Create vs Consume on Instagram with Tyler J McCall

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I recently had a virtual chat with Tyler McCall on Facebook live, and loved the conversation so much I wanted to share it with you here. He shares how to think about your Instagram account a little bit differently making sure you’re putting in the right time and energy into this.

If you’re ready to level up on the ‘gram (or you’re feeling a little IG fatigue) this episode is for you.

In this episode we’ll dive into…

stepping into the role of a creator versus a consumer
how do you use Instagram with intention to grow your online business
what do you do when you’re feeling a little meh with Instagram and how do you fall back in love with using the platform
strategies to make Instagram work for your business (with a lot less work)

Episode Show Notes

In going through Instagram rut

(9:12) Getting into the rut comes through comparison. It can definitely steal a little bit of our shine on Instagram. It also comes with forcing the content creation feeling very heavy, not exciting for us and no longer genuine. This is where a lot of people start to get burned out.

Instagram Creator vs Consumer

(12:33) Instagram consumer logs on Instagram for the sole purpose of watching and looking and consuming the content that others are creating. It’s mindlessly scrolling through the feed or the Discover page and looking at what other people are doing and not taking any action with that information.

Content consumption is important and it’s not a bad thing but it’s just not the right thing for us to be doing as entrepreneurs. Being online as a modern entrepreneur requires you to be a content creator. That’s an important part of the work that we do.

The important distinction of consumer versus creator is that the creator logs on to Instagram with purpose. They understand how to get the most out of the time that they have to allocate to Instagram and decide what they’re going to spend on Instagram.

Why Content Planning is so important (and what’s the best part of this)

(14:20) When you’re really clear on what is your primary objective on Instagram, you understand how this is contributing to your business goals so you login with a clear plan of attack and you know what you’re doing. Your contents are ready, you log in, you post and then the rest of the time you spend engaging thoughtfully responding to direct messages, comments and doing outward engagement strategies.

The best part of this is you can go back to actually tackle your “business”. We’re trying to build these businesses and being on Instagram seven hours a day isn’t the way we’re going to do it.

So come up with three to five types of content or core messages that you’re going to talk about the most often and do those things over and over and over again. Repetition is how you build authority. It’s how you build recognition and establish yourself in your niche.

The struggle of being present on social all the time

(17:39) One of the biggest reasons that we start to struggle with this is because there is so much observing on what other people are doing. That is why it’s really important to apply the concept of putting your blinders on and not looking at what other people are doing.

If you have someone that’s in your niche or industry, a competitor that you can’t stop yourself from looking at what they’re doing, block them on Instagram not because you don’t want them to see your content but this keeps your nosiness away from looking at their content. Be okay with the number of followers you have right now and understand that the best way to build your following is to focus on creating great content to serve the followers you already have.

Separating your self-worth from your business persona

(37:46) Understand that when you are showing up online as your brand and posting on Instagram, going live on Facebook, writing an email to your community whatever it may be, you are filling a role in the company. You’re serving the business in a specific type of lane.

Your personal brand is like a digital representation of you. It’s you alive in the online world but it’s not you. At the end of the day, you get to decide where the boundaries begin and end, you get to decide how you speak, you get to decide how much of you you want to put in and how much of you you want to hold back, and it’s really up to you.

In building relationship with your community

Think of two or three things that you can talk about that don’t have anything to do with your product or services. These are called shared experiences or personal things that you talk about on social media. These could be hobbies, interests, things that you genuinely enjoy and care about or are interested in doing outside of your brand but you also share with your audience so you can create content around these to establish a relationship and build rapport with your community.

About my guest, Tyler J McCall

Tyler J. McCall is a business and Instagram marketing strategist for online business owners and digital entrepreneurs. He focuses on using Instagram and social media to tell stories, build relationships, and convert followers to fans, drawing from his 10 years of experience in non-profit marketing and community organizing.

Since 2015, Tyler has taught thousands of entrepreneurs how to start, grow, and scale their online businesses. He is the founder of the Follower to Fan Society – an online Instagram marketing training program – and of the Online Business Association – the first and only professional association for online business owners and digital entrepreneurs.