​Who’s ready to just relax? (ME!) If you're like me during the summer, you are trying to get all of the fun things in before it starts getting darker at night, before school starts, before fall ... before it feels like all the fun went home for the rest of the year. If you’re also like me, then you’re probably looking for some time-saving hacks for social media content. I can help with that!

​One of the easiest summer hacks I have for digital marketing is the same one that I recommend for the holiday season as well (right after Christmas when you’re still in a daze but don’t want to be forgotten on the socials.). During the holidays we’re all extra busy – probably a little hungover, too – but still responsible for social media marketing and implementation.  

My big idea is actually quite simple (you’ll agree after you hear it). Go through your social posts from last year and look at what performed well. Share those posts again this year. There! Like I said, super simple!  

To get started, you can look at your insights from Facebook or whatever platform you’re wanting to use. That’s a bit harder route if you’re in a hurry. I recommend you start in your photo or video tabs on the Facebook business page. It’s much easier to scroll to content from last year this way. If you start on your wall it's going to take forever. Once you’re on the photo or video tab, start choosing which content you want to re-post. 

Use these ideas to re-introduce the content to your audience. 

1. Most Liked: “You guys loved this idea last year! Try it again this year.” Look through your photos and video to see which one had the most likes. Share it again!
2. Summary of top posts: “Here are 3 products/ideas/tips/services that were popular this time last year. Who else needed this?” Take content from a 2-5 posts and created a larger post around that theme. 
3. Discount Code: “Code XXXX was the most used discount code of the season! I’m going to open it up again for 24 hours!” If you had a discount code last year, promote it again this year, but only for a small amount of time.  
4. Popular Freebie: “Wow! Last August this was my number 1 freebie! Who wants to see it for themselves?!” Promote a freebie from last summer.  
5. Most-Asked Question: “The Number 1, most asked question I get in August is _____” If you have an older post that covers a popular subject, then make sure to post it again so your audience doesn't miss out this year.  

1. Click the “Share” and then “Share to page” option. This allows you to share the entire original post plus add extra text. 
2. Save the image to your desktop, copy the post text, and then post the entire thing again like it’s brand new.

​Both ideas will work in getting your content back in front of it’s intended audience. ​Hopefully these summer hacks will make your social media posting a little bit easier this month.

Coming up with Reel ideas leaving you with hot flashes? Stay cool and use these ideas ... 

We've picked out 11 fun, summery-sounding songs for your next TikTok video. The songs range from old-school classic to newer songs, guaranteed to pull in all age ranges! Plus, these are "business approved" so you don't need to worry about offending your audience.

Tip: If you want to use one of the songs, I'd recommend clicking on the "Grab the sound here" link while on your mobile device. This allows you to open the sound directly in your TikTok app so you can "Save as a favorite" and find it later when it's time to created your video.

Enjoy!

Grab the sound here.
​Check out this example...

Grab the sound here. 
Check out this example...

Grab the sound here.
Check out this example...

Grab the sound here.
Check out this example... 

Grab the sound here.
Check out this example...

​Grab the sound here.
Check out this example...

​Grab the sound here.
Check out this example...

​Grab the sound here.
Check out this example...

​Grab the sound here.
Check out this example...

​Grab the sound here.
Check out this example...

Grab the sound here.
Check out this example...

Pretty please don’t try to buy social media followers. You’ll most likely get bots and inactive accounts who most definitely won’t be engaging with your posts.

It’s easy to get nervous about a small follower count when you’re first getting started, but before you start buying followers … ask yourself this question:

Would you rather have a lot of followers or would you rather make money?

Seems like an easy answer, right? Many brands think these two things go together 100% of the time, always. It’s true that follower counts help, but it’s not the only answer.

Remember this, when you start SPENDING MONEY to gain followers you’ll quickly learn it’s a LOSING GAME because most of those followers aren’t even real. EEK! And you can be “punished” for this, because when your high number of followers aren’t engaging with your posts, the algorithms will show someone else’s content before yours. Why? Because it looks like you’re not posting valuable content.

