Recently, I went LIVE in my Facebook Group in response to AWESOME questions from the mompreneurs in the group! Like – rock your Instagram – questions!! And today I’m here to share them with you along with my answers, advice and suggestions. We’re diving into the best practices for posting on Instagram when you’re launching a business, how to market without a budget, CTA’s and the pesty algorithm! I also want to invite to join my Facebook Group, Social Media for Mompreneurs. Get the best Instagram tips, strategies, trainings and challenges and connect with an awesome group of women! Now let’s dive into the juicy questions!

 

 

Recently, I went LIVE in my Facebook Group in response to AWESOME questions from the mompreneurs in the group! Like – rock your Instagram – questions!! And today I’m here to share them with you along with my answers, advice and suggestions. We’re diving into the best practices for posting on Instagram when you’re launching a business, how to market without a budget, CTA’s and the pesty algorithm!

I also want to invite to join my Facebook Group, Social Media for Mompreneurs. Get the best Instagram tips, strategies, trainings and challenges and connect with an awesome group of women!

Now let’s dive into the juicy questions!

Recently, I went LIVE in my Facebook Group in response to AWESOME questions from the mompreneurs in the group! Like – rock your Instagram – questions!! And today I’m here to share them with you along with my answers, advice and suggestions. We’re diving into the best practices for posting on Instagram when you’re launching a business, how to market without a budget, CTA’s and the pesty algorithm! I also want to invite to join my Facebook Group, Social Media for Mompreneurs. Get the best Instagram tips, strategies, trainings and challenges and connect with an awesome group of women! Now let’s dive into the juicy questions!

 

 

Full transcription available at the bottom of this blog post

Before you go, I’d love to connect with you and give you some gifts to help you grow your online presence!

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Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2594119307580743/

Work with me: https://ascholes.wpengine.com/instagram-success-method/

Free Caption Templates: https://ascholes.wpengine.com/free-captions/

Personal Branding Workbook: https://ascholes.wpengine.com/rock-your-personal-brand/

 

Full Transcription:

Recently, I went live in my Facebook group in response to awesome questions from the mompreneurs in the group, like rock your Instagram questions. And today I’m here to share them with you. Along with my answers, advice and suggestions. We’re diving into the best practices for posting on Instagram. When launching a business, how to market without a budget CTS and the pesty algorithm. I also want to invite you to join my Facebook group, social media for mom, producers, get the best Instagram tips, strategies, trainings, and challenges, and connect with an awesome group of women. Now let’s dive in to the juicy questions.

I am here to answer your questions that you submitted this week regarding Instagram. And I will be looking down at some notes because you guys asked, excuse me. Awesome. Awesome questions. And I had some great advice and I wanted to make sure that I didn’t forget anything. So that’s why I have notes with these questions. Cause you guys knocked it out of the park with these questions this week. So I’m going to dive right in with your Instagram questions so you can get back to your day and you can show up on Instagram with confidence, with consistency. And my goal is to help you not only build a brand on Instagram, but love Instagram, it’s fun. Make connections. I really believe that social media should be a fun space for us to grow our businesses and our brand. It should not be hard. Hi Robin.

Good morning. Hi Denise. Okay. So I’m going to dive right into your questions. And the first question came from Katie. What’s the best way to start posting on Instagram when you are launching a business, I love this question and Kate, congratulations on launching your business. That is super exciting and nerve wracking at the same time. So when we want to start posting about our launch or our upcoming business on social media, sometimes, you know, that’s really hard to do where we don’t know where to start. So the first thing that I suggest, if you are just getting started on Instagram or you’re about launch your business and you want to talk about your business on Instagram is number one. I gentefy your objective for Instagram. Why are you on the platform in the first place? Are you on there? Because it’s just a platform that you love are you on there?

