Why I Stopped Creating So Much Free Instagram Content
I used to put this pressure on myself to create super amazing Instagram content and graphics that gave out free business tips and growth advice. I'd soak in all of the coaching advice of give, give, give and then expect your audience to give back in the form of signing up for your program or services.
I don't do that anymore... and if you give a lot of educational content out for free - I encourage you to stop. Here's why…
When you give out a lot of free content, that is now the expectation. Your audience begins following you and engaging with you because of the content you are giving out for free - and this can get exhausting for you….
Plus, why would they sign up for something or pay for your offer when you're giving them bit by bit without asking for anything in return? Your audience will then be able to take each bit and piece it together eventually to follow your wonderful tips and half ass create something on their own.
This whole process is doing them AND you a huge disservice because they never got the real education or service from you (it's like they are snacking and not eating full, healthy meals!) and YOU never got paid.
Here's what you should do instead:
Create 1-3 very strategic freebies (lead magnets). This is free, valuable content that will drive people to sign up in exchange for their email address. It’s a great way to build your email network and expand on the relationship through your email funnels. Need help getting started? Grab my quickstart guide to email sequences here! (See what I did there? 😉)
Share content on free platforms that showcases who YOU are and allows your audience to connect with YOU, not just the expertise behind your business. People buy from people. Think about the influencers you love most. You probably watch their stories and engage with their content because something about them resonates with you. Maybe they have kids the same age. Or they give you sneak peeks into their life that make the chaos in your days feel normal. Then you want to buy what they’re sharing because it feels like you know them and you trust them! To set your offer apart from the rest, it really comes down to you.
Promote your freebies on a semi-regular rotation, along with your fun content. When planning your social content for the week/month, don’t forget to add in a plug about the free resources that you offer. You might feel like a broken record, but trust me - people won’t mind or even notice!
Occasionally post a graphic or educational post that can tie into promoting one of your lead magnets with a very CLEAR CTA of opting in to your email list. The free value is still there. You are still a solid resource for your followers. But you’re not an endless fountain of free information. That’s just not how a business works!
BIG picture: your Instagram is meant to help increase your leads and grow your community on something you own (like your email list). If it isn't doing that for you right now, you need to change things up!
And if this is triggering something inside of you that is causing you to think I NEED to give content and nurture my audience for them to eventually buy something from me…. Sign up for my Money Mindset Masterclass happening on March 7th so you can release the grip of expectations that are causing you to give your expertise away for free.
***and if you work for a client who is doing this, send them this post so you can strategize how to shift the narrative of constant, free content and embrace a less stressful content-creation process!