You are listening to the Hayley Osborne show with me, Hayley, your host. This is your place to learn how to become the superhero marketer in your business to become the number one in your local community, both online and in your surrounding areas. Every week, I’ll be teaching you how you can achieve the best out of your marketing your business and be the most fearless superhero version of yourself. Small business owners are the backbone of the economy. And I’m here to demystify local area marketing to help you reach more customers, between myself from South Australia and my wildly inspiring guests from across the world. I’m so excited to discuss all things marketing your business with you. I believe in you. Let’s get started.
My Awesome, beautiful friends, welcome to another episode of The Hayley Osborne show. This is episode 62 and I am so glad you are here listening with me wherever you are right now in the car, walking, doing your thing.
Today, I’m talking about my seven steps for making over your whole Instagram account. This is so relevant; Instagram is something that gets left behind when it comes to our BIOS and our whole account; what are we doing right? What are we doing wrong? What do we need to update? It’s something that we set and forget when we’re just rolling through the motions of working in our business.
It’s like our website. Where it’s sort of, it’s not set and forgets. You have to also maintain your Instagram, the whole Instagram, really. Instagram makeovers are really having a moment right now, aren’t they? Now, it’s the perfect time to give your profile the makeover it deserves because you’re awesome and you’re putting in so much effort. This is the place where people land. You want to really make a good first impression. Whether you want to refresh your existing theme with newer photos and stories or you want to take it to the next level with extra filters and colours, a total Instagram makeover could be exactly what your business needs.
Not only can this make your profile look amazing, but doing so might just be something that puts you on the radar of attracting new people into your world. So please don’t wait to do it. Upgrade your Instagram page. Now take a look at it if you can. And then, you know, you’ll see a boost with new life that comes with that too. If your business Instagram presence isn’t really quite up to scratch with your competition, don’t worry about it. Don’t worry about what everybody else is doing. Stay in your lane because it’s not busy in your lane.
A total Instagram makeover is easier than you actually think. With the right strategies and implementation, you can create engaging content that drives your brand’s awareness and grow your audience because we all want that right.
From your captions to hashtags, I’ve got seven things that will help your Instagram account get the creative boost it needs for comprehensive success, this is real, and I’m keeping it real. You know, it’s been a big day today. What can I say? I’m a mom of two young children and doing all the things, you know, it all fits in somehow. And sometimes, it’s okay to make some small mistakes. We’re all human. So get motivated. Let’s get back to business.
Start optimising your Instagram today. Start optimising your timeline today. So, one thing before we do, though, is to reevaluate your goals and purpose on Instagram. So when it comes to using it, it’s not enough to upload content and wait for your followers to engage. It really isn’t anymore. If you want to make the most out of this social media platform. You need to reevaluate your goals and purpose every once in a while because, you know, as we evolve as business owners, so does our brand and so does what we stand for and things morph into other things and you want to make sure that you’re really relaying that within this space.
Your goals might have changed over time, or you might be in the mood for something new. You can’t quite put your finger on what that is and but you can’t quite relate to what you’re currently showing up and appearing like, so whatever the reason, taking some time away from actually posting and being on the platform can really help you rediscover what motivates you why you want to stay in, you know, in this platform and really get the motivation back to create some really high-quality content that stands out. How cool would it be if each post gave your followers something to talk about? It’s possible and take some time now to really reflect on your goals and inject some fun into your Instagram strategy.
What to remove from your profile and how to optimise your bio. With the world of social media being so vast, cleaning up your profile can be intimidating, and it can really seem like a daunting task. But it doesn’t have to; it takes a little bit to figure out what to write, what your name should be and what your bold sections should be. Keep your username, obviously the same; there are a few tips there with a username that I will say is if your username is taken, or, you know, you want to still continue with, so for me, HayleyKOsborne is my username on Instagram, it doesn’t start with any underscores, or the word or a starting word or anything like that, it begins with my name, because that’s what people will search.
If your user name starts with an underscore, see if you can take that out. And if you need to add something on the end, you can add something on the end. That’s why I recommend it simply because that’s what people will be searching for. And then, now, when your Instagram account comes up in the search, they will see that that is you. It doesn’t matter what kind of anything you have, on the end. You could have a few underscores on the end, or you could have something like, I don’t know, it depends on the guide style. What else studio could be anything but that ducks on the end so that your front convention is your business name? Even if it’s already taken, so remove the underscores or anything like that, which makes it really hard for people to find.
If you grew too much over time of stuff, and posts, feel free to delete some posts as well. You don’t have to keep them on your feed if they aren’t relevant anymore. I’ve kept everything on mine, but it’s up to you if that feels like you need to do that. And that spring cleaning, that’s okay. You’re the boss of your business. So you are the one to give you permission to do that. So a cleaner profile means a smaller online footprint. But it also means that you’ve got more control over the content. And it gives your audience an overall better social media experience. Take charge of your digital presence; it’s never felt so good.
You also want to include a really strong bio. Now, what that looks like is different for every single business. But I will say the bold section, which is the name section of your Instagram account. It shouldn’t be your business name. It shouldn’t be that. It should be your name. And it should be what you do. So me I have Hayley|, marketing business coach, so that way, if you look clearly, in your direct messages right now, you’ll see that’s what comes up as me; it doesn’t come up as HayleyKateOsborne, because not many people can remember that and relate. So if I’m looking for a virtual assistant, for example, it will say virtual assistant, your virtual assistant. But that’s not necessarily the business name of the virtual assistant. Does that make sense? So make sure that the name in your bio is actually you and what you do and make it really clear. Then, include some clear things in your bio that really represent your business and make sure you have a call to action. What do you want people to do when they read that? Where do you want them to go, and do you want them to buy from you? or Message you to book service with you? And that’s what you want to write in there because they have somewhere to go. So make sure that you have a clear call to action.