Because you know that you’re ideal clients is on Instagram. So determine, you know, if your ideal client is even on Instagram or if it’s just a platform that you’ve just love and you want to show up on it, secondly, then you need to go a little deeper and decide, well, what’s your focus, your goal for being on Instagram for your business? Is it to just build brands, fairness? Do you want to try major traffic to your website or your Etsy shop or your podcast? Do you want to build and grow your email? That’s really important to identify your main focus or your main goal or objective on Instagram and work on that for the next 90 days to six months. And I say that, I know it sounds like a long time, but you guys, Instagram is all about the long game. Connections just don’t happen overnight.

I know Robin just commented. That’s how we met Robin. And I met on Instagram through, I believe someone else. I think it was Laura. Like I think it’s been two years. We didn’t become Instagram. BFX over night. It took us a while to be commenting and getting to know each other through each other’s content and realizing like, yeah, this is my Instagram BFF. She’s awesome. And Robin, and I always say, one day we are going to meet in person because Instagram is pretty incredible. You can meet some awesome people through Instagram, even if they don’t become your client. You guys, you have to look at Instagram, just not on a money focus. You have no idea. Who’s going to give you referrals or who you can collaborate down the road on projects, Robin and I, you know, interview each other on each other’s podcasts all the time.

All right. So once you identify your main objective for being on the platform, then I highly recommend that you identify post types or posts categories to keep you really cool insistent on the platform. Make sure that you are showing up up with content that is relatable to your life. Ideal audience, who don’t want to be talking about everything and anything under the sun, because you are going to confirm fuse your ideal audience. So create content categories and then determine and what your consistency is going to be. Don’t listen to all the pros out there telling you that you have to show up on Instagram each and every day, seven days a week. And all of it has to be selfies video. No, you decide what consistency looks like to you. And you also need to know who your ideal audience is. What do they want from you?

What do they expect from you? Consistency is what you define it to be. There is no magic number out there, um, on how often to post on Instagram, to grow everyone’s different everyone’s accounts, different everyone’s audience is different. You determine your consistency. So if it’s three days a week in your newsfeed, but you’re showing up daily and your Instagram stories, awesome. Just be consistent. And then when I’m talking about post types or content categories, I really recommend that you have categories that are talking about you. That talks about your, why, what are the benefits to your business, sprinkle in your products and services every so often you want to be doing inspirational posts behind the scenes. So you’re going to create these categories and talk about your business and your brand in different ways. That way you’re not coming across as spammy. And you’re coming across as relatable and making connections on Instagram.

And that’s the key to talking about your business. When you’re launching a business, it’s not just about selling your products and services on Instagram. It’s about connecting with your ideal audience in a way where they relate to you first. And then they’re going to get to know like, and trust you. And then they’re going to, okay, well, what does this girl have for me? Cause I really like her. I totally trust her. She has the best tips on Instagram. She shares awesome inspirational posts. I love her behind the scenes with their kids. I want to work with her. That’s what it takes on Instagram. It’s all about the long run. You need to get on there to serve your audience and help them bottom line, help them. You’re not there to sell to them. You’re there to help them. The sale comes in the long run and it will come naturally and organically and authentically.

And last to that question on, um, talking about your business and launching a business on Instagram is show up consistently. Make sure you show your face. That is like the biggest thing people are on Instagram to get to know you. Honestly, I don’t care if you have the best looking logo and you paid like 300 to a thousand dollars for someone to create this logo, please do not have your logo as your profile picture or spread all over in your news feed because I’m not going to do business with the logo. I’m not going to buy from someone. I don’t know. I want to see your face. I want to know your personality. I want to know the kind of person you are before I ever work from you. If you guys ever worked with a business coach, did you sign up with a coach that you didn’t know what they look like?

And all you saw was their logo at bet. Nat. So that’s how it is on Instagram. Make sure that you are showing consistently you are sharing really great content to help your audience and you show your face. And I know you’re like, Oh, I don’t want to do a selfie. Do it. Second question came from K Vern. Covern if I butchered your name, I am so sorry. I am terrible with names. I love this question, right? How to market on Instagram with no marketing budget and what CTA or call to actions that actually work. This is an awesome question. I’m going to tell you right now. I do not do ads. I don’t, I don’t like them. You have to have like a massive budget for Facebook and Instagram. If you’re going to get a return on investment for your ads, I don’t have that kind of budget.

