How is your social media game? Are you confident about your blog, brand, & business strategy? If you feel like you need some help, I rounded up my series of social media tips & tricks (so far). There is more to come! For right now, don't be afraid to ask questions. This post is open for quick questions & answers. If anything requires more information, I can always create a post about it! :]

Social Media Basics for Bloggers

Let's get back to basics! Sometimes the essentials are the hardest to grasp. This post is starting guide with quick tips for social media. These are the basics. Like the bare bones of social media. We are going to start simple. In fact, these are things I learned the hard way, after much work. Don't be me. Learn now.

10 Reasons Why You're Losing Followers

Blogging isn't easy, but there may be some obvious reasons why you're losing readers & followers. Take a little looksee at these these 10 reasons why you're losing followers on your blog & social media platforms. You can identify whatever applies to you & make the necessary changes. Your readers will thank you.

DOs & DON'Ts of Leaving Blog Comments

One of the most wonderful parts of blogging is the ability to communicate with like-minded people to create a sense of community. Leaving comments is a fantastic way to stay engaged with readers & other bloggers. As a social media coordinator, I've seen some genuine comments & I've seen some generic sludge. Read these do's & dont's of leaving blog comments to enhance your communication skills.

How to Run a Facebook Boost Post

Facebook is one of the social media sites almost everyone is on. Your grandmother uses Facebook, your cousin uses Facebook, & even your boss uses Facebook. Facebook is a fantastic way to garner more exposure & engagement for your brand, business, & blog. Use this guide on how to run a Facebook boost post to get a wider reach. You can boost links, photos, & even your status! 

How to Identify Spam Comments & Why You Shouldn't Publish Them on Your Blog

Receiving a blog comment is like receiving a little gift. For bloggers, comments are heartwarming because it shows people read your blog & have something to say about it. However, there may be spam comments lurking in there which negatively affects your blog ranking. This post focuses on how to identify spam comments & why you shouldn't publish them on your blog.

The Importance of Transparency When Blogging

It's vital to be transparent, open, & honest when it comes to blogging to ensure your readers trust you enough to come back. In the U.S., it's required by law to disclose if a post is sponsored or if you receive money or free items in exchange for posting. Read more about why you need to be transparent when blogging.

How NOT to be a Fashion Blogger

Balancing social media & blogging can be difficult. Add styling an outfit, doing a photo shoot, choosing & editing photos, on top of writing the post itself & you're in for quite a task. Consider these social media basics on what not to do when it comes to fashion blogging. Some of these are extremely easy fixes.

Here's hoping that 2016 is happy & successful for all of us! Prior to going into the new year take a look at these social media tips & tricks to ensure you're blogging effectively. Maximize your reach, your skills, & your social media game with these refresher courses. What are your social media goals for 2016? Did you find any of these social media basics useful? :]

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Balancing social media, blogging, & fashion requires an abundance of work & effort. I've got some social media basics to get your foot in the door. I am a social media marketing manager, so I have hands on experience with successful social media tactics. Today's lesson is all about being a fashion blogger. Or rather how not to be a fashion blogger. Follow these social media tips & tricks to create your best blog. :]

DON'T have more than 10 photos - It's important not to have too many photos in your posts. It influences the time your webpage takes to load & nobody wants to see 47 photos of the same outfit. All too often have I scrolled for what seemed to be forever in order to get to the bottom of the page, only to find that's it. 232 photos & no text & nothing to draw me in (or keep me or others coming back). Keep it under 10 photos. This is vital.

DON'T have zero text - Having no text on your posts makes it so your page has zero SEO value. If you want your page to rank higher & do better, you should consider creating some actual content -- not just having billions of photos. Give the reader some information: Why did you choose this outfit? Where can they purchase the items? What did you do that day? Let readers know who you are.

DON'T have huge blocks of text - On the other side of the spectrum, there is a downside to having too much text. If you're showing off your haul -- people love reading about hauls -- don't have a novel's worth of words. Blogging is all about scanning. This is the number one thing I learned when switching from print to digital media. Break text up into chunks to make it easier on the eyes.

