Have you ever wanted to jump on a call with the team from Meta & Instagram? I recently got that call and had the chance to ask all of the burning questions we’re dying to have answered! From the importance of the blue check mark to understanding what features are meant for growth and which for engagement, they answered it all. Listen in to get all the details from a content strategist at Instagram!
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Instagram Called Me—Here’s What I Learned
I recently opened my Instagram app and saw a message at the top, inviting me to talk to a content strategist at Meta. Of course, I filled that form out because we all have questions!
We found a time to connect—even after having to reschedule since I didn’t have childcare—and they were so considerate of that!
So we jumped on the phone and I asked all the burning questions I know you’re probably wondering too! Let’s review what Jay, the representative at Meta, had to say.
I’ve noticed my Instagram stories get such a range of views, are there some best practices for that?
His honest response was that stories are extremely unpredictable. As creators, we’re not just competing against other creators, but we’re also competing against our followers close friends and family. Stories will be seen by the people who primarily engage with you—different from the feed and it’s algorithm.
What are some best practices for stories?
Over the years, I’ve experimented with my own best practices for Instagram stories, but Jay encouraged me to consider the following:
- Batching and letting your stories expire—which confirms one of my best practices that I’ve done for a while.
- Don’t use your stories for selling (clicks off Instagram)—which I unfortunately won’t be getting behind as I believe there is so much power and conversion when selling in stories.
Now instead of selling in stories, he did recommend using a broadcast channel as it will guarantee that your audience will see your messages. He mentioned broadcast channels a few times throughout our call and the benefits of it.
Is there really any benefit to the blue check mark?
While of course he said there is benefit to the blue check mark, he actually made some valid points. He highlighted that people feel more open to engage with these types of accounts because they can see that it’s really you. Additionally, you’ll get recommended higher in search results that you show up in.
When it comes to increased reach, not only are you seen in results higher, but your comments will rise to the top of the posts that you engage with.
How important are hashtags on Instagram?
Apparently hashtags are still really important, especially on Reels. His recommendation was to do 3-8 niched hashtags per post.
I want to grow my account, is Reels still the best way to do that?
The short answer is yes. Jay recommended that in order to grow your account, you should be posting 5 Reels a week, but no more than 7 total reels in a week. This means don’t double post on the same day as your posts will end up competing. Additionally, captions on your Reels are important.
Is going live going to help me grow or is that more to nurture my existing audience?
Going live is simply a great engagement strategy, but not a growth strategy.
What should I know if I wanna grow on Instagram?
There are two distinct factors for growth:
- Consistency: This provides consistency in the system learning your patterns and optimizing. A great approach is three posts per week with 2 reels and 1 carousal. Make sure you’re using subtitles/captions.
- Engagement: From liking things, commenting, communicating in the DMs, and more. Again he mentioned the importance of broadcast channel.
The more consistent you are, the more opportunity it gives you to rank.
I’m so thankful that I had this opportunity to connect with Instagram and Meta! It’s so valuable to understand what works and hear it from the people who actually work at the platforms we want to engage on. Now that I’ve had this conversation, I’d love to know if you’re using Broadcast channels on Instagram and how you’re enjoying them!
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