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How to be consistent on instagram


How to Stay Consistent on Instagram? (without stressing out)

Alexandra | Aug 15, 2019

How to stay consistent on Instagram?

I’m literally going to share with you what’s in my brain, what I tell my friends to do when they feel stuck, and what I personally do to post consistently on Instagram. 

Tip #1: Take your time. You can save this blog post so you can come back to it later. You can use one tip first, and then use more tips later.

Tip #2: If you want extra help, feel free to join us on Instagram: @preview.app. I will be going through some of these steps and helping people one-on-one figure out what to post and what to do for their own account.

Here are 9 tips to stay consistent on Instagram without ever stressing out again.

Ready?

Let’s go.

1. Relax

I gotta say it ?‍♀️

First and foremost: you need to chill.

When you feel good = you have more ideas and you are more likely to stay consistent on Instagram.

When you feel bad = you stress out and you don’t want to post.

Let’s have fun, ok?

This advice is for you whether you’re on Instagram for fun, for your brand or for your business.

Let’s continue.

2. Picture your ideal followers

It is hard to stay consistent on Instagram if you have no idea who you are talking to, and you’re feeling like you’re talking to everyone… but no one at the same time.

If you are using Instagram for fun: Don’t worry too much about this step. Think of your Instagram as your personal journal, your creative space on the Internet. Post about what you love. Document parts of your life you want to share with friends, family and nice people you will meet on Instagram. Your number one goal is to be yourself, have fun and create something you love (I wrote about this here).

If you have a brand, blog or business: You can still post about what you love, be yourself and have fun. And you have one more goal: connect with awesome people who actually care about what you share so they will want to find out more about your product, service or blog.

So try this:

Action: Imagine you are in front of your dream customer, client, or reader right now:

  • Who are they?
  • What do they like?
  • What are their biggest struggles? (and what your solutions for them?)

Write down your answers right now.
You will be posting to serve them and connect with them.

This will help you come up with post ideas = your base.

3. Choose what to post about = your base

Successful Instagrammers do this: 

They post about the same 1 – 5 topics or the same 1 – 5 types of photos.

These 1 – 5 topics are their base = the reasons why people follow them.

Plus, it makes it easier for them to know what to post.

What you post about is part of your “Instagram theme”.

If you are on Instagram for fun: Choose 1 – 5 things you want to post about most of the time. These will be your core posts. If you need photo inspiration, jump on Pinterest or check out other Instagram accounts that inspire you. 

If you are on Instagram for your brand, blog or business: There are a lot of tricks I want to share with you to make it even easier to find out what to post about (especially if you have a brand, blog or business). I will write another blog post later to help you with this. So stay tuned for that.

For now, think about your specialty and your audience:

  • What do you want your account to be known for?
  • What are 1 to 5 things you can talk about / share?
  • What can you post to help them, motivate them, entertain them, educate them or inspire them?
  • Put yourself in their shoes: if you were scrolling through Instagram right now, what would get YOUR attention? 
  • If you were on Instagram right now, what kind of posts would help you? Or would connect with you?

Feeling stuck? 

Here are 6 types of post ideas:

  1. “About you” / personal posts 
  2. Quotes
  3. Educational posts / how to / informational
  4. Your customers’ experiences / reviews
  5. Ask a question
  6. Sell your product / service, provide an offer, or direct people to your website

Action:  You have 2 options:

  1. Choose between 1 to 5 things you want to post about. Think about these 1 to 5 topics as your “content buckets”.
  2. Alternatively, you can pick a “theme” for the month. What is one thing you would like to talk about this month? For example, a theme for me would be to share “hashtag tips” only during the month of September. Each month, you can introduce a new theme.

Now, it’s time to fill your buckets with ideas.

4. Make a list of all your ideas

Make a list of all your ideas for each “content bucket”.

For example, I have a content bucket called “Instagram tips”. In this bucket, I write down aaaall my Instagram tips. I have another content bucket called “quotes”. In that bucket, I write down a bunch of quotes and quote ideas.

Write all your ideas, your stories, your thoughts, your passions, your solutions, your tips, your knowledge.

Let it flow.

Action: Write your ideas:

  • In the Notes app on your phone
  • On your computer
  • On paper
  • If you’re in a team (or just want to get more organized), you can use Trello, Asana or a Google Document to write down and share all your ideas with each other.

5. Create your Grid Layout

An Instagram Grid Layout helps you see where your posts are positioned in your Instagram feed.

Action: You have 2 options:

  1. Choose a grid layout (click here) to structure your posts, or
  2. Use the 1 – 5 topics you want to post about and position them strategically on your grid.

