Hey hey #GreyGirlGram babes!! I know I always say I’m excited, but this week I’m REALLY excited, because I’m sharing the answers to your burning questions!
This week I asked what questions you had about Social Media, and you had a LOT of questions! So what do ya say we get to answering them?
Let’s jump right in!
Question #1: How Do You Balance Showing Up on Social Media AND in Real Life?
Ahh, this balance sure is a delicate dance. These days, influencers know how important it is to capture great content, while also staying present day-to-day. I’d say forming boundaries is your best bet. I always relax more on the weekends, and I’ve turned my Instagram notifications off so I don’t feel the constant nag of having to be on social. A strategy I’ve found helpful is to avoid posting in real time when you want to be super present in your life. Sure, take some cute videos, take photos, have fun! But plan to post them later. You’ll thank yourself for it!
Question #2: How Many Hours Do You Spend on IG/ Content Creation Every Week?
There is no clear answer here! Every week is completely different, and I usually base my time spent on Instagram based on my motivation level for the week. I love creating batch content (i.e. shooting many looks at once, filming several reels at once etc), and then posting throughout the week. So I would say, on average, I probably spend 1-2 hours/ day on Instagram or creating content. This needs to be taken with a grain of salt, however, because there are some days I spend approximately 0 minutes if I’m just not feeling it! Mental health ALWAYS comes first, friends!
My rule of thumb is to spend more time engaging on post days, and to spend more time content creating on non-post days. Saturdays are for hard-core chilling, and Sundays are a great day to do batch content creating!
Question #3: What’s the Deal with the New Algorithm?
Not going to lie, this new algorithm threw me for a loop (and it usually doesn’t). Every time IG updates the algorithm, it’s usually for a reason. This change came with the creation of Instagram Reels, and it’s definitely favoring those who promote their posts. Knowing this, my plan would be to post a new reel every couple days, and to promote some of my posts. When you promote a post, it can be for as little as $1! You don’t have to pay a ton, but I recommend promoting 1 post/ week to show Instagram that you’re a paying user. This should help with your organic reach as well!
Instagram can be SUCH a rollercoaster ride, but don’t let it get you down! Try to remember why you’re doing this in the first place, even if it is a full on side hustle now. Remember to take joy in what you post, and if you’re authentic with your followers, they’re going to be authentic with you. Sometimes your posts just won’t do as well. I promise that is going to happen to you, and it has happened to every single one of us creators at some point. KEEP GOING! Think OUTSIDE the box! Do something crazy! You want people’s attention? Do something to get your attention. When people start saving/ sharing your post, Instagram will see that, and your reach will go up. You got this!
Question#4: It’s hard for Me To Gauge My Audience’s Likes/Dislikes. How Do You Please Your Followers and Still Stay True to You?
Let’s break this down, because this is really a two-part question.
First off all, you should always, always, always stay true to yourself! Post what you WANT to post, and stay authentic to who you are. People LOVE an authentic influencer!
As for gauging what your follower’s respond to, test the waters a bit. You can always ask them questions on your story (the poll option is my favorite for this, because it’s so easy for everyone to participate). I usually like to post different things and see how my followers respond. If you get a ton of positive feedback and your photo blows up, then you know people respond well to that. If your post doesn’t do so well, then you know that as well.
Always analyze your own posts. You can learn a lot from the engagement you get on each photo! When I stick to my niche, my bread n butta, my posts do super well. When I stray a bit, sometimes they don’t do as well. But I still post what I want to post because this account is first and foremost for me. Do you boo boo!
Question #5: What Do You Like About Social Media and What Do You Dislike?
Social Media has brought me such a beautiful community of like-minded, creative individuals. I have made some incredible friends through an app on my phone. Isn’t that wild!? Social Media offers so many opportunities- opportunities to find new friends, opportunities to be creative and tap into your inner child, and opportunities to find interesting brands and products. There is so much about it that I love. I love creating just to create. I love talking to my friends on a daily basis. Social media is a beautiful, beautiful thing.
