I cannot believe we’re on episode 73. Seventy three weeks of doing this podcast for you, and I still get so happy every time you DM me that you’ve been binging and implementing what you learn here.
So today I want to tell you about a client who taught me something I think about constantly now. And it might explain exactly why your Instagram feels stuck even though you’re doing everything “right.”
The Client Who Had 100k Followers and Was Still Losing Them
I worked with this client for six months. She had 100,000 followers, which sounds incredible. But here’s the catch… she’d gotten those followers from going viral a while back, before Reels even existed. And ever since, every time she posted, she was actually losing followers.
No growth. No traction. Just a slow bleed every time she hit publish.
When we dug into it, the problem wasn’t effort. She was showing up. She was posting. The problem was that she kept saying the same thing over and over in slightly different words, and it had gotten a little boring. On top of that, she’s a doctor, and she was using technical language her audience didn’t actually understand or connect with.
The Fix Wasn’t More Content. It Was Clarity.
I did a full messaging audit. I got on calls with her ideal clients, recorded them, and wrote down their exact words. Not my paraphrase of what they meant. Their actual language.
That changed everything. We rebuilt her messaging around how her audience actually talked, while still keeping her expertise front and center.
In four months, she went from 100k and losing followers to 140k. That’s 40,000 new followers in four months, just from getting clear on her message.
If This Is You, It’s Not a Content Problem
If you’re posting consistently and still not seeing growth, I want you to hear this… it’s not because you’re bad at this. It’s not because what you have to say isn’t interesting. It’s because something in your messaging needs to shift.
That hesitation you feel before posting, wondering if it’s even worth it because you’ll get two likes and one’s from your best friend? That’s completely warranted. And it’s usually a sign, not a flaw.
When your business shifts, when you become a mom, when your offer changes, when your audience changes… the old way of talking about things stops landing. That’s not failure. That’s just growth asking you to update your message.
What Happens When Your Message Gets Clear
Once your messaging is dialed in, you start writing captions like you’re talking to one person instead of softening every sentence so nobody disagrees with you. You can say something a little controversial and people stop to read it, even if they don’t fully agree. That directness is what makes people stop scrolling.
You also have to be willing to post before you feel 100% confident in your messaging. You won’t get there by waiting. You get there by posting, watching what resonates, and adjusting from real feedback instead of your gut feeling.
The People Who Grow Fast Don’t Disappear During Slow Weeks
Slow weeks happen to everyone. Instagram comes in ebbs and flows, kind of like the entrepreneurial rollercoaster. The difference is that people who grow fast treat a quiet week as feedback instead of proof that they’re failing.
A flat week is telling you something. Maybe it’s your message. Maybe it’s your offer. Maybe it’s your Stories. The people who keep posting through that and actually listen to what the silence is telling them are the ones who bounce back the fastest.
4 Practical Steps to Get Clear on Your Message
Step 1: Talk to real people, not your assumptions.
DM them. Send voice memos. Get on quick calls if they’re open to it. You can even offer something small, like a $5 gift card, for a 10 minute chat with zero pitching involved.
Step 2: Write down their exact words.
Not your paraphrase. Their actual language. Use a transcription tool or write it by hand, however you need to capture it exactly as they said it.
Step 3: Test their language in your next content.
Use it in captions, on screen text, or talking head Reels. Watch what gets replies and what gets silence.
Step 4: Let the responses guide your next move.
Do more of what gets replies. Cut what gets silence. Let your data lead, not your feelings about what “should” do well.
Recap
- If you feel stuck reposting the same ideas, that usually points to a clarity problem, not a content problem
- Talk to real people, capture their real words, and let those words shape your content
- Confidence comes after your messaging is right, not before
- Slow weeks are feedback, not failure
Your Action Challenge
This week, ask three people in your audience one question: What is the biggest thing you’re struggling with right now, and how can I help you?
Write down their answers word for word. Don’t edit anything. Then post one piece of content using their exact language. Just one. Next week, do it again, and start noticing which words actually move people.
A Little Help Putting It All Together
Once you’ve got these real words from your audience, the next question is what do you actually do with them? That’s exactly what the Plug and Post Membership is built for. Every week you get three B-roll Reels, a carousel, a talking head script, and Stories prompts for Monday through Friday, plus a brand new AI tool where you plug in your offer, goals, tone, and even the language you pull from your own audits. It takes all of that and turns it into content that sounds like you. If you want to check it out, the link is in the description, or you can always DM me on Instagram.
Resources:
The Plug & Post Instagram Content Membership: Instagram content ideas, picked by me (an IG strategist) every week based on what’s working RIGHT NOW… so all you have to do is film and press post! – Join here!
100 IG stories that sell – $17
Say Hi on instagram! @nicoleialeggio
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