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Why You Need to Be Making Instagram Reels

As a creator or small business owner, you know that engagement is key to growing your brand on Instagram. And what better way to engage with your followers than through Instagram Reels?

Instagram Reels are the perfect platform for you to showcase your personality and connect with your audience. With quick, engaging videos, you can reach a whole new audience and introduce them to you and your brand.

If you’re not already making Instagram Reels, now’s the time to start! Here’s why:

Engagement is Key

Instagram Reels are a great way to connect with your audience and encourage engagement. Here are some tips on how to create engaging Reels:

– Use interesting and creative visuals: people are more likely to engage with content that is visually stimulating. So make sure your reels are eye-catching and have some fun visuals. Capcut makes it easy to upload video clips and create reels. And they have text and graphic icons that you can use!

– Keep it short and sweet: nobody wants to watch a long, dragged-out reel. Keep your reel concise and to the point, so that people will actually want to watch it all the way through. Have an action item, like directing people to click the link in your bio.

– Be interactive: ask questions, run polls, or include some other element that encourages participation from your viewers. The more interactive your reel is, the more engagement you’re likely to receive. Make sure to share your Reels to your Stories so your followers have a better chance of seeing them.

Showcase Your Personality

Instagram Reels allow you to share your personality with your followers in a fun, unique format. When you use Reels, people will get to know you and your brand better. They’ll feel more connected to you and be more likely to support your business. It’s a win-win!

You can also find more creative ways to market your product or service through video content. Spreadshop brand ambassador Clueless Bushcraft (Tom) makes videos about how to survive in the wilderness. He made a TikTok testing our water bottles in frigid temperatures. He discovered that our insulted water bottle prevented water from freezing, and that our regular water bottle would come in handy if you needed to boil water.

Tom found a unique way to promote his merch but still provide value with his content. These are the kind of tips and tricks that his audience wants to learn from him. Instagram Reels, just like TikTok videos, can provide the same level of value. And they’re only going to help you grow.

Gain More Followers

The Instagram algorithm favors reels over any kind of content; static posts just aren’t enough anymore. The app AND users are more likely to engage with Reels. The average engagement rate for these regular posts are low. If you translate that content into a Reel, Instagram is going to push it to more people.

Having a Reel strategy for your socials will ensure that the content you’re working so hard on is being noticed and recognized. You don’t want to spend months with content that doesn’t get you results. This makes it easier to grow your followers and because they’re sharable, Reels are a great way to get your brand in front of more people.

Popping up on someone’s Explore page is also more likely when you use the Reel format.

Let People Come to You!

Popping up on someone’s Instagram Explore Page is a great sign that you’re reaching your target audience. Everyone’s Explore page is different and is specific to each user. Finding the right targeted hashtags and trying to reach your target audience that way can be time consuming and overwhelming. Reels find that user faster and are more effective than static posts.

Instagram Reels are a great entry point for people new to your brand. You can approach them in a way that feels natural and more authentic. This is going to resonate with people. Connections are made when you appear authentic and dedicated to what you’re doing. People can tell when someone’s not genuine. You just have to be you.

We hope these tips gave you more insight on how Instagram Reels can promote your business and grow your following on the app. If you’re looking to build your brand up even more and make some extra money, merch is a great way to do so!

Launch your own merch line for FREE with Spreadshop!

Shop Spotlight: TikToker soso_swag

TikTok creator Sophia, soso_swag, has found a dedicated following on the platform thanks to her hilarious content. She posts fun commentary videos about what it’s like to be a lesbian in the dating world.

Sophia has formed her own little community with this niche and her merch is helping her form a connection with her followers. Spreadshop has helped empower Sophia as a creator and given her an opportunity to build her brand. See what advice she has for other creators and what Pride month means to her in our Q&A below!

How did you wind up making videos on TikTok?

I started filming videos making fun of my experiences as a lesbian, and not really thinking that I would end up creating content as much as I do now. I quickly realized the community that I could build as we all go through similar struggles and have similar experiences as queer women and that is what has made me want to keep up with it.

