40. Instagram Update 2024: Social Media Predictions & How I’d Maximize Results in a Noisy Market
- Jan 9, 2024
- 16 min read
Updated: Aug 30
If you’ve been feeling like social media is louder than ever, you are absolutely not imagining it. Every business is online. Every feed is packed with sales messages, tips, trends, videos, and “must-have” offers. It can feel like one more thing on your already very long to-do list.
But I don’t think the answer is to disappear or wait until you have the perfect strategy. I think the answer is to get intentional.
My approach to social media in 2024 is built around one big theme: creating as much value as possible. That does not mean creating content for the sake of content. It means showing up frequently enough to stay visible, sharing useful information people actually care about, and having a plan that makes marketing feel sustainable instead of overwhelming.
I’m still using social media to connect with new people. I’m still prioritizing regular emails, aiming for weekly consistency. I’m still creating long-form content through my podcast, and I’m working toward turning more of those ideas into blog content, too. The foundation is not wildly different—but the way I’m supporting it needs to be more focused.
Because in a noisy market, occasional posting is not enough to keep your business top of mind.
If we haven't met yet, I’m Brittany, a mom, an Amazon bestselling author, podcast host and online marketing strategist for female entrepreneurs. I teach women how to make their entrepreneurial dreams a reality through smart, actionable marketing strategies that get them seen, loved, and paid. Whether you’re eager to DIY your way to success or hire professionals to help you along the way–my goal is to make sure you walk away with the clarity you need to see the results you desire and build a life you love.
Table of Contents
Posting Frequency: How Often Do You Need to Show Up?
I used to say quality over quantity, and I still believe quality matters. If you only have the capacity to make one strong, genuinely helpful post each week, that is better than publishing five rushed posts that say nothing.
But quality and volume are not opposites. In 2024, I believe businesses need both.
My recommendation is to post a minimum of three times per week, with five posts per week being the stronger goal for most businesses. That might sound like a lot at first, especially if you are currently posting once a week—or whenever you remember. But there is an important reason for the increase: most people do not see every post you publish.
Even your most loyal followers will miss content sometimes. Social platforms do not place every post in front of every person who follows you, which means you need to repeat your message and create enough content for people to actually encounter it.
You are not being repetitive just because you are talking about the same service, offer, or problem more than once. You are marketing your business.
Posting more frequently helps you:
Stay top of mind with the people already following you.
Reach new people who have not come across your business yet.
Give your audience multiple ways to understand what you do.
Build trust through consistent value and visibility.
Stand out from businesses that only post occasionally.
If five posts per week feels impossible right now, do not let that stop you from making progress. Start where you are.
If you are posting once per week, aim for three.
If you are already posting three times per week, work toward five.
If you are already posting consistently, look for ways to make your content work harder through repurposing.
You do not need to become a content machine overnight. You just need a strategy that helps you show up more often without burning yourself out. I do this with long-form content, which I talk about more in the full podcast episode here:
Creating Long-Form Content As A Solopreneur or Small Business Owner
The easiest way I know to create more social media content sustainably is to build your strategy around one long-form piece of content each week.
Long-form content is the backbone of your marketing. It gives you one substantial idea to build from instead of asking yourself, “What do I post today?” every single morning.
Your long-form content could be:
A weekly podcast episode.
A blog post.
A vlog or educational YouTube video.
A weekly live Q&A or office-hours session.
A recipe, tutorial, or demonstration if that fits your business.
The key is consistency. Pick something you can create regularly—ideally every week—and let that become the source for several smaller posts.
For example, if you host weekly office hours, you could create content before, during, and after the session:
Invite people to join the live session or submit questions ahead of time.
Share a reminder on the day of the Q&A.
Turn a question from the session into an educational post.
Share a takeaway for anyone who missed it.
Invite people to bring their questions to next week’s session.
Just one weekly live session can easily create two or three social posts. Suddenly, you only need a couple more posts to round out your week—perhaps one about your offer, one about who you serve, and one helpful or entertaining post related to your niche.
This is exactly why I use podcasting as a core part of my own strategy. One episode can become multiple social posts, and eventually it can become a video and a written blog post, too. Instead of constantly reinventing the wheel, I get to take one meaningful idea and share it in the formats that work for different people.
