growing without Instagram |
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Hey First name / friend! In case you missed it, I was wrongly suspended from Instagram earlier this month, and I have no updates so far - except that I still don't have my account back. But I promised to share what I'm doing outside of Instagram to build/maintain a solid foundation for my business, so that you're prepared in case this ever happens to you – though of course I hope it never does! :) |
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First, a quick update on my suspension, for those who are interested (or scroll past if you're not!): |
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I mean, there's not much news obviously, since I'm still suspended. But I've still been researching and processing and planning, and here is some new and relevant information: - From my online research and my conversations with several of you, I have realized that there's actually a big chance I'll never get my social media back. Unfortunately, this has happened too many times - and Meta doesn't care, obviously. I've spoken with people who have lost both personal and business accounts for no reason whatsoever, and have also lost income and memories and all of the audience they built. It's very wrong and deeply disturbing – Instagram is pretty much a necessary platform for businesses, and this absolutely should never happen. I could go on all day about this, but I'll restrain myself for now and leave it at this: it's really messed up.
- I found a super detailed article about another woman's similar experience, when she was suspended, likely after being falsely reported by her detractors. This article was frustrating and enlightening and has so much more information than I have the energy to write – plus, I am not on the other side of my experience yet like this woman is.
- If you read the article above, you'll see that this woman got help from her congressman - that's not an avenue I ever had realized might even be an option. After talking with friends and family who are very upset on my behalf, I've realized that it actually is something I can try too. I have a friend who works for the Idaho Bar Association who also recommended contacting the Idaho Attorney General. There are (theoretically) protections in place for us as consumers and businesses. I don't know what will happen from any of this – if anything! – but it's not very difficult to send some emails or make some phone calls. I do have the benefit of living in a smaller state where all of my interactions with government entities have been pretty straightforward and timely (like calling the Secretary of State's office with a question and immediately talking to a real human). In some states, this just isn't the experience that people can hope for. If I try this and get help, I'll update you.
- My husband realized that one of his former coworkers now works at Meta, so we reached out. As a Meta employee, he was able to file an internal report on my behalf that is supposed to give my case a higher priority – but that's all he could do. He was not able to look at my account or address my issue himself. If you are suspended, it's worth reaching out to see if you have any contacts who work at Meta, but it's not an easy fix. I'm still waiting and still don't have a response from Instagram.
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Okay, now the happier stuff! |
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First off, I want to be clear that I am not an expert – I've never tried to be social media free in my business before. Yes, I've always used it moderately and no, I've never loved it or aspired to influencer status. I am sure I've said a thousand times that I'd love to be off social media if I could be! But there's a big difference between generally wanting social media to not exist, and being kicked off of it while everyone else (and my audience!) is using it. For example, I used to have tons of images in the top results for important hashtags, and I could be found easily when people searched for local photographers. And even if I took a couple of weeks off of posting, I still had a solid audience, a quick way for people to browse my portfolio, a virtual ‘business card’ to connect with people if they asked about my business, etc. Now, I have none of that. A moderately active Instagram account still provides something that no Instagram account doesn't! I know plenty of people take breaks or post rarely, but I can't say that I've known of any small business remotely like mine that simply doesn't have social media at all. My point is this: I have worked to build a foundation that extends outside of social media, and I have never wanted my business to rely on it, but I am very much navigating all of this in real time. I'm not an expert! I'm just processing what this means for my business and how to handle it, and I'm sharing it with you as I go – not from ‘the other side’ after I've figured it all out. I may not get it all right! :) |
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Step one: not creating a new account (yet) |
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My first step has not been starting a new account. This is partly because there is a chance I'll get my account back, but it's also largely because I have not had the mental and emotional capacity for that this past week. I've been really upset, angry at the way that Meta treats its users, and I don't want to start over – so I have chosen not to do this yet for my own sake. Instead, I've taken an actual detox from Instagram. The truth is, even in seasons that have been busy or overwhelming and where I haven't posted much, I've still attempted to keep up on my messages and post some stories. I've also still wasted time browsing (no matter how much I work not to, I know I do!). And I've also realized how many times per day that darn app crosses my mind – thinking I should create some content for stories, or save a photo I'm editing for a post, etc. After a few days of having no Instagram access (outside of an old personal account that I really don't use at all), I actually did feel so different. I wasn't thinking about what would make good story content or what photos should be shared online – I felt much more free, and I'm so thankful for that. I have missed the connections, though, and miss seeing and sharing some of the personal content that really makes my community feel like a community. I think that's the one genuinely good part of social media, and I have realized I don't want to go without that long term! I want to see the faces behind everyones' names and the funny things your kids do and the little parts of life that give it meaning. I don't miss social media for work, but I do miss the friendship aspect of it. I may start a new account. It might be soon, it might not be. It's hard at this point to imagine not using Instagram as part of my business, and I have real concerns about the financial impact of skipping out on this. We will see. In the end, a few weeks offline might sting for my business, but won't ruin it – yet it may be one of the best things for my mental health in a really stressful season. |
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Step two: taking stock of my other avenues |
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What I have done is sit down and lay out all of the other potential avenues I have for communicating with my existing audience and growing/maintaining my business. Some of these will get their own newsletters soon! - Email: my favorite! I have a client email list and an education/photographer list, and I am really happy that I have more time and energy to put into these since I'm not working at social media. I have had such kind emails from many of you, and I appreciate it SO much. There's so much I can say about this and it'll get its own newsletter very soon. I will say, it's tough to grow an email list without being able to post about it on Instagram and without running ads, but it's not impossible (and it is possible to run ads without an IG).
