It’s no secret that using Instagram for your business—like an online store or boutique—can potentially bring in new customers. But are you confident that you’re using Instagram to its fullest potential? Or would some tips and tweaks to how and what you post deliver even more impact and results?
Mya Nichol could help you answer those questions. She’s an Instagram expert whose straightforward approach to the platform has helped countless business owners understand it better. She’s also built an insanely successful business that crossed over the $1 million revenue mark in less than two years.
But Mya hadn’t actually dreamed of owning an online business. She needed money for nursing school and a job that offered flexibility. That led her to network marketing, a need to grow her customer base, and ultimately her discovery of how to make the most of Instagram.
Get good while you’re growing.
When it comes to using Instagram for online business, Mya’s own experience serves as a great example of what you can do. She had under 100 followers when she decided to do a 30-day Reels challenge she’d seen on another page. She posted a new Reel every day for 30 days…but her numbers only inched up. Not one to give up, she did the same thing for the next 30 days, and the next 30. Her results were still pretty minimal.
Throughout this process, Mya came to realize that what she enjoyed posting about weren’t the products she was selling. She wanted to show more about her experience in the Reels challenge to capture other network marketers who were growing their own businesses. When she changed her focus, the number of followers blossomed to over 10,000—and Mya says she’s never stopped growing since. As of the date of this post, she has over 230,000 followers!
During that growth phase, Mya also learned a lot about content creation, including what worked and what didn’t. Her messaging also got better as her page got bigger—something important for any online business owner to learn.
It’s okay to go back to the basics.
Social media platforms like Instagram will always roll out new tools and options for users. Mya says it’s always okay to try out those new features to see how they work, but at the end of the day, having the basics down will never guide you in the wrong direction.
That means having good content when you use Instagram for your business. It also means knowing who your audience is and being authentic with them. For Mya, showing vulnerability was an important part of connecting with her followers, and you’ll want to find out what works for yours.
She stresses that forming a connection is the goal, and while anybody can share a few tips, you are the only one with your unique voice, opinions, and experiences. Share your stories, and you’ll connect with the right people for you.
Use pillars (and everyday life) as a way to simplify Instagram content creation.
One of the things that so many of us who own online stores and online businesses struggle with is trying to come up with enough content. Mya explains her approach to content creation AND eliminates myths about how frequently you have to post to be effective.
First, she says that for her online business, she identified 5 pillars—or categories—of content that resonated with her followers. She uses those categories to help her come up with post ideas.
Second, she finds that quickly writing down notes on her phone when she’s out “living life” eliminates having to spend hours trying to come up with ideas. It might be an experience she has in a store or just something she sees standing in line at the grocery store. A fast note in her app makes Instagram post content much easier.
Third, Mya says that there is no hard-and-fast rule about how often to post on Instagram or any other social media platform. She instead encourages all of us to determine what works best for our customers and for ourselves—and then just be consistent about it. Never start something that you worry you won’t be able to keep up!
The Takeaways
Mya shared so many great insights during our conversation, and this is definitely a How to Sell Online episode that you’ll want to listen to again and again. It’s full of useful ideas that you can use as you start using Instagram for your business.
Here are 11 of the many, MANY takeaways from this interview:
- Build your business in the nooks and crannies of life.
- Create to create; learn to enjoy the journey.
- Look at quality, content, hooks and captions—what does your audience react to?
- Add vulnerability in the captions and talk about the whys of your business.
- Sales come through stories.
- When you post stories, what is your intention?
- Scale back on social media. Do what works for you.
- Ask yourself, “What can I stay consistent with?”
- Say “yes” to opportunities. Lean into it.
- Your best ideas come from living your life.
- Test out NOT pre-scheduling posts (especially if you usually do.)
Additional Resources
Follow Mya Nichol:
- On Instagram: @MyaNichol
- On TikTok: @MyaNichol
- On Pinterest: @MyaNicholg
- Mya’s Podcast: Radical Disruption
- Mya’s Website: MyaNichol.com
- Join Mya’s IG University and receive 50% off your first month when you enter code 100K at checkout for a limited time.
Connect with Alison:
- On Facebook: @alisonjprince
- On Instagram: @alisonjprince
- Learn about the 0-100K System and how you can launch and grow your own online business here.
