New to social media and all that it entails? When starting out, social media can feel overwhelming, but don’t worry! We’re here to help. We’ve put together this guide to help you get started on all the key social media platforms, so you can start interacting with DDA and set yourself up for success!

We’ve got everything from Facebook tips to Instagram hacks, so read on and get ready to start using social media in ways you never even imagined possible!

Instagram 

Instagram is a photo-sharing app that lets you post photos, videos and stories for your followers to see on your feed. Your followers can comment on your posts with words of encouragement, or they can like them by tapping the heart icon below each post. You can also follow other users whose accounts interest you, so that every time they post a new photo or video, it will appear in your feed. Here’s how to use it:

  1. Download the app on the App Store or Google Play Store.
  2. Sign up with your email address and password, or sign up with your phone number and a verification code that will be sent to you via text message.
Did You Know?

There are three types of Instagram accounts; private, public, and business. So how do you decide which one is right for you? Well, let’s break it down.

A private account is great for sharing photos with your closest friends and family members. If someone wants to follow your account you will have to accept their request, meaning you have full control over who can see the posts you make on this account. 

If you want to share your posts with a wider audience, you will need to create a public account. You do not have to accept anyone who wants to follow your public account; anyone who follows will be automatically accepted. With a public account anyone can view your posts whether they follow you or not. This is a great way to get your posts seen and acquire new followers, plus posts from public accounts are visible in the explore page of the app (with the right hashtags!). 

If you want to share content with people who are interested in what you’re doing professionally or for business purposes, then creating a business account is best for you. These accounts give users access to analytics and insights into their audience, as well as the ability to manage ads and promotions through Facebook’s ad platform.
  1. Choose a profile picture for yourself and create a short bio about who you are and what you do (check out Instagram’s Instagram account for reference!).
  1. Once you’re set up, search for the accounts you would like to follow by clicking on the magnifying glass icon. Search for other decorating and design accounts like @ddacanada. Go through DDA’s followers to connect with other decorators and designers like yourself! 
  1. Now it’s time to start posting! We recommend starting off by posting your headshot and sharing a little bit about yourself and your work in the caption (below is a great example!). After your first post, you can start sharing your stunning work. Tag DDA in your posts for a re-share! 
  1. Before you post, be sure to add 5-10 hashtags that describe the image. This will help it be discoverable by other users and increase the likelihood that they’ll engage with it! For example, DDA uses hashtags such as: #TorontoDecorator #TorontoDesigner #Canadian Designer #VancouverDecorator #VancouverDesigner #OttawaInteriorDesign #Decorator #Designer #DesignIndustry
  2. Interact with other users by liking and commenting on their posts. Click the heart symbol to like it and to comment, hit the comment symbol. This will help you build new relationships online. Additionally, when other users like and comment on your posts, it boosts your search visibility. 
  1. Another unique feature on Instagram is “stories”. Instagram stories are a feature that allows you to share short videos and photos that expire after 24 hours. You can post them directly from your Instagram profile, or from the app itself. 
  2. When you click the “plus” button, you will have the opportunity to select “post”, “story”, “reel”, or “live”. Click “story”. You can add fun filters or interactive GIFs to your post. Then click “share”. 
We won’t get into creating reels and lives in this post, but to learn more check out: 

How to Make Instagram Reels (Film & Edit – Full Beginner’s Tutorial!)

and

How to go LIVE on Instagram || Instagram Live Tips & Tricks
Did You Know?

Engaging (liking, commenting, sharing, and saving) with posts helps boost visibility! We encourage you to engage with DDA’s social media accounts so we can reach a larger audience and show off our members’ work and other amazing opportunities DDA has to offer!

The benefits of using Instagram are endless: from increasing your brand awareness to improving customer service and engagement, social media can help you reach new customers and strengthen relationships with existing ones. Now, let’s dive into the next platform…

Facebook

Facebook allows you to share your thoughts, photos, videos, and more with friends, family and prospective clients. On Facebook, you can connect with people who live near you or across the globe and find and join groups that share your interests. You can join Facebook by setting up a profile or a page. Facebook Pages and Profiles are both ways to represent yourself on Facebook. But they’re different, so let’s break it down.

  • A Page is a business or organization’s official presence on Facebook. It’s where you can communicate with fans, followers, and customers about your brand or industry. You can also use a Page to post updates about your company, share photos and videos, and create targeted content for your audience.
  • A Profile is an individual person’s presence on Facebook. It’s where you can share information about yourself with friends and family who are connected to you through Facebook. You can also connect with Pages that interest you or brands that you want to support.

For the purpose of this blog, we will focus on Pages as they are a great way to connect with your customers and show off your business. Setting up a Facebook page is easy—but it can also be a little confusing. Here’s what you need to do:

  1. Go to Facebook’s homepage and click the “Create Page” button in the top-right corner.
  1. Complete all of the fields on the form that appears next, including selecting an image for your page (we recommend using your business’s logo) and filling out other information about yourself or your business such as its name and location. 
  2. When you’re done filling out this form, click “Create Page.” A pop-up window will appear asking if you want to publish this new page immediately or keep it private until later so only approved people can see it; select “Publish Now” if you want everyone to see it right away (or “Get Approved” if you want to keep it private).
Like DDA’s Facebook page by clicking the “Like” button on the right hand side.
  1. Post great content regularly so people feel connected with your business. We recommend sharing your work and client success stories or testimonials to attract new customers. 
How to Pre-Schedule Posts on Facebook

We know it’s hard to keep up with all the things on your plate. So we’re here to help you save some time with pre-scheduling posts on Facebook!Go to your Facebook page, and click “Create Post.”Schedule your post from planner in Meta Business Suite.Choose a date and time for your post, then click “Schedule Post at Time”That’s it! Your post is now scheduled for that time and date!
Did you know that you can go live on Facebook?

