5 Instagram Content Fixes That Can DOUBLE Your Reach (and take less than 60 seconds)

If your content isn't getting seen, it isn't necessarily because the algorithm is working against you. More often than not, it's the small execution details that determine whether someone stops scrolling or keeps moving and how your content is pushed out to more people.

In this episode of Launch Loud, I'm sharing five quick changes that can dramatically improve your Instagram content without requiring more time, more posting or a complete strategy overhaul.

Tune in to hear more about:

• Written hooks vs spoken hooks: why people read before they listen
• The biggest b-roll mistakes that makes content feel amateur
• Editing in-app versus using fancy software
• Why hashtags are no longer driving SEO on Instagram (and why keywords matter instead)
• The return of the single static post and when it makes sense to use it

If you're an online coach, course creator or service provider looking to increase your Instagram reach, generate more leads and create content that actually converts, these are the practical tweaks you can start implementing today.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:02

Welcome to Launch Loud, where online coaches come to build iconic personal brands, create year-round demand, and fill their offers with their content. Launching loudly and proudly to six figures and beyond. Welcome back to Launch Loud. My name is Brittany, and I'm very excited to be recording this episode because it's one I've kind of had on my, you know, podcast ideas list for a while. Because truthfully, it's something I am still asked every single day. And I think that as business owners, people working in the online space, we are constantly wondering, okay, what can I do, right? How can I improve my content? How can I make sure it gets into the right hands of the right people? And how can we, and because we all want to do, how can I get more reach, right? Because the more reach we get, the more chances and exposure that we have to more leads and of course potential clients. And I think something that I see, I guess, like kind of demonized a lot is like, you know, trying to, and I don't want to use the word hacks because I don't see these as hacks, but um, trying to, you know, find all of the hacks and tricks to do that, to get that extra reach. And a lot of people will put, you know, people down for that and say, you know, stop blaming the the algorithm. Um, and like to a degree, I sh I definitely understand that. You know, we should take a lot of responsibility and and understand that we can't just blame the algorithm for everything. But at the same time, we also want to figure out, okay, how can we work with this algorithm? How can we understand this algorithm? Because it's something that is always going to keep changing and evolving as our audiences, the market, and the online space in general is always evolving. So I don't think there is really anything wrong with asking the question, you know, what can I do to improve my relationship, my dynamic between my content and the algorithm? And how can I make my content work and work better, even if it is doing quite okay for you right now? So I am constantly looking looking at content every single day, whether it is my clients or my own, or of course the content I am exposed to. And I see a lot, again, like this is just amongst, you know, feedback and audits. I see a lot of the same things coming up every single time. And more often than not, these are actual really simple fixes that can totally change how your content performs. Now, I am gonna speak a little bit specifically about reach in this episode, but a lot of these things can also improve things like watch time on your content, which also thus has a flow-on effect to reach. Um, but watch time engagement um and also follow-through to people, you know, actually heading over to your profile, wanting to follow your account, wanting to see more of your content, wanting to head over to your website, whatever it is. So all of these bits of advice probably come from the like the main goal of increasing your reach, but just overall will improve your content's performance. And these things ideally are not meant to be things to add to your content creation um time frame. I am someone who I love great quant content, I love quality content, and I'm also someone who can identify okay, that's a piece of content that can take me five or 10 minutes, and that's a piece of content that might take me an hour. And it's really important that you are able to discern what type of content is needed when, what type of content tools you have in your arsenal and what makes sense to use kind of within a week, you could say, but even within things like a launch or just posting in general. Because otherwise, every single piece of content is gonna take you hours and not understanding, okay, what are the tools that I have to make this go faster is something I work on deeply with my clients. And specifically in this episode, I want to call out this is something as well. If you do have the fundamentals in place and you do have some of those simple kind of editing tools and simple things going for you, these shouldn't take you much longer than it already is. And it shouldn't really even be taking you long from like just a beginning point of view. So again, I share all of this with you to encourage you to maybe just take those extra 30 or 60 seconds to implement these things because it could really change the trajectory of your content and of course your business. So I'm gonna get into those just now. I have five