Instagram pay to play – is this the end of insta marketing for small business?

Are you ready to watch your Instagram die?

Instagram have released a statement about new pay to play feature!

It seems like my inbox has been inundated with messages about Instagrams latest announcement and so I thought a post was needed to help you guys out.

First things first…what have Instagram actually said?

Meta is now testing a tiered subscription model where your account will perform better, reach more people, and you will gain more followers if you were paying them more.

In short…as a business…Instagram want you to pay them to share your content to your audience. Bad times.

But fear not! I have the solution to your problems ( I actually have 2 )….in fact YOU have the answer to your own problem!

Solution 1 – Building relationships via stories.

You already have a following! People who are interested in your product or service so rather that focusing on reach new clients which not switch up your strategy to focus on building relationships with your original audience.

When it comes to getting your content seen by your own audience, the easiest way is through Instagram stories and the best bit is, Instagram are constantly updating stories with new features and stickers that will actually help you improve your engagement…all you need to do is understand how to use them and covert those followers into real paying customers! – show new stickers

Solution 2 – Build your email list

Ive said it before and I will say it again…your social media following does not belong to you, it belongs to the platform. The best way for you to have a plan B is to build an email list from your followers so that you have more than one way to communicate with them. Should IG or FB go down or god forbid they stop sharing your content, you still have a way to communicate, continue your marketing and build your business!

Top tip…create an irresistible opt in or freebie that your followers will love and will happily hand over their email addresses for. Think about how you can serve them and provide value and if you need some support just let me know. One of my most successful opt ins had more than 1000 sign ups in less than 48 hours…hows that for conversion!

And remember…right now Instagram are testing this out…it may not be forever however if it is, don’t let all the hard work of building your account go to waste. Have a plan B and if your still struggling…drop me an email [email protected] and find out how I can help!