Instagram

  • Why Instagram Is Harder for Growing Your Business in 2024

    Instagram has never been a walk in the park. Let’s be honest, how many of us truly love posting on Instagram? For most, it feels like a chore. But if you’re using Instagram to grow your business, you’ll have noticed that it’s even tougher in 2024 than it was during the golden era of 2019-2021. Posts that once garnered engagement now seem to disappear into the void, leaving you wondering if anyone is out there at all.

    Why Instagram Is Harder for Growing Your Business in 2024

    So, why is Instagram so much harder these days, and more importantly, what can you do that actually works?

    Why Instagram Has Become a Tougher Nut to Crack

    1. The Dreaded Tumbleweed Effect

    We’ve all been there. You put out a post, and… nothing. Absolute silence. This isn’t just you—many people are finding that static posts, especially those with non-impactful graphics, simply aren’t getting the love they used to. These posts might have worked once, but now, they often sit there with no likes, no comments, just gathering digital dust. It’s time to stop creating these and focus on what’s working.

    2. Saturation: A Needle in a Haystack

    Instagram isn’t the small, cozy platform it once was. With over 200 million businesses now competing for attention, your content is just one tiny needle in a massive haystack. Standing out in this crowd is no small feat. The sheer volume of posts means that even your most well-thought-out content can get lost in the noise.

    3. Algorithm Aggravation

    Ah, the algorithm. That ever-changing, ever-confounding puzzle. It’s tempting to try to figure it out, but let’s be real—it’s not worth the effort. Just when you think you’ve cracked the code, it shifts again. Your best bet is to follow accounts that provide regular updates on these changes*, but don’t waste your energy chasing the algorithm. Instead, focus on consistency and quality.

    *Pink Storm Social

    4. The Rise of New Platforms

    Instagram’s dominance isn’t what it used to be. Platforms like TikTok and BeReal are capturing users’ attention, especially among younger audiences. I spend more time on TikTok than Instagram these days when browsing for myself. This shift means fewer people are actively engaging with content on Instagram, making it even harder to grow your presence organically.

    5. The Pay-to-Play Reality

    Meta, Instagram’s owner, has made it clear that if you want to reach your audience, you need to pay for it. Organic reach has taken a nosedive as they push businesses towards sponsored posts and ads. Have a scroll through the first 10 posts on your feed – I guarantee 2-3 of them will be sponsored posts. That makes it blinking hard for the rest of us, who aren’t going to pour thousands into ads.

    OK – Now I have explained why it is hard I don’t want you totally to lose heart. It is still worth being on Instagram, and a platform that brings joy to a lot of us.

    What Does Work on Instagram in 2024?

    Despite the challenges, some strategies are still effective—if you’re smart about how you use them.

    1. Reels: The Consistency Conundrum

    Reels are where it’s at if you want to grow your audience. But let me be clear: it’s not about throwing up any old video and hoping for the best. Consistency is key. I know a business owner who challenged herself to post daily reels at the end of 2023. Five months in, her page exploded with 15,000 new followers. But beware—chasing the dopamine hit of a viral reel can lead you off-brand. Yes, a well-performing reel can increase your clout, but will it bring in clients? That’s another question entirely.

    The trick? Keep it simple and post regularly. If creating reels isn’t something you enjoy, or it feels like a slog, don’t force it. No point in doing something that makes you miserable.

    2. Engagement: The Right Way

    One of the best ways to grow your following organically is by engaging with the right users. Here’s a simple, step-by-step strategy:

    1. Identify Active Followers: Start by finding accounts in your niche with active followers. The easiest way is to Google keywords related to your industry and check out the top results. These accounts are likely getting plenty of real traffic.

    2. Engage Strategically: Once you’ve found a relevant account, go through their followers list. Look for accounts with active stories (you’ll see a purple ring around their profile picture) or recent posts. This ensures they’re currently active.

    3. Interact with Their Content: View and like their stories, and then like 1-3 of their posts. This will trigger notifications, prompting them to check out your profile. If they like what they see, they’ll follow you back.

    4. Repeat: Consistency is key here. Regularly engaging with these users will help you build a following that’s genuinely interested in what you offer.

    IMPORTANT: Avoid those “follow trains” like the plague

    You know the ones – “Follow these accounts and magically gain X followers!” They masquerade as supporting small businesses. Don’t fall for it. Trust your instinct – it it’s “too good to be true,” it is. 

    Why steer clear? Simple. Those new followers? Many of them won’t be genuinely interested in your business. But here’s the real kicker – I’ve seen countless accounts get slapped with the spam label by Instagram after jumping on these trains. Next stop? Account suspension or total wipeout. Trust me, you don’t want that headache.

    3. Your Online Rolodex

    Instagram is still a fantastic tool for keeping in touch with people you meet at events and when out and about. Follow up with new connections by connecting with them on Instagram. This simple act helps maintain relationships and keeps you top of mind. Plus, by engaging with their content, you learn more about them, and start to build a relationship.