to share with you, not really in any particular order. Now, most of these are not major changes to content, right? Can take you 30 to 60 seconds. Some of these, sure, might take a little bit more than that, but in essence, um, are just a kind of a different approach that shouldn't, again, really shift the main uh amount of time that you're spending on your content. So let's get into those five things right now. The first one, and I am giving this piece of feedback on like on the daily, uh, every single time I am reviewing like a talking headreel, um, any type of face-to-camera style content, this is the thing I am constantly repeating, and it literally, literally will take you less than 60 seconds to implement. And that is using written hooks. Now we all know that people will be absorbing a lot of content without the sound on, and that's why adding captions or subtitles is so key in talking head content. And I feel like we really drove that point home over the last few years, and now eventually, finally, everyone seems to be using captions quite comfortably, and that is great, but it's not enough. And there is one additional element of copy that I want you to include in every single talking head. Non-negotiable, right? So I am not moving or shifting on this, and that is a written hook. Now, your written hook is different to what you are verbally saying, and I always kind of reference the two as your written hook and your verbal hook, which is the first kind of sentence or hook that is in your script in that talking head. Your written hook is a different hook, so it's not the same thing. Uh, you are not repeating the same thing, uh, but it is an alternative hook, you could say, that kind of helps to engage and create more curiosity on that video. If someone was just to catch, uh, if their eye was like kind of just to fall there and that's what all that caught their attention, right? So if they only stumbled across your video and the first place that their eyes landed was your written hook, they would be compelled to watch more. In the same way if they stumbled across your video and the first thing that they heard was the verbal hook and like, yes, I want to follow along. Now, the reason why we have both a verbal hook, what you're verbally saying, and the written hook, is again to just increase your chances of capturing attention, to provide additional context, and to just have some buzz or keywords visibly in your video to again help to engage the right people in those first important few seconds and not burying all of those important keywords down in your script. Because at the end of the day, we can only say a few words in those first few seconds, and it can be hard to, of course, capture everyone's attention with just one sentence. So your written hook is something that is going to help you to capture more attention, provide more context, and get people to continue watching. Now, your written hook could just be like an alternative kind of version of what you're saying verbally. It might also be something as simple as struggling with XYZ, watch this, or calling all, you know, audience identifier, whatever that might be, calling all postpartum mums who are struggling with this, um, this is for you. So there's kind of two ways to go about it. Obviously, the more creative hook that might mirror what you're verbally saying. And then more of a like kind of like uh, I guess like headline of like, who this is for, if you're struggling with this, watch this video, right? So there's two ways to go about it, and neither one is really right or wrong. But the point is, is that you're again calling out who this video is for, adding a little bit of context about what this video is about, and encouraging them to watch. Now, your written hook is ideally going in that space above your head. Now, I always recommend captions going below the face. And unless there's like a reason for this, it might be the way that the film the shot was set up. But it I recommend it's always there. And when you think about TV and film, if you ever were to put on captions, you know, while watching Netflix and whatever platform it is, even if you went to the cinema and it had captions on, um, the captions or subtitles are always at the bottom of the screen. Always, always, always, always. And that's because naturally it's a lot easier for our eye to focus on the main visual, whatever that might be, the film, the TV show, the real, um, focus on that main kind of primary focus, and then our eyes to slightly drift down to capture what's in the subtitle and then slightly swift uh shift back up. It's a little bit harder on our eyes to focus down and then look up and down, up and down, up and down. So we want kind of them to look down and then back up to the center of the screen. So that is why I always recommend captions below your face, kind of in the kind of like your neck chest area. Um, so not too far down where they have to glance further down. Um, and then the written hook goes in that space above your head. Now, shot framing, this is a different conversation. This takes a little bit more than 30 seconds sometimes to get right, but shot framing really comes into play here. It's an important that you are setting up yourself. Whether you've got a tripod, the ring light, the whole works, or you're just recording yourself while you're working. But it's important that there is that space above your head because that's where we want to use your written hook. Again, it's the first thing that they might see because it's at the very top of the video. The written hook should also really only be on the screen for