Where do you get your sense of humor from? You’re hilarious!

I am a pretty sarcastic person and enjoy making light of challenging situations. I would consider myself to be pretty witty and just sort of say what’s on my mind. A lot of the humor in my videos just comes to me in the moment, I don’t plan it all out or anything like that.

What’s something people get wrong about being a content creator?

People don’t realize that your social media persona isn’t representative of who you are holistically. People see one side of you and think that encompasses all of who you are, which can be damaging and hurtful. I show certain aspects of my life on the internet that I choose to show, many of which are over dramatized and embellished. There is a lot more to me that people don’t see, and it can be challenging to just overlook negative comments or bullying from people.

What advice would you give to other people trying to make it on TikTok?

Be yourself! I truly feel like the best creators don’t have to try to be anybody that they aren’t. Show your passions or show what you love in a creative way.

How did you come up with the merch designs for your shop?

It was all Spreadshop! They truly crushed the game. I had some ideas in mind and they came back with so many designs bringing those ideas to life. I was so impressed and I’m happy to be working with them.

Why do you think it’s important for creators to have merch?

Having merch is just another way to connect with your community. It’s a special way your followers can support you and become a part of the community that you are building.

What plans do you have for your shop this year?

As of right now I have launched four designs, specifically during pride month so that people could have cute options for pride parades, etc. I am hoping to continue to work with Spreadshop in the coming months and see what new ideas we can bring to life.

We’re proud to celebrate Pride month here at Spreadshop. What does being part of the LGBTQIA+ community mean to you?

Being part of the LGBTQIA+ community means being undeniably myself and loving myself for who I am at my core. Although being a queer woman is not my whole identity, in a lot of ways it has become a lens in which I see and experience the world. My queer experience has provided me with a sort of love and compassion that makes me hyper empathetic to the world and the people around me.

Sophia proves you don’t need to have millions of followers to launch your own merch. TikTok creators and people with niche hobbies all have their own unique audience that would be willing to show their support by buying merch.

Start building your brand when you launch your Spreadshop today. It’s FREE!

How to Create Social Media Content

Get the Most Out of Your Social Media Content

Feel like your social media content is being wasted? Get the most out of your posts and still provide value to your audience when you use a streamlined content method.

At Spreadshop, we’ve found a way to create social media content that is guaranteed to generate results. Don’t get overwhelmed by the need to create multiple pieces for multiple channels. When you make one good piece of content, you can use it for all it’s worth. This way you’ll save yourself time and frustration, while remaining active on socials.

Learn more about how you can ensure you grow your channel AND put in less work!

Let’s Buffalo Some Content!

Back on the plains, the Native Americans used every piece of a buffalo when they killed it: they didn’t let anything go to waste. Different parts of the buffalo would be used for food, clothing, shelter, and tools. That’s also a great way to approach social media content and marketing!

It all starts with one good piece of social media content. Could be a blog post or a long form podcast, etc. You take that content and chop it up into different segments. But it shouldn’t be a copy and paste situation; it’s all about serving the socials and being authentic with your tone of voice. For example, you’ll likely have a different voice on Youtube than you do on TikTok.

It takes time and effort to craft something like a blog post, so make sure you’re using it for all its worth. Don’t go on to the next thing without considering how much value you can get out of that one piece of content. Your posts will be plentiful and consistent when you stick to this content method.

Reuse Your Content With Purpose

Like we said before, it’s better if this isn’t a total copy and paste situation. You want your social media content to have a purpose, and different forms and voices work better for different platforms.

Infographics take key points from a piece of content and make them more digestible, so they’re easily sharable and you can have more fun with them. Bright colors and graphic elements are a must. They’re easy to create with Canva and you can resize them for whatever social platform you need. That way, even if people don’t end up reading the entire blog, they’re still getting valuable information.