DON'T leave spammy comments - I wrote a whole post on the DOs & DON'Ts of leaving blog comments because it's extremely important. Don't leave a blog promotion that's longer than your comment. Don't be generic. Don't copy & paste. Don't be afraid to be honest. Make sure your comments to other bloggers are sincere & thoughtful, not just "great post" with links to all your social media. No no no.

DON'T be afraid to be you - Despite their carefully curated Instagram, nobody's life is perfect. Their egg white scrambles & Gucci sunglasses are all a part of a tailored social media plan likely put together by a marketing firm. Don't feel like you need to follow suit. Be yourself. You don't need only designer clothes to feel like a true fashion blogger. I often buy thrifted or sale items & I have no shame to share that.

DON'T forget to add links - It's important to add clickable links within your posts. You want to give readers the chance to explore related content if they so wish. For example, I talk about the do's & don'ts of leaving blog comments, so I made sure to add a link that you can visit. Some may want to read up more on the subject while others will skip it. Give your readers some more content to browse!

Time for those social media basics, my blogger friends. When I shared with y'all that I work as a social media coordinator, one commenter suggested I create a social media guide. Sooo...that's what I did. These are the basics. Like the bare bones of social media. I could get into a million different things, but let's start simple. These are things I learned the hard way, after much work. Don't be me. Learn now.

Title your photos - Keeping your photograph title as IMAGE_2342 is easier than naming it, but did you know photos have SEO value? Make sure you title your photos. For example, my photo title could be "SocialMediaBasicsforBloggers" or "SocialMediaTips" instead of  "IMAGE_5953." When people are searching online, they are more likely to find your post & it will rank higher. Always title your pictures.

Use hashtags - Seems like a cop out, right? All those annoying hashtags. Nope! It's absolutely essential. Use hashtags on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc. You never know when or who is looking for certain hashtags. I use hashtags on my Twitter all the time. Last week, two brands reached out to me about products. Now I'm munching on some vegan jerky & some sort of sport drink. Now who's laughing? Hashtags will help you. 

Post regularly - This is what I did wrong for two years. I posted sporadically -- maybe once a week. My bad. You want your posts to rank higher in searches. Your post on how to style beanies from 2 weeks ago is irrelevant when someone posted about that yesterday. Keep up with fresh content. I recommend 2-3 times per week to start off. 

Post about relevant topics -  Be it the controversy about the Coachella 2015 lineup or the score of the latest football game, be relevant. This doesn't have to be for 100% of your posts, but chances are someone out there is looking for what you have to say. A couple months ago, I posted about my experience at Comedy Central's @midnight taping & someone found it, emailed me, & asked me questions about it because they were planning to go. 

Set up profiles on all platforms - So you want to be a travel blogger but you don't have an Instagram or Twitter? Why not? You need them all. Note of warning: not all social media platforms are created equal. LinkedIn may be better for small businesses trying to connect with other businesses, while Instagram is great for artistic folk who want to share their photos.

Don't buy followers - Throughout my time as a social media manager, I've tried various methods for different companies. Buying followers is lame! I do freelance work for a vegan raw superfood bar company & they have 80,000 Facebook fans, but only 2 people like any given post. This looks really bad. Really, really bad. It's better to just have true 198 fans than 5,000 nameless bought likes.

Use a call to action - A call to action is to entice your readers to focus on another course of action. Instead of "Bye. Thanks for reading my recipe," create a direct call to action at the end of your posts. Here's a better one: "Follow me on Twitter for more healthy recipes & fit tips." Obviously, gear the call to action to your readers & what you have to offer them.

Focus on engagement - Take notice of engagement & active users versus followers or page views. Many of those views are spam anyway. The referral link often ends up at some random irrelevant site. That's just to get you to their site. They succeeded. If your posts get 1,000 views but no comments, that's something to think about. Engagement is one the key factors of social media.


