Using high quality images with your digital marketing

Photo by Igor Miske on Unsplash

“ A picture paints a thousand words”

I believe the original quote was actually 'A picture is worth ten thousand words' as stated by Fred R. Barnard, of Printers' Ink, 10 March 1927.

Anyway, pictures are so important for your website, blogs and social media marketing these days. However, most small businesses cannot afford to get high quality photos for every piece of work they produce that requires an image so what do you do?

1.    Learn how to take great photos yourself. With today’s technology most of us can take a half decent photo using our cell phones. I use an iPhone, but I have seen great images from other phones as well. It is worth taking a lesson or two to get the basics right and then yu have the means to do a fair percent of your own images. Tip: Horizontal photos work best.

2.    Negotiate. I use local photographers from time to time most are willing to negotiate, and it is worth getting some great customises images for your website.

3.    Use www.istock.com to find images for adverts, blogs etc especially when you want something that fits a theme or style you want to use. They have regular specials if you sign up for the newsletter. Images will cost you between $20-$50 but it is worth the investment at times.

4.    Use UnSplash for FREE images (this is one of my favourite image sites). I use this for adverts and blogs. Not the same collection as iStock but cannot beat the value - remember to credit the photographer (this is why they placed the image on the site). Sometimes it is not quite appropriate but try to give them credit if you can.

5.    Use Pixabay for FREE images very similar to Unsplash and you will see images from same photographers. Same conditions apply - credit the photographer if you can.

There are few other sites which charge you a minimal amount to buy ‘Royalty Free’ images and I am sure there will be a lot more soon. look at https://www.dreamstime.com/ as another option to add to your list. The point is there are loads of ways to find great images.

I personally think it is wise to invest but given time constraints and budgets the options above should help you out.

Hope you found this article helpful - if you liked it please ‘like’ my Facebook page and send me a message this will add you to my list of people to notify when I post again.

Happy Posting.

Tony C

Personal Coach / Digital Marketing Specialist
e. hello@tonycuttingdigital.co.nz
m. https://m.me/tonycuttingdigital
w. tonycuttingdigital.com

Zucchini and Feta Tart - Julie Buckley

Zucchinis are abundant in my garden at the moment so are going into a lot of meals. This is a lovely option for lunch or dinner with a green salad. It can also be made without the pastry to make a lovely frittata which could be made in muffin tins for a great breakfast or lunch option.

Zucchini and Feta Tart

Serves 4-6 people

Pastry
3/4c ground almonds
1/2c coconut flour
1/4c coconut oil melted
3Tbsp psyllium husks
1 egg
1tsp sea salt
2-3 Tbsp cold water

Filling
6 eggs
1/2c cream
2 zucchini sliced thinly lengthwise
1 red capsicum, seeds removed and sliced thinly
75g feta cheese
½ tsp sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celcius. To make the pastry mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Mix in the beaten egg and melted coconut oil. You may need to gradually add in enough cold water to help form a stiff dough. Wrap in plastic and place in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

Prepare a round or rectangle flan tin by lightly greasing with coconut or olive oil (mine is a loose bottom tin to make removal easier). Roll out the pastry until 2-3mm thick between 2 sheets of baking paper. Remove the top layer of baking paper and gently flip the pastry over. It is likely to break but patch up any patches or cracks by pressing the pastry together. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool before adding the filling.

Thinly slice the zucchini with a mandolin or vegetable peeler into thin strips and roll up. Stand the zucchini rolls on their ends and scatter the red capsicum and crumbled feta over. Beat together the eggs and cream with the salt and pepper and pour evenly into the pastry case over the vegetables.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the filling is puffed and golden and set in the middle.

Healthy Eating

-Julie Buckley (Coach/Chef)
Diabetes Clinic New Zealand

If you know someone who would like to reverse pre-diabetes or Type 2 Diabetes get them to message the Diabetes Clinic here https://m.me/diabetesclinicnz

or visit www.diabetesclinic.co.nz

Save time using Buffer

If you run a number of Facebook accounts I personally recommend using Buffer. You get Three Social Accounts for FREE or if you are like me I run ten Facebook Accounts through their business paid service.

This definitely saves previous time if you are posting on a regular basis.

