You probably have an Instagram account, right?
On a scale of 1 to 10, how well do you think you use it in your business?
Let’s say 10 is Kylie Jenner…
Who is a literal IG Queen – she knows how to create compelling content. It’s why she’s the woman with the most Instagram followers – over 314 MILLION the last time I checked.
In your biz, scoring a 10 could look like consistently creating videos and Stories… checking your analytics regularly… and taking action on it with confidence.
And let’s say 1 is…
AKA: “Ummmm… I have an account, I think? I dunno, it’s so I can see pictures of my sister’s kids.”
Big range, right?
If you think you’re a 6 or under, you probably use IG for your business… but not to its fullest capacity.
As in you post content pertaining to what you’re up to… maybe some education or insights about your biz… but you haven’t ventured much into the other features of IG.
It’s full of strategies about how to use two key features of Instagram to grow and scale your biz.
So let’s assume you’re not at the Kylie Jenner level of IG success just yet.
But you want to move up the scale because you know the incredible power of social media to expand your reach… build a community… and leverage those relationships for sales.
Here are my top recommended features inside the app that can give you the most traction toward those goals.
Use These 2 Instagram Features to Grow Your Biz This Year
1. Instagram Stories.
If you aren’t totally down with Stories yet, let me tell ya why you oughta be.
Instagram Stories are shown at the top of your feed – and they’re only available for 24 hours. Then they disappear.
Stories are most often viewed by people who already follow you. And often, they’re the first things people watch when they open the app.
Now, you might be wondering… if they already follow my account… why should I bother with Stories if they can see my posts?
Because it’s not enough to just get someone to follow you.
You need to engage them… build that relationship… and affinity with you.
Relationships are what lead to your success in business.
And Stories are how you get intimate with your followers.
To use them effectively, choose 2-3 things in your life you want to share regularly.
Here are some examples:
Instagram Story Content Idea: Your kids – assuming your kids are cool with being on your feed. I’m a huge believer in asking permission before posting.
My daughter Madeline is generally fine with being in my Stories – as long as her showing up as the star in my life is part of her weekly allowance.
This is actually ok by me. It’s something we do together. And the girl is earning her keep. Have you seen her in my Stories? She’s a pro.
If you’re not following me yet, you totally should – because she’s hilarious and charming and all the things at 12 I wish I had been. LOL
So she and I create content that connects with my community… and it’s actually a way for me to connect with my daughter.
So WIN WIN!
Instagram Story Content Idea: Your hobbies.
According to the law of attraction… like attracts like.
Not that you need a full on army of little yous on your feed… but you wanna vibe with YOUR kind of peeps on there.
Like for me… if I meet someone who is obsessed with Stefon from SNL… I know we’re soulmates.
So back to hobbies… consider them to be a little behind-the-scenes look at your life.
For me, I often post my workouts. People are ASTOUNDED that I prioritize working out every day the way that I do.
And they often want to know what I’m doing. Because I’m not a traditional gym person.
So I use Stories to show them.
People are also fascinated by what I eat.
Because yes, I’m vegan… and to be honest with you, sometimes people view that as me showing off.
Or trying to be fancy.
But the fact is… I actually prefer it!
So I show people what being vegan is actually like.
For example, did you know that you can make delicious vegan nachos? I promise you it’s not, like, a bunch of spinach and some BS black beans on top. LOL
There is such a thing as vegan comfort food… so I really enjoy sharing some of these tips to eat more plant based without giving up taste.
I can’t tell you how many DMs I’ve gotten before with people telling me they tried a simple plant-based swap and they loved it! And they become inspired to change their own life for the better.
Instagram Story Content Idea: Focus on one area of your biz.
For example, you’ll often find me posting content about essential oils.
Because I’m even MORE obsessed with EOs than I am Stefon. (I know, hard to believe).
I feel like he’d be down to put the diffuser on while we’re getting ready to hang at the hottest underground NYC club…
But I digress.
EOs are a big part of my overall business AND life… so I choose to feature them in my social media.
I love offering recipes using EOs.
It's actually something that helped me grow my biz when I first started out on Instagram… and now I have nearly 50,000 people.
Stories are an amazing connection tool because when someone replies to a Story, it goes directly into your DM.
And DMs are how you build relationships – because they’re direct communication. And you can move from a 1:many broadcast-style message… to a 1:1 conversation. Which is a highly effective way to grow your biz.
Now, let’s explore the other Instagram feature you should be using if you want to grow your biz this year.
2. Reels.
Reels are those short form videos you find on the platform.
Ah… yes. Video.
Tons of people have blocks about video.
We get soooo into our heads about how we look… feeling awkward… like everyone is judging us.
So let’s set that aside for right now – and put our business hats on.
- Reels are for finding new people – they’re how you bring people into your Stories.
- Reels can be public – they’re searchable. So you show up to new people all the time… and can build your audience quickly this way.
- Instagram is already prioritizing video content over static posts, so if you want to use IG in your biz… you gotta get comfortable being on video.
The cool thing is… the Reels feature actually gives you a lot of ammo to be creative AND get discovered.
For example, using trending sounds and hashtags – and putting your own take on them.
You can totally utilize trends – so long as you make them your own.
There’s great music on there that you can use… fun stickers, hashtags, filters, and all sorts of interesting add-ons to put your spin on what’s hot and working right now.
Whenever people tell me that they SUCK at creating video for instagram… do you know the one thing I tell them that makes them smile?
I say, “give less effs.”
As in, do it scared. Do it anyway. Stop caring so much.
The person who is gonna judge you the hardest… is YOU. So put yourself out there.
I know for a fact that video content on social is not just the future – it’s the now.
So you gotta start practicing if you wanna leverage IG for biz growth.
Now… maybe you’re thinking: “Ok Hayley, I hear ya… I will give less effs and just DO it… but I don’t know how to START.”As in, what friggin buttons to even press!
So I got you.
In my Instagram Tutorial Workshop – which is coming up on Wednesday, March 23rd – I’ll walk you through the entire platform.
Yep, including HOW to create Stories and Reels… step by step. You’ll literally be watching my screen as we do it together.
With social media, you’re opening your business up to a world of BILLIONS of people worldwide.
No joke, last time I checked, there were around 1.4 BILLION people on Instagram alone.
Which means more than 1 in 5 people follows Kylie Jenner.
Ummm. What?!
Not that you have to get to Kylie levels of success to make an impact on IG… but it is an incredibly powerful tool to attract, engage, and convert your ideal customers or clients online.
Normally this is a $97 workshop – but if you show up live, I’ll gift you access to this Instagram tutorial training.
After my last time running this workshop, Zoe shared, “This workshop helped me with my fear and to change my mindset. And just see IG as a fun way to share me – and build my brand!”
Whether you’ve got a personal brand… you’re front and center in your biz… or you want to learn Instagram for some other business reason… you should come to the workshop.
✨ 2-Hour Instagram Tutorial Workshop ✨
Wednesday, March 23th
10:00am–12:00pm Pacific / 1:00–3:00pm Eastern
You’ll be my guest when you attend live.
I hope you took away some good insights and ideas about how to use IG to grow your biz this year… and I’ll see ya next week at the workshop!
XO,
Hayley