You’re limited to 150 characters in your Instagram bio, so you’ll need to make them count with a creative, compelling description.

How do you get people to click the link in your bio? 

One of the most effective ways to get people to click the link in your bio is to include a call-to-action (CTA) in your post caption. Give your followers just enough information that leaves them wanting more, and direct them to click the link in your bio to learn more. 

If you’re ready to start leveraging Instagram marketing, growing your followers is one of your first priorities. Install the Instagram follow button on your blog or website so your visitors can follow you on Instagram with a single click.

The post How to Use the Instagram Link in Bio (+ Useful Link in Bio Tools) appeared first on ShareThis.

Subliminal advertising wasn’t a technical term until the 1950s when researcher James Vicary coined it after experimenting with subliminal messaging to see the effects it could have on the brain. However, it’s been used for decades — and possibly even centuries — prior. This age-old marketing hack is still in use today, with advertisers finding clever ways to insert hidden messages into everything from search engine ads to podcast episodes.

Social media has become a prime place for subliminal advertising, too. If you haven’t tried it yet, you might want to, as it’s proven to work for marketers who have learned how to use it effectively.

Why Subliminal Advertising Works for Social Media

Subliminal advertising leaves breadcrumbs of information in your memory. As you scroll through social media, your brain quickly picks up images, messages, and other things you see in your feed, even if you move right past them. A subliminal message tucked away in a social media ad can stick with you, even if you don’t necessarily pay attention to it.

Social media is all about speed. It’s designed to be easy and convenient to move through, whether you’re scrolling Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook. Therefore, the quicker you can get a message across to viewers, the more successful that message can be. Subliminal advertising lets that happen subconsciously if done correctly.

6 Tips for Using Subliminal Advertising in Social Media Campaigns

The following tips are tried-and-true tactics that social media advertisers use in their campaigns.

1. Start with Your Branding

Don’t underestimate the power of your logo and other parts of your branding that will show in your advertising campaigns, like colors and the overall emotion your branding evokes. For instance, Amazon’s famous logo features an arrow below its letters that makes the logo look like it’s smiling to help customers associate the brand with happiness. The arrow also points from letter A to letter Z, denoting that Amazon offers every type of product you need, from A to Z. 

If you don’t already have a logo, think about creating one that helps you send the message you want about your brand. If you already have one, consider tweaking it for the occasional social media ad to fit the message or emotion you want to send. 

2. Appeal to the Senses

Photo by Helena Lopes via Pexels

Through colors, imagery, music, and other elements, you can appeal to your viewers’ senses, which may help your messaging stick. For example, the color yellow is often associated with sunshine, freshness, and happiness, whereas blue can feel dreary or sad. Be mindful of where and how you use sensory elements to convey your message. Rather than focusing your ad solely on one sense, you might appeal to several by spacing quick clips or images in a video or using certain colors in just a few areas of your ad. 

3. Be Aware of Your Graphics and Typography

Graphics and fonts play a crucial role in advertising. One simple graphic — again, like Amazon’s arrow/smiling mouth — can affect the entire presentation of your ad. Similarly, typography lends to different emotions. A spooky font can create an entirely different feel than a flowy, handwritten cursive font, for instance. Think about your audience and overall messaging, and decide how your graphics and fonts will fit in. 

4. Evoke Emotion Through Audio

Subliminal messages can hide in audio even more subtly than in visual elements. Although TV shows have shown people using hidden messages buried in audio files, your ads don’t need to get that extreme. Instead, simply taking the time to pick the right music or sounds to go along with your ad can make a significant impact. For example, adding a song that has lyrics relevant to your ad could be a smart move. Or, use relevant sounds, like change dropping as part of an ad for a cashback shopping app.

5. Think About Product Placement

Photo by SHVETS production via Pexels

Look at ads on Instagram, especially those from influencers, and you’ll get a sense of how product placement works, even when products aren’t front and center. For instance, an influencer advertising a beauty brand might create a video showing her usual morning get-ready routine. The products may never be the highlight of any frame, but they could show in several frames, like on a sink while the influencer washes her fact or sitting on a shelf while she fixes her hair. The brain still captures these product images as it absorbs everything from the ad.

6. Make It Meaningful

In the past, subliminal advertising has been used in offbeat ways to send messages that aren’t relevant to the ad’s primary message. Many companies have used sexual references, for example, to sell everything from food to clothing. However, subliminal advertising can have a better impact on your social media marketing when it’s highly relevant to your target audience. Focus on your ad’s purpose and how you can appeal to its audience rather than using shock value.

Is Subliminal Advertising Right for Your Social Media Campaigns?

