V.Murray Marketing & Media

17/09/2025

The Hard Truth About Being a Beginner Social Media Manager (and What I Wish I Knew Sooner) 👇

When I started my Social Media Manager journey, I did it all wrong:
💻 Posting content every single day
🎨 Spending HOURS on Canva designs
📊 Obsessing over reach instead of engagement

And the only thing I gained? Burnout 😅

If you’re a new or aspiring Social Media Manager going through the same struggles, you’re not alone. The digital world changes daily — and sometimes all it takes is the right direction.

✨ I share beginner-friendly insights, strategy tips, platform updates and templates to save you hours (and help you skip the mistakes I made).

14/09/2025

🚨 LinkedIn Algorithm Update 🚨

Some surprising insights you’ll want to know...

Just came across the latest changes to be aware of from Richard van der Blom on LinkedIn that should change how you approach your LinkedIn posts:

1️⃣ Hashtags
Turns out, using 3–5 hashtags can cut your reach by 29%. LinkedIn now sees them as spammy... so maybe ditch them altogether?

2️⃣ Early Comments = Gold
Engagement in the first 5 minutes matters most. A quick comment right away can boost your reach by 4.2x.

3️⃣ Links Out
Dropping an external link? Your reach could fall by 68%. BUT… if you add 3+ links in a post, LinkedIn reads it as a “resource” and actually rewards it. (so complicated lol)

4️⃣ Video Length
Short and snappy wins. Under 30 seconds = 89% completion. Over 60 seconds? Only 31%.

5️⃣ Connection Count
Here’s a twist — people with 500–999 connections see 2.3x more engagement than those with 10k+. Smaller, active networks > huge passive ones.

💡 Moral of the story? Keep testing. LinkedIn’s algorithm isn’t static; your strategy shouldn’t be either.

11/09/2025

The best copywriters are ruthless about one thing:

Making people FEEL something. These 7 quotes show you how:

Honorary mention & my personal favourite:

“If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it.”

– Elmore Leonard

1) “When I write an advertisement, I don’t want you to tell me that you find it ‘creative.’ I want you to find it so interesting that you buy the product.”

– David Ogilvy

2) “Nobody reads ads. People read what interests them. Sometimes it’s an ad.”

– Howard Gossage

3) “Make it simple. Make it memorable. Make it inviting to look at. Make it fun to read.”

– Leo Burnett

4) “Metaphors are a great language tool, because they explain the unknown in terms of the known.”

– Anne Lamott

5) “The secret of all effective advertising is not the creation of new and tricky words and pictures, but one of putting familiar words and pictures into new relationships.”

– Leo Burnett

6) “We have become so accustomed to hearing everyone claim that his product is the best in the world, or the cheapest, that we take all such statements with a grain of salt.”

– Robert Collier

7) ↓↓↓ SEE THE POST FOR MORE ↓↓↓

Which quote is your favourite & do you have any other interesting copywriting quotes I may have missed?

Drop them in the comments!

10/09/2025

Every social media manager has that one tool they can’t live without…

For most of us, it’s Canva . 😍

Managing social means bouncing from task to task, which includes strategy, reporting, copy, client requests, and the constant need for new content. While not every SMM is a designer(though we often get thrown in the same pot by some clients) , Canva makes it easier to create content that still looks professional.

Here's how I use it:

🔥 Resizing and adapting posts for different platforms
🔥 Creating campaign graphics, carousel covers, thumbnails and reel covers
🔥 Whipping up memes or quick visuals for community engagement
🔥 Keeping everything consistent with brand kits, fonts, and photos
🔥 Tackling those last-minute “can we just get one more version?” requests

It’s less about speed, more about having a reliable creative sidekick in the day-to-day.

This post? Made in Canva. ❤️
Drop your favourite Canva feature in the comments!

08/09/2025

Instagram’s latest update introduces Reposts + the Friends Tab—and if your content isn’t worth sharing, you’re invisible.

Yep, another “game-changer” nobody asked for 🙃. Here’s the truth:

📌 Reposts = your followers become your distribution team (free, but only if your content is good enough).
📌 Friends Tab = your posts either slide into actual conversations… or they get ghosted.
📌 Likes? Cute. But they don’t pay your rent—saves, profile taps, and DMs are the new conversion currency.

