Most of us within the planner community are searching for one thing. A productivity solution that will help us spend less time doing the things we don’t enjoy so we can spend more time on what truly matters. For me, this never-ending quest has brought to my attention a number of amazing philosophies on productivity, as well as planning solutions that have given me the flexibility to achieve some amazing things for myself and my business. I love being a self-proclaimed productivity guru and I have made it my mission to research, review and even create the best productivity resources available and share them with you, my community! Today, I’m pleased to announce that I have another awesome resource to share with you all, and this time, it’s not just a product, it’s an experience!
I have officially announced my first Productivity & Planning Master Class Event and tickets are on sale now! On Saturday August 15th from 2-4pm eastern I will be hosting a LIVE webinar event where I cover two of my favorite topics; planning and productivity. During this event, I will teaching you my best tips and tricks for optimizing your planning system, whether you use a Filofax, an Erin Condren Life Planner, a Day Designer or even a digital app on your computer or phone. I will also educate you on the best productivity methods and philosophies I have found and explain how you can implement these methods in your own life immediately to begin achieving your important goals and plans.
Why a live webinar?
Over the years, I have taught and delivered content to my community over a number of different mediums, but there is just something special about a live event that brings teaching and learning to a whole new level. I want to teach to an active audience, not just to my camera. I want to take your questions, hear your stories and give you solutions to your productivity conundrums in real time. Most of all, I want you to engage, actively take notes and let your ideas and plans run wild in your mind from the stimulation of a live master class! There really is just something special about a live event that makes it that much more powerful!
What do we get with the price of admission?
As this is a live event and I want to keep the audience to a level where I can remain engaged with all my attendees, I am only selling a limited number of “tickets” to this event. When you purchase your admission, you get access to the live event, the event replay, and an exclusive set of downloadable worksheets and printables that will only be available to those who sign up for the master class. And of course, since this is one of my events, you can expect a few other surprises that won’t be announced ahead of time!
How long will admission be open?
Again, because I am trying to limit the number of people in this event, I have decided to close admission to the event at 11:59 pm on Sunday August 2nd. This will ensure that I have the final number of attendees well in advance so I know who’s coming and have time to interact with you before the class begins!
So, if you are as excited as I am for this Productivity & Planning Master Class, make sure to purchase your admission as soon as possible over on my Shop and then let’s get this party started in social media! Use the hashtag #plannermasterclass to connect with fellow attendees and make sure to tag me @MissTrenchcoat in your tweets and Instagram pics as you prepare for the event!
On my iPhone is a monthly feature on Strange & Charmed where I give you a peak into what I have been loving on my iPhone for the month! Covering topics like apps, games, podcasts, music, websites, books and more, I hope this series helps you all discover new and exciting content out there that can be enjoyed from your iPhone! To stay up to date with this series, make sure to follow the On My iPhone tag!
Long time, no On My iPhone post! I don’t know about you, but I missed this series. For one reason or another, it just didn’t make the cut for my monthly editorial calendar, mostly because I haven’t been using that many new applications. However, I am back this month with some fun updates for you now that my move is over and I am all settled (or mostly settled) in my new place! Here’s what’s been on my iPhone recently!
Currently Playing, Home Design 3D: With my recent move I have been on the hunt for some new decor items for my apartment, and my sister introduced me to this app that you can use to layout and virtually decorate your space. If you want to stay up to date on my home decor journey, I have a recent vlog that went up on my YouTube channel. Check it out!
Currently Reading, The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George: I’ll be completely honest with you, I downloaded this audiobook from Audible.com based on the title and cover alone! It’s not a complicated book, probably my first fiction book in some time, but it’s turning out to be a great summer read!
Currently Watching, Periscope: Last week I introduced you all to my new social media obsession, Periscope. Since then, I have done my very first chat on the platform that you can watch here. I’ve been loving following some of my favorite business gurus and friends as they “scope” as well. You can expect a blog post soon on the specific accounts I’ve been loving!
