Are you feeling frustrated with your Instagram growth?
In this episode, I share the surprising reason your account isn’t growing (even though you’re posting consistently, using relevant hashtags and/or spending time engaging on other peoples’ accounts). And show you how to fix it.
If you’re struggling to attract new followers to your Instagram content, you may think it’s because you haven’t nailed your strategy. You need to post more often/consistently. You need to find the right time of day to post. You need to find the right hashtags to attract your ideal/clients.
But while honing these strategies can help, there is one fundamental thing you have to be able to do to grow your following. If you can’t do this, you’ll struggle to grow your audience - regardless of any strategies you try.
So what is this magic thing you must be able to do?
You have to be able to connect emotionally with your audience.
Your content needs to make people stop in their feed,
And it needs to make them feel something. For example:
If you want people to take the time to stop and read your post. If you want people to hit ‘save’ or ‘share’ - or leave you a comment - it has to hit them right in the heart.
It if doesn’t, they’ll just keep on scrolling.
So how do you know your content is hitting the spot? More people will be liking, commenting on and sharing your content for sure. But what will really show your content is hitting the spot is when people leave comments like:
‘This really resonates with me.’
‘I feel like you’re inside my head.’
‘I was just thinking this earlier.
So how do you create this kind of content? Keep reading and you’ll find out.
Take a look at the account of some key competitors that are getting good engagement and growth on their account.
How are they engaging their audience emotionally?
Natalie Lue - everything we do is about making us feel better. So if we can make our audience feel better about themselves they’ll love us for it.
Lifestyle envy (personal/work) - Hannah Otto, The Annaedit, Brand Stylist
Humour: Alyssa Limperis, Simon Holland, Glitterbeards, Paul Flaart
Empathy: Matt Haig, Jamie Tworkowski (Jamie T), Helen Marie
Reassurance/encouragement: Boss Babe, me
Challenge: polarising content - don’t see so much on Instagram
People need to SEE themselves in your story - even if they haven’t had that exact experience.
For example, I have a recent post: Don’t take criticism from people you wouldn’t take advice from.
In the caption I talked about how people email me with ‘advice’ on email marketing - even though they don’t have
1,333 likes
1086 shares
640 saves
I’ve just been looking at my top ten performing Instagram posts of the past year.
My best performing post got:
PLUS it’s been saved 2,495 times, landed me 912 new followers and 90% of people who saw the post weren’t even following me in the first place.
Pretty mind-blowing, right?
Well here’s the interesting thing.
Only ONE of my ten best-performing Instagram posts was actually created by ME (number 10 as it happens). The rest of the posts (including this one) were originally created by other people. I was simply resharing them.
In the last six months I’ve more than doubled my Instagram following from 6.5k to over 15k and content curation (sharing other peoples’ content) has been a big part of my strategy.
The way I see it, there is so much great content out there already - created by people who are more eloquent, funny and/or talented than I could ever be.
So instead of dishing up my rather mediocre content, why not introduce my audience to the best of the best?
That way I can focus on giving them exactly what they need: funny, inspiring, poignant, polarising...whatever it is they need to hear at any given time.
Without having to come up with a single idea myself.
And in doing so, I’m not just growing my own Instagram account. I’m helping to grow other peoples’ too.
Which is a win-win all round, right?
Of course there is an art to content curation (including how to credit those whose content you share). Which is why I’ve devoted a whole section to it in my new Instagram course, which starts in May.
But not only can content curation save you tons of time...it can also help you improve the quality of your content.
Which is why I’d love you to give it a try (tip: it doesn’t just work on Instagram)
Join my Instagram Academy Course here
Janetmurray.co.uk/podcastfinder
Join my Build Your Online Audience Programme
Masterclass - How to generate passive income in your business
Masterclass - How to plan sell and launch an online Webinar or Masterclass for your business
Masterclass - How to turn your in-person services into online offerings
Masterclass - How to launch a playbook for your business
[343] The three audiences you must build to create a successful online business (podcast)
[362] How to grow your Instagram following to 27K fast (podcast)
[374] How to create a year's worth of content in one morning (podcast)
[378] How to use hashtags to build your online audience (podcast)
[379] How to grow your Instagram posts by 1K in 30 days (podcast)
[386] The four types of content to create that will help you make more sales in 2020 (podcast)
[390] How to stop overthinking your content (podcast)
[391] How to write better social media captions (podcast)
[392] How to get more engagement on Instagram (podcast)
[398] What sort of content should you create during a global crisis (podcast)
[399] How to build your online audience during a global crisis (podcast)
[400] How to build a large audience for your blog, vlog or podcast (podcast)
[Bonus] How to turn your in person services into online offerings (podcast)
[Bonus] How to generate income fast by creating a power hour for your business (podcast)
How to create an editorial calendar for your business (blog post)
How to write social media posts that sell (online masterclass)
Join the Media Diary Owners Club
Order your 2020 Media Diary here
Join my Build Your Audience Programme
How to add closed captions to your video using Rev and Kapwing
Join my get your podcast live in 60 days course
How to create a high-converting lead magnet course
Buy my book Your press release is breaking my heart
Social Media Video Engagement Playbook
Social Media Engagement Playbook
LinkedIn Content Strategy Playbook
Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn
‘How often should I email my list?’
