Ep 91: The Simple Instagram Strategy Filled Over Half My Sale Waitlist
The Simple Instagram Strategy That Filled Over 50% of My Launch Waitlist (Without Posting More)
If you’ve been showing up on Instagram, sharing your offers, and hearing crickets, this episode of Mompreneur Mastery is for you.
Because here’s the truth: It’s not always your content.
Sometimes, it’s who’s seeing it — and how often.
In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on the exact Instagram strategy that drove over 50% of my waitlist signups for the Post With Purpose birthday sale before the cart even opened.
And no—it wasn’t from posting more, being on camera daily, or offering a massive discount.
Let’s break down what I did, why it worked, and how you can do the same.
What’s Really Going On With Instagram Right Now
Let’s set the stage. Engagement is down. Views are down. Reach is unpredictable. And your audience? A lot of them aren’t even seeing the content you’re putting time and energy into.
You’re not imagining it. I’ve heard the same thing from clients, Voxer chats, DMs, and biz groups: "I feel like the people who want to hear from me aren't seeing my content."
But the solution isn’t just posting more.
More Reels. More carousels. More effort.
Instead, I tried something different.
What I Did Differently (And Why It Mattered)
Instead of back-to-back promo posts, I gave myself a longer waitlist runway for this sale. That gave me space to alternate between two types of content:
Promo posts: Announcing the offer and inviting people to join the waitlist
Engagement-focused personal posts: Designed to increase visibility and create more connection
This wasn’t random. It was super intentional.
One of the biggest shifts I’ve seen this year is that buying behavior has changed. People are taking longer to go from first touch to "I’m in!" So instead of a short, flashy open-cart period, I tested a longer warm-up strategy that would give people more time — and more touchpoints.
And since attention spans are short on Instagram, especially during longer launches, I needed a way to keep things fresh without just repeating myself.
So I mixed in content that didn’t sell directly — but still supported my strategy.
The Post That Got 22% Engagement (And Why That Matters)
One of the best-performing posts during this time was... wait for it...
A profile picture post.
Seriously. Just a few pictures of myself on a day I looked like a semi-functioning adult (instead of the mom goblin I usually feel like). I asked my audience to help me pick a new profile photo. That’s it.
The caption leaned into the mom life angle—so it still tied back to my brand and audience’s pain points—but it wasn’t promotional.
It got a 22% engagement rate.
For context? The average Instagram engagement rate is 3–4%.
And here's the kicker: Because that post performed so well, Instagram showed it to more of my followers—including the ones who hadn’t interacted with my account in a while. And since they engaged with that post, they then saw my other posts: the promo ones.
So even though that post didn’t pitch anything, it helped get eyes on the posts that did.
Result? Waitlist signups.
Personal Content That Converts (Even If It Doesn’t Sell Directly)
Other examples from this same strategy:
A simple Mother’s Day reel about what moms really want. It got 20% engagement.
A relatable post about trying to create content while my kids were home.
Again, neither of these were explicitly promotional. But they hit shared struggles my audience faces—and they kept people engaged.
Meanwhile, my actual promo posts (which invited people to comment to join the waitlist via ManyChat) averaged 9–11% engagement, which is still high for sales content.
So what happened?
Every time I posted something more personal and engagement-focused, it acted like a ripple. People engaged. Instagram pushed my past and future content into their feeds. And when they saw the actual sales posts, they acted.
This is what we mean when we say engagement supports visibility—and visibility supports sales.
What To Take From This For Your Strategy
If your sales content isn’t converting, it might not be the content. It might be that your audience just isn’t seeing it.
Here’s how to use this strategy yourself:
Create a longer warm-up window if your audience needs more touchpoints before they buy
Map out your promo content using a real sales strategy (not just "posting when inspired")
Weave in personal, high-engagement content that speaks to your audience's life
Tie it back to your brand or pain points, even if it's not selling directly
Track your metrics and watch how engagement content boosts visibility for promo posts
This isn’t about replacing your sales content. It’s about supporting it.
Because people don’t just buy from a post. They buy from people they trust. And they only trust you if they see you enough to build that connection.
And in this case, more than half of my waitlist signups came from Instagram — before the cart opened.
With no discount. No bonus. Just strategy.
TL;DR: This Is Your Instagram Wake-Up Call
Reach and buying behavior are changing
People need more time and more trust to convert
Personal content can boost visibility (when it’s done with strategy)
Engagement isn't just about likes—it's about getting seen so your actual offers get traction
If you're stuck wondering why no one's clicking, commenting, or converting?
Try weaving in strategic personal posts that give your content the visibility lift it needs.
Then DM me on Instagram @socially.yours.strategist and show me what you post—I'll be one of those people boosting your engagement and cheering you on.
And stay tuned: once the cart closes, I’ll share exactly how the rest of the launch played out (plus what I’ll tweak next time). Want that breakdown? Hit subscribe so you don’t miss it.
