The Brutal Truth About Instagram Growth: Why Ads Are Your Secret Weapon (And How to Make Them Pay for Themselves)
EP 416 - The Truth About Instagram Growth
Stop chasing vanity metrics and start building a profitable business. Discover the counter-intuitive strategies that actually drive sales.
Ever feel like you're shouting into the void on Instagram? You're posting consistently, following all the "expert" advice, but the leads and sales just aren't rolling in. You're not alone. In this episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on a 30-day experiment I ran, posting 3-5 times a day, to uncover the real secrets to organic growth. The results might surprise you.
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The Instagram Organic Growth Experiment: What I Learned
For years, I've been in the trenches of sales and online business, especially within the fitness industry. I've built accounts, I've seen what works, and I've learned that "organic growth" often comes with a hidden cost – your time, energy, and mental well-being.
My recent 30-day deep dive into posting multiple times a day, while dialing back my ad spend, was eye-opening. Here’s the raw, unfiltered truth:
Takeaway #1: Ads Are NOT the Enemy (They're Your Best Friend)
This might sound counter-intuitive, especially if you've been told to focus solely on organic. But my biggest takeaway? Use ads, and make them pay for themselves.
Why?
Cost-Effective: Ads are significantly cheaper in terms of your energy, effort, and even direct monetary spend when you look at the ROI.
Mental Load Reduction: The sheer amount of time spent consuming content on the platform can be detrimental to your mental health. Ads free up this mental space.
Predictable Revenue: When ads are profitable, they provide a consistent revenue stream, taking the pressure off "making sales" from every single organic post.
Takeaway #2: Value Exchange is Key, Not Just Freebies
Many believe that to grow, you must give everything away for free. This is a dangerous misconception. True value lies in an energy exchange. When people invest – whether it's their time to read an email, engage with content, or purchase a low-ticket offer – they show up.
Buyers Pay Attention: Those who have invested in your programs or offers are inherently more engaged. This doesn't mean free content isn't valuable; it means that a genuine exchange signals commitment.
Don't Underserve Your Clients: Undercharging or giving away too much for free can actually be a disservice. It attracts "freebie seekers" who don't commit to their own transformation.
Selling is Service: When you understand that selling is a service – helping people achieve a desired outcome – you can overcome the "sleazy" sales stigma.
Takeaway #3: Business Phases Dictate Instagram Strategy
Your approach to Instagram should align with where you are in your business growth:
Design: Define your offer and your customer journey.
Deliver (The 3%): Focus on rapid launches to attract those ready to buy now.
Scale (The 97%): Nurture the larger audience who need more convincing, using tripwires or low-ticket offers to build a list of engaged buyers.
Automate: Streamline your processes for maximum impact and efficiency.
Trying to build a massive audience before you have a solid business foundation is like filling a colander with water – ineffective.
The Real Cost of "Organic Only"
While organic strategies are essential, relying on them exclusively can be costly:
Time & Effort: Organic growth demands significant time for content creation, engagement, and strategy. This time could be spent on revenue-generating activities.
Emotional Toll: The constant comparison, the pressure to perform, and the algorithm's unpredictability can lead to anxiety, self-doubt, and burnout. It's like putting an alcoholic behind a bar – you need to manage your environment to protect your state.
Algorithm Games: Instagram's algorithm still heavily favors established accounts and engagement. Relying solely on organic means playing a game that can be unpredictable and emotionally taxing.
My New Protocol: Ads + Organic for Daily Buyers
Based on this experiment, I'm more convinced than ever: The most profitable way to grow is to use ads and make them pay for themselves, then layer in organic strategies.
Starting September 6th, I'm launching a 30-Day Daily Sales Instagram Protocol for my Accelerators and Formula clients. We'll use a small daily ad spend ($2-$5) combined with strategic organic content to create an Instagram funnel that produces daily buyers.
This 30-day challenge will show you how to:
Set up an Instagram daily sales machine.
Have your ads pay for themselves.
Generate revenue consistently without begging for clients or endless DMs.
Manage your emotional state and avoid the comparison trap.
Even if you're hesitant about ads, I'll show you how to temper expectations and get realistic, tangible results.
Ready to stop chasing vanity metrics and start building a predictable, profitable business?
Join the 30-Day Daily Sales Instagram Protocol Challenge Here!
When You're Ready for Faster Results Here's How You Get Started:
Simple Scaling - Want the fastest most efficient way to start and scale a profitable business in the health and wellness space, with less than 2k followers or DMing 100 cold people a day?
Watch this short free training and I'll show you how for free. Tap here to register: https://ptprofitformula.com/simple-scaling-optin
How we hit 10k a month in 90 days with free leads - 10k in 90 Days or you don't pay, let me show you how it works for free. Learn more here: https://ptprofitformula.com/optin
90 Days Done for You Content on Instagram
Flood your DMs with potential CLIENTS who want to work with you without spending hours a day on content creation, being sleazy or pushy, or sacrificing your authentic voice:
https://ptprofitformula.com/content
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