How Social Media Is Changing and What That Means for Your City-Specific Blog
It’s no secret that social media is constantly changing. In fact, in the last year, TikTok has stolen the show and Instagram has dropped everything to keep up. You can say goodbye to the days when Instagram was a photo-sharing app and hello to a world of video.
What does this constant change on social media mean for you? And more specifically, what does it mean for your city-specific blog?
Hello dear friend and welcome to City Living Network! City Living Network is an all-in-one web design agency that builds you a city-specific blog in 30 days, from idea to launch. We’ve recently shared articles on how to grow your business with a blog and how to stand out in an oversaturated world. But one of the biggest shifts and challenges we’re facing is how to market our blogs in a world of constantly changing social media trends and strategies.
Today we’re going to debunk common myths about social media and we’ll help you get an idea of how you’ll be able to market your new, city-specific blog, on social media.
How social media is changing and what that means for your blog
As a new blogger starting from zero, social media can be intimidating. You instantly feel like you’re up against the stars with millions of followers, but your small following is actually one of your advantages in the changing world of social media.
Quality over quantity
One positive way that social media has changed over the years is that people and brands value quality over quantity. We’ve seen a rise in the ‘Micro-Influencer’ and that simply means Influencers with less than 30k followers.
In today’s world, the quality of your community matters a lot more than the quantity.
100 people following you is 100 individual people with lives of their own. Imagine you had a storefront for your small business. If 100 people walked into your storefront, you’d likely be thrilled, overwhelmed, and excited. Because that’s 100 people in your shop! Keep that same feeling of excitement and joy around each person that follows you on social media.
Talk to your audience and foster a community with those people as if they’ve walked into the storefront of your business.
Also, this thread of quality over quantity should apply to your content as well. Produce high-quality, helpful content that educates and inspires your audience. Put thought into what you’re sharing and if it will help your ideal person and your current audience. Luckily for you, inside the City Living Network, we teach you all about content and creating content for your blog and audience.
If you’re ready to learn more about how you can get started with City Living Network, schedule a discovery call today.
Authenticity
People want less of a highlight reel and more of real life. And that pretty much means they want the authentic, real, YOU.
What does this mean for a city-specific blog? Travelers want tips from the locals. They want to know the local hang-out spots, the best local bars, and restaurants, and the best-hidden gems in your city. Basically, travelers want to hear from the locals v.s. the tourism boards.
You can stand out on social media with your new city-specific blog by sharing what YOU love about your city, sharing stories from locals, and the behind-the-scenes magic that makes your city special. Authentically show what it’s like to live in your city and what it will be like for travelers who come to visit.
Sure, those who follow us on Instagram at @lagunabeachliving love to see beautiful hikes, beaches, and inspiring places to visit in Laguna Beach. But they also want to see the ‘real’ Laguna Beach.
Staying authentic is going to help you have an edge on social media. It’s going to help you stand out and grow straight from the beginning. Don’t worry about what trends you’re following or how many times a week you’re posting. Just start being yourself and sharing the real side of your city.
Get comfortable with video
Yup, we’re moving into the video age. TikTok is on the rise and Instagram is no longer a photo-sharing app. It’s time to get comfortable with short-form, video content.
TikTok has been the fastest-growing social media platform out there for a while now, and Instagram has been clawing desperately to keep up. They’ll keep doing everything TikTok is doing, just one step behind. And so Reels was born and so they continue to be the form of content pushed more heavily on Instagram.
Instagram itself says, “Reels is the best place to grow creatively, grow your community, and grow your career.”
Even Pinterest is pushing video-based content forms with video pins and Idea Pins.
Video content doesn’t have to be hard, and it shouldn’t overwhelm you. You don’t need to have any fancy gear or editing skills. Remember what we said in the point above, stay authentic. All you need to start using video is your smartphone. Just start recording.
Collaboration
A year ago Instagram released a new feature called “Collaborate.” This feature allows you to work with another Instagram account to create and share content. The content can be shared to both of your feeds, leveraging your audience and the audience of the account you’re collaborating with.
Collaboration is one of the most beneficial ways that you can grow your new city-specific blog in this changing world of social media.
And guess what. You can collaborate with the local business community in your city!
Let’s use Laguna Beach Living as an example.
Say you're going to do a post with the local Thai restaurant to promote their winter deals with your audience. You can head down and create a few reels with the owner and staff of the restaurant, featuring a few of the meals, the owner's story, and your favorite item on the menu. That’s easily 3 reels from one afternoon. Then when you go to post them on Instagram, you can invite them to be a collaborator and boom! Their audience will see your name top and center on their feed.
The crossover from working in a collaborative mode with local businesses in your community can help you grow your business exponentially.
In City Living Network, we teach you how to monetize your new blog with these methods of collaboration, but one of the huge benefits of this strategy is the Instagram growth you can see on your own account in return.
Want to launch your own city-specific blog? Don’t forget to book your free consultation today!
Diversify your platforms
Lastly, don’t put all of your eggs in one basket. Social media is constantly changing and evolving. The best thing you can do for your city-specific blog is put yourself out there on every platform.
That doesn’t have to be overwhelming or scary. You can cross-post most of the content that you create. An Idea Pin from Pinterest can be a blog post, an Instagram Reel or Carousel, and a TikTok video. And vice versa. A TikTok video can be shared as a Reel, expanded on in blog posts, and reshared on Pinterest.
Be creative with ways that you can turn one piece of content into hundreds of tidbits, videos, and quotes that you can share with your audience. A podcast, for example, can be turned into content for your blog, Pinterest, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. With the click of a button, Instagram posts can be shared on Facebook and linked to Twitter.
Don’t let yourself be overwhelmed by all the platforms that you need to be on. Remember that one tool in your arsenal is repurposing content.
At the end of the day, staying on top of each of the social media platforms is going to help you reach more people, grow your city-specific blog, and in turn, help you create a business and a life that you love.
That’s what we’re all about here at City Living Networks. Helping YOU create a business and life that you love, without ever leaving home.
Hello, future editor-in-chief. Book your free consultation here now.