Most brands will ignore this shift and keep pumping out filler. That’s how they stay stuck.

If you’re not creating content people flex by sharing, you’re handing your reach to someone else.

Want to shortcut the guesswork? I made a free Canva checklist: “5 Formats That Actually Get Shared + Saved.” Comment "share your list" & I'll send your free copy to your inbox!

19/08/2025

When you listen to all of your clients' design suggestions 😒

26/07/2025

The portfolio template that helped me land my first £1,000 UK client — all the way from South Africa 🇿🇦➡️🇬🇧

If you’re a Social Media Manager, UGC Creator or Content Creator trying to land international clients, your portfolio is your passport.

When I started out, I had the skills — but no way to prove them professionally. This editable Canva portfolio changed everything:

✅ Showcases your work in a clean, client-ready format
✅ Builds trust with testimonials + case studies
✅ Positions you as the expert (even if you're just starting out)
✅ Fully customisable – no design skills needed
✅ Only R200 – pay once, use forever

I designed this for creators like you who want to stop chasing clients and start attracting them.

🎯 Use it to pitch confidently, send with proposals, or link it in your bio.

📎 Instant download via PayHip
🖥️ Edit everything in Canva
📲 Mobile & desktop friendly

📩 Grab your template: https://payhip.com/VMurrayMarketingandMedia

19/07/2025

🚨 Instagram just made it easier to get found on Google

As of July 10, your public Instagram posts and profile can now appear in Google search results — even if you don’t have a website.

Here’s why this matters for your business:
✔️ More chances to be discovered – your posts can now reach people searching on Google, not just Instagram
✔️ Longer life for your content – instead of disappearing in 48 hours, your content can resurface weeks or months later via search
✔️ Instagram is now part of your SEO strategy – by using keywords, hashtags, and alt text, your posts can help boost your visibility outside the app

✅ It only takes one setting to activate — and I’ve broken it down in a no-nonsense, easy-to-follow way inside the carousel.

💬 Let me know if you’ll be making use of this new feature
🔁 Save this for later
📲 Follow .media for digital marketing tips that actually make sense (and make a difference)

18/07/2025

A little humour to start off the day 😅

Client and Designer

30/06/2025

If the first 3 seconds of your Reel aren’t making someone stop scrolling… they’re already gone. 👋

That’s where hooks come in.

A good storytelling hook isn’t just clickbait — it’s a way to pull your audience into the why, not just the what.

Here are a few you can steal and use today:

✨ “Here’s the mistake I’ll never make again in business…”
✨ “I didn’t plan to post this, but here’s what happened…”
✨ “This one client changed how I do everything.”
✨ “If you feel stuck right now, this is for you.”

Hook ➝ Story ➝ Value ➝ CTA.
That’s the formula. Stick to it, and your Reels won’t just get views — they’ll get engagement.

📩 DM me “HOOKS” if you want a full list you can plug straight into your content plan.

27/06/2025

STOP waiting until your own socials are “perfect” before going after clients.

I see this all the time:
New social media managers spending months trying to grow their own account before they ever pitch a single client.

Here’s the truth 👇
You don’t need 10k followers.
You don’t need viral content.
You don’t even need to post every single day.

What you need is a portfolio.
A clear, professional, results-focused portfolio that shows potential clients what you can do for them — not just your own page.

Because you’re not trying to be an influencer. You’re trying to be a social media manager.

🖥 I’ve created a Canva portfolio template that’s fully editable, client-ready, and designed to help you get hired faster.

✅ Plug in your work
✅ Add your results
✅ Save it, send it, land the client

💬 Drop a “ME” below or DM me PORTFOLIO and I’ll send you the link.

15/06/2025

If “our team will get back to you shortly” actually means you, your coffee, and 37 Chrome tabs then this one’s for you. ☕💻

Shout-out to every solo business owner, content strategist, and creative wearing all the hats and still making it look effortless in their inbox. 🫶

This is your reminder: You are the team. The CEO. The marketer. The customer service rep. And yes… the unpaid IT department too. 😅

Tag your fellow tab-hoarding girlbosses and save this for when imposter syndrome tries to sneak in. 👏