How to create content and engaging captions for Instagram

This week’s podcast carries on from last week’s topic of creating content and staying consistent on social media. I talk all about Instagram and how I come up with my content for Instagram, as well as how to come up with engaging captions. KEY TAKEAWAYS COVERED IN THE PODCAST Instagram is more personal and aspirational so your content may be different on this platform.There are two places you can post on Instagram – your feed and your story.Instagram stories is great for showing more of the reality behind your brand – showing your personal side. It is also great for promoting what you are up to.Your Instagram feed is your highlight reel.Instagram is a great place to share more about you and your life, allowing people to see more of your family, home, and you.You can separate your content into different categories on Instagram.Choose categories that sum you up and also what your community will enjoy.When you know your categories, you can start to batch your content so you have a bank of images to use.Your Instagram captions should be helpful and informative.Give people a reason to respond to your Instagram posts. Ask a question or start a conversation.Make sure your caption explains who you are or what you do – it should tell your followers more about who you are.Think about the story you want to tell for each of your posts on Instagram. THE ONE THING YOU NEED TO REMEMBER ABOVE ALL ELSE… You don’t have to post every single day to be consistent, you can decide on your own posting schedule and then stick to it. HIGHLIGHTS YOU SIMPLY CAN’T MISS Instagram content – 07:00Content categories on Instagram – 11:00Instagram captions that engage your audience – 24:52A quick recap – 30:10 LINKS TO RESOURCES MENTIONED IN TODAY’S EPISODE Join the waitlist for my academy!Come over and follow me on Instagram Transcript below Hey there, how are you doing this week. Okay. Now we haven't had an interview for a couple of weeks and I'm afraid we're not having one this week either because I got so kind of, um, into the conversation about content creation and how I do it and what we do and all that sort of thing. And we've had some really good feedback from last week, from the episode that talks about general content creation and how I stay consistent that I wanted to talk to you about Instagram and how I do that, because as I mentioned to you last week, I do that a bit different. So that's the reason why I've chosen not to do an interview again this week, because I wanted to finish off that kind of story of where we were and helping you focus on Instagram this week. The alpha reason I haven't got an interview for you is because in all honesty, I've really struggled finding some right people and some good people to come on the podcast.Now, as you know, I get lots of requests, which is lovely when you've had a podcast. Now, as long as I have 140 something episodes, and I've had some pretty amazing people on it means that people come to you and go, "Can I come on your podcast?" But the truth is, I am so tired of having people come to me going, "I can help your business, help your audience, learn how to make a million dollars in five minutes." And I'm just like, no, I don't think so because I'm getting a little bit tired of these crazy claims that people are making in terms of online marketing and the online marketing space. Now I've given this a lot of thought over the last couple of days, it really has been bothering me from a, am I being as authentic and credible as I should be being, which I hope the answer is yes. I'm positive the answer is yes. I am being very honest as I always am. And I think I've always been really realistic. Like, don't get me wrong. There are really amazing successful people who are doing this and doing it well, but it wasn't easy and it wasn't quick and it wasn't simple. So. I think for me, I try and be like, provide you with the motivation and the inspiration, and I want to be inspired and motivated. However, I'm also really aware that this is a lot of hard work and not everyone is going to make it. Not everyone is going to have the million dollar online business. So anyway, I'm getting completely fed up, seeing these things coming to me, I'm getting so fed up of someone, applying to come on the podcast. I then spend some time I go through, I look at them. All I see is absolute rubbish. So I've been really, really picky about who's coming on and that's kind of given me a bit of a block in terms of getting people on. However, I have a number of really good episodes lined up for you guys. Don't worry. You don't have to keep listening to me drone on and on, on my own, but I have some really good episodes lined up some great peoples, a few different things that, you know, trying something new on one thing. And, and then I've come up with a new idea, which I'm not going to tell you about it at this point, but it is to do the podcast and I hate it when people don't do that technique. And I didn't really intend to do that, but I have come up with an idea in terms of helping you with real marketing and making it feel much more tangible for you. So anyway, leave that with me. I promise you, I wasn't trying to do that horrible. Oh, something's coming. You're going to be so excited. I genuinely just need to work out how it works and then I'll let you know, but it won't be long, next week or so. Okay. So this week, like I said, no episode, no episode, no interview. Just me talking about Instagram content and how I come up with my content for Instagram. Now, the first thing I want to say before I get started is I don't schedule my content to Instagram. Not because of any particular reason, not because like it's not good or the reach or anything like that, because I think the reason I schedule is because like I am so concern with the way the grid looks. I'm laughing at myself. Yes. I know this is ridiculous and I really do need to have a word with myself, but I'm so particular about how the grid looks that I feel like scheduling too far ahead means I lose that control. Now I know there's loads of apps out there and I'll tell you what apps I use as well, but it's just like a mental block I have in my head. But the reason I'm telling you that I don't schedule is because the one thing that happens because I'm not scheduling is that I am very inconsistent and I hate that. I hate that I'm so inconsistent on Instagram. Now don't get me wrong. I am, I'm not horrendous. Like a few days might go by and I haven't posted. And then I post and then maybe I'm consistent for a couple of days, but I am certainly not showing up every single day as I would like to, but that is my own kicking myself at the backside. And like I said, there's a lot of like, besides that it's like a therapy session. There's a lot of issues around Instagram in the sense that I procrastinate about what I'm putting out, because I wanted to look perfect and brilliant, and that I need to get over. I need to just go that's enough now. What's more important is that you're showing up. Not one, I don't want to go on Instagram stories because my gray hair is coming through. Yes. People I've got gray hair, like I'm sure you've seen it on a story. It's really bad. I'm really dark. And basically like the gray shows up terribly. So yeah, it's hashtag personal problems, isn't it. But, you know, so I don't want to show up because of that or I don't post because I can't quite find the right picture to go up. So I seriously, know I need a word to myself about that. And I'm, I've tried really hard to improve, but like I said, the reason I'm telling you about the scheduling is because that is one of the things that contributes to me not being consistent. So again, if it means being consistent and you schedule then great do that. Okay. That was just a side. Really? So let's talk about Instagram. The way I view Instagram is different to how I view the other platforms. When I talk to you about my categories for the other platforms in last week's episode, I talked about categories that were really practical from a business sense of view. Like I talked about testimonials and frequently asked questions and your core content. I see Instagram much more personal lifestyley aspirational, whereas maybe I see, and I'm not saying this is right or wrong or whatever. This is just how I view my stuff. And maybe I see kind of LinkedIn and Facebook and Twitter as more factual supporting, adding value. Whereas I do feel like when I look at Instagram, I like looking at the nice pictures. I like I'd say simple, you know, I just liked looking at nice pictures. Um, but like, I, I like seeing things that look nice. I like seeing things that are attractive, that it's a good photo. That it's a nice location or whatever. So for me, that's how I try and do my Instagram. So let me talk about the two different parts, I guess. So obviously you've got stories and you've got the feed. They predominantly today I'm going to talk about the content for the feed when it comes to stories. The idea of that is that's the realness. That's the, in fact, if you do follow me on Instagram,...