    4. Declutter Your Account

    One of the challenges with engaging with other businesses is that it is hard to see the content you want to. Declutter your account. I went through everyone I was following and got rid of a lot of accounts that were no longer active, accounts where people hadn’t posted for 1-2 years, or who are no longer of interest to me. The result is I am seeing much more posts from people I am genuinely interested in and want to connect with.

    5. Borrow Audiences

    One of the most effective ways to expand your reach is by tagging other accounts in your posts and stories. For example, if you visit a local coffee shop or hotel, tag them in your content. You’re essentially creating free content for them to share, which is an easy way for them to amplify your reach by sharing it with their audience. This approach not only helps you, but it’s also a generous way to support other businesses.

    What You Can Do That Actually Works On Instagram
    5. Value Your Existing Audience

    Don’t forget to look after the audience you do have on Instagram. In the chase of the new and shiny it is all too easy to forget the loyal connections, your raving fans who are on there. These people are likely to be your best marketing as they will be the ones sending referrals your way, recommending you and already love what you do. Give them some love. Reply to them and make sure that you check in on their posts and see what they are up to.

    6. See Instagram As Your Portfolio

    Rather than building your entire growth strategy around Instagram, see it as a great online portfolio of what you do, that gives people a flavour of what working with you is like. A lot of people will check your Instagram before deciding to work with you, even if they found you via another method first. If you run a visual business like interior design, art or photography, Instagram works as a great free online portfolio of your work.

    Beyond Instagram: Diversifying Your Digital Strategy

    Instagram is still a valuable tool, but it shouldn’t be the only platform in your digital strategy. Here are a few other platforms worth considering:

    1. YouTube

    Unlike Instagram, where content often has a short lifespan, YouTube videos can continue to attract views for months or even years. This makes YouTube an excellent platform for building a library of content that keeps working for you long after it’s posted. Plus there is always the carrot of eventually being able to monetise your channel…

    2. LinkedIn

    LinkedIn continues to grow in popularity – mainly because the darn algorithm doesn’t change as much. You know where you are with LinkedIn. Don’t automatically discount it, there is a place for all of us on LinkedIn, and it could be a good place for connections for Press and PR. We have a guide to getting started on LinkedIn here

    3. Google My Business

    If you are not on Google My Business, get on there right now! It helps you appear in local web search results and climb those all important seo rankings. Find out more here

    Final Thoughts

    Instagram may be a tougher landscape to navigate in 2024, but still has a value to small business owners. Focus on what’s effective—reels, engagement, & connections, and view it as just one part of your online digital presence

    As a small business owner or solopreneur, we have to stay adaptable. Social media trends will continue to evolve. The key thing is not to lose heart, and instead, get curious, experiment and find out what works for you. 

    READ MORE

  • How to engage with others on Instagram 

    How to engage on Instagram

    As a small business owner, you know you should engage with others on Instagram, but how do you do it in an authentic way that actually provides results for your business? Maybe you already spend lots of time on social media but aren’t getting much back from it? It can feel incredibly frustrating and you’re no doubt wondering if it’s worth all the time you’re investing. 

    You may be tempted just to blame the algorithm, which seems to change its mind more often than people change their underwear, but it’s actually less about IG moving the goalposts and more about how you use the app to your advantage. It’s about taking intentional action to engage with others consistently. 

    To help you do this, I’m sharing my six top tips to use your time wisely and get results.

    Tip 1 – Identify your target audience

    It can be challenging to find your ideal client on social media; we’ve all been there. Creating a list of people from your target audience makes it easier to know who you should be communicating with. Build your list up over a period of time and start with as many or as little as you like. 

    You might be wondering what information to put on it. It only needs simple details such as their name, business name and social media handles.

    Once you’ve built your list, go ahead and follow those connections. This is an important step, so don’t miss it. If you don’t follow them, you won’t see what they’re posting. If you’re really keen, you can even turn on notifications so you know when they’ve posted. Turn these notifications on and off as you need to.

    Tip 2 – Start to engage

    Now it’s time to engage. To begin engaging with your ideal clients, start by commenting and liking their posts. A few different ways to do this include: 

    • Sharing your opinion on something they’ve posted
    • Letting them know if something resonates with you
    • Talking to them about something industry-related

    Not only does this help your ideal client see you’ve got something worth saying or that you’re knowledgeable about your area of expertise, it also enables other people to see that too. Often new followers will come to your account via comments you’ve made on other people’s posts – you’ve peeked their interest and curiosity and they want to hear more from you.

    However, don’t forget about engagement on your own posts too. If you’ve posted and people are commenting, you need to respond to what they’ve said. ‘Don’t post and ghost’ is a great rule to live by on Instagram. 