You can quickly draw a grid on a piece of paper and start positioning what topic to talk about where.

Here are 2 examples:

You’re ready. It’s time to create your feed.

Here is how to stay consistent.

6. Choose how many times a week you want to post

One way to stay consistent on Instagram is by knowing how many posts you actually need to post during the week.

It will make things more realistic and achievable.

For example, I like to post on Instagram every 2 days. This means that I only have to prepare 3 or 4 posts each week.

Be realistic.
No need to push yourself and start hating Instagram.

The goal = be consistent = feel good.

Action: How many times a week do you want to post? Based on this, how many posts do need to create for the week?

7. Batch, batch, batch

Always having something to post will help you stay consistent on Instagram.

Let’s batch = create a bunch content in advance.

How to batch?

  1. Take a lot of photos. Like… a LOT of photos in advance, even if it is photos of the same things (food, hairstyles, nails, your dog, flowers, your product, yourself, the beach). Take photos from different angles, in different places or different settings.
  2. If you can, schedule a photo-shoot session with a friend or a professional photographer.
  3. If you’re planning to share quotes: prepare a bunch of quotes in advance.
  4. If you’re planning to share videos: create a bunch of videos.

Feeling stuck?

  • Use the Free Photos feature in Preview app
  • Use the Repost feature to repost other people’s Instagram posts 

Action: Choose a day / time to create a bunch of content. Always take a lot of photos so you have enough in advance. And if you’re going to share quotes, prepare a bunch of quotes.

8. Choose a “planning day”

To stay consistent on Instagram, you need to set time aside just to sit down, relax, create content and plan your feed in peace. #focus

If you have a brand, blog or business, do not think this is wasted time. This is precious time that bring you closer to your goal.

My planning day is Monday. Every Monday, I will plan my feed for the week – which means I prepare 3 or 4 posts. To figure out what to post, I look at my list of post ideas (Step 4).

Action: When do you want to plan your feed? When does it suits you and your life better? Monday? Friday? During the weekend?

9. Plan your feed

Upload your posts in your Preview app. 

Once your posts are in Preview, you can:

  • Rearrange the order of the posts
  • Edit your photos
  • Prepare your captions and hashtags

I like to plan my feed one week in advance, which means I prepare 3 or 4 posts since I choose to post every 2 days.
3 posts = one row in your Preview app. #achievable

That’s it!

That’s literally what I do all the time.

To recap:

  1. Relax
  2. Picture your ideal followers
  3. Choose what to post about (your “content buckets”)
  4. Make a list of all your ideas
  5. Create your grid layout
  6. Choose how many times a week you want to post
  7. Batch / create a bunch of content in advance
  8. Choose a “planning day”
  9. Plan your feed in your Preview app

Done!

Disclaimer: I love planning my feed because it gives me more free time, less stress and more confidence. But I also love to stay flexible. Sometimes I might have an idea and choose to post something completely different than what I had planned to. When that happens, I go with the flow. I don’t beat myself up because it’s not going “according to plan”. I will happily create a new post just for that day. Because remember: The goal? Feel good first, have fun.

That’s it.

Leave a big thumb up ? emoji in the comments if this blog post was helpful.

And don’t hesitate to ask if you have any questions.

Alex

Click here to use it

The Secret to Posting Consistently on Instagram — Shall We Social

Have you vowed to be “more consistent” on Instagram this year?

If you use Instagram (or any social media platform for that matter), to market your small business you have, no doubt, heard that you need to be consistent. Showing up consistently is vital to growing your Instagram account, building trust and helping potential clients understand why they should work with you.

However, constantly creating new content, week in and week out, can feel overwhelming.

I don’t know about you, but I want to spend my time working with dream clients, not making content all day!

Fortunately there’s an easy way to do just that.


What does “consistency” even mean? And why does it matter?

First of all, let’s get one thing clear, “consistency” doesn’t necessarily mean “daily”. Posting 3x per week can still be“consistent” - if you post 3x per week, every week.

Ultimately, consistency is about being reliable and building momentum with your content. When you show up consistently your audience:

  • Learns what to expect from you

  • Understands the value you can bring them (both on and off the platform)

  • Feels connected to you/your brand

This makes you and your business memorable and keeps users coming back for more. It also builds trust - which you want, because who do we buy from? People we trust!

In addition to your posting schedule, consistency is also about HOW you show up.

Having a clear niche (what you are known for), posting with your ideal client or customer in mind and having a cohesive in your brand voice, visual vibe and messaging is also part of being consistent.