Instead, grow your followers the hard, time-consuming, organic way to ensure you have a REAL audience who’s going to engage with your brand and actually buy from you. It takes time and it takes work, but I promise it’s worth it.

Here are a few ways to get started in the right direction …

Website

There are a few things you can do on your website to gain followers.

1. Pop-up on website. Include a pop-up or call-out on your website that allows visitors to easily click a “follow” button. You can focus on one social platform at a time, so you don’t overwhelm them with options (once a user is overwhelmed, you’ll lose them). You can even set up rules on the backend of your pop-up that says “if someone saw the Facebook pop-up, serve the Instagram pop-up next” for example.

2. Play up Pinterest. Ensure your content is easy to pin on Pinterest by including a “pin it” button with your content. Make sure you have a great image to go with your content! Otherwise, your site visitors won’t have anything memorable to pin. You can also pin your own content on Pinterest as soon as you post it, just to get it into circulation on the platform.

3. Social share buttons. Make it super obvious that users can share articles, blogs, recipes, etc. on social media. Put the share buttons right in their faces on your site!

Social Media

Social media platforms obviously provide an ideal place for you to gain new followers. Here are a few ways to go about it.

4. Influencers and advocates. A great way to spread the word is to work with influencers and advocates. There are plenty out there you can pay to post about your products and services. I encourage you to get creative here and redefine who’s an influencer or advocate for you. Look closely at employees, clients, local celebrities, and other affordable or free options that may end up bringing in even better audiences.

5. Share posts from regular people. OMG us regular folks LOVE it when a brand shares our posts or highlights us and you know what? Our friends and family love it even more! They will share those types of posts until the end of time. Yes the images might not be professionally taken and the content might even have a typo. But it’s REAL and people love that stuff!

6. Cross-promote social channels. Remind your followers that you’re on multiple platforms. Make it worth their time but providing different types of content on different platforms. You don’t need to make every post different on each platform, but every so often throw in something special on each platform to make them slightly unique.

7. Engagement post. Create a post where you ask followers to tag a friend. This is a great way to get new eyes on your content!

8. Contests. Take your engagement post to the next level by running a contest. Ask your followers to tag a friend, like your post, and like your social page. Their friends can do the same to enter the contest.

9. Create a content series. Just like your favorite TV show that you want to tune into, you can do the same on social media. Create a series of posts that your audience will want to keep coming back for. Make sure to remind them to share with their friends and family.

10. Boost posts on Facebook. When you boost a post, you're placing your content in front of more eyes. Boosting allows you to target specific types of people. If they feel drawn to your brand, they will like/follow your page and hopefully purchase from you. 

Communications

We’ve covered your website and your social accounts. What about all other forms of communication you send out to prospects and current customers? Take a very close look at EVERYTHING you send out. It should have your social handles included!

11. Transactional messages. Look at all of your transactional messages. They should have your social media info included. This could be invoices, welcome email or letter, follow-up emails, invitations, etc.

12. Product labels and packaging. Include your social handles on all product labels and packaging. This is a “hot” customer – they just purchased from you and are excited. Use that momentum to turn them into a follower on social media as well!

13. Promotional displays. Do you have displays set up in retail stores or a booth at an event? Make sure your social handles are on display, too! If a potential customer doesn’t buy from you TODAY then make sure they have a way to connect with you before they leave. QR codes are great for this, too!

14. Share button in emails. If you’re providing tips, ideas, advice, recipes, etc. via email newsletters or promotional emails, make sure you also provide a way for the audience to share the ideas on social media.

15. Include social handles on business cards. You’re spending a lot of money on these business cards, make sure they can connect with you EVERYWHERE, not just via email and phone.

Keep in mind that growing an audience organically takes time. It can be frustrating to see low follower counts when you want to appear more “established” but you NEED to grow your audience the right way if you want long-term success.

