While December is traditionally a month dedicated to intense business planning for the upcoming year, and I did my fair share of that too (hello shiny, new business plan!), we often forget to take a look back at all of the things we’ve accomplished and the lessons we learned along the way.

Today, I challenge you to get quiet with yourself and fully reflect on this year, to pull out the highlights from this blur of a year to help bring you into 2017 with light and love. Here are a few questions to help you kick-start your review:

What gave you the greatest perspective shifts in 2016?

There’s nothing I love digging more into than how many new perspectives I’ve encountered in a year and how my thought process has changed. In business and in life, we’re constantly learning from one another and within ourselves. Sometimes we enter one year with a certain mentality that’s completely altered by the time we move into the next. This is something beautiful to be celebrated and surely not forgotten.

What were you most thankful to have enough of in 2016?

We live in a culture of “More” which often takes our minds away from what is good in our everyday life. In order to prosperous, we must be satisfied with what we have today. This can stretch beyond physical possessions into lessons, expertise, and other traits and skills we acquire over time.

My definition of “Enough” shifted this year in the best way. I used to think the term was inherently negative with the way others talked about it, like only having enough to get by or being stuck in the cycle of “just enough”, but I now see the word as the place of ultimate gratitude. It’s being okay with who you are, where you are, and with what you have. I think this mentality then leads to being more grateful for anything “More” that comes your way.

What did you want more of in 2016?

Try to go deeper with your answers than simply physical things like “a new office desk” or specific dollar amounts of income. Instead, focus on the true reasoning behind those wants, like the new office desk creates a dedicated space for your craft that you never had growing up or the sustainable income that will finally allow you to feel comfortable taking that cross-country trip you’ve been planning in your head since college.

I’ve seen the word “manifest” pop up a lot in the online business circles when we talk about wanting more of something. Maybe that word jives with you, or maybe you need to find another word that helps you get intentional with this process like “attract”, “desire”, or something else entirely. Find what works for you!

Additional soul-centered questions for your year in review:

• What were your most valuable lessons in 2016?
• What worked this year that took you by surprise?
• What didn’t work this year that took you by surprise?
• List the 5 most influential people in your life from 2016. Write the biggest lesson you gained from each person. (This one is a GAME CHANGER!)
• List 10 adjectives to describe 2016. (No self-censorship! The first to come to mind.)
• What were your strongest values of 2016? Are they the same going into 2017?
• What did Abundance look like in 2016? What will it look like in 2017?

The post 10 Questions to Spark Your Year in Business Review appeared first on Sindie.

In this post, you’ll find unique ways to spice up a Facebook group from some of my favorite Facebook group organizers.

My hope is that these ideas will spark some of your own in your brainstorming process.

Video Challenges in The Roar Tribe

Holly Meyer, the host of The Roar Tribe, and I worked together earlier this year to solidify a community strategy for her Facebook group in the early stages of its growth. When brainstorming, Holly talked about hosting a video challenge that would help her step out of her comfort zone by trying a new medium while encouraging other women in the group to do the same.

From day one of the Roar Challenge, group participation was extremely high. Everyone in the group wanted to share their story and finally had a safe, private space to do so. I even shared my story about how I was bullied in high school and how that’s affected how I use social media for good today which felt SO therapeutic. If you’re looking for a way to encourage intimacy and belonging, video challenges are worth considering.

With these video challenges and our coaching work together, her Facebook group has almost tripled in size in just three months. She’s also gained branding and web design clients from the group after hosting her video challenge. I’m so proud of how she is helping women find their roar and unleash their passion with courage and strength.

Click to join Holly’s The Roar Tribe!

Icebreaker Questions in The Badass Solopreneur Society

If there’s one person who reminds you to just have fun while building your online business, it’s definitely Dre, the host of The Badass Solopreneur Society. I love her no-BS attitude and how she will never dull her edge for anyone. Members of her group become quick evangelists because everyone keeps it real.

It’s common to see Facebook groups have daily to weekly prompts. What’s unique about her Facebook group is that she posts regular get-to-know-you questions that act as fun prompts for members to answer.

Questions range from would-you-rathers, this-or-thats, and open-ended questions. Dre also makes sure to answer each question herself which really helps to get the conversation going and helps you get to know her more as a member.

Click to join Dre’s Badass Solopreneur Society!

Member Reposts in Capture Your Audience

Claire, the host of Capture Your Audience, and I have been working together for about nine months now (woo!) and it’s been so fun watching her Facebook group grow from 0 to almost 500 members now while her Instagram following went from 900 to 20k while working together… wowza!

