Instagram is NOT marketing. NOT sales. It’s BOTH – and NEITHER.

If you post a photo of your product on Instagram, and someone sees it, clicks through, and buys it… was that sales or marketing? Sales, right?

But what if that person sees it and doesn’t buy? Was it marketing then?

And what if they like the photo? Does that make it a middle-of-the-funnel activity?

See the problem? We like to put things into neat little boxes –  

“this is marketing,” “this is sales,” “this is branding.” 

But Instagram doesn’t work like that. Social media is messy. It’s unpredictable. It’s all of the above.

Instagram can be EVERYTHING… or NOTHING.

The truth is, Instagram is sales and marketing and branding – all at once. Or, if nobody sees your content, maybe it’s nothing at all.

That’s why asking, “Is Instagram for sales or for marketing?” is the wrong question.

The real question is 

“what do YOU want it to be?”

What’s the smartest way for YOUR brand to use Instagram? Should your focus be on getting discovered by new potential customers? Should you be driving conversions? Building a long-term brand?

YOUR IG STRATEGY = YOUR BUSINESS NEEDS

For many businesses, the biggest challenge isn’t making a great product. 

It’s making sure enough people know about it. 

If that’s you, your Instagram strategy should focus on discovery.

Others might already have a strong audience but need to optimize for conversions. 

In that case, your approach could shift towards making content that makes your product look amazing.

THE BOTTOM LINE?

Instagram is whatever you make it.

Some say social media isn’t for sales. But it can be.

Some say it’s all about marketing. But it’s more than that.

If Instagram isn’t working for your business, it’s not Instagram’s fault. It's time to rethink your strategy. 

NEXT STEPS

It’s time to shift your focus to what TRULY matters. The reason why so many businesses struggle is because they don’t fully understand how to make sales & marketing work in harmony.

So ask yourself: 

👉🏻 What mix does my business need? (80% marketing? 20% sales?)

👉🏻 How can I leverage Instagram to actually serve my business goals?

👉🏻 Am I using Instagram intentionally or just posting and hoping for the best?

If you can figure these 3 out, then you have 3 posts per week / 156 posts per year 😉

👉🏻 What’s one piece of content I can post weekly that my best customers would love to see?

👉🏻 What’s one piece of content I can post weekly that would make my best customers love me even more?

👉🏻 What’s one piece of content I can post weekly that would encourage people who already like me to make a purchase?

So, what’s it going to be for your brand? What’s your next move?