It’s a big question and one many are *dying* to know. Is this the death of Instagram for small businesses?
It’s no lie many small businesses have struggled to adjust to Instagram’s changes over the last year. Some are deciding to throw in the towel, others are prioritising other social media platforms, hoping they won’t also do em’ dirty.
But what does a social media hero, and expert, have to say about it? We managed to wrangle one such person onto the blog – Jordan from Scrunch Social.
Get ready to receive some sage business advice and get an answer to *that* question.
Hello, hello! Welcome to the blog, Jordan! Can you please introduce yourself to our readers and let them know what you do?
HELLO lovely readers! I’m Jords, the Social Media Hero behind Scrunch Social, and I help a whole heap of [mostly] small biz’s with their social media marketing. From strategy to execution, I do all the social media bits and bobs that get bluddy good results for my clients!
What was the push that led to the creation of Scrunch Social? What were you doin’ beforehand?
Believe it or not, Scrunch started as a side hustle back in the early days of Melbourne’s lockdowns in 2020. It was the perfect storm.
I was working in a government social media team [great experience, little creativity], I had bucketloads of time to spare, and I wanted to put everything I was learning into “real world” practice.
So, I kicked off an Instagram account and within a month, landed my first client!
It’s crazy to think that this little passion project has turned into a six-figure business, but here we are! Two-and-a-bit years on and I’m blown away that I’m here!
What’s your favourite thing about what you do for a living?
My favourite thing is, by far, the people. I get the absolute pleasure of working with creative, interesting, thoughtful, and values-driven people in all sorts of industries.
From startups to industry leaders, I get to help people keep doing what they love [and make more money from it]. And that’s really bluddy cool!
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt while running Scrunch?
Ooh, what a question! I s’pose it’s not necessarily a teachable moment, but I’ve learned how important it is to back yourself.
There will always be people out there who do things differently than you [and think their way is the only way], so it’s essential to back yourself, trust your gut and talk yourself up a bit [even if it’s just in the mirror of an afternoon, lol!].
Of course, you’ve still gotta know your stuff. You’ve still gotta be good at what you do. But when you’ve shown yourself [and your clients] time and time again that you can do what you say you can do [and you can do it your way, not the way everyone else tells you], you’ve just gotta back yourself and keep moving forward.
A lot of the business owners we’ve been speaking to are feelin’ beyond frustrated with Instagram at the moment. Why do you think small business owners are struggling with the latest Instagram changes?
Oooh boy, they’re not alone! When there were the first whispers of a full-screen layout coming to Instagram earlier this year, I [among other social media specialists] sat at my desk and had a lil cry.
And there were a few reasons for this tear-y moment. First, it would mean we’d have to pivot every single client’s entire social media strategy. Second, we’d also have to revamp all of our packages, putting loads of hours into pivoting our entire businesses.
But the thing that bothered me more than that, actually, was just how much it was going to affect business owners who have relied solely on Instagram to market their businesses.
Back in 2018, heck even 2020, you could easily put all your marketing eggs into Instagram’s basket without the help of a social media strategist.
You could DIY it and get great results, but I knew that wouldn’t be the case with the new IG layout and thank-the-social-media-gods for reverting it back.
That being said, Instagram is still a different world than it was a few years ago. It’s because of this ever-so-time-consuming video content, the reduced engagement rates, and the challenge in seeing off-platform conversions – that small business owners are struggling with the changes.
I don’t think it’s a bad new world, necessarily, I just think we need to change the way we approach marketing our businesses on Instagram.
Less eggs in Instagram’s basket = more eggs in a holistic marketing strategy.
This might be melodramatic – but do you think we’re seeing the death of Instagram?
I can’t help but laugh at this question, as I literally just wrote a blog addressing this exact question.
No, I don’t think we’re seeing the death of Instagram.
Here’s the truth of the matter. Holistic marketing has always been the way to go. I just reckon business owners [and I’ve been guilty of this, too!] have just been less open to expanding their marketing efforts because Instagram has been able to be the sole marketing channel.
That being said, I have quite a few clients who still rely solely on Instagram [don’t worry, I’m slowly but surely warming them up to the idea of expanding their marketing efforts!]. But it works for them, because they’re getting results.
They’re getting consistent leads. They’re selling their evergreen products. They’re booking out and popping people on waitlists.
Sure, our strategies have never looked more different from the original style of marketing on social [static post + long-form copy = chachinggggg!], but they’re working. They’re getting results. And that’s the whole point of social media marketing.
Sooooo, TLDR, nah, I don’t think Instagram is dead.
But I do think, if we can learn anything from the total chaos of Instagram in 2022, it’s not to put all your eggs in one basket.
For the biz owners who are feeling like leaving the platform…what would your advice be?
Ask yourself why.
- Are you leaving the platform because you don’t enjoy being on there anymore?
- Are you leaving the platform because you’re not getting results?
- Are you leaving the platform because everyone else has told you it’s no longer an effective marketing tool?
Whatever the reason, it’s valid [okay, maybe not the last one, but you get the idea!]. You are allowed to not be on Instagram anymore. Let’s say it again for the people in the back! You are allowed to leave Instagram!
But make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons, and make sure you’re not leaving money on the table for your biz.
If you’re thinking about heading off and venturing into other marketing worlds, just remember to leverage your existing Instagram audience to build those other platforms up.
And, y’know, don’t just up n leave without saying goodbye! No matter how you feel about Instagram, your audience might be absolutely devo that you’re heading off. So, take the time to nurture your audience, share your reasons behind leaving, and make sure they know where they can find you next.
Heck, even ask them where they’d like to find you next! This might inform what other platforms you incorporate into your strategy, making sure you’re still reaching all of the right people in the right places. #TheDream
Big question coming up, but looking ahead to 2023, what do you think the future of social media is looking like?
BRB, let me don my psychic hat and grab my crystal ball. Okay, I’m ready. Lessgoooo!
My main prediction? Social media in 2023 is going to level out. 2022 has been a tumultuous year on social media. Instagram had a mid-gram crisis. Organic Facebook performance tanked even more than it already had.
TikTok has continued to skyrocket. BeReal is now a thing [that both Instagram and TikTok are clearly scared of, ‘cause they’ve mimicked features on their own platforms].
And on top of that, the users have had a tumultuous year. For so many of us around the world, we’re coming out of pandemic life. It’s been our first year without lockdowns or crippling fear of a virus we weren’t protected against [thanks vaccines!].
We’re getting out and about. We’re connecting 1:1 more than ever. And we’re craving IRL connection, so social media has taken a bit of a backseat.
But I think both the social media platforms and users on them will settle in the new year. I don’t think it’ll ever go back to how it was, but I think that’s a good thing.
There are so many unreal opportunities for businesses on social media [I mean, have you seen eComm blow up on TikTok lately??], so I have a really bluddy good feeling about 2023.
Beyond 2023? I really hope someone comes out with a more connection-driven platform. Think Facebook Groups, but like, way better.
Connection is the core of any good social media strategy. It’s what makes us fall head over heels for brands because we feel connected as heck to ‘em.
So, that’s my dream, I guess. Is it gonna happen? Dunno! But I reckon there’s space for something like that to bloom.