On the other hand, it’s easy to get caught up in the rat race that is Instagram. It’s easy to judge yourself harshly, and to constantly compare yourself to others. It can really take a toll on your mental health.
This is why balance is so, so important. I can feel the anxiety creep in at times, and that’s when I know it’s time to put my phone down and stay away for a little while.
Always remember that you are a beautiful, unique individual, and just because your photos may not look like everyone else’s doesn’t mean you are any less of a wonderful person. It just means you see the world in a different way. Embrace that. THAT is how you are going to be successful!
Question #6: How Do You Know What Prices to Send to Brands When Asked for Story/Feed Post?
Pricing yourself in this industry can be extremely difficult, and there’s really no special formula to come up with this. Since this industry is still so new, it’s important to chat with other influencers to see what they are charging. I believe this creates a more cohesive price model. Many influencers believe that you should charge 1-3% of your number of followers. If you’re smaller, go with 3%, and if you’re over 100k followers, 1-2% should be good. I have 7,500 followers right now, so using that calculation, I should charge $225 per post. I use this number loosely, as I’ve been charging this since I was at 3,000 followers.
Although pricing is drastically different based on each person (and what you believe your worth), let me give you my own basic structure for pricing (Keep in mind that this pricing is also based on an engagement rate of above 5%):
1000-5000 Followers- $150 for an in-feed post + stories, OR gifted
5000-10,000 Followers- $250-$450 for in-feed post + stories, OR gifted and story-only post
100,000 Followers+- $2500-$5000 for an in-feed post
Again, these are all estimations! You should always decide on a price that you think your time and energy is worth. I also recommending starting high and negotiating down. This will give you (and the brand) more wiggle room!
When talking to a brand, make sure you always ask what THEIR marketing needs are. Try to add value where they need it most, get that bread, and leave, PEACE OUT. (JK, sign the contract first hehe).
Question #7: What’s the Deal with Hashtags? How Often Do I Have to Switch them Up?
I’ve shared my hashtag strategy before, but hashtags are so so so SO important. I can’t stress that enough! I wasn’t switching mine up at all, and my reach was around 600-1000, which wasn’t great. When I did some research and changed mine up, my reach was going up to 7000 on the regular. If you want to increase your reach, HASHTAG IT UP.
Here’s what I do!
I accumulate 4-5 lists of hashtags. These lists are all completely different, apart from any hashtags I want to use on the regular (generally these are community hashtags that I like to include no matter what). These different lists serve different purposes, and relate to each of my different niches. For example, I have 3 different body positive lists, 1 for creative posts, and 1 combining the two. I then take these lists and save them in my settings under “Keyboard Replacements.” That way, I can type 1 word and have my hashtags appear! It’s a time-saving game changer!
I use a different set of hashtags in each post, and I make sure to go back and delete those after about a week of having the post up (hashtags do best within 48-72 hours, and after that, don’t serve much of a purpose).
I also tend to use hashtags that range from 1000-10,000 posts, avoiding the mega hashtags that millions of people have used. There’s always more of a chance that you’ll show up at the top of these hashtags when only 50,000 people have used it! In an ideal world, you would want to change up your hashtags every month (but I do it more every 3-ish months).
Question #8: What’s the Deal with Reels? Are They Important?
Instagram Reels recently hit the scene, and they are the newest creation from Instagram! So long story short, yes. They are very important right now. It is soooo important for creators to jump on the newest IG trends as soon as they hit the app! The Instagram algorithm has been favoring those who use the new features, and hiding accounts that avoid them.
My tip? Don’t overthink them. Make a montage of your lunch. Share any travel videos you already have. Show off a couple different outfits. Re-use any TikTok content you already have.
But get on it and get on it FAST. NOW. DO IT.
Another pro tip- Post the reels to your feed for 24 hours, and then select the option to remove from your main grid and only show it on the Reels page. You’ll get a ton more engagement when you do that!
In Conclusion…
Thanks so much for submitting your questions! I sincerely hope these help up your Instagram game. If you have any other questions…
Follow me on the ‘Gram @hannahleelifestyle and slideeeee into my DMs!
Love you always,
xo
Hannah
