Summer is for patio drinks and thrift trips, not stressing over a daily posting schedule.

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We know that stepping away from the endless scroll is great for our mental health, but the algorithms tend to hold a grudge when we go quiet. That’s why we’re shifting gears this season.

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Instead of a high-pressure content challenge, we are focusing on the "bones" of your social presence. This is like a spring cleaning for your digital storefront to keep your shop looking professional even when you’re offline.

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Your profile acts as a 24/7 sales page, working to convert curious scrollers into customers while you’re out enjoying your life or doing other things for your business.

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Let's ensure your first impression is a profitable one!

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Why do this challenge?

Your social media profiles are a 24/7 sales page for you. They work for you while you sleep — people stumble across your page, they click your profile to see more about you and your shop.

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You can see how many people visit your profile by checking your insights. But if they arrive at your page and don't immediately find the information they are looking for, or feel like there are things to flip through, they're more likely to bounce away.

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You can keep them there longer by doing all kinds of things such as ensuring you have clear instructions/shop policies, labelled highlights, pinned posts, etc.

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The details

Begins: June 1
Ends: July 31 (if you need more time or want to come back to it later, that's fine!)

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The idea is to give you a long lead time because it's summer, but make as many improvements as you want during this time frame.

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Our challenges are designed for everyone, whether you are a new or established seller. Everyone can have a go!
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Challenges are self-led, and you can do them any time of year. If you want to participate, make time in your own schedule.

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Continued below

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Continued from above

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How to participate

Choose ONE improvement for any social media platform (Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, etc.).

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Here are some ideas to get you thinking:

• Rewrite your social media bio and name to be optimized for keywords. Social media platforms are like mini search engines, and keywords can help your shop get found.
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• Include keywords people might be searching for (i.e. Vancouver vintage shop), and include your location if you offer local pickup/markets. Share what you sell and include a call-to-action for people who arrive at your page.
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• Create a Linktree if you don't already have one that links out to your shops, relevant articles/links, etc. Your shop links are a given, but if you have a blog, a contact page, if you've been featured in the media, etc., include all of that.
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• Already have links? Test them all to make sure they are working, and that they're up-to-date.
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• Label all of your highlights with clear and simple wayfinding (i.e. Policies, FAQ, Available, Markets, Thrifting, Sold, Customer Love, etc.).
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• Replace all of your highlight cover images with consistent photos/illustrations.
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• Replace your profile picture with something that clearly shows your shop logo or brand image.
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• Pin posts that include shop information, policies, FAQ, about me, important events, etc. — anything that a customer might perpetually have inquiries about.
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• Re-research keywords/hashtags to create a new set for yourself. Are you still using the most relevant ones?
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• Get into the habit of setting alt text for images you post — this is a good spot to add more keywords. Alt text is used by screen readers and you should be able to add alt text as a setting when you post on any platform you are using. Here's some instructions on setting alt text for Instagram, for example.
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• Done all of these already? Some more ideas: 30 tips to elevate your Facebook Business page, Improve your TikTok Profile, Make a good impression with your Instagram bio

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Remember, you only need to choose one thing to improve (and it can be something not on this list)! Let us know what you choose in the comments below!

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