This week is all about Instagram! We’ll walk you through the steps for creating the right kind of content for your ideal client and how to evaluate the metrics that matter in a meaningful way.
So first, let’s talk about comparison syndrome. We all start out on Instagram comparing our accounts to the existing, growing success of others, and this is such an unhealthy practice! When we compare someone’s engagement and follower count to our own and deem their numbers as the “success factor,” we miss so many important things. We’re not taking into account how long they’ve been in business, how long they’ve been on Instagram, or all of the work behind the scenes they’ve done to give them those numbers.
But even more important than that is the fact that the number of followers is the wrong metric to look at. It’s simply a vanity number, because a follower doesn’t equal an ideal client. Some followers are there just to see what you post and won’t ever take any action. And what will help your business more? Is it a high number of followers? Or is it direct access to your ideal clients who are ready to pay you for your expertise? When it comes down to it, one engagement from an ideal client is worth more than 100 followers who like your photo but are never going to buy from you.
So how do you create Instagram content that will attract the person who’s going to buy from you? How do you get them to engage with your content? And how can you measure the success of your Instagram efforts? Here’s our process.
Step 1: Develop your Content Buckets
Buckets are categories of content about which you have expertise and with which your ideal client will engage. Many people shy away from being called “an expert.” But the truth is that everyone has skills and knowledge that they may not even realize other people don’t have, so don’t sell yourself short in this department!
One excellent content bucket to develop is educational, valuable information. This might be something your ideal client doesn’t necessarily understand 100% about your field. It could be a helpful list, step-by-step instructions, or a deep dive into a particular topic. You never know what someone doesn’t know until you start sharing, so share!
But you may worry that if you give away too many of your hacks and secrets for free, your ideal clients won’t want to buy from you. Could someone go through your material and collect every bit of knowledge you’ve given away and try to use it? Yes, they could. But in reality, people just don’t have that kind of time. What you’re actually selling with your service or product is time saved. You are the real value, and you’re packaging your expertise in a way that saves time and money for your ideal client.
Another content bucket is relatable material. We’re not on Instagram only to sell, sell, sell. We’re there to connect with our audience, develop relationships, and be of service, too. People
gravitate toward those who mirror something about themselves, so your ideal clients will identify with non-business material you share, as well. We recommend that at least 20% of your content be made up of these more personal types of information, like peaks behind-the-scenes of your process, bits about your family life, a look at your morning routine, or other interests or hobbies you may have. Of course, you have to develop your own boundaries with what you feel comfortable sharing. But focus in on some of your unique qualities, and find those messages about which your ideal clients will say, “That’s totally me!” Then you will have established a connection with them that will make the leap to becoming your actual client easier.
Inspiring content is also an important bucket to consider. What might inspire your ideal clients to reach the goals with which you can help them? This kind of content could take the form of testimonials, case studies, or stories (in words, in visuals, or in both). The point is to show those ideal clients the pain points you could ease and the results they could have from working with you. You’ll inspire people to work with you because they’ll see you as an authority on the topics you share and know you can help them.
And let’s not forget entertaining content, too! This bucket is about showing your human side, like your relatable content, but in a way more likely to have a viral effect because of the humor or entertainment value it brings. This kind of content can be about you, your industry, or your audience’s experiences and is often shared through quotes, memes, and funny photos. Really, we all love having a good laugh and passing it along to someone else, don’t we?!
Step 2: Create Meaningful Social Interactions
You may have created some great content, but it’s not going to help you and your business if it can’t generate comments, saves, shares, or direct messages. So in your content, make sure to ask for the types of engagement you want! And reach out to people in the way you’d like them to interact with you. Leave comments on others’ posts and stories or send some DMs. When you get these types of interactions going, ideal clients will know that you offer value in an area that’s important to them and get in touch with you when they’re ready for your help.
Step 3: Measure What Matters
We’ve already talked about not measuring your Instagram effectiveness by your number of followers. Instead, try measuring whether or not your Instagram activity and the interactions that stem from it are increasing the business metric that is important to you. Do you want to grow your email list? Do you want people to click through from Instagram to your website? Are you hoping for a certain number of DMs or phone calls? Once you get clear on what your specific Instagram goal is, you can evaluate at the end of each week to see how things went. Did you increase your metric? What can you do next week to have more engagement and hit your desired metric?
For more help with Instagram and growing your small business, make sure you’re on the waitlist to join the –> Creative Boss Society. We’re opening the doors very soon! In the Society, we’ll be delivering bite size plans to help move your business along each month and a community that will help hold you accountable! And in the meantime, you can also grab our Creative Boss Method Roadmap –> here.
