Instagram has been a great platform for my business. I have always said that and I stand by it. And yes, I am also getting every time fewer likes and fewer views on my posts.
I am not going to fall into the trap and start saying: “Oh Instagram hates me”. It doesn’t, Instagram isn’t a person, it is just a tool.
But I am not going to lie, I also realise how little push I get on socials lately. Everyone seems to complain about it, I have been trying all the tricks: reels, carousels, video trends… but it seems like everyone is facing the same problem.
I don’t know what the solution is, if I knew I would tell you right now! Maybe we just have to keep doing our reels shorter and shorter?
Jokes aside, today I want to share the way I am dealing with Instagram right now and how can you diversify your energies to grow your business.
The goal of Instagram: their strategy
There is something we need to understand: the main goal of this platform is to keep you on this platform. So the content they show you will make you stay on the platform.
And what do they promote the most? What do they show you the most?
Overnight successes.
People who posted daily on Instagram about their brand, and their products, and overnight one of their videos went viral and got a million views and BOOM! Now they are selling things like churros ( as we say in Spain).
But let's not forget this is one in a million. I am not denying that it happens and it would be great if that would happen to my business, however, there are a couple of things to think about:
Will my business be ready to serve 100 requests all at once? Probably not. For example: will a crafter, a ceramist, be able to fulfil 100 orders in a week? Or will their business crash and have bad reviews because they take forever to produce and serve their clients?
And also, how often does that happen? How many of your friend's or besties' business owners have experienced overnight success? It happens, but it is rare. And Instagram shows you that if you post one more reel, one more carousel… you may be the lucky one next time.
So it keeps you on the platform. But that can stress you out, and lead you to burn out... waiting to be lucky isn't the best strategy to build your business.
My Instagram strategy
Consistency is key
This is one of the statements I stand be it: be consistent.
With socials, showing up every week is key, but you also have to find the rhythm that works for you.
If it stresses you out, there is no point. Find something that comes naturally to you. Think about it that way: every little thing you do helps. Even if you post once a week, that is only going to help you.
Make a commitment and stick to it. For example, on Monday, you post 4 stories about something that is happening during this week. Maybe you can post during your commute, or while having your coffee.
Sounds that achievable? Maybe only 1 story? Just check with yourself, make a realistic plan and stick to it.
I know it feels tedious, but it is effective: you keep showing up on socials, if you keep repeating your message, you keep talking about your business you will get eyes on it, and you will get a sale.
And repeating doesn't mean saying it twice, means saying the same thing a minimum of 10 times. Minimum!
How many times do I post?
I aim to post to my grid 2 times a week, minimum 1. Then if that week I feel inspired and post more, perfect. I try to share daily stories, which I feel like that comes quite naturally to me. Maybe it is because I am always taking pictures, so I usually have a nice picture to share.
But how do I achieve this consistency for the days I don't have the time or the energy to post?
I prepare posts and I schedule them, because I know some days I won’t feel like posting, so on those days it really really helps to have something ready.
I have started using Metricool ( this is not sponsored btw) and it helps me to track metrics and see when are the best times to post. I also have a file on Photoshop with a grid where I place my images so I can see how they look all together. That is not really necessary, but I like it when a grid looks nice.
I am not going to lie… I don’t always stick to my schedule. Sometimes find it difficult to schedule exactly what I want. I leave it a bit more loose, but I know I want to share a minimum of 1 post a week.
Again, consistency is key.
Forget the likes, go for the engagement
Likes are just a popularity contest, the same as followers.
Who cares if you have 10k if none buys from you? Is it not better to have 100 and they are all engaging, buying from you or sharing your business with their friends? The second option is way more powerful, so focus on that one.
If you stick to your plan of showing up, you will see who is your audience, those who always like your pictures or stories, and does who comment... keep them close, these are your future buyers/supporters!
My tips and tricks
Engage with your audience
Did you realise when you start following someone new you keep seeing all their posts? Instagram is boosting their profile to you.
And did you notice you always see posts of your friends, or of the people you engage the most with?
So here is the key: be social, engage with those accounts, send them a DM and Instagram will connect you with them more.
Focus on DM's and comments: One thing I see people doing lately is writing on the caption: “Write the word X if you want more information”. People who is interested on what you are talking about will leave a comment, the engagement rate will go up, and you can direct message these people to start a conversation. If you DM these people, your profile is going to be shown to them more.
Don’t be scared to ask: h Have you ever heard the sentence "If you don’t ask, don’t get"? How do I apply this to my marketing / Instagram strategy? I ask, I ask if they like the picture and if they want to see more. I use the Poll feature on stories, I write on captions: "let me know! Choose 1, 2 or 3?"
Keep it short: people are lazy these days and want things easy, they don't have time to read long paragraphs. And again, we are looking for engagement, not deep conversations on Instagram. Those will come later in an email or phone call!
Diversifying
As I said, Instagram is a great tool for my business but it isn’t working as it used to before and I realised isn't the best reliable way to grow my business.
So instead of wasting my time trying to guess what is going to work on Instagram, I diversify my energies and put my focus somewhere else. Where? In my newsletter. So what do I suggest? Keep reading!
Why is it important to have a newsletter?
Reason one: you have a direct way to contact your client, which is an email address.
This is a direct communication with your customers. If they have signed up for your newsletter, they are expecting you to show up in their email ( and it will help your email not to end up in the spam folder).
Reason 2: I can personalise it, add pictures, write as much text as I want, share links to my blog, etc. it gives me much more freedom and I can show my style as well.
Reason 3: You own your email, so all the information stays there, available to you. On the opposite, you don't own Instagram: if Instagram stops, you lose all the information you have on the platform, so if you are doing business and have your client's details on there, if Instagram goes down, so it does your clients list!
These are the main reasons why I would recommend that you have a newsletter, so you can contact your clients and not only rely on Instagram.
Having a break
This is an important one: Instagram can become a comparison game, overwhelming and obsessing, so I always recommend that if you are feeling that way, you may need to have a break.
I am actually planning a little break for August, which is normally a quiet month for my business, so it is the perfect time to not have to worry about content or scheduling posts. It will be nice to have a little break and be back in September feeling rested and refreshed!
If you enjoyed this blog post, you may enjoy my latest free guide "How to Create Engaging Content for your brand" which you can get by signing up for my newsletter here.
Have a lovely summer, and see you in September!
Laura
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