Month: September 2023

Why Use Instagram for Business?

No Comments Instagram, Social Media

               You would have to be living under a rock not to realize the power that businesses, brands, and influencers have gathered to themselves through social media. Whether it is Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest, or YouTube, these businesses and individuals have been able to drive MASSIVE amounts of traffic to their business interests. They have been able to amass small fortunes from this traffic by directing it to their websites and offers. Yet, as the title above discloses, why should you focus your attention on Instagram in particular. Put another way, why use Instagram for business?

Instagram-The King of Social Media?

          The short answer to this question is you should because Instagram is the ALPHA of the social media world. To begin showing why this is the case, read what Gary Vaynerchuk (Gary Vee’s Instagram) says about Instagram:

              “Anybody right now who is not spending a disproportional amount of time trying to figure out the hashtag culture, the Instagram ad product, organic Instagram posting, working with Instagram Influencers is making a huge mistake to not set their business up properly in the 2018-2019 world. We have not even seen the real revenue come in from Instagram yet. It is a beast. It is the current social network.”

              Why listen to Gary Vee? Simply put, he is the top thought leader in the world on using social media to build brands and to drive revenue for businesses. And once you look at his following on all social media platforms, the numbers themselves prove that point!

              To buttress this point by Gary Vee, Jeremy McGilvrey, in his book Instagram Secrets (see our review here), lists twelve reasons why Instagram (in his words) “is dominating all other social media platforms.” He says:

  1. Instagram allows you to reach up to 100% of your followers, Facebook only allows you to reach about 6%
  2. Instagram’s engagement is amazing-58 times more than Facebook and 120 times more than Twitter.
  3. Instagram is extremely easy to use- next to no learning curve.
  4. 2016 (old data, but still relevant): Instagram has 23% growth compared to 1.8% growth for Facebook. Twitter lost users.
  5. Instagram has equal distribution among iPhone and Android users.
  6. Instagram currently has 650-plus million active million users (high currently).
  7. Organic engagement has grown by 115% on Instagram- compared to a 63% decrease or organic engagement on Facebook.
  8. The average order is $65 on Instagram versus only $55 on Facebook.
  9. Instagram’s growth rate continues to double every other smartphone app.
  10. Instagram is extremely efficient at deleting fake or spam accounts.
  11. Ninety-six percent (96%) of marketers use Facebook, while 36% use Instagram (on Instagram you only must compete with about a third of the marketers online).
  12. The average Instagram account grows in followers by 16% per month (200% per year-this refers to business accounts).

              After seeing this data, albeit it is a little dated (2018) you can see why you MUST use Instagram if you desire to promote your business, brand, or product/service online.

Instagram Is Easy to Learn, But You Have to WORK To Make It Work!

              Now, despite the fact above showing how it IS easier and more rewarding to market on Instagram than other platforms (though I do think you should market across ALL platforms), it does not mean that it is EASY. It is not easy to attain success on Instagram and it is not for the LAZY.

              Many people want to attain levels of success that are reserved for the 1% of all Instagram users, yet they do not want to put in the HOURS, WEEKS, MONTHS, and YEARS that it takes to get to that level. If this is you, then go ahead and get this fantasy out of your head. As McGilvrey says in Instagram Secrets, “Successful Instagram marketers do what 99.9% of people will not do.”

              He continues saying, “They do not treat it like something that can be hastily put together and updated without care or attention. Each element is carefully and purposefully engineered to achieve their goal: improve and increase traffic, increase engagement, boost sales via higher conversion rates.”

              You must master the basics of Instagram, commit to publishing, promoting, posting, and engaging your audience, and then leveraging your audience by constantly giving them value. Once you have begun doing this, then you will be able to promote your products and services to your audience, and they will trust you. It takes time, effort, and A LOT of work, but the price is worth it for your business and brand! Stay tuned for more articles on using Instagram to promote and market your brand or business! Leave your comments and questions below!

