5 Unpopular Instagram Opinions that I Have as a Social Media Expert
As an Instagram expert, I am here to help you navigate the ever-evolving landscape of this dynamic platform and the world of social media. Today, we're going to dive into some unpopular opinions that challenge conventional “advice” in the world of Instagram marketing.
My goal is to shift your mindset and provide thoughtful advice to elevate your Instagram strategy. So, let's challenge the norms that you see plastered all over the platform by “gurus and experts” and create a strategy that is actually impactful for your small business!
I. Outbound Engagement < Community Management
Unpopular Opinion: Engaging with random accounts that don’t already follow you, as a way to get them to follow you, is a waste of your time.
When it comes to engaging with accounts that don't already follow you, the traditional belief has been to cast a wide net in hopes of attracting new followers. However, let me share an unpopular opinion: engaging with random accounts is a waste of your time.
Why? Because the time you spend stressing over this, and trying to implement, could be better spent in other places in your business and in marketing your small business.
You might see THIS kind of advice all over…
… you have to engage 15 minutes before, and 15 minutes after you post
… you have to comment on bigger accounts for an hour a day
… you have to go through hashtags and leave 5 comments on someone’s account 10x per day
And while that may have worked a few years ago, it’s not worth it anymore.
Think about it… when was the last time you actually followed someone because they left you a nice comment full of heart emojis? I bet it doesn’t happen.
PRO TIP: Instead of aimlessly engaging with anyone and everyone, focus on targeted engagement with users who are genuinely interested in your content and brand - in a limited capacity. Literally set a timer for 10 minutes and engage with YOUR community. It is better for you to actually have conversations with the people DMing you, or the people already commenting on your posts… instead of commenting on 10 different posts you find in the explore feed.
II. Regrams: Rethinking Their Effectiveness
Unpopular Opinion: Regrams are always a bad strategy, even if you have consent to use them
Regrams have long been considered a popular strategy for content curation. And I am here to challenge that long standing opinion for a couple of reasons.
One: if you don’t have permission to repost someone else’s content, it violates the terms and conditions of Instagram. Plain and simple. It is unethical, and a great way to get your account shut down.
Two: Regrams can dilute your brand identity. While it may seem convenient to curate content from others, it's essential to maintain authenticity and uniqueness. Your audience follows you for your perspective, your voice, and your creativity.
Instead of relying on regrams, focus on creating original content that aligns with your brand and engages your audience. Showcase your expertise, share behind-the-scenes glimpses, and tell your unique story. By staying true to yourself, you'll attract followers who resonate with your brand and become loyal advocates.
PRO TIP: If you love content from another creator, or maybe someone has tagged you in a post, simply re-share that content to your stories, tag them, and add your own commentary! Or you can also “remix” someone else’s Reel by adding your own thoughts at the end to expand on the conversation. This is a great way to share content that inspires you with your audience, in a way that Instagram approves of, and makes sense to maintain the integrity of your brand!
III. Instagram for Awareness vs. Sales
Unpopular Opinion: People who tell you Instagram is only for awareness, don’t know how to sell on the platform
Many believe that Instagram is primarily a platform for building awareness… and they often say you can’t (or you shouldn’t) sell on Instagram. And I am telling you this is FAR from the truth.
While raising awareness is an important aspect of any marketing strategy, Instagram offers you the ability to drive conversions and generate revenue through the content you create on the platform.
There is nothing more powerful than creating a piece of content for Instagram that your ideal customer would resonate with, that would lead them to a freebie, that can then convert them into a paying customer.
Or maybe you take the time to create a dedicated sales campaign on Instagram for your offer, and you can generate a good chunk of change just by talking about your offering in a fun and unique way.
You don’t always have to give out tips, tricks, education, knowledge, etc. You CAN and you SHOULD sell on Instagram!
