SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media
Social media introduction
Reaching out locally via social media is one of the best channels for you as an operator. It’s usually free, it’s easy and paddling is perfect for pictures and videos!
On this page we go through the most common social media, general tips and what you as an operator can do. We focus on Facebook and Instagram as they are the biggest channels today.
Kayakomat has a central account on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Youtube and LinkedIn. You can supplement this with a local account on any of these media to reach out to those who live and visit your area.
What to do when you start as an operator:
Create an account on social media, see instructions here.
Invite everyone you know to follow you
Follow our central account on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.
To do during the season if you have accounts:
Be active! If you are not going to be active, it is better not to create an account, but send any tips to post to us centrally.
Keep an eye on our activity calendar for tips and materials to use. Add your own material.
Mention @kayakomat when you post something, so we can share it further.
Reply to comments and reviews often.
Check out what other operators are doing for inspiration
Engage with other accounts, such as tourism businesses in your neighbourhood or local influencers.
See more tips further down the page.
Creating an account on Instagram and Facebook
Here you will find instructions on how to create a page on Facebook
Here you will find instructions on how to create an account on Instagram, as well as tips on how to reach out.
From these you can then post pictures, events, short videos, stories or reels and more.
You create the account yourself, but you can add us as administrators to make it easier for us to recognise what you do well and share it further (add us via adding the email address [email protected]).
On Facebook, your page is linked to your private profile. So you will log in to Facebook as usual, and then choose to interact as Kayakomat instead of as yourself. On Instagram, they are separate, but you can easily switch between your accounts.
Below, under ‘tips’, you can read about how to connect these accounts.
If you later stop running Kayakomat, you need to close or pass on these accounts.
NOTE; always follow our brand guidelines which you can find HERE. Name the account clearly with kayakomat + the name of your station. Use the logo as your profile picture.
TIP: It is effective to join forces and have a joint account if you are more operators in the same region. You can then recommend more stations and take turns creating content. You can easily find each other’s contact details on the website, www.kayakomat.com
Do I need Facebook, Instagram, etc?
We encourage our operators to create a page on Facebook and Instagram. However, the most important thing is that you are active and comfortable in the channel(s) you choose to use, or that you spend time learning if you are new.
You don’t need to be on every social media channel, the most important thing is that you are active where you think you can best reach out. Use the channel(s) that you will continue to use for years! If you don’t have any followers, it doesn’t matter how many posts you make, so focus initially on getting people to follow your account.
Keep in mind that you can also reach out through your personal accounts. Maybe you have 100+ friends in your hometown who would love to be told about paddling! LinkedIn is a good example where posting privately can be more effective than creating a local page for your station.
You can also submit tips and material to us centrally, and we can organise the content. For example, if you want to create an event on Facebook, organise a competition or have taken a really nice picture.
You can also join forces with other operators and create a common profile for the region.
Another tip if you don’t create your own Instagram page, for example, is to remain active on Instagram. You can still send messages to other users, e.g. a voucher code to an influencer who lives in their city, or tip a hotel with a lot of followers to give out a discount code for a certain period, or the city’s official ‘visitor account’.
Instagram: What are Posts, Stories and Reels.
Instagram is a great fit for Kayakomat as it’s based on inspiring images and videos, which are easy to create for paddling. There are different types of content you can publish, with posts being basic images or videos on your profile. Stories are short videos that you add to your profile but disappear after 24 hours: perfect for quick creation and engagement. Reels are short and more creative videos that give you more opportunity to share entertainingly and that don’t disappear by themselves. Reels can be published in Stories, regular feeds and in Reels’ own feed.
Kayakomat has an official account on Instagram, which you are welcome to tag (‘#’) and mention (‘@’) and we gratefully accept image and video material that you want us to post. It is also possible to create an account yourself, see more information above.
Here is information from Instagram about reels and Stories.
Advertise on social media
As an administrator of a social media account, you can also advertise, or spend money to make the posts, events and stories you have already made more visible. For Facebook and Instagram, there are two functions; advertising via Meta Business Manager or the slightly simpler ‘promote post’ function, which is usually visible directly at the post. Good information on how to get started with this can be found here and here. Facebook also has many short ‘courses’ for those who want to learn more.
Kayakomat HQ has ongoing adverts running on social media, but some operators also do their own adverts to supplement.
To think about in the picture/Video material
Fill your account(s) with inspiring images and videos, but keep the following points in mind.
- In the image and video bank you will find material that is free to use. You can use material that does not look exactly like yours, but the viewer will still want to paddle and that is the most important thing.