the first like five, maybe four or five seconds, and then it can disappear. Again, another visual kind of uh pattern change, which helps our brain to kind of stay visually engaged and mentally engaged, of course. Um, so that's kind of where the positioning comes into play and the timing comes into play. We don't want that to be on the screen the entire time. In fact, you might have more additional copy that pops up on the screen throughout the reel, but our videos, this this episode is not about that. Um, but that's really what the written hook is all about. So it's about engagement and capturing attention, it's about keywords and context. Um, and it's really just about adding more visual elements to your reel to stop people and make them actually want to watch it and not burying all of the information 30 seconds into your script. So written hooks really can be such game changers when it comes to reach, but like I said, also things like watch time and engagement. So that is something that you can easily start to integrate into all of your talking heads, and that literally will take you less than 60 seconds. The second one is better B-roll. Now, I know this is kind of like a big topic, and probably B-roll, and like I have done on the podcast before, B-roll could be its own entire episode. And this isn't exactly something that will take you exactly less than 60 seconds, but just small changes and shifts to the way that you film your B-roll, um, the way that you actually act in your B-roll footage and the way that like the actions you're making, the things that you're doing, and then the way that you actually edit that B-roll, um, all of those small things can really add up to your B-roll content literally leveling up, like a hundred percent. And as I am scrolling, I am constantly seeing bad B-roll, and it is painful. And what is not kind of, I guess the misconception about it is like, well, whatever the footage is, you know, it's it's footage, right? It works. And people probably understand that I'm typing here, probably not actually typing on my computer, or I'm pretending to be on a Zoom call and I'm not actually on the Zoom call. And sure, we can all kind of do that, right? But what we are doing with content, it's the same with TV, it's the same with movies. We are suspending belief. And what you are trying to do with a piece of content is create a scenario or a moment that someone is buying into. And what happens when you are fake typing on the computer, or we see you pressing record and then leaning back to start talking, is we are taken out of the moment and it's distracting. And we're no longer looking at and thinking about what you're actually trying to communicate with us. We're now thinking like, oh, she wasn't really typing there, or oh, her fingers are like just pretending to press the keys. It's not actually doing anything. And when your audience is taken out of the moment, they're no longer engaged in what you're talking about. So improving your B-roll, and I in this case, I'm talking specifically about what you actually do in your B-roll footage, can really help to improve just the way that your content performs. So a lot of the time I will send people, you know, feedback and I say, hey, in your B-roll, next time, type on the computer. I really want to see you type. Even if you're not typing 100 words per minute, genuine typing with your fingers really hitting the keys. Next time you are opening up that can of drink, actually drink it. And next time you are, you know, walking down the street, walk at a pace that feels genuine and not like you are fake walking, right? B-roll content is not designed to be like fake staged content. It's designed to be footage that feels genuine and native and like you've been captured almost behind the scenes. So that is kind of like the the quality improvement that I think is really easy to make a shift, right? If you're filming content, you're sorry, you're filming some B-roll. Um, next time you do that, just try to think more um uh, I guess, how to be more authentic and genuine in that footage. Um, and especially then when it comes to editing, definitely remove that part where you are hitting record and then getting into your B-roll footage, right? We don't want to see that. That's gonna take us out of the moment. Um, and then the other thing is just very simple editing elements to again make it more impactful. So, you know, one long shot that's 10 seconds long of you sitting and typing on your computer, it's not very interesting. But if you were to film for let's say a minute and a half when you're recording some B-roll and you are typing on your computer, and then you pick up your water bottle and you drink that, and then you put that down, and then you go and open up your AirPods and you pull each one in, and then you go back to typing on your computer. That's a there's a little bit more movement going on there, right? It's a little bit more visually engaging. So if you were to use that B-roll footage and import that when you're going to edit, add whatever audio you want, you could then cut up that footage and create more purposeful jump cuts to again show us a little bit more that of what's going on, right? So you might have, you know, one and a half seconds of you tapping on the computer, the next second is you turning to go grab your water bottle, the next second and a half is you picking up that water bottle, having a sip, then you put it down, then you turn back, then you open up your AirPods, you put the right one in, you put the left one in. And it's jumping every few seconds to create more of a visual story. Yes, of