I currently have an Instagram coaching business where I help creative entrepreneurs transform and grow their accounts. People think of me as an Instagram expert, which is awesome! But, when I started on Instagram I was in the same boat as everyone else. I used it for photos of cool things I was doing in my life. With lots of “cool” filters and effects. Or at least I thought they were cool at the time!
I wasn’t using Instagram to market my business, it was more of an online photo journal. As time went on, I gradually began to post content related to my blog, Wear Wag Repeat. But for a long time there were still a lot of food photos and artsy still lifes.
If you look at my account today, you won’t see any of that because I learned how important it is to identify a niche and stick with it.
You only have a few seconds to communicate to potential followers what your account is about. Don’t waste an opportunity by making them scroll down to find it. Tell them upfront. Then tell them again!
Marketers like to talk about “The Rule of Seven.” This is the idea that people need to see your marketing message seven times before they take action. This totally translates to your Instagram strategy! You need to get your message across at every opportunity because potential customers need to see what you’re selling many times before making a decision. When you narrow down your focus and eliminate anything that’s off topic, it so much faster and easier to convince potential customers that they need you in their lives!
Some people are afraid of narrowing down the focus of their social media. I totally get it! It can be scary to think that you could be missing out on potential clients because you’re only talking about one specific thing. But this is what will happen if you do… people will start to think of you as an expert for that specific thing. When they need help, they will instantly think of you!
Let me explain how this worked for me. My Instagram account (and my blog in general) was full of all aspects of my life. There were food photos, decorating tips, travel, parties, my dogs, my outfits, and on and on. It was a lifestyle blog. Do you know how many lifestyle bloggers are out there? Approximately 42 billion! That’s not an exact count, but you get what I’m saying… I was blending in with everything else.
What Happened When I Narrowed My Focus
In 2016 I decided to narrow down my focus to style and DIYs for dog moms. I adjusted my profile picture, my bio, all of my posts and captions to reflect this. I started strategically engaging with other stylish dog moms that I found through hashtag searches. I left meaningful comments to help them with dog mom related questions. I began to assert myself as an expert in that specific niche.
Over the course of about a year, I was able to growing my following from 1,500 followers to over 10,000 (and now over 20,000!). Alongside that growth, I’m able to keep my engagement rate up because I provide valuable content for my followers and I continue to engage with them on their turf.
Now, in addition to being an Instagram coach, I’ve made a name for myself as the go-to stylish dog mom. Thanks to niching down and getting specific about the focus of my Instagram account I have had more business opportunities come my way that I ever imagined.
You Need To Narrow Down The Focus Of Your Instagram Account
I recommend spending some time really honing in on your specialty. Try to identify just 3 words or themes that will comprise of 99% of your content. For my blog account those 3 words are style, dogs and DIY. If you look at my bio and my posts, you can see at a glance exactly what I’m all about. That’s the goal!
Once you’ve identified your 3 words or themes, make sure that they come across in your bio. Then work on communicating them in all of your posts. I can’t believe how many people leave captions blank or just write, “Happy Friyay!” You need to tell us what you’re about. Each post and interaction on Instagram is an opportunity to identify yourself as an expert in your niche. Don’t miss out!
Did you find this article helpful? It’s Part 2 of 4 in my #InstaMistick series. You can read Part 1, how to De-Mystify Your Instagram Account. Ensure you get the final two posts in the series, sign up for my list and as a bonus, get a free guide on how to spend your time on Instagram with intention.
