Selah Studio

21/05/2022

It's been an epic year working with Vince and the legends at Rollie: one of the very first clients we signed on board as a new biz venture in May 2021.

I remember sitting in my car after our initial meeting at Rollie HQ thinking, 'Did that just happen?'. Rollie signing on was the biggest fish I have ever worked with in my life. Initial doubts came, of course, but I am so grateful to Vince & the team for trusting me, encouraging me (and subsequently, the Selah team as it grows!) and kicking big social goals together.

So incredibly humbled and blessed to work with this dynamite group 🧨 🚀

20/05/2022

Meet Caitlyn! Our little pocket rocket, Social Media Executive. Get to know her a bit better below 👇

◽ Tell us a bit about yourself.
My name is Caits. I love art, podcasts, movies and sport (netball in particular). I also love anything involving some creativity!

◽ Favourite social media app and why?
I’d have to pick Instagram! (sorry, TikTok). I love keeping up to date with all things pop culture and sharing photos / fun Reels with my friends and family.

◽ Favourite activity outside of work?
I like to spend my time doing art. Especially after a long day, art is calming and always re-energises me.

◽ What’s your go-to order from your favourite cafė?
My go-to cafė order is poached eggs with avocado on toast and juice.

◽ Must-read/ listen to book or podcast recommendations.
‘Where the Crawdads Sing’ written by Delia Owens is a must-read murder mystery novel.

Caits has been part of the Selah team for almost a year now and we love having her on board. Read more about her here: http://selahstudio.com.au/blog/f/meet-caits

19/05/2022

Instagram has rolled out some big changes in 2022, with this being the latest (see below for 'this' 👉) Have you seen the new feed layout?

In attempt to compete with platforms like TikTok, Instagram is trialing a new feed layout where all content is featured in 9:16 aspect ratio.

What does this mean for your business and how can you leverage off this change?

◽️ Continue to upload engaging Reels & video content (Reels and stories are already at 9:16 - 1080 x 1920 pixels). More on this to come in another post.

◽️ Try this easy change: Landscape images on Instagram are a thing of the past (check out image #2). If you haven't been doing this already, create and upload all content in a 4:5 ratio, to take up as much of your followers' screens as possible. We've recently rolled (or are rolling) this out for our clients - creating quote tiles & engaging posts / images in a 1080 x 1350 canvas, as opposed to 1080 x 1080 (1:1).

Remember, Instagram updates aren't meant to be scary and we can strive for content that cuts through by adopting some small changes to our strategies.

06/05/2022

Work hard, play hard... rest hard?

Pre-Covid (as in, pre-when-I-got-Covid last month), Mel and I were 'lucky' to have 1 x night at home a week, with every day full on our working calendars and social calendars (being honest, that's nothing new since we started dating).

Post-Covid, my body (mind, soul, spirit lol) is really struggling to keep up with our busy lifestyle and I've found I have had to be more ruthless with prioritising rest. Totally ironic, considering Selah and everything we've built this past year is about taking time to 'pause'.

One of my favourite sayings is 'you can't pour from an empty cup' (that's a tie with 'the grass is greener where you water it), so I have been really trying to set more boundaries (where life permits). For me, this is how I've been working at it the past four weeks:

1. Saturday mornings are sacred (my Selah moments now) and I fill that time with a sleep-in and usually a walk with family / Mel (and if work / life demands attention on a Saturday, I have been recently subbing this out for Monday morning rest - because I can!)

2. I try not to feel guilty for cancelling / postponing mid-week plans if I feel like my body is starting to pay the price for my busyness. 9/10 times, people understand.

How are you prioritising rest?

And if you read this caption and thought: 'I need to do this'... How CAN you prioritise rest going forward? I personally find myself more productive when I have had the chance to recharge.

In reality, 'work hard, play hard' is only achievable if we 'rest hard' too.

Have a great Saturday 🤍

(Image captured by Casey Longfield for UpDown Desk - we're all about that multipurpose content life)

06/05/2022

Happy Friday, everyone! To all the fellow small biz owners, here's some (pretty) words of encouragement from Jasmine Dowling.

Thanks for all the love on our recent posts - we're very excited to be sharing more behind the scenes at Selah... with more to come 👀

05/05/2022

Say hello to the Selah team 👋

Caitlyn Childs: Social Media Executive - Caits is our socials queen and has her finger on the pulse on pretty much every trend in the book. She works with all content creation on socials, including posts, stories, Reels, captions and more. Caits also (strangely?) finds EOM (end of month) reporting enjoyable, so assists with analytics / data analysis in this area too!

