How to Market a Brand on Social Media

Do you have a brand that you are promoting on social media, or that you are struggling to promote? Or perhaps your brand is gaining attention, but you’d like to step it up on social media. Your “brand” may actually be yourself. Fear not, because in no time at all you too will be a social media whiz with these six simple tips and tricks. You may want to grab a cute notebook and pen to jot down some notes!

1—Content. Always have great content, especially when starting out. This includes awesome photos with great lighting, and meaningful posts and captions. You can use a camera, or you can use your beloved smartphone instead.

2—Interact with followers. After creating a post, be sure to interact with your followers. Follow accounts that are similar to yours as well as brands you admire. Like and comment on posts of those you follow and reply to comments on your own posts.

3—Use hashtags (properly). Always use hashtags so that others can find your posts, but be sure to use them properly. This means using hashtags that are commonly searched, rather than making up your own. Be intentional; make sure they relate to your post and make them readable. Some acceptable hashtags are #fashion, #style, #vegan, and #foodie. You can also use related hashtags that are not used as much so that your post has a greater chance of being seen. Examples of these are #fashionblogger, #fashionista, #instayum, and #whatveganseat. Remember to stick to three to ten hashtags per post.

4—Respond to both positive and negative comments. Make sure you address negative comments on your social media accounts. If a follower has a concern about your brand or product, make it right and apologize, if necessary. Ignoring negative comments will make it worse unless of course, it is a rude comment that can be left alone. You don’t want to be rude, sarcastic, or argue with your followers.

5—Be “real”. Rather than putting up a fake façade on your social media accounts, let your followers in and show them who you really are. This can be done by showing a behind the scenes look into your photos. Using Snapchat or Instagram stories will enable your followers to feel more connected to you.

6—Use Google and Instagram Analytics. If you have a blog or website, using Google Analytics will provide you with detailed statistics about visitors to your site and help you understand what works for it. There are third-party Instagram analytics tools, such as Iconosquare, which tracks follower growth and losses, the best times to post for maximum engagement, and your best performing content.

Hopefully, these tips will help you engage with and grow your audience in order to successfully market your brand on social media!

Do you have any tips for marketing a brand? Let us know in the comments below or by tagging @Cfashionista on social media.

4 Ways to Make the Most of Your Retail Job

This summer I took on the challenge of working in retail, as most of us lovers of fashion and style chose to do at one point or another. Not far into the season, I came to the realization that this was my first college summer and I should be making the most of it. To get more than a paycheck out of my summer gig, I found a few small ways to broaden my horizons and add some sparkles to my resume.

Disclaimer: I worked at a small boutique. Some of these tips may be less applicable if you are working for a large chain retailer.

Build a social media presence. The job I worked was at a locally-owned specialty store in a beach town. I noticed that the owners had created an online sales presence and a popular Facebook page, but were not utilizing any other social media channels. I asked permission to take over a forgotten store Instagram account for the summer. Using my coworkers as models, and the scenery around the store as a set, I photographed new merchandise and advertised sale items to a growing number of followers. This experience not only made my job more exciting, ut also allowed me to add several new skills to my resume.

Design a display. Visual merchandising is an important part of marketing. Displays draw customers in and show off new products in their best light. I had the opportunity to use my creativity and design knowledge to put together complete looks for mannequins and arrange products on tabletop displays.

Become an expert. Many brands offer online training videos that teach sales associates how to pitch their product to a customer. The more you learn about a product, the more you will be able to talk to customers about it, and the more likely they will be to buy it. Some brands even offer a rewards program and if you sell a certain number of their products, you might get something free. This is a terrific way to strengthen your marketing skills and possibly score some freebies.

Share your ideas. If you think those cute new skirts should be up front where customers can admire them more easily, tell someone! If you think there is a more efficient way to put price tags on a new shipment, let yourself be heard! Keep a stylish notebook on hand to jot down your thoughts. If you think every business has it all figured out, you’re wrong. Your idea could create positive changes that are needed for a business to grow. Tell your boss about a new brand you found that you believe would do well in your store. Brief your coworkers on the best questions to ask customers in order to figure out what they’re looking for. The possibilities are endless.

These ideas helped me get through some rather dull days on the sales floor. If you have any other tips please share them in the comments below!

How to Stay Organized While Building Your Personal Brand

Are you a quintessential “Type A” personality? So am I. If you’re like me, you know that planning, organization, and time management are of the utmost importance. As young women and men pursuing various careers, the one term the entire millennial generation has come to know is “personal branding.” Staying organized in creating and maintaining your personal brand can be pretty time consuming, so I’m here to show you how to make it easier.

If you ask your grandparents or parents what the term “personal branding” is, they may vaguely understand, but this was something that never had to be done when planning their future career. With the rise of technology and social media, personal branding has become a given for the millennial generation. Our social media profiles, blogs, etc. are all consistent, ever-present representations of who we are as an individual, and how we can benefit other companies.