The quality of your content also matters. High quality content, can gain traction for days, weeks or even months after posting. Posting 3x quality Reels, for example, could get you the same (or better!) results than 7x mediocre posts.

Related: How Often Should I Post on Instagram?

So, how do you show up consistently without spending all day on your phone? There are a number of tactics I recommend to my coaching clients and students, but the following two are my favourites:


1. Make Templates Your Friend

Templates are hands-down one of the easiest ways to create content consistently and to create content with visual consistency.

Invest a few hours creating templates for content that you share all the time. I personally use (and highly recommend) a Canva Pro account because you can resize designs for the Instagram feed to Stories/Reels size with a click of a button.


5 Must-have templates to create:

  1. Client Testimonial or Customer Review - Create templates with photos of your products (physical or digital) and copy + paste all the raving reviews you receive via email, direct message or Google Reviews

  2. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - These are great templates to have on hand to share to your stories or feed on a regular basis to help potential customers or clients with the decision-making process

  3. Blog/Vlog/Podcast - If you regularly publish long-form content you need this! Create a template that you can update for every new episode or communiqué.

  4. Best-Sellers - Like FAQs, having ready-to-share templates that showcase your most popular products or services means you can repeatedly share this information with followers in mere minutes.

  5. Staff/Customer/Client profile - If you have more than one ‘face’ for your brand or business, let us meet them. This helps to humanise your brand and gives your staff a chance to shine. Likewise, you can create templates to showcase your customers, clients, suppliers, you name it!


Done-for you templates

If you are looking for incredible done-for-you templates, look no further than Your Social Team. I use these templates myself because I love their fun designs and the fact that I can quickly customise these with my own fonts, colours, images etc. inside of Canva.

Right now you can get 5x Free Canva Templates for Instagram Reels so make sure you snap these up before they’re gone.

2. reuse your content

One of the most underrated ways to show up consistently and to communicate your key messages (without spending all day on your phone), is to reuse your content and yes, you can totally do this.

It’s not cheating!⁠

This strategy is covered in depth inside my signature online course + coaching program, Instagram Unpacked, because it is so useful and it works!

I reuse my content all the time and here's why:

5 Reasons to reuse content:

  1. Because it saves time⁠⁠

  2. Not everyone sees your posts (hello algorithms!)

  3. So new followers can see your best content

  4. People often need to hear a message more than once before taking action⁠⁠

  5. It’s your content. Use it as often as you want to.⁠

And did I mention that it saves time?!

How to reuse your content:⁠⁠

Reuse⁠⁠ - Reshare popular posts or Reels. Simply re-post your image and caption in a new post or upload a Reel to Instagram again.

Refresh⁠⁠ - Breathe new life into existing content with new information or added value. This is great for long-form content such as blog posts which you can update with new or additional information or add value such as a freebie for your readers to download.

Reformat⁠⁠ - (my favourite!) Reformat your content to share elsewhere on Instagram or on other platforms.

For example:

  • Turn a feed post into a Reel

  • Repurpose a blog post into a carousel (or vice versa like I’ve done here!)

  • Resize a Reel into a square feed video to post on Facebook

Depending on your audience size and preferences, your own schedule, and your business goals, posting “consistently” may mean 3x per week or every day.

In order to maintain your chosen post frequency, try reusing, refreshing or repurposing your existing content. This not only saves time but ensures that new followers see your best work.

Fun fact: This blog post is actually repurposed from a post I shared on Instagram (and it is now also an email I send as part of my welcome sequence) - purely for demonstration purposes, of course 😉

Now go and reuse that content!

Note: This blog post includes affiliate links, which means if you purchase via a link I shared, I receive a small commission, at no cost to you.

Keep learning with this free webinar

8 rules to be more consistent in life | Gorny Altai News

There are ups and downs in life. Even though this rollercoaster ride is part of life in this world, everyone is looking for ways to be more consistent.

Consistency will make it easier for you to connect with family and friends, achieve your goals, and do well at school or at work.

Unfortunately, there are many people who find it difficult to stay consistent in life. How can you be more consistent? Well, in this interview, we're talking to Artyom Ginevsky, a blogger, author, and host of the Achiever Goal Marathon, who will provide eight rules to boost your consistency. But first, let's start with a simple definition. nine0004

What is consistency?

Artyom Ginevsky:

Consistency means different things in different situations; however, sequencing is a constant day-to-day effort, no matter what you do. There are many ways to apply consistency.

