How to navigate Summer on Instagram
Summer is a funny old time on Instagram.
And if you’re reading this and you’re also using Instagram to market your business then you will have already experienced the ups and downs of Summer on Instagram.
The main thing you’ll notice is that your engagement can plummet to new depths. And at the same time, if you’re a parent of young children, you’ll be faced with the juggle of working/ maintaining visibility of your business and of course looking after your children.
The reality is also that despite feeling like you might want to shut up shop for the summer, a certain level of visibility of your business on Instagram over the summer months is probably sensible and necessary.
So I wanted to share with some tips and ideas to help you navigate summer on Instagram:
Accept that your engagement on Instagram will be lower than normal
People are very distracted in the summer months - so try not to have unrealistic expectations for the content you share. It may also be worth sharing fewer posts per week than you normally would.
Don’t be duped into inactivity by the lower engagement
Don’t be fooled into thinking no-one is using Instagram over the summer.
Yes, people engage less but you need to remember that people are still looking on Instagram for the things they want to buy and they want to book. This is particularly important to remember if you are actively promoting a product or service or if you’ll be launching at the start of September.
And remember there will be a lot of idle scrolling on Instagram over the summer. If your content is what they are looking for then it will get their attention.
Your Instagram Stories are the best place to share content in the Summer
Your Stories are the easiest way for you to stay connected to your followers on Instagram this Summer. Stories are simple to share and a great way to have a direct conversation with your followers.
Summer is also a great time to share behind the scenes content. Share places you’ve visited or things you’ve done that you think that your followers may enjoy too. Plus books/ podcasts/ tv shows that you’re loving. And not forgetting your travel tips.
Keep capturing footage
One tip that I share again and again with everyone I work with is to remember to capture footage - video and photos that you add to a specific album on your camera that you can go back to months down the line and create content from. Be your future friend over the summer!
Don’t feel pressured to show up on Instagram
Yes it’s good to maintain some visibility on Instagram over the summer even if it’s one post a week. However, I’ll be the first to admit that I find the juggle of keeping my kids entertained and also still trying to show up a struggle. I have good intentions but they often fall to the wayside. So be kind to yourself and don’t feel guilty if you can’t show up very often.
Recycle, Re-Use & Repurpose
Reusing your content is a good thing to do all year round but it will be a very useful way to work in the Summer when you’re time poor.
Can you re-use footage from a previous Reel and create a new one with a new audio and new hooks and calls to action? Look at your blog posts - each one could be turned into numerous pieces of content. Repurposing and recycling content is a sensible way to work over the summer.
So if you have been grappling with how to keep marketing your business on Instagram over the Summer I hope reading this has helped.
It’s all about lowering your expectations and using the time you have to your advantage.
Good luck for these summer months and I really hope you get to enjoy a break at some point.