I happen to have a love-hate relationship with personal branding. While I appreciate the creative side of personal branding, creating a consistent aesthetic that can easily be identified by like-minded brands and companies, the idea that social platforms are taken as a representation of my personality and skills as a whole is a tad overwhelming. Regardless, pursuing a career in the fields of marketing, public relations, social media, etc., all essentially require some form of personal branding. Below are my best tips to help organize and maintain the creation and continuation of your personal brand.

Plan, Plan, Plan!

Every month, I sit down with my agenda and plan out my month. Take 1-2 days each month to outline all of your responsibilities. Use this time to schedule social responsibilities, school, work, and any other outside responsibilities you have. Having an overall picture of what else you have throughout the month makes it easier to plan time for when you can post.

Create an Editorial Calendar

I will always, always, always use an editorial calendar! This is by far the best tip I could give on staying on top of your social media game. By spending 1-2 hours a few times a month, I plan out all social media posts, and all I have to do when I’m ready to post is copy and paste.

Take Time for Yourself

Constantly worrying about your social media presence, posting schedule, etc. can be overwhelming. That’s why it’s so important to take time for yourself. Find something that is always relaxing for you, and allows you to completely take your mind off all of your other responsibilities. My favorite thing to do is workout—it makes me feel better physically and mentally. Not to mention, I get to find tons of new workout outfits (hello entire new section of clothing to shop for).

How do you stay organized? Show us on social media! Don’t forget to tag @cfashionista!

The Value of Self-Promotion on Social Media

There isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t see “link in bio” at least once in someone’s Instagram caption. Our Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook feeds are filled with links, promotions, and content. Some tend to find this very annoying, and it can be at times. But it’s also so important that users take part in self-promotion over social media.

First off, your social media is your life to the outside world—specifically potential employers that are looking to see what kind of person you are in the online space. While everyone tells you that it’s important to be mindful of what you post, it’s also important to utilize self-promotion. This may seem self-centered or narcissistic, but how will others know about your work if you’re not putting it out there? Promoting articles, blog posts, collaborations, etc. via Instagram and Facebook is how I drive traffic to these pieces of content. People would have to find my content organically without social media. This is difficult to do when you have a small following in a space filled with content.

This self-promotion also shows that you are proud of your work. It’s a kind of digital confidence. Knowing that there’s a bigger audience to share my work with keeps me focused on perfecting everything I put out there. Even if I’m not directly promoting a piece, people can still find my work through the websites I produce for, so that means everything has to be the best it can be.

How to Shamelessly Self-Promote

To create the perfect self-promotional post, it’s important to be very selective in your photo choice. What image is the most interesting or relatable to your audience and story? If they like the photo, chances are they’re more likely to click on your link. After choosing your winning image, create a concise caption that encapsulates your content in a sentence or two. Hashtags are helpful to reach people outside of your followers—consider adding these in a comment instead of the main caption. This keeps your main post clean and free of distraction.

Pick a time of day when most people will be scrolling through social media. Early morning, lunchtime, and the evening always seem to garner the most attention. If this is a piece of work that you want a lot of people to see, try promoting it a few times over the span of a week. Be sure to change up your photo and caption so your feed isn’t filled with the same content.

Now, go ahead and start self-promoting. You never know who will see your work next and like it, like a potential employer.

So how do you self-promote on social media? Let us know in the comments below!

How to Plan the Perfect Day Trip With Your Girl Gang

The last month of summer is here, meaning it’s time to start ticking items off you and your girl gang’s summer bucket list before you part ways to your separate campuses. There’s no better way to spend these last few precious days than taking a day trip. Find a cool destination close to home, scout out fun things to do, pile in the car, and make a day out of it to ensure some of the best memories!

1—Choose a location and start Instagram stalking. The best day trip destinations are places that are only an hour or two away so you can jam-pack the day with as many fun activities as possible. Once the location and logistics are set, turn to the handy-dandy search page on Instagram and type in your destination. Insta-stalking allows you to find the cutest shops, restaurants, and photo ops you may otherwise miss. For me and my BFF’s day trip to Ann Arbor, MI, I turned to Instagram to find the most adorable café.

2—Consult the group message for the perfect #OOTD. The second any plans start to form, the first thought in every Fashionista’s mind is, “What am I going to wear?” I don’t know about you, but my group message blows up the night before a big day with pictures of possible outfits. For this outing, I paired a purple off-the-shoulder top with white pants. One of my friends wore an on-trend, DIY denim skirt, and the other paired a white T-shirt with pink linen pants.

3—When in doubt, brunch it out. My go-to day trip activity is always brunch. There’s nothing like a delicious brunch spread to fuel your big day. Plus, it’s nice to take a break and sit and chat with your girls before your busy day trip itinerary picks up.