This social media basics series could go on forever because there's a million more segments & a million different ways to do things. If you're interested in more social media guides, let me know. Do you have any specific questions? The topic of social media is so vast, if you have a particular need you want addressed, that actually works better. :]



Which of these social media tips  & tricks is news to you? Do you know most of these already? :]

Nobody said blogging was easy, but there are some very obvious reasons why you may be losing readers & followers. You might need to mix things up a bit. Check out these 10 reasons why you're losing followers on your blog & social media platforms. Identify which (if any) apply to you. Make the change; it's simple! Your readers will thank you. :]

As a social media manager as well as a local San Diego blogger, I've done my fair share of blog writing, publicity, press, events, & pretty much everything under the social media sun. I've been on both the giving & receiving end of social media marketing. Sometimes that means a brand collaboration, sometimes that's an Instagram collaboration - I have first-hand perspective on what brands look for before working with a blogger. How can you secure a brand collaboration? How do you find local influencer marketing?

I've managed social channels for brands that focus on timeshares, sewing & embroidery designs, vegan energy bars, & more. Blogger outreach, brand collaboration, and Instagram collaboration are the ideal way to get brands in touch with modern influencers. Whether you're a California lifestyle blogger or an organic mommy blogger, make sure your blog is on a brand's radar. If you want to receive more inquiries from brands, get your first brand collaboration, read up on these seven things brands look for before working with a blogger.

Before we get started, subscribe to my newsletter for more blogging & social media tips!

1. Quality Content & Photography

Before a brand even gets around to reaching out to you, we scour your blog to look at your content, your writing, & your photography. We browse your content & photos to judge if a possible brand collaboration would work. We want good spelling & grammar. We want clear & interesting photos. We want to see your personality shine through your words & content. We view your past posts as a reflection of what a collaboration would look like.

2. Social Media Following

We actively look at all of your social media channels to determine if your blog is a good fit for us. After all, we are providing a service, product, or financial compensation to you & your service is exposure, website clicks, & potential sales for us. You don't have to have an enormous social media following. Count up your followers on all your social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Tumblr, etc. My tip: sometimes it's more powerful to say, "I have 3,000+ followers across my social media channels," rather than "I have 907 Facebook followers, 750 Twitter followers, 824 Instagram followers, 500 Tumblr followers, etc." If you're looking for an Instagram collaboration, brands will consider your overall reach & comments - they might ask to see your analytics.

3. Activity on Social Media Channels

What good is a social media following if you never Tweet, update, or post? We're looking to see if you're active on social media channels by updating relevant & regular information to what we're selling. For example, a vegetarian jerky brand reached out to me because I Tweeted several times about being vegetarian. If you're a San Diego blogger, make sure you're following local San Diego accounts.

4. Engaged Readers

Engagement is extremely important! You can have a huge social media following but no engagement. You're more valuable to us if you have 100 daily views & 2 clicks to our website versus 10,000 daily views & 2 clicks. If you're lacking in followers, your engagement level may save you. If you have both a decent social media following & engagement that makes a wonderful mixture.

5. Demographics

All the above are great & everything, but are your readers who we are targeting? Your blog readers, their age, their location, & their habits, affect whether or not our brand is a good match for your blog. If we're selling candy bars but your blog focuses on healthy recipes, we're probably not a good pair. If you're a single woman in your early 20s, you may not be a good fit for our family-oriented timeshare rentals.

6. Reliability

Did you know that when brands send free stuff or pay for a sponsored post, that costs money? It usually comes from a yearly or quarterly budget set aside specifically for marketing, social media, or influencer outreach. Blogger outreach is costly & brands only have a certain amount of budget & inventory to give out, so we want to ensure that you will be a reliable blogger should we decide to work with you. How long does it take you to respond to emails? How often do you update your blog? What's your turnaround time for collaborative or sponsored posts? Do you have past examples?