- Next to the image and video bank you will find important information about the GDPR. Please read it and follow the directives properly.
- Add your own images/videos!
- You can also share customers’ photos if they mention you in their posts.
- You can ask others to take good photos/videos for you.
- Ask hobby photographers, destination companies or friends! Make sure you have the right to use the images (GDPR).
- Do not use images from competing businesses.
- Make sure that the person photographed/filmed always wears a life jacket if they are in the water.
- Everyone likes nice weather! There is no requirement for sunshine in all pictures, but keep in mind that the picture should make others want to experience the same thing and that it should feel easy and beginner-friendly to paddle with Kayakomat.
- Everyone likes happy people! Post pictures where the person is in the centre and smiling, it creates a desire to have that experience yourself.
- Feel free to create your own material, but stick to our Brand Guidelines
- Mention @kayakomat so we can share your content with more followers.
Briefly about LinkedIn
LinkedIn is the hub for professional networking. LinkedIn differs from other social media platforms in its focus on professional networking and business contacts. Here are some key differences:
Professional focus: LinkedIn is primarily geared towards the work and business environment, with users mainly sharing their professional experiences, skills and networking with other professionals.
Career focus: LinkedIn is often used to search for jobs, recruit staff and build a professional image. Profiles are usually more formal and focused on professional life than on personal aspects.
Business relationships: The platform promotes the creation of professional business relationships, which can lead to collaborations, client relationships and business development.
Content and Expertise Sharing: Users often share industry-specific content, professional articles and insights to build their personal brand and establish themselves as experts in their field.
B2B marketing: LinkedIn is a popular place for companies to conduct B2B marketing and reach their professional audiences through adverts, sponsored posts and company pages.
For you as a kayakomat operator, this means that the platform can be a very good channel to reach out precisely to professionals. If you already have a lot of contacts on LinkedIn, we recommend using this platform. Add contacts who might be interested in Kayakomat, such as operators in the hospitality industry, and make posts focusing on entrepreneurship. Below are some examples. Feel free to tag our central account so we can share your post.
Your journey as a Kayakomat operator
How you have contributed to a more accessible outdoor life in the locality, where it is now easier to get out into nature
How you have contributed to a more attractive and vibrant place, increased tourism and so on.
Suggest canoeing as an activity for colleagues, e.g. team building
Desired and existing collaborations.
Find a student who can help you with marketing or a kayak guide who wants to guide urban paddling and so on. For many, it can be a fun task to do basically for free to fill up their CV.
Briefly about TikTok
TikTok is a popular social media platform where users share short and creative videos. Through its user-friendly interface and algorithms that promote viral trends, TikTok has become a global phenomenon and a powerful tool for self-expression, entertainment and promotion.
If you’re used to using TikTok, you can certainly create a local account here, or ask to upload content through our account. Here you will find our central account, which will be more active this summer than before. We also handle paid advertising on TikTok.
Here you will find useful information if you want to get started with TikTok yourself. You can read about business vs. personal accounts, how to get more followers and much more.
3 other ways you can also benefit from TikTok
- Tell customers to share their experience there, on their accounts.
- Create/use a private login to get an insight. You can then also easily post your own content and mention our account so we can share it further. You can also see which hashtags are common and you can send messages to other users. For example, you might see someone posting travel guides/tips on what to do in your city.
- Do you know a young person who already uses TikTok and knows what’s trendy while being ambitious and professional? Let them create some videos from their own or a new account, or make a list of popular users and hashtags for you!
PRACTICAL TIPS
Having followers who see what you post on your account is essential for it to be effective. Here are a few quick tips to keep in mind:
Be active and interact with other accounts. Follow popular accounts, send messages, comment on other posts, etc.
Use trendy hashtags, music and mention other accounts.
Have a good profile and appealing content, so that those who visit you also choose to follow you.
Create content that engages. For example, competitions, ask questions in your posts, etc.
Do you have followers in other places? Tell your friends on Facebook or LinkedIn to follow your page.
Here you can read general tips on getting more followers on social media.
No followers/no account? – It’s not over yet! Remember that if you don’t have followers or your own account, you can still work with social media. For example, you can still contact other profiles and ask them to try out kayakomat and refer their followers. You can think about which companies you work with. For example, if your station is close to a campsite, you can ask them to share their tips on their social media and maybe organise a competition to win a gift card. You can recommend your customers to post content on their accounts. And more.
Having followers who see what you post on your account is essential for it to be effective. Here are a few quick tips to keep in mind:
Be active and interact with other accounts. Follow popular accounts, send messages, comment on other posts, etc.
