An always-hot topic of conversation in my community is, “What in the flying dementors is up with Instagram this week?!”
And, if you’re a long-time listener of this very podcast, you’ll know my stance on the often dumpster fire that is Instagram.
Spoiler Alert – Instagram shouldn’t be your entire marketing strategy and it’s a HUGE risk to spend all your marketing time creating content for a platform that you don’t own.
What was once the easiest and most cost-effective way to market your business online has certainly lost its lustre in the last couple of years.
It often feels like you either need to become a full-time content creator or get your PhD in Instagram to keep up and get any traction on it.
And I’ve definitely noticed a lot of businesses looking to change the way they use Instagram because of the declining reach and engagement, and the never-ending platform changes.
Can I get a “FINALLY”?!
Now I know it’s easy for me to sit here and say, “You should change the way you use Instagram” but not share what that could look like – so the best way I can do this is to tell you!
So, in this episode of the How I Do Content Podcast, I’m sharing how I use social media so I don’t lose my damn mind every time it’s not playing nice.
But first, a reminder and a little bit of context – because context is always important, especially when I talk about how I do anything in my business.
There’s no one right way to use Social Media
I’m a big believer that there’s no one right way to do anything in business – including social media.
The best way to use social media is the way that works for you.
However, there are OBVIOUSLY things you can do to set yourself up for success on Instagram and amplify your results.
Sometimes this means you’ll need to do things that you might not love or feel 100% comfortable or confident doing – but you need to make that decision about what you’re willing (or not willing) to do to see the results that you desire on social media.
The way I use Instagram is based on my business and myself as a human. I make certain decisions knowing that I probs won’t go viral or hit 10k followers, and sometimes I do things that go against what the Instagram gurus recommend… BUT they align with myself and my business – and I’m ok with that!
So this is your permission slip to use Instagram however the fuck YOU like – as long as it’s helping you achieve what you desire in your business.
How I use Instagram as a Marketing Biz Wizard
Even though I do share a lot of content on Instagram, and consistently…
Instagram is the last platform I create content for.
This is because I repurpose a lot of my Instagram content from my main marketing channels – the podcast and my email list.
I’m not the best at maths, but if you want a percentage of what is new and what’s repurposed – let’s say 70% is repurposed content, and the rest is created purely for Instagram. This definitely shifted when I started this podcast, but that was also 3 years ago, believe it or not.
For a lot of business owners, Instagram takes up 100% of their marketing time, and that doesn’t leave any time for anything else – which is a big mistake when you don’t own your Instagram profile. You’re pouring time, money and energy into Mark Zuckerberg’s pocket, and neglecting your own. You know how they say in an in-flight safety announcement – “Put on your own mask before you help others”? Well, the same applies here.
Obviously, Instagram is important for me to get people to listen to the podcast and sign up for my email list – but I don’t put so much pressure on it to work. So when it glitches or engagement is in the toilet again – it doesn’t really affect me or my business. As my best friend says “it is what it is”, and Instagram will ALWAYS frustrate you IF you allow it to.
I use Instagram to experiment and test.
Clearly I’m not in a super sirius relationship with Instagram – but that’s the freedom you have when you don’t make it your entire marketing strategy.
I see it more as a place to test messaging, content ideas, content formats, and trending tactics. This allows me to obviously utilise these things in my business BUT ALSO teach my clients how to do the same.
The good thing about using Instagram to test these things is you get pretty immediate feedback if something works or it doesn’t.
And if something doesn’t work (if your Reel views are low, if no one votes on your poll, if no one DM’s you for the link) – it’s NOT the end of the world. AND it also doesn’t mean you’ve done anything wrong, or that you need to throw your strategy in the bin.
You gotta stop taking Instagram so siriusly!
The #1 way I use Instagram is to build my brand.
It’s the best way to showcase me the human and build connections with my community.
I can give my dream clients a really clear idea of what to expect when working with me and how I can support them.
A lot of people worry too much about curating perfection, adding value, and selling that they forget the human-to-human connection – I mean it’s called social media for a reason, so why are you deleting all traces of your personality from your Instagram profile and content?
It’s a big mistake I see so many business owners make.
The dog’s honest truth is that if I go to your Instagram and can’t tell a single thing about who you are (both as a human AND as a business) – I’ll exit your profile and keep on scrolling until I find the person who stands out AND I connect with.
Your biggest and best point of difference from everyone else in your industry doing the same things is YOU – so you need to sprinkle your unique blend of magic everywhere if you want to stand out and attract Beyonce-level clients on repeat.
So you better believe I’m sharing more than straight business-related content – why do you think Ned and Maggie are a big part of my business?
The million-dollar question: How often do I share and show up on Instagram?
It depends.
Yes, that might be an annoying answer, but again… there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to Instagram, and there’s definitely not a magic number for how often you should share and show up.
It depends on a variety of things, including your goals for your business and your overall marketing strategy.
