How To Create Content on Instagram That Everyone Will Love
If you’re coming from my Instagram page then you’re likely confused by the title, How to Create Content on Instagram that everyone will love.
Please bear with me, I chose this title for a specific reason; it is impossible, and if you think it is possible then you definitely need to read this post.
No matter how marvellous and talented you are, you cannot please everyone. It is mission impossible and will leave you constantly miserable if you keep trying.
Jesus was a saint on earth and even his own people wanted him killed. Of Course, you and I are not Jesus, and there’s no comparison, I’m just saying. It’s an exercise in futility trying to please everyone.
Everyone talks about how to beat the Instagram algorithm, how to gain more followers, but how about how to have peace of mind? How to be a content creator without any of the mental health issues that come from our use of Instagram.
You cannot create Instagram content that everyone will love, but you can create content that you are proud of.
I used to get really bad anxiety, I felt like a failure each time my posts didn’t do as well as I expected them to. It wasn’t healthy, I was miserable.
It was awful, but now I barely get anxious, if my posts don’t do well, my life goes on. My mood has little to do with how badly or well my posts do.
It’s miserable being in that negative headspace and I want to help – if just one person – to have a healthier relationship with social media.
Here is a list of 3 things that have helped me:
1. It’s not about you
This is quite literally the most important thing you need to know.
It’s not an easy thing to come to terms with, because naturally, you are invested in your craft, you are passionate about it. You like it, so you want everyone else to. But we all have different world views, even identical twins don’t have the same interests. Siblings who grew up together, had the same life experiences don’t enjoy the exact same things. So, why would you expect people you don’t even know personally to like the same things as you? Why should your measure of what is ‘good’ be the same as theirs?
Once you realise that it’s not about you, once you make that shift, you stop taking things so personally. Once I made that shift, I’ve become a lot happier. So whether someone thinks my content is good or bad, my emotional state is neutral. I don’t always succeed, I am human after all, but I am working on it.
Asking my audience what they like and what they want to see also helps. Because it’s not about me, it’s about them.
2. Focus on what you have
It is easy to become caught up, focusing on what you don’t have instead of focusing on what you do have.
I know what my limitations are, and budget constraints is a big part of it. I’m not even going to bore you with the details of some of what I have to go through to put out content, but I also know that there are others that may be worse off, yet they make it work. They say necessity is the mother of invention so maybe you don’t have the latest iPhone but you have a Nokia 3310. You technically can’t create digital content with a 3310 but my point is, make it work for you.
Learn about the different ways you can use it. It’ll never be an iPhone or produce iPhone- worthy content but there’s a lot of power and a feeling of content that comes with knowing you are doing the best that you can with what you have. As Oprah says, when you know better, you do better.
3. Know Yourself
It’s easy to get lost among the throng on social media if you’re copying everyone. It’ll also never make you happy because there will always be people that do it better than you. But no one can do you better than you. Find your voice, what is your message to the world? Don’t do what you think will get you more followers because imagine going viral for something you’re not so clued on. You’ll feel like a fraud. Knowing who you are is a journey of a lifetime because we change, we evolve. But spend time figuring out who you are and what you want to share because then you will never feel like you’re competing with anyone but yourself.
I hope these have helped you. Being true to who you are is the ultimate win and it’s how I’ve found peace of mind. You can’t make everyone love your content but you can build a strong community of like-minded people when you are just you. That means accepting yourself and shutting out the noise.
If you found this article useful, please leave me a comment to let me know which bit resonated with you the most. You may also share your own social media journey and what has helped you.
If you have any questions, leave them in the comments. Share with someone else that you think needs to read this.