Alright, so we’re past the point of believing that there’s a perfect time to post or that 20 hashtags will be THE thing to make your posts go viral, right?!
I hope so because let me tell you, none of those things actually works.
So what does?
GOOD CONTENT.
I know that is almost too simple an answer but let me explain.
People are frustrated with the lower reach and engagement on Instagram and usually end up blaming the algorithm but 9 times out of 10 when I go back to see what post they’re talking about – it’s their messaging that’s the problem.
At the end of the day, the content that is going to perform well are the posts that your ideal clients feel seen, heard, or inspired by.
In order to create Good Content that resonates, you need to fully understand your ideal clients by doing market research. This is the un-sexy side of marketing but without this piece, your content will fall flat.
Don’t worry, I will walk you through how to do this!
What is market research?
Exercises that help you understand your target market’s desires, frustrations, and interests to write content that they can envision themselves in. It’s also learning the language they use, understanding what drives them, what makes them laugh, feel seen, etc.
Taking the time to do the research will have your dream clients engaging and coming back for more!
Get to know your target market.
The holy grail of social media posts is getting comments like, “omg, me too!”, “I needed to hear this.” , “Sign me up!”
You have to get inside of their minds and learn their:
- Frustrations: What is it that’s keeping them up at night? What are they dreading doing every day?
- Pain points: Why are they struggling with xyz? What’s holding them back from getting to where they want to be?
- Desires: What is it that they want to accomplish? How do they want to feel? How do they want their lives to change?
- Interests: What makes them laugh? What makes them feel seen and validated?
But before we get into it, we have to talk about this first…
How to do market research and nail your messaging.
✓ Interview past clients
Reach out to 3 past clients and ask if you can speak to them for 10 minutes in exchange for a Dunkin or Starbucks gift card.
Here’s what to ask them:
- Why did you book with me?
- How did you feel before and after us working together?
While you can use surveys, AI and read through comments, none of those are going to be as powerful as an actual verbal conversation.
✓ Read through comments and DMs.
Look through your posts and see what kinds of comments you’re getting. Take note of their feedback. Is there a particular type of topic that gets more engagement than another?
You can also look at other accounts that have a similar target market to see what gets your people talking.
✓ Check Reddit
Some industries are a little more quiet on social media than others. Reddit is a great place to go to see what questions people are asking and seeing how other’s chime in in the comments.
✓ Hire a Brand Strategist
If you’re in the position to, hiring a brand strategist is a great investment! They can help you do the research and provide you with a whole brand messaging kit!
Put your research to work! Let’s create GOOD content with what you learned.
Please don’t miss this important tip: Use the words and phrases that your ideal clients are using.
For example, I used to say, “go viral” but now I realize that my ideal clients didn’t necessarily want to go viral, they actually want to “get out of 200 view jail.” This phrase came from a comment that someone left on one of my Reels and it was a huge lightbulb moment and now that I’ve switched that tiny phrase, my Reels go bananas!
So when you are reading through comments, get a DM, or are on a call – write down the words and phrases your clients are using when they are describing what their frustrations, desires, interests, etc. are.
Want more traction on your posts? Get specific!
I can not stress this enough. When writing your hooks, captions – or any piece of content you want it to be super specific.
Specificity is what calls in your people.
Your words need to paint the picture by tapping into their emotions and what their day-to-day looks like so that they can see themselves within it.
Ex: So many people use the word overwhelm but what does overwhelm look like for your ideal client? It is forgetting to eat lunch? Feeling guilty about ordering take-out..again?
Now, let’s take this lesson on specificity and see a Reel’s hook example.
Instead of: “My favorite villa for honeymooners”
Try this:
“POV: You’re a 2025 bride (specific ideal client) who is looking for a honeymoon destination that is equal parts relaxing but not boring (desire) and you discover Costa Rica.”
Which one catches your attention more?
I promise you, specificity WORKS!
TL;DR – Knowing your target audience is going to increase your Instagram engagement.
Messaging + specificity is what’s going to help get your content seen and shared with the right people. No “hack” or trending audio will work unless you truly know and understand your ideal client.
Market research and nailing your messaging will take time and tweaking but keep trying and you’ll get better and better!
Cheering you on so hard. ❤️
Want to learn even more about market research and how to create content that converts?
Then you’re going to love this podcast episode: Make Your Content Pop by Knowing Why People Want to Buy
If you’ve nailed down who your people are and have done the market research, come join me in the Reels Lab where you’ll get industry-specifc prompts that speak directly to your target audience.
Every week you’ll get 5 industry-specific Reel prompts with scroll-stopping hooks, caption template, and a weekly video loaded with recording and messaging tips.
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