Trust me when I say that “bot buying” (i.e., buying followers) will hurt you in the long run! All platforms go through and clean out bots and spam accounts every once in a while, when this happens many brands will lose hundreds or thousands of followers if they’ve been buying followers. Plus, like I said earlier - you will lose the algorithm battle when it looks like you have horrible content because you have horrible engagement because you are followed by bots and not real people who are eager to engage with you.

Does anyone else’s mind go on vacation starting June 1st?

​It’s an automatic switch in my head to slowly start powering down. June 1st means I should obviously be somewhere with a drink in my hand! If your mind is in vacation-mode, too, then please join me as I slowly power my brain back on for this important exercise. Why? Because summer is an excellent time to sit down and take a good look at how your marketing and communication plan has been performing so far. It’s also a great time to think about what changes you want to make to positively impact the rest of the year.  
​
Don’t set your drink down! You can do this one-handed. I promise. 

If you’re like me, you’re always seeing amazing ideas from others throughout the year that you wish you would have done. A very simple example is that on Mother’s Day I saw someone else post a beautiful, inclusive Mother’s Day message that really spoke to my heart. I wished I had come up with something similar. So I made a note for next year so I wouldn’t forget to be more inclusive with my message.
​
That’s what Number One’s deep dive is all about. What have you seen that you wished you’d done, but it’s too late now? Go back and start making a list of things you don’t want to miss out on next year. This is a great activity to keep you on your toes and always improving your marketing efforts. 

​You audience is busy during the summer. Look back through your benefit statements and edit your messages to tell your audience how you can make their lives better THIS SUMMER. While they’re on the go, planning vacations and family activities, spending more time outdoors, and trying to schedule childcare while school is out. How can you help them? Thinking through this will help you stay relevant with your audience and ensure you won’t seem “out of touch” with what they’re going through. 

I know the sun is shining and you should probably be floating on water with a pina colada, but this is also a great time to think about fall and winter. Specifically, what systems can you put in place to ensure a smooth holiday season? If sales drop during the winter, how can you make more sales right now to prepare for that? If sales skyrocket during the winter, how can you make sure you’re ready for those busy months?
​
Are there any new marketing strategies you’d like to test? Maybe product or service combos? Test those now! Take a few minutes to review your marketing strategy and content calendar before the holidays are on the horizon. Because once they’re within your sights, it’s way too late to make big impactful changes. 

​I love this time of year and work on my patio whenever I can. I’d love to hear what updates you’re making to your strategy and if you’re testing anything new. Join our private Facebook group of content creators and marketers so we can chat! 

In our "Fabulous Friday with Ash-Lea" podcast, Lea Tran and I talked about cleaning up your garden to create a "clean slate" for the new growing season. We talked about how this applies in your personal and professional life as well. This stage in goal planning (and garden planning!) takes patience. You don't see growth yet and you have to sit back and let the process happen. So much waiting!

​This is actually a great stage to be in because it teaches us not to rush the process.  "Clean up" to allow for growth lets you ... 

• Create a space for your perennials to continue thriving. Think of this as continuing to work toward your long-term goals.
• Create a brand new area for planting annuals. Think of this as clearing out the old and making room for new goals you're working toward.
• Create a brand new space that's open and ready for beautiful things.

When considering the garden analogy, it can feel counterintuitive to rip out all of your hard work from last year. You put time and energy into your garden and now you're just demolishing it? Yep! It's a very important step. You are creating a clean slate to ... 

• remove dead plants or anything that's not working from last year
• rearrange plants to different spots so they can thrive
• start over with a new design in your garden space
• give you better possibilities in your garden

Using these same tactics can help with regular goal setting as well. It teaches us that we need to honestly evaluate where we are, what's working and what isn't, and make a plan for what needs to happen to move on to better things. Use this time to assess, review lessons from last year, and start designing a new space that allows more success. 

