The Importance of Good Engagement

And Good Soup

As I was brainstorming this week’s little comedy sketch, I found myself staring at a blank script for almost an hour. I usually concept the visual first, then I write the script. But I couldn’t think of SHIT. Writer’s block is hardly something I’m new to, but considering the amount of content I film per day and post per day (for others and myself), it’s shocking that I wouldn’t have 10 ideas and captions just ready to go…right??

WRONG.

When you spend your entire day being creative, the leftover energy (the stuff that most people reserve for “creative hobbies”) is like the warm, watery beer at the bottom of the bottle. No one wants that.

Think about it like this: you take a break from work by scrolling Instagram, TikTok, or reading emails/news, right? My work is: scrolling Instagram, making TikToks, and designing emails. So…what does my break look like? See below.

I’m not complaining really, I’m just saying it’s been an interesting realization.

Whenever I have a big day of content creation/planning/brainstorming, etc, I’m so braindead by the end of the day that I’m just happy to stare into space for a few uninterrupted minutes.

But I digress. When I’m browsing IG and TikTok, it’s usually because I’m commenting on other people’s content, mostly from my clients’ accounts but from my own as well. The one thing I maintain business owners need to take more ownership of? Their comments.

Look, I understand the desire to outsource social media - hell, I wouldn’t have a job if people didn’t - BUT, I also think the importance of actually knowing who your customer is and who you’re talking to is grossly overlooked.

If you’re a small business owner reading this and you have someone running your Instagram and/or TikTok, ask yourself what would happen if they were to quit tomorrow. Would you know all your passwords? Would you be able to maintain your social media presence? Would you know how to make even one story or Reel and use hashtags properly?

You don’t need to know the ins and outs of ALL things social media, but jumping on there to find people you GENUINELY want to communicate with is really all you need to do. Maintaining COMMUNICATION with your customers (or followers) is more important for your bottom line than making a 7-second video. We forget that the point of social media is uh, social.

Don’t know what to say? Asking a question or calling out something specific in the post is always a good idea, as it shows you pay attention and care about the content. Just don’t be inauthentic about it. It’s one thing to push yourself out of your comfort zone, but it’s another to lie about how you feel. If I see something I don’t like, I’m not going to comment “wow this looks great, thanks for the tip!” I will just move along and keep scrolling. This is my issue with pod groups but we can save that for another day.

So that was my idea behind the comments video - I wanted to make it clear that I do indeed see you guys and I love you for the comments! Even the heart eyes and fire emojis <3 It all counts towards engagement, but if you’re a business owner, I encourage you to get a little more creative. I try to write things that will elicit a response, OR I’ll tag someone that I think will like it. Creators love to see a tag, so I try to do that when I can. Pay it forward, ya know?

Lastly, here’s some amazing pappa al pomodoro soup. It’s a Tuscan Tomato-Bread soup and it’s super easy and delicious. Ideal winter dish (if you’re a red sauce/crusty bread freak like I am). I didn’t measure anything whatsoever, but I used leftover garlic bread instead of regular bread, olive oil, tomato paste, 2 cloves of garlic thinly sliced (can never have enough), chili flakes, salt, 1 28-oz can of crushed tomatoes, basil, oregano, a couple pinches of sugar, and 3-4 cups of water. If you need more direction, this recipe on NYT is a good one. YUMMM.

See ya soon, misfits!