Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/1402696
IG Reels Reels are IG's answer to TikTok. Reels are 15-second videos you create that are public. For example, you can do a time-lapse video of you performing a treatment, or show snippets from your life as a massage therapist. Reels are meant to be fun, but massage therapists can also harness them to educate users. IGTV On the other hand, IGTV offers long-form videos up to 10 minutes. Essentially, it's IG's version of YouTube. There is a separate IGTV tab on your profi le, but it also has an option to be visible on your main profi le. HOW DO YOU START AN IG PAGE? To initiate your IG presence, fi rst download the app to your smartphone or other device, or go to Instagram.com on your computer and sign up for an account. Add your bio and upload your business logo or photo. Your fi rst photo can be a selfi e of you with a caption that introduces who you are and what you do. Plan out a strategy for the fi rst, L i s te n to T h e A B M P Po d c a s t a t a b m p.co m /p o d c a s t s o r w h e reve r yo u a cce s s yo u r favo r i te p o d c a s t s 71 Elicia's Not-So-Secret Success Tips for the 'Gram 1. Follow 100 people a day for seven straight days. This will help boost your numbers right out of the gate (if you're just starting), or give you a nice boost if you're straggling bringing in new people following you. Find businesses and people who match massage and bodywork and related lifestyles. 2. Use 30 hashtags after each post. Examples include #massage #massagetherapy #bodywork #healthylifestyle #bowen #craniosacral. No, you don't have to type them out each and every time for every new post. Simply write them out once, save them in your notes, and then copy and paste them at the conclusion of each post. 3. Color coordinate. Want to really take your feed to the next level? Because your visible feed is nine images, I've seen people color coordinate those nine images using a similar fi lter or background, then switch to a new fi lter or background for the next nine images. It certainly can set your page apart and make you look like an IG pro. most important posts and then start posting away. After you set up your fi rst page, invite your family, friends, and relatives to follow you on IG to get the word out. ACTION PRECEDES CLARITY One big thing we know about IG is that it rewards early adopters of new features to the platform. The Reels part of IG was only launched in Australia in August 2020, but therapists I know who use Reels are getting much higher engagement and more likes because they are publicly searchable (you don't have to follow an account to see their Reels). Now remember: Action precedes clarity. No one got good at IG because they got lucky. Everyone fi gures new things like this out along the way. Out of the 1 billion users on IG, 25 million are business accounts. And of the daily users on the platform, 80 percent have discovered a service or product from the platform. Of course, there is more to learn—and lots of strategy to be applied to IG—but don't let that put you off. None of the learning or strategy makes a squat of difference if you haven't even started yet! Now is your time to go and try IG! #YouGotThis #InstaChamp. Elicia Crook is a business coach and mentor for massage therapists, sharing the tactics she used to create her business success over 16 years. She is a diploma-qualifi ed remedial massage therapist, using modalities such as Bowen and craniosacral therapy, and has a Cert IV in Workplace Training and Assessment, which she used while teaching massage for several years. Through her career and business experience, Crook discovered who she needed to be and what is required to run a deeply satisfying massage business. Now she takes the Fully Booked Without Burnout blueprint to other therapists around the world to create more success and passion. For more information, visit massagechampions.com. ABMP MEMBERS: SCAN AND EARN FREE CE "Instagram Success: A Complete Guide from Setup to Strategies" 1. Open your camera 2. Scan the code 3. Tap on notification 4. Watch!