Only some marketing strategies work for some businesses, and subliminal messaging may not be right for yours. However, it’s worth a try with one or two social media campaigns. And many subliminal advertising tips for social media are good ones to follow when marketing on social media in general, like tugging at your audience’s emotions and being mindful of product placement.

If you want to reach more people with all your social media content, install social media share buttons on your blog or website. Share buttons allow your visitors to share your content with their social media networks with a single click, instantly expanding your reach to a larger audience.

The post 6 Tips for Using Subliminal Advertising in Your Social Media Campaigns appeared first on ShareThis.

A successful Instagram giveaway can build your audience, encourage engagement, and even lead to more sales for your business. With the right photo notifying followers of your giveaway, you can quickly let Instagram users know what they need to do to enter, what they can win, and what rules they need to follow. 

An Instagram giveaway template can help you do this easily by plugging in your giveaway’s specific information into a professionally designed graphic that you can customize to match your branding. Instagram photo editing apps like Canva and Adobe Express include user-made giveaway templates to personalize in a few clicks.

6 Instagram Giveaway Templates for Successful Contests

Before looking for an Instagram template for your upcoming giveaway, take a look at some successful examples of Instagram giveaways. These can inspire you when setting up your contest or choosing entry types.

We rounded up a few of the best giveaway templates for different types of Instagram giveaways to help you increase your engagement and get more entries.

1. Instagram Giveaway Kit by Ralony

Screenshot via Creative Market

This Instagram giveaway kit on Creative Market features multiple templates to help you create giveaway posts that grab attention. The kit includes several post formats, too, like announcement posts, entry steps, and giveaway rules, that you can reuse and tweak for different giveaways. The templates are editable with Canva, so you’ll need an account there to customize them. Be sure to choose the commercial license if your giveaway will be for business use. 

2. Instagram Template Pack from BRANDcontent

Screenshot via Etsy

An Instagram template pack like this one from BRANDcontent on Etsy offers an affordable way to get numerous templates for all your giveaway needs. It has 20 templates to use for rules, important dates, announcements, and reminders throughout your giveaway entry period. This pack is also for use on Canva.

3. Instagram Giveaway Templates on Adobe Express

If you have an Adobe Express account, use it to find a broad range of Instagram giveaway template styles to suit your branding. 

For example, this one features a unique giveaway method with BINGO-inspired participation. Participants can play by completing brand-focused tasks and filling their BINGO cards to win a gift card.

Screenshot via Adobe Express

Additionally, this Adobe Express illustrated template can be an excellent style for colorful, fun brands to edit to draw attention to their giveaway. Use the caption or a comment to add additional details about entering and winning the giveaway.

Screenshot via Adobe Express

4. 1-2-3 Step Instagram Giveaway from PosterMyWall

Screenshot via PosterMyWall

Edit this PosterMyWall Instagram giveaway template to include your giveaway’s steps for entry. Use just a few words for each action to make it easy for your followers to know exactly what they need to do to qualify as an entrant. 

5. Simple Giveaway Announcement Template on Canva

Screenshot via Canva

This minimalistic giveaway announcement template found on Canva can be an ideal cover photo for a carousel post letting everyone know the details of your giveaway. It’s simple yet eye-catching and easy to spot while users scroll through their feeds. Use additional posts in a carousel to outline rules, prizes, and other important information you want participants to know.

6. Instagram Giveaway Story Announcement on Canva

Screenshot via Canva

Add an announcement post to your Instagram Story in addition to your regular feed to get more eyes and entries. This template on Canva draws your attention right to the middle, where you can add up to three easy-to-follow steps to enter your giveaway. 

How to Use an Instagram Giveaway Template

Templates you find on the web are usually made with a specific graphics program, like Canva or Adobe Express. When you find a template you like, be sure to check that it’s compatible with a program you have access to so you can edit it.

After downloading the template, open it in its compatible graphics program. Then, use the editor’s tools to change its colors, move elements, and tweak messaging to reflect the rules and entry types of your giveaway. Most programs that work with premade templates are extremely easy to use without needing any kind of graphic editing skills. 

Use an Instagram Giveaway Template for Simple Contest Setup

Instagram giveaway templates can be the start of hosting a successful giveaway that drives engagement and builds your follower base. With these and other templates, you can create attention-drawing posts that match your branding and fit cohesively with your Instagram feed and stories.

To start growing your Instagram following right away, install the Instagram Follow Button on your blog or website. It’s simple to install and lets your visitors follow you on Instagram with a simple click.

The post 6 Instagram Giveaway Templates to Kickstart Your Contest appeared first on ShareThis.