It is not a numbers game!

Every ding ? you get for every new follower, any new comment, new likes, mentions… Everything. Let me tell you: It has to stop. I know I know, how can I tell you to stop when I love Instagram so much, right? Well, I love it for the RIGHT reasons.

Those ?dings?? I have them disabled. Seriously. My notifications are OFF.

Nervously waiting for the next ding, eye how fast things grow, investing time and mental space on it. Can you relate? There is something magical that happened when I noticed how this is simply NOT a numbers game: I enjoyed social media all over again.

No more comparing my mini account to a huge following fellow creative. I mean, we all know how comparison is the killer of joy, so why do we allow it? I don’t understand and I do not agree. I started posting with joy, talking about the things that make ME happy and passionate (seriously, I can talk your ear out about branding, web design, colors, fonts, feelings, and my precious rescue pups.)

So let me repeat that again: this is not a numbers game

There is no “winning”. You start doing you, posting what you genuinely want to share and guess what? Those amazing biz besties, those “oh myyy me toooooo” moments happen. Right there. In that secret room of “This is for me, to share my passion”. You can aim to have a big following, but only if it’s for the right reasons. Otherwise, your content is not really aligning with your true ideal unicorn clients, is it? They will not fall for another post on whatever that other photographer posted. Have you taken a moment to realize, what little things make you recognize a profile on your Insta feed just by scrolling? Not even looking at the name, just by the image, by the words in the caption? Get it now? This is about stopping the number checking and focusing on the real connections that you will get as soon as you use your social platforms with the right intentions.

Yes, of course there are added benefits like referrals and business coming from using your social media, but isn’t it even more amazing that once you get on that happy place of posting for YOU, to share YOUR message, all those pretty connections are super aligned with your message and your mission?

I personally LOVE IT.

Social media is about connection, not math

Social marketers are looking at me like “What blasphemy are you spouting?!” Yeah yeah yeah. There is a place in there for math, don’t get me wrong. A marketing specialist will help you get those numbers right to hit your reach goals BUT never forget that it has to be with intention, it has to reach the RIGHT people. Or do you really want all the ugly inquiries in your email? Uhhmm no thanks. Get your passionate message across, get that numbers gal to help you get there, but never losing sight of your mission.

My personal mission

I want to connect, educate and help you achieve more of those big goals on the “keep dreaming gurl” list. That’s it. If you ask around, you’ll hear that I like to help others, and it’s not tooting my own horn, I seriously can’t sit still if I know I can do something, if my skills, my knowledge, my encouragement can do something, oh you bet your hiney I will.

Well then but how do I keep myself from comparing my Instagram numbers

One thing I started doing was planning my posts. That helped SO much with the “well what do I post now? Maybe I’ll see what so and so did…” Again, no need for comparison when I have my planned feed, right? I downloaded the Preview App. Seriously mindblown! I now use it for both my businesses and my personal account! Just because it is SO much easier to plan, add the pics I want to share and even apply filters in there. Convenient much?  I know there are other apps out there but that is the one I use so I can tell you: it helped me. You can use it free (I went for an upgrade because, hello ease of use).

So what are you going to do? That’s right, start posting YOUR passion topics! And I wanna see them! ? Send me a DM over Insta and let’s get social. I can’t wait to see what you are passionate about.

’till next time!

xo,

Ingrid