course, things would naturally be happening this fast, but again, we're not creating a real life documentary. We are creating content. It needs to be engaging and it needs to be interesting and stimulating to watch. So very simple things like what you actually do during that B-roll footage and then how you actually edit that can really make a difference in again, how that content performs and creating really quality content that has the increased likelihood of actually reaching more people. Now, if you want more advice on B-roll, it's probably something that's not suitable for a podcast because obviously this is an audio platform. Um, but please send me a DM. B-roll is something I love because truly it is the fastest, easiest way to create real content throughout the week. And I really recommend that the kind of majority of content that you are putting out there is B-roll star content. Again, it's faster, it's easier, it's efficient, you can repurpose a lot of it. Um, and if you are someone that is still struggling with a B-roll reel and it's taking you just as much time to do that type of content as it is anything else, then we have an issue with kind of just some of the fundamentals there. So if you want any more advice on filming B-roll, what type of B-roll footage is going to be right for you, and of course, how to edit that type of content, let me know if you'd like more detailed um episodes or even just content over on my Instagram on that topic. Because again, that should be a really core piece of your weekly content output because it's meant to be the easiest. It's meant to have the least amount of friction. So whether you are on the B-roll train or not, really focusing on the quality of that B-roll can help A improve how great your content is and B also improve your efficiency. The third thing, kind of off the train of B-roll reels, but this definitely applies to any type of reel and Instagram content in general, is actually using the native features inside Instagram. And this has a few different, there's a few different reasons behind this, but the main reason is SEO. And I actually feel like across most of these five things, SEO really is the um kind of common factor in all of them because SEO at the moment is truly the driving factor for all reach and visibility on Instagram. It's important that you do nail those SEO elements. That's things like using relevant keywords, being really, really specific about what you're talking about, so that the algorithm can filter your content to the right people. If you don't have great SEO, it's not going to reach the people that you want it to reach. So when I speak about native um content, a lot of people are like, what is what does that actually mean? Native content is creating content that is like platform specific. So you know how you've probably seen this, and maybe you haven't, but I can pretty much instantly tell if a piece of content was originally created on Instagram or if it was originally created on TikTok. And even then, same with like other platforms, right? Um, and that is actually a really big, again, contributing factor to how that content performs. So content that is native to Instagram is content that has the Instagram font options. It's got an Instagram um audio, probably typically something that's trending. Um, and it looks again like it was all made within the Instagram app. This usually means that it doesn't have as advanced editing elements that it might have if you were to edit in something like Cap Cut or even something more advanced than that. And that's not to say that um CapCut style reels, you know, with lots of effects and transitions and sound effects don't have a place on Instagram. They certainly do and they can perform quite well. But I would make sure that that is, again, not the only way that you are editing and posting reels on Instagram. Native content is very, very important and this connects really well to B-roll reels because it's the easiest way to do it. And again, this comes back down to SEO. When you are using the native elements in your reels, and even the same with creating carousels in the Instagram app or even stories, Instagram can actually pick up all of the words and copy that you're use using. And again, it increases the um, I guess, quality of your SEO and the chances of you being pushed out to the right people. If you are adding text and elements in CapCut or Canva, exporting that and then uploading it into Instagram, Instagram can't identify it as easily. That's not to say that it can't, but it has and it might have a little bit of a harder time of actually identifying what those words are based on all of the kind of like AI intelligence that it uses in its algorithm, right? It's not people that are sitting there in the algorithm and determining where your posts go. It's a series of robots and algorithms and you know, all of these different elements. So that's why it's so important to use native features in your content quite frequently, if not exclusively. So next time you are creating a B-roll reel, sure if you want to, you know, edit some of the footage and you find it easier to edit on a computer, maybe you use the CapCut desktop version or you edit in Canva, that's fine. Export that footage, upload it into Instagram and add your copy and all of the text elements there. That's going to help you to have those native features incorporated into your content. Same with things like stories. I recommend all stories are just made natively in the app. There are some circumstances where I might do some Canva design things for things like a launch or an announcement