Low engagement? Keep reading for 6 tips to help!
It's clear that we can't control most of what happens on Instagram. We can control our content, how we show up, and when we show up, but that's about it! So if you're feeling a little discouraged or frustrated by the 'gram lately, I'm here to help!
There are things you have to let go of and things we can control so let’s talk about them and make a plan to do the best we can.
Overthinking is the worst thing you can do. Ignore the numbers and try to stick to business as usual without doubting yourself. I know it's hard to do, but once you start overthinking, you'll begin to second-guess every little thing, and that's self-sabotage waiting to happen.
You might be thinking "ugh I used to have 1k views and now I only have 200"... or whatever! Even if views and engagement have declined, you have to flip your thinking. What about the people who ARE watching?!
Even if it's only 10 people...don't they matter? Keep showing up for them! If you are able to sell to 10 people, serve 10 people, share something meaningful with 10 people, then that's a win! Focus on serving the audience that you do have.
NOW let’s get into some practical things you can do to make sure you’re showing up in the best way possible and can to maximize what IG will do for you. I’m all about keep pushing, keep going, BUT I also believe in making changes, which we talked about in last week's podcast.
So let’s look at a few basics and then a few things we can tweak in your business.
First, let's look at what content is performing well for you. What has your audience been reacting to and loving?
Then think about: what content do you love? what content brings you joy?
If one specific type of content is lighting you up, absolutely keep doing it.
What if it’s not related to your niche but you still love it? We’ll get into that in tip five, but definitely we need to keep it.
It's time to check out those analytics! Yes, Instagram may not be giving us everything that we want, but they do provide some solid analytics to look at as we decided what's working and what's not.
Look at you low performers.
Then think about: what do you hate doing each day? each week? what can you remove?
Get rid of anything that you can that’s not really serving you and your audience.
Now we get into the content and engagement ACTIONS TO TAKE.
I did an entire episode about why you should start a series (ep. 21!) and I still believe that.
This is especially valuable if you feel "all over the place" with your content and aren't quite sure how make your brand a little more cohesive.
Going back to #3 and the content that lights you up...this is where you can absolutely create a series around a type of content that doesn't necessarily line up with your niche. If you're a fashion blogger but you also love making matching outfits with your dog, create a fun weekly series called "canine candids" and have a weekly photoshoot with your four-legged friend! If it's a regular piece of content, then it will start to make sense to your followers and they'll look forward to it.
Yes, we love routine for helping followers know what to expect from you, but there's also something to be said for mixing it up and doing something new and different!
One of my favorite ways to do this is to invite a friend to join you for a special piece of content. I have done this many times, and it's always a blast! I actually invited a friend to join me for an upcoming Foodie Friday segment and I'm so excited! This is also a great way to make sure you don't bail on your plans to create a certain piece of content. You can't bail if someone else is committed!
Add a friend into the mix and you'll be surprised at the fresh perspective they bring. When you're having fun, it's easy to share content, and your followers can tell!
If you're struggling specifically with your stories engagement, here's what to do:
Stop storying for 24 hours. I recommend just getting off IG for 24 hours and take a brain reset too! Might as well!
Then next day you get back on and come out pumped up and sharing FIRE content. Post stories right away that call out your target audience. For example: for me, that would be something like "hey, blogger babes!"
Lead your stories with engagement heavy slides like polls and asking for opinions to get people interested. Whatever your audience loves to chat about, get them talking! If it's dog training recommendations or your favorite restaurant in your city, or a recent dating story....go for it!
That will get people chatting with you again, and will signal to IG that your stories are engaging and should be shown to more people!
Try those SIX tips and let me know what works for you. If you loved this episode, share it on IG and tag @thebloggerbrunch! I love hearing from you!