When you choose your long-form format, think about two things: how your audience prefers to consume information and how you genuinely enjoy communicating.
For busy moms and entrepreneurs (my target audience), podcasting can be a great fit because they can listen while driving, doing dishes, folding laundry, or moving through their day. They do not have to sit down and stare at a screen for 30 minutes to learn something helpful.
But podcasting is not automatically the right answer for everyone. If your audience loves reading, blogging may be a better fit. If you need to demonstrate a process visually, a vlog or video tutorial may make more sense.
And please do not choose a format solely because it is popular. If your audience would love a podcast but you dread talking for 20 minutes every week, it is probably not aligned right now. You can always expand later as your skills and confidence grow.
Pro Tip: Start with the format you can maintain. Consistency will take you farther than forcing yourself into a strategy you hate.
Establishing content pillars For Your Business
More content only works when that content still has value. Posting five times a week will not grow your business if every post is vague, disconnected, or created just to fill a space on the calendar.
This is where content pillars come in.
Content pillars are the core themes you return to over and over again. They keep your content focused, help you come up with ideas faster, and make it easier for your audience to understand what your business is about.
For most business owners, I find that education and entertainment are two of the strongest themes to build around. You will likely use one of those alongside sales content and at least one pillar that is specific to your business, your story, or the transformation you provide.
A simple content pillar mix could include:
Education: Teach people something useful about the problem you solve.
Entertainment: Make people smile, laugh, relate, or feel seen.
Sales: Clearly explain what you offer, who it is for, and how someone can work with you.
Business-specific content: Share your process, values, behind-the-scenes moments, client-focused insights, or industry expertise.
If education is one of your pillars, my advice is simple: give it all away.
I know that can feel scary for service based businesses. You may worry that if you tell people how to do something themselves, they will never hire you. But the people who want to DIY will likely do that anyway. And at some point, many of them will run out of time, capacity, energy, or interest in doing it themselves.
That is when they will look for support.
When you have spent months helping them understand a problem and sharing real value, you have already positioned yourself as someone who knows what they are doing. You become the shortcut to the result they want when they don't have the time and capacity to get there themselves .
I share how I run my business and create content because I want entrepreneurs to feel empowered. Some people will take that information and do it themselves—and I love that. Others will decide they would rather hand it off or get strategic support. Those are the people who become clients.
You do not need to gatekeep your knowledge to prove that your services are valuable. Your expertise, implementation, perspective, and ability to help someone reach a result are valuable, and that's why people will hire you.
Picking Your Primary Social Media Platform
One of the biggest mistakes I see business owners make is trying to grow everywhere at once. They feel pressure to be on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Threads, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and every new platform that pops up.
That is exhausting. And unless you have a team or a strong repurposing system, it is usually not feasible (or necessary).
Pick one primary platform. Put the bulk of your social media energy there. Everything else can be a bonus or a maintenance platform.
For many businesses, I would choose Instagram as the primary platform. It is widely used, supports visual content, video, Stories, direct communication, and relationship-building. For the majority of businesses, Instagram offers a strong opportunity to connect with potential customers.
Here is how I would think about the major platforms:
Instagram for Business
Instagram is the strongest primary platform for many business owners. It works for a wide range of industries and gives you multiple ways to share content: Reels, carousels, static posts, Stories, and live video.
It is also a place where people can get a real feel for your business and personality. If you are not sure where to focus first, Instagram is often a great choice. You can also connect with me on Instagram for more social media and marketing ideas.
Need help with your reels? Check out this blog about Instagram's trial reels feature. →
Facebook or Meta for Business
I see Facebook as more of a maintenance platform for many businesses. It can still matter because people often search for businesses there, especially when they want to find reviews or basic information but some business owners use Facebook as their primary platform and have great success with it.
If you are already posting on Instagram and your content automatically shares to Facebook, there is no reason not to keep that presence active. But I would not spend a huge amount of extra time trying to grow there unless your audience is genuinely engaging with you on Facebook. I share more about which audiences are on each platform in this podcast episode.
TikTok
TikTok is not going anywhere, and it can be excellent for entertaining content. However, it is not automatically the best platform for every business.
