Everything You Need to Know About Marketing on Instagram in 2023
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Let’s be real for a second…does anyone ever really know what’s going on with Instagram? No? Good, just checking, because me either.
But in all seriousness, Instagram can be pretty confusing. It seems like there are about five different Instagram strategists saying something totally different every time you open the app.
There is good news, though: there is a way to make Instagram a successful part of your content strategy.
It doesn’t come down to “hacks” to trick the algorithm into pushing your content out to more people — it’s about working with the algorithm to create quality content that your audience wants to see. Want to know how to do that?
You’re in luck! That’s exactly what we’re going to be covering today!
First things first…do you even need to be on Instagram?
Listen, not every platform is for everyone, and that’s okay. Just because a ton of people are on Instagram doesn’t mean you have to be. But if your audience is pretty active there, then you probably should be too.
And a few things about the social media giant that may (or may not, Instagram’s reach is massive) surprise you:
It reaches about 1.2 billion users every month
81% of internet users rely on Instagram to research services, products, and businesses
50% of internet users have purchased a product or service recommended/advertised by Instagram
So if your audience is hanging out on Instagram, the chances are good that you’ll reach them at some point.
How often should you post on Instagram in 2023?
To be completely honest with you, there’s no one right answer.
The most important thing to consider is what you can handle and stay consistent with because consistency is…yep, you guessed it…KEY!
Start somewhere and build on that plan as you can. The more you do it, the easier it will become and eventually free up more time for you to come up with and create posts. It’s better to gradually build your Instagram account than go hard and then go home (aka burn out and disappear).
And what that number looks like just depends on what you can handle. Three days a week? One day a week? Five? The choice is yours — it’s your business, your rules.
What should you be posting?
You do need to have some form of video content baked into your IG marketing plan. I know, I know — *cringe*. But the truth is that video content is running this social media game, and if you want to see results, you’re going to have to play by the platform’s rules — whether that’s Reels, Stories, or Lives.
Making Reels
Reels are great for getting in front of more people and building your audience. If you’re looking to expand your reach, those must be on your list of things to do.
And they don’t have to be complicated either. TRADE SECRET — most of my Reels come from repurposed video content from my YouTube videos or the b-roll footage. You don’t have to dance to trendy songs or figure out those crazy transitions to make it work for you.
Using Stories
Sadly, Instagram Stories aren’t going to do much for developing a community. Instead, they’re going to nurture and build relationships with your current audience by helping you keep lines of communication open. It’s where your audience will get to know you better and decide whether or not you’re someone they want to work with or buy from.
Using written forms of content
I also think that creating some kind of written content will work well too. Twitter thread carousels are doing really well on Instagram right now, and are easy to make because you can take snippets from a blog or email and incorporate them into the graphic (which is REALLY EASY to make in Canva, too, because you can make a template out of the first one you use.)
These types of posts are great for shares, comments, and link clicks, which is exactly what the Instagram Algorithm is looking for.
How to convert Instagram audiences with your content
Having an Instagram strategy is great, but we aren’t creating content for fun, are we?
You need to make sure you tie all of your content into getting people to take some sort of action, like getting on an email list, subscribing to your YouTube channel, or buying from/working with you.
But you have to be vocal about it — don’t just assume people will be able to learn about your offers as they fall out of the sky and land on their lap. This was something I struggled with for the longest time — no one ever knew about my courses or my agency because I never talked about it.
And, of course, when I finally did, those offers got traction.
You don’t have to be salesy, but it helps to make people aware of what you have and how they can get it.
Pairing your Instagram strategy with YouTube
This year, the platforms (well… the only platforms) I’ll be focusing on are YouTube and Instagram.
And that’s because structuring your content plan around a core piece of content (think longer form YouTube videos, podcasts, or blogs) with micro content (just one social media post) that pulls some of the cliff notes from the longer piece of content can help you out by a long shot.It will save you SO MUCH time if you’re constantly running on the content creation hamster wheel.
My friend Latasha from Uncanny Content (who also happens to be our copywriting team here at Trena Little) talks a lot about how important it is for your audience to have consistency with your messaging. Don’t switch up topics every day — keep things centered around one topic at a time.
Repurposing your content
It’s actually a lot easier than you may think. For example, my one YouTube video gets turned into …
A weekly email
A Reel
A blog
Several Instagram Stories
This is just what I do, but you have my full permission to break that sucker up into as many pieces of content as possible (across #AllThePlatforms).
Want to learn more about how to create a killer content plan?
Creating a social media strategy takes time and lots of thought. But once you have something clear and strategic mapped out, you’re going to have a much easier time growing your audience and making the content you produce worthwhile!
If you want to learn more about how to create a social media strategy that works, and works well, check out the video below!