PRO TIP: Not sure how to create content that ultimately converts people into paying customers? I have created an entire sales system that will help you launch or relaunch your offer into the world to help you convert followers into customers! It’s called the 8 Day Campaign, and it includes Canva templates and caption templates to help you figure out what you need to post to get people to buy!
IV. Growth: Authenticity Alone Is Not Enough
Unpopular opinion: No one grows on Instagram by JUST by being authentic and consistent.
Authenticity and consistency have long been hailed as the keys to growth on Instagram. While these factors are indeed important, it’s not ALL you need to grow on the platform.
Authenticity is crucial, but it needs to be complemented by a strategic approach. It's not enough to post consistently and share glimpses of your life. You must understand your audience, optimize your content, and leverage certain tools and features on Instagram to reach new people. To foster growth:
Invest time in understanding Instagram's algorithms and trends
Analyze your top-performing posts and identify patterns that resonate with your audience
Experiment with different content formats
Engage in cross-promotion with complementary accounts (collaboration posts + live rooms)
PRO TIP: If you want to understand the difference between just posting content and actually growing your audience I have a FREE class “Content Strategy vs. Growth Strategy” that you can watch and start implementing to grow your audience today!
V. Content and Strategy: Adaptation is Key
Unpopular Opinion: It’s not the algorithm's fault, you need to adjust your content and strategy.
Blaming the Instagram algorithm for low reach and engagement is a common practice. We see it all the time, and while you might feel a bit frustrated with trying to understand the algorithm, let’s break it down in a way that you can focus on content creation.
The point of Instagram's algorithm: it aims to show users the content they are most likely to engage with based on their behavior and interests. Instead of playing the blame game, here are a few things to understand about the algorithm before we dive into content. Your engagement isn’t low because of the algorithm, it’s low because…
There is SO much competition on the platform, and you are competing with so many more accounts who are producing so much more content
People aren’t scrolling through Instagram as much as they were in years past, it is the nature of the users, not anything that Instagram is doing wrong with the algorithm
Engagement on any platform always trends downwards over the years because more people join the platform as time goes on, and new platforms come out to compete
You are comparing your engagement with what it used to be years ago, you need to compare it to what it was in the last few months, your engagement will never be the same as it was
So diving into what content you should be producing: content that will generate engagement, encourage people to buy, and knowing that every single piece of content will not perform the same. Here are some things you should aim to do:
Audit your content regularly to identify areas for improvement, and if something is working really well, figure out how to double down on it
Experiment with different posting times, test various hashtags, and analyze your post-performance metrics
Keeping up with platform updates and evolving audience preferences, you can create content that captures attention and encourages meaningful interactions
PRO TIP: If you need help with this kind of content, we have Canva Templates that are designed with all of this in mind for small business owners specifically! If you need help creating content with these goals in mind, and you want to create it in a matter of minutes, these templates will be your new go-to!
Congrats - you've embraced a fresh perspective on Instagram marketing by considering these unpopular opinions. By prioritizing quality engagement, original content creation, effective selling strategies, a strategic approach to growth, and adapting your content and strategy, you're well on your way to unlocking the full potential of Instagram.
Remember, Instagram is a dynamic platform that wants you to be creative, authentic, and implement thoughtful strategies. Embrace the journey, learn from your experiences, and stay open to evolving your approach. Together, we'll continue to uncover new opportunities and drive results on this platform.
Manu Muraro is the founder of Your Social Team, an Instagram training membership and content shop to help social media managers and Instagram savvy women entrepreneurs to beat the algorithm and grow their organic engagement (yes, even in 2021).
This year she also launched Your Template Club, a Canva Template subscription to provide social media managers and Instagram savvy business owners with content templates designed for engagement in their inbox.
Born and raised in Brazil, Manu moved to the U.S. in 2000 right out of college to work for Cartoon Network, where she made an award winning career in creative and strategy. In 2017, Manu started Your Social Team with the mission of helping women entrepreneurs and social media managers grow engagement and sales through Instagram without the overwhelm.