Use trendy hashtags, music and mention other accounts.
Have a good profile and appealing content, so that those who visit you also choose to follow you.
Create content that engages. For example, competitions, ask questions in your posts, etc.
Do you have followers in other places? Tell your friends on Facebook or LinkedIn to follow your page.
Here you can read general tips on getting more followers on social media.
No followers/no account? – It’s not over yet! Remember that if you don’t have followers or your own account, you can still work with social media. For example, you can still contact other profiles and ask them to try out kayakomat and refer their followers. You can think about which companies you work with. For example, if your station is close to a campsite, you can ask them to share their tips on their social media and maybe organise a competition to win a gift card. You can recommend your customers to post content on their accounts. And more.
Post often! See also other information on this page for tips on visuals, editing tools, planning tools and how to create engagement and interactions.
Here are some suggestions on what to talk about:
Photos and videos of great paddling trips and people having fun
Competitions
Tips on nice places to paddle to
Tips on how to paddle
How it works to rent from Kayakomat
Temporary discount codes you created
Special days, such as Mother’s Day.
Introduce yourself, who takes care of the station
Tell us about events you organise
Questions & Answers, a short slideshow or video about ‘included lifejacket’ etc.
Tips & Tricks, e.g. how best to get into a kayak
Film some friends and ask them to share their experience
Share customers’ events if they mentioned you
See also our activity calendar which contains lots of tips and materials.
Follow our own account and each other for more tips! You can also find Instagram’s own guide on how to create successful posts. Similar guides are available for Facebook and TikTok.
Whether it’s Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or something else, it’s good to have an informative, clear and updated profile.
Follow our brand guidelines by for example having the logo as your profile picture. Add a short information about what Kayakomat is, where it is located and link to the booking page. You can also save stories you have made as ‘highlights’, so they are visible on their profile page.
An example of an operator that has a good profile on Instagram is Kayakomat Sköndal.
Check out our account, other operators’ accounts, trendy accounts and take inspiration from there!
If you have added a link to the booking page and later make a post, you can write ‘booking link is in bio’, where bio is the profile page.
If you are several people who want to administer a page on Facebook or profile on Instagram, you can add more people as administrators. See here for Instagram and here for Facebook. This also applies if you are several operators who have joined forces with a common page.
Are you new/unsure about social media marketing? Don’t hesitate to ask for help if you know someone who knows more. For example, it could be a fun and educational task for a student to do over the summer. You can also let someone temporarily take over the account, for example let a young person in your circle of acquaintances paddle with friends in exchange for creating, publishing and sharing fun content.
Most towns have several local Facebook groups where people share information about what is happening in their area. It’s easy and free to reach out to potential customers! See this group as an example.
Go to Facebook and search for local Facebook groups for your area. Ask to join the groups, make a list of these groups so you remember them and then post continuously over the summer to publicise your business, any events and your own Facebook/Instagram page. You can also ask friends to post here.
There are also many thematic groups, such as ‘outdoor singles in xxxx’ or ‘buy and sell kayaks in xxxx’.
One programme that is free and easy to learn is Canva. Many operators already use this. Here it is easy to use templates to create reels, posts and more. For example, you may want to use an image from the image bank and add ‘20% discount with code xxx’ directly to the image. You can also make a cover for a Facebook event and much more.
Note: make sure to import our Bison font! You can also upload the icons, logos, etc. so you have them close at hand. Not sure if what you’ve done adheres to our brand guidelines? Send us the link to what you did in Canva!
Instagram is a social platform, which means it’s important to engage your followers.
Reply to comments, tag (#) & mention (@) people and businesses in your posts, ask questions and create dialogue. It’s also a good idea to start following other accounts that you want to follow you back, and comment on their posts.
Your customers can contact you via Messenger, direct messages on Instagram or through comments on your posts/stories. It’s important to respond to these as soon as you can. Getting reviews on your Facebook page is very helpful. If you have friends who rent, you can ask them to write one.
Has someone written something bad? It is important to treat them with respect, optimism and a professional response. See the How to deal with difficult customers tab for tips.
One way to create engagement on Facebook is to create a public or closed group, where people can exchange tips and look for paddling buddies, for example ‘We who paddle at Kayakomat in Skåne/xxx’. You can do this with a couple of operators in your region, as it takes some time to moderate the group and keep it active. See more information about Facebook groups here.
If you have a page on both Facebook and Instagram, you can link them together so that you publish the same content on both channels at the same time. You can read instructions for this here.
