I recently asked a room of small business owners if they have ever felt personally victimized by the Instagram algorithm, and you know what?
Every hand shot up.
The truth is, it can feel like pulling at straws to figure out how to get content in front of the right audiences. I get questions each week that sound something like this:
- How often should I post on Instagram?
- What hashtags should I be using?
- Where can I find trending audios for reels?
But the truth is, when we spend time just trying to appease the algorithm gods – we’re not getting to the root of the problem; the strategy. Too many business owners are planning out their content marketing moves based off of their metrics, instead of their sales goals. Keep reading to make sure you’re not one of them.
The Truth: Your Metrics Are Dirty Little Liars
Metrics can have us feeling insecure, stuck in comparison or even blindly confident that we’re on the right track when we’re not. There are businesses with 15,000 followers trying to keep their doors open and businesses with 250 followers making seven figures. I’ve had trendy Instagram reels go viral that brought in zero sales while others with only 300 views converted into new coaching clients.
The value of your content goes far beyond the metrics; it’s about what’s converting content to customers. If you’re seeing an increase in engagement and views, that’s wonderful, but it’s crucial that it’s surrounding the right elements of your business.
Ask Yourself: Does My Content Support My Sales?
The number one goal of your content should be moving your followers and viewers to your sales funnel. Yes, your content should nurture your relationships and build trust from across the screen, but if you’re not creating and sharing content that directly sells, you’re missing out. As you plan out your content marketing, start with knowing your sales goals. What stories do you need to share that support these offers? What details are most important and eye catching to your audience? Which offers are you specifically wanting to book or sell out of right now? Those answers should serve as a compass to the type of content you should be sharing.
Go All In: Show Up to Sell Your Offers
Don’t overthink selling. In fact, simplify it by turning “selling” into storytelling because that’s really all it is. Allow your content to showcase stories about your offers, your customers and the transformations your work provides. Show up on stories, in your posts and reels or TikTok videos, and talk about your offers. Share why you do what you do and who you feel called to serve, or give insight on what it’s like to work with you, giving a look at each step of the journey. Most importantly, invite your audience to take action and buy and work with you.
Hustle & Heart Challenge
This month, look at your offers and fire out which ones are the star of the show right now. Work on creating content that’s going to move your audience towards those offers specifically. Challenge yourself to talk about each offer, share stories about the transformation and experience your customers have through that offer and, of course, invite your audience to buy.