However, in some cases you will want to post different content at different times. This is important as the algorithm will recognise multiple posts and may ask you to reset your password and check your accounts.

The best way to avoid this is to schedule your posts for different times of the day. Yes, it takes a little more time but doing this through Buffer you will still save a lot of work.

One of the big benefits of upgrading to the business account is you can use your own url shortner (I use Bit.ly) rather than the buffer link shortner which sometimes gets blocked.

Final Tip of the day

When using Buffer please place your links before the final text.

e.g. after your link add some more text like ‘ thanks for taking the time to read my post - I hope you found it interesting’. Also ensure the Buffer setting is not ‘Link from image’

Why?

Thereis a chance the post on a Facebook page will drop the link from the bottom of the post . It will allow people to link from the image but not everyone will understand to do this.

Hope you found this helpful

NB: Remember the rules seem to change each month so watch what is happening. It is still worth while using tools like Buffer to save time and make life a lot easier for you.

Happy Posting.

Tony C

Personal Coach / Digital Marketing Specialist
e. hello@tonycuttingdigital.co.nz
m. https://m.me/tonycuttingdigital
w. tonycuttingdigital.com

Are supplements necessary?

Photo by Angel Sinigersky on Unsplash

Do I take supplements or should I be trying to get what I need from food?

Nutrition surveys tell us that more and more people are not meeting the bare minimum recommended daily amounts (RDAs) of more and more nutrients. Common examples are magnesium, selenium, zinc and vitamins A, C and D. Government response is often to drop the RDAs further!

Ideally we get our nutrients from real food. The quality of our food has changed dramatically so it is no longer as simple as this. Our depleted soil, the types of seeds, processing and additives are all not helping. Sugar depletes nutrients from the body, as the body works to handle it, but brings nothing to the party in return, a ‘minus-sum game’.

Chemicals are disrupting our chemistry, overworking our elimination pathways and provoking the immune system. Sometimes the body will need a therapeutic dose of something and additional supplement support may be appropriate. Fish oil is a good example for the diabetic person. The body tries to tell us that it needs something additional - this message is often met with a medication! Which of course can also cause negative side effects.

It is interesting to note that the 60 mg or so of vitamin C is in an apple, with all its cofactors, equals the effect of around 1500 mg of “pure” vitamin C in the body. So you can see that eating real food is important. Nature is designed perfectly but the marketers have got too clever!

So the definitive answer is YES you are most likely going to need some help from supplements. generally a change in diet is essential for most people. Supplements will help us all.

If you feel you need help please feelf ree to reach out the a Health Coach at the Diabetes Clinic. Contact us via our Facebook page via messenger.

https://www.facebook.com/diabetesclinicnz/

Have a healthy day

Tony Cutting
Blog written on behalf of the Diabetes Clinic.

www.diabetesclinic.co.nz

Lettuce Lunch Wraps - Julie Buckley

This is a versatile recipe where you can use up leftovers from your fridge or whatever vegetables you have on hand. Iceberg lettuce or cos lettuce leaves work well for the wrap

Ingredients
1 cos lettuce washed, remove thick stems 
Leftover cooked chicken, ham, bacon
1 ripe avocado sliced
2 tomatoes sliced
½ cup roasted capsicums drained
1 cucumber thinly sliced
½ cup sprouts
Smokey almond hummus:
½ c ground almonds
1 Tbsp tahini
½ tsp smoked paprika
1 clove garlic crushed
¼ c water
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Juice of half a lemon
2-3 sun-dried tomatoes in oil finely chopped

To make the hummus combine the ingredients together to make a thick paste using half the water initially then add a little more water to make it more spreadable if needed as the almonds soak up a lot.

Lay a sheet of baking paper on your board and arrange lettuce leaves overlapping if they are not large. Spread a layer of almond hummus or a good quality mayo over the leaves leaving a good border free for wrapping. Add the cooked chicken or ham and vegetables down the middle of the leaves. Using the baking paper roll the leaf wrap up tightly and secure with toothpicks or string to hold tight. Cut in half and enjoy.

