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Here’s the hard pill I had to swallow: my content strategy was quietly killing my brand, and I want to walk you through the short version of why, and how I fixed it. My low-effort, get-in-and-get-out approach to Instagram (quick B-roll, recycled captions, two-slide recap carousels, one throwaway story a day) was all built around me: how little time can I spend and still show up? And my metrics were showing for it. Story views were low, my DMs sat unread, and I was losing followers. The fix was not posting more often or going viral. It was effort. Two shifts specifically: on my feed, one face-to-camera talking reel every single day, and on my stories, more than one story a day that actually invites people into my life instead of just dropping a link. Two weeks in, nothing revolutionary happened with my numbers, but the connection to my community came roaring back. Because on social media, you win when people buy you, and people can only buy you when they actually know you.

Okay so let me actually unpack this. Real talk, this episode is me talking with you, not at you, and if any fingers are being pointed, they’re pointed at me. This was my hard pill. Things are flowing, so bless your heart for being here, and let’s get into it.

What do I mean my content strategy was “killing my brand”?

My content strategy was killing my brand because it was built entirely around doing the least amount of work possible, and that quietly killed my connection to my audience (and my conversions right along with it). About four weeks ago I sat down and had a really honest conversation with myself. I realized that with my content on Instagram, I was treating it as: how can I get in and get out as quickly as possible? How can I spend the least amount of time on here? What’s the easiest format for me to post? Everything was me-focused.

And listen, I don’t think Instagram needs to take over your life. I don’t think you should be spending hours and hours and hours on there every single day. But here’s what I learned: effort is cool. Your people recognize effort. My “least I can do and still show up” approach was costing me the exact thing I actually wanted. I wasn’t responding to comments. I had so many unread direct messages. My story views were so low. I was losing followers. Everything was focused on me, and my metrics were showing for it.

What I was doing (low-effort, me-focused)	What I changed (effort-forward, audience-focused)
Feed: quick B-roll and recycled captions, plus two-slide recap carousels	Feed: one face-to-camera talking reel every day
Stories: one single story a day, then let it expire	Stories: more than one a day that bring people behind the scenes, sell, and invite conversation
The question: how little time can I spend?	The question: how do I actually connect with my people?
The result: unread DMs, low story views, losing followers	The result: comments, DMs, and real conversations coming back

What changed my Instagram feed strategy?

On my feed, I now post one face-to-camera talking reel every single day. That’s the whole change. After the conference that kicked this off (more on that below), I challenged myself to take things seriously again and push myself outside my comfort zone. Talking reels are working extremely well on Instagram right now for growth, for connection, and for conversions, so I decided to commit to one a day. I started two weeks ago, my goal is six days a week (I always take Sundays completely off social media, I unplug entirely), all the way through the end of August. Hold me to it.

And truthfully, there is nothing revolutionary about what I’m doing. I’m not a talking-reel expert. My “strategy” is barely a strategy: I’m not obsessing over content pillars. I’m doing two things. Number one, I have an AI-backed content series that supports selling my main offer, which right now is Hour Rich. Number two, I share whatever comes to mind that’s still applicable to my audience and my business, without forcing it into a specific pillar. I keep a running list of ideas in my notes, I pick one of the older ones, I script it out, I plug the script into a teleprompter, I record it, and I publish it. That’s it. If you want the bigger picture on this, I put it all in my guide to Instagram marketing for digital product creators.

Here’s a bonus I didn’t expect: being able to speak to camera and clearly articulate a thought is a skill that translates everywhere. Into YouTube, into podcasting (hi, you are literally listening to me get better at this in real time), and into how I coach and send voice memos to my Scalability students. It’s a skill I’ve wanted to improve for a while, so this felt like the perfect time to double down.

Why do Instagram stories matter more than the feed for selling?

