My Instagram followers are dwindling but my income is growing. My Instagram following has been hanging around the 1100 mark now for years. I tried to grow it at some point, with hashtags, trending reels, and paying someone to engage with people on other accounts. It did very little. And now I don’t care. This is why I stopped trying to sell on Instagram.

I know that if I would go all in on IG with consistent posts and more reels that it would probably pay off. Other people do it, and they are wildly successful. Or so it seems. But I can’t be bothered. It takes so much time, creating videos, editing them, putting on graphics and text and captions. You create something fabulous, only for it to land on tumble weed. And what is the going rate right now, three reels and five posts a week? Multiple stories? Engaging with others? This feels like being back in the rat race. No, thanks.

Trying to sell on instagram feels like begging sometimes

Also, I can count the amount of clients I had through Instagram on a few fingers. 99% of my clients come through the search engines. And I stopped believing in ‘converting’ people. I am not a beggar, I don’t believe talking people into buying something they may not be 100% ready for is a wholesome way of doing business. I stopped trying to sell on Instagram because it feels like flogging a dead horse. People might be following me, but they are likely just trying to pick up a few free tips and tricks, and are in no way ready to hire a business coach.

Why do you follow certain people on Instagram? For inspiration, mainly. Not because you are desperate to hire someone for help. Where do you look when you need urgent help with something? Google, most likely. Or you ask around in your immediate network.

Therefore, having some presence on Social Media can be helpful, just so people can tag you or share your profile. But you don’t have to be on it ALL the time, and please don’t rely on it as your main marketing tool.

My income has doubled over the past year. Without the help of social media. My coaching clients find me on Google. They find me, because they have a ‘bleeding neck problem’ and they type in the search words that lead them to me. I don’t need to talk them into conversion, because they already need help NOW.

Creating relevant content on my website for SEO

So instead of trying to sell on Instagram, what I focus on is writing quality, relevant content that resonates as soon as people land on my website. This potential client is ready to buy, they were actively looking for help, I just need to communicate clearly so next they book a call. Crystal clear wording that makes them feel heard and understood and go ‘hell yes!’. I am not selling to them, I am offering genuine help

We do a lot of things to grow our audience because we were once told that they are essential; email funnels, social media, videos… That is a HUGE amount of work and it takes a long time to turn a lurker into a buyer.

My advice? Figure out what ‘bleeding neck’ problem you are solving, and stand out online like ER / A&E. People are looking for help, and they don’t know where to find it sometimes. Fly that flag, make sure they can find your website!

Make sure your website is SEO friendly. Know your keywords. But most of all: know what your main client is looking for, who they are, and how YOU can help them. No generic content, and stay away from cliches or copying others. If you use Chatgpt, jazz it up. Carve out your unique sanctuary online, where your ideal client immediately feels rescued and in good hands.

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