Ali Barnes: Founder & Director - Al is the heart behind all things Selah and works with our incredible team to get things done to the highest quality for our clients! She regularly dabbles in content creation, copywriting and a little bit of design (on Adobe Suite and ofc, Canva).

Casey Longfield: Creative & Strategic Lead - Case oversees social strategy / implementation for our clients as well as heads up all things photography / video content for Selah & more! Case is an editing wizard & Reel genius - she makes anything / anyone look good.

Mel Poynton: Chief Copywriter - Mel is our most recent addition and is a gun at all things copywriting. Mel assists with copywriting for our website clients, social media clients (caption writing) and Selah blogs (to come!).

Want to create with us? Drop us a comment, DM or email [email protected] ✨

04/05/2022

We love working with Kingston City Church.

In addition to assisting the team across socials, we've recently designed some booklets for KCC's key services (Vision Sunday & Missions Sunday), as well as a program for the CRC Churches International Vic / Tas state conference last week.

Tap through to see some of our creations 👉

30/04/2022

We've blinked and we're in the 5th month of the year. April has consisted of doing the groundwork for May activities - i.e Mother's Day and ClickFrenzy - and it's been so great working with all our beautiful clients and our epic Selah team.

I recently read (okay - heard of) a study that said anxiety and gratitude cannot co-exist in the brain at the same time. This is because they use the same neurotransmitters to send messages to our body - it's either one or the other emotion per pathway.

I think in moments of stress and anxiety, it's so easy to dwell on the problem, but we can actually change our thought process it its tracks by replacing the message.

Today, I am so grateful for .studio_: the clients that trust us, the colleagues that work alongside me and the support team (family, friends, mentors) who are constanly cheering us on.

What's something you're grateful for today?

05/04/2022

Selah turns ONE // Naturally, a big, bougie cake was a must and Alice from Miss Trixie Drinks Tea absolutely nailed the brief.

So grateful for all we have acheived in just one short year and I'm excited to take you for a little trip down memory lane via our socials over the next few weeks.

Images by Selah's incredible Creative & Strategic Lead (and resident photographer), Casey Longfield.

11/03/2022

Celebrating one year of Selah Studio // Small business, big hearts.

Although I have been (ironically) quiet on our socials over the past year, we have been very much working hard behind the scenes to bring life to our clients' Instagrams. I am so grateful to every single person who has supported me and trusted me with their brands & businesses. I am also so grateful to those who have worked alongside me to bring this vision to life.

I didn't want this day to pass without acknowledging the magnitude of what has been built in one year and where this business will go. I know I would be nowhere without the favour, blessing and faithfulness of God and how much He has provided for me. That is really what Selah is all about.

We have organised a *very* aesthetic cake to celebrate and will be rolling out some birthday comms over the next few weeks, so please keep an eye out as we celebrate the year in review.

Thank you 🤍

Artwork via Jasmine Dowling.

04/08/2021

Hi everyone, Caitlyn Childs here! Today, I’ve written up a new blog all about TRENDS.
They can be so entertaining (seriously, we are addicted to TikTok), but they also contain so much value for your business.

Want to find out more? Swipe across to see how we have utilised these trends over the past week, and read my blog for more info: https://selahstudio.com.au/blog

If you liked the blog or found it interesting, please leave us a comment below.

28/07/2021

SELAH SAYS // On the blog...

A BIG welcome to Caitlyn Childs who has joined our growing team! Caitlyn is currently studying a Bachelor of Communications (Digital Media) at Deakin and is interning a few days a week to get more experience under her belt as she progresses through her degree. We're so excited to have her on board.

Last week, Caitlyn unpacked Instagram's latest updates and have compiled a blog with some tips on how you can up your video content on the 'gram.

If you have a chance to read, let us know what you think in the comments below 👇

If you have been active on Instagram lately (I know my screen time has gone up), you might have heard the latest announcement from Head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri - the once predominantly photo-based platform is ‘no long...

19/05/2021

Some of Selah Studio's latest work //

With the rise of digitial media, I've really appreciated the opportunity to get back into design for traditional marketing.

I loved working with Karen & the team at Cherubs in the Home to pull together this A4 6-page brochure.

17/05/2021

After almost a two-month hiatus from sharing on socials (don't even get me started on the irony of this), we are back! I'm really excited to share some of the projects that I have been working on for my clients as well as some big things in the pipeline.

