Are you asking yourself “How often should I post on Instagram?” or “Is posting every day good?” I just finished @themattiejames latest consistency challenge, where she challenges content creators to post to their Instagram feeds every day for a whole month and then gives away $1000 to one participant. Today is the last day of the challenge, and now that I’m done I’ve got some thoughts…
I proved to myself that I could do it.
I didn’t think I’d be able to come up with content ideas and valuable information for 28 straight days, but I did it! My content falls into three main categories: science/STEM, beauty, and lifestyle. I always want to add value when creating content and not just post filler pictures just for the sake of posting.
Before the challenge, I had no idea how I could post 28 times about different topics and not bore my audience. Once I committed to participating, I sat down and figured out a way to do it, and now I feel so much more confident in what I’m sharing. That leads to the second thing I learned…
Planning ahead is key
The ONLY way that I can do this successfully while still working full-time as a forensic scientist is by planning ahead. Content creation takes A LOT OF WORK!
Creating images in Canva, editing photos, writing captions, coming up with hashtags, filming and editing a video, doing keyword research for tags… There’s so many steps that you don’t think about until you start doing this yourself! It’s more than just taking pictures and clicking post.
When I prepped ahead of time, I felt like everything was good and that I knew what I was doing. When I didn’t do that, it felt like everything was on fire around me and I was trying to grab whatever I could before running out the door.
Times that I needed a break but didn’t have anything planned ahead, I felt like I couldn’t take that break. I refused to miss a day in this challenge -there were only 28 days so I knew I could do it- but it really showed me the difference between having my shit together ahead of time vs scrambling to throw something together last minute
My 2021 Instagram strategy: stay ready so you don’t have to get ready
Don’t fall into the comparison trap
Watching some of the other creators posts every day and following the #consistency2021 hashtag had me feeling like I didn’t belong and like being a content creator wasn’t for me.
Trying to do it like everyone else was the wrong approach; I had to do it my own way. For me, that’s not sharing elaborate makeup looks or dressed up fashion or family content. My way is sharing science facts, fun manicures, and my everyday life as a scientist – nothing fancy or aspirational, but more casual and relatable.
THAT’S OK.
I’m not the ‘wow I want to look like her’ girl, I’m the ‘wow I do look like her’ girl, and I fully embrace that now.
Posting daily isn’t for everyone, and that’s ok
I can say that I’ve tried posting on Instagram everyday now for 28 days, and it’s not for me. My content is just as helpful and valuable when I share 3-4 times a week vs sharing 7 days a week.
I miss taking my weekends off and not thinking about checking socials for ‘work’. I don’t enjoy posting just for the sake of posting, and I feel like my audience can tell when I’m doing that.
If you’re considering posting daily on Instagram, take some time to really think about what it would take to do that, and if you’re ready to make that commitment. Think about if your audience would benefit from it and if you’re truly adding value, or if you’re just doing it for clout. What would happen if you wanted to take a break, but now everyone is used to daily posts from you?
Determine if daily Instagram posting is right for you and your content, without comparing to anyone else, and do whatever you think is best. Finding people who like your content and support you is more important than the number of times you post. 💜
Follow me on Instagram @sharanadarcel