This is probably one of the most common questions I get asked about email marketing.
The rather unsatisfactory answer is ‘it depends’ - on all sorts of factors, including how often you usually email your list, what’s going on in your business at the time and what your goals are.
But what I can tell you is that you are almost certainly emailing your list less than you should - and missing out on sales as a result.
In this podcast episode, I tackle the question of how often you should be emailing your list - and share the key email sequences every business owner should have.
This is the sequence of emails you send someone when they join your email list.
If they have signed up via a free lead magnet (i.e. a resource you create specifically with the intention of getting people to join your list), I’d suggest sending a series of 3-5 emails where you break down the content of your lead magnet and give additional value. I generally refer to this as a ‘delivery sequence’.
So for example with my 23 Social Media Ideas lead magnet, I send five follow up emails (across four days). The first - which should land immediately after they subscribe to the lead magnet - is to deliver the lead magnet.
The second - sent around 24 hours later - asks subscribers to email back and let me know if they received the email ok. This can help troubleshoot any potential problems with spam (once a new subscriber emails me back, their email provider recognises us as ‘friends’ - which means my content is less likely to end up in spam).
The next three delve deeper into the problem the lead magnet solves (not being able to come up with engaging content ideas). I share three types of post (one each day): the question post, the ‘story’ post and the ‘grenade’ post. In this email I make a sales offer to a product/service that feels like the natural ‘next step’ to the lead magnet. This may or may not lead into a sales sequence.
I may also make a ‘soft’ sales offer in the p.s. of the second or third email (or both).
If people are joining your list for another reason i.e. you just have a general ‘sign up’ email, I’d recommend a 3-5 email ‘getting to know you’ sequence where you talk a little bit about what to expect from being on your list and help people get to know you better.
You should also create a welcome sequence for people who buy one of your products/services. For a coaching/membership programme - where you’re going to be working with people over a longer period of time - I’d recommend a 3-5 day ‘tour’. In my Build Your Online Audience Programme, you get a ‘tour’ of the membership (including the site/resources and team). For an online course, masterclass or playbook I’d generally keep it shorter.
This is the sequence of emails you send someone to promote a paid product/service. This can be anything from an online masterclass to a playbook to an online course.
The length of your sales sequence really depends on the product/service you’re selling, but, personally, I wouldn’t recommend sales campaigns that run for longer than 5-7 days - with some kind of scarcity built in - otherwise people can start to zone out.
I’d recommend sending at least one email every day, with at least 2-3 emails on the last day. I’d also recommend creating a ‘looked not bought’ sequence - which you send to those who have clicked on the link to purchase (more on that later).
However, the length of your campaign can depend on the product/service you’re selling. For example, I have a four day email sequence I use for online masterclasses, which I generally start three days before the day of the masterclass. If I start to promote any earlier, I find people forget about the masterclass.
One of the biggest mistakes I see people making with their email marketing, is not asking people why they didn’t buy. While it can be uncomfortable to ask, it can also be an opportunity to convert someone who might otherwise have walked away.
The reasons people don’t buy are varied and complex. Some people have unanswered questions, but for whatever reason they don’t ask. Others have a fundamental misunderstanding about the product/service - which can be down to missing/misleading information on your sales page, for example. A few have decided the product/service is not for them based on an incorrect assumption.
For example, lots of my customers/clients convince themselves my services are not suitable for product-based businesses - even though I do my best to stress this in my marketing and use relevant testimonials.
In many cases, when you provide subscribers with the information they need, they will decide to buy. Even if they don’t, at least they’ve had all the information they need to make a decision (which means they may still buy at a later date).
But if you’re not brave enough to ask the question, you’ll never know. Which means you’re almost certainly missing out on sales.
This is why it’s vital to have a Looked Not Bought sequence in every email campaign you create where you simply say something like: I noticed you’d been checking out x product/service but haven’t yet bought. Let me know if you have any questions.