Currently Surfing, OneKingsLane: As I’ve been redecorating my apartment, I’ve been obsessed with my favorite home decor sites like OneKingsLane where you can purchase unique decor finds for discounted prices. It’s like Home Goods on the web and I’ve already ordered some office furniture for my new place.
Currently Listening, Whitenoise: I believe this was another great app selection from Starbucks’ Pick of the Week program! This sound machine app produces a variety of different “whitenoise” soundtracks that I like to turn on and listen to while I am in the zone working. It’s really been helping to keep me on task!
So, that’s what has been On My iPhone this month! I hope you have enjoyed this installment and perhaps found a new app, book or site to enjoy on your own phone! If you have been using any great new apps or sites that you think I need to know about, feel free to share in the comments!
It is that time of the month again and I have a new free monthly printable dashboard for you! Since so many of you told me that you loved the dashboard style freebie I introduced last month, I decided to continue with this printable for August! Of course, this printable is available in both A5 and Personal sizes and can work with the equivalent planner of your choice. As some of you may have seen, I am currently using an Arc style planner that I designed myself. Check out my latest YouTube video “How to Make Your Own Planner” for a tour of my latest planner set up and also a giveaway and some other freebies you’re gonna love!
Welcome to my latest installment of #InspirationMBA, a monthly post on the blog where I will take a single piece of highly valuable content from around the web and break it down into something of a lesson plan, outlining why I think the content is important and what you will learn from it. I know you don’t have all the time in the world to learn all the ins and outs of business and productivity, so I want to make it easier for you to learn by identifying the best content that you can act upon immediately. So many people just don’t have the time or the money to spend on additional education, but I hope that this series helps you to open your mind and continue your own education through self study guided by me! Enjoy!
Lesson #2: Gary Vaynerchuk on Building a Personal Brand within the Social Media Landscape
For my second lesson in the #InspirationMBA series, I wanted to share with you an inspirational keynote that was given by one of my business idols, Gary Vaynerchuk. This man has been ahead of the curve with social media and building businesses through the power of the internet for nearly a decade. He is the author of several books, including Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook, which I highly recommend if you want to learn more about executing in social media, and a generally funny, yet slightly abrasive guy from my home state of New Jersey. This video isn’t very long, about 15 minutes, but it is jammed packed with tips and inspiration for getting your personal brand in order and really getting your head in the right place for achieving big things, not just in business, but also in life! My favorite part of this video is actually a little exchange he starts in the beginning of the video where he tells the audience that he has no doubt that they are going to “kill it” in their lives because they are live in the audience at this conference. I love that he said this because it echoes a belief I have that just by showing the initiative and seeking out new information and experience, you are bettering yourself and laying the foundation for your best life. This point at the very least needs to be your biggest takeaway from this video. So many people seek out ways to learn and grow yet get discouraged when they feel like they haven’t found the ultimate destination, but really, the growth itself is in the discovery process and the fact that you are reading this right now shows that you are learning and growing because you are seeking out new ideas, new thoughts and new inspiration as part of this series! There is no end point or ultimate destination to all this, learning is a life long process not one that stops at some mile marker in the education system.
What You Will Learn
• The 2 P’s and how they play a key role in your personal brand and life.
Hint: You need a lot of both of them!
• Why caring makes all the difference for your personal brand.
Hint: Caring is more important than listening.
• That you can monetize anything online.
Hint: The business landscape is changing and giving you direct access to people who want your products.
• That your business needs a business model.
Hint: Freemium is good, but you need to make money or else you don’t have a business.
• Why you should be thinking about your legacy.
Hint: Your great grand children will be able to see your whole life and work online, would it make them proud?
• How to get your brand exposure even without a team or publicist.
Hint: “If you’re pumping out good {things} people will follow” – Gary V.
• Why you need to build brand equity.
Hint: It’s the social currency.
• Which social media tools to use to interact with your audience.
Hint: You need to be in more than one place.