              (If you would like to read our reviews of McGilvrey’s Instagram Secrets, then click here)

Joshua R. McIntyre, M.Div., Th.M.

Founder, Senior Editor

Tenth Legion Solutions

Book Review: Instagram Secrets by Jeremy McGilvrey

No Comments Book Reviews, Instagram, Social Media

Product: Instagram Secrets by Jeremy McGilvrey

Price: $18.00 (USD)

Places to Buy: Amazon.com & Directly from Jeremy

Rating: 10.0 out of 10.0

 

 When it comes to using social media for business revenue, it is a given that Instagram is THE place to be. Businesses within a vast array of niches are using Instagram to drive MASSIVE amounts of traffic to their websites, offers, and products.

It is not only established businesses that use this great platform to drive sales and revenue. In fact, people, when properly equipped, can CREATE a business solely from traffic and engagement from Instagram!

The obvious question is HOW can one be equipped and acquire the skills to create a business on Instagram? What skills and tools does one need to drive revenue and sales from Instagram? You can gain these skills from Jeremy McGilvrey’s Instagram Secrets. It is without a doubt THE SOURCE you need if you are new to using Instagram as a business platform. First, I will give you a general overview of the book’s contents. After that, I will highlight the key points (in my opinion) that will help you with your Instagram business journey.

McGilvrey begins Instagram Secrets explaining how you need to properly understand the Instagram environment and its basic parameters. Key highlights from this section include the fact that Instagram is 99.9% on mobile phones, not PCs. Hence, every decision that you make with your Instagram business MUST take this into consideration when making content and decisions.

Another ESSENTIAL part of this first part of the book is where he covers the basics of setting up your business profile on Instagram (these are basics that you would never consider or worry about on a strictly personal Instagram page). Here Jeremy walks you through how to set up your ideal Instagram username, design a simple but effective logo, and how to set up your bio and profile that generates buyers for your product and service. (Chapters 1-4)

Another huge issue when first starting on Instagram is HOW can you produce quality content on a regular basis? In chapter 7, Instagram Secrets will show you not only how to choose your perfect niche, but also how to steadily generate flows of high-quality, engaging photos in under five minutes daily. It also will explain to you how to time your posts for maximum exposure in the form of likes, comments, and (most importantly) BUYERS! (Chapters 7-8) After this Jeremy talks about the importance of using famous Instagrammers to promote your page and products. This shout out strategy is one of the KEY strategies that Instagram Secrets will teach you to implement. In doing this, you will not only make money from selling your products and services, but you will grow a flourishing community within your niche. Instagram Secrets will show you how to nurture this new community of yours and how you can leverage engagement groups to continue growing it for years to come. (Chapters 10-11)

Chapter 13 delves into the FACT that the secret weapon to use to drive sales, engagement, and virility is the proper use of videos on your Instagram feed. Jeremy also dives into the studies that show how videos capture our attention at WAY higher percentages than regular photos. In addition to the visual aspect of your content, Instagram Secrets will also show you how to craft tight and effective captions that will get your followers to ACT on your posts! (Chapters 13-14)

After having laid this foundation, McGilvrey spells out how you can turn your followers into dollars. He splits this first portion into three different chapters. He begins with a step-by-step guide on how to create digital products to sell online (by digital products, he means e-books). After this, he also dives into how one can go about selling both physical and digital products on Instagram. Lastly, Jeremy covers options for those who either do not have digital or physical products or who have no desire to create one.

If you do not have a physical or digital product to sell or you do not want to develop one, then Jeremy offers another path to travel on for your Instagram business. This other option is affiliate marketing. With affiliate marketing, you have no need for a product or website of your own. All you will need is an audience to derive traffic from and other peoples’ products to promote. There are many Instagram accounts that thrive based solely on this model (Millionaire Mentor for example). Jeremy ends this last section with what he calls the “8th Wonder of the World,” that is the use of sales funnels to automate your online marketing on Instagram (and your email marketing).