Sometimes people can feel nervous about voicing their concerns. This is why it can be helping to give a list of typical reasons people have given for not buying.
If you would like to see my Top 10 podcasts then head to my Podcast Finder and my messenger bot will make some suggestions.
janetmurray.co.uk/podcastfinder
Join my Build Your Online Audience Programme
Masterclass - How to generate passive income in your business
Masterclass - How to plan sell and launch an online Webinar or Masterclass for your business
Masterclass - How to turn your in-person services into online offerings
Masterclass - How to launch a playbook for your business
[333] 39 surprisingly easy ways to build your email list (podcast)
[334] How to build a large audience without paid advertising with Callie Willows (podcast)
[335] How to create a high converting lead magnet (podcast)
[348] How to write social media posts that sell (podcast episode)
[359] How to create an email newsletter that people look forward to receiving (podcast)
[360] How to get people to open your emails (podcast)
[375] How to get your first 1K email subscribers (podcast)
[395] How to write addictive email copy with Rob & Kennedy (podcast)
[398] What sort of content should you create during a global crisis (podcast)
[399] How to build your online audience during a global crisis (podcast)
[400] How to build a large audience for your blog, vlog or podcast (podcast)
[Bonus] How to turn your in person services into online offerings (podcast)
[Bonus] How to generate income fast by creating a power hour for your business (podcast)
How to write social media posts that sell (online masterclass)
Join the Media Diary Owners Club
Join my Build Your Audience Programme
How to add closed captions to your video using Rev and Kapwing
How to create a high-converting lead magnet course
Buy my book Your press release is breaking my heart
Social Media Video Engagement Playbook
Social Media Engagement Playbook
LinkedIn Content Strategy Playbook
Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn
Publishing regular content on a blog, vlog or podcast can be a great way to build your online audience.
My podcast The Janet Murray Show gets around 35k downloads per month, consistently ranks top of the UK podcast charts for marketing and is the biggest driver for leads and sales in my business. Which is why I’ve invested a huge amount of time and resources into building my podcast audience since I launched in 2015.
But just having a blog, vlog/Youtube channel or podcast isn’t enough. People won’t automatically find your content, just because it’s out there. You need to invest time and resources building an audience for that content.
And while the platforms might be different, the audience-building strategies will be the same - regardless you have a blog, Youtube channel, Facebook Live Show or podcast.
Which is why, in my 400th episode of the podcast I want to share my top audience building strategies with you.
It sounds obvious, but showing up regularly is key. I launched my podcast The Janet Murray Show back in 2015 and I’ve never missed an episode.
I started out publishing a new episode every Friday. For a few years I published two episodes a week (one solo show midweek and one interview episode first thing on a Friday). So on the odd occasion my podcast has gone live later than usual, people have actually messaged me to ask me where it is.
If you struggle with consistency, I’d recommend making a public commitment to posting your new episode/post on a particular date/time e.g. Friday. This gives you accountability (if you’ve promised something publicly, it’s much harder not to do it). It also helps get your audience familiar with your publishing schedule, which means consuming your content can become part of their routine. For example, my podcast listeners often tell me they listen to the latest episode of my podcast on the school run, when they’re cleaning their house on a Saturday or out for a run on a Sunday morning.
Becoming part of peoples’ routine is a sign you’re building an engaged and loyal audience.
Consistency also matters when it comes to the promotion of your blog/vlog or podcast. Most content creators I know vastly underpromote their content. They publish a new episode/post, make a few ‘announcement’ posts about it on social media, then move onto their next piece of content.
If you want to build an audience for your blog/vlog/podcast, you need to treat every new post/episode as a launch, which means creating a promotion strategy that you rinse and repeat every time (and add to as time goes on). For example, when my podcast goes live on a Friday I email my list, create some kind of announcement on my Facebook messenger and do an Instagram Story. This is followed up with multiple pieces of social media content across the week. We also regularly promote episodes from my back catalogue. This means finding different ways to talk about the same episode (more on that later).
While there is always more you can do (there’s still lots more I could do to promote each episode) a good rule of thumb is this: promote each episode way more than you feel comfortable with and you’ll probably have it about right.
One of the quickest ways to build your own audience is to get in front of other peoples’. This is why inviting guests on your podcast, Facebook Live or Youtube show - or inviting people to guest blog on your website - can be a great way to build your audience. When you do this, they are likely to share that content with their own audience, which means people will want to find out more about you.
It’s often assumed that collaborating with people with bigger audiences than your own is the best strategy. Personally I’ve found that collaborating with people with smaller, engaged audiences can often be more effective than the big names in my industry. This is because people who already have a large audience may not have the time - or inclination - to share your podcast episode/Youtube interview. Whereas someone with a small, but engaged audience will share the heck out of your content - and do it with so much enthusiasm -you may find you get better results.