You’ve got to be making video if you want to connect with your audience. Instagram Reels and TikTok are some easy ways to generate engagement. Say a quote or use a clip from a piece of social media content. Make sure to throw a call-to-action in there. Direct them to click a link in your bio to learn more, or even ask them a question to gauge their interest on a topic. And you don’t need fancy editing software. The Capcut app lets you easily edit video clips, add overlays, and include different text and graphic icons.

Fill Your Content Calendar

By using the buffalo content method, you’ll be able to fill up your social media content calendar quicker than ever before. Once you have a solid piece of content, you can begin to break it down and generate more for the coming weeks. CoSchedule is a social media calendar tool that helps you schedule content. It’ll post on its own and make managing your channels much more efficient.

CoSchedule also gives you the option to run social media content campaigns that will run as long as you want them. This way, if your followers missed a post from last week, they’ll have a chance to engage with it again in a few weeks’ time. This extends the life of your content; you want people to keep discovering it again and again. Best of all, this works for multiple platforms: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and LinkedIn.

Start Expanding Your Brand

The buffalo content method is about content, sure, but it can also help you grow your brand. Once you have established a presence on social media, you can start to expand and explore different options. You can build out your connections with people online in ways that best suit your content or business.

Start a newsletter as a weekly touchstone for you and your followers. Maybe the algorithm hasn’t been sharing your posts on their feed. Setting up a newsletter is a great way to re-engage with people that might have lost touch with you. It will remind them of the value you bring with your content and might come at a time when they need it most.

If you want to form a more personal connection with people, merch is a powerful option. It can help to cement loyalty in your follower base and give you another monetization channel for your existing content. It’s easy to make and sell merch when you use Spreadshop. Our platform is FREE and allows you to upload your designs quickly and easily onto hundreds of products. Start selling in seconds. Oh, and did we mention you can make money? Yep. You get a portion of your sales.

Start selling merch today, and happy buffaloing!

Pride Merchandise: 5 Shops from the LGBTQI+ Community

Colorful designs, inspiring prints, clear statements and of course a few pride flags: These 5 stores from the LGBTQI+ community are calling on society to encourage everyone to be whoever they want to be. Get inspired by these radiant designs and diverse, queer friendly shops.

Trans Matters Now – For Transgender People in the U.S.

Transgender people are four times more likely to live in poverty and twice as likely to be unemployed in comparison to the rest of the population. Moreover, 90% have reported being badly treated, harassed or discriminated against at the workplace. Trans Matters Now not only highlights these issues, they also connect transgender, queer and gender non-conforming people in the U.S. with the services that matter to them. That means assistance at the workplace, legal representation, community education and help with finding the right clothing. Beginning as a small organization in Seattle, they now operate in 48 different states across the U.S. Their presence across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter is continuing to grow.

At the Trans Matter Now Spreadshop you can find over 60 different pride designs. Just like the transgender flag, there is a host of products available in those iconic colors of pink and light blue. The best thing about these fabulous designs: every purchase goes directly towards supporting transgender people.

With the statement cup “you are ENOUGH”, Trans Matter Now inspire their community and beyond to be themselves. You are worthy and enough – a point you can reinforce every day whenever you’re sipping on cup of coffee or tea.

With slogan shirts like “WHAT’S IN MY PANTS? … A PARTY”, the products tackle serious topics with a humorous twist.

Couple on Tour – The Life of a Lesbian Couple

Vaness and Ina have 1.8 million followers on Instagram and over 3.3 million on TikTok. Their name “Couple on Tour” is fairly self-explanatory: anyone who follows is invited along on their colorful journey through life. It’s all about discussing same-sex love, marriage and parenting in a way that brings a smile to the faces of their followers. But there’s more to it than that. In their YouTube videos and their podcast, they talk about stereotypes, conflicts and embarrassing stories, as well as what it’s like to be a part of the LGBTQI+ Community. Why? To normalize different types of relationships and help anyone experiencing similar things in life. Their content consists of a delightful mixture of beautiful moments and confronting real-life challenges.