One of the ways she engages with her Facebook group members is by allowing them to submit photos they’ve taken for a fun weekly contest. If a member’s submission is chosen, Claire reposts it on her Instagram account, which again has over 20k followers and is climbing higher each day! This is such a great way to give back to your members while also helping you fill in your content calendar. So smart!

Click to join Claire’s Capture Your Audience!

Instagram Prompts in The Gram Gang

I’ve been following along with Stephanie, the host of The Gram Gang, for a while and the way she has blended her Facebook group with her daily Instagram prompt community is incredible. In her Facebook group, she shares the upcoming month’s daily prompts so members can get a head start on creating content for Instagram.

The prompts almost act as an ongoing Instagram challenge. It’s great for bloggers and business owners who sometimes forget to plan content for a specific day or don’t know what to post that day. We’ve all been there! The hashtag #thegramgang also gives you a chance to connect with other people on Instagram.

Click to join Stephanie’s Gram Gang!

Guest Host Takeovers in Badass Bosspreneurs

I only recently heard about this Badass Bosspreneurs Facebook group, run by Meghan, but I’ve been incredibly impressed not only with the genuine interaction but also with how unique the group prompts are.

I originally heard about this group from Holly, who I mentioned above, because she said she would be hosting a 4-day challenge of branding as a sort of guest host takeover Meghan calls “Resident Badass”. How brilliant is that?! Not only does it help you grow your Facebook group engagement, but it also allows your members to share their expertise while everyone learns something new from one another. Let’s call that a win-win-WIN!

Click to join Meghan’s Badass Bosspreneurs!

Member Spotlights in The Rising Tide Society

The Rising Tide Society has completely blown up this year, especially with its monthly meetups called Tuesdays Together which are held in local cities all across the US. Kristen, the host of the Minneapolis Tuesdays Together group, creates a monthly Member Spotlight, which I believe is a regular practice for all of the Tuesday Together local chapters.

In the Member Spotlight, the local host picks one creative business owner to highlight, telling other members who they are, what they do, and why their work is uber important. It’s a great way for members to meet one another between the monthly meetups and learn more about what everyone does for a living.

Click to join The Rising Tide Society!

Facebook Live streams in The Swarm Society

Christina, the host of The Swarm Society, and I worked together earlier this summer to create a paid mentorship group that shared her heart for teaching and supporting other women in the digital space. She’s done an incredible job regularly interacting and giving advice to her members, especially through Facebook Live videos.

I’ve seen quite a few business owners and bloggers do Facebook Live streams but no one does them quite like Christina! She has so much energy and is quick to share anything she knows about any topic. She also gives shout-outs to other members in the group for their “wins” of the week and answers questions directly in each live stream.

After working together on The Swarm Society, Christina has not only been able to satisfy her purpose in life, which is encouraging young women in the digital space but also creates a solid, sustainable stream of income. Talk about dreamy!

Click to join Christina’s Swarm Society!

The post 7 Ways to Raise Engagement in Your Facebook Group with Tips from Experts appeared first on Sindie.

It’s one thing to entice someone to follow you. It’s another for them to stay engaged.

Engagement on Instagram is more important than ever, largely due to the new algorithm. There’s a lot of talk about how to use the best filter for your brand photos or how to style your flat lay, but there are many more variables that factor into a post’s engagement.

Let’s break it down.

First, what is engagement, really? It’s a buzzword that is often thrown around but rarely defined. Think of it as an action your audience takes regarding your post. This could be in the form of double tapping a photo to like it, leaving a thoughtful comment, or even clicking the link in your bio.

Have a call-to-action (CTA) in every post

This does not mean changing your website link and saying ‘link in bio’ at the end of every. single. caption. It’s important to change up your CTA to keep things fresh, unique, and unpredictable. The most overlooked CTA is asking your audience a relevant question. It’s the most simple way to start a conversation.

Adding a question at the end of your caption gives your followers a quick, clear way to share their thoughts rather than having to mentally search for something to say on their own. Once you’ve got your audience’s attention, keep it until the end with an engaging question.

Tell a story in your caption

Every now and then it’s okay to have a witty one-liner, but people are following you on Instagram because they want to get to know you. The more you open up (see buzzword: transparency) and share your heart along with your work, the more you’ll make a lasting impact.

Match the story in your caption to the story in your photo

The stories in your caption and photo don’t have to match up perfectly but they should be similar enough to make sense when blended together. When they have a similar mood, vibe, and sentiment, you’ll be able to share a variety of stories within your brand.

For example, if you have a picture of a beautiful sunset you are dying to share but your primary goal with Instagram is promoting your handmade goods, you can post the photo and talk about a recent highlight or “ah-ha” moment that changed your approach to business or a new sales or subscribers goal that you reached with the help of Instagram friends.

Include *relevant* hashtags

You’ve probably heard a lot about how important hashtags are to your Instagram’s success because it’s true. When you use relevant hashtags, you’re able to find and attract dreamy clients, buyers, and readers who are already interested in the subject matter of your post. I chat a bit more about hashtags in my Instagram captions post.

Make the most of the characters you have in your caption before ‘Read More’

Remember when Instagram showed the entirety of post captions in our home feeds? Oh, those were the days. Now the tool gives you about three lines before it hides the rest of your caption behind a ‘read more’ link.

Think of it like Twitter. You only have a few dozen characters to make an impact so your first sentence should act as a hook to entice your audience to take action. The action, in this case, is reading more. Keep this in mind when you’re crafting your captions.

Optimize your time for engagement

One of the best ways to increase your engagement is to free up more time for it. You can plan your content (photos, hashtags, CTAs, and captions) all in one sitting so posting every day becomes a simple task.

My favorite tool for this is Later, formally Latergramme, which allows you to schedule and plan your Instagram posts from your mobile or desktop. It even sends reminders to your phone if you have a tendency to forget like me. (Oops!)

The post 6 Steps to Higher Engagement on Instagram appeared first on Sindie.

Brands are flocking to Instagram and rightfully so. The power of visual marketing on Instagram is like no other social platform we’ve seen to date.

While some brands are putting their entire focus on hitting the next thousand follower mark as quickly as possible, you’re smart and know that engagement is the most important metric on Instagram. Luckily, we’re not the only ones who think so.

Instagram recently updated their Top Posts algorithm to highlight photos with the highest engagement rates, meaning it compares the ratio of interactions (such as likes and comments) to the number of followers. This is why you’ll see photos in the Top Posts section with a wide range of likes from an even wider range of follower counts.

No matter if you are just starting your online business Instagram account or ramping up your Instagram game, engagement should be your primary focus. One of the best ways to inspire engagement is through your Instagram captions.

You’re already investing time into shooting and editing photos for your eye-catching Instagram feed. Now it’s time to seal the deal with your captions and start a conversation with your target audience.

Let’s break it down!

Include only one CTA

Every photo in your Instagram feed should serve one purpose. That purpose is to get your audience to take an action. Giving your audience several options at once actually discourages them from taking action on any one of them.

Instead, include one CTA, which is an abbreviation for “call-to-action.” Here are some common CTAs you’ll find in Instagram captions:

• Click the link in the bio
• Answer a question
• Tag your friends in the comment section
• Poll your audience for their vote
• Repost an image

The list goes on. Remember, do not distract your audience from the real action you want them to take. If it’s to give you feedback on something specific, don’t reference a link in your bio and ask people to tag their friends. Focus in for your best results.

Choose the right hashtags

Hashtags are one of the best and worst things about Instagram. They are great for helping you build your reach but are often abused by users who fill them with irrelevant photos. You only want to use the hashtags that will help you reach your dreamy clients and buyers.

To find hashtags that are relevant to you, look at other professionals in your niche to see which hashtags they’re using, especially if they have a highly engaging feed. You can also look for people on Instagram who fit your ideal client/buyer/reader profile and look at which hashtags they use on a regular basis.

Tell a story

Sure, you could write a quick one-liner, but it’s not as engaging as a story would be. Of course, the story doesn’t have to be a novel, but in order to start a conversation in your comment section, you’ll want to spend some time crafting an interesting story. This especially works well for personal brands.

It’s important that your caption adds real value to your photo. After all, your main goal is to inspire your audience enough to hit the Read More button so they can continue connecting with you. The comments that follow are priceless.

Not sure which story to tell or even how to tell your story? These questions might help you get started:

• If your photo could talk, what would it say?
• What story is most relevant to your life right now?
• Can a past memory be paired with a recently captured photo?
• How does this story help me tell my bigger brand story?

Infuse your personality

People want to connect with people, not logos. Humanize your Instagram captions by cultivating your own unique voice. The more approachable and authentic your written voice feels, the more you’ll be able to build loyalty and trust.

Another way to showcase your personality and add a little pizazz is through emojis! One way to discover your emoji style (if that’s not a thing, let’s make it one!) is to look at the Frequently Used emoji keyboard on your photo. Which ones feel on-brand? Consider it your new emoji dictionary.

The post The Anatomy of an Effective Instagram Caption appeared first on Sindie.

If there’s one thing I know about social media platforms, it’s that they can always be optimized.

Pinterest is not just for your mom who wants to find the latest Crockpot recipes or for your friend who has been planning her dream wedding since birth. You can use the platform to drive traffic to your website, bringing you more business and widening your audience. #winning

So how can you use Pinterest effectively for your brand? Here are some great places to start.

Up your photo game

The first thing to know about Pinterest is that it’s all about the visuals. Winning visuals entice more users to view and repin your content. Pinterest favors vertical images because they appear larger on their platform. The longer, the better.

Whether you shoot your own photos, use free stock photos, or design graphics on Photoshop, your photos must be high quality and visually appealing, especially to your target audience. If you’re looking for a free way to edit your photos and take them to the next level, I recommend PicMonkey.

Pick your categories carefully

If you’re using Pinterest for business, you must be smart about which categories you choose to use. It’s okay to show personality, but be sure to pin regularly to boards related to your business. Also, because you can move your boards around into a specific order, put your business-related boards front and center.

I pin style and DIY projects but keep those boards toward the bottom of my page so the focus is on my niche: blogging, branding, biz, and social media.

Post original content

Pinterest may be a curation tool, but creation is still king. If you can post content you’ve created that no one else can create, you become a credible, go-to source. Whether you sprinkle your content in each of your boards or create a board solely for your blog content, it will make a splash because you are offering your unique perspective.

Share the Pinterest love

Posting original content is a great strategy, but it can’t be the only thing you pin. You don’t want to come off as self-promotional or sales-y, especially in a fun online environment like Pinterest. Instead, repin posts from outside sources that you believe your audience would be interested in. If you loved that piece of content, chances are your audience will fall head over heels for it too. This will also help to build trust, the number one thing you need in order to build a loyal community.

Organize your Pinterest boards

Organization is big in business. If you feel like your Pinterest boards are looking a bit messy, here is your excuse to block off some time and clean them up. Check for broken links and content that just doesn’t fit the board anymore. You’ll feel so great afterward.

Utilize secret boards

Are there things you want to pin that just aren’t on brand? I know the struggle, but luckily you can keep a private board of outside interests. For example, I love cute, lacy delicates as much as the next girl, but is it something I lead with on Pinterest? No, I keep those for my eyes only. If you have to ask yourself if it makes sense with your brand, it probably doesn’t.

Follow your influencers

Pinterest would be rather boring if no one followed anyone. Our home feeds would look tragically empty. Search for your favorite bloggers because chances are they have a Pinterest. Also, routinely check to see which followers are pinning and interacting the most with your content and think about following them to show your mutual support. It’s all about community building.

Focus on aesthetic

Is your color palette bright, cheery colors or edgy, cool colors? Does your audience like sleek and modern or light and feminine? Because of Pinterest’s accent on visuals, it’s more important than ever to focus on creating an aesthetic with your boards that fit your audience’s tastes. Make Pinterest your happy place so posting won’t ever feel like work.

The post Up Your Pinterest Game appeared first on Sindie.

Do the colors match the intended mood? Is there enough white space? Do the font pairs make sense? This all matters in web design.

Think of a moodboard as an online vision board. It’s a collection of photos that represent your desired aesthetic.

You may have seen moodboards used for interior design, weddings, and fashion show planning, but they can also be very useful for your website.

Whether you are doing a complete rebrand or just looking to refresh your brand’s look, creating a moodboard can be a great exercise to make sure your design is on point.

Let’s start the fun process!

First, determine your mood

Before you start the inspiration process, you want to make sure you have a good idea of what you’re looking for. To help you, I’ve made a list of adjectives to help you determine what mood is right for you and your visitors. Take a few moments and choose a few words that clearly indicate what you want to convey.

Do you have your adjectives ready? Let’s create!

Make a Pinterest board

Whether you want to make it a private or public board is completely up to you. If you’re rebranding and want to keep your plans secret, private is the way to go. If you want feedback on your board before your launch your new design, keeping it public would make sense.

Have a repinning party

One of the best ways to start curating your Pinterest board is to look at pins that are already uploaded to Pinterest. Don’t worry if you only like a small part of the image. You can always crop it later for the moodboard. Also, make sure you use the description area to write what you were inspired by so when you look back, you’ll know why you pinned it in the first place.

Take some photos of your own

Go through your own archive of photos and see if any fit your aesthetic. Maybe you found something while exploring your city and you snapped a quick photo of it to keep for later. Now is when it will come in handy. Feel free to add these original photos to the Pinterest board.

Create a collage moodboard

The final step is to take all of those curated photos and make a beautiful moodboard out of them.

Pick out your favorite images and place them into each of the open spaces. You can also add solid colors to determine your brand’s color palette. All of the photos you choose for your final moodboard should fit your mood.

If you’d rather make a physical moodboard, feel free to do so!

Also, because I’m obsessed with moodboards, I have a collection of moodboards for all color palettes on Pinterest. If you’re looking for inspiration, I’ve got you covered.

The post How to Create an Aesthetic Driven Moodboard appeared first on Sindie.