Whatever you are, be a GOOD one • Abraham Lincoln
The first thing you should know about Christine Meintjes is she REALLY knows her stuff.
In 2007 she founded Christine Meintjes Photography. Fast forward a few years and she has shot over 350 weddings, travelled to more than 10 different countries for shoots and is considered to be one of THE best photographers on the continent being one of only five Premium Ambassadors for Nikon Southern Africa.
Amongst being a photographer, Christine Meintjes is also a top style influencer, specialist content creator and Social Media expert.
Christine successfully built South Africa’s first wedding blog The Pretty Blog which later turned into a lifestyle publication to reach
- more than 650 000 users per month and
- generate more than 5 million impressions per month through the blog and all their social media channels.
The second thing you should know about Christine Meintjes is she’s probably one of THE nicest, down-to-earth world-class gurus we’ve ever met.
Attending the B’loved Opportunity in an Age of Disruption conference in Johannesburg last month, we had the wonderful opportunity to meet the lovely Christine and attend her specialist Social Media workshop.
Focusing specifically on Instagram, Christine had many insightful tips on how to tackle the booming Social Media platform for a personal or business profile.
Here’s our TOP 7 Instagram TIPS we learned from local Social Media guru Christine Meintjes:
Top Tip 1: ALWAYS share quality content
Think about what you’re doing. Your content has to be consistent, coherent and ADD value to your follower’s experience. It has to be engaging, inspiring and genuinely interesting.
People aren’t on social media for a price promotion or a sales pitch. They want a story. They want fun.
Tell a story through pictures and words but teach your eye to ONLY post the best.
Post great quality pictures and take your time to write a note-worthy heading that’s fun, friendly and adds personality.
Top Tip 2: Decide on a content strategy
Is your profile going to be a personal profile or are you focusing on business or a product? Maybe you want to do a hybrid of a personal and portfolio profile. Whichever you choose, be sure to keep the content strategy consistent, clever and top quality.
Also, there is a big difference between personal and private.
Personal is a curated glimpse into your life. Private is washing your dirty laundry in public.
The rule of thumb is, if you don’t want it on a billboard or the front page of a newspaper –> DO NOT post it.
TOP TIP 3: Your Instagram BIO is super important
Your bio is a very important introduction to your Instagram profile.
When someone takes the time to click through to your profile, your bio will be the very first thing they read and therefore be the very first impression you make.
Who are you? What is your profile about?
- Give a short interesting description of yourself or your business.
- Add a link to another Instagram profile if you have one (for example link your personal profile to your business profile).
- If you have a website URL add it to your bio.
- Add your address (if applicable).
- Add your unique # hashtag if you have one – for example #smartgirljeani
TOP TIP 4: Engage
It’s not called a social network without reason.
If you want people to appreciate and engage with your posts, YOU have to engage with others as well.
Like, comment and follow other people. Take the time to show some love and appreciate their great content as well.
Comment more than a simple emoji. Write an actual sentence and always respond to the comments received on your posts.
TOP TIP 5: Use the BEST apps
There are amazing apps on Apple as well as Android especially designed to enhance your Instagram game.
Christine’s favourites?
TOP TIP 6: Hashtags are essential
Instagram hashtags are still an effective way to get more Instagram followers and increase your engagement.
- Use specific and relevant hashtags for each post.
- Avoid gimmicky tags such as #likeforlike as well as hashtags that have been used a million or more times.
- Choose tags that describe your account, your business, and your target market.
- The jury is still out on the exact amount of hashtags to use. As a guide the maximum number of hashtags allowed by Instagram, is thirty –> While thirty tags may seem like a lot, using the maximum amount of Instagram hashtags gives you more opportunities to be discovered.
TOP TIP 7: It will take time
Social Media is such an in-the-moment, right-here-right-now type of platform that it’s very easy to get discouraged when your account does not grow as quickly as you’d like it to.
Remember, Rome was not built in a day.
It will take a lot of hard work, effort and time to grow your account. Always post consistently good quality content, engage with others and work on your photo editing and creative writing skills.
Grow your account authentically and DO NOT buy followers. Fake followers will not add any value to your account as there will not be real engagement.
Also, there are websites and apps that businesses use to check the authenticity of influencers. Whether they have fake followers and audience credibility before they decide to work with them.
Our Hello Smart Blog TOP TIP?
If you ever get the chance to attend a workshop by the superb Christine Meintjes – do NOT miss it.
We are privileged to have amazing local talent right here in South Africa and should tap into the wonderful insights of our very own gurus whenever we get the opportunity to do so.
Local is definitely LEKKER.
Follow Chrisine Meintjes on Instagram –> here.
Credits:
Photographs:
- Christine Meintjes
- Christine Meintjes Facebook page
- Julia Winkler
