Can you believe that we’re already onto day three?

In this value packed day of the epic challenge series, you’ll get the content strategy that I use myself.

I went back and forth about sharing this strategy with you, but since I’m all about providing value to my followers, here’s the strategy.

Let’s dive right in.
 

Now, for creating a strategy, we’re going to take the example of a starter on Instagram, but you can completely use this example to create a strategy according to your stage on Instagram.

First step is to choose a goal.

How are you going to do this?

By building a well designed strategy.

Each and every post of yours should increase your authority on Instagram.

Here’s what your strategy should include:

#1

Post at least 3 times a day to reach as many people as possible – at least when you’re just starting out.

#2

Invite your Facebook friends and subscribers to follow you, so that you get a good amount of followers while starting out.

It’s mostly difficult to get those first 500 followers, and until then you become a target of mass followers, which is pretty annoying.

And this is the reason why inviting friends and subscribers to follow you on Instagram becomes a crucial step – to get past that number and to avoid being target of those mass followers.

I made this mistake of not inviting ANY one, and had to get through the most hardest path of gathering followers. I don’t want you to get through this and this is the only solution for it.

#3

Since your audience does not know you yet, your content plan should include something that provides a glimpse into:

1. who are you,

2. what do you plan to do with this account,

3. what is your blog about,

4. why is your blog important to them (very important),

5. how can your blog and Instagram help them,

6. what can they expect from this account,

7. why is your Instagram different from your competitors (very important).

So, this is how your content strategy should look like:

1. Introduce yourself and who is this Instagram account for

2. What do you plan to do with this account (Hint: Your plan should convey that you’ll solve their problems. Use their own words to give them a feeling that you understand them.)

3. Content that shows your expertise in your niche

4. Providing a lots of downloadable freebies (something really unique and which gives them a quick win into a major problem of your audience), and hence collecting subscribers.

5. Your brand story, what encouraged you to do this and how it makes you happy (keep your audience at bay).

6. Introduce your website, and what’s it about (again keeping your audience in mind).

7. Personal content. Insights about where you work, how is your life other than blogging, something about your personality and how are you in real life.

8. Why is your website/Instagram different from others? Explain what is unique in your brand. Behind the scenes.

9. A quick tip about your niche

10. Testimonials from your existing subscribers/clients

11. How to use your freebie in the best way

12. A quick win to one of their problems

These are just some of the ideas that you should include in your content plan when you’re starting out.

These ideas are completely optimized (only) for starters. But, as I said before, you can completely tweak this strategy according to your position on Instagram.

Now, let’s talk about WHY this strategy works:

Notice how I’ve added a justified mix of:

1. introductions (brand awareness),

2. introducing your plans, (that are totally optimized to attract your audience),

3. your expertise content and freebies (to grab attention of your audience, so that they hit that follow button),

4. personal content (because people love to see those, people love to know about other people’s personal lives, so that they can know you better as a person, this builds trust) and

5. testimonials (again, builds trust).

You are now supposed to make a content plan – a plan that includes in detail, what is going to be posted on which date and what time.

But, the main thing to keep in mind here is that you don’t have to keep posting the same kind of content. You have to mix all these contents in equal quantities so that your audience gets a taste of everything and don’t get bored with the same type of thing everyday.
 

If you’re introducing yourself today, don’t introduce your website on the same day. If you are talking about yourself today, talk about your audience in the next post, and explain how your account is all about them and not about you.

I guess, you get the point.
 

Your Today’s Action Step:

You’re going to build a very well detailed plan of the first 30 days about what you’re going to post everyday. (Remember, you’re only creating a plan today, you’re not supposed to post today! We’ll do that during the 5th lesson!)

These 30 days must include 90 posts, since you’re supposed to post 3 posts everyday to reach maximum number of people.

These 3 posts should be posted with at least a gap of 3 hours between them. Don’t just post one after another. It would do no good to you.

There you have it. A completely optimized content strategy to make your profile irresistible to your ideal audience.

See you soon.

Best,
Vidhi

P.S If you missed out on any of the previous days of the challenge, you can jump into them here!

Lesson One – The Four Deadly Instagram Mistakes
Lesson Two – How NOT to fall into the deadly circle of Instagram