While Instagram Secrets is a gold mine of information on using Instagram for your business, two key clusters that are of key importance from this book.

  • · The first is that it provides you with the ESSENTIALS to start your business off right on Instagram. These essentials include choosing the right username, developing your bio and profile that generates buyers for your product and service, setting up your CTA (call-to-action for your promotions), and designing a simple but effective logo for your account. These are extremely important! Branding correctly from the start is KEY since this needs to be set up correctly from the beginning. These need to be in place before you can focus on growing your account, developing your shout out strategy, and designing/promoting your digital, physical, or affiliate products.
  • · The second key cluster is Instagram Secret’s step-by-step blueprint on how to monetize your Instagram account. This includes how you can create your own digital products, how to sell both digital and physical products, promote affiliate products if you do not have or desire to develop your own products, and how to effectively use shout outs to promote your account and products.

As I stated at the beginning, when it comes to using social media for business revenue, it is a given that Instagram is THE place to be. Many businesses within a vast array of niches are using Instagram to drive MASSIVE amounts of traffic to their websites, offers, and products. It is not only established businesses that use this great platform to drive sales and revenue. In fact, people, when properly equipped, can CREATE a business solely from traffic and engagement from Instagram!

Instagram Secrets by Jeremy McGilvrey walks you through the HOW to when it comes to starting an Instagram account for your business. It is available for purchase on Amazon, but it is also available directly from Jeremy McGilvrey for FREE (just pay for shipping)!!!

Joshua R. McIntyre, M.Div., Th.M.

Founder, Senior Editor

Tenth Legion Solutions

What is Editing and Proofreading?

No Comments General Editing

Introduction

 

Written manuscripts, whether essays, books, or dissertations, are a result of a multifaceted effort which begins with interest, is fueled by research, and terminates with the written word. Yet, this written product is not the final product that one will see when the said written document is either published or turned in to the appropriate overseers of the project. The bridge that connects this gap between the written draft of a document and the finalized product is the process of editing and proofreading. So, what is editing and proofreading?

To fully arrive at the answer, the questions that many will first need to ask are: “What is the basic definition of editing?”, “What is the basic definition of proofreading?”, and “What is the relationship between the two?” These questions will be answered below and, as a result, one will be able to understand how key these critical processes are in all writing projects, regardless of size or scope.

The Basic Definition of Editing: Developmental and Manuscript Editing

 

The first question to be fielded is, “What is the basic definition of editing?” Simply put, editing can be defined as preparing the finalization of a written document by correcting or modifying it in several different ways. Under this broad definition there are several different types of editing that can be done to written draft documents.

The most drastic form of editing that can be done to a written draft document is developmental editing. Developmental editing involves directly shaping “the content of a work, the way material should be presented, the need for more or less documentation and how it should be handled.” Developmental editing may also involve a total rewrite of a draft or, at least, a significant reorganization of it. Thus, developmental editing occurs before what is normally called manuscript editing, which is the next editing that will be discussed.[1]

The Chicago Manual of Style defines manuscript editing as follows: “Manuscript editing, also called copyediting or line editing, requires attention to every word and mark of punctuation in a manuscript, a through knowledge of the style to be followed, and the ability to make quick, logical, and defensible decisions.”[2] As said above, this level of editing involves reading every single portion of a draft manuscript in order to insure that grammar, spelling, punctuation, and even factual claims made in a draft document are correct. If a written draft requires developmental editing, then this step must be completed before manuscript editing can begin.

