Anyone who tells you that you can’t build your blog or biz with Instagram is wrong. Instagram is one of my favorite tools to increase sales AND grow my email list.
CONFESSION: A COUPLE MONTHS AGO I BURNED OUT
I completely burned out a couple months ago on Instagram. The platform that brought me so much money became a major pain. I took a little Insta-break for a couple weeks and came back better than ever! Here’s what I did to fall back in love with Instagram.
Ready? Let’s banish burnout and get back to what we love about Instagram.
1. If It Doesn’t Spark Joy, Unfollow.
Yes, I’m about to get all up in your business, Marie Kondo-style. In case you don’t know, Marie wrote a best-selling book about getting rid of the clutter in your life and only keeping things around that spark joy.
We follow people for all kinds of reasons and sometimes, we change our minds and want to unfollow someone. Who knows why? The point is, I want you to know that YOU CAN FOLLOW WHOMEVER YOU WANT.
I was in a Facebook group a few weeks ago and a woman wrote a post about how frustrated she felt whenever someone unfollowed her. Instead of consoling her, everyone was giving her major tough love. They (smartly) told her that if knowing who unfollowed her made her feel THAT BAD, then she shouldn’t look at who unfollows her! Brilliant, right?
When you scroll through Instagram and every single thing you see inspires joy, you will fall in love with Instagram again.
TAKEAWAY: Don’t follow people just so they will follow you back. Follow accounts that make you feel good.
2. Streamline Your Instagram Tasks.
My FAVORITE thing about Instagram (you’re following me there, right?) is the community! I used to enjoy taking photos, but then I just didn’t. Let me rephrase that, I HATED TAKING PHOTOS. For me, the best thing about Instagram is interacting with my followers and REALLY taking the time to get to know them.
It’s not just my followers that I’m interested in, it’s everybody. I am completely addicted to searching hashtags and finding interesting people to connect with.
The second I reached a level in my business where I was able to outsource all my Instagram photography, I jumped at the chance. I don’t use stock photography, I collaborate with a real live person. Her name is Natasha and she is a complete Instagram badass.
Outsourcing my photography has allowed me to spend even more time researching various Instagram communities and testing out new marketing techniques. I am kind of like an Instagram guinea pig. I figure out what works so you don’t have to. All my findings are wrapped up in a tidy blog post or newsletter. You’re welcome.
If you aren’t ready to outsource all your Instagram photography, there are still plenty of opportunities for your to streamline. Consider setting aside one day a month to take ALL your Instagram photos. Schedule everything in advance with Latergram. Do what you need to do in order to save yourself some time.
TAKEAWAY: It’s okay to ask for help when you need it.
3. Focus On Your Existing Followers.
I will be the first to tell you that gaining a steady stream of new followers every single day is essential to increasing sales. The problem I see is that people spend too much time trying to figure out how to grow a following (it’s easy, just take my course) and not enough time on the people who are already following them.
Remember those people? Yeah. They’re still there. Whether they followed you a month ago, a week ago, or a day ago, they want to hang out with YOU. Ignoring your existing followers completely negates all the effort you spent trying to get them to follow you! Think about that for a minute. You spent tons of time building a following, which you now ignore. It makes no sense.
Spending time chatting with people who follow me is a freaking delight. Whether we’re chatting on my feed or theirs, it’s always a good time.
People who have been following me on Instagram for a while are much more likely to do business with me than someone who doesn’t follow me at all. Why? My existing followers have already spent time with me. They know who I am and (hopefully) feel comfortable with me.
TAKEAWAY: Your existing followers are ready to buy. Ignoring them is a missed opportunity for a sale.
I CHALLENGE YOU, DEAR READER
No, seriously. I’m hosting a challenge on Instagram right now. It’s free to join and you don’t have to sign up for anything. This free challenge is designed to make you fall back in love with Instagram and eliminate your burnout. Follow me on Instagram and join my challenge! *This challenge is over, but you should still follow me for tips, stories, and embarrassing stories.