No doubt, you've heard the saying that good things can't be rushed. And that sounds great ... until you're the one who's excited to see results. Results that prove you're not a failure! So this waiting game can be frustrating, for sure.  

Not seeing growth yet and sitting there looking at the blank slate where you just removed all of the hard work from last year can feel like you've taken a step back. But it's important to remember that this stage  you're in IS PROGRESS. The act of cleaning, planning, and settling in to wait is a very important stage. 

Feeling restless? Check out these articles. 

Do you feel like you're unsettled and impatient at this stage? Learn the reasons why you're feeling this way and how you can settle in to this "waiting game" to ensure better success. 

If you're having a hard time sitting still and you're constantly rushing around, you might suffer from "Hurry Sickness." Remember being busy is NOT a virtue. It's a great way to end up burnt out. Find out how to protect yourself from "Hurry Sickness." 

I'd love to hear what you're working on and WAITING on! Comment below or reach out.

​Kerry Fletcher, Contemporary Abstract Artist from Norwalk, Iowa, shares the creative process she uses to breathe life into her one-of-a-kind masterpieces. She also gives some insight into how she ended up with this creative process and the benefit of using it. If you’re feeling lifeless and burnt out, maybe “Getting Lost” is just what you need to bring creativity and excitement back into your life.  Jump in with us …

​Intuitive abstract. What’s that even mean? Bear with me while I try to articulate the weird and sometimes wild process called “intuitive abstract”.
 
Intuitive abstract …
 
Is like writing fiction, influenced by the memories of real life. Starting a story and not knowing where it ends—is it a romance, mystery, comedy, or action adventure?
 
It’s exploring a new place and taking random turns just to see what’s down that road.
 
Painting an intuitive abstract is a lot like intentionally getting lost. Casting fears aside, and feeling the excitement of traveling to an unknown destination. Living in the moment.
 
The journey of Getting lost reminds me of the feeling back when I was a kid and my Dad took us on country drives. Traveling on the back country roads, I’d repeatedly ask him…are we lost yet? When he’d finally say “yup, we’re lost” I’d squeal with delight! The thrill of not knowing, being the first or the only to discover new things, was scary fun to me.
 
Throughout the years I’ve come to realize that some of the most exciting art results come when I allow myself to get lost. No map, no Google. No plan, no prediction of an outcome. This in itself is challenging when the rules, habits, and ideas are fighting for attention in your head, distracting the exploration. 

​For me, color becomes the map and drives the direction of everything. Mixing and inventing new favorite, colors, placing them where they want to be.
Where they complement and dance, converse or debate with their other color friends.
 
Add to the developing plot-brush strokes and marks that feel congruent or completely in conflict with all else.
 
Or just doing what feels good.
 
Add, subtract, assess, adjust, add, subtract and repeat again. It’s a fun, exciting and good kind of scary ride. 

​Occasionally God enters in and something extraordinary happens. Like the time i was experimenting with new tools and colors and as I stepped back, saw the eye and nose of my best dog pal, a 150lb Great Pyrenees, in the painting. Initially I’m thinking “awwwwe”.
 
After studying further, it appears as though this sweet pup is knocking someone down! The subject literally looks knocked off her feet.
Que the doom music.
 
Two months later, while playing, she did just that. To me.
 
Looking back, I guess I can say that I “saw” it coming.  

​This magical “painting coming to life” is not the first time this has happened, but fortunately most are not so painful! There’s always a message, or dialogue-some only known by me but hopefully felt a bit by viewers. The story  unfolds as unintentionally as intended.
 
Getting lost is fun. There are no rules. There is no danger. Only new things to see and do.  Turn in any direction that seems right.
 
Every day, I show up. Take the turns and work on the next painting. It all comes out as a story.
 
My hope is that the story might take you exploring someplace you’ve never been before.
 
Life continuously changes all of our stories. It’s certainly visible to me in the art. When looking back, I can see the thread or the path and recall the related life events with some interesting perspective.
 
