5 Changes I’ve Made While Growing my New Instagram
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What would you change if you were to start over? Well… I did start over and I have made some changes AND they’re helping me grow my business on Instagram. Here are the 5 things I’m doing differently as I grow my new Instagram for business.
Why would I even want to grow my Instagram for business?
When you use Instagram for business you:
- reach more people, serve a wider audience
- showcase your business
- become an expert in that field that people go to for whatever your service is
- additional income
- grow your email list
1. Only Posting Niche Content and Speaking to my Ideal Client
When I first started this business on Instagram, I shared all about me, my kids, my hobbies, etc. And although you should let people get to know you and show your personality, 1 your Instagram is not about you, it’s about your clients and how you can serve them and 2 it was confusing to my audience because my content was not consistent.
Say you ordered from your favorite Mexican restaurant one day and they had the best tacos. The next day, you go back for those tacos and they’ve switched up their menu to serve burgers. You would probably feel confused and upset right? Well, it’s the same for your audience. They come back for your content because they enjoy that type of content. Pick a niche and speak to your ideal client in your feed. Stories however, is the perfect place to share about you and let people get to know you!
2. Focusing on the Right Numbers
Yes, likes and follower number feels good BUT they’re not worth stressing over. In fact, I started a brand new Instagram account when my original account had almost 10,000 followers because they weren’t the RIGHT followers. (That’s another story for another post!) However, the “Insights” tab will give you the numbers you need.
Some numbers I like to look at regularly:
- What time of day my followers are on Instagram (so I can post around that time!)
- How many saves and shares my posts are getting (and what kinds of posts are getting saves and shares)
- If my week to week engagement is up (and month to month)
- How many posts I shared (and what kinds)
- How many accounts I reached in the past week and how many accounts are engaged
These numbers tell me, how active I am on Instagram and if I’m consistently serving, if my followers find my content engaging, how many new people I’m reaching and if my account in general is growing.
3. Repurposing Content
You work SO hard to create content and most likely your followers aren’t seeing every single post you put out which is why you need to be repurposing your content! This is where I check my insights, see what posts did well (got a lot of engagement, comments, shares, saves, etc) and figure out how I can repurpose that post!
If you have multiple platforms you’re creating content for, you can do this across platforms. For example, when this blog post goes up, I’ll post a (shorter version) carousel with this content on Instagram. Double wammy but for the same amount of work!
4. Making a Plan for the Week and Batch Create
Having a plan is a MUST if you use Instagram for business. When I sit down on Sundays to write out my plan, I think about what’s coming up in the next month or so and what offers I have in my business. I have my ideal customer in mind and I think about what would serve them and also how my business can further help.
Then, once I have a general plan of what kinds of posts, carousels and reels I want to put out throughout the week, I sit down and batch create. In my opinion, it’s MUCH more productive to get in the “creating zone” and just GO. Create those reels, write those captions, design your carousels and save them in your drafts to post throughout the week.
5. Being a Genuine Human and Connecting
This isn’t necessarily somethings I’ve changed because I like to think I was a genuine human on my other Instagram BUT I am trying to connect more on the platform and actively find people who I want to connect with who I think I’d have something in common with! It’s a weird concept finding friends on Instagram right? But I can tell you I’ve found some incredible women on this platform, some who I talk to daily!
Don’t grow your Instagram with “selling” something in mind. Be a genuine human, show your authentic self, connect with others and if it works out that your business helps your new friend, awesome! If not, also awesome!
Growing your Instagram for Business
When I decided to start over on Instagram for my business, I knew I wanted to change some things and really focus on serving my ideal clients the best I could. These are the 5 things that I’ve changed that are working for me right now!
I’d love to connect on Instagram! Follow me @daniellemgodfrey
If you’re interested in building a business on Instagram sharing your wellness journey you can learn more here!