• Why niches are an untapped market.
Hint: You need to zero in on your customers and audience.
• How to find the time to pursue your passion while also working a full time job.
Hint: “Hustle is the most important word ever!” – Gary V.
• Why you shouldn’t give up on your business dream.
Hint: This goes back to one of the P’s!
• How to make money doing what you love.
Hint: WORK!
I hope you have enjoyed Lesson #2 in my #InspirationMBA series! So many of you told me how much you enjoyed the first installment and I am thrilled that this series speaks to you! Let me know what you thought of today’s lesson, don’t you love Gary V? I know he is a little spastic and abrasive, but this guy is filled with passion and hustle for his business and I think we can all use an extra dose of that now and then. If you enjoyed this post, please share it on social media, put it on Facebook, tweet out the link or take a screen shot and post it to your IG- anything to help me get the word out and help to make this series a success. You know I truly believe in the message behind this series and I want to see it help as many people as possible, but I can’t do it alone, I need your help to get the word out! Thanks so much for spending time today on your #InspirationMBA and of course, if there is anything I can help you with, let me know!
My latest social media obsession: Periscope! Hopefully, at some point in the last few weeks and months, you’ve become familiar with this new social platform. Periscope allows users to live stream directly to the world, either to the general public or to a private group of friends. Like other social media platforms, users can follow each other and become notified when someone they are following holds a live broadcast or can gain access to any recent missed events as well. As the app integrates with Twitter, it’s easy for users to promote their live event instantly and for their follows to share the event! How cool is that?
It’s no secret that visual platforms like Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube are growing out of control. Images, after all are the future of social media. A picture is worth a thousand words, right? Why write or read a blog post if you can just instantly stream your thoughts to your followers or watch your favorite guru or internet personality in real time! Although Youtube is one of my favorite platforms, it requires much time and energy to produce a high quality video. That’s not the case with Periscope. A short live-streamed event means very little prep but instant and direct communication with your community. A scope may not get as many viewers as a YouTube video might, but the direct interaction is the gold. No matter how many comments I reply to on a YouTube video, nothing will replace that direct interaction that Periscope provides where you have the ability to reply to a question or comment directly on live video. I am always looking for better ways to add value to my community and directly interact with as many followers as possibly so that they learn, they aren’t just my followers, they are my friends too! Bringing your community through that transition from follower to friend is the magic of social media and any platform that gives your community that level of access and connection is going to be a magic bullet. Whether you are trying to grow a following through social media or build a business online, connection and interaction will propel your efforts forward at warp speed!
After hearing so much buzz about the app, I decided to download it the other week onto my iPhone. The app for Periscope is only available on mobile devices via the iTunes App Store and the Google Play Shop, and it’s a completely mobile based broadcasting system! I’ve been following all my favorite business and lifestyle gurus, watching and interacting with them as they do a quick “scope” and share some tips or hold a Q&A. “Scope,” if you haven’t already guessed is the official term people use to refer to one of these live streamed sessions. Now, Periscope is only a one way video output, so you can watch, but the event host can’t see you. Interaction happens one of three ways via the app. First, through hearts! When you tap on the screen of your smartphone during a “scope” you send virtual love to your host which helps their video rankings. The second way to interact with your host, as well as the rest of the community watching the event, is through comments. Like I said, Periscope integrates with Twitter so you can see the comments of others which pop up with their profile picture and account name from Twitter, which is pretty cool! Like Twitter, you can reply to comments made by others by tapping on the comment, which gives you an @reply option. The third and final way you can interact with the host and the event is by sharing the event on Twitter or with specific friends within the app by tapping on the user icon on the bottom right hand of the screen during a broadcast.
As you can probably tell, I am really fired up about this new platform and I can’t wait to get started using it myself! Obviously, with my move this past weekend, it was hard for me to figure out a time to jump on and host a scope, but I am very excited to announce that this Friday, July 24th @ 3pm eastern, I plan to broadcast live on Periscope! For my first event, I want to cover YOU, my community, on the topic of social media and forging that direct connection. So please, download the FREE app Periscope onto your iOS or Android smartphone, follow me @MissTrenchcoat, and mark your planners for Friday at 3pm!