SO…
…If you want crazy growth on Instagram, you’ll need to share and show up a lot compared to someone who isn’t prioritising growth on the platform. BUT with the way Instagram is going – showing up only once or twice a week is probably going to do sweet fuck all for you. So it’s about finding a balance!
And, if Instagram is your only marketing channel, you’ll also need to share and show up a lot more compared to someone who has multiple marketing channels. And, at this point, you basically need a PhD to create one single piece of content for Instagram.
For me, I share posts on my feed anywhere between 1 and 4 times a week, and pretty much every day on stories. This is obviously more when I’m in a launch and visibility is key.
BUT, I will add here that I have been showing up and sharing less on Instagram this year because:
- My mental health has been a priority, so sometimes I really can’t be fucked jumping through all the hoops to create a post that gets seen by such a small % of my following. I prioritise not wasting my mental energy on Instagram.
- I also haven’t felt very creative recently. To be honest, I’m a bit bored by a lot of the content I see on Instagram, and sometimes I get frustrated that it feels like I’m the only one who cares about being creative anymore. I don’t want to spit out endless amounts of boring and beige bot-generated content in the name of visibility.
I also acknowledge that the reason I can afford to show up and share less NOW, this year, is because it was a lot easier to get in front of your ideal clients and grow your community on Instagram back in 2019 when I started my business. BUT I also shared posts on my feed 5-7 times a week, and pretty much every day on stories, then, so it’s not like I sat back and did nothing!
Things I don’t do on Instagram (that might shock you)
1. I don’t batch-create my content.
Everything you see me share on Instagram – I create in the moment.
I do this because it allows me to respond to what’s happening in my community and in the lives of my ideal clients – it means it’s always relevant and relatable to the people I’m in my business to serve.
Things can shift and change very quickly in the online space, so I find that if I batch create a whole heap of content ahead of time, it either doesn’t feel relevant or I’m bored of it.
The reason I can do this is that I’m very good at creating content – I have rock-solid foundations, I know my strategy inside and out, AND I don’t overthink my content.
I’ve also been sharing content consistently for the past 5 years…
OH, and it’s my job.
So I wouldn’t necessarily recommend you try to create content like I do. If you don’t find creating content easy, you definitely shouldn’t be winging it! You need to find a process that works for you.
You might batch-create the entire process, or you might batch-create parts of the process. The most important thing is that your content creation is a priority and you get it done.
2. I don’t create content a certain way just because an Instagram guru told me I should…
Remember that period when we were endlessly told, “If you don’t create Reels your business will suffer…” Yeah, lol.
I rarely create Reels, and my business is going better than it ever has.
But I have noticed the same people who often preach this type of messaging now talk about the importance of diversifying your content marketing. Funny that.
The reality is, ALL types of content on Instagram work if you focus on who you’re creating it for. My content always performs because I know my ideal client like they’re my bestie.
I create Reels when I want to, and only if I can sprinkle my unique blend of magic over it.
I also rarely show my face on Instagram stories at the moment. Why? My strength is writing, not talking, so I play to my strengths. I know I can’t succinctly say what I need to in the time Instagram gives us, so I don’t try to make myself. Otherwise, I’d be re-recording until it’s perfect, and I don’t have the time or desire to do that.
Does rarely posting Reels and Face to Camera stories affect my engagement?
I mean, sure, it might – but I honestly don’t care too much about engagement. If my engagement is low, but I’m making sales, then I give zero fucks to be perfectly honest.
3. I don’t care if I have 10k followers
10k followers used to be the holy grail – if you had 10k followers, you were considered “legit”.
These days, I see it more as an outdated status symbol and not something that truly reflects how good you are at what you do.
There are plenty of accounts that have bought followers, and then there are people who have 10k followers but struggling to make sales in their business.
I don’t obsess over the growth of my Instagram. Instead, I focus on serving the community I already have – because I know that, in doing this, I will attract more like-minded legends into my community.
There are a few other things I don’t do on Instagram such as:
- use content pillars
- post at a certain time
- reply to every comment
- change my hashtags
…But my point here is that YOU get to decide how you use Instagram. Even if the Instagram Gurus are screaming at you that they’ve found the secret spell to defeat Voldemort and unlock immortality – it doesn’t mean you have to follow their advice or sacrifice your soul to get there.
If the way they use Instagram doesn’t align with who you are as a human, the season of life you’re in, and your business goals – then it probably won’t work for you.
Instead, focus on:
- Diversifying your marketing channels – stop putting all your eggs in the Instagram basket!
- Creating content for your perfect-fit clients already in your audience
- Showing up and sharing consistently in a way that works for you (don’t forget to play to your strengths!)
Instagram is a game – you decide how you play it!
Want More?
⚡️ Instagram: @thesocialbolt
⚡️ Take the quiz! Discover Your Unique Blend of Content Magic here
⚡️ Get my DIY Content Wizard Bundle to help you with strategic content creation for your heart led business here