Besides looking for any grammar, misspellings, and punctuation errors or typos, manuscript editing can also involve two other types of editing. These two other types are mechanical editing and substantive editing. Mechanical editing involves “the consistent application of a particular style to a written work.” It also involves attention being paid to grammar, usage, and syntax.[3] Examples of mechanical or format editing include MLA, APA, and Chicago formats. Individual publishing houses or journals may have additional guidelines for their editing preferences. Substantive editing “deals with the organization and presentation of existing content.”[4] Substantive editing usually involves written content that is good, but it merely needs transitional writing and narrative clean up activity to arrive at a good final draft before being sent to the proofreading stage. It usually does involve some minor revision, but these revisions are more for stylistic purposes and clarity of language, in contrast to rewrites within developmental editing that can involve a total rewrite or reorganization of the authors thoughts.

The Basic Definition of Proofreading

 

Next one must ask, “What is the basic definition of proofreading?” Proofreading is the process of reading a text and analyzing every component to find errors and mark them for correction.[5] The stage of proofreading commences after all developmental, copy, mechanical, or substantive editing has occurred. Proofreading occurs after all forms of editing are finished, yet it occurs before the written document is sent for either publication or being assessed.

In fact, since the author bears the final responsibility for all errors in the final text, many editors will send the draft back to the author for the final round of proofreading. Thus, proofreading is for well written documents that need only minor errors fixed and minor revisions to spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

 

Conclusion: What is the Relationship between Editing and Proofreading?

Editing and Proofreading are best seen as two distinct stages in the journey of a written document from the initial first draft to the final draft. To answer the question, “What is editing and proofreading?”, one must know the basic definitions and differences between the two. One must also understand how both editing and proofreading are joined together as two distinct and necessary stages for either the publishing or a final turn in draft of a written document. If one understands these concepts, then one will understand how key these critical processes are in all writing projects, regardless of their size or scope.

Joshua R. McIntyre, M.Div., Th.M.

Founder, Senior Editor

Tenth Legion Solutions

___________________________________________

[1] The Chicago Manuel of Style
(Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2017), 2.48.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Ibid., 2.49.

[4] Ibid., 2.50.

[5] Ibid., 2.100.

About Us

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Welcome to Tenth Legion Solutions, where excellence meets all your editing, writing, and research goals.

Our Story

Writing, whether it is within an academic or professional setting, is stressful enough! “Why should I worry about taking editing seriously?” This is the question I asked when I was in my first graduate degree program. I was enrolled in a Greek class with Dr. Alan Black, where we were translating and comparing the Greek Old Testament (the Bible) to its medieval Hebrew counterpart. I gave my presentation and translation of the book of Ruth before the whole class. Afterwards, in front of the whole class, Dr. Black announced that my “content was excellent, but that it was evident that I did not take editing and proofreading my work seriously.” He continued, “Joshua, you are a talented graduate student, I expect more from you and all the rest of you as well.”

While this was a hard lesson, I am extremely grateful that it occurred, for it laid the groundwork for my future academic and professional writing endeavors. Simply put, it was one of the best things to ever have happened to me. It also cemented within my psyche that editing and proofreading are just as important as your content. It also catapulted me into a graduate research assistant position at an academic library where I helped fellow students in their research, writing, and editing.

WHAT IS OUR MISSION?

Editing, writing, and research can be a dauting enterprise, especially when you are starting for the first time. Our mission is to help you every step along your journey in editing, writing, and research. I know how it feels to be thrown to the wolves, so to speak, and have to learn these skills as you go. I simply do not want anyone to have to go through that ever again.

We want to inform you with the highest standard of knowledge possible, which will allow you to grow and evolve as an editor, writer, and researcher.

OUR GOAL

Our goal is for you to become a better editor, writer, and researcher. Period. This is our goal, even if you only read our free content and forego our paid services. If we accomplish this. then we will have succeeded. Julius Caesar has his most trusted soldiers (the Tenth Legion), and now so do you!

If you ever need a hand or have any questions, feel free to leave them below and I will be more than happy to help you out.

Take care,

Joshua R. McIntyre, M.Div., Th.M.

Founder, Senior Editor

Tenth Legion Solutions

TenthLegionSolutions.com

joshua.mcintyre@tenthlegionsolutions.com