At the Couple on Tour Spreadshop, it’s all about spreading happiness. Here their “Bubus” – as they like to call their community – can grab some dreamy merch. Like the hoodie which explains in German what the pet name ‘Bubu’ really means: the most amazing, beautiful, smart, adorable, cute, funny, nice, sweet, charming, precious, pretty and incredible person in the world. We all know someone like this, but why don’t you let them wear this title with pride?

There is also cute merch designed for couples. Whether couples want to get married or just show the world they belong together, the Mr. and Mrs. cushions are the perfect pieces.

Want to find out more more about Ina and Vanessa? We’ve already had a chance to invite them to an exclusive interview. It was a lot of fun to chat about things as diverse as their Spreadshop, YouTube, and homosexuality.

Luquisha Lubamba – talented Italian drag queen

Luquisha Lubamba is a drag queen, singer and contestant in the first season of Drag Race Italia, a reality series where eight Italian drag queens compete for the title of being the first Italian drag superstar. Her real name is Luca Marchi. She may write on Instagram and Tik Tok “Non so fare niente ma sono brava a farlo.” (I can’t do anything, but I am good at it”) but her songs and music videos on Youtube suggest otherwise. She shares her styles, performances and insights into her private life on Instagram and TikTok as well as Twitter. With her confident appearance and fierce looks, Luquisha is not just a role model for many drag queens or those who want to become one, but everyone else, too.

In the Luquisha Lubamba Spreadshop there is “Alta moda per veri internditori!”, which pretty much means “High fashion for aficionados!”. Who’s the model for these fabulous products? Well, none other than Luquisha herself, of course!

The shop also has items referencing her performances on Drag Race Italia. One design shows the lyrics from “A Little Bit of Love”, where she’s rocking the exact same look that she wears on the merch.

With the “Simpatica” design, Luquisha portrays herself as a Barbie doll in a cardboard box. Underneath is her statement: “SONO SIMPATICA – NON POSSO ESSERE ANCHE FIGHA” (“I AM BEAUTIFUL – I CAN’T ALSO BE COOL”). The pink design, which you can find on products like this tote bag, simply has us smiling.

Les Enfants d’Arc en Ciel – more rights for LGBTQI+ parents

Les Enfants d’Arc en Ciel fights for the rights of homosexual parents. It is a non-profit organization from France that offers emotional and legal support to LGBTQI+ people before and during parenthood. They defend and promote queer families by making them visible, encouraging their right to exist and campaigning against discrimination. Les Enfants d’Arc en Ciel is at the forefront of the fight against all forms of queerphobia.

On Facebook, Instagram and Twitter they share their work and the stories of queer couples with the hashtag #desdroitspasdesmiettes, in English: #rightsnotcrumbs.

In the Les Enfants d’Arc en Ciel Spreadshop you can grab Pride merchandise with the logo of the organization, sporting the 6 colors of the rainbow flag. On all the merch is the name “EAC – Les Enfants d’Arc en Ciel”, which, by the way, means “The Children of the Rainbow”.

What we love about EAC? Their merch isn’t just available for parents and supports, but for kids and babies, too.

GaiAma – For the Rainforest and the LGBTQI+ Community

Besides striving to protect the rainforest in all its diverse natural glory, GaiAma advocates for human rights, LGBTQI+ rights, animal rights and intersectional feminism. Although this small private organization is situated in Peru, it was actually founded by 2 Berliners Can and Daniel. After falling in love with the nature of South America years ago during their round-the-world bike trip, these two knew they had to do something for the rainforest. Their work combines protection of the rainforest with the promotion of the LGBTQI+ community. You can follow GaiAma’s work on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

The GaiAma Spreashop is a space for casual pieces with the GaiAma logo. Each purchase goes directly towards the protection of the Amazon as well the LGBTQI+ community in South America.

The colorful pride flag next to this “NATURE IS QUEER” design? Seems to us like a pretty nice way to spread the word.