7. Media Kit, About Me, or Sponsor Page

After we determine that everything about your blog is a good match for us, we look at your media kit, about me page, &/or sponsor page to find out more about you. We're trying to find your contact information, other brands you've worked with, your page statistics, & any readily available information. This is the final touch before we gather all the content we've accrued & either take it to a superior for approval or begin reaching out to you.

You heard it from me everybody! This is a step-by-step guide in what brands look for before working with a blogger or pursuing blogger outreach. It's a tedious & time intensive process to find the perfect match for the brand, but if we are a good team it's well worth it.

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Facebook is a great way to get more exposure for your brand, business, or blog. I love to use boosted posts once in a while on my Facebook business page to get a wider reach. You can boost links, photos, & even your status! Today I'll give you some insight into how to maximize the effect of your boost. Let's get started. :]

1. Go to your business page - First things first, you need a Facebook business page. Your business page is not the same as a regular page. On your business page people like your page rather than add you as a friend. 

2. Pick a post you'd like to boost - Now you need to determine what to boost. I like to boost links because it gets people to your website. This helps to build a wider readership versus just having someone like a photo on your Facebook page. See that little blue "Boost Post" button in the bottom right corner? Click it.

3. Explore the boost before boosting - Here's what you should see when you click the "Boost Post" button. You may or may not see the red warning box depending if you have an ad blocker on your computer. Take a look at this & get familiar with what it looks like. You'll see things like Audience, Location, Age, Total Budget, Estimated People Reached, Duration, & Payment. These are all important.

4. Determine Audience -  You have three audience options: People who already like your page, People who like your page & their friends, & People you choose through targeting. I've gotten more clicks & engagement by choosing "people who like your page & their friends." I suggest you play around & figure out which works for you & your business. The subject matter makes a difference.

5. Determine Audience Interests - **Audience interests is only applicable if you choose "people you choose through targeting." The people who already like your page & the people who like your page & their friends options do not allow for this. Click "Edit Audience." You will see something like this:

Now you'll want to determine the location, age, gender, & interests for your audience. (I give details on location in the next step below!) When it comes to age, establish who do you want to see this post? Is it geared toward teenagers, adults, seniors? When it comes to gender, is it something that applies to both men & women, or just one gender? Ask yourself these questions & start putting in your details. When it comes to interests, what sort of things are your readers interested in? For example, my boost post about My 5 Favorite Glossybox Products would look something like this:

Due to the nature of the post (a review of beauty products), I selected certain ages who I feel would be interested to see it. I decided to show it to strictly females. I chose a few interests these types of readers may like: Glossybox, Cosmetics, Fragrances, Lipstick, Blogger, etc.

6. Determine Location - You have three location options: Countries, States/Provinces, & Cities. Regardless of which audience you choose, you still get to pick the location. When I go by country, I normally choose United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, & any mostly English-speaking country. Say you review a restaurant & want locals to read your post, go with cities. If your post is about something that people from across the globe could benefit from,  go with countries. Use your discretion.

7. Determine Budget - How much do you want to spend? $5? $20? $200? Obviously, the more you spend, the bigger the reach. If you're just starting out or have limited budget, opt for $5 to get an idea of how it all works & what your results are.

8. Estimated Reach - Now you want to check out your reach. How does it look? You should want your reach to be in the orange range, which means that you've targeted a select audience. If your reach is red it means that your targeting is very broad. Narrow your targeted audience if you want your promotion to reach more people that you care about. This means narrowing down the location, age, interests, etc.

9. Review & then "Boost" - Take a second to look at all your details & then click "Boost." You want to make sure all the details are correct because you can't edit them once you submit it for review. It normally takes around 15 minutes for Facebook to approve your post, but sometimes it can take over an hour. Be patient.