4—Explore the area for hidden gems. While you’ve already got your list of destinations mapped out, sometimes the best spots are found when you step off the beaten path. If you pass something that catches your eye, go for it! Some of my favorite day trip memories are spots found while exploring, like this sweet little book store.

5—Start Snapping Away. One of my favorite things to do to commemorate a successful day trip is have a mini photoshoot. My girl gang and I love to find fun walls to pose in front of and take silly pictures. After all, pics or it didn’t happen, am I right?

How will you and your girl gang be spending your next day trip together? Let us know in the comments below.

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How to Speak Out With Political Fashion Statements

I have always known that I believed in equality. It seemed like such a simple decision to me. Why wouldn’t everyone want to promote love and equal rights? Who would want to stop anyone from embracing their complete selves? Over the past couple of years, I have realized that this type of acceptance isn’t everyone’s reality. There are people that believe that someone is unworthy because of their gender, sexuality, or race. We need to change that. I have started my journey to learn about these issues, and hopefully you will too.

I started by doing some research about the causes that I want to support. I came across websites like feministing.com and theestablishment.co and immediately related to the women that ran these websites and their stories. Many of them took their passion for gender equality and, similarly to fashion, used their creativity to connect and inspire their audience. Something about a group of creative women working together to make an impact made me spiral into a never ending google search to learn about the cause that I feel so connected to.

After the election, I knew that a lot of the causes that I supported were going to be put on hold at the very least, but after seeing my LGBT+ friends struggle I decided that being a silent ally wasn’t going to be good enough anymore. I always supported the community in conversations but I had never posted anything on social media or gone to any of the ally events on my college campus. I genuinely want to learn about the community, gender, and sexuality. I know that I will never be able to relate but I want to try and understand. I wouldn’t want a man who supported feminism to be quiet about it, so why should I be quiet about the other people that I support? I know now that by being quiet and standing back while the damage is being done, I am just a part of the problem. I want to take action. I want to talk to my senators. I want to understand.

Why can’t I use my passion to bring light to these causes? Fashion is one of the most influential medias on the planet—before you even speak to someone you notice what they are wearing. Trends can be started and spread all over the world overnight through social media. Fashion can start a movement without saying anything. So go support the causes that you love with a T-shirt or button and start conversations about these issues. We need to show that our determination to be heard will not be overshadowed by laws and distractions. They can’t take away our right to speak out with fashion.

If you know more information about these topics, let me know in the comments!

6 Steps to the Perfect Summer Shot That Will Match Any Feed

To force the thought of back-to-school on you or not? Hmm… nope, let’s push it off until September along with those summer assignments. For many of us college girls, fall is drawing nearer which means we must make the most of our time, money, and Instagram feeds. The first three steps tell you what you need to do as the model and the last three explain what to do behind the scenes. Let’s get this perfect summer shot!

1—The bikini shot.

This is the classic. Whether you’re away on a holiday or chilling by the pool, the bikini picture is essential to owning your space and your summer feed. It says “Hello summer I have arrived!” Make sure you know your angles with this shot. Turn your chin to find your light (usually toward the sun in this case) and if preferred, adjust your body so that any insecurities fade to black, i.e. the shadows.

2—The food shot. So, how exactly does food “find its light?” Simple, you put it there silly! Placement is everything. Yes, the napkins at the fill-in-the-blank restaurant look fancy but will they make the shot look too busy? Make sure the food looks appetizing and get the perfect flat lay by hovering a good two feet above your subject.

3—The beauty shot.

Again, find your light. Your entire body doesn’t have to turn towards the sun but your chin always should. From here, let your radiant confidence do the rest.

4—The I’m not sure, just aesthetically pleasing shot. Yeah, I have nothing to say, it’s just aesthetics. No, seriously, a sucky caption can ruin your shot but just the right amount of corny caption can set it off.

5—The summer shot with a dash of filter. Can we leave the whole “no filter” hype in 2016 and allow ourselves to be the Kobe of VSCO? Three quick tips: decide if the picture is about the highlights or the shadows and enhance accordingly, make sure this photo matches the warm or cool tones of your feed, and remember the vintage film look is in, so don’t be afraid to add a little grain.

6—The “OMG” I love this photo but I can’t post it because my theme is light at the moment shot. If the picture is too dark for your light feed and turning the exposure up only washes everything out, try adding a nice fade. This won’t, of course, make the picture light but it’ll be less of a contrast against your light feed.

Were you able to conjure up the perfect summer shot? Don’t forget to tag us at @CFashionista in your next photo so we can fall in love with your feed!

5 Ways to Up Your Instagram Game

Instagram is by far my favorite form of social media. I love using it to draw inspiration from others, as well as to share my own photos. Creating a profile that is interesting, cohesive, and that stands out will attract more people to your profile. Here are just a few ways to help you up your Instagram game.

