Are you tired of creating content for Instagram only to get zero engagement, and no new leads or sales for your online business? I have been there! That is why today I am sharing the 4 types of content that you need to be creating in order to start getting results on Instagram and social media!

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What we covered in this episode:

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Episode References:

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Transcript: The 4 types of content that will help you make more sales on Instagram

Welcome back virtual visionaries, I am so happy to have you tune in for today’s episode because it is going to be a good one because today we are talking all about creating content that actually helps you grow your audience and get more leads and sales for your business!

Before we dive in, I have a question for you. If I were to ask you, what is one thing that frustrates you the most about trying to grow an audience on Instagram or social media…what would you say? I polled my audience a few weeks ago and the overwhelming majority of people said that they were super frustrated by the amount of time and effort they were spending creating content only for that content to get zero engagement, and result in zero new leads and sales for your business. 

I wasn’t surprised by this answer because I am sure you have heard my share the story of how when I was working at my 9-5 trying to grow my new business Instagram account I would rush home to create content and it was getting very little traction and it was quite honestly just leading to burnout before my business was even off the ground.

So if you are stuck on that content creation hamster wheel so to speak and it feels like content creation is a full time job that does not pay very well….this episode is for you.

As entrepreneurs, or better yet, solopreneurs, if you are the only person running your business if you are just starting out, you are most likely wearing all the hats in your business. You are probably trying to create your offer, maybe finish up client work, send out emails, create systems, do the graphic designing, figure out new programs, and of course….create content for social media so that you have an audience to pitch your offers and services to right?

As online business owners, social media is such an important way for us to grow our business connect with potential customers and share who we are and what we do…but I also know that social media can be HARD and frustrating when it feels like you are quote on quote “doing all the right things” and not seeing results and you are spending all of your time there wondering if it will ever pay off.

So I want to share the 4 types of content you, as an online business owner, should be sharing that will help you stop spinning your wheels and actually get some traction and results from the efforts you are putting in on social media and with your content creation.

Before we get to the different types, I first want to make sure that you get super clear on the goals for your content. A Lot of times, the reasons people are not seeing results when they post is because they don’t have a clear strategy or intention behind their content.

So with every piece of content you create, I want you to decide if that piece of content is going to help you 1. Get engagement, which will help your ranking in the algorithm and create connections and conversations and grow your audience 2.Build trust, help build that know/like/trust factor with your audience so buying from you becomes a no brainer or 3. Promote your offers and options, which will increase the number of leads and sales for your business. 

You may have other goals for your content, but for me, those are the three that I focus on because those are the ones that I have found have helped me see the biggest results when it comes to putting in time on Instagram

So now that you have chosen your end goal for the post now you can decide which of these for types of content will be best to help you reach that goal. So the four types are connection, education, inspiration and promotion.

So let’s break down what each of these looks like. 

So the first one is connection. Connection content is great for building trust with your audience and letting them get to know the person behind the account or the brand. I love the saying, people buy from people so letting people know more about you, your business journey, maybe the WHY behind your business, these things, though to you they may seem silly or you may wonder, who cares…people love connecting with people, especially on social media and when they get to know and trust the person behind the business, when it comes time for them to need what you are selling, they will feel like they have a personal connection to you and will be way more likely to choose you over a competitor. I know I do this all the time when I am looking to work with people or hire someone, if I connect with their story or feel like we would be friends in real life because of what they have shared on social media, I am going to go with them over some one random that I have no connection to.

So that is number one, creating connection content.

Now number two is all about educational content. And educational content is great for positioning yourself as an expert in your industry. You might have heard other marketing gurus  say things like “you need to be creating valuable content”…this is where that valuable content really comes in. When you are able to explain a topic, give some insights, break down a confusing subject or just give some tips…your audience is going to find that extremely valuable. 

You may have also noticed that infographics are super popular on Instagram right now, these are like the visual breakdowns of different topics or even the carousel posts with multiple slides that give more in depth explanations are added value…these do exceptionally well on Instagram and I believe it is for two reasons. The first because it is providing value and people obviously enjoy consuming valuable content but the other reason is because this is the type of content that is packed with great tips and helpful information is what gets saved by people so they can refer back to it later.

Infographics are also the type of content that people tend to share to their stories because they found it valuable and therefore want to share with their audience, so these posts are great for growing your reach in the algorithm as well as positioning yourself as an expert. So if we go back to those content goals from before, this type of content hits two of those marks, engagement and building trust…so these types of posts are extremely powerful and also extremely strategic, you get a lot of bang for your buck if you spend the time creating a highly valuable educational post!

The third type of content is inspirational. And the goal with inspirational content is to help your audience believe that results are possible for them. So this might look like you sharing your own personal journey, it can be you sharing the results that other clients or students of yours have had or it can be simply a post that is just helping someone overcome mindset blocks.

You have to remember that one of the main reasons people don’t buy is because they don’t believe that they will be able to achieve the result you are promising. So if you are a weight loss coach let’s say, there is probably someone out there who sees what you are offering and says….I have already tried all these other programs, I just dont think this will work for me. 

People not believing results are possible for them is always a huge obstacle when it comes to sales, so using your social media content to overcome those objections and shift those negative mindset blocks BEFORE you even pitch your offers is so important. So sharing those inspiring stories and helping your audience see themselves in that journey and see that results ARE possible for them is very powerful.

Lastly, the 4th type of content is of course promotional content where you are actually directly talking about your offers/services/or free resources! I know a lot of people have a lot of resistance around “pitching themselves” or selling…but you have to remember that your audience is probably not keeping tabs on everything you post or create, and there is also a high likelihood that they do not even know about all the things you have to offer, so it is your job to remind them! 

I like to think about promotional content as reminding people of how they can get the results they are looking for. I know I have people in my audience who are looking for help with making online sales…I have a way for them to get quicker results by them joining my programs so I feel it is my job to remind them or let them know that that resource is available to them so that they can get that transformation quicker! It is all about reframing the way you think about promoting yourself and sales in general! So remembering to sprinkle in a few promotional posts every now and then to remind your audience of all the amazing ways they can work with you and get the help and transformation they have been looking for!

So there you have it, the 4 different types of content that you can create that will help you make more sales online and start finally seeing results with the time you spend in content creation mode! For a quick recap we have connection, education, inspiration and promotional content!

If you are wanting to dive even deeper into this topic, make sure to check out my free masterclass where I am teaching my 3 step method for how to make more sales online without posting everyday, you can watch the training for free and on demand at karacahill.com/freetraining and if you enjoyed this episode I know you are going to love the masterclass even more!

Thanks so much for tuning in, I will talk to you next week!