I’m tired of reading posts about Instagram metrics tanking. It’s time to focus LESS on metrics and MORE on personal value.
Yes, nearly everyone I know has felt a shift in their engagement but I also believe that you can reframe situations to work for you. If you feel more aligned with your reasons for showing up, it becomes a much more positive investment of your time and energy.
I’ve personally made this shift and I’m viewing Instagram very differently these days. I’m now showing up for these 3 key reasons:
1. SENSE OF COMMUNITY
I connect with new designers from every corner of the world every day on Instagram and that’s pretty amazing in itself. And when I think of the industry peers I zoom with regularly, we connected first over Instagram. To me, liking, commenting and building relationships organically on the platform feels like a natural place to start when I want to connect with someone new.
2. TESTING NEW IDEAS
I share new content and ideas all the time to see what resonates most. I then take the best of the best, often expanding upon more general thoughts so I can repurpose it for this space. I do this with both graphics and captions and they always grow into something much stronger and more polished with some extra time and effort.
3. SLOW MOTION MOCKUPS
When I want to add a new project to our client portfolio, it often takes 2-3 days to source mock-ups and imagery, build out the graphics and get the flow right. My new method is to roll out a project one post at a time on Instagram, weaving it in with my regular content over the course of a few weeks. Then, I’ll take the best ones and format them to share in our portfolio. It’s made sharing our new work so much less daunting!
Instagram doesn’t have to be a super competitive, numbers-driven place if that doesn’t align with you. Instead, reframe it to work for YOUR style and goals and it will feel like a much better place to spend your time. -Shauna
