Oh goodness… y’all I’m EMBARRASSED by how long I’ve been trying to get this on the blog, but I’m SO excited to introduce Abigail of Abidoodle Productions to you today! I got to chat with this BOSS of a human being nearly two months ago at this point (boy time sure does fly!) to chat through all things Instagram strategy.
If you haven’t met Abigail yet, she’s an incredible videographer, illustrator/doodler/artist, doula, advocate, social media guru… I could go on and on! In addition to ALL of that, she’s also an amazing human being, so kind, and SO much fun to work with. I had the pleasure of working a wedding with Abigail just a few weeks ago, and it was such a treat! If you want to find Abigail online, she can be found online, on Instagram, Facebook, and her blog.
This is the PERFECT conversation for those looking to grow or dive deeper within their business. We’re chatting all things Instagram strategy, but most importantly, we’re chatting about building genuine relationships within your business using social media. We had SUCH a great conversation. I can’t wait for you to hear from Abigail! Let’s get started right away!
Let’s get started by meeting Abigail!!!
Abigail is primarily a wedding videographer based in Annapolis, MD who serves a huge portion of the East Coast (and beyond!)
Any advice for those growing their business?
Create connections and relationships! As you’re getting started, these things will be SO important. Network, build relationships with the right people, and reach out to people. If you’re following someone, don’t be afraid to DM them when you connect with them on something they post! This is a great way to build personal relationships and styled shoot connections.
Spend $5/week and get coffee with one person a week. One small action can go a long way in building relationships.
Where do you build genuine connections?
Abigail loves Instagram for building genuine connections. She started going on a deep dive to learn how she could pull leads from Instagram. It’s become her favorite platform because she’s taken the time and care to learn and grow on the platform and how it works. This is possible with whatever platform you pick but is totally doable with any social network.
Let’s talk styled shoots!
Styled shoots can benefit nearly everyone in the industry— they’re not just for wedding photogs or planners! Work with the people you want to work with… create work you’ve dreamed up together… and have so much fun doing what you LOVE while bonding over the beautiful things you’re creating. You can try new things and can practice with your tools before a wedding day. It is such a great time to network with people and to continue the connection long after the shoot. Styled shoots can be stressful, but they’re worth it!
How do you work to create genuine connections online?
Follow people that inspire you and whose work you love! Follow along with posts and watch stories. When you relate or identify with something, take the time to connect with them on it! Respond to stories… comment on posts… engage with others! Other than that, show your face on Instagram! Show up on your stories. BE your brand as a small business. Show yourself and/or your team and your people is super important. Share who you are and show up as your personality in the stories and captions. Your people will find you!
Any other Instagram best practices for creatives or small business owners?
Be on Instagram stories!!! It is okay to blur your personal and professional life— the personal portions of your life is what will connect you with others. Abigail is super open about mental health and LGBTQ Pride on her professional page because these are huge things that define her and that she’s passionate about. Stories have been huge for her growth! Show your face + keep your audience up to date with what you’re up to. Additionally, not a lot of people will see what’s going on on your feed (Shoutout algorithm!). When you’re posting on stories, you’re more likely to continue to show up on people’s IG home screen (Which will remind them to check out your posts too!). Finally… captions don’t have to match the photo! They’re a great way to create engagement and connections. You can use certain images to share thoughts on your mind! Thoughtful captions will get more engagement. Personal brands are absolutely okay. Let people in— be open and honest! Ask for engagement… encourage people to comment, save, like, ask questions on your posts.
As a videographer, what are your thoughts on Tik Tok for business and personal?
The “for you” page is just a little different for everyone! Right now, Abigail uses Tik Tok primarily for fun. At the start of quarantine, she remembers a number of vendor friends asking about Tik Tok strategy. Personally, she doesn’t really want to use it for business right now. Having a way to convert views to leads is so important. Her business has consumed a lot of her identity but she recognizes that it’s okay to have something to do that doesn’t revolve around her business. This is her FUN social media network that can feel like a fun and funny escape. It is TOTALLY okay to have social media outlets you just use for fun.
How have you pivoted on social during quarantine?
For the first few weeks of quarantine, it was a little rough! What do we do while waiting for inquiries? Abigail took this time to be vocal about her struggles and feelings during this time. She pulled back a bit on posting but has also started creating more digital art and personal pieces that are able to be engaged with or are personal. Intention with content has been her big pivot point while also waiting to see how things play out.
Let’s talk more about your shop!
At the end of May, Abigail got an Apple Pencil to help her continue to letter in an efficient way! She’s super inspired by independent artists. After getting her pencil, she learned a lot and decided to launch an Etsy shop for people to have her designs in her home! She reached out to a creative friend (That she met on IG… bringing it full circle!!) who helped her get everything set up. With digital, she can repurpose files and has much less papers on her desk! It has been super rewarding and fun. She’s working on a few logo projects, working on GIFs for Instagram, and has loved seeing her side project grow! Keep an eye out for her “Wallpaper Wednesday’s” over on IG!
Where can people connect with you online?
A HUGE thank you to Abigail for all of her time and effort! If you want to find Abigail online, she can be found online, on Instagram, Facebook, and her blog. Find her on Etsy here as well!
PS here’s a cute pic of Abigail, Sam, and me when we got to work together a few weeks ago!
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