Using trending hashtags (#) and music, as well as mentioning those in the picture/related accounts (with the @ symbol) are great ways to reach a wider audience than just those who already follow your page.
Hashtags are about the symbol ‘#’ followed by one or more compound words. For example, you can use #summer in a post or story to show users and Instagram/TikTok/Facebook that the post is about that. You can see Instagram’s own information on hashtags here. One tip is to pay attention to what other similar accounts use for hashtags and copy this. Making up your own, unique hashtags is not rewarding. There are also websites that can automatically generate popular hashtags for you.
Mention: One of the most useful and effective features to increase visibility and interaction on Instagram or TikTok is the ‘mention’ option. By adding an ‘@’ followed by the account/person you want to mention, the owner is alerted and can share what you posted (story/reel), so by mentioning people or businesses, you can alert someone to the post and the possibility of sharing it with their followers, which can lead to increased visibility and new customers.
Always add @kayakomat to your posts so we can share them! Ask your customers to do the same with our account and yours, and you’ll reach more people and have more material to publish.
Has someone mentioned you? You will receive a notification and can choose to share on your own page.
You can also give a free code to, for example, local influencers or friends and ask them to post stories and posts after they paddle, where they mention you as a thank you and to get you more followers.
Using trendy music is very effective. If you scroll through Instagram and TikTok yourself, you’ll notice that the same songs are often repeated… Here you can find information on how to add music to a post or story. However, if you have a business account on Instagram, the range of music may be limited for copyright reasons
To summarise, it’s good to follow along and copy trends that you see! Whether it’s music, a popular account, #tags, a dance, some news or something completely unexpected.
Facebook has an appreciated function to create events. It can be digital events, but also information about a physical event. See the activity calendar and the local events page for tips! For technical instructions on how to do this on Facebook; see here. Please let us know via the contact form when you have created events so that we can highlight these centrally.
As I said, it is important to interact and be social. A good way is, for example, to raffle off 2 hours of free paddling through a competition where everyone who follows and comments on a post participates. Or they need to share the post, so you reach out to more people. See the activity calendar for tips!
Always write ‘This competition is in no way associated with or sponsored by Facebook/Instagram’.
Here are some tips on competitions (English). Google, participate and look at other accounts for more inspiration!
how to create great videos for instagram?
The recommended aspect ratio for Instagram Stories, Reels and posts is 9:16, which corresponds to the vertical format of a mobile screen. This format provides an optimal display on Instagram and gives users a better experience of your content.
It’s also important to consider the resolution and quality of the image to ensure optimal viewing.
So, set up the mobile camera appropriately when you’re going to create material for your account.It’s best to use high-quality images and videos to make your content more appealing to your followers.
Here are some simple tips and tricks for filming and posting on Instagram:
- Plan ahead: Before you start filming, take the time to plan your content. Decide what you want your video to be about and what story you want to tell.
- Use a tripod or stabiliser: A stabilised camera or tripod can help you avoid shaky and blurry videos.
- Consider the light: Beautiful light can do wonders for your videos. Also important to have enough light, and try to avoid strong shadows and backlighting.
- Use sound: Sound is an important part of your content. If the sound quality of what you’re filming is poor, just remove it and put on good music instead.
- Edit your video: After you have recorded your video, take the time to edit it. Cut out unwanted parts, add text or music to make your video more engaging.
- Try new things: Don’t be afraid to be creative and try unexpected angles or moments
the right message for the right group of people
We have built up a pretty good picture of these groups and for the sake of simplicity have turned them into individual characters, also known as target groups/personas.
We have focussed on 10 of these which are available under the ‘Marketing’ tab.
These personas give you a good basis to start from when designing your posts and messages on Instagram.
For example, when targeting the ‘Family’ persona, you can use hashtags related to family-friendly activities and destinations such as #familylife #family #family #familyfun
By customising your content and communicating in a way that engages each persona on Instagram (and elsewhere, of course), you can increase the likelihood of your post reaching and appealing to your existing and potential customers.
It’s also important to keep a consistent frequency of posts on Instagram, for example by posting once a day or 2-3 times a week to keep your following engaged and growing.
It is also appreciated if you tag #kayakomat and #kayakomat[the name of your kayakomat] both in your own posts and encourage customers to do the same, so that we can take notice. Please also mention the location.
On our Instagram page we also collect so-called ‘guides’ for different KAYAKOMATs. We are steadily building up the number of guides! The more beautiful pictures and videos you post, the greater the chance that your particular KAYAKOMAT will be the one that will soon be added to a guide.