- Facebook: I have never actually used FB for my business, though I do technically have a pretty lame business page that I only post to through the automated feature that uploads my IG posts for me. I may choose to dust this off and be more active on there. I personally have not found good quality leads to come through FB, but I also haven't put really any work in to it. I don't have endless time and energy, and this has been about the bottom of my priority list. I also know people who have lost their FB pages like I lost my IG account! It's still social media – but I may work on my presence there since it's easy, and I do like the mix of business and personal in that space.
- TikTok, X, Threads, or other social media: This is just a no for me, personally. I have zero desire to be on any of these platforms, and from what I've seen, my audience isn't really there either. I've looked a little at Threads because Instagram gave us all accounts and they put the posts into our IG feeds - it mostly seems to be drama and whining and snark and I hate it. For some people, these outlets could be impactful avenues. But for me, I can scratch them all off the list. And of course, I'm suspended from Threads anyway since it's part of IG. ;)
- SEO & blogging: these are so important, and I'll absolutely be sharing about this more soon, probably in multiple newsletters. I already have requests for this topic and can't wait to get some content out about it! Also, I've been working behind the scenes on a brand new educational website that is SO much better than what I currently have – and a new website means that I'm working on fresh SEO and a brand new blog. You'll get to come on this journey with me! My website isn't quite ready to be shared with the world, but it will be soon!
- Google Maps: I actually get most of my photography inquiries and bookings from people who found me through a Google/Google Maps search. SEO is important, but simply having a Google business listing and maintaining it is the easiest thing you can possibly do – and it has a very real impact! In fact, this is where I'm placing my attention first, because it's the simplest and yet very impactful, and I can manage to improve it even when I'm stressed out with this whole situation. I'll have a guide on this in your inbox in the next day or two!
- Podcasts: I don't have a podcast. I've considered it, and it's a great way to reach a new audience and grow a business. In the past, I've dismissed the idea quickly because I simply don't have the time, and it's a big undertaking with a learning curve. Also, while I can write all day, I feel much more reserved when speaking aloud and I tend to think people don't need to listen to me drone on (yet I will write ridiculously long newsletters with zero shame… makes no sense, I know ha!). I am currently considering this, though not in any hurry to jump on a new venture. In fact, I'd love your opinion – send me an email if you'd like to have a podcast to listen in on, or let me know if your podcast list is oversaturated and you'd prefer blog posts, newsletters, or something else.
I probably missed some things that should be on this list, but like I said: I'm navigating this in real time! And I'm also here for ideas if you want to share them with me – just send me an email and let me know if you're okay with me sharing your idea with others (with credit, of course!). |
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Step three: deciding where to start |
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If we did everything possible to grow, our work as small business owners would never end – there's always the potential for more. Always! It's so important to not operate in that mindset, and to recognize that we're humans with limited energy and limited capabilities. When possible, I like to prioritize tasks and make business decisions based on what has the most reward for the least amount of time spent. So for example, I have rarely made reels on Instagram – they were time consuming for me and I didn't enjoy them, and they didn't really increase my engagement anyway. On the other hand, a fun story could get tons of engagement with very little effort at all. This is what has made me decide to start taking action first on my Google Maps listing. My listing is important and has a real, positive impact on my bookings. Updating it with new photos and reviews is not a difficult process, and will give me a sense of accomplishment as I begin a pretty big undertaking of pivoting to run my business without any Instagram access. |
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I don't want every newsletter to be this long, ha! I want to get some quick and easy tips out for all of you about all of the non-Instagram avenues for our businesses that I mentioned above. I'd love to share my journey so that you can do your own work simultaneously, and build a healthy foundation for your business that will serve you whether you use social media or not. Ready? I mean, I wasn't – but it's time anyway. Thanks for coming on this wild ride with me! ;) |
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P.S. If you're ready for a transformation bigger than you can even imagine right now, I'd love to have you join me in Unbasic Creatives. My students are surpassing their goals and thriving as artists and business owners. Want to join our wonderful community? We'd love to have you! |
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confidently create stunning images at every session, no matter the chaos: |
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“ The money that I invested in working with Hannah is the best money spent in my whole photography career. Ana |
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2976 E State St., Ste 120 Unit #2234
Eagle, ID 83616, United States |
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