So another thing is creating eye-catching images is huge and videos. This is something that we all get really stuck on. Are your visuals stuck in a rut? Are they? Ask yourself this happens to me from time to time as well. And it’s really important to go back to basics and give them a revamp. Changing up your style and your visual style regularly is okay. You don’t just because you started with something. It doesn’t mean that you have to continue with it and this will make sure that you don’t start feeling bored and repetitive. Because if you start to feel that way, chances are that your audience will also start to feel that way too. So get creative with different themes, shapes, and textures, keep your visuals looking fresh, and keep it exciting for you. And that’s okay; come at it like being very nimble in this space because when you are nimble, you have the flexibility to be whoever you want; you’re the business owner, and you get to dictate what that looks like. So bring out the bright colours if you need to get inspired by different trends in the design world. If you need to go on other platforms like Pinterest and try and come up with colour boards and things that work for you, you can translate over to this platform. So trust me, the more practice you get doing this, the better you’ll be at it, and the better you’ll be able to create showstopping visuals and create an impact.
If you look through my Instagram account and scroll way back, it looks so different from what it does now. Now it is so free and flowy and easy. And I make it really fun, too, because it really is my personality. So think about what works for you and what colours work for you. Just because you’ve always done something doesn’t mean you must keep doing it.
So another way for a total Instagram makeover is writing really compelling captions. And tap into relevant conversations is something that is really important. I’m not saying that you need to write in really long form. But if you are keeping up to date with things in the world and have a compelling storyline, this is something that really helps with your Instagram feed. So brainstorming creative captions that can be used for all your posts is important.
Use hashtags to make sure your posts are seen. And don’t blend in with others. Create a hashtag specifically for your brand and business if you don’t already have one. So I don’t tend to hashtag my name, but I do hashtag superhero marketing. And I do hashtag superhero marketing membership, which is my signature membership. Most of the time, I also mix it up because it depends on what I’m talking about and what hashtags I use. So, that is usually my hero hashtag. And I recommend you have a hero hashtag because it helps your brand and your business. And then, you know, engage with others by commenting on and liking their posts. This is also a means of you tapping into relevant conversations.
Make sure you look at taking advantage of the insights that Instagram gives you. Because then you’ll be able to see how many people are viewing your content. When how, what were all the things and tap into that and replicate that as best you know how so the ones that are performing the best. They’re the ones that you want to keep repeating, not the same, but same, same, but different.
Another really cool thing for you to do is research trending topics that are in the industry that you work in, because that’s huge, how to use massive why, how what, why when think about that, and think about that when you are telling your story within Instagram, building relationships, and encouraging user-generated content is something that is also essential if you want to grow your business. And it’s important to be genuine with customers and build rapport. Because when you’re not genuine, it screams BS a mile away, right? So the more you engage with your audience, the more successful you will be and the more authentic you will be. And remember to open up communication and feedback from people within your community because it can create good opportunities to continue the dialogue. So talk to your audience, listen to their feedback, respond to their posts, and have meaningful conversations that will make them feel really valued. And that’s what this space needs this, you know, this day and age in 2023. User-generated content can also be a great way to build brand awareness and give customers something tangible to relate to. So what are you waiting for? Start building those relationships and watch your business soar.
So you need to start with getting clear on why you’re creating an Instagram presence in the first place. What’s the purpose of this channel? Who are you trying to reach? Knowing the answers to these questions will help guide every decision you have along the way and is one of the most powerful forms of marketing we have ever seen. Social media, Instagram, and, more importantly, it’s growing every day. So don’t think that, oh, you know, I’m only just starting; there’s no room for me; there’s plenty of room for you. And it does keep on growing. So start and go from there.
So once you’ve got a clear understanding of what this success looks like for you what this makeover looks like for you, it’s time to start cleaning things up. So remove anything that’s not aligned with your objectives, optimise the bio, which I’ve mentioned earlier, and have a really strong value proposition and call to action.
So now it’s time for you to start creating content. How fun. I recommend you go over these tips I’ve provided to make over your Instagram. Make sure that you have clearly got something that resonates with your style, personally, your personality, your brand, and try and be flowy and let it feel easy for you. Because when it feels easy, it doesn’t feel like work and your business. You know you love your business. And you need to translate that love over to social media through storytelling through beautiful creativity. It doesn’t have to be perfect because done is better than perfect. But you have to, I guess, reignite your love for the platform and the platform will pay you back tenfold, guys.
If you are listening, I have created a small business Instagram cheat sheet for you, which covers exactly what must-haves you need on your Instagram. If you head over to Hayleyosborne.com, You’ll see it right there at the top. It’s beautiful and everything is there for you to look at and cheat off of so that you can go through the motions and sort that out for yourself. I hope you’ve enjoyed listening to this episode about how to make over your Instagram in seven steps. And I will catch you next week, guys, for another episode of The Hayley Osborne show.
I hope you’ve enjoyed listening to this episode. If you have hit subscribe so you don’t miss any new episodes released every Tuesday. And while you’re there, leave me a review. I would absolutely love to read it. Also, remember to tag me @HayleyKOsborne over on Instagram and share this podcast with your audience so they can get learning too. If you want more, head to Hayleyosborne.com.au/podcast for today’s show notes and links. I’ve also got an awesome free eBook, a new one waiting for you on my website, the 10 Essentials every local area marketing plan needs and I will catch you next week for another episode of The Hayley Osborne show.
