Myth Busters: Debunking 8 Instagram Myths

Let's face it, amidst the ton of advice floating around about the do's and don'ts of Instagram, there are myths just waiting to be busted.

Ready to separate fact from fiction? Let's start.

Myth 1:  Instagram purposely limits the reach of posts scheduled with third-party tools to get people to use their native scheduling capabilities.

There is no evidence to support this claim. Auto-publishing via scheduling tools won't inherently impact your post's reach. But remember, a lack of engagement AFTER using these tools might affect your reach. We have talked before about how important it is to spend some time being social on Instagram at the time your post goes live. Don’t post and ghost - THAT will affect your reach.

In essence, scheduling tools aid consistency, allowing more time for engagement post-publishing. Yet, active involvement post-upload remains crucial for maintaining reach and visibility

So in a nutshell:

Even though you have the option to auto-publish, it’s still your responsibility to get on Instagram, respond to comments and DMs, post in Stories, and overall, stay relevant. If you feel like you have done your part by creating the post and scheduling it on Instagram, that’s when auto-publishing will negatively affect you. But if you are spending some time nurturing your audience and viewers, you should be fine. Auto-publishing is meant to be convenient and keep you consistent, it won’t hurt your performance.

And before you ask, the scheduling tool we use is Later. We love it.

Myth 2: To grow on Instagram, you need to post every day.

Let's set the record straight. Posting consistently doesn't mean bombarding your feed daily.

For many small businesses, daily posting isn't practical. The time, the cost, the patience - without a team of marketers who have your back you are just not going to be able to sustain a strategy of posting quality content every day.

Instead, success is achieved through creating and adhering to a well-crafted strategy. The key to winning is consistency.

You don't need to resort to filler posts. In fact, we beg you not to!

When you have well-defined content pillars, you'll always have exciting topics to share, allowing you to maintain a consistent and on-point message.

So, let's focus on strategy, quality, and staying on message for Instagram success!

Myth 3: Quality content needs to be highly produced

I heard the other day that you shouldn't use your iPhone to take photos for your grid. This one really surprised me as your smartphone has everything you need for great photography for your Instagram page.  These days you don't need a fancy camera worth thousands of pounds.  Your smartphone is capable of amazing things.

Of course, all of the same photography basics apply - lighting, composition, and the right subject make for a great shot. Your smartphone is not a miracle worker. Blurry photos won't stop the scroll.

Sure, if you have the budget, brand photography is great and can elevate your page but you can still mix it up with photos from your phone on the grid.  So get it out of your pocket, have some fun and take some photos.

What we are getting at is that authenticity trumps perfection.

Authentic content tends to be more relatable to the audience.

Authenticity builds trust.

Authenticity often leads to more meaningful interactions with your audience.

Being authentic is what will set you apart from your competitors.

While there is certainly a place for high-quality, polished content, the increasing preference for authenticity on platforms like Instagram reflects a desire for genuine connections and a more realistic portrayal of life. 

Remember, being authentic doesn't mean you can't strive for excellence or create beautiful content, and here are some tips to get a more pulled-together Instagram:

• stick to 1-2 fonts 

• choose some brand colours and stick to them

• create templates for different types of content  e.g. testimonials, meet the team - don't go ‘Canva Crazy’

• create some uniform highlight covers

• plan content in advance - your page will start to look a mess if you are not planning

And finally don't procrastinate on your content - don’t believe that it needs to be perfect to go on Instagram.  That piece you are hesitating on could be a game changer for you.  Your audience might stumble upon it when they need it the most.

Myth 4:  It is lazy to repurpose your content.

Repurposing content is not lazy, it is a gold mine.

What it is?

Repurposing content is recycling content you already have or are already creating and turning it into social media posts.⁠

Remember not all your followers will have seen your content.

How do you do it?
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The first step is to spend some time looking through your insights to see your best-performing posts.

Are these posts still relevant?  If so you may want to tweak it a bit to freshen it up or update the image but essentially re-post a well-performing post. Job done!⁠
⁠
The other thing you can do is look at that blog you have just written and think about how you could break that down into social media posts. 

Could you go LIVE on Instagram and talk through key points of your blog?

Think about your latest newsletter - can you take a key point from this and somehow turn it into a reel? 

Turn a reel into a carousel post.

Turn a carousel post into a story.

Turn a story into an infographic grid post.

Get creative!⁠
⁠
Whatever you do, stop making things more difficult for yourself.

Myth 5 - Hashtags don't work anymore

They aren't as important as they once were BUT they are still good for one thing - being discovered on Instagram.

Lots of people will tell you the perfect number of hashtags to use.

And we also have clients who point out that Nike don't use hashtags so they don't need to use them either.  We would like to point out that NIKE has 306 MILLION followers.

We aren't going to tell you how many hashtags to use because what we would recommend is that you test.

But from our experience, and working with smaller clients (i.e. less than 5k followers) is that hashtags still work to get them discovered.

Ok so here is a list of things that we wouldn't do when it comes to hashtags

1. Not limit ourselves to an exact number of hashtags - Instagram gives you the option of up to 30 hashtags - if you can find 30 relevant hashtags to the content you are posting - use all 30.  The key word here is relevance.

2. Put hashtags in a comment

Don't put your hashtags in the first comment.  It is useless.  Hashtags should be used as keywords and should therefore be included in the caption - Instagram confirmed this a while back.

3. Use saturated hashtags

We wouldn't use hashtags that have been used millions of times - saturated and you won't get discovered e.g #love

4. Use irrelevant hashtags

Hashtags should be used as keywords and should explain what your content is about.  Don't confuse the algorithm.

5.  Don't overthink hashtags.  They aren't as important as they once were so don't stress about them but also don't ignore them.

Myth 6 - Instagram prioritises reels

This may have been the case back in 2022 but this is no longer the case.

As long as you can hook your audience and get them to engage with your content, the format doesn't matter.

We recommend you use all parts of the anatomy of Instagram - they all have a different purpose.

In fact, Lara wrote a blog about this already so go and read it here.

Myth 7 - The more followers, the better

While a substantial follower count holds value, engaged and relevant followers surpass sheer numbers. It's not just about the volume but the quality of interactions and relevance to your brand.

Myth 8 - You're not growing on Instagram because the algorithm changed or because there is something wrong with your account

You're not growing because you're trying to follow all the tips and tricks you hear and you don't have a solid marketing strategy to help you achieve consistent results.

You need a bespoke strategy - what works for one account, might not work for another.

Navigating Instagram's intricacies requires debunking myths and embracing truths. Quality, consistency, authenticity, and audience engagement remain pivotal. It's not just about posting—it's about strategizing, repurposing, staying authentic, and adapting to the platform's evolving dynamics. Instagram success isn't a one-size-fits-all equation—it's about crafting your unique path to connection and growth.

Now, armed with these insights, venture forth and conquer Instagram with a strategy tailored to your brand's voice and audience!