So the title of this post is a little deceiving. It sounds like I’m talking to everyone, when I’m really addressing my fellow IG creators. But maybe there is something for everyone here. I’ll let you decide!

Ok, so here’s the deal. Instagram has changed A LOT in the past couple of years. It went from being this app where you saw your friends’ posts and saw a lot of people be open and vulnerable to a video only (or what feels like it) platform that people use to sell their services/products. You could argue that you can still customize it to be what you want it to be, but that doesn’t negate the fact that it’s changed big time.

And everyone’s feeling the effect of this. Engagement is down big time. How do I know everyone’s feeling the effects? Because everyone’s complaining about it.

The fact is that Instagram is a business. It’s going to do what it needs to do to keep people on the app so it can make money. And right now, that means it’s serving you (sometimes) random video content.

And it’s ok to vent and complain, but realize this, Instagram is not going back to what it was. And asking your followers to engage isn’t necessarily the best strategy.

If I’m not convincing you, think about this. An instagram post has a viewing life of a day or two. An IG story has a 24 shelf life. That’s it. AND, as a creator, you don’t own your content. If IG decides to disappear tomorrow, all of your hard work goes with it.

So here are a few ways you can start to become less reliant on Instagram (or any social media platform really)…

• Start a blog. It’s kind of like IG in a way, but you own your content! So important! Also, monetizing a blog is much easier than monetizing your IG page (for most of us).
• Build an email list. Again, this is something you own. And emails are gold. If you decide to start a business later or want to share something with a broader audience, this list will serve you well! Wish I had started focusing on this more a few years ago!
• Create a newsletter. A great way to share your thoughts, ideas, and favorite things while keeping people entertained and engaged!
• Start a podcast. It’s not as hard as it may seem, and if you’re a talker, it’s the perfect way to share your message. It’s also a great way to share in a way that doesn’t require a character count, video limits, etc.

All of the above things have long shelf lives AND allow you to share in fun, engaging, and vulnerable/open way. Again, not saying everyone needs to quit IG, but it’s clear that we need to rethink how we use it and our expectations of the little app.

Would love to hear what you think…what are you using, other than IG, to share your business/work/message?