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BUSINESS EXPERT OPINION
INSTAGRAM
AGILITY
WHEN GROWING YOUR BUSINESS,
SOCIAL MEDIA IS ONE PLACE IT
HELPS TO BE NIMBLE
BY JANA PLATINA PHIPPS
Agility is the ability to move quickly and keep your balance.
In my business, on the tennis court and in life, I have varying
degrees of being agile, depending on my skill level, energy and
focus.
Feeling unstable at the beginning of the pandemic, I sought
out some new tools and daily practices to stay upbeat and
centered. I pursued a life-long goal of getting my tennis certification
so that I could start teaching professionally. I also took
a leap into ecommerce and grew my social visibility on Trim
Queen media channels.
I began teaching tennis to local friends and industry friends
asked me to help them with social media. One by one, I started
sharing my screen and best practices with them and was soon
sharing to small groups. It was then I realized I was organizing
my content-creation lessons just like the tennis clinics I had
gleefully instructed all summer: a group lesson for an overview
and assessment, followed by a customized private lesson to
work on strategy and skill development.
After many social media trainings, I quickly distilled the common
pain points of building Instagram for business, and formalized
a course called Instagram Agility, officially adding
teaching to my entrepreneurial mix.
Following are three of those pain points and ways to work
them out:
From Comparing to Clarity: Do you get excited to share on social
media then feel defeated when you don’t get the engagement
you think your posts merit? We compare and despair,
then choke. However, the process of posting on Instagram can
be a valuable exercise in itself – likes aside – giving you clarity
regarding your higher purpose and how to communicate it
creatively in your posts while playing your own game.
From Fixing to Foundation: In trying to “fix Instagram,” you
may realize that foundational work needs to be done around
identifying and communicating your brand soul essence. Make
a list of your core values (i.e. Beauty, Joy, Expertise, Innovation
, Philanthropy) then create content that aligns (not all of
them at once) to build a cohesive story. You will start to build a
unique brand experience that will attract your ideal client and
opportunities for press and influence.
From Overwhelm to Engagement: Brainstorming six to twelve
content categories (i.e. mood boards, full rooms, design details
, team profiles) streamlines the content process and cuts
out the overwhelm of what to post. Focus on consistency,
quality over quantity (also applies to followers), and maximize
visibility by sharing every post to Instagram Stories as well.
“Cook once, eat twice” to double the amount of eyeballs with
this simple extra step and your engagement will grow.
People obsess about growing their following on Instagram, but
they are looking at the wrong metrics. Instagram is the ideal
platform for building your brand and business relationships
through storytelling and connection. If you are agile in your
Instagram practice, you are well on your way to some big wins.
Jana Platina Phipps, the Trim Queen of the design industry, is
a mentor and influencer offering one-on-one or small group
training sessions for social media and Instagram (from beginner
to advanced) based on her experience, skills, and proven
strategies — building brand recognition and engagement — for
business growth.
30 | DESIGNERS TODAY
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