Remember in 2010 when this new platform called Instagram came out where you can post photos with awesome filters? Yup, we all remember our not so great photos showcasing what we ate, festivals we went to, and #blessed. Of course, once Facebook bought out Instagram and new platforms came into the field, there was more competition on how it could stay relevant.
Over time, like you, this platform evolved and went beyond photo sharing. As we and the world evolve, so too does the power of social media. And while we have the blessing to work with this technology, it’s also important that we honor ourselves and our energy. Lately, the majority of people have been frustrated with the performance of Instagram and the topic and question of many conversations when they talk about the platform… is Instagram dead?
Because the field became oversaturated with posts and millions of people using the platform, success on this platform always came down to 3 things…
⧫ Are you speaking to your ideal clients?
⧫ Are you being consistent with your content to boost the algorithm?
⧫ Are you bringing something fresh to the feed?
So when it started to feel like Instagram was dying out, people shared time and time again, including myself, that you have to be more creative and strategic, and plan ahead of time so that you can bulk out your content. We know the importance of speaking to your ideal client because if you aren’t nurturing them and delivering solutions to their challenges or inspiring them to keep going and believing in themselves, then you really aren’t talking to anyone. Because of the Instagram algorithm, we know that if you aren’t being consistent and showing up as an expert with what you’re sharing, your medicine won’t be recognized, and they won’t be pushing your content out there, and they won’t know who to push it towards! And if you’re out there doing what everyone else is doing, the question is, what differentiates you from all the other content out there? Over time, we’ve found copycats of information and trends circulating because, you know, “if it worked for them, it’s obviously going to work for me…” WRONG! Yes, you can be inspired by someone, but no matter what platform you choose, it’s essential to keep it fresh AND stay true to yourself, honoring your voice, unique perspective, gifts, talents, and medicine.
In this episode, I talk about…
◆ What brings about a successful social media channel
◆ What’s been killing Instagram
◆ What trends are happening with Facebook / Instagram / and the Meta at large that are impacting the platform on a greater scale
◆ Where the future success of social media is headed in 2023
◆ What real sovereignty in the Golden Age of technology looks like
◆ Stay tuned until the end for the key element to future success with social media
But, after recent trends and analysis, many prominent Instagram teachers and influencers agree that they’ve been going through an engagement rut even while doing the tips and tricks that have brought them success time and time again. The truth is, SO MANY PEOPLE are frustrated with the app. If it wasn’t the ridiculous amount of impersonators that are out there trying to sell “readings and services,” or the number of bots that are sexually harassing people, or the people, like myself, who’ve been hacked in the past and are still dealing with the repercussions, it was the simple fact that Instagram has done NOTHING about it, no matter how many time people have filed a complaint. This is not a good look for the platform and has been one of the major reasons why people have lost faith and trust in the platform.
I mean, we all know what happened to Facebook, and now, it’s happening with Instagram. The truth is that Instagram lost its flare as it completely steered away from the very element that made the platform popular. Unfortunately, with the rate it’s going… Instagram is dying. I mean, when you have someone with as much clout as a Kardashian complaining about the platform and where it’s been going… you know it’s not looking good. What first made this app successful was that while it started as a photo-sharing platform, eventually, competition came in to play. So to save the company, the developers focused more on being like TikTok to follow the trend and evolution of social media with short video content. While Instagram has been bringing forth a more watered-down version of the platform that uses less data to developing countries to have more people sign up to the platform after running out of new people to join, it’s not enough to deliver a growing level of success to the platform. The challenge Facebook, or should I say “Meta,” has been experiencing is that they’ve been focusing its energy on building the Metaverse. But, according to major publications like Reuters, even the product designers of Meta aren’t so behind the development of the Metaverse as their top product design executive left the company after 10 years of being with the company. And If you didn’t know, back in February 2022, Meta shares crashed 26% as the biggest single-day wipeout in Wall Street history. According to Bloomberg, the drop erased over $200 billion from Meta’s market capitalization and around $29 billion from Mark Zuckerberg’s net worth… ouch. Recently, Bloomberg shared, “Meta’s Shares are a Hard Sell as Good Old Facebook Days are Over.” I mean, if one of the most well-respected business publications is sharing this, it’s essential to be mindful of what’s really unfolding.
So now what do we do?
First, we get honest and recognize the problem at hand. Then, we start to be strategic and come up with a pivot strategy to continue to answer the call and not allow the circumstances of the 3D to steer us off our mission to answer the call. If you’re choosing to build an online empire, part of your responsibility is to become aware of what’s unfolding behind the scenes and worldwide. Being educated and aware of trends is an excellent way to know what kind of moves to make within your business if you want to be successful. And finally, we take initiative and embark on a new chapter not feeling like a victim, but in our power feeling victorious because change is always inevitable in life.