10. Analyzing results - Once you exhausted your budget & the  boost ends you get to take a look at the results. Was it successful? How many people viewed your post? How many people clicked on it? On my boost, it was not very successful. I only received 7 link clicks which is hardly worth the $5. Those link clicks were done by females aged 18 - 24. I had a reach of 2,172 (how many people saw it/scrolled by it). I chose to target only women & of those, 57.1% were from Canada & 42.9% from USA. This is where trial & error helps. I've had boost posts of only $5 with 150 link clicks. Woo!


I hope this How to Run A Facebook Boost Post tutorial helps you grow your blog & learn a little more about social media basics. Let me know if this helped you or if you have any questions. I can always expand more in another post. What did you think of this tutorial? Is it helpful? Have you done a Facebook boost post before? Let me know! :]

Ever wonder what a social media manager does in a day? Here's what a full day managing the social media profiles & online presence for a resort & hotel brand with properties in California & Hawaii looks like.

Custom laptop skin: CaseApp* // Bedding: similar

7:30 a.m - 7:45 a.m. - Check email. Mark as read. Reply as necessary. 

7:45 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. - Share user-generated content from Facebook. Find posts where users check-in to a location & share it on the applicable property page. If there are no new check-ins for a particular property, share relevant content from an official city page.

8:30 a.m - 8:50 a.m. - Go through all property Twitter accounts to check for notifications. If positive, favorite & retweet tweets the hotels are mentioned in. We had a couple negative tweets, so I forwarded the information to the right person to get answers & then tweeted back as necessary.

8:50 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. - Answer TripAdvisor, Yelp, Expedia, & Booking reviews that came in since yesterday. Get in touch with general managers or contacts as needed to better my review responses.

10:00 a.m - 10:20 a.m - Go to stand up meeting where everyone discusses their workload for the day & what they aim to accomplish.

10:20 a.m. - 10:55 a.m - Continue answering reviews. Send emails to managers to get context into the issues that transpired. Today's example: One person negatively reviewed a property, complaining about rude service & charges placed on their card. I contacted the manager to get clarification on what happened & why it happened, then tailored my response with those answers in mind.

10:55 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. - Contact the four winners of giveaway contest to let them know they won a prize. Get their shipping address & create a Word document with the information gathered.


11:10 a.m. - 11:20 a.m. - Call one of my contacts about a negative review. Get incident details & any updates that happened after person reviewed the property. Today's example: Someone claimed they were getting charges for their timeshare & couldn't stop the charges or get in touch with anybody from the hotel. I got details on the situation & answered the review with contact details, so they could have their queries answered by the correct person.

11:20 a.m. - 11: 30 a.m. - Check email. Answer emails.

11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. -  Out to lunch.

12:00 p.m. - 12:15 p.m. - Check Facebook notifications. Answer any comments, messages, questions or get in touch with someone who can help me answer property specific questions. Today's example: Someone commented on one of the hotel user generated photos I shared, "It was a great stay! Our first time there and we loved it! Such a beautiful resort!!!" I responded: "We're so glad to hear that. We can't wait until your next visit."

12:15 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. - Create & schedule content for one of the brands. Three posts per week, for two weeks.


1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. - Meeting with influencer marketing automation service geared toward brands & agencies. Discuss with the team if the service is worth it for the company at this time.

2:00 p.m. - 2:10 p.m. - Check email. Respond to email.

2:10 p.m. - 2:20 p.m. - Post photo to Instagram. Use best practices: include enticing caption, add hashtags to maximize reach, link to resort, & check-in at resort.

2:20 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. - Begin pulling results for the recently finished campaign for a three day vacation giveaway. Obtain average reach, reactions, page likes, link clicks, & cost per lead for both campaigns.

2:30 p.m. - 2:40 p.m. - Go for a quick walk to rejuvenate the mind & body.

2:40 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. - Answer more resort reviews that have come in.

3:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. - Attend a meeting to discuss standard operating procedure for acquiring after hours & weekend help for social media & review responses.

3:30 p.m. - 4:10 p.m. - Research & reach out to social media platforms for a demonstration of their platform.