Healthy Eating

-Julie Buckley (Coach/Chef)
Diabetes Clinic New Zealand

If you know someone who would like to reverse pre-diabetes or Type 2 Diabetes get them to message the Diabetes Clinic here https://m.me/diabetesclinicnz

or visit www.diabetesclinic.co.nz

Salmon salad with Tahini and lemon dressing - Julie Buckley

Salmon Salad with Tahini

There is nothing that says summer more than fresh colourful salads. The more colours in your salad the more nutrients you are eating. This salmon and vegetable salad is dressed with tahini and lemon dressing and is a complete meal.

Use what you have on hand in your garden or fridge. Bacon and chicken are both great options instead of salmon and vegetable options are limited only by your imagination.

Salmon salad with Tahini and lemon dressing

Salad greens - enough to cover your plate or platter
400g salmon fillet skin on and pin bones removed
2 zuchinni cut into bite sized pieces
2 carrots cut into even size pieces
1 red onion peeled and sliced into wedges
1 red or yellow capsicum cut into large cubes
1/2 avocado sliced or diced
4-6 eggs soft boiled
100g green beans
100g cherry tomatoes halved
1-2 Tbsp olive or avocado oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Dressing
1/3c extra virgin olive oil
1/3c apple cider vinegar
1 clove garlic crushed
1 Tbsp Tahini
The juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp poppy seeds
1 Tbsp maple syrup (optional)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cut all of your vegetables into even sized pieces. Line a baking tray with baking paper and lay the zuchinni, carrots, red onions and capsicums in separate lines on the baking tray and drizzle with a little avocado or olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes until just tender. Leave to cool while assembling the remaining ingredients.

Place the salmon fillet onto a baking tray and drizzle with avocado oil, the juice of half a lemon and season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until the centre is just cooked. Leave to cool before cutting into chunks or flaking with a fork.

Blanch the beans in boiling water for about 30 seconds then refresh in cold water to stop them cooking further. Peel and halve the boiled eggs.

To make the dressing blend all of the ingredients together with a stick blender.

To assemble place a bed of lettuce onto your serving platter. Place lines of your cooked and raw vegetables and the salmon and eggs in rows over the top of the salad. Alternate colours where possible. Drizzle with the dressing just before serving.

Healthy Eating

-Julie Buckley (Coach/Chef)
Diabetes Clinic New Zealand

If you know someone who would like to reverse pre-diabetes or Type 2 Diabetes get them to message the Diabetes Clinic here https://m.me/diabetesclinicnz

or visit www.diabetesclinic.co.nz

Facebook tips for business owners

If you are using Facebook to help promote your business here are a few more tips for you that will help you get a lot more engagement and success.

1. Post great content - I have said it before and will reiterate this one again. Make your content worth ‘liking’, ‘commenting on’ and most of all worth ‘sharing’. Good content gets engagement and the more your post is seen by the Facebook algorithm as something people are engaging with the more it will allow you to reach.

2. Be great at Replying - Reply to comments and messages as promptly as you can. Again Facebook provides recognition for this and will reward you with more views.

3. Place links in comments - Facebook does not like you linking away from your page. So simply placce the link in a comment under the post to avoid the penalties and get more reach.

4. Build your partners - Businesses who work together by ‘liking’, ‘commenting’ and ‘sharing’ each others post will get a far bigger reach than a business who ‘goes it alone’.

5. Post video - video is king, second to mulitple images then a single great image. Remember to leave the text to the text section and leave your images nice and clean.

6. Ask for Engagement - At the end of a great post don’t be afraid to ask for ‘likes’, ‘comments’ and ‘shares’.

7. Structure your post - A great heading or ‘Hook’ which is seperate from the main body of text encourages people to read on. A seperate call to action paragraph at the end encourages readers to take the action you would like. Space is the key here give each section space before starting the next.

8. Write posts specifically for engagement - You may want to run a competition or specifically ask people to provide comments. Make your intention clear and see the difference in your results.