I can’t wait to see you and please, let me know if you plan on attending my first scope by sending me a tweet and using the hashtag #charmedscope which I plan to use to announce my future events as well! So excited for Friday!
Hey dolls! How is your July going? In case you didn’t know, I just moved this past weekend to a new apartment and I am slowly but surely trying to get my life unpacked and reorganized from the mess of boxes I am currently living out of. Thank goodness I have my new Charmed Life Planner inserts to keep me organized through this process! In case you didn’t hear, last week I launched a totally new set of inserts in my shop that I have dubbed “The Charmed Life Planner.” The planner is a printable PDF like all my other productivity inserts, however, this is my first continuous planner, meaning that you get one file with a rolling Month on 2 pages, week on 2 pages, master monthly task lists and monthly expense sheets dated from August 2015-December 2016! That is a whole 17-Months of planner inserts in one printable! The fun new thing about this planner insert is that I’ve designed a whole new vertical layout.
Vertical layouts have been all over the planner world lately and I have been personally obsessed with them. It’s a completely new way for me to visualize and plan my week, and one that I am enjoying immensely! Because this planner is a half letter or A5 equivalent size, you can use these inserts in a variety of planners. Mine is pictured inside my Martha Stewart A5 disc bound planner, however, these inserts will also work with A5 Filofax, large Kikki K, Franklin Covey Classic, and standard 3-Ring A5 binders! How cool is that? And of course, because this is a printable planner insert, you can print and reprint the pages of this planner as much as you need. Have more than one planner? Great, buy the file once and you can use it in as many planners as you’d like! Mess up a week in your schedule and no amount of white out will fix it? No problem, reprint the pages you need and you’re back in business! Or worse, make a mistake with your decorating and want to fix it? My printable planner inserts have you covered at every turn!
One of the best parts of this new planner is that I have a whole collection of new vertical planning supplies that I have also launched along side it that integrate perfectly with the planner to help you maximize and personalize your planning experience! I have a total of five new printable sticker sets that you can use in this, or any other planner. The stickers are what I like to call “vertical squares” and are 1.5″ wide, by 1.9″ tall. Yes, they will fit in the Erin Condren Life Planner, if that’s the planner of your choice, but you can also use them in a variety of different vertical or horizontal planner layouts or just decorate your favorite notebook or scrapbook with them. Included in this collection are the following sticker sets!
Vertical Square Planner Lists: a 2 page PDF with 6 unique planner list designs to help you organize your vertical planner.
#BLOGBOSS Set: 5 unique designs created by a #blogboss for a #blogboss. Get your blog and social media organized in your planner with this awesome set of printable stickers!
Everyday Hustle Set: Inspired by my Girl of All Trades journaling cards, this set of 5 designs will help keep you inspired, no matter which planner system you use.
Now, if you are feeling curious about all my new printable planner goodies, I have one more surprise in store for you! To give you all a taste of what my new vertical weekly layout feels like, I have created a one page sample week for you to download, print and test in your own planner! This free insert is dated for this week only so make sure to download yours now, take the layout for a test drive and of course, visit my shop before the week is out to download the full Charmed Life 17 Month Planner to keep your plans rolling through into August and beyond!
I hope you all enjoy these new planner supplies I have created for you! I’d love to hear what you think about them and, of course, see your pictures of how you are using these great productivity supplies in your own system! Make sure to tag me @MissTrenchcoat and use the hashtag #strangeandcharmed for any images on Twitter or Instagram!