4:10 p.m. - 4:20 p.m. - Check Facebook notifications prior to finishing for the day.

Nothing unusual or out of the ordinary happened. This is all in a day's work. Is it what you expected? Stay updated for more day in the life of a social media manager posts. Each day is different with some similarities. :]

Being transparent a.k.a. open & honest when it comes to blogging is absolutely imperative in order for your readers to trust you & keep coming back. Recently I was reading a post someone wrote about a protein shake diet. I commented & asked: "how did you feel after the 7 days of trying the shake?" They responded that they hadn't tried the diet. Sooo... Was it sponsored? Did they just want to give people information? Was this an affiliate link? Was this a fad they were in trying? Was it an MLM? Either way, it left me confused.

In the United States it's required by law that you disclose whenever you are being sponsored or receive money or free items in exchange for posting. If you want to read up on the .com Disclosures, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has a whole guide concerning the use of endorsements & testimonials in advertising, which basically addresses endorsements by consumers, experts, organizations, celebrities, & bloggers.

Disclosing isn't shameful

Bloggers need to support themselves somehow. However, the reader needs to be able to know whether you received something for free or you were compensated in some manner to write about a specific brand. It needs to be clear from the get go. There's nothing shameful about admitting that you were paid or received the item for free. Think of it this way: a brand wants to work with YOU because your blog rocks & fits their market! 

Disclose before & after

All too often do we read an enormous, positive, glowing review only to see that there's an asterisk at the bottom disclosing it was a paid post. There's nothing wrong with being sponsored or receiving products, but your readers should understand that you are being clear & conspicuous. It's recommended to mention something at the beginning of the post & then once again at the end. 

Respect your brand

Tell readers in the beginning of the post "This is a sponsored collaboration between myself & *X Brand*" & then have your disclosure once more at the end. If you want to be taken seriously, you must be open about where you're getting your products, whether you paid for it or you got it for free. It's better to respect the integrity of your brand rather than losing readers who don't come back because they're not sure if you're a reliable source.

Be transparent

If your makeup haul sounds like a giant ad with no disclosure, readers may be less inclined to stop by your blog again. Can readers trust you? Can they discern whether or not you're being truthful? If you genuinely love a brand, that's awesome. If you're writing a review because a company gave you product & you tell readers that you received money, that's awesome. If readers can't figure out whether you're being paid or got it for free, that's fishy. Be transparent.

Use certain words/phrases

Using words like "I bought" vs. "I received" can help your fans easily understand how you obtained your products. In my, Bath & Body Works Wallflower Review, I use words like "I spent" & "I scored a really good deal" so you can establish I paid for them myself. In my Aroma Naturals Review, I said "I received" early on, so you can immediately figure out it's not an item I personally paid for; I also add a disclaimer at the end of the post for clarity. Best practice is to disclose at the beginning & end of your blog post. Here's an example.

Questions to ask yourself:
1. Do readers understand the nature of my relationship with this brand?
2. What can I do to make my relationship more clear?
3. Do I have a disclosure included on the post?
4. Can I disclose at the beginning or in the top fold of my blog post?
5. Do I have a disclosure page so readers can learn more about the different types of for-profit options on my blog?

Readers love reviews, hauls, & knowing more about brands you enjoy. Just be truthful & your readers will love you & come back for more. Disclosing is something I've learned with time & I'm still working on perfecting it. Have you ever had/seen a questionable disclosure incident? What are your thoughts on blogger disclosures (or lack thereof)? :]

Whether you've been reading my blog long-term or briefly, you should know that I am a social media professional. I spend my time on various social media channels trying to get the most reach, the most clicks, the most purchases for each brand.

Facebook is a complex social media outlet, especially since its algorithm changes every time you blink your eyes (or so it would seem). While my own account is not the most robust, popular account, I use these methods for all brands. One of the brands I do social media for has seen an enormous increase in engagement & reach — with posts getting 100+ likes & 2,500+ estimated reach with a following of only 4,000 users. Take a look at these tips & ways to increase your reach on Facebook. 