or something that I want to feel quite branded. But for the most part, like 95% of the rest of the time, everything I'm doing in app. And I know that not everyone is someone who loves to work off their phone. But again, if you can get efficient with this and you practice, you improve your strength and your skills with editing inside Instagram from your phone, you're not only going to improve your chances of reach, but you're also going to just improve your efficiency overall, be able to create content on the go, on the fly, and not rely on having like a fancy editing or full computer setup to be able to create a piece of content. So native copy or just native features from Instagram is so important. And make sure you're not getting too caught up on being super, super fancy on things like Canva and Cap Cut when that actually might be quite detrimental to your reach. The fourth thing, again, flow on keywords, SEO. This is so, so important. And again, this connects back to written hooks. It connects back to using native features on Instagram. And this is actually making sure that you are using specific keywords in your content. Now, the question I get asked quite a lot is: okay, well, what hashtags should I be using? Should I still be using hashtags? Are they even relevant anymore? Are they a thing? And to be honest, no, they're not really a thing in the same way that they were. Now, that's not to say you shouldn't use hashtags. I still would recommend between three to five hashtags for every post. Um, hashtags ultimately now are just a way of if you kind of grouping content. It used to be the SEO algorithm process for Instagram, but now the kind of SEO keyword and AI intelligence is a lot more advanced. And again, it can pick up words and keywords within your content without those hashtags. And that Why again my point is to use all of those native features as much as possible. But when it comes to the copy that you're using, make sure that you're being as specific as possible in the same way that we used to recommend that your hashtags weren't just super generalized and broad, but actually quite specific. So for example, if I was a cafe and I was located in a certain town, I would put, you know, the specific suburbs, I would put um, you know, cafe, I would put like locals, all those sorts of things that again are relevant to what people might be searching. Same now just goes for the copy that you are using in all of your content because this is all contributing to your SEO. So instead of saying something general like, if you're a woman who, you might say you're a millennial woman who lives in Australia who. So again, just really tightening up and getting much more specific about the way that you describe things, the way that you articulate things is really, really important. And that comes down to things like your scripts for talking heads, written hooks, uh, b-roll content as well, as well as carousels and really anything at all. Because all, every single word basically that you are including in a piece of content has the chance to be picked up by the algorithm and again be filtered and sent out to the right people. So make sure that you are not being too broad and generalized in all of your content because now it's not just hashtags that need to be specific, but your content. Um, and really when it comes to it, SEO is such an important driving factor into just like the Instagram algorithm in general right now. And I think it's even really proof based on these um tips that I'm sharing with you today, how important it is and how they really all connect. The other thing I will quickly tack on to this point, which is number four, I believe I am at, um, which again kind of has a flow and effect to keywords. It is actually using keywords that are super, super topical and of the moment. Now, of course, we can use things that are specific to our niche and our audience. For example, I use the example of millennial women before. Um, but the other thing that I have seen, A, in practice, um, and B through other clients as well, is leveraging like topical conversation and things that are already trending and popular from an SEO perspective as well. So let's say, for example, right now, well, as we speak, it is the um final of the World Cup. The World Cup across all different niches, industries, audiences is trending right now. So, how could you actually leverage that? Now, still, of course, making it uh relevant and connected to your topic, your area of expertise, but how can you um speak to things like the World Cup, something that is already popular, it is getting a lot of traction online, um, and be able to kind of ride that wave of momentum, but again, connect it back to your ideal client. Some other examples, um, Taylor Swift is another big one. Anything that she does obviously is going to be massively trending and popular. How can you include keywords like Taylor Swift, again, connecting it back to your main message and mission? Um, but to again help your content to kind of pick up a little bit of extra visibility and reach. Some other examples that I did recently, um, I uh Simon Cow had a Netflix documentary and there was something really interesting in there from like a leads and sales perspective that I kind of wanted to speak to, obviously adapting it to what my audience would need to hear, kind of a lesson that I extracted from it. And just the fact that I had the word um uh Simon Cow in there and Netflix, it like again, because other people from other industries and niches were talking about this documentary and it was quite popular at the time, it got a lot of traction