You’ve probably encountered a lot of conflicting Instagram advice that leaves you feeling confused, overwhelmed, or stressed. Let’s breakdown a couple of Instagram myths to clear the air and help you develop a better relationship with marketing your brand on Instagram.

Instagram Myth Busting:

1. “You have to engage 30 minutes before and after you post”

If you’ve ever tried growing your brand’s Instagram account, I’m sure you’ve heard this advice floating around. The idea behind the myth is that your content will get a “boost” in the algorithm or extra reach (a.k.a. more eyes on your content.)

This Instagram myth puts a lot of pressure on you as a creator and as a business owner to stop whatever you’re doing and commit an hour each time you’re posting.

It doesn’t matter what time of day you engage, and it doesn’t matter how many minutes you engage. What’s important is setting aside a designated time to interact and engage with your community regularly.

Communicate with your audience (responding to comments, DMs, outreach on your audience’s content, etc.) regularly, but more importantly, at times that are best for YOU!

When I first started as a social media manager, I fell into this time trap and would literally schedule my life around content posting for myself and for my clients. It was stressful, so I get it. Over time, I learned that a combination of 1. Strategy 2. Solid Content and 3. Cultivating Genuine Relationships is what will help you reach and exceed your goals. This applies for ANY account on Instagram!

2. “You have to post every day in order to grow”

Have you ever had that feeling of urgency because it’s been 3 days since you last posted and you don’t have anything ready for today? So you feel like you just have to get something out there because your account won’t grow if you don’t?

This Instagram myth of having to post everyday in order to grow will lead to being overwhelmed, burnout, and eventually resentment of the platform. (Especially if you don’t have the help of a social media manager!)

It’s more beneficial to get into the habit of posting and showing up online.

If you have the capacity to post content 7 days a week consistently that resonates with your target audience AND you feel good about posting it, that’s terrific! You’ll likely see quick growth!

But most people can’t do that and there’s no reason to worry about not hitting that goal.

Try to commit to posting 3 times per week, and if not try 2 times per week. What’s most important is that you have a good relationship with social media and don’t burn yourself out.

You can absolutely grow your brand and your Instagram account by posting 2-3 per week.

The goal is to establish a healthy posting schedule that works with you & with your lifestyle!

3. “Instagram is no longer a photo sharing app”

There’s a lot of talk about Instagram completely shifting away from photo content.

Many are taking this literally and going all in on video (Reels, IG Video) and not posting image posts anymore.

Let’s go to the source: Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, actually wrote “we’re no longer just a square photo-sharing app.” Notice the keyword – JUST. This doesn’t mean you can’t post photos or that photos will no longer perform on the platform.

My suggestion as a social media manager is to continue to post photo content, but to integrate more video into your content strategy. Your audience wants to see a mixture of content types!

There’s a lot to learn about Instagram and marketing on social media for your creative business. The goal is to feel aligned with how you and your business are showing up.

But right now, you might find yourself at a point where you dread hitting that “create a post” button because the thought of churning out one more piece of content for your business makes you want to pull your hair out.

You didn’t start your business to spend your days marketing it on social media. This is your permission slip to outsource the parts of your business that don’t genuinely bring you joy.

If you’re ready to hire a social media manager to free up your time and energy, fill out my client application form here to learn more about our services.