{"id":5097,"date":"2020-09-05T17:12:49","date_gmt":"2020-09-05T17:12:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.meghancallawayfitness.com\/my-blog\/?p=5097"},"modified":"2021-06-16T18:17:25","modified_gmt":"2021-06-16T18:17:25","slug":"get-better-results-on-instagram-10-common-sense-tricks-that-are-often-overlooked","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/meghancallawayfitness.com\/my-blog\/get-better-results-on-instagram-10-common-sense-tricks-that-are-often-overlooked\/","title":{"rendered":"Get Better Results On Instagram: 10 Common Sense Tricks That Are Often Overlooked"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Instagram can be an amazing platform for fitness professionals. Whether you have the goal of attracting new clients, selling products, or something entirely different, Instagram can be absolutely golden! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I know many fitness professionals feel like they are making little to no progress on Instagram. To be clear, I am not just talking about getting new followers. Follower quality and loyalty are significantly more important than follower quantity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ask yourself, when you make posts do people take notice? Are your posts being shared and saved? Are your posts receiving a lot of engagement? Is your audience excited about what you have to say? If not, it’s time to go back to the drawing board.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the past year and a bit I have made tremendous strides on Instagram. I have built an amazingly engaged and loyal audience. Many of my audience members have also become customers, and clients. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is a graph that has tracked my progress. In exactly one year I’ve gone up 35 000 followers. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Here are 10 common sense tricks that can help you achieve far superior results on Instagram. These tips have worked wonders for me. I wanted to hit 50 000 followers on Instagram before I released this article. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be clear, I’m sharing what has worked for me. There is not a one size fits all formula for success. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

#1) Create Content People Want To Share And\/Or Talk About <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to grow your audience and brand, you need to create content people want to share and talk about. Whenever I am creating content, I strive to hit one or more of the three \u2018\u2019E\u2019s.\u2019\u2019 I want to educate, empower, and excite. Typically, if I can hit 2 or 3 of these \u2018\u2019E\u2019s\u2019\u2019 my posts will explode. I will get a lot of shares and saves (my top metrics for success), and a lot of new followers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you watch my Instagram stories, I am constantly sharing videos and posts I’ve been tagged in. People are excited about my free content and paid products. This is a great example of \u2018\u2019free marketing,” and is actually how I do most of my marketing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, all of the points below will help make your content more \u2018\u2019shareable.\u2019\u2019 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I rate the success of my posts based on the number of saves…<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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And the number of shares…<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Many of my posts have also brought me a lot of new followers. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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#2) Provide Value. Don\u2019t Just Sell <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you expect to achieve optimal results on Instagram, provide value, don\u2019t just sell. People HATE being sold to. This is especially true if your audience members are just getting to know you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you do use Instagram to market yourself and your services, ask yourself, what makes your content unique, and why should people purchase anything from you? If you don\u2019t give away high quality free content, and on a consistent basis, don\u2019t expect many people to purchase your products and services. Giving away high quality free content, and also engaging with your audience, are both great ways to gain your audiences trust. Trust is a must! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are several messages I’ve received from people who follow me. To reiterate, I try to educate, empower, and excite with my content.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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#3) Make The Topic Of Your Posts Very Obvious<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is your post about? The topic of your post should be evident right off the bat. If people are scrolling down their timeline, if they can see what your post is about they will likely be more inclined to stop and check it out. Also, as many people do not turn on the sound for videos, labeling posts is all the more important. In fact, I think this is a must. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a LOT of people have asked me how I edit my videos, I use Instagram story to label my videos. So you do not need to use anything sophisticated, nor do you need to spend money on an editing app. I also use a free app called Video Collage to make my collage videos. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is one of my posts. As you can see, the post is clearly labeled. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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#4) Only Include Relevant Parts Of The Exercise <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think I speak for many when I say this is a huge pet peeve of mine. If you are going to post a video, ONLY include the relevant parts of the exercise. Very few people have the time or energy to see you roaming around the gym and loading equipment, tying your shoes, having a sip of water, talking to the random person beside you, petting your cat\/dog, or whatever you might be doing. I take that back, I\u2019d be ok with the cat\/dog part ;). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Remember, people cannot fast forward on Instagram. If you expect people to take the time to watch your videos, take the time to edit and remove ALL of the unnecessary parts of your video. Failing to do so comes across as lazy and sloppy. To note, including relevant parts of exercise set-ups, for instance, unracking the bar during squats, can be very helpful to include. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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#5) Make Sure You Are Big Enough In The Frame<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want people to take the time to watch your videos, make sure they can actually see you, and what you are demonstrating. Make sure you take up a large portion of the frame. People won\u2019t get anything out of your content if they cannot see you, or what you are doing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For starters, set up your camera so it is closer to you. If you are not able to do that, you can edit the video and make yourself appear much bigger. I often do my editing using Instagram story. Also, I am not a fan of the horizontal\/landscape option (image on the far right) as this makes seeing your video an incredibly daunting task. Nobody wants to have to use binoculars to see what you are doing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Speaking of size, if you are using labels, or if you are providing written cues and instructions in your videos, make sure the writing is large enough people can read the words. Also, make sure the writing stays on the screen for long enough that people can actually see it. Remember, people cannot pause or fast-forward on Instagram. So if they cannot read your writing, and if it does not stay on the screen for long enough, they will not get anything out of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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#6) Make Sure You Include At Least Several Reps <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are posting an exercise video, make sure you include at least several reps. Otherwise people will not get much out of your videos. If your goal is to educate, this is very important. To note, I am not referring to 1 RM lifts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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#7) Make Sure you Perform Exercises Using Proper Form<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be very clear, there is no one-size-fits-all for optimal form. Form will vary on an individual basis, and due to different factors. That being said, with most exercises there are glaring mistakes that should be avoided. In terms of fitness accounts on social media, few things pain me more than seeing coaches giving exercise tutorials while making egregious mistakes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are going to take the time to post an exercise, watch the video first to make sure your form is ideal. Also, I am not referring to good form\/bad form videos. These tutorials can be extremely helpful. Here is an example of a “good form\/bad form” video. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Again, you can see how clearly I’ve labeled the video. I’ve also only included the relevant parts of the exercise. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A post shared by Meghan Callaway – Fitness Coach (@meghancallaway)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>