As a small business owner, one of the single most frequent questions I am asked relates to the tools a small business owner needs to get started. Truthfully, the tools or items you need to run your small business vary from person to person and business to business. It depends on what core functions your business performs, so it’s not a one size fits all scenario. Last month I shared the software tools that keep my small business running, so this month I will share the hardware part of the equation. Keep in mind that these are the tools that I choose to use, they are by no means the best or only options, although I do highly recommend them. My small business starter tool kit includes:
1. Macbook Air 11”:Since December 2013, I have been working exclusively from my Macbook Air. I am often asked if it can handle processor intense software like Adobe Creative Suite and Final Cut Pro, or if it’s sluggish. The answer should be obvious. Yes, the Macbook Air can handle a variety of software- if it couldn’t, I wouldn’t be able to run my business! I run professional grade design and creative software like Photoshop, Indesign, Illustrator and Final Cut all day long as part of my business and often times, I am running multiple programs at the same time without issue. The Macbook Air is small, super slim and portable, which I love! It did take me a short adjustment period to get used to the 11” screen moving down from a 13”, but I don’t even notice the small size anymore. I really do love this machine and it was certainly an excellent investment for my business!
2. iPhone 6 Plus: You may think that as a small business owner, your main contact with your customers or clients will be via your computer, however, I do far more interaction with mine through my iPhone. Earlier this year I upgraded to the iPhone 6 Plus from the iPhone 5, a big transition for me, size-wise that took me quite some time to get used too. However, I do love my iPhone 6 Plus and because of it’s larger size, I am able to conduct business in a whole new way. I do a majority of my email, photo editing and social media directly from my phone. It lives in my hand and while some would say that isn’t good for your health and wellness, I have never felt more free! I don’t see my iPhone as a burden, but as a tool that gives me ultimate flexibility with my work. Perhaps that’s because I’m the boss and don’t fear the tether to my work the way some with more traditional jobs do, but I love my iPhone because of the increasing role that social media plays in next to all segments of business, I couldn’t recommend it more!
3. Canon EOS Rebel T5i (700D): I’ve waxed poetic time and time again about my love for my T5i. My DSLR plays a key role in my business as I use it each and every day. Photography and videography make up a significant portion of my business, from a creative standpoint and a marketing standpoint. When it comes to online business, visual media plays a crucial role, so it was important to me to have a DSLR with some great lenses. For my day to day shooting needs, I use the 50mm 1.8 lens, and for my videography, I use the 18-55mm 3.5-5.6 lens, both from Canon. If you are looking for more information on how I shoot, watch this video, and if you would like some of my best photography tips, try these!
4. Toshiba Flash Air: Normally, I would never include my SD card in a list like this, but the SD card I use isn’t your standard issue. The Toshiba Flash Air is a major tool in my business process because it’s actually wifi enabled! Essentially, my little SD card pops into my camera, stores my pictures and video as per the usual SD card functions, but it also includes special software that pairs with my iPhone so I can wirelessly transfer the media from my SD card to my iPhone for instant use without needing a computer! If you use a camera that already has wireless capabilities, this SD card won’t sound that amazing to you, but if your camera doesn’t have wifi built in, you can use this card to get instant access to photos and video on the fly, move them to your iPhone and then edit and upload direct from your phone. Think about being out and about shooting and capturing a great shot that you’d love to post on Instagram, but you don’t have your laptop with you, so you need to wait until you get home to download the photos. The Flash Air bypasses this step, and even though I do most of my photography at home, I can’t tell you how much of a time saver it is to use an wireless SD card to quickly move photos for upload online!
5. WD My Passport External Hard Drive: I’ve trusted my computer backup and external storage needs to Western Digital for years and they have never let me down. As a small business owner, especially one that works with photography, video and custom designs on the daily, backing up my files is a non-negotiable. Now, you could use a cloud based service for your backup, which works extremely well, however, I prefer external hard drives because they are inexpensive compared to equivalent storage sizes in cloud service, and it feels like a more secure experience since I see and hold my backup in my hands as opposed to the invisible cloud. If you don’t have a hard drive for back up, check mine out because I love it and it could save your business!
