Strut It: Bold Visibility through Instagram Marketing
Instagram is one of the biggest social platforms with over 3 billion monthly active users… So how do you, as an entrepreneur, grow your following, get more clients, and actually get SEEN in the crowded social media space?
You need to learn how to leverage Instagram to grow your business—without spending ONE DIME on paid ads— by creating content that resonates with your ideal clients. And I’m here to show you how. Welcome to Strut It, a podcast about creating bold and unapologetic visibility on social media! I’m Elizabeth Marberry, your host and Instagram Marketing Coach. I help small business owners get SEEN on Instagram and monetize their offers so they can make more money doing their soul-led work.
Instagram can be a game changer for small business owners, but you have to have a strategy and show up with confidence to create content that gets you SEEN. Join me each week to learn how to Strut It on Instagram, grow your following, and get more clients. Head to elizabethmarberry.com/freebies to grab your free Monetize Your IG guide where you’ll learn 7 Simple and Proven Ways to *Finally* Make Money On Instagram.
Strut It: Bold Visibility through Instagram Marketing
Instagram Growth Secrets Every Business Owner Needs with Michelle Gifford
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I am so excited to bring on one of the leading Instagram strategists for business owners — Michelle Gifford. She helps six and seven-figure brands grow their audience, sell out their offers, and generate real revenue through Instagram. She's also a coach, agency owner, podcast host of The Social Strategist, and a mother of five proving every day that it's possible to build a thriving business without sacrificing what matters most.
When I invited Michelle onto the show, I knew we'd be talking Instagram strategy. What I didn't expect was how deep we'd go into the mindset behind building a successful business on Instagram. Grab your notebook.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE
- 03:15 How Michelle went from teaching photography as a business to becoming one of the leading Instagram strategists for six and seven-figure brands
- 05:07 The moment Michelle realized she wasn't growing on Instagram even though she was teaching it, and exactly what she changed
- 07:30 Why sitting on the fence wastes more time and energy than just deciding to go all in
- 08:23 How to use Instagram results as information instead of validation
- 09:22 The two types of Instagram users every business owner needs to recognize and the decision point each of them faces
- 10:19 Why Instagram now rewards the best content creators and why that's actually a gift
- 11:17 The identity mindset shift required when you move from Instagram consumer to Instagram business owner
- 16:20 What's working for organic Instagram growth right now: carousels, reels, and the share rate metric you need to watch
- 18:44 The content test Michelle uses before posting anything: save it, share it, or watch all the way through
- 20:59 How to keep people watching reels all the way through: layered hooks, visual movement, and ruthless editing
- 22:21 How long your reels should actually be and why Michelle uses a "mini skirt" rule
- 23:20 Why not all content has to go viral and how to separate attract, nurture, and sell content
- 30:17 How Michelle runs a business and creates content with five kids, a dog, and two cats
- 35:36 How Michelle uses AI including Claude Co-Work for competitor analysis and Instagram content research
- 39:05 How Claude Co-Work opens a Chrome browser and analyzes Instagram accounts in real time
- 41:00 How Michelle uses AI to automate daily social media news briefings and podcast guest thank-you emails
- 41:52 Michelle's Descript workflow for podcast editing
LINKS MENTIONED
- Hot Reels (my 12-month Instagram content lab):
- Michelle Gifford's Website:
- Michelle on Instagram:
- The Social Strategist Podcast:
- Michelle AI (Michelle's custom GPT):
- Apply for your FREE Instagram Breakthrough Session with Elizabeth
- Free guide to Monetize Your IG: Seven Simple and Proven Ways to Finally Make Money on Instagram
Follow Elizabeth Marberry on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook
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