EXPERT OPINION

INSTAGRAM AGILITY

WHEN GROWING YOUR BUSINESS, SOCIAL MEDIA IS ONE PLACE IT HELPS TO BE NIMBLE

BY JANA PLATINA PHIPPS

Agility is the ability to move quickly and keep your balance. In my business, on the tennis court and in life, I have varying degrees of being agile, depending on my skill level, energy and focus.

Feeling unstable at the beginning of the pandemic, I sought out some new tools and daily practices to stay upbeat and centered. I pursued a life-long goal of getting my tennis certification so that I could start teaching professionally. I also took a leap into ecommerce and grew my social visibility on Trim Queen media channels.

I began teaching tennis to local friends and industry friends asked me to help them with social media. One by one, I started sharing my screen and best practices with them and was soon sharing to small groups. It was then I realized I was organizing my content-creation lessons just like the tennis clinics I had gleefully instructed all summer: a group lesson for an overview and assessment, followed by a customized private lesson to work on strategy and skill development.

After many social media trainings, I quickly distilled the common pain points of building Instagram for business, and formalized a course called Instagram Agility, officially adding teaching to my entrepreneurial mix.

Following are three of those pain points and ways to work them out:

From Comparing to Clarity: Do you get excited to share on social media then feel defeated when you don’t get the engagement you think your posts merit? We compare and despair, then choke. However, the process of posting on Instagram can be a valuable exercise in itself – likes aside – giving you clarity regarding your higher purpose and how to communicate it creatively in your posts while playing your own game.

From Fixing to Foundation: In trying to “fix Instagram,” you may realize that foundational work needs to be done around identifying and communicating your brand soul essence. Make a list of your core values (i.e. Beauty, Joy, Expertise, Innovation, Philanthropy) then create content that aligns (not all of them at once) to build a cohesive story. You will start to build a unique brand experience that will attract your ideal client and opportunities for press and influence.

From Overwhelm to Engagement: Brainstorming six to twelve content categories (i.e. mood boards, full rooms, design details, team profiles) streamlines the content process and cuts out the overwhelm of what to post. Focus on consistency, quality over quantity (also applies to followers), and maximize visibility by sharing every post to Instagram Stories as well. “Cook once, eat twice” to double the amount of eyeballs with this simple extra step and your engagement will grow.

People obsess about growing their following on Instagram, but they are looking at the wrong metrics. Instagram is the ideal platform for building your brand and business relationships through storytelling and connection. If you are agile in your Instagram practice, you are well on your way to some big wins.

Jana Platina Phipps, the Trim Queen of the design industry, is a mentor and influencer offering one-on-one or small group training sessions for social media and Instagram (from beginner to advanced) based on her experience, skills, and proven strategies — building brand recognition and engagement — for business growth.

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