Well, I hope you found this blog useful. If you did please ‘like’ my Facebook page and send me a message. ocne in my message system you will recieve regular tips on everything digital to help you and your business.

https://www.facebook.com/tonycuttingdigital/

Until next time

Tony C
Personal Coach / Digital Marketing Specialist
e. hello@tonycuttingdigital.co.nz
m. https://m.me/tonycuttingdigital
w. tonycuttingdigital.com

Instagram for business - what you should know

Can you promote your business with images? If so Instagram maybe a great platform for you. If you find it tough to come up with ideas it may just mean you need some inspiration. I suggest the first you do is signup (personal account) then search under the #hashtags you are most likely to be promoted through and see what results you would get i.e. how many other people are using those #hashtags. This will give you an idea of what, where and how to use Instagram for your business.

You can then connect your Facebook business page to your Instagram account and get started.

So, what is a #hashtag?

A word or phrase preceded by a hash sign (#), used on social media websites and applications, especially Instagram and Twitter, to identify messages on a specific topic.

#hashtags have a presence of their own. For example I live in Wellington, New Zealand. So one of the first #hashtags I would consider looking at are my local tags #wellington #newzealand and with a little research I would discover that #wellingtonnz is a very well used tag. If I post on Instagram and used these tags people also posting using these tags are likely to look through the feed for #wellingtonnz, they can even follow this #hashtag so any posts under this tag are promoted in their personal feed - objective find posts that are relevant (in this case local).

You can use #hashtags for all searchs e.g. The #digitalmarketing is one for me as it is relevant to what I do and it has 5.4 million posts. So when I have a relevant post where I use this tag I have the potential to hit quite a few people, building followers, likes and maybe, just maybe a sale.

Facebook & Instagram

Well, just in case you did not know, Instagram is owned by Facebook and is the number two social platform in the world for Business to Consumer marketing. Facebook is number one and by a long way. Instagram allows you to push you post from Instagram to your Facebook page, but Facebook does not allow you to this unless you are buying paid advertising. My advice do neither. Each platform has differences and to maximise your reach and message you need to posts different things using the rules that apply to each platform.

Making Instagram work

Build a great profile, include a great photo and in your details add your website address maybe your Facebook messaging system address or email and a bio that is clean and clear so people know who you are and what you are about.

It probably goes without saying, but if you want to offer a better, more attractive, cleaner feed for your followers, you’ll need to start with better pictures in the first place. Your ‘Wall’ tells alot about you to potential followers make sure you have great images with consistent quality e.g. if you use a filter for your images make it the same one.

FYI: Your wall is the block of pictures people see when they first check you out on Instagram.

Learning how to great photos using your phone is important, so is getting a phone that is capable of taking great photos.

Building your audience

When you start out you need to build your audience and the best way is to connect with people on Instagram who are interested in the same things you are promoting. This is critical no matter what marketing you produce. You might create the most beautiful Instagram content in the world, but if it doesn’t appeal to your target buyer, what’s the point?

Don’t talk at people, talk to them. It’s all about them your posts should be about the audience not you. Take this approach and you are going to be ahead of 95% of Instagrammers today.

Be consistent and persistance, two to three posts per week of high quality will work much better than bombing the market with posts every second hour. Also, don’t go missing make sure you plan your posts and you do post on a regular basis.

Check out your Business insights

To track whether you are getting things right you should look at your insights. You don’t necessarily want millions of people following you from around the world if you only provide local services or products. You maybe more interested how many people in your region are engaged with you.

As we mentioned Facebook owns Instagram, and they’ve introduced a similar ‘Insights’ tool to help ‘Insta’ Users.

The tool offers some interesting insights into the people following and interacting with your account. 

• Impressions: How many times your content was viewed

• Reach: Total number of unique accounts that viewed a piece of content

• Website clicks: How many clicks the link in your business profile has received

• Follower activity: How often your followers are on Instagram daily

• Video views: How often your video content has been viewed

• Saves: How many people have saved your posts

Insights also includes demographic information, so you can see where your followers come from, their age, and their gender.

With this, you’ll have plenty of information about your existing Instagram audience. 

I hope you found this helpful. If you would like to hear about more digital marketing tips please join my message system on Facebook here https://m.me/tonycuttingdigital

I’ll let you know when I post my next blog and you may even go into a draw to win some FREE 1:1 training either Face to face or via Zoom.

Happy Posting

Tony C
Personal Coach / Digital Marketing Specialist
e. hello@tonycuttingdigital.co.nz
m. https://m.me/tonycuttingdigital
w. tonycuttingdigital.com