I’m not going to waste my time, creating the perfect ad, the perfect picture, and then decide how many days I’m going to run the ad. I don’t have time for that. And I bet you don’t have time for that. So I don’t do ads. Here’s the biggest tip I can give you to market your business. You want to create content. That’s very valuable to your audience and it’s shareable. What I mean by shareable is when people see your posts, okay? And you have a great carousel that has awesome tips or you’re giving like the most juicy tip that they can have an immediate small win. Give your audience immediate small wins, okay. That they can implement and see a difference right then. And there they are most likely to save that post for future reference or they’re going to share it in their stories. And then now that person’s audience is going to see your posts.

That’s what you want to do on Instagram. And that’s really how you want to market your business is you want to create valuable and shareable content. And the way to know that is, I hope you have a business account on Instagram, use your insights and you can go look at the last 30 days and you can search for which posts are being saved, which posts are being shared. And which posts has the most impressions, which means that is getting seen. That’s what you want on Instagram. And then when we’re talking about CTA is your call to action. I don’t know if you’re talking about your CTS in your posts. Like you want people to the biggest mistake I see is they say Lincoln bio. I’ll tell you right now. No, one’s going to go to your bio and click on the link unless you’re given away.

Like, I don’t know an autographed t-shirt from Chris Pratt. Like nobody is going to go to your link in your bio. So what you want to do is you want to be very relatable to your audience. Okay? Ask them a question. Just like you were to ask someone in the living room when you were talking to them and say, Hey, did that help you out? Do you have any more questions? Or, you know what tip, if you’re giving three tips, which tip did you like the most? Or which tip are you going to try today? Ask a question that they will most likely answer and look at the question that you’re going to put in there. Would you answer it? If you saw that on someone else’s post, would you take the time to answer it? So your calls to action should be not about making a sale, but it’s about starting a conversation with your audience.

You want to know what’s in their head. You want to know how they’re reacting. You want to know what they’re thinking. So you need to start asking those questions in your newsfeed. And then in your Instagram stories start using the polls. Give, you know, would you rather see this? Or would you rather see that for me? Put it a poll in your Instagram stories and let your audience tell you. So that’s the best way to market your business is valuable and shareable content and use your analytics, your insights, and Instagram to see which posts are performing the best. All right, last question. This is from Jennifer. This is a great question. I love it. This question. I, I keep laughing out loud because I know this is what we’re all thinking. She just titles it, right? Algorithms. What does Instagram like us to use most?

Is it reels? And then she puts in parentheses. Does anyone know? And Jennifer, you nailed it. We don’t know the algorithm unless you work for Instagram or your, you know, BFS with Zuckerberg. We truly, I don’t know what the algorithm is doing on a day to day. And who knows if Instagram is changing the algorithm day to day. So here’s what I’m going to tell you about the algorithm. We can’t control the algorithm. So why worry about it? Why stress out and worry about things that you can’t control on that platform. But here’s what you can control. You can control your intentions on the platform and you can control your purpose for being on the platform. That’s all you should worry about. You should worry only about your content and how you are showing up each and every day to help and serve your audience.

All right? So Instagram wants us and this is what we do now. Instagram wants yeah, yes. To be on the platform and to stay on the platform and to play their game. All right, let’s be honest. That’s what they want us to do. They want us to fall into the rabbit hole of Instagram and be responding to all those ads, but that’s not going to help our business in the end, is it scrolling for a half hour in your newsfeed? And just double tapping on pictures does not help grow your brand, but I’m going to tell you what will help you. And it will help your algorithm in the long run, right? Number one, warm up your audience before you post. So if you’re up in the morning, you’re having your coffee and you want to post in the morning, don’t open Instagram and post right away and then get out.