Create a Facebook Page

In order to increase your Facebook reach, the first thing you need to do is create a Facebook page. There is an enormous difference between a fan page & a regular profile. The fan page is a profile where people "like" the page versus where they "friend" you. Create a page for your brand, blog, or company & fill out the profile in its entirety. That means you need a profile photo, a cover photo, the website link, description, bio, & everything in between.

Share Content from Other People

Although this may seem like the antithesis of what you want to do, sharing content from other pages or people expands your reach further than if you posted something yourself. This means more people will view, like, or comment on that particular post. For example, if you share content from BuzzFeed or another relevant source, you'll end up expanding your reach & the people who see your page.

In this post I tag the brand within the post, check in to the brand, & use relevant hashtags.

Tag Brands or People in the Post

If you're at a local coffee shop enjoying one of their specialty drinks, tag the company within the post. If you're wearing a particular brand's tank top, tag them. Give credit & they might share the post, like it, &/or comment on it.  All of these factors will increase your overall reach.

Check in at a Location

Continuing on the above tip, checking in can increase your reach as well. It benefits the business & that's a good social media tactic for everyone. If they see your check in, they may share your post. Sometimes you have to give someone exposure to receive it.

Post Often

If you're posting once a week you might as well not post it all. This is a bit sad, but it's the truth. The more you post the more people will see what you have to say. This goes along with the Facebook algorithm. I personally saw a clear difference from when I was posting once every few days to at least once a day. My reach grew considerably.

In this post I check in at the location & use relevant hashtags.

Use Hashtags

Although hashtags aren't as useful as they are on Instagram, people still search things with hashtags on Facebook. Use any relevant hashtags to what you're talking about, but limit hashtags to five or less. Bonus tip: take advantage of any trending hashtags.

Share Posts in Relevant Groups

Join five or so groups that are relevant to your blog topics. If you focus on travel, join groups that talk about travel. If you're a fashion blogger, join fashion groups. Sharing your relevant posts within groups tailored to your specific audience will garner views. 

This is what a Facebook Page looks like. I used "Contact Us" as my call to action.

Use the Call to Action Feature

On every Page, Facebook allows you to create a call to action. Establish which call to action is most relevant for your brand. You can choose from Contact Us, Book Now, Call Now, Send Message, Use App, Play Game, Shop Now, Sign Up, Watch Video, Send Email, Learn More. There are many options to help you tailor it to your brand.

Use Video

Video content is queen. Video continues to be the best algorithmic boost. As BuzzSumo found, “the average video post in April 2017 reached 12.05% of the total page audience, just ahead of photos at 11.63%, links at 7.81%, and status updates at only 4.56%."

Ask a Question

Keep your readers engaged by asking a question to get their feedback. For example, I featured a specific brand of coffee, but at the end of my caption, I ask my followers what their go-to coffee order is. Ask for feedback from your followers but be specific with your question. By specifically asking "what's your current coffee order?" I ended up with better results than without a question. It's conversational. Remember: if they answer, be sure to respond. Keep the dialogue going.

Facebook is like the ocean. It's always changing with a consistent ebb & flow. You may think you understand it one day & then the next week they launch a new feature or alter the algorithm. But don't worry, I've got you covered stay tuned & subscribe to my newsletter (in the right hand side of my blog) & check back for more social media posts!

For bloggers, comments are wonderful to receive. It's heartwarming to know people read your blog & have something to say about it. But there's something you should be aware of: spam comments! I want to talk to you about how to identify spam comments & why you shouldn't publish them on your blog.

Now I'm not talking about those generic comments from fellow bloggers that go something like this: Great post! Follow me on Bloglovin. Here's my Facebook page & don't forget to check out my blog! Those comments are pretty annoying too & the author ought to read up on the DOs & DON'Ts of Leaving Blog Comments, but they don't have the same level of harmful spam. Keep reading to learn more!