Why I Am Moving Away From Instagram
I have been using Instagram for SOLEMNIKO since 2020.
First on the How We Came To Be Project which I decided to centre on Instagram specifically because I knew I needed to learn how to use it and get comfortable with it. And then with SOLEMNIKO proper… however after years of building a following organically and trying various ‘quick’ fixes for growing my page I’ve come to the conclusion that it isn’t for me and SOLEMNIKO.
I’m not going to be off it 100% and I’ll still post once a week, check in once a week and generally treat it like I do any other form of marketing: as a once a week build-on-it for a specific time outlet.
In Favour of Evergreen Content
In June I launched a weekly journaling newsletter on Substack a platform I love and find a lot less stressful and competitive than Instagram. Doing that newsletter every week has made me remember how much I enjoy long-form content that is evergreen rather than the here-one-moment-gone-the-next world of platforms like Instagram, which are built to hit the dopamine casement in our brains and keep us online as long as possible.
I’m a reader, an old-school girl who would prefer a paperback any day over a Kindle, and will even pick up a newspaper if there’s one lying around. I don’t like spending lots of time on a screen, and if I do you can guarantee I’ll be somewhere like Pinterest which again encourages evergreen content.
As a marketer I will always be in favour of long-form evergreen content more than I am of short-form instant content. Not only is it better health-wise for your business as it brings value to your audience on a long-term basis; but it’s also showcasing the kind of brand you are. And as a luxury, handmade brand I want my content to reflect that.
My brand and my content is not ‘influencer’ content. I will not be modelling the latest handbag from Gucci or telling you about the dinner I had at the Four Seasons. Because anyone can do that, and besides, I loathe showing my face in my content!
Go Compare
Another thing I want to move away from is the toxic comparison mindset which platforms like Instagram encourage. It brings out the worst of my insecurities with a little voice saying if only I showed my face more, took more aesthetic videos, showed more skin, worked with other brands, posted more - then I would be successful. And of course all of that is bullsh*t because yes it works for some people, but every business is different and every person has a different relationship with social media.
Mine I have come to realise, is going to be an amicable but distant relationship. I do not enjoy comparison, it’s something I grew out of in high school and do my best to distant myself from in my adult life… so why would I want to spend every day on a platform that is set on using my insecurities to make money?
Intentional Content Creation
Moving forward I’m going to be focusing my time on Substack and Pinterest, since these two platforms best reflect my own core values and the ethos of SOLEMNIKO.
You can already find my newsletters on Substack
https://solemniko.substack.com
And an aesthetic collection of images on Pinterest
https://www.pinterest.co.uk/Solemniko/
From September 02 you’ll be able to find my brand new podcast The SOLEMNIKO Podcast on my Substack as well, the trailer will be airing first and episodes will start bi-weekly from Wednesday 18th September.
Are We In the Same Boat?
If you’re re-thinking the marketing of your own business and wanting to move away from Instagram and the like, I wrote an article on my discovery of Slow marketing which I adhered to until I felt the comparison itch start twitching and went all-out on Instagram with very little success!