After a lot of procrastination, I finally stayed consistent on Instagram. It’s been 30 days now, and the results are okayish. My reach has increased. I didn’t use any promotions or boost my posts. Reels were the main driving factor; some performed well, and others didn’t.
If I compare from last month ( 9th April 2023 – 8th May 2023), I have reached +875% in simple terms, 11.2K accounts.
Twenty-eight people followed me, from which later nine unfollowed, which makes nineteen new followers in a month.
Nineteen people followed out of 11.2K accounts reached; not a good thing, right?
What went wrong?
1 – Content type
Meanwhile, my profile is a mixture of various categories of posts – photography, video editing, graphic design, etc. You can check my profile here, I treat my profile as a personal blog where I post anything I feel like rather than niching down. I might niche down in the future, but I go through the flow and do what I do right now. I need to be more consistent with my content type to serve a set of audiences. I might create different accounts for niche stuff, but let’s see.
It’s my observation, though I wonder if it’s the case.
List of stuff I have noticed that works for others –
1 – Fitness
2 – Mini Vlogs
3 – Movie Scene Edits
4 – Anime Edits
5 – Work in Progress
6 – Cinematic Videos
7 – Hoping on trends
8 – Retable quotes reels
9 – Informative
10 – AI stuff (been booming recently)
11 – Motivational
12 – Life style
13 – Travel
14 – Food Vlog
15 – Educational
(numbering doesn’t indicate anything; it’s random)
There would be plenty more, but these are the best-performing.
I can work on some of them. Few can be combined or grouped in a single video, like transitions and anime edits; I can also transition in cinematic videos and mini vlogs.
The thing about cinematic videos and mini vlogs is I travel a little, which won’t allow me to work on them properly, so first, I have to start going out more.
I can work on the fitness stuff, but that’s a different journey, and I need to catch up. It’s not just recording random workouts or posing in front of a mirror. I have to put on the effort to build myself. I have been lazy, just waiting for tomorrow, which never comes to start working out.
I want to document my journey – in some way, I can post educational and informative stuff; I need to figure out how.
Work in progress can be made while I work on stuff and record it. I have least posted my design stuff this month, which I need to work on. That’s the main thing I love, and I have stopped doing it. I like designing instead of capturing or making edits of the shots I take or random stuff. These are my side stuff, and I get overwhelmed easily. I think of doing plenty of things simultaneously that get me nowhere.
A proper content strategy is needed.
2 – Engagement
I have yet to engage with other accounts and make new friends who, in return, would engage with mine. Yes, I would be helping them out in any way possible and creating a healthy relationship rather than just milking engagement.
One problem with me is that I care a lot about being judged. I don’t take part in gossip or community stuff. I try to engage with others on Discord or Facebook community, but fear of judgement arises. It feels as if they are going to respond and shame me. I have to face this fear and get rid of it quickly.
Positive side –
I spend more time creating stuff now, and my mind is also engaged in useful things rather than just sleeping and thinking about unnecessary stuff. It’s also helping me out in upskilling myself. There is plenty of room for growth, but I need more dedication and a sense of purpose to work it out day and night. Just giving an hour or two won’t give much.
I want to be active on other platforms, but I must figure out Instagram first. The boost it gives through reels is impressive. I also need to work on single posts and carousels so my profile looks smooth & a good feel is maintained.
I will be adding Twitter and Linkedin to the content flow soon. I can easily repurpose some of the content I post on Instagram, but I need more content. I need to try multiple things like I am doing on Instagram.
Takeaways –
- Stay consistent – post daily or regularly; the algorithm rewards consistency, and your followers will remember you. Content quantity + quality matter both should be balanced from the start.
- Keep experimenting with content – try different categories or niches, content styles and platforms. Soon you will figure out how things work.
- Post all types of content a platform offers; Instagram offers reels, posts, carousels and stories.
- Create a journal – journaling daily or weekly progress would help you see how much progress you have made. You can also write various ideas, which will help you create more content; you can declutter your thoughts by writing them down.
- Engage with other creators – leave comments, give feedback and like on posts of other creators in your niche, even if they aren’t in your niche and you liked their content. Let them know.
- Make friends – be a part of a community or communities, engage there, makes friends, and you will get benefits long term. Don’t be a lone wolf.
- Stay authentic – don’t think about being judged or cancelled – do what you do. Like-minded will connect.
- Keep on upskilling – You need to skill up / upgrade yourself, else why would someone follow you? Without skills you can’t grow, monetize or even stay relevant. So, keep on improving and learning new stuff.
- Stay updated – With technology and new new trends coming you need to stay updated about the platform, your industry and other related stuff. Being outdated you would just a thing of past.
- Change platforms – If one social media is not working for you try the other, that’s what I will be doing.
Ending note –
Nothing happens in a month or two, exceptions are there. You need to put out all the energy you have and keep pushing yourself. Results will come, sometimes they take time. We are talking about social media growth here, even a one viral tweet, reel, video can change stuff overnight. But, it will only happen if you are offering something different/unique in your own style regularly.
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