The path of creating art is like being a kid again and getting lost on a country drive with my Dad.
It’s letting the subconscious tell the story. Losing the map and letting the desire of exploration take over. Getting lost and feeling the sweaty, heart thumping thrill of discovery.
 
Time is no longer the focus.  Only the journey.

Choose a class:

• May 16th, 12:00pm CST
• May 17th, 4:30pm CST

Wondering what to post? How often to post? And what to say? You won't after this social media masterclass.

This class was designed for entrepreneurs and small business owners who are ready to take big leaps toward growing sales and clients, but aren't ready to invest thousands with a digital marketing firm just yet.

In just 60 minutes, we'll have your social posts and marketing promos planned for the next 30 days.

Plus, learn the SECRETS to quickly writing AMAZING social posts and video scripts designed to stop your audience from their mindless scrolling and start a connection with YOUR BUSINESS.

By attending the workshop, you'll get:

✔️ Direction to quickly set you on the golden path toward sales, growth and changing your business forever

✔️ A writing class that will open up the heavens and allow the angels to sing inspiration directly into your ear

Life changes often and it changes fast. How we handle those changes, whether it's at home or at work, determines our overall happiness. Mary McCarty, expert in harnessing the power of resilience and grace, gives us mechanisms and practices to help us manage change and come out on top. 

Stability.
​
Comfort.

Peace.

As humans, we are often resistant to change. So when things change, and they have changed A LOT over the past year, it may elicit strong feelings of fear and resistance.

We know change is a constant. Nothing stays exactly as it is. Nothing. It is the only thing in life that is inevitable. So why is it so difficult to embrace?

Fear of the unknown, loss of control, being taken out of our comfort zone, and realizing we can no longer do the things that we once were able to do with predictability and ease are all reasons why we resist change.

When we experience change, it is a natural reaction to view the change as negative. This is called “uncertainty bias”. It impacts how you deal with change. When a major life change happens, the brain automatically sees it as negative. This can influence the decision-making process and increase feelings of anxiety and depression. In fact, many times I can feel the change happening in my body before I acknowledge it in my mind. These inner cues help me stop, pause, and feel. I can bring awareness to the situation and move forward with the tools listed below to help me bring compassion and understanding to the experience.

Learning how to manage reactions and cope with change can make a difference in terms of mental and physical health and well-being. It is how we become resilient. Healthy coping mechanisms will allow your mental health to thrive, will boost mood, and lower stress levels. Relationships flourish and the body feels healthier.

Resilience is the ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change (Merriam-Webster). Brene Brown reminds us in her book, The Gifts of Imperfection, of the most common factors resilient people share are:

1. They are resourceful and have good problem-solving skills.
2. They are more likely to seek help.
3. They hold the belief that they can do something that will help them to manage their feelings and to cope.
4. They have social support available to them.
5. They are connected with others, such as family or friends.

Brene learned through her research that these factors were not the only components to managing change. She realized those who could recover from change were also spiritual. Brene defines spirituality based on her interviews as follows:

Spirituality is recognizing and celebrating that we are all inextricably connected to each other by a power greater than all of us, and that our connection to that power and to one another is grounded in love and compassion. Practicing spirituality brings a sense of perspective, meaning, and purpose to our lives.

Without exception, spirituality — the belief in connection, a power greater than self, and interconnections grounded in love and compassion — emerged as a component of resilience.

Most people spoke of God, but not everyone. Some were occasional churchgoers; others were not. Some worshipped at fishing holes; others in temples, mosques, or at home. Some struggled with the idea of religion; others were devout members of organized religions. The one thing that they all had in common was spirituality as the foundation of their resilience.

From this foundation of spirituality, three other significant patterns emerged as being essential to resilience:

1. Cultivating hope
2. Practicing critical awareness
3. Letting go of numbing and taking the edge off vulnerability, discomfort, and pain.

Yoga and meditation are wonderful practices to help you become more mindful and care for your mental and physical health.