    After all, social media is just that… social. And the more social you are, the better your engagement will be. If you don’t respond to comments, people won’t bother commenting – it’s as simple as that. 

    Some of the biggest accounts on Instagram hire people just to engage with their community in the comments, responding and interacting with people – it’s that important.

    Tip 3 – Hashtags

    Let’s tackle the burning question. Should you use 10 hashtags or all 30? In late 2021, Instagram changed its bloomers yet again and announced that using 3-5 hashtags would be the optimum number. This was probably because some Instagram users were spamming the 30 hashtag rule and ruining the party for the rest of us. The app is also using a more SEO-based approach, therefore recommending fewer, more relevant hashtags makes sense to them.

    But according to research done by Later, posts with all 30 hashtags are still performing the best. Here at Jennifer Cooper Timesaver, we’re following Later’s philosophy of ‘go big or go home’ and mostly use all 30. In our opinion (and the research backs this up), the more hashtags you use, the more it increases your chances of your ideal client finding you and thus improving your engagement rates.

    Having said that, it’s important to do the research and use the right hashtags for your business – you want to attract your ideal client to your business, not just randoms who are hanging out and spamming your comments with chances to win the latest iPhone. 

    You can even follow relevant hashtags so that posts using that hashtag come up in your feed. When you click into that hashtag, you have the option to view the best performing posts or the most recent. For better results, choose the most recent posts to engage with and start getting to know people by following the steps in the first tip above.

    Tip 4 – Stories 

    Using stories is the ideal way to give your audience a chance to glimpse behind the scenes of your business. As much as beautifully crafted grid posts or videos definitely have their value, stories are the place where people can get to know a bit more about you. Sharing typical parts of your day, e.g. the coffee you enjoy or the walk you’ve done at lunchtime, can prompt greater engagement as your audience interacts with you. 

    Use all the features that Instagram has to offer too. You could create polls on topics that could spark conversation with your audience or use the question feature to find out what your audience is thinking.

    You might like to consider using that question feature to further engage your audience by taking a question someone has asked and using it as a topic for an IG live. Or if speaking live makes you want to change your underwear, expand on a question within the stories feature itself. 

    Some of the best accounts do a weekly ‘ask me anything’ on their stories, using the question sticker, and show up consistently to answer those questions for their audience. 

    The ‘close friends’ feature is a great tool because it enables you to ask for feedback or to gain market research with a smaller audience that you trust. It makes people feel special if you add them to your close friends list – why not offer it to your audience and let them know they’ll get even more great content that’s not available to all followers?

    Tip 5 – Conversation in the DMs

    Want to know the secret to engaging effectively with people on social media? You’ve guessed it, send them a DM. Start a conversation. Often this helps to build a closer relationship as you can start to get to know them on a personal level first before mentioning anything business-related. 

    You may find this a little intimidating at first – and that’s perfectly normal. It’s a little like going up to someone new at a networking event and chatting to them for the first time – all the while hoping you haven’t got bits of custard cream between your teeth. But starting small and simple is the best way forward. 

    So, once again, see if there’s anything in their bio, stories, posts or highlights that you resonate with. Get to know them. Remember that having a conversation is a two-way street and relationships take work. 

    Keep the word ‘relationship’ at the forefront of your mind – imagine how you’d want someone to interact with you for the first time on social media and go from there. Take a genuine interest – people tend to get annoyed if you try to get to know them just to pitch your services or products to them after two messages. I’m sure you’ve met those people in your own DMs.

    You’ll know when the time is right for selling or pitching. You may find your ideal clients even approach you first if they’re interested and have engaged with your profile. 

    Tip 6 – Reward yourself

    Running a business is hard work. Social media is a fantastic way to market your business for free. We acknowledge that it takes hard work and dedication to see results. Rewarding yourself for the hard work you’re doing can be easily overlooked.

    To help you reach your bigger goals, set yourself smaller daily/weekly goals. When you reach them, treat yourself. It’s important to celebrate your wins no matter how big or small they are.

    You may feel as though you have to spend hours on these engagement tips every day. But you don’t. Try spending just 30-minutes a day interacting and engaging with others on their posts and on yours. If you do consistently, you’ll soon see results. Some experts suggest the ‘5-5-5’ approach. Use your social media time to:

    • Follow 5 new people from your target audience
    • Comment on 5 posts from your ideal clients
    • Send 5 new DMs to people you’re building relationships with

    The real key to success is consistency and patience. Show up regularly and engage with those around you. You’ll soon find your own corner of Instagram that really feels like your community. Not only full of your ideal clients but full of other small business owners too. 

    And while these tips are for Instagram, you can implement them across other platforms too. By following our simple steps of creating a list, engaging with others using the different features and rewarding yourself, you can continue to engage effectively with your target audience – and grow your business.


    If you would like more support with building your Instagram audience, please get in touch here.

    READ MORE