As someone with a Bachelor’s in Marketing, the most important thing I want to share with you when it comes to operating an online business is that not only is it important to not put all your eggs in one basket, but it’s also important to make sure you’re mindful about where your energy is going and if there’s reciprocity in regards to how much you’re putting out and what you’re getting in return. I can tell you as someone who burnt out so badly that I started to lose my memory and experienced seizure-like experiences for over a year, hustle, hustle, hustle does not equal success. That old patriarchal, Piscean age way of being not only isn’t sustainable, but it’s outdated. Especially if you’re a woman operating a business, our energy and how we operate is not on a 24-hour cycle like men, we’re about a 28-day cycle, and we see this as the moon shifts her phases and with our menstrual cycle. While my dear sistar Britt Reid and I talked more about Mastering Your Business through Cyclical Living on Episode 137, if you want to be successful with your business and your overall life as a female entrepreneur, you’ve got to be more intentional and understanding of how your energy works and how to best honor your energy. Your energy is a gift. It’s precious, and it deserves to be respected and honored.
Because people don’t want to burn out on the content creation hamster wheel, more and more content creators have been multi-purposing their content and sharing it across the various social media platforms out there. Unfortunately, with a platform like Instagram, not only are people’s attention spans shorter, but the likelihood of your content being found days, weeks, months, or even YEARS later is slim to none, especially after the recent death of hashtags.
This is why The Marketing Machine here is predicting that in 2023, the major platform that’s going to take the lead is YouTube.
Because YouTube is owned by Google, it’s a search engine. Now with YouTube introducing handles and YouTube shorts which is their version of Instagram Reels and TikTok, YouTube Shorts are searchable and can use the same SEO capabilities as a normal YouTube video, like tags and descriptions. I mean, you can come across a video that was made 5 years ago that may still be relevant. I mean, let’s get real, how often is a post you created on Instagram 5 years ago still getting hits? While it sucks to say, unfortunately, too many people relied solely on Instagram for their business and brand development. But as we’re seeing, it can be taken away. This is why gathering emails is essential and why I still believe blogs on your website are important. While you may think that blogs are outdated, not only can you share them on platforms like Pinterest, which, by the way, is the number one source to my website, but, you can embed a YouTube video you’ve created on a blog when people search about what you’re sharing. As they come across your website, you’re feeding YOUR SEO and are optimizing your medicine to be shared to more people who are on the hunt to find solutions to the very thing you’re sharing.
So while I’ve been on my healing journey, I’ve realized that I’m tired of over-giving my energy on social media and not getting the reciprocity of views and reach my content deserves. It’s time for us to take the initiative and remember why we started to be on social media in the first place. It’s not about the number of likes or followers we get, but it’s about making an impact and leading with integrity. This is why I’m focusing more of my energy on YouTube and back on the Sovereign Society Podcast rather than Instagram. I want to create impactful content that I know people are tuning into because they want it, not because it’s been part of their mindless scroll. Because, let’s face it, most people I talk to go on Instagram these days just to mindlessly scroll through their feeds and waste their energy on a platform rather than being present in the now. Because it’s been so deeply ingrained in us, we’ve been conditioned to create and consume content from this platform for quite some time. I don’t know about you, but I started using this platform back in 2010, over 12 years ago. While a lot has shifted, that’s a deep program and condition to reprogram from and reclaim your power back from. This is what it means to be sovereign in the Golden Age of technology.
If you’re someone who’s ready to hone in on your social media strategy and are looking for support, for the rest of 2022, I’m offering my VIP experience I call Brand Ascension. Here, I learn more about your business and brand and help you hone in on how to take it to the next level for 2023. If you want to learn more, visit http://sabrinariccio.com/brand-ascension. And if you haven’t already, make sure you’re subscribed to my YouTube and to the Sovereign Society Podcast as I slowly resurface back into the Content Creatrix world, sharing with you more about systems, social media, marketing, business development, sovereign embodiment and so much more.
In the meantime, to bring back the Social in Social Media, I’d love to hear what your experience has been with Instagram lately and what’s inspiring you as you prep for 2023 over on my YouTube channel for this podcast episode. And if this episode has resonated, I invite you to leave a rating and review. It’s been almost 6 months since my last episode, but as I shared, I’m slowly but surely returning. But above all else, the truth of the matter is that the blessing of social media was about being a tool that would help us revolutionize the world with our wisdom, talents, gifts, and passions. Now’s the time for us to restore the intention of Social Media… connection and genuine expression.
.:. DISCOVER MORE .:.
Discover Alchemize Your Systems | http://sabrinariccio.com/alchemize-your-systems-flow
Discover Brand Ascension | http://sabrinariccio.com/brand-ascension
:: SOURCES ::
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-10-14/meta-a-hard-sell-as-good-old-facebook-days-are-over-tech-watch
https://www.reuters.com/technology/metas-top-product-design-executive-announces-departure-2022-10-14/
https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/facebook-pushes-further-into-developing-countries-with-instagram-lite/
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