Rock facebook and instagram with these free trainings & apps

So I’m new to living in St Paul, having recently returned to the USA, and this is my first time living in an urban area in over a decade. One of the things that really excites me about living in a urban center at this point in my life is the resources I will have access to as a business owner. I am always wanting to learn and grow in my skills and am eager to discover new resources. Living in remote mountaintop community in Costa Rica I would see these cool live trainings & conferences pop up online and think wow, if only I could attend.

Last week just such an event popped up in my feed – the Facebook Community Boost event hosted at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. I’ve always looked at these events and thought “Oh, if I were only in a location where I could actually participate. I must admit I’m not very good at following through on online workshops I’ve signed up for. Let’s face it, even with the best of intentions we don’t always follow through. With a live event I can take a day off and immerse yourself in learning, and feel as though I’m treating myself! Plus, this event even gave me a free lunch and a the chance for a lovely 12 mile bike ride down the Minneapolis greenway on my speedy new electric bike.

Last Wednesday I put on my vaguely professional clothing (I am self-employed for many good reasons, but clothing is near the top of the list!) and headed to the event, unsure of what to expect and feeling a little nervous since I only just moved here two weeks ago. I was thrilled to emerge a mere four hours later with some really solid resources. First, I really enjoyed being engaged in active learning. As I listened to each presentation, I was not only gaining new tools but also actively reflecting about how I would use those in my business and generating all sorts of great ideas.

WHAT I LEARNED

One of the things I think the birth community is a step behind on when it comes to social media is visual content. We’re good at posting cool photos & static images with quotes, but we’re missing the movement that creates visual interest and grabs their attention (and engagement). This could include facebook live, instagram stories, gifs, or something as simple as a boomerang post on instagram, or a graphic presentation of a quote with the words animated. It’ll take you an extra two minutes to add some pizazz, and you’re going to get way more interaction because of it.

Why use video and animation? Quite simply it grabs the reader’s attention. A research shows that x percentage of content on social media is going to be video based by the year 2000. That means this is a skill set that we HAVE to get on board with. Now you might see these fancy animated instagram posts and think, “there’s no way I could put together something that looks as polished as that”. Please do check the resources below out because what you’re going to find is that it’s not maybe as hard as you’re imagining.

The Boomerang App allows you to make fun graphic gifs that show a repeating action. Download for Android or Appleboomerang devices.

> Check to see if an upcoming Facebook Community Boost event is scheduled in your area!

Good luck y’all! I look forward to seeing your results using some of these great free resources and if you live in an urban center that hosts one of these facebook community boasts events, I highly encourage you to attend.