What are CapCut Templates and How Do I Use Them on TikTok?

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What are CapCut Templates and How Do I Use Them on TikTok?

CapCut templates are taking TikTok by storm! Even if you’ve never heard of CapCut, if you spend time on TikTok, I’m sure you’ve seen a CapCut template before. Videos using CapCut templates are supposedly prioritized by TikTok’s algorithm, so they tend to spread like wildfire. CapCut templates are a low-effort and fun way to produce more relevant content and potentially increase your reach on TikTok. I’ll walk you through what exactly CapCut templates are, the value of using them, and how to actually use a CapCut template on TikTok. 

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Celebrating 4 Years of Serve Me the Sky Digital

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Celebrating 4 Years of Serve Me the Sky Digital

This May marks four years of running my own business full-time. A four year anniversary may not be a big deal to some, but it feels important to me. Four years of successfully running my business, even through an unprecedented global pandemic and economic turmoil? It is a big deal!

As I said in my newsletter this week, running Serve Me the Sky Digital is the most satisfied I’ve ever felt in my work life. I spent four years in higher education and earned a master’s degree in educational administration, then pivoted to nonprofits and worked in marketing at a startup incubator. I learned a lot at those jobs, but both were not a great fit for me.

Since diving into self-employment full-time, I’ve had opportunities I never would’ve guessed would come my way and have been happier all around. Glowing testimonials from clients I love working with make me proud of how far I’ve come and thankful to be where I am in my career right now. 

Let’s get into some of my favorite projects, lessons I’ve learned, and a glimpse ahead!

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How to Use Instagram Collab Posts

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How to Use Instagram Collab Posts

In their efforts to stay relevant and serve many audiences, Instagram keeps adapting quickly and adding new features. Instagram Collab posts were announced in late 2021, but I still see a lot of confusion surrounding this feature. This feature is particularly useful for brands and influencers, especially when partnering IRL and are looking to increase their reach online. Today, I’ll walk you through what exactly an Instagram Collab post is, when to use one, why they’re beneficial to your social media strategy, and how to create one. Let’s dive in!

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The TikTok Experiments, Vol. 5: Posting Only 15 Second Videos for a Week

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The TikTok Experiments, Vol. 5: Posting Only 15 Second Videos for a Week

I’m on a roll conducting TikTok experiments and recently completed my fifth. I’m hoping to learn a few tips and tricks for what the algorithm prioritizes so that I can share my knowledge with others. Is a higher posting frequency truly necessary? Do shorter videos perform better than longer videos? Those are just a few of the questions I’ve been trying to answer. In my latest experiment, I posted videos that were only 15 seconds or less to see what would happen.

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Here's the Scoop on Lemon8

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Here's the Scoop on Lemon8

I’ve worked in social media marketing for over ten years, but I’ve never been an early adopter of a new platform…until now. My disillusionment with Instagram is at an all-time high and a new app was the talk of TikTok, so last week I joined Lemon8. This newcomer to the social media scene is intriguing and has the potential to be extremely popular. I’m sure you have a lot of questions about where it came from, how Lemon8 works, and more, so let’s dive in!

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The TikTok Experiments, Vol. 4: Posting Only 60 Second Videos for a Week

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The TikTok Experiments, Vol. 4: Posting Only 60 Second Videos for a Week

For a few months now, I’ve been conducting experiments to learn about TikTok’s algorithm. I plan to continue these experiments for as long as I can, despite the looming threat of (another) potential TikTok ban. My goal is to learn how to create content that will be served to just the people you’re hoping will see it. I’m testing several different tactics and sharing my findings.

Lately I’ve seen competing theories about video length. Some folks claim that the algorithm is boosting longer form content and we should all pivot to that; others assert that video completion is the most important metric, so shorter videos work best. I tried posting only 60 second videos for a week to see what would happen.

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How to Schedule Posts Natively on Instagram

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How to Schedule Posts Natively on Instagram

In the past, I’ve written about why I use a scheduling tool as a social media professional. Creating and managing content, engaging with your online community, staying on top of trends and changing algorithms, reviewing analytics and adjusting your strategy–it’s a lot of work! Scheduling content in advance helps me make my social media work a bit more manageable. That’s why I was excited when Instagram released a new feature: scheduling posts natively right in the app! Here’s what you need to know:

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The TikTok Experiments, Vol. 3: Posting Only Slideshows for a Week

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The TikTok Experiments, Vol. 3: Posting Only Slideshows for a Week

I’ve embarked on a series of experiments to better understand TikTok’s algorithm. TikTok is known for serving users content that feels uniquely tailored to their interests. People feel seen by TikTok. So how do you create content that will get served to exactly the right people? I’m testing all kinds of different tactics to find out!

This winter, theories began swirling that TikTok was boosting their new slideshow feature in the algorithm. I saw tons of slideshow posts every day. I decided to try posting only slideshows for a week to see what would happen. 

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The TikTok Experiments, Vol. 2: I Posted on TikTok 5x a Day for a Week. Here's What I Learned.

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The TikTok Experiments, Vol. 2: I Posted on TikTok 5x a Day for a Week. Here's What I Learned.

TikTok’s algorithm continues to amaze users with its uncanny ability to recommend content that feels perfectly tailored to your interests. Everyone’s FYP is a different experience. So how do you get your videos to land on more people’s FYPs? I’ve embarked on a series of experiments to find out!

I often see other social media professionals recommend posting 5-7x per day on TikTok in order to grow your account. That cadence seemed aggressive and unsustainable to me, but I decided to give it a try for one week. You probably have a lot of questions about how it went, so let’s dive in!

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TikTok Glossary: 36 Terms to Know

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TikTok Glossary: 36 Terms to Know

One of the most fun (and let’s be honest, sometimes challenging) parts of working in social media is that the industry is constantly changing. New apps take off and there’s always more to learn. A few years ago, I wrote a social media glossary that explained 50 different terms. With TikTok continuing to dominate the social media landscape lately, I thought it was high time to explain 36 TikTok terms, from basic tools within the platform to unusual abbreviations and slang you may encounter on TikTok.

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