Common Instagram Myths and Effective Growth Strategies
What if I told you that the best way to climb a tree was to stand 50 feet away, eat a special banana, and jump as high as you can? No seriously, it works. If you want one of these special bananas, contact us and we’ll send you a free guide on how to plant one of these special banana trees in your very own backyard!
Spoiler alert: That’s a myth.
While many myths are easy to spot, myths about Instagram can be less apparent. These myths can leave you trying things that won’t work in the long run, and won’t boost your Instagram presence any more than a special banana will help you climb a tree. We want to help you to be able to see through some of these myths, so let’s get debunking. First we will talk about myths and then we will tell you some facts and what ACTUALLY works when it comes to growing on Instagram.
Myths about Instagram:
1. You need to go viral on Instagram
It is a common trap to pursue virality as the way to grow your business on Instagram. The truth is, going viral does not necessarily mean more followers or even conversion of sales. If you post a video that gets a lot of views, that’s great, but that shouldn’t be your main goal. Don’t get me wrong, going viral is a good thing, it means more brand awareness. However, there is no guarantee that a viral video will lead to more followers or an increase in sales. At the end of the day, consitent growth is better than having a “one-hit wonder” viral vidoeo. It’s important to remember that there are other ways to increase your Instagram followers apart from a viral video. Simply going viral is not an effective strategy for Instagram, so, consider this myth debunked. But, what is better than going viral? Keep reading, we will get to that later.
2. Your videos have to be high production
Many, many, many videos perform extremely well that are NOT highly produced. This alone debunks our second myth. Of course, high production could be of benefit if it aligns with your brands goals and overall aesthetic. For example, a luxury brand could benefit from high-production videos that communicate the quality, consistency, and glamor of a product. But for most of us, high production often makes our content less relatable and can make us seem less authentic. People love feeling like they are in a live moment, and low production facilitates this really well.
Don’t just take our word for it. Adam Mosseri (head of Instagram) said this in a reel. –>
3. You have to post every day
If you’ve been stressing thinking you have to post everyday, this will come as a relief to you: You don’t need to post everyday to grow and achieve success on Instagram. Honestly, trying to post everyday is a good way to get yourself burnt out. Instead, what should be emphasized is quality over quantity. Having high-quality content will go way further than posting low-quality content daily. We recommend posting 3-5 times a week for optimal engagement. Using this strategy with our own clients has yielded positive engagement results.
4. (For the business owner) You have to sell in every post
Actually, only about 20% of your posts should be sales-oriented posts. No one likes listening to a high-pressure salesman all the time, so don’t turn your Instagram feed into one. You will fatigue your buyer by trying to sell in every post. Instead of constantly selling, focus on providing value and demonstrating expertise in your niche. This will help your audience come to trust you which will then lead them to buy from you. Here comes a bonus myth: people often think that if they give too much value, then no one will buy their service because they get the information for free. But, by demonstrating your knowledge and expertise, you will attract paying customers for your service that want to work with someone knowledgeable. Take it from us, we give a lot of free value on Instagram, and we still have people knocking on our door asking for help with their social media.
Alright, now that we’ve debunked some myths, let’s talk facts and what will actually get you results on Instagram
Facts about Instagram:
1. Engagement is important for seeing growth on Instagram
If you aren’t prioritizing engagement, you’re doing Instagram wrong. Here’s the big thing about engagment: Engagement tells the algorithm that your content is good and, therefore, it will push your content out to more people. Engaging with your community also fosters strong connections, which is essential for both creators and business owners. For the creator, connection builds trust. For the business owner, connection makes your audience more likely to buy from you. Furthermore, engagement is crucial because it helps your videos perform better. This isn’t just speculation. The HEAD of instagram, Adam Mosseri, has come right out and said engagement is a KEY factor for how well your content will preform on the app, specifically mentioning that shares are a strong indicator that your video will reach more people.
Check these videos out of Adam speaking on shares and engagement. –>
2. Your caption needs to have SEO keywords
Everyone debates the importance of hashtags, but what is not talked about as much is the importance of SEO keywords in your caption. SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. In simple terms, SEO refers to matching up the words people are searching in search engines (like the one on Instagram) and the words you use in your captions (or anywhere else that you enter text). This makes your page and posts more findable by people who search those keywords. Using SEO in your captions helps to categorize your content and improves your visibility on Instagram search. People use Instagram to search for things, so using SEO keywords in your videos and captions gives people a better chance of finding you. For example, if you sell watches, and you know people will be searching for “luxury watches,” then you should try to include “luxury watches” in your caption.
3. Consistent posting is key
Posting daily is a myth, but consistent posting is essential. No matter what quick fix or fast solution people are promising you on how to grow your Instagram following and sales, the real key to success on Instagram is consistent, quality content. Instagram wants to know that you will show up and post consistently. More importantly, your audience wants to know that you will show up and post consistently. Oftentimes, people will post for a week, or even a month, and then give up because they aren’t seeing the results they expected. We’ve seen many accounts fail because they weren’t consistent. Being consistent takes time. A lot of people can be consistent for a month, but successful accounts we’ve seen, including our clients' accounts, are the ones that keep going after a month and keep showing up consistently.
So let’s recap
Some myths about being successful on Instagarm are:
You need to go viral on Instagram
Your videos have to be high production
You have to post every day
(For the business owner) You have to sell in every post
And the facts about Instagram are:
Engagement is important for seeing growth on Instagram
Your caption needs to have SEO words
Consistent posting is key
If you’re wondering what content you should post, want more advice, or just want someone to run all your social media, contact us and we’ll be in touch!