Your feed alone is not going to build your brand or change your revenue. A good feed strategy paired with a good story strategy is what changes things, and when it comes to selling a mid- to high-ticket offer, stories are where people actually get to know you. Because people buy you, and the only way they can do that is if they know you.

Here’s what I mean. My old story strategy was one single story a day: a hook at the top, a paragraph of text, then “DM me this word and I’ll send you the link” to an offer, a freebie, or a podcast episode. Then let it expire, do it again tomorrow. That is really, really, really easy. And it does work: it increases story views, it grows your email list, and it can even sell low-ticket. But it does not build a brand, and it will not sell a mid- to high-ticket offer where people need to be bought into you. The only way people buy you is if they know you, and the best way they get to know you is through your stories.

So now I still have a strategy, but I open it up to more than one story a day, and I focus on three things:

1. Bring people behind the scenes. Let them into one real piece of my day. Maybe a home renovation project, maybe that I worked out this morning, maybe a question I was journaling on while working on my mindset.
2. Sell. Every day I sell whatever offer makes sense for my goals and the season my business is in.
3. Invite conversation. What question can I ask? What advice, feedback, or opinion can I ask for? How do I get people actually talking to me instead of just replying with a keyword? I’ve also started voice-memoing people back so they hear my actual voice when they DM me.

And none of this is more work than it sounds. One day I propped up my camera while I was chopping food in the kitchen and linked one of my favorite recipes (I get obsessed with one recipe and make it five million times until I burn myself out on it, iykyk). One of my mastermind clients messaged me: “I’ve never seen this angle of your house before, this feels so engaging and interesting.” I was already cooking dinner six or seven nights a week. All I did was prop up the camera and share something I was already doing. Barely any extra effort, and the conversations it opened up have been wild.

To be clear, you will still see me post a single story sometimes, because there’s a strategic reason to. But it’ll mostly be for growing my email list, and maybe once a week, not every single day. This is the same “don’t get bored, get paid” energy I talked about in why repeating your offer content is a feature, not a bug.

What actually changed after two weeks?

Full transparency: on paper, nothing revolutionary changed. I did not go viral. My email list is growing like normal. My revenue is basically the same, maybe a few extra sales here and there. But the way I feel connected to my community, and the way my community is responding to my content, that has been the revolutionary part.

My virtual assistant texted me: “Girl, the life you brought back to your Instagram account is so, so noticeable. I’m loving seeing you talk to camera more. You’re killing it.” My friend Nicole messaged me: “Your recent content is bold and I absolutely love it.” Those are two of maybe ten messages I’ve gotten from friends in just a couple of weeks, plus people commenting the same things on my posts and DMing me asking what I’m doing differently. And I know that over time, an engaged community affects sales, affects the opportunities that come my way, and affects brand deals. Not just brand deals, but high-paying brand deals, because brands can see that my community is actually engaged with my content.

What flipped the switch for me? (the Kit conference)

This whole shift started at the Kit conference, about three weeks ago. I walked into the opening party, a room with hundreds of people and those dim, hard-to-see-anyone lights, and I only knew one person there: my friend Ellen, who was speaking. So I’m walking around like a lost sheep trying to find her, and a woman comes up to me: “I follow you on Instagram, I love your stuff, I listen to every single episode of your podcast.” And that kept happening all weekend. Person after person: “I recognize you from Instagram, I love your content, I love your podcast, I love your offer.”

Two people specifically stuck with me. One guy walked across the room, told me he’d been following me and loving my stuff, and that he’d told his wife about my account. When her Instagram started taking off, they bought my DM automation offer, Autopilot Empire, she implemented it right away, and it was making around $5,000 a day off what I teach in there. He asked to grab my number, invited me to a private dinner, and so many opportunities came out of that one dinner. That same day, another woman recognized me, introduced me to incredible people, and got me invited into rooms and upcoming private masterminds, all because of my content.