1—Find your niche. Figure out what is unique about yourself and center your Instagram around that. Personally, I like to use my account to share fashion posts of some of my favorite clothing items and accessories with my followers. In doing this, I have attracted a specific audience to my account. So, whether you like to workout, cook, play sports, or put cute outfits together, you should make your account reflect that.

2—Take good quality photos. Taking good quality photos is not as hard as it may seem. You don’t need some fancy camera to take photos on, I use my iPhone majority of the time. The most important tip for making your photos appear to be high-quality is having good lighting. Not standing in direct sunlight and avoiding flash are some of the best ways to avoid a low-quality photo.

3—Create a theme. Creating an Instagram theme should not have to be forced. My theme matches my style, which is a lot of neutral tones, white, and denim. I like using the app UNUM to plan out the order of my photos. Doing this helps me to ensure that the picture I want to post will look cohesive with my feed.

4—Learn how to edit. I am constantly changing up the editing process of my Instagram photos. The one thing that stays consistent is my use of the app VSCO. My favorite filters to use are A6, HB2, and S2. What I find works best for my theme is turning down the saturation, making the temperature more orange toned, and adding some contrast. I recommend playing around with this app to figure out what fits your personal aesthetic.

5—Post consistently. Posting two-three times a week is the best way to keep your followers engaged but not annoyed. I struggle with figuring out what I am going to post some weeks, especially once school begins. The time of the year comes when I become super busy and I am no longer on an incredible vacation where every photo is Instagram-worthy. What I have learned is to keep my posts genuine. Just snapping a picture of my shoes when I am out and about is still cute and goes with my overall aesthetic.

What is your favorite Instagram tip? Share it on social media and don’t forget to tag @CFashionista.

Step Away From the Screen and Bring Social Media to Life

These days, anyone can get on social media using a computer, smart phone, or tablet. Social media is all around us, and it affects and consumes our lives. Do you ever want to try something different to bring social media to life? Here are three simple ways to do so.

1—Write a letter. Tired of only communicating with your family via Facebook? Try a more personal approach and write them a letter! Seeing a handwritten note instead of a pixelated status update will brighten their day. Get creative and use fun paper or stickers for an added element. You can include pictures with your letter just like you would on Facebook. Your family will not only be able to read about your latest trip or spontaneous adventure, they will also be able to physically see it and keep it.

2—Fill a photo album. Do you have pictures on your phone that you absolutely love but wouldn’t dare post on Instagram because it would ruin your theme? Well, print them out and put them in a photo album. Take it a step further and use one that has space to write about what is pictured. It’s just like posting to your favorite photo app, but better. Don’t worry about including the embarrassing pictures, they make for great stories to tell and memories to look back on!

3—Make a collage. Do you love Pinterest but get bored staring at a computer screen? Make a collage from all those magazines that are lying around your house. Flip through the pages, and stop to cut out anything that catches your eye. If you want to go a step further, create a themed collage. For instance, make one of only neutrals to go with your white and marble themed room. It’s the same as pinning an image to your Pinterest board but in real life! Once you have found all your images, glue or tape them to a sturdy piece of paper. Lastly, frame your new art piece and hang it above your bed for inspiration.

What other ideas do you have to bring social media to life? Let me know in the comments below.

6 Tips to Make Your Summer Trip a Success

Summer is peak season for traveling. Whether you are going to Mexico for a tropical vacation, or Paris for a glam girls trip, tourists will be everywhere. Having said that, there is more to traveling than just visiting a country’s touristy spots. Here are some things I always do to make sure I get the most out of my trips.

1—Take lots of pictures. Yes, as some people say, it’s nice to be in the moment without electronics or technology to take everything in. However, a memory can only last so long, pictures are forever.

2—Don’t stay in your comfort zone. I cannot stress this enough! You are in a new country, so do things you would’ve never done at home. Go on a safari, zip-line across a jungle, or go on a walk and explore non-touristy spots that aren’t necessarily on the map.

3—Eat. There is no better way to explore a country’s culture than through their food. Eat at local restaurants and try the local meals. I get that fried crickets or caramelized spiders might not be your thing, but don’t be afraid to try food you’ve never eaten before.

4—Meet the locals. They always have the best advice on where to eat, drink, or have a good night out. They are also the best way to really learn about the culture. Talk to them about their language or religion to really get a feel for the country. Try to write down everything you’ve learned in a travel journal.

5—Relax. After all, you are on vacation. Chill by the pool, get a relaxing facial, or sweat at the gym. “You” time is very important.

6—Be a tourist. Research online before the trip for main tourist attractions and take a day to visit them. Grab your camera and your friends and go visit the Taj Mahal, The Great Wall of China, or wherever it may be.

Are you taking a trip this summer? Snap some pics and post them on social media. Don’t forget to tag @CFashionista!