2021 Instagram takeaways for business owners...

Oh Instagram - it can be a flaky beezy, that’s what we can actually count on.

I asked my IG audience what Instagram’s enneagram would be if it had one.

My favorite answer was that it’s not on the chart. It has an identity crisis. I’ve never heard something so accurate.

So, with IG and it’s ever changing, now ALGORITHM(S) - Yes, PLURAL - what are creators and brands to do?

I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but I do have a few takeaways after observing and taking active part in some of my data collection in the first six months of 2021.

That is what I plan to share with you today. Take it for what it’s worth. And remember that no matter what, consistency is the actual key. I've been on that god forsaken app for seven years, okay? Those who have “succeeded” either in audience size, interaction, income or all of the above, have been the humans who have done the damn thing day in and day out for YEARS. They’ve rolled with the punches or stuck to their guns and said “I do this one thing really well, and that’s what I’ll be known for, period.”

So, please don’t mistake this episode for a quick fix or some 3 steps to 3x your following in 30 days. No, fuck off with that. Gag me, what a joke. These are practical ways to play the game while like, keeping a hold of your dignity and maybe, just maybe your sanity. But I’m not making any promises.

Alright, let’s get into it, shall we?

Be choosey

I am sure you know by now that you can now make money directly on the app - I keep getting pressured via IG badges to sign up to get paid while going live or something else). I just have to give IG my social security number, and bank information. It’s a no for me.

Listen, that’s the point of this suggestion - remember why you’re on the app. Are you on IG to get paid by IG? Because that’s a flimsy business plan if you are.

My guess is that you’re there to build an engaged audience who you actually enjoy; and to eventually drive those audience members to your business products or services. Yes? Let’s keep our eyes on the prize. Not be distracted by the shiny objects.

Be choosey - I’ve said this what feels like 500 times on this podcast. But yes, I encourage you to always try out the new features. Because you truly can’t say if something is for you or not until you give it a go. I thought I’d hate reels and I find them so enjoyable to create now. I’ve also transitioned from doing mini trainings in my stories to uploading them via IGTV. Technically I could do both of those repurpose. My point is, never count anything out. You’ve got nearly endless tools and options with IG. Find 1-2 things you can do well. Do them YOUR WAY, and get good at them. Be choosy.

And also…

Do what you want in your business - 

I have been encouraging business clients and FitsPRO’s to push into having fun on IG and creating what they want to simply because they want to. It can be very easy to let the algorithms and lack of consistency in the effort : result ratio get you down. To suck all the fun out of creating things.

And I truly believe that if you’re trying to build a brand using instagram, you’ve GOT to find a way to enjoy it. Why would you expect anything different than someone who hates weight lifting to repeatedly force themselves to use weight lift to get fit rather than exploring other options that they might actually enjoy? Don’t be that person, but in terms of instagram.