The #1 Thing Killing Your Instagram Growth

What’s the #1 thing killing your Instagram growth? Repurposing your content. Are you shocked? Do you agree? Now, I wouldn’t go as far as to say you can no longer repurpose your content ever again. However, we need to be aware of repurposing content in a way that is using Instagram in the best way. You can’t just create content that works really well on one platform and then post it on another without changing it at all. You’ve got to think about what type of content would work well on Instagram and repurpose that part of it.

 

 

One of the biggest mistakes I made for a really long time was trying to make one piece of content work on all different platforms. What you create for a podcast or a YouTube video is not going to work as is on Instagram or TikTok. If you’re trying to mainly grow on Instagram then it takes having an Instagram-centric strategy where you’re focused on what works specifically on that platform. When you start to use what Instagram has to offer you and learn what works there that’s when you start to get some traction and see real success.

You may be wondering what Instagram-centric strategy will work for you. That’s what we are going to talk more about in this post. I had an interview with Brooke from Female Foodie and this post is full of my afterthoughts from that chat I had with her. If you missed it, you can check out our convo HERE. Otherwise, let’s jump into those tips for creating that Instagram growth strategy!

 

 

4 Tips to Create an Instagram-Centric Content Strategy

Brooke is a really amazing example of someone who is committed to being a good content creator. You can learn a lot from her and what she has applied to her strategy and you can totally make it work for you too. I can’t wait for you to see the same growth that she has once you implement these 4 Instagram growth strategies! Soon you won’t even care about the #1 thing killing your Instagram growth because you’ll be too busy seeing your followers roll in day after day!

 

Instagram Content Strategy Tip #1: Learn the platform.

Something interesting about Brooke’s strategy is one of her revenue streams is making ad revenue for site traffic. A lot of the traffic on her website is from restaurant guides in different locations around the country. But if you go to her Instagram, you won’t find any of that there. She was very intentional and strategic about choosing her Instagram content which is mainly recipes. She posts recipes because she knows that’s what will grow her account–much more than restaurant guides would.

Think about your content plan and which platform you are really serious about growing. Whether it’s Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, etc. I recommend studying that platform and getting a firm understanding of how it works and your role in it. If it’s Instagram, I’m your girl. I’ve exploded my account within the last year and have helped several clients do the same. Check out my story about that HERE. 

 

 

Instagram Content Strategy Tip #2: Protect your audience.

I got off the phone with a big influencer today who works with brands for her content. There’s a particular brand she works with who wants her to talk about their product every single day in her stories. She had to tell the brand no because if she were to talk about that product every day she would lose followers so fast. Yes, it’s OK to sell to your followers, but they are there for the story, not just to be sold to. 

Your audience wants connection first and education second. So, if you’re only selling to them then you are going to lose your audience really quickly. Protect your audience and always try to understand who they are. Doing so will keep your relationship with them secure and safe. That is what will create a really tight-knit Instagram community and those are the people who will trust you when you do recommend products! Once they feel safe in their relationship with you and trust you as a person, when you do sell to them so many will purchase your recommended products. 

 

Instagram Content Strategy Tip #3: Make money from your followers.

You don’t have to have a million followers to make money from them. I had 18K Instagram followers for a really long time and I made good money from them. Now, I make money because I have figured out how to grow my following and connect my growth to making money. 

I know plenty of people who have hundreds of thousands of followers and they’re not making a ton of money because they haven’t figured out their customer journey. In other words, they don’t know how to turn their followers into buyers. You want to be super clear on your purpose for showing up on Instagram and what you want from your followers and then clearly relay that message to them. If you want some help refining this process, you should get an Instagram audit! This will help you and your audience know exactly what you want your audience to do once they start following you. Grab your audit HERE. 

 

 

Instagram Content Strategy Tip #4: Be ruthless about the quality of your content.

Referring back to the conversation I had with Brooke, I loved listening to how she is thinking about the videos she creates. She’s not just putting random content out there, but she’s doing the research. She pays attention to the types of things that work in her niche and outside of her niche and then tries them in her own content. 

Because she’s paid attention to what does and doesn’t work she has a list of things that she knows are more successful and will perform better. Doing the research and then adding it to your own content is what a dedicated content creator looks like. When you commit to making high-quality content it makes all the difference. 

 

 

The #1 Thing Killing Your Instagram Growth

I know it can be really hard to grow on Instagram, but enough is enough. It’s time to stop blaming Instagram for not growing. You can do the research and learn the strategies. You can input them into your own content and then celebrate because you’re FINALLY getting that growth you deserve and have worked so hard for. 

There will always be people watching in the wings waiting for you to fail. And those are probably the people who are holding you back the most. But do not give them that power–do some internal work to move past that if you have to. It’s time to claim what’s yours and you do it by showing up and staying committed to your purpose. 

The #1 thing killing your Instagram growth is no more for you. You are ready to explode your account and it’s going to happen! I’m so excited for you. If you want to work together on your Instagram growth journey, come join me in my exclusive Instagram course HERE! Otherwise, give me a follow @iammichellegifford and I’ll cheer you on (& coach you) every step of the way.