Instagram content strategy guide – how to determine what to post (video)

The great 1960s essayist Joan Didion said, “I write entirely to find out what I’m thinking, what I’m looking at, what I see and what it means. What I want and what I fear.”

Stephen King is similarly quoted as saying, “I write to find out what I think.”

The thinking behind both of these is expressed really well in this video on Instagram content strategy – that it is through articulation that we come to know our thoughts and opinions, and that articulation is key to expertise. In writing we formulate our thoughts and in making them clearer to ourselves become more articulate in our thinking and our expression.

Enter Instagram – up there with one of the most prevalent platforms for self-expression, and that now applies not only to individuals but to brands too. So, how do we decide what to post on Instagram, or social media generally, and how?

Watch this in-depth whiteboard session by The Futur on Instagram content strategy to dive deep into this topic.

Surviving COVID-19: here’s how businesses are innovating in a time of crisis

Now is the time for businesses to act fast. We’re seeing local businesses adapt their strategies with smart marketing ideas and operational gear shifts — while some are starting new endeavours altogether. Here are some tools to ensure your business survives the time of crisis while you keep connected with your customers, clients and tribe-at-large during this global pandemic.

Photo by David Hofmann on Unsplash

The world is in a panic and it’s easy to see why: countries have closed their borders, cities are shutting down, the economy is at a borderline standstill and some of us haven’t left the house in more than a week and counting. This is particularly scary for businesses that require physical interaction and real-world services to bring in money: restaurants and the hospitality industry, exercise and educational classes, anyone in the events industry and entertainment, production-heavy businesses with large teams working in factories or workshops. The list is long and businesses are shutting down at the mere possibility of a month without revenue. In South Africa where so much is hand-to-mouth, that is the reality many businesses face.

On the other hand, we’re seeing businesses innovate in ways they never have before.

Continue reading

One Day Workshop

“High-quality web content that is useful, useable and enjoyable is one of the greatest competitive advantages you can create for yourself online” – Kristina Halvorson

At the heart of great content is an understanding of the importance of strategic differentiation and how to create that differentiation for your brand in a crowded online space.

Our very interactive, highly informative and insightful ONE DAY WORKSHOP, presented by co-founders Delia de Villiers and Sarah Jayne Fell, will equip you with the tools, techniques and tricks needed to elevate your brand’s content offering in a thoughtful, interesting and relevant way.

Continue reading

If you do only one content marketing thing let it be this

Yes, that is a clickbait title. But you don’t have to signup for anything or click on more or first figure out how to block the popups to find out what that thing is. And, sorry to say, you probably won’t be blown away by the answer… One of the most effective content marketing tools is a newsletter.

Continue reading

The Elevator Pitch

“What do you do?” or “what does your business do?” can be quite a daunting, if not laborious, question. Especially when it’s your own business and you don’t have a title per se, and the reality is that you do everything and that the exact nature of what you do is sometimes simply undefinable (even to yourself!). If you’re a business owner you’ll understand.

Continue reading

From pillar to post

While content definitely exists to please your reader it also needs to serve your brand.

The right content helps to build your brand’s authority, elevating it to a position of trust with your target audience.

Content needs to be interesting, engaging, informative and entertaining. It also happens to be competing with, literally, millions of other pieces of content that are likely to be equally interesting, engaging, informative and entertaining. And then on top of all of this you also need to ensure that your brand’s content isn’t always self-referential.

Continue reading