5 min read
This story originally appeared on Medialab_UP
By Vanessa Priego
Emily in Paris , the new Netflix original series, premiered its first season and from the first chapter, the internet exploded. From the sets, through the scenes of cosmopolitan Parisian life and culminating in the protagonist’s career in Social Media , this series is definitely the dream of many.
But focusing on marketing and social media, is what the series tells us true? Today these three errors that all Social Media Manager should have recognized.
1. Ambiguous hashtags do not generate growth
At the start of the series, we see that Emily’s account has just under 50 followers. As she uploads very casual photos accompanied by hashtags that don’t really tell us much, she becomes an influencer within months and is even invited to exclusive events. This is real? No, absolutely not.
Image: Via GIPHY
The Instagram algorithm allows you to locate all types of publications only with hashtags. These must be as accurate as possible and must be directly related to your content. In this way, it will be easier to create a community that shares the same tastes.
However, in the series we only see Emily putting any type of hashtag. There is no consistency between posts, therefore you wouldn’t have as many impressions in real life. Consequently, it couldn’t grow as fast as chapter after chapter portrays it.
Yes, it is true that living in a beautiful apartment in the French capital and dressing amazing can interest many people, but without properly classifying hashtags and content; posts would be lost in algorithm limbo.
2. Is Emily’s content contributing or boring?
Let’s be serious, would a selfie of someone you don’t know eating a croissant have a lot of relevance on your feed?
If the answer is no, I think you already saw my point. Emily’s content is not relevant if you are someone who does not know her.
For that reason, if you are looking to grow on a social network like Instagram, it is important that you take your content planning seriously: what topic do you want to talk about? What topic do you want to be related to?
It would be different if in the photo description, Emily mentioned the best places to eat a croissant in Paris or tips to take the perfect selfie. Do you see how we can contribute something to the user with a simple photo? It is a matter of thinking about the person who will be watching us behind the screen and finding a way to contribute something to them.
Remember that Instagram works with an algorithm and this benefits those who create content that makes users stay in the app as long as possible. Having good photos, interesting descriptions, including the location of the photo and constantly uploading stories are some of the things you can do to grow your profile little by little.
And no, you don’t have to go somewhere else to do that.
3. Exaggerated growth
From 48 followers to 10,000 in less than 6 months? You have to have been in an Oscar-nominated movie or have a life too out of the ordinary for this to happen, or be someone like that. And not even this ensures that your profile grows in this way. The other is to invest a lot of money.
“Emily in Paris” shows a girl in her 20s working in a marketing agency in one of the most visited cities in the world. If we describe it that way, of course this may interest many people. However, returning to the same point, you do not know all that through the photographs he shares.
It is even more unreal to think that the content she shares could reach someone like the First Lady of France as we see it in an episode of the series.
To grow on Instagram, for example, you can follow the following strategies:
Image: Via Netflix
Take advantage of all the platform’s tools such as Instagram TV or Reels. In this way, you can generate more impressions which can be reflected in a greater number of followers.
Encourage the community to interact with you and each other. This can be done by polling your stories or asking them to leave a comment on your posts.
Don’t over-post. Posting daily can bore and even annoy followers. Check your statistics and in this way you can see the most convenient times to publish.
Now you see that growing in networks is not so easy? But do not worry! It’s a matter of putting these simple tips into practice and spending a few hours thinking about what you want to share. This series is a great example of what we can make a wonderful publication of everyday moments, so what valuable content can you contribute?