We've seen so much success on Gary Lisbon Golf Photography's Instagram Reels that I thought I would write a blog about it! Putting myself out there and doing my own Reels for Selah Studio is something that's coming... soon-ish.

If you're interested in learning some tips for Instagram Reels, you can head to Selah's blog via the link: https://selahstudio.com.au/blog/f/whats-the-deal-with-insta-reels

REEL TALK // If you've been on Instagram in the last 6 x months, you would have seen Reels taking the app by storm! In fact, Instagram reconfigured their whole user-navigation of their platform to put Reels at the front ...

29/03/2021

SELAH SAYS // On the blog this morning...

Instagram is all about the visual appeal. Even if a user finds their way to your account, there is no way to guarantee they convert to a follower. One way to appeal to anyone wandering on your page is to have a beautiful curated feed. Easier said that done, right?

We've pulled together some social media tips on how to align your social platforms with your brand's identity utilising the all important 'content pillars'.

Check it out: https://selahstudio.com.au/blog/f/social-media-content-pillars-lets-talk-strategy

Visual description: A graphic with coloured squares stacked on top of eachother to represent Instagram's feed. The text on the image reads: 'Selah Says... Content Pillars. Let's talk social media strategy!'

29/03/2021

If this isn't Monday in a photo... // Let's be real - we are the Nutella doughnut being dipped in *all* the coffee.

We've been a bit quiet on socials since our launch, but rest assured we have been very busy with proposals, design, Insta Reel-creation, social strats AND a great photoshoot with the team at Fifth Chapter, this pic being one of many shots of their drool-worthy menu.

If you haven't already, check them out:
📍Fifth Chapter: Centre Rd, Bentleigh.

Looking forward to another big week ahead!

Visual description: A sugar-coated Nutella doughnut being dipped into a latte with foam spilling over the sides.

15/03/2021

SELAH SAYS // Keen to know how to navigate the algorithm as a brand? Or wanting to support a small biz on the 'gram, but not sure what will be most effective?

We've pulled together a blog to showcase what metrics count and what doesn't (really) matter as much anymore in the Instagram world.

Check it out here: https://selahstudio.com.au/selah-says/f/how-to-instagram-what-counts-and-what-doesnt-these-days

Visual description: A graphic showing the 4 x Instagram icons (save, share, comment & like) on pinky-beige background. The text at the top reads: 'Selah Says... How to support a small biz on the 'gram.'

14/03/2021

(Behind The Scenes): Behind every posts on Instagram is 25 x other images that did not make the cut.

I was talking to my friend, Jesse, from Follow My Parade about movie / TV show the other day, and how (for me) watching behind the scenes of a movie sometimes takes the Impact out of the film (like the scariness out of a horror movie), where as for Jesse, behind the scenes content gives him an appreciation for the film making process and *adds* value to the movie.

Do you think looking at behind the scenes content takes away from the beauty of the original post or enhances it?

I would be keen to hear your thoughts in the comments below 👇

Visual description: One of Selah Studio's Instagram posts (a coloured close-up shot of Go-To Skin Care's 'Face Hero') framed in an iPhone, with 2 x behind the scenes photos either side in black & white.

13/03/2021

Let's talk about the importance of adding to your photos.

Adding alt text or visual descriptions to any of your posts on social media makes your content accessible *all* users, and increases the chances of your post being seen. Adding relevant alt text captions to your posts will help your ranking in people's search results on Google and other search engines. The more you know!

Visual description: A screenshot of Facebook's 'Alt Text' feature with text that reads: 'Add alternative text that describes the contents of the photo for people with visual impairments.'

12/03/2021

Why 'Selah'?

'Selah' means taking time to pause and reflect. Now, more than ever, we need to prioritise our time and invest in the things that truly make us happy.

We wanted to ensure this messaging was part of our brand identity (in this example, our logo). We've chosen to do a loose version of the pause symbol, as it is a true reflection of what Selah Studio stands for and what we will continue to strive for; constantly reminding ourselves and our clients the importance of taking time to pause & reflect and creating content that causes others to pause & reflect, too.

Visit our website // www.selahstudio.com.au

12/03/2021

Selah Studio is LIVE // www.selahstudio.com.au

We understand your brand deserves a unique approach in order for you to reach your dream audience; one size fits all is never our mantra.

Visit our website for a snapshot of our services.

11/03/2021

A new chapter begins // Welcome to Selah Studio.

Selah Studio provides graphic design, social media management, content creation, copywriting & communications.

We look forward to sharing our journey with you.

Website launching soon!