Episode 60: How I’m Rebuilding My Instagram After a Summer Off (and How You Can Too)
How to Revive Your Instagram After a Break (Without Losing Your Mind)
Let’s be real, sometimes Instagram falls off the to-do list when life throws its usual chaos our way. Maybe your kids had back-to-back soccer practices, or you spent the summer trying to find the floor under a mountain of laundry (been there!). Whatever the reason, your once-thriving Instagram account suddenly looks like a ghost town. Crickets in the comments. Slow follower growth. Zero engagement.
Sound familiar? You’re not alone, and here’s the good news: reviving your Instagram is totally possible, and I’m here to show you exactly how to do it—on a busy mom’s schedule, of course.
Why It’s OK to Take a Break from Instagram (and Stop Feeling Guilty About It)
First, let’s tackle the guilt. If you’ve been feeling bad about not posting regularly, it’s time to let that go. Seriously. Life happens. Whether it’s family emergencies, a summer full of travels, or just the everyday hustle of keeping tiny humans alive, sometimes Instagram has to take a back seat.
And that’s totally okay. You don’t have to be perfect on Instagram every single day to see results. In fact, you can come back stronger than ever with the right plan in place.
The First Step: Focus on Engagement (Because Engagement is the Lifeblood of Instagram)
The heartbeat of your Instagram account is engagement. Without it, Instagram’s algorithm doesn’t care how amazing your content is—it’s just not going to show it to people. So the first step in reviving your account is to focus on creating engagement, not just posting for the sake of posting.
Start by prioritizing content that gets people talking. Think relatable, valuable, or even a little bit divisive. Instagram loves a good conversation, and the more interaction your post gets (comments, shares, saves), the more Instagram will push your content to new eyes.
But engagement isn’t just about your posts—it’s also about outbound engagement. Yep, that means you need to get out there and interact with other accounts. Spend 10 minutes a day liking, commenting, and responding to stories. Focus on accounts that are in your target audience or that complement your business. This boosts your visibility and shows Instagram that you’re active and worth sharing.
Why I Deleted Followers (And Why You Should Too)
I know it sounds counterintuitive, but one of the best things I did to revive my account was delete followers. Yes, you heard that right. I went through and removed inactive accounts, spam bots, and anyone who wasn’t engaging with my content. Why? Because having a big follower number might look good, but if those followers aren’t interacting, they’re actually hurting your engagement rate.
The Instagram algorithm thrives on engagement, and dead accounts just drag down your metrics. So, do yourself a favor—clean house. You’ll be left with an audience that actually cares about your content, which leads to better engagement and growth.
How to Create Content That Sparks Interaction (Not Just Fills Your Feed)
After cleaning up your followers, it’s time to focus on content that actually gets people talking. Posting just to keep your feed active won’t cut it—especially after a break. You need content that’s going to spark conversations, shares, and saves.
Here’s what works best:
Relatable content: Share those real-life moments that other moms can see themselves in. Whether it’s the chaos of running a business with kids at your feet or a funny mom-life fail, people love engaging with content that makes them say, "Same!"
Valuable content: Give your audience tips, tricks, and strategies they can actually use. If you can solve a problem for them, they’re more likely to save your post, share it, or comment.
Divisive content: Don't be afraid to post something that’s a little bold. A divisive hook can spark debate, which is great for engagement!
Tools I Use to Track Progress (Because Guessing Your Way to Success is Overrated)
No one has time to guess what’s working and what isn’t on Instagram. That’s why I use tools to track my progress and adjust my strategy as needed. Here are my go-to tools:
Metricool: This scheduling tool not only makes it easy to plan out posts, but it also sends me monthly reports with detailed analytics. I can see what’s working and what needs tweaking, all without diving into Instagram Insights.
Flick: If you’re looking for more frequent updates, Flick.tech is your friend. It sends weekly reports that show your top-performing posts, engagement rates, and other key metrics. And the best part? You can use this feature for free!
Using these tools has saved me so much time, and they help me make data-driven decisions about my content strategy. No more guessing or throwing random posts at the wall to see what sticks.
Strategic Outbound Engagement: Your Secret to Reigniting Growth
I can’t emphasize this enough: outbound engagement is crucial. If you’re only focusing on your own posts and not interacting with others, you’re missing a huge opportunity. When done right, outbound engagement boosts your visibility, drives traffic to your account, and increases your inbound engagement.
Here’s what I recommend:
Spend 10 minutes a day liking and commenting on posts from your target audience and complementary businesses.
Respond to stories from accounts you want to build relationships with.
Be intentional about who you engage with—focus on accounts that are in your niche or that attract your ideal followers.
When you prioritize engagement with others, you’ll see a ripple effect on your own posts, with more people engaging and sharing your content.
Quality Over Quantity: Why You Should Focus on Targeted Followers
After taking a break, it’s tempting to try to grow your follower count as fast as possible. But trust me, quality beats quantity every time. You don’t want just any followers—you want engaged followers who are genuinely interested in your content and your business.
Focus on building a community of followers who are in your target audience. These are the people who will actually interact with your content, share it with their friends, and eventually turn into clients.
Final Thoughts: How to Bring Your Instagram Back to Life (Without Stressing Out)
Reviving your Instagram doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. Take it step by step:
Focus on engagement first—both in your content and outbound engagement.
Clean up inactive followers to boost your engagement rate.
Create content that sparks real interaction, not just filler posts.
Use tools like Metricool and Flick.tech to track your progress.
Be strategic with outbound engagement to increase visibility and growth.
And most importantly—don’t beat yourself up for taking a break. Life happens, and Instagram will be there when you’re ready to come back. With a solid plan, you can revive your account and see even better results than before.
Ready to Take Your Instagram Strategy to the Next Level?
If you want more strategies like these, join my Post with Purpose membership, where I dive deep into the exact steps you need to build real connections with your audience, keep your engagement high, and convert your followers into clients. Plus, take my Find and Fix the Gaps in Your Instagram Strategy Quiz to get personalized feedback on where your account could use a little extra love.
With the right strategy, you can grow your Instagram without the stress—and I’m here to help you every step of the way.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
Post With Purpose Membership
Find & Fix The Gaps In Your Instagram Strategy Quiz