Educational content can do well there, but TikTok often makes the most sense when your audience is younger and when your business has content that naturally fits an entertaining, fast-moving format. For some service providers, a large percentage of the audience may be curious about the topic without being in a position to invest in higher-ticket support.
If your ideal customer is on TikTok and your content style fits the platform, use it. Just be strategic about whether the time you invest is likely to translate into the type of results your business needs.
X
X, formerly Twitter, can work if your audience is already active there, but it demands a much higher volume of posting. Staying relevant often requires several posts per day, and that is a major commitment if you are running a business on your own but often doesn't require video content which some business owners appreciate.
I would only make it a priority if you know your people are there and you enjoy the fast-paced, text-focused style of content.
Threads
Threads can be a useful secondary platform, especially if your audience already overlaps with your Instagram audience. It is more text-driven and can be a place to share quick thoughts, opinions, and conversational content with B-roll or simple visuals.
But I would not put all of my eggs in the Threads basket. It is still a newer platform, and I see it as a bonus rather than the foundation of a full strategy.
I recorded an entire episode on Threads and helping business owners identfy if it's a good fit for them. Tune in now.
LinkedIn is best suited to B2B businesses—meaning businesses that sell to other businesses. It can be helpful for career-focused professionals, consultants, and service providers with a clear business audience.
However, it requires genuine relationship-building. Cold messages are not a strategy. Nobody wants another generic message promising 20 extra appointments per month when they do not have time for 20 additional appointments in the first place.
LinkedIn can work beautifully in the right niche, but it takes time, thoughtful connection, and a clear understanding of the people you are trying to reach.
Pinterest is especially valuable for e-commerce businesses, bloggers, and businesses with content that can drive traffic back to a website. Unlike many social platforms (because it's more like Google than Instagram), Pinterest can help people discover your content through search and send them directly to a blog post, product page, podcast page, or online shop.
Service providers can use Pinterest, too, but you need a consistent strategy and content that leads somewhere useful. If you are blogging or creating individual pages for podcast episodes, Pinterest can become a smart way to promote those resources. You can find more of my ideas on Pinterest.
The goal is not to do everything. The goal is to do the right things well.
Your results will usually come from a small percentage of your efforts. So instead of spreading yourself thin across six platforms, focus deeply on one platform where your ideal clients are most likely to connect with you.
Planning your Content Strategy
If you want to increase your posting volume without losing your mind, you need a plan. Winging it every day will eventually lead to frustration, inconsistency, and burnout.
I recommend planning at least two to three weeks of content at a time. That still leaves room for flexibility when something timely comes up, but it protects you when business gets busy—which it always does.
Without a plan, social media is usually the first thing to get pushed aside. You tell yourself you will post tomorrow. Then tomorrow gets busy. Then a week passes. Then you need sales, but you have not been consistently growing your audience or staying connected with the people who already follow you.
Consistency is not just about looking active online. It supports your entire sales process.
Your plan should include both feed content and Stories. Stories matter because they are often where relationships deepen and sales happen. They give people a more personal, immediate way to connect with you and your business.
I recommend showing up in Stories five to six days per week, ideally with at least one Story per day. Three to five frames is a great target, but please do not let the “perfect” number stop you from starting.
If you are new to Stories, begin simply:
Share your latest post to your Story.
Add a sentence about why someone should read, save, or respond to it.
Share a quick behind-the-scenes moment from your day.
Ask a question or use a poll to start a conversation.
Talk briefly about an offer, a client problem, or something you are working on.
Many Instagram users spend more time looking at Stories than scrolling their feed. Sharing your post to Stories gives it another chance to be seen.
Planning also means working smarter. Your social media content should not live in isolation. The interest and traffic you build on social media should lead into email marketing.
I never recommend building your business on social media alone. Platforms change. Reach fluctuates. You do not own your followers. But you do have more control over your email list and your ability to communicate with people who have chosen to hear from you.
Email marketing is a sales driver for major businesses for a reason. It gives you another way to nurture trust, share value, and make offers without relying entirely on an algorithm.
Social media gets people interested. Email marketing helps you build on that relationship.
Content planning is the most important part of content creation, steal my content creation formula and process to help you create content confidently and show up consistently on socials. Learn more about The Social Success System.
Quick tips for social media growth with the Instagram Update 2024