6. HP Office Jet Printer: Now printers are a topic I am often asked about due to the fact that I exclusively sell printable inserts and designs in my shop! I use an HP OfficeJet Pro 8600 series all-in-one printer that I happen to love. It’s a great daily business printer with capabilities for faxing, scanning and copying and I think it does a solid job of printing my inserts, stickers and wall art designs! Is it the best printer for artwork? Definitely not, but it works for me and my needs, which is all that matters. Having access to a printer like this does help when running a business with all the contracts, bills, invoices and other paperwork that can cross your desk, so I would recommend some sort of all-in-one printer for a small business even if you don’t deal with graphics and design as I do.
7. Wacom Bamboo Capture Tablet:The final tool I use for my business is a Wacom tablet. If you have never seen one of these before, this is a pen tablet that essentially replaces the mouse of my computer while I work on designs in Illustrator or Photoshop so that I have more accuracy and control while using creative software. The Bamboo Capture isn’t a drawing tablet, although Wacom does make those, but it’s just another tool I use to help me work quickly and efficiently. Some designers love these tablets and rely on them, others do not. It’s a personal preference that does come with a learning curve, but if you spend a lot of time designing in Adobe Creative Suite or art programs like Corel and you get the chance to give one of these a try, I’d suggest it!
Those are the tools I used to start my small, creative online business. I hope this gave you some insight and good information to help you find the tools that are right for your business! If you would like some additional resources, I’ve recently written about some Free Design Tools for Bloggers & Business Owners, and Apps for the Creative Business Owner that may also help you get your business going! Let me know what other business issues or questions you may have so that I can create some more dedicated content to help!
Hello my Strange & Charmed Ones! I’m reporting in again today from Charmed HQ which looks like it was hit with a cardboard tornado! If you didn’t hear, I’m in the middle of a move right now and things are a little crazy over in my camp. One good thing about moving, however, is that I have plenty of time to listen to some great summer tunes while packing boxes. So I have another installment of my productivity playlist for you to enjoy. Last month I got a suggestion or two for songs to add to this month’s list, so of course I made sure to include those. If you love this series as much as I do and want to leave your mark, make sure to give me your suggestions for music to include in the comments section below!
See you next month and of course, don’t forget to leave me your suggestions for inclusion next month! In the meantime, feel free to share the link to this post or playlist with your friends and social media feeds!
I don’t think I’ve mentioned this to you yet, but in the next week or so, my husband and I will be moving into a new apartment! With the new move comes some exciting changes, namely centered around my office. I decided that with this move, I wanted to upgrade all of my office furniture! Luckily for me, I don’t have a huge office to refurnish, but since I am in the process of designing and shopping around for items, I thought I would share with you all the concept I am working on. Hopefully this gives you a little behind the scenes peek into my process (which I may very well document further) and provide some inspiration in case you too are in the middle of an office redesign!
1. Modular bookcase: I happen to be a big fan of modular bookcases. I currently have a large one in my office, but I think I would like to downsize to something a bit lighter and perhaps more feminine. I like the look of this bookcase, but I am seriously thinking of turning it on its side and making it a consul so I can put my printer on top and use the surface as extra desk space.
2. Campaign desk: I really love the look of a campaign desk, I think they are clean, yet classic! I have been searching around for a great, inexpensive option and was pleased to see they sell these at Target. I’m not sure I am 100% in love with the black, I was hoping to get a white desk with this move, but this is the generally direction I am going in with my desk look.
3. Modern swivel office chair: I love the chair I currently have in my office, but it’s old, the seat is broken and it doesn’t have casters or a swivel. I’ve been thinking that with my new office I may want to upgrade to a more formal office chair, but of course one with a chic vibe!
4. Tufted settee: For a while now, I have had a small convertible sofa bed in my office that doubled as sleeping space for guests, however, I think I want to get rid of the basic sofa and replace it with a lovelier option. I am always enamored with tufted settees and I really think having one in my office would be a better use of space than the hardly used sofa bed!
