Instagram Tips for Designers + Creatives
If you are working in a creative field then Instagram should be a big part of your marketing efforts, but I know that it can be overwhelming to be creating consistently on Instagram.
So in this post I am sharing some of the things that work well for me…
1: Share ALL of your best tips and secrets
The way to win on Instagram (and actually in business in general!) is to give away your best advice and tips for free. Be kind and helpful within your community and don’t expect anything in return from people who follow you.
Teaching about the things you know will not mean people copy you. Instead it will help people see the expert that you are and your generosity will be rewarded by them coming back to you when they are ready and in need of help. Even if they do try and copy you they don’t have the same level of experience or skill as you do and won’t be able to recreate this in the same was as you can.
Trust me on this - it's how I've built my own business!!
It's also an exceptionally rewarding way of running your life. I get so much joy out of creating all the free content I share and I know that so many people are getting a lot of value out of it. So trust me, give it a try!
2: Some things just shouldn't be posted on your business Instagram account!!
You have less than 1 second for someone to decide whether or not to follow your Instagram page.
That means you have a fraction of a second to get across who you are and what you can do to help someone. So think carefully about how you put your feed together. And save the images of your kids playing sport, your dogs or what you had for breakfast for your personal Facebook page. :)
Be generous with your ideas, inspiration and advice, but don’t share absolutely everything about what you are up to!!!
Stay on point with who your ideal client/customer/person is and then create content that you know will be valuable for them.
3: What to post
Lots of people I chat to about Instagram feel stuck as they are only just getting started in business and don't have any completed project images to share yet.
But the good news is you don't need these to start creating a fantastic page that is helpful and engaging for other people. Here's a few of the different types of content you can share:
curated content
original images
user-generated content
carousel posts
tips and tricks posts or videos
images of yourself
quotes or graphics
There is endless content that I know you have inside your head that I'm sure people on Instagram would find incredibly helpful.
Start documenting your journey of building your business and grow your community that way to start. That’s exactly what I did when I was first starting my own business - and I still document aspects of my business growth on my Instagram page to this day.
If you want hundreds of ideas for what to post then grab my free PDF download via the button below.
4: Batch and schedule in advance
This is probably my main tip for you and it is what helps me consistently post on my own Instagram pages.
The way that I manage Instagram is that I prepare a week of posts at one time and then schedule those in to Later so they automatically publish for me at the times I set each day.
But don’t just set and forget - Instagram isn’t only about posting it’s also about engagement. So make sure you go in for at least 15 minutes each day and answer comments people are leaving on your posts and also engage and comment on the posts of other people in your community as well.
I block time in my diary to do this so I don’t forget (and so I don’t mindlessly scroll on the platform and waste hours of my time, which is what the platform is designed. to make you do!).
My biggest tip with Instagram?
Stop overthinking and start sharing and documenting your journey.
It may not seem interesting to you - but if you can inspire and change the life of even one person by sharing what you know or what you’re doing - then it’s 100% worth the effort. If you aren’t sure what to post just start curating what inspires you and what you are learning about or grab my free PDF above. If you are consistent and helpful then your account will start to grow a loyal following.
If you are interested in improving the way that you use Instagram then I’m sure you would love my online short course - you can find out more here.
Business Short Courses for Designers and Architects
DO YOU WANT TO….
Improve your professionalism?
Find more clients?
Bring in more revenue?
Create better systems and processes?
Then check out my business courses and templates for designers and architects.
These courses and templates leave you with work done - not just a long list of things you need to do next. We have a really strong focus on taking action and getting things created that improve your business.
Enjoy the rest of your day!
Clare x
Dr Clare Le Roy