quite fast because of the those keywords. So still I was making it super relevant to what my audience needed it to hear, but I was leveraging something already topical and popular. Uh, another one was, I think I spoke about like the Harry Potter new series that was gonna be on HBO. Um, another one, very popular at the moment. And if you've in the right industry, you would know this. But everyone talking about Jesse Jean's launch, um, you probably have to be in the business um or content space for that to kind of be in your algorithm. But again, anything that your industry, your niche, or even your broader niche is kind of talking about, it's relevant working into your content, of course, as long as it's relevant and it connects to leverage that SEO element. Now, my last and final content fix is number five. And I'm really excited about this one because I've been doing it a little bit myself. Um, and it's it's kind of a trend, it's kind of a blend. It's a trending element as well as also just like a simple thing that I think we all overlook in terms of like creating content, getting things out in front of people, and just being able to produce content without everything being a total production. And that is the single post. Now, right now it's a massive trend of like whatever happened to the single static post on Instagram, like it was the obviously the OG way of creating content back when the app first launched, and then we have carousels, and then we have lives, and then we have reels, like we have all of these now more complicated things when really like posting one single photo, like just that was that was the only way to create content back in the day. So it's kind of a trend at the moment, you know, don't overlook the the single post and everyone's like, you know what, I'm bringing it back, and I love that. I really do love that for everyone. So there that that is kind of one of the reasons I've mentioned it. But the the main reason I wanted to mention it is that a single post, if you have like the visual element, like, you know, on point and also the caption is really, really great, it has a lot of power in it, right? Because people don't have to watch the video to get context, people don't have to scroll all the way through the carousel to see the call to action. It's all right in front of them. And I recently started to use these types of posts to promote my own podcast episodes. And I also love to create a little bit like longer form content as well. Like obviously, I'll do an email. I'll also probably do like a carousel, or it might be included in like um something I'm sharing in a caption in a reel. But I've also just started saying, like, you know what, here's this this week's episode, here's what it looks like, here's how to listen to it if you want it, and sharing that as a single post. And yes, it's like maybe not the highest in terms of like engagement, but the reach has actually been really, really interesting. And as well, the follow-through. I'm actually noticing an improvement in like downloads and just like people discovering and finding my podcast just from that episode because uh sorry, from that single post, because potentially they had been following me for a while, but they hadn't watched all my stories on the days that I spoke about the podcast. Or they haven't scrolled all the way through a carousel and seen that the last call to action slide was about the podcast, right? So it gets it in front of your audience. It makes it very, very clear. It's low friction content, and it can also be really, really great for reach as well. Um, so bring back the single post. Don't overlook them. Uh, and don't also think just has to be a photo. Like it can definitely be a static image with like text, um, a you know, really powerful message or, you know, a polarizing opinion, something simple. But I think I'm gonna bring bringing them back quite consistently, at least one a week into my schedule, which I'm excited about because again, it's it's fast content. It's not, it's not, it's not complicated. And it it is a great way, again, just for you to have that content output, um, either increase it or be able to keep whatever you're doing consistent, uh, without, again, adding more hours to your content uh production timeline, if you know what I mean. So those are my five tips: written hooks, better b-roll, native copy, keyword content, really focusing on SEO, getting specific, leveraging topical, um, uh, you know, conversational keywords or newsworthy things in your content. And number five is to bring back the single post, right? So hopefully you have found this episode interesting or helpful, or you are gonna give some of these a go after listening to it. And I'd love to know which one jumps out at you. Maybe you're someone who you've never kind of added a additional hook or additional copy onto your talking heads. That's something you're gonna try, or you're interested about how you can level up your B-roll or start to kind of get faster and more efficient of editing inside the Instagram app so you can actually leverage that SEO opportunity. Whichever one jumps out at you, whether it was one or all five, I'd love to know what you think. So please feel free to hop over to my Instagram, send me a DM. I love to know that you're listening. Um, so please let me know if you enjoyed this episode and if you'd like to hear more from this, because yes, I love launching, but a massive part of what launching is about is content, and that's where my two passions really come together. Thank you so much for tuning in this episode. I will see you in the next one. Bye.