Welcome to The Circle Sessions, with insights on digital marketing and podcast growth. Host, Brett Johnson, is joined by Tonnisha English-Amamoo, a digital marketing guru, who's here to help small businesses level the playing field.

We're diving deep into the future of Instagram. We'll explore the latest strategies for maximizing engagement and leveraging the potential of video content, which is the new top trend for the year ahead. Discover the art of collaboration on Instagram reels, and learn why family recipes and user-generated content are the latest buzzwords in the food lover's community.

Tonnisha discusses the ins and outs of enhancing your Instagram SEO and adhering to platform guidelines to keep your content visible. They also touch on the potential of Instagram's new broadcast channels for creating exclusive content and maintaining close-knit relationships with your followers.

From the power of faceless videos and AI enhancements to the subtleties of paid promotions, this session is jam-packed with actionable insights.

Authenticity in Social Media: "I think the one of the good things about social media today is that people are kind of combing through, like what feels real and what feels curated, what feels, you know, like this person is acting and not actually doing these things." — Tonnisha English-Amamoo

Top Takeaways

The growing trend of collaborative posts and reels on Instagram offers an effective way to reach new audiences and refresh content strategies by partnering with other creators or brands.

The podcast highlights the importance of staying on top of trending topics, such as food content that relates to family traditions, economic savvy, and the need for cooking skills – aiming to stay relevant and relatable to the audience.

Utilizing content generated by users can not only enhance authenticity but also support small businesses and foster community engagement, which is essential for growing a presence on social media platforms.

Exploring the potential for podcasts that stem from user experiences, like fixing websites or offering a more personal voice in content, can lead to increased direct engagement with the audience.

With the shift in how younger generations search for information, optimizing Instagram content through thoughtful subtitles, captions, and interaction with similar accounts is critical for visibility.

Recognizing the shift from Instagram takeovers to collaborative posting and brand partnerships helps to adapt strategies to the platform's latest features for maintaining user interest and platform engagement.

Creating exclusive content through subscription models needs a solid game plan and commitment to ensure value for paid subscribers, avoiding content fatigue and subscriber attrition.

The strategic use of the bio section on Instagram profiles, with the capability to include multiple links to manage time-sensitive content as well as permanent resources through services like Linktree.

The shift towards prioritizing video content, including creative, faceless videos or AI-enhanced storytelling, is identified as a dominant trend for Instagram, stressing the need for adaptability in content creation strategies.

Paid promotions represent a necessary component of a social media strategy, but they require careful evaluation and realignment with smart goals to ensure they are cost-effective and impactful.

Did you know Tonnisha put a podcast sticker on her laptop and it created an unexpected social media buzz? Sometimes, it's the little things that make the biggest difference! (Tune in at 00:28:53 for the full story).

Memorable Moments

00:00 Create content without showing your face.

03:54 Get creative with the video, keep it real.

10:24 Concerning burnout and managing personal finances efficiently.

13:30 Instagram bio now supports up to 5 links.

17:05 Be mindful of Instagram's community guidelines.

18:48 Increase in brand partnerships and collaborative posting.

24:30 Using Instagram and TikTok for recipe inspiration.

26:41 TikTok food critic boosts small restaurants' success.

29:36 Paid promotions expand reach; engage audience effectively.

33:16 Target specific podcast audiences for promotion success.

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TJE Communication’s mission is to empower and educate small women-owned businesses and equip them with digital solutions to level the playing field.

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Each week, one of The Circle of Experts talks about critical aspects of growing your podcast. We focus on marketing, social media, monetization, website design, and implementation of all of these to help you make the best podcast possible.

Have a question or an idea for one of our episodes? Send us an email at [email protected].

The Circle of Experts are:

Yasmine Robles from Rebel Marketing

Tonnisha English-Amamoo of TJE Communications

Don The Idea Guy

Brett Johnson, My Podcast Guy®, from Circle 270 Media® Podcast Consultants

Copyright 2025 Brett Johnson, My Podcast Guy™

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

https://uppbeat.io/t/vince-mcgill/lemon-slice

License code: 2NRNUIV5VG7FU3K5