Some of us have been riding the Instagram wagon since it first launched in 2010. Even then, using Instagram for business is a whole new ballgame, and even more so for those who have never even used it.

You might be used to using Instagram as a super casual “here’s my latest latte art” kinda spot. But as soon as we get intentional about using it for business it’s a whole new ballgame.

And more often than not you’ll let a lot of anxiety creep in as soon as you stop using Instagram just for personal use. Where do I put these selfies? How do I sell on here? Oh my god, I haven’t posted in weeks! 

So let’s break it all down for ya. Plus, we’ve got a really cool tool for you to use to make your feed extra beautiful at the end.

We see you, babe.

You’re advertising the shit out of your products or services, talking them up on every social media platform that you can be found on, going live on Facebook and Instagram, spreading your business through word of mouth, and every other thing you can think of.

Still, you just aren’t getting the results you’d like to be, and you’re tired of repeatedly seeing the straight line creeping across your sales chart or– God forbid– a slow decline.

The last thing you need to do is give up. You may think you’re showing up everywhere you possibly can be. You may think you’re directly targeting your audience.

“Gaining clients” can be a foreign, uncomfortable phrase to most new service-based businesses.

It’s new territory– hell, a new world– trying to navigate how to gain clients. You almost feel like you’re missing out on something that everyone else knows except you.

The thing is, this isn’t like the krabby patty secret formula.

It doesn’t have to be difficult. If you’re finding that you aren’t getting any leads, what you could do is reevaluate what kind of first impression you’re giving, and it all starts with one thing:

Your client introduction packet.

We’ve launched The Creative Template Shop-- us cool kids just call it The Shop-- and it’s FILLED with templates for your business, ranging from social media to client experience to even web design and opt-ins. These already-made templates are the silver lining for any biz owner who struggles trying to put together beautiful graphics for their business.

You’re working your tail off in your creative service-based business.

Your life is all about clients: finding them (where ARE they??), landing them (and competing on price makes your feel like you’re charging so much less than you need to if you want this biz to be sustainable), making the ones you DO find happy (so much so that you find yourself delivering WAY more than you originally agreed to)...

And maybe you’ve convinced yourself that this is just how life has to be if you’re going to do what you love for a living.

Do you ever find yourself on the word vomit train when attempting to sell anything? You know the one that makes zero stops and is stationed in Awkward Townsville? The one where you’re chatting with a potential client and you find yourself having the out of body experience where you hear yourself doing things like…

Many small businesses are basically “doomed” from the start.

Although done unknowingly, many entrepreneurs design their business in a way that keeps them stuck in the Merry-Go-Round trap.

They’ve designed their business in a circle. Doing the same things over and over again. Answering the same questions. Dealing with the same problems. And they aren’t growing.

I bet you know the feeling: you’re working and working and working, but you just aren’t seeing any progress. And where the heck are all those clients you desperately want to be working with?

It feels like you’re still playing “pretend business” and you’re wondering if you’re even smart enough to figure this all out like it seems like everyone else has.

This convinces you that the only way to get clients is to do what works for everyone else - posting 3x a day on Instagram, blogging “value add” content, showing up in Facebook groups where you *think* your client might be and so on…

You’re listening to countless other business owners tell you that doing all that ^ is what’s going to work for you...so why isn’t it?

Here’s the truth: it’s not you. It is the strategies you’re using. They aren’t right for YOUR business.

Blogging is a long game strategy - meaning it’s effects are best measured months and years after a blog is posted. It can be a fantastic way to add valuable keywords to your website and to up your search rankings through the power of SEO (search engine optimization).

But here’s a secret about blogs that no one is talking about. Blogs are likely not reaching your potential clients. Blogs are reaching people who want solutions to a problem (think how to type content), not people looking to hire.