For example, students should make constant efforts in their classrooms. Employees and managers must put in constant effort at their jobs every day. Everyone should be consistent in the efforts they make in their relationships with family members, friends and colleagues. nine0005

If you want to achieve your goals and keep your relationship going, you need to constantly make an effort. Even though it is possible to be at your best every day, you must try your best every day. This is the sequence you should aim for. Even though it can be difficult, there are several ways to make it easier for yourself.

Don't promise to give someone a lift unless you really can't keep the promise.

Don't tell your significant other that you're going to mind your own business if you really can't. nine0005

Don't promise to help someone move if you really can't. If you can keep some but not all of the elements of this commitment, consider a counteroffer. For example, you can help someone move; however, you do not leave work until 5:00 pm. We offer to help them move in the evening, not in the middle of the day.

Finally, this includes making promises to yourself. If you promise yourself to do something, make sure you can actually do it. Then, be sure to place reminders around you that remind you of the goal you are trying to reach. nine0005

Try to reward yourself.

If you are trying to become more consistent, try to reward yourself when you do something well. After all, developing a new habit is not easy. Try setting yourself goals for time bass. Then, when you reach those goals, reward yourself for it. There are many ways to reward yourself for doing something well. This includes:

If you can finish your work early, consider going home early. Thus, you may have time for extra activities in the evening. You can treat yourself to a special dinner or a movie. nine0005

Final thoughts on how to be consistent?

Artyom Ginevsky:

After all, there are a lot of people who are looking for ways to be more consistent. If you can find a way to be more consistent in your life, you will be more successful in all areas of your life, including school, work, relationships, and personal goals. If you're having trouble finding ways to improve your consistency, feel free to reach out to professionals for help. This is not something you need to go through on your own. nine0005

Thank you very much. I remind you that Artyom Ginevsky was with us - a blogger, author and leader of the marathon to achieve the goals of "Achiever". You can find more information on Artem's blog here: https://instagram.com/ginevsky

Here's how you get followers on Instagram

Of all the social networks available today, Instagram is perhaps the most exciting. People share and exchange photos of beautiful moments and things in their lives.

However, if you're new to Instagram, posting photos and only getting likes and comments from your friends can quickly become depressing. But of course it shouldn't be. Time to update your strategy. These amazing hacks will help you get more followers and become an Instagram star:

  1. Define your niche and create your own unique style.
  2. Post the right content at the right time.
  3. Grab other users' attention with creative captions.
  4. Always stay on top of your hashtag game. And don't forget to mix them.
  5. Engage your target audience.
  6. Get your friends to help you grow.
  7. Connect with influencers in your niche and learn from them. nine0060
  8. Use a call to action to engage your Instagram followers.
  9. Know the interests of your local community and use this knowledge to your advantage.
  10. Cross-promotion of your Instagram across all social networks.

This can be a lot to take in right away, so let's start with small steps. There are a few basic rules that you must follow to make your Instagram account stand out. and therefore attract new subscribers. nine0005

What to do if your Instagram is not everything

Today Instagram has become quite a tricky system. Since things and “rules” are constantly changing, it is not always possible to find an answer to the question of how to get the most out of your experience on a website. That's why we regularly find and test new and improved methods to get more (real) followers on Instagram. to get more real followers on Instagram. to get more real followers on Instagram. AT

Get serious about your Instagram

Forget bad pictures. Dress up your channel to impress other Instagrammers with only consistently high quality photos and graphics. No one has amassed a large following on the platform with dark, grainy photos from Saturday night.

Be consistent

Don't leave this days or weeks without publication. Instagram prefers accounts that regularly create new content. Make it a rule to post on certain days of the week and never break it. You can use the scheduling app to help you stick to your new schedule. Some examples are Buffer, Plann, Planoly and Later. nine0005

While following these two rules is a good start, it won't make you the king (or queen) of Instagram. But we all know what getting a ton of subscribers will be.

How to get followers on Instagram

We put together a 10 step strategy on how to get real followers on Instagram. Of course, you don't need to follow all ten of them to thrive on the platform. Choose the ones that suit your style/theme/genre/niche the most, and don't forget to experiment! nine0005

1. Define your niche

Finding your "niche" - the main theme / style / voice of your feed - is the first and most important step in finding followers on Instagram. And I'm afraid that choosing "travel photography" as your niche is not enough. There should be something special and unique about your photos, whether it be certain colors, shapes, or subjects in your photos.

James Frew , Instagram's manager, says:

nine0002 "Account that is ubiquitous, posted without a topic, is less likely to get a follow. People love niches, so it pays to find yours and then post about it consistently. It's good to get off topic from time to time - especially in Tales - but most should stick to what people expect."