5. Antique style bust: I actually already own a few antique style busts for my apartment, but I want to find a way to use the one in my office more prominently. Perhaps I’ll display it on the cabinet, or perhaps I’ll get a stand to keep it on, but I do love classical decor like this and I think making a bust the focal point of the artwork in my office may bring a whole new mood to the room!
I hope you’ve enjoyed getting a behind the scenes peek into the style and design of my new office. I’d love to know what you thought of this post and of course, if you have any suggestions for furniture that you think I’d love, please let me know! I could use all the help I can get!
Have you ever seen or participated in an Instagram photo challenge? For anyone who loves photography or Instagram, these sorts of fun photo a day challenges can be an awesome way to connect with your community and grow your following at the same time. So, today, I wanted to explain the simple steps to take if you would like to host your own photo challenge on Instagram!
1. Pick a time frame:First things first, you are going to need to choose a time frame for your challenge. Many photo challenges are month long events, however, nothing stops you from choosing a longer or shorter time frame. You can use a photo challenge to lead up to an event for your business like the launch of a new product, in which case you may want to host a two week challenge. Or, you may want to use a photo challenge to celebrate an important event or milestone by hosting a week long event. Like I said, it’s up to you, but you are going to want to decide the time frame of the challenge so you can start planning it.
2. Choose a theme: Photo challenges usually revolve around a theme, for instance, in March I hosted my first photo challenge called CharmedGTD, which means Charmed Getting Things Done, and it was a productivity themed challenge. In June, I co-hosted another challenge with my buddy Paper & Glam and we called it Summer in the Glampire to celebrate the start of summer and our vacation to Aruba. Some challenges are themed around specific creative endeavors, others around seasonal events. Choose a theme that works for you and will help you attract the type of audience you are looking to gain!
3. Brainstorm prompts: Once you know the length of time and the theme for your challenge, you can start brainstorming prompts to go along with it. Photo challenges normally have one prompt for each day of the challenge and it’s up to the participants to get creative and interpret the prompts to suit their preferences. Again, let your theme guide you with this, but don’t be afraid to get creative yourself and think outside the box!
4. Create a hashtag: Every great photo challenge needs a great custom hashtag to go along with it to act as its name or title! Make sure your hashtag is descriptive of your challenge, is as succinct as possible and of course, unique! Make sure to check Instagram to see if anyone is already using your photo challenge hashtag, because you will want to find something that has little to no use so that you can appropriate it for your own brand!
5. Design your graphic: Using image editing software, design your photo challenge graphic to share with your community. Of course, when designing your graphic you will want to create a square image, at least 1,000 x 1,000 pixels, use your specific brand colors and imagery, and of course, simple fonts that are easy to read! Make sure to include in your graphic the title of the challenge/the custom hashtag that participants should use, your own Instagram handle so that people can tag you and know who to attribute the event to, the time frame for the challenge, and of course your daily prompts! If you also have room, feel free to include your website URL as well!
6. Promote your challenge: A few days to a week before your challenge starts you will want to begin promoting it. Of course you will want to first post your custom graphic to your Instagram account and encourage your followers to participate by reposting the image to their own feeds. Ask your followers to tag friends that they believe would enjoy the event as well. You may also want to promote your challenge via your website, blog or other social media channels by creating a dedicated post and explaining the challenge to your followers. Don’t hesitate to post a few times in the days leading up to the event so that you get the word out to as many people as possible!
7. Have fun & interact with your community: Once your challenge begins, make sure you keep up to date posting and checking on your custom hashtag to interact with your community. Make sure you are having fun with the event and like a good host, checking in with your participants by liking and commenting on their photos! Photo challenges are supposed to be fun while also helping you to promote your own account, so make sure to enjoy yourself and make the most of your interactions with your community!
Now you are ready to design and host your own Instagram Photo Challenge! Make sure to let me know if you host a challenge so I can see the fruits of your work and how you put these tips into action!