It was such a good reminder. I record these episodes just talking to my screen. I rarely get feedback unless someone leaves a rating or review, which honestly doesn’t happen very often. So to have a real human being stand in front of me and tell me they’ve listened to every single episode? Whoa. That reminded me exactly what I’m doing this for. And it’s why I want to grow this, to 300,000 followers, 400,000, 500,000, not for the vanity metrics, but for the impact. I know the way I build businesses, sustainable and life-giving, stacking income while stacking memories, is something more people need. The more effort I put into my content, the more impact I get to have.

What’s the takeaway?

Effort is cool, and your people can feel it. You don’t have to spend your whole life on Instagram. But if your content is built around doing the least possible, it is quietly costing you the connection (and the conversions) you actually want. Put yourself back into your content, because you win on social media when people buy you, and they can only do that when they truly know you.

Want to try this yourself this week? Start here:

• Post one face-to-camera talking reel. Script it, use a teleprompter, keep it simple.
• Post more than one story a day: one behind-the-scenes moment, one sell, and one question that invites a real conversation.
• Reply to DMs with a voice memo so people hear your actual voice.
• Save the single “DM me for the link” story for about once a week, mainly to grow your email list.

If you have questions on any of this, my DMs are open and I’m actually in them these days. I would love to hear what’s working for you on Instagram right now.

Frequently asked questions

Can low-effort Instagram content actually hurt your brand?

Yes. When your content is built around doing the least possible (quick B-roll, recycled captions, one throwaway story a day), your audience feels the lack of effort and your connection with them quietly drops off. For me that showed up as low story views, unread DMs, and losing followers. Effort is cool, and your people recognize it, so putting real effort back in is what rebuilds the connection.

Why aren’t my Instagram stories converting even though I post every day?

If you’re only posting one single “hook, paragraph, DM me for the link” story a day, that format grows story views, your email list, and low-ticket sales, but it does not build a brand or sell mid- to high-ticket. People buy you once they know you, and they get to know you through more stories that bring them into your real life, not just a link. Open your stories up to more than one a day.

How often should I post talking reels on Instagram?

I post one face-to-camera talking reel every day, six days a week, and I take Sundays fully off. You do not have to be a talking-reel expert to start. Keep a running list of ideas, script one out, plug it into a teleprompter, record it, and publish. Talking reels are working really well right now for growth, connection, and conversions.

What should I actually post on Instagram stories each day?

Three things. One, bring people behind the scenes into one real moment of your day. Two, sell whatever offer fits your goals this season. Three, invite conversation by asking a question or for feedback, and reply with voice memos so people hear your actual voice. It is less work than it sounds: film something you are already doing, like cooking dinner or working out.

How long does it take to see results from putting more effort into your content?

For me, the connection came back within two weeks. Be honest about what “results” means though: I did not go viral, and my revenue stayed about the same at first. What changed fast was the engagement and the conversations, and an engaged community is what drives sales, opportunities, and high-paying brand deals over time.

Resources & Links:

• Scalability
• Hour Rich
• Join Kajabi: 3 months for $99 + a bonus from me!
• Plug and Get Paid
• 150 Free Hooks
• IG University
• 30 Days of Manychat Pro FREE
• Learn how to run successful paid ads

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Connect with Mya:

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More about the Radical Disruption podcast: 

Are you wanting to make waves in your industry, push the envelope, and change the way things are done in a radical way? Are you looking for tangible, tactical, and actionable steps that will help you build a sustainable business that stands out? You’re in the right place!

Radical Disruption is home to the disrupters. Here, you’ll learn how to take your business to the next level, break the status quo, and build a disruptive business.

Nursing student turned business and social media expert and host Mya Nichol (hey, that’s me!) shares the real and raw of the crazy journey of entrepreneurship and building a multi-six-figure business.

Through solo episodes and special guest interviews, you can expect honest conversations about throwing out the traditional way of business, scaling in a sustainable way, and becoming the go-to expert in your industry. It’s time to build a disruptive business. See you on Tuesdays!

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