REMEMBER WHEN INSTAGRAM WAS FUN?

Remember when Instagram was easy, fun and mindless. When we didn't plan our every move around which photo looks best in our feed, or when we didn't count the likes we got in an hour or in a day. When we didn't constantly look at how many new followers we had gained in a matter of weeks. Let's try to remember what Instagram is all about and start marketing our business based on that idea.

A FUN AND QUIRKY WAY TO SHARE PICTURES

Instagram is a fun and quirky way to share your life with friends through a series of pictures. That's it. No muss no fuss. Nothing else, nothing more, nothing less. As entrepreneurs and business owners, some of us have taken Instagram and morphed it into a selling machine. On this particular marketing platform, that is not what you should be doing. You need be sharing your life with your "friends" your followers. Creating relationships, building trust. You need to be engaging and commenting.

DOWN WITH THE ROBOTS

Instagram got rid of the bot programs and the automatic liking systems for a reason. It wasn't real. It wasn't what Instagram stood for.  it's so important to keep going back to the above mantra on what Instagram is. Honestly we need to keep this mantra alive when thinking about marketing on Instagram for our business! It's not and it can't be all SELL SELL SELL, or BUY BUY BUY. It just won't work. If this is your plan for marketing on Instagram, the algorithm and shadow banning will eat you up and spit you out. 

START BEING SOCIAL AGAIN

Instagram wasn't even built for the purpose of selling your products so you have to start marketing on the app the it was built for. If you don't your followers eventually will lose interest if no relationship or no trust is built between you and them. So start commenting, start being social, start genuinely liking images and going through the hashtags you're using and leave some love on them!

DON'T DINE AND DASH WITH YOUR PHOTOS

Be present on the social app. Don't dine and dash. AKA where you throw up a photo and think you're done on the app and just close it out expecting the likes, the enquiries and the sales to come your way. It doesn't work like that. By being more active on your account, your followers will appreciate it, you'll gain new followers, and you'll start building those relationships and that trust that is so sacred between customer and merchant.

THEY'LL EVENTUALLY FALL IN LOVE WITH YOU

People will eventually fall in love with you and your products and your business and that's when they'll buy from you. Only once they know you through a fun and quirky way of sharing your life through a series of pictures. 

WHO'S YOUR FAVOURITE INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT?

Who or what Instagram account is inspiring you these days? I'd love to go check them out! Finding new and inspirational Instagram accounts is my jam. @steffypandcs is on my hit list right now. She's so personable and real and raw and lovely. I love it! Also her fashion sense is unlike no other! Love it. 

IF SOCIAL MEDIA DISAPPEARED WOULD YOUR BUSINESS SURVIVE?

It's just too up in the air with Instagram changing so much. We need to start taking control of things instead of relying on others to market our business. If social media disappeared tomorrow, would your business still survive? View more info about the email marketing workshop here. -----> EMAIL101 WORKSHOP

DOWNLOAD MY FREE GUIDE ON THE BIGGEST MISTAKES ENTREPRENEURS MAKE ON INSTAGRAM

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