Creating guest content for other peoples’ platforms - those with similar audiences to yours - is another great way to build an audience for your own content. Here’s how to pitch yourself as a podcast guest (these tips apply to pitching yourself for anything).
Speaking at live events, teaching guest classes and taking part in virtual summits or webinars can be another great way to grow your audience. Although I would not recommend paying to be part of virtual summits - unless there is a very compelling reason to do so (and evidence that you will get a return on investment).
Getting press coverage can be another great way to build your audience - as long as your call-to-action sends people to your blog/vlog or podcast (more on that later).
One of the biggest mistakes I see bloggers, vloggers and podcasters making is what I refer to as ‘post and flee’ i.e. they post a few announcement posts about their blog/vlog or podcast on social media then and do nothing else until the next one comes out.
Recommendations are powerful. Public recommendations are even more powerful. So, if you can generate public conversations about your content, people are much more likely to want to check it out.
So instead of posting announcements about your latest blog, vlog or podcast, ask questions that relate to the topic of your podcast.
For example, if I have a new podcast episode coming out on how to get more engagement on Instagram I will start by asking questions to pre-qualify people who might be interested in listening to that podcast e.g. how would you rate your engagement on Instagram, are you interested in learning strategies on how to increase your Instagram engagement. Then I will share the link with people who have demonstrated an interest in the topic.
While that might seem like more work, it’s more effective because you’re getting that content into the hands of people who actually need it. And those people are far more likely to share.
I might also post some polarising content - for example asking people if they believe the algorithm is to blame for poor engagement on Instagram or poor content.
If you don’t know what the algorithm is, by the way, it’s the complicated - and super top secret - mathematical equation Facebook uses to determine how many people your content is shown to).
Across the course of a week, I will find different ways to talk about that same piece of content - looking at different angles/subtopics in different formats e.g. audiograms, posts, memes, videos.
Tagging people in - for example, people you’ve mentioned in your blog/vlog or podcast - can be another great way to get engagement. When you mention people, they’re often happy to comment, like and share.
Using a social media scheduler is fine, but if you don’t make time to engage with your followers, your audience will not grow.
You might not want to hear this, but the more followers you have on social media, the easier it will be to grow the audience for your blog, vlog or podcast. The more of the right followers that is. Which is why it’s important to focus on growing your following - and your engagement - on at least one social media platform.
You can join my Build Your Online Audience programme here
If you want to grow your audience for a blog/vlog or podcast, another powerful thing you can do is issue a single call-to-action. So every time you write a guest blog, do some guest teaching, are interviewed in a podcast, send people to your blog/vlog or podcast. Add a banner to all your social media channels, put it in the email signature on your emails - in your messenger bot. Everywhere if you can.
[331] What it really takes to build an audience with John Lee Dumas (podcast)
If you’re publishing a regular blog/vlog or podcast - with the aim of promoting your business - you should be creating content that solves your ideal customers’ problems. Which means, if you’ve got your topics right, people will actually be looking for content on the topics you cover.
Which means you need to make it as easy as possible for people to find your content. This means you need to use effective titles that use the words and phrases people are actually searching for, rather than things that sound clever.
A lot of this is down to common sense and simply involves thinking about the kind of things your ideal customer/clients will be searching for online. But using keyword tools can help you refine your terms.
I have a full explanation of how to do keyword research in this post on how to make sales from your business blog (episode 336 of the podcast) but you can start by using Google autocomplete
Type in your topic title and take note of the suggestions that come up under the search box — that’ll give you a great idea of the kinds of things that people are searching for relating to that subject. You can apply the same trick to Youtube and Pinterest too.
The key is to find search terms that are popular, but not so popular it would be impossible for your content to come up first in search. So a term like ‘how to write a press release’ is a popular but broad term, but how to write a press release for your small business is more niche. Which is why my blog post on that topic comes up on the first page of Google.
Other tools I use for keyword research.
There is quite specific keyword research you can do on Youtube and you can optimise your content to make it more easily found.
Three of my most successful blog posts
[333] 39 surprisingly easy ways to build your email list
[334] How to build a large audience without paid advertising with Callie Willows
[338] Why you feel afraid of selling
If you would like to see my Top 10. Then head to my Podcast Finder and my messenger bot will take you through
Contrary to popular belief, putting money behind something doesn’t mean it will necessarily perform well. If you don’t know how to create engaging content that would encourage people to take action (even if it wasn’t an ad) you’re generally wasting your time. PLUS most people don’t buy from cold ads - unless you’ve got your targeting really spot on.