Facebook Live is a feature that allows you to broadcast live video to your followers. The feature is optimized for smartphones, so it’s easy to use in a variety of situations. Check out this resource to learn more: Facebook Live

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a great platform to network with other professionals in your field, find new opportunities, and stay up-to-date on the latest industry news (such as all things DDA!). To get started, follow these steps:

  1. Sign up for an account by going to linkedin.com and clicking “Sign Up.” You’ll need to enter some basic information about yourself, including your name and email address.
  2. Add your profile picture and write a short bio that describes your professional experience and interests. This will help people identify you when they search for you on LinkedIn or see your profile on someone else’s recommendation list.
  1. Add your education history, including degree(s) earned and the date(s) you graduated from each school or program listed. If you have any certifications or licenses that are relevant to your career path then put those down too!
  2. Connect with others by adding them as connections (by searching their name or email address) or accepting their connection request if they’ve asked first. The more connections you make with people who share similar interests, the better. Connections help your business grow by reaching potential customers. 
  3. Follow companies and brands whose products/services inspire or interest you (like DDA Canada!). To follow a company page open LinkedIn on your desktop or mobile device. Search for the company name in the search bar at the top of the page. Click on the company name when it appears in search results, then click Follow Company under the company’s profile picture at the top right corner of their profile page.

If you’re looking for another way to promote your business and attract new clients, consider setting up a LinkedIn business page.

Here’s how to set up a LinkedIn business page:

  1. Go to the Work icon in the upper-right corner of your LinkedIn homepage and click “Create Company Page”
  2. Fill in the required information, including a name for your page, a location, and a description of your business
  3. Once you’ve filled it out, click “Publish” and you’re done!

Pinterest

Pinterest is an image sharing platform designed to allow you to share and save images and other content from all over the internet. This can be anywhere from recipes, to home decor inspiration, to DIY projects. These posts are called ‘Pins’ and you can save and re-share pins from people on Pinterest or by using their browser extension to share content from other websites. Here’s how to get started:

  1. Download the app on the App Store or Google Play Store, or open Pinterest.com in your browser.
  2. Create an account using your email and a password or through your Facebook account. 
  3. When creating your account it will ask your age. This is to make sure that they are respecting the laws put in place around posting original content, using the shopping feature, and displaying ads. (This will also help to show you more relevant content on your feed!)
  4. Next it will prompt you to select topics you’re interested in so that your feed is customized to your interests. Select as many topics as are relevant for you!
  1. Choose a profile picture and cover photo for yourself and create a short bio about who you are and what you do.
  1. It’s time to start pinning! Browse your feed for content and start saving them to your Pinterest boards. To create a board hover over a photo you want to save and select the board on the right side. Select the dropdown menu for board suggestions. There you can add it to an existing board or create a new one.
  1. Once you have multiple Pinterest boards your page will look something like this! It’s a good idea for brands to keep consistent branding on all platforms so adding branded elements to your boards, like a cover photo to your boards can really help unify your brand.

  1. On Pinterest you have three options for sharing content; creating original content, sharing content that’s already been ‘pinned’, or ‘pinning’ from the internet. To create original content select create from the top left menu on the home page. It will then prompt you to fill in the details of the post and voila, ready to post!

  1. To save content from the internet you can either post it under “create” and link out to that website. Or you may be prompted right on the website to share via Pinterest, if it’s coming from a blog for example there is often a share button. (In the example below the author of the blog made it easy to repost by adding a share button right on the image!)
  1.  Another option for sharing content on Pinterest is by installing the browser plug-in. This is an extension for your web browser that will allow you to instantly share any image on the internet straight to Pinterest. You can also click the extension on any web page and it will suggest posts to make based on the content and images on the page!


For more info on how to install the extension for Chrome, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge, click here!

  1. See what other people are sharing. Follow other people and brands who post content that inspires you (like DDA Canada!). To follow someone on Pinterest search for their name in the search bar at the top of the page. Click on their profile when it appears in search results, then click the red Follow button in the center of the page under the page bio.

If you’re looking to take your Pinterest marketing to the next level, then you’ll want to set up a business account. This will allow you to get analytics on your Pins and run ads that are more targeted to your audience. You can either create a new account or convert your personal account into a business one.

To create a business account on Pinterest, you’ll need to go to the Pinterest homepage. You can either sign in or sign up for a new account.

If you are signing in with an existing account, you will be asked if you want to convert your personal account into a business one. If so, click on “Convert.” If not, click on “Create New Account.”

Once you have selected either option, you will be directed to complete an application form based on who owns the company—either yourself or an organization.

After completing the form and submitting it, the company will receive an email from Pinterest asking for confirmation that they are who they say they are (by providing their phone number). When this has been confirmed, both users and businesses can start using Pinterest’s tools to grow their accounts and market their products!

Wrapping It Up 

We hope that this guide has been useful to you in getting started with social media!

If you have any questions about how we can support you or your business, please email marcomm@ddacanada.com for inquiries. We look forward to connecting with you on our platforms in the future!

If you’re interested in doing advertisements on these platforms check out the resources below:
How to boost an Instagram post
How to boost a post from your Facebook Page
Boost a Post from a LinkedIn Page
Create an ad from your profile – Pinterest 

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