Awesome Hashtag Shortcut Trick for Instagram; Create Instant Hashtag Lists

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Always typing out the same bunch of hashtags on Instagram? If you're like me, typing the same "base" group of hashtags out for every post (even with the pre-populated list that appears) can be a bit of a drag. Need a time-saver? Here's a way to add as many hashtags as you like to your caption in a second, using text shortcuts.

Note: This method works for iPhone, but I'd guess there is a  similar function for Android too.

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5 Simple Ways to Increase the Organic Reach of Facebook Page Posts

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With the new year now in full swing, you might be resolving to look at fresh ways to generate interest in your social media content. In this blog post, I'll show you 5 ways to increase organic reach and engagement on Facebook.

Before we start, I must note that I am no way dismissing paying to increase exposure for Facebook content (in fact, I actively encourage it as part of a sound social media strategy). However, I do believe most brand Pages have room to encourage the growth of non-paid reach, either by a little or quite a bit more, depending on their current circumstances.

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How to Create A Social Media Marketing Plan For Business in 6 Easy Steps (Updated 2016)

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Do you have a social media marketing plan for your business, or would you like to create one? Many businesses struggle to pinpoint exactly what they want to get out of social media, and how to measure whether all of their hard work is paying dividends. In this blog post, I will show you how to create an easy-to-follow, robust social media marketing strategy in 6 easy steps.

Whether you're already active on social media or are starting from scratch, a plan will help guide your activity and provide you with solid reasoning behind everything that you do, from content creation to customer interaction, to advertising, and more. You'll be able to see how you are performing, experiment to improve results, and easily calculate your return on investment.

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How to Add Paragraphs To Instagram Captions In 3 Easy Steps

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I've recently started using Instagram more actively, and often find myself typing out quite a bit of text in the caption field to help explain the image I am posting. Once hashtags are added, the wall of text can begin to look unsightly, and unreadable. I'm sure plenty of you have experienced the same!

While Instagram does not recognise when you add in a new line for a paragraph, there is an easy enough way around the problem, and your captions will be looking neater in no time.

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How to Use Festive Giveaways to Drive Sales on Social Media This Christmas (5 Real Examples)

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How to Use Festive Giveaways to Drive Sales on Social Media This Christmas (5 Real Examples)

How to Use Festive Giveaways to Drive Sales on Social Media This Christmas (5 Real Examples)

The holiday season is a time where people's thoughts turn to giving, and a period where the instinct to be just that little bit more selfless is stronger than it might be at other times of the year. It's also a time where people's sharing activity increases. On Facebook for example, people share 28% more photos and videos on mobile during the festive season, so make sure that you stand apart from other seasonal messages by using visuals that not only encourage discovery and purchases, but also contain an emotional element.

In this post, I'll show you 5 real examples of brands who are tapping into the emotional side of their customers this Christmas, specifically with giveaways; maybe they will inspire you to try something similar, however big or small!

1. Tesco Mince Pies Giveaway

UK Supermarket Tesco is delivering 1,000 free boxes of its mince pies to random people across England, knocking on their doors and wishing them a merry Christmas.  It's a simple gesture that spreads the festive spirit (and helps to promote the brand). 

2. Carlsberg's beer-covered Christmas tree

Carlsberg decorated a giant Christmas tree on the banks of the river Thames in London with beer glass baubles, candle-lit beer bottles, digital festoon lighting and beer hops. The first 100 visitors to the tree were given one of the hand-blown glass beer baubles, or ‘beerbles’, from which to drink free Carlsberg lager.

Carlsberg also used the tree as an opportunity to host a social media giveaway:

3. Harley Davidson's Trike giveaway

#NiceToBeNaughty

Posted by Harley-Davidson Australia on Sunday, December 6, 2015

Harley-Davidson's Australian arm is looking for the “most deserving kid in Australia” to give away a unique custom-built tricycle as part of its holiday social media marketing push. A link from its Facebook Page reads:

SOMETHING NICE FOR SOMEONE NAUGHTY

Milk-spillers, food-spitters and mud-trudgers rejoice - this year we're celebrating all those kids that are curious, rebelious and free-spirited! 

We're giving a custom built Harley-Davidson trike to one lucky little minion of mayhem.

To enter, tell us in 100 words or less why your 3 - 6 year old deserves the most badass 3-wheeler in the Southern Hemisphere.

At the time of writing, the campaign video had racked up nearly 500,000 views and ver 6,000 shares.

4. Shangri-La's #worldofwarmth


Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts is spreading a #WorldOfWarmth among its Instagram community. Through an interactive advent calendar, it is offering its 32,000 followers a chance to win prizes for watching and interacting with brief Christmas videos. The continuity of the videos will encourage users to come back, which will in turn help the material go viral.

Each of the videos includes the Shangri-La Christmas star, which glows orange when it is held. Fans are encouraged to screenshot and regram the moment in which the star “glows with warmth” and tag #WorldOfWarmth and @ShangriLaHotels.

Participants have a chance to win 2,000 Golden Circle Award points - enough for a free night's stay at number of Shangri-La locations.

5. Three's Christmas Day Birthdays

The boy who was born on Christmas day

It sucks having a birthday in December right? Know anyone who does? Wish them a merry birthday.#makeitright

Posted by Three UK on Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Having a December birthday shouldn’t suck! Comment below with your name, December birth dateand #merrybirthday to win the BEST.BIRTHDAY.EVER!http://blog.three.co.uk/2015/12/09/merry-birthday/

Posted by Three UK on Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Mobile phone company, Three, has gone for a humorous slant with its marketing, tapping into the large group of people whose birthday's fall in December, or on Christmas Day - nothing worse than a combined birthday and Christmas gift!

Over to you 

How will you be making the most of the holiday season in your social media marketing? Let me know in the comments below

Andrew Macarthy is a social media consultant and the author of the #1 Amazon Web Marketing Bestseller, 500 Social Media Marketing Tips.

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