[329] What’s working on Facebook right now with Liz Melville (podcast)
janetmurray.co.uk/podcastfinder
janetmurray.co.uk/podcastfinder
Join my Build Your Online Audience Programme
Masterclass - How to plan sell and launch an online Webinar or Masterclass for your business
Masterclass - How to turn your in-person services into online offerings
Masterclass - How to launch a playbook for your business
[080] Three must-do tips for pitching yourself as a podcast guest (podcast)
[190] How to pitch yourself as a podcast guest (and why you must do) (podcast)
[253] How to land guest appearances on podcasts with Nicola Holland (podcast)
[263] Why I changed the name of my podcast (podcast)
[376] Lessons learned from 1 millions downloads of my podcast (podcast)
[383] How to get your podcast live in 60 days (podcast)
[329] What’s working on Facebook right now with Liz Melville (podcast)
[331] What it really takes to build an audience with John Lee Dumas (podcast)
[333] 39 surprisingly easy ways to build your email list (podcast)
[334] How to build a large audience without paid advertising with Callie Willows (podcast)
[336] How to make sales from your business blog (podcast)
[338] Why you feel scared about selling (podcast)
[343] The three audiences you must build to create a successful online business (podcast)
[348] How to write social media posts that sell (podcast episode)
[386] The four types of content to create that will help you make more sales in 2020 (podcast)
[391] How to write better social media captions (podcast)
[398] What sort of content should you create during a global crisis (podcast)
[399] How to build your online audience during a global crisis (podcast)
[Bonus] How to turn your in person services into online offerings (podcast)
[Bonus] How to generate income fast by creating a power hour for your business (podcast)
How to pitch yourself as a podcast guest (blog)
Seven compelling reasons to start a podcast in 2020 (blog post)
How to create an editorial calendar for your business(blog post)
How to write social media posts that sell (online masterclass)
Join the Media Diary Owners Club
Join my Build Your Audience Programme
How to add closed captions to your video using Rev and Kapwing
How to create a high-converting lead magnet course
Buy my book Your press release is breaking my heart
Social Media Video Engagement Playbook
Social Media Engagement Playbook
LinkedIn Content Strategy Playbook
Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn
Are you wondering how you can build your online audience during the Coronavirus crisis? Perhaps your online audience is really small and you'd like to make it bigger? Or maybe you’re thinking what's the point in building an audience during a global pandemic? Especially if you can’t actually sell your product or service at the moment?
In this podcast I explain exactly why there’s never been a better time to build an online audience. And I give you practical tips and examples that you can implement right now to build your online audience.
I explain why your content is at the heart of your audience building and how to lean in and find the angle that you can talk about in relation to your product or service. And why you MUST talk about Coronavirus and not just sweep it under the carpet.
I also share why you can't just rely on using paid ads to sell because your audience needs a genuine connection before they will buy.
I give you examples of businesses that have adapted and are creating great content about their products and services. Plus why you must keep showing up; and how you can connect with your audience by demonstrating your expertise - even if you can’t sell your product or service at the moment. So that as soon as you can start selling your audience knows who you are and can't wait to buy from you.
I’d love to know what you think.
Matt Haig Instagram
Join my Build Your Online Audience Programme
Masterclass - How to plan sell and launch an online Webinar or Masterclass for your business
Masterclass - How to turn your in-person services into online offerings
Masterclass - How to launch a playbook for your business
[343] The three audiences you must build to create a successful online business (podcast)
[377] How to write super engaging copy about your business with Jo Watson (podcast)
[386] The four types of content to create that will help you make more sales in 2020 (podcast)
[390] How to stop overthinking your content (podcast)
[391] How to write better social media captions (podcast)
[392] How to get more engagement on Instagram (podcast)
[393] How to create engaging content when you only sell one product or service (podcast)
[395] How to create addictive email copy with Rob & Kennedy (podcast)
[398] What sort of content should you create during a global crisis (podcast)
[Bonus] How to turn your in person services into online offerings (podcast)
[Bonus] How to generate income fast by creating a power hour for your business (podcast)
How to create an editorial calendar for your business (blog post)
How to write social media posts that sell (online masterclass)
Join the Media Diary Owners Club
Order your 2020 Media Diary here
Join my Build Your Audience Programme
How to add closed captions to your video using Rev and Kapwing
Join my get your podcast live in 60 days course
How to create a high-converting lead magnet course
Buy my book Your press release is breaking my heart
Social Media Video Engagement Playbook
Social Media Engagement Playbook
LinkedIn Content Strategy Playbook
Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn