“Growth doesn’t happen overnight.” – Ayana Lage

This is just one of the many wise words our speakers – Ayana Lage, Emily Frias, and Cortney Gurr shared this past Saturday at our Boosting Your Online Presence Workshop. We had so much fun learning different ways to strategize our online presence and brand without losing our minds.

Below are three major takeaways from the workshop that will help you supercharge your online presence while still having fun!

Use Your Time Wisely

Time is our most valuable asset and we shouldn’t have to waste it on practices that don’t represent us or won’t take us where we need to go. Know what sparks joy and don’t do the things that make you miserable. For example, our main speaker, Ayana, shared with us why she stopped trying to grow her Pinterest audience. It was something she started because everyone was telling her to do it, but down the line she realized that investing in that platform was stressing her out, using resources she could use elsewhere, and not adding any real value to her brand.

Evaluate what are the things you enjoy doing and invest time in them. Stop doing everything else or outsource the tasks you aren’t good at by bartering with friends that have that skill set.

Video is Key

Most of us don’t like to look at ourselves on camera, but we learned that video is key to growing your online presence. Why? People relate to people and make personal connections between who you are and what you offer. The best way to make this connection is by getting in front of the camera. Emily shared with us some quick tips on how to make this transition easy and start creating video like a pro using just your iPhone:  

Steady your camera – invest in a tool that keeps your camera steady and your hands-free.

Lighting – the only real difference between a bad video and a good video is the lighting. Make sure to light your subject (you) well either by adding an additional light source in front of the subject or by taking advantage of natural light.

Practice, Practice, Practice – getting in front of the camera more frequently is the only way to feel comfortable doing it. Record a couple of test videos and review them but remember, just be yourself. Those watching will appreciate your authenticity.

Stay Consistent With Your Goals

Always point back to your goals. What are you trying to accomplish? Social media is already filled with multiple messages but you can differentiate yours by always staying true to your goals and offering content that is valuable to your audience. One of the tools that Cortney uses to help her stay consistent is an editorial calendar. Mapping out content over time can help you stay organized while keeping your goals, values, and audience at the forefront when planning posts over time.

Growing your online presence is part of the current state of business, it’s how people are finding out about your product or connecting with brands that share the same values. Embrace digital content and use it to your advantage, but don’t let it consume you. The biggest take away all of the speakers shared this weekend was to chill out and have fun!