Inspired by these 5 Spreadshops from the LGBTQI+ community? Then get hold of some of these colorful designs, vital messages and click on over to your own Spreadshop.

On To Spreadshop!

Make T-Shirt Designs and More with Canva

As a shop owner, product design is important. But what if you don’t have the budget for a professional designer? Or what if you want to create something yourself but don’t know where to start? Canva can help!

Canva is a FREE online design platform that anyone can use to create stunning designs. And best of all, it’s super easy to use! Whether you’re looking to create a t-shirt design or want to give your social media a cohesive look, Canva has all the templates and tools you need.

See how Canva can start elevating your brand today!

Make Print-Ready Designs in Minutes

Having a great logo and design for your shop is essential to finding success. This is how your followers will come to identify you, and hopefully it will turn them into paying customers if done right. But creating professional-looking designs can become time consuming and costly.

With Canva, you can easily create print-ready designs that are perfect for t-shirts, mugs, tote bags, and more. Plus, you can save your designs in any file size you need, including transparent PNGs. This is a great option if you want your designs to look cleaner and more integrated with your products. You can upload your own logos and graphics, or choose from Canva’s library of over 1 million images, icons, and illustrations.

Creating a design with Canva is simple and fast. You can even select a template you want to use and edit it to suit your needs. You can change the colors, fonts, and different graphic elements. Canva encourages personalization and provides plenty of inspiration, too.

Get Creative and Have Fun

If you’re looking for design inspiration for your merch, Canva is a great place to start. With its easy-to-use platform and wide range of options, you can create designs that are truly unique to your brand.

To get started, consider choosing a template that best fits your needs. Then, you can begin experimenting with different fonts and colors to create a look that reflects your brand’s personality. Even upload your own images or illustrations to further personalize your t-shirt designs.

Once you’re happy with your creation, simply download it and you’re ready to upload it to products in your Spreadshop. What initially felt like an overwhelming process, can turn out to be fun and spark a lot of inspiration once you start to play around. And Canva can even help you build out your brand in other areas.

Stylize Your Socials

Canva is a great tool for creating t-shirt designs, but it’s also great for creating social images to promote that merch. Play around with templates and different graphics to build custom images that will grab attention on socials and get people excited about your merch. Build a cohesive feel with these images or have fun and make them all custom experiences.

Creating eye-catching images is essential for any successful marketing campaign. With just a few clicks, you can create stunning visuals that will help drive sales and boost awareness of your brand. These will be professional-looking images that you can reuse over and over again and will help build brand affinity.

At Spreadshop, we use Canva to design promo graphics our shop owners can blast out to their followers. We pick different templates that might correlate with the season, or find options that will work for any shop owner, no matter what their niche is. Canva makes it easy for you to build out your brand.

Branding Made Easier

If you’re looking to build a strong brand image, don’t stop with merch designs. Use Canva to build out all aspects of your brand on socials so you can create a cohesive presence on the internet. There’s so many different ways you can use Canva for all the social channels you have.

Instagram:

– Upgrade your merch photos with templates, graphics, and bold text

– Design Instagram Stories that will stand out and engage your audience

– Create icons/designs you can use for your Instagram Highlight covers

Facebook & Twitter:

– Make graphics to promote sales or new merch

– Design a header that encapsulates the best parts of your brand

– Create a graphic for a Facebook event

– Build images you can use to promote as Ads

Youtube:

– Make art to use on your profile page

– Design thumbnails that will best highlight your content

TikTok:

– Create a cute profile picture

– Build TikTok videos with Canva’s video template options

– Design an end frame card that will make your videos more memorable

Canva makes it easy to come up with t-shirt designs and build your brand. There’s no need to be overwhelmed in a space like this – it generates inspiration naturally. We’ve already proved you don’t need to be a professional designer, so there’s nothing stopping you now!

Oh, and don’t forget to sell your merch designs with us. It’s free AND you make a profit off every item you sell!