Recently, I was thinking about how to grow Instagram for your business and what exactly helps businesses grow their sales online. I wanted to be able to decide what mattered – and what didn’t matter as much, either. As I was thinking, I realized there’s definitely something that most people over look when it comes to growing a business on Instagram – something that helps you convert followers into customers. So today, we’re going to talk about that one overlooked thing to help you grow your business on Instagram and make more sales! 

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The #1 Overlooked Way to Grow Your Business on Instagram

Ready for me to tell you? The one thing that is often overlooked when it comes to growing your business on Instagram is having a consistent branded feed. Maybe it’s not as groundbreaking as it feels, but I’m saying this because it’s something I constantly see when I’m reviewing student Instagram accounts. There’s just something super important about this and many educators aren’t talking about it. 

Now, a branded and consistent feed doesn’t mean that you have to have a perfectly curated feed. It doesn’t have to be perfect at all. It just needs to be consistent and on brand. That means that your posts use your 3-4 branding colors. If you’re making graphics or Reel covers, use your brand font and colors. Your content should flow together and fit a bit better. Not every image has to be super high quality, but for many of us, this kind of branded feed would require us to invest in some branding photos. Trust me, having those photos can help you be taken so much more seriously! I encourage you to be very strategic about your branding photos, too. Take the time to plan multiple outfits, angles, locations… everything that matches your brand feel. Then you can reuse those images over and over on your feed. 

Planning a Branding Session

Now, my background is in photography so maybe that’s why I love the idea of planning a branding photo session. But, I think it’s key to creating imagery that will bring your Instagram feed to life. I still invest in a branding session once a year because those fresh images are so important for your content. When you plan your own branding session, be sure to think about your branding colors, the vibe and feel of your brand, and work to create cohesive imagery that brings those colors to life. 

Why Does a Consistent Feed/Brand Matter?

I think the most important answer is that a cohesive online presence elevates your brand. Being consistent elevates the value of your brand and the quality of your service. That’s really important when you’re thinking about using Instagram to grow your business. You’re using Instagram to connect and build trust with your audience. When you’re consistent, you build trust with your audience. They get used to seeing you online and you’re creating a connection that makes them want to invest in you. Being consistent and showing up with the same colors, fonts, and imagery really helps create brand awareness.  

Another thing that happens when you’re consistent is that you start to be true to yourself and this translates back into how your audience sees you. I find that people start to send me things that relate back to my brand. I’ve created recognizability – people send me things about chai lattes because it makes them think of me. I’ve become top of mind because of various parts of my brand. So, think about that for yourself: how can you have people instantly recognize you/your brand and keep you top of mind? Having consistency in your brand visuals is a really strong way to do that. 

How to Build a Consistent Brand

Now, if you want to take being consistent a step further (and I think you should), I’ve got a few tips for you. Oftentimes, I see business owners become consistent on Instagram or social media but not across their actual website. It’s important to make sure everything across all of the platforms is consistent. Does your email copy sound like you? Are your website and Instagram captions all in your voice? Make sure you’re using the same images, same colors, and the same tone across the board when it comes to your business and how you package your products. 

Remember, your colors and fonts matter. But the way you speak to your community des, too. How are you making people feel or building your community? How do you chat with your people? Write and speak in a way that feels authentic to you and your brand. It’s so important to show up consistently across all of your platforms – you’re building trust and elevating your brand. 

Having a Personal Brand

Building that connection really matters. Another way to take things a step further is to show your face. I get asked a lot if it’s possible to grow your business without showing your face on Instagram. In my opinion, the answer is growing a small business with a personal brand is the best way to go. Can you go on Instagram without showing your face? Of course. It’s just going to be harder to have as big of an impact that way. If you show your face, you can connect with your people and make a deeper impact on them. I’m a huge fan of personal branding and we’ve talked about this before. But the bottom line is that I think it’s important to show your face. 

I truly believe if I hadn’t used personal branding as early on in my business as I did, it would have been so much harder to pivot into the business I have today. People began to connect with ME – not just my brand. There’s obviously a strategy with the content you share, but having a personal brand and infusing yourself into that content will help you more in the long run. 

Start small – think about the content you can create that has your face in it. But make it something that’s not intimidating. Try a lip sync Reel instead of just talking to the camera. Or do a B roll video of you working at your desk. There are lots of easy ways to get started with it! And again, going back to having a branding session done – that’s a super easy way to incorporate your face more! The more you do it, the easier it will become. Now, showing up on camera is like second nature to me. I’ve done it so much and it feels way more natural than when I began. 

Showing up for your audience is going to help you grow your audience at a more rapid rate. I have a vision for how I want to impact people and that’s been important to me. It helps me show up and serve others. If you don’t show up and put in the work, you won’t get where you want to go. I hope all of this helps you understand why a consistent and branded feed (and business!) is going to help you grow! 

Other Instagram Resources 

Learn inside the course ALL of my strategies for seeing real growth on the platform, including gaining loyal followers, monetizing your Instagram, increasing engagement, posting consistently, creating content with ease, and more! Join us at http://stephaniekase.com/instagramgrowth . Use code PODCAST for 15% off your purchase! 

Join me in this 60-min Free Class and get my exact process for how to create business-growing Reels with just 3 hours of your time every month.

Are you struggling to keep up on Instagram? Are you seeing low engagement, not posting consistently, and not attracting the right followers? I want to help!! Join my free Instagram class: What to Post on Instagram for the Next 30 Days: How to Post Consistently, Grow Your Reach, & Gain Highly Engaged Followers. We’re going to chat about what you should post, how often to post, and how to make Instagram fun! Head to http://stephaniekase.com/instagramclass to watch now.

Need ideas for Instagram? Grab our free sample Instagram posting schedule here!

And, if you have questions or want some extra support, I’ve got a FREE Reels Growth Facebook Community that you can join. I absolutely love getting to chat with everyone and help them work through their questions about Reels!