I Regret Every Second I Spent on Instagram
I tried to become a content creator and got swallowed by the network. Here is some advice for you not to go through the same thing as me.
Three times I tried to launch a content strategy using Instagram.
I’m a software entrepreneur, and my goal was to position myself as an authority for an audience of people like me.
However, all three times I couldn’t maintain consistency.
Although I have experience creating content and expertise with social media, something was going on that I couldn’t get a grip on there.
It seemed like an easy task in theory. In practice, it was a total disaster.
After that, I dedicated myself to understanding why.
In the end, the answers were obvious.
The Sublime Addiction
First, I started to analyze profiles similar to mine, for benchmarking purposes.
However, I was quickly getting swallowed up by totally irrelevant posts, and other crap that the network recommended to me.
I wasted much more time on useless stuff than actually studying my competitors. I dare say that only 5–10% of my time there was really useful.
The Strange Engagement Formula
Social networks like Instagram are extremely visual, which means capturing attention via image and video very quickly.
While there were great inspirations for amazing designs, what stood out on the net was whatever anesthetized the brain, not what made people think.
There may be billions of users there, but it’s frustrating to have to share space with half-naked women or childish dances.
The Anesthetic Effect
Also, for every interested user, there were thousands of people oblivious to what I had to say.
And the more time I spent there, searching or publishing content, my consumption on the network increased beyond the count.
This has a depressing effect on our brain.
It’s a lethargic state of mind, which keeps us rolling the feed even if we don’t want to, knowing it’s a sheer waste of time.
Big Brother Content
And the last — and perhaps the worst — requirement to stand out on this network is the huge volume of content with an expiration date.
Not only posts whose hits peak within minutes of publication, the dull volume of stories made my life a kind of reality show.
The algorithm privileges those who post incessantly, and that forced me to post irrelevant stuff.
To make matters worse, many times what generated the most engagement were mundane matters, which had nothing to do with my purpose there.
Lessons Learned
These lessons, my friend, I hope they will be valid for you too.
Instagram and similar networks can be a gold mine indeed. But to be there without failing a day is terrifying.
In addition, there are side effects, such as the constant fear of missing out, the feeling of wasting your life, and the network’s absurd content recommendations.
It is possible to make a gold mine of this, as long as you are prepared to deal with it.
I wasn’t, and because of that, I lost valuable days of my life.
Whether as a user or as a content producer, keep this in mind when delving deep into the world of social media.