Yoga can give us the strength and insight we need to navigate the most radical forms of change. We learn to tune into our emotional and physical states of being without judgment. This includes a compassionate awareness of the changing state of our bodies and minds on a daily basis. When we move our bodies with mindfulness and compassion, we can positively impact our state of mind through the power of our breath.

Before you step onto your yoga mat, ask yourself what would best serve you at this moment in time. Take time to pause and listen to your inner voice. Trust the messages coming from within. You may be inspired to do a more vigorous, active vinyasa practice or a slower, gentle restorative class. Paying attention to what you need and acting on these desires helps you build resilience.

Prana, life force, moves through us with ease when we relax or surrender into the moment. One way we can become calm, clear, and stable is with our breath.

There are many pranayama or breath practices to help us calm and stabilize the mind. Two of the easiest to access are the 1:1 and 1:2 breath. All you need to do is find a comfortable position, close your eyes, and breathe in and out of your nostrils.

A 1:1 ratio of inhale to exhale is called Sama Vritti. Sama Vritti is even, regulated breathing. This breath practice can quickly shift the mind into a state of ease and stability.

A 1:2 ratio of inhale to exhale is known as the calming breath. It is very calming to the mind and nervous system. It is also a wonderful entryway into meditation.

Meditation is another powerful tool to help us be present in the moment and rest in silence with awareness and curiosity instead of judgment.

Benefits of meditation:

1. Creates measurable changes in the regions of the brain associated with 1) self-awareness, 2) compassion, and 3) introspection.
2. Increases gray matter of the hippocampus that helps with learning and memory.
3. Shrinks the gray matter in the amygdala which plays an important role in anxiety and stress.
4. Allows the brain to decompress. Giving us space to dream, and create, as well as feel calm, centered, and more in balance.

 There are many ways to meditate. Find a method that feels good to you and start there. You can keep it as simple as closing your eyes, connecting to your breath, and noticing the sensations, thoughts, and feelings within.

I offer guided meditations on my “Resilience & Grace” podcast. Subscribe wherever you listen (Apple, Spotify, Google podcast) and notice the positive effects.

Making time for self-care moments throughout our days helps stabilize our mind and body so we are better prepared to navigate change. Moments of self-care vary from person to person and day-to-day. Personally, I need more grounding, and calming practices to help balance the fire within. If you tend to get angry, irritated, or judgmental easily during moments of change, these fire-pacifying practices may be beneficial and cool the sharp, intense mind.

We know change is inevitable. Change is constant. How we respond to change is what helps us move from surviving to thriving.

With spring comes the feeling of renewal and an inspiration for growth. Plants are starting their journey from under the dark soil into the light of day – and there’s no reason why your social media strategy can’t do the same!

Have you been wanting to overhaul your social media content and make big changes for a while now? Well, now is the time! Transform your social posts into a lead capturing, attention grabbing powerhouse with our monthly content planner worksheet.

1. Spring into fresh ideas each month

Our monthly content planner worksheet is chock full of fun, new ideas each month. And it’s easy to use! All you have to do is look through the worksheet and then write down all the ideas you like, plus any new ideas sparked from the planner. We’ve included a handy calendar to help you document ideas and create a daily plan.

2. Grow your sales

If sales are lacking, then it’s time to evaluate your social media posts. How often are you communicating with your audience? What’s the strategy around each post? Are they engaging with your brand? If you’re saying the same thing over and over then they’re probably not listening anymore. Use our monthly planner to help you create fresh content.

3. Ensure your strategy is in full bloom

What does your ideal audience engagement and lead generation strategy look like on social media? We can get there. Our monthly content planner provides ideas for social posts but also has ideas for blog posts, video scripts, and a monthly challenge to keep you on your toes and ahead of your competitors

If you’re ready to “turn a new leaf” on social media, grow your audience, and convert them to sales then start with our monthly content planner that’s only $10/month. Visit our Patreon page to get started!