After you drop a topic, you can follow accounts that match yours. This will help you get your followers interested in exactly what you post, and make it easier for you to engage them in what you share. nine0005

You can only follow 30 Instagram accounts per hour without the risk of being banned.

2. Time is everything

We have pointed to being consistent and only posting high quality content as two of the basic rules for growing your Instagram. But that is not all.

Some researchers have tried to answer the question of what photos to post to get more attention from your followers. Some suggest posting photos of all blue, and those with the most light, other social media scholars advise using more faces in photos. nine0005

Whatever you post, research shows that the best times to post it are 2am and 5pm EST. If you don't plan on sharing photos every day, make sure you post on Wednesday to get mid-week visibility, and on Sunday as that day has the fewest images posted.

3. Use the power of storytelling

You know what to publish and when. It may be enough to keep you using Instagram, but it's not enough to turn you into a network superstar. There are several ways to improve the content you share - one of them is captions. nine0005

Use captions to tell a story about your photo. Ask a question to your subscribers. Ask for feedback, tips or advice. Or, on the contrary, share your thoughts. All of these things will help you interact more with other Instagrammers.

James Frew about Instagram tools:

“Instagram looks like a pretty simple app - a main feed where you post your best photos, and stories where you can post whatever you want and it disappears in a day. However, there are so many different ways you can use these features to your advantage. The best way to learn new techniques is to follow other Instagrammers and see what they do.” nine0005

4. Stay on top of your hashtag game

using Instagram hashtags - apart from great pictures, they can be the most important tool for getting followers on Instagram. Use hashtags known to help increase followers such as Follow Friday (#FF), #l4l (Like for likes), #instafollow and #followback.

It's also important to research your hashtags containing more popular and less popular ones. While your goal is to reach as many people as possible, you also want to use hashtags that are specific enough to reach the audience you are looking for. nine0005

For example, it doesn't make sense to use #instagram, which has over 131 million posts. Your post will last in the user's feed with this tag for about 0.001 seconds. You want to find hashtags with posts in the tens of thousands (ideally 20,000 to 100,000 posts). Both have enough posts to have decent reach and are accurate enough to limit your reach to just your target audience.

Use the full 30 hashtags and place them in the first comment, not in the title. nine0005

5. Build your tribe

Another very important aspect of developing your Instagram followers is how you communicate with your followers. Instagram rates accounts that get a lot of likes and comments in the first 15 minutes. It also prioritizes messages that users share with each other via DM.

Always strive to have great content that people will love and want to share, like and comment on. But don't be afraid to reach out first by commenting, saying "Hi" or liking other people's stuff. nine0005

Author Neil Patel invites you to like hundreds of random photos from people in your target audience. Using this strategy, he found that for every 100 likes, he gained 6.1 more followers.

6. Ask friends for help

Ask your friends what you already have on Instagram to help you get more exposure. All they have to do is like and/or comment on your posts within the first 15 minutes of posting the content. nine0005

The goal of the game is to boost your posts and make them more likely to appear in the " Explore " section to get to know new followers even more.

7. Think Big

Instagram is great for socializing. You can use hashtags and tags to connect with influencers in your niche and learn from the best brands on Instagram. It could be people with a lot of Instagram followers, big companies, brands you use, magazines or photographers. nine0005

Be a little cheeky and ask an influencer to mention or tag you (or your product). While there is no guarantee that this will work, if it does, it will likely bring you a lot of new followers.

8. Excite your followers with smart calls to action

Like other social networks, Instagram is built for dialogue. Don't just broadcast your content, find ways to get a response from your followers. What do you want people to do with your posts? nine0005

Once you understand this, try it and make it sound fun or smart (or both). When used correctly, a call to action can be a great way to share content on Instagram and even go viral.

James Frew about attracting followers:

"Running giveaways/shouts/requests for comment and then posting the best in your stories and tagging users means people will be excited about your content and the allure of being able to get them to post keeps them coming back. " nine0005

9. Act Local

Get to know the interests of your local community by geotagging your posts. When you geotag your photos, you will be noticed by other Instagram users in your area. A great way to grab the attention of local Instagrammers.

If you go to the "Search" page and select the " Places " tab, you can also see what is currently happening in a particular area. It could be your area, your city, or an event in a specific location. nine0005

10. Cross-promotion your Instagram

There are many ways to promote your Instagram online and for free.

Start by syncing your Instagram with your Facebook page, Twitter, Youtube channel, etc. List your Instagram name on your other social media accounts and in your email newsletter (if applicable). Create your own branded hashtag and invite your followers to use it both on Instagram and other social networks. All of this will lead to more exposure and ultimately more followers for your Instagram account.

Learn more