It. That’s the worst thing you can do. We call that posting and ghosting and Instagram knows that Instagram knows how long you’re on the platform. So what you want to do is when you open Instagram, the first thing you should do is go ahead and scroll through your newsfeed just a little bit, but make sure you are stopping on posts that entertain you relate to you, or they’re educating you on something. Leave a valuable comment. Let that person know. Hey, I really liked this post today. Or thanks for teaching me this. I didn’t know that like be real, be genuine with your comment and then take a few posts that really resonated with you that you really love. Like I love inspirational posts that are so cute and fancy and have the best SANEs. I will share those to my Instagram stories. You want to share their posts to your Instagram stories.

Okay? And then what you want to do is then be interacting with stories for a while and then post. So then interact with newsfeed and interact with their stories for a little bit. I’m talking five, seven minutes then post, but then hang out a little bit. Then when you’re finished posting, you want to respond to comments right away and then continue. You want to be, you know, commenting on a few more posts and be interacting with stories, sharing people’s posts to your Instagram stories, tagging them. The algorithm will love you for that. So that’s my first tip. Secondly, you want to be using all the features. I know I’m going to say it and I know you’re going to roll your eyes at me like, Oh, I don’t want to do a real, I don’t want to do IETV. I’m not saying you have to do it every day.

Determine what your consistency is in your newsfeed. So if you want to show up four days a week, awesome show up four days a week. I do recommend that you should be in your Instagram stories daily, because that is like the number one feature right now in Instagram. And when I say show up daily in your Instagram stories, it’s so simple. Make it so simple for you. Please go back and listen to episode 12 on the podcast. That’s the seven circle solution to content. It’ll help you out. It’s going to make it so easy, but do your morning routine to sh to show a 15 second clip on your morning routine. And then in the afternoon, give a tip, share a tip. And then in the evening, maybe do, um, I don’t know your evening routine or how you wrap up your day, make it super simple for you, but you want to be in your stories throughout your day, every day.

And then I GTV and reels. You guys, you don’t need to do it all the time. Make a goal for yourself, tell yourself, you know what, I’m going to do an IgE TV twice this month, when you put it that way, doesn’t it sound way more attainable than going, Oh my God, I need to do an ID TV twice a week for the next three months. No, don’t put that pressure on yourself. If you only want to do an IETV once this month. Awesome. But you’re using the features. Try doing a real, it’s not that hard. They’re kind of fun. Make a goal. You’re going to do three reels for the month. Done. Awesome. The algorithm is going to see that you are using all the different features and they’re going to like you, and they’re going to start favoring your content and showing it to more of your followers.

And that’s what we want. We want to be utilizing the features, sprinkle them in throughout our account. And then the algorithm is going to notice that you are using their features and that’s what they like. So we are going to favor this account and show it. Okay. All right. Number three, engage in your hashtag hubs. Again, I’m going to break this down super simple. You can maybe do this five, 10 minutes a day. Go to your latest post click on one of your hashtags. And I want you to find a few posts in there. That number one, it relates to you. You find it entertaining. You find it valuable. You learn something from it, leave a valuable comment, but here’s the trick. Share that post to your Instagram stories and tag that user. Because now that user is going to see that not only did you comment on my post, this user shared my post to their Instagram.

You are going to make some incredible can actions by doing that. I’ve made awesome connections by sharing people’s posts in my hashtag hubs to my stories. And I tagged them. Just sharing a post to your stories does not notify that user. That’s a trick. Make sure you are still using the app. Mentioned sticker, do that. All right. Last tip for the algorithm. It’s always a test guys. What works for us now may not work in three months, but I’m going to go back to what I said. You can’t control, or we can’t worry about what we don’t control. I only want you to focus on your intentions for being on the platform, focus how you serve and help your audience and just focus on creating really great content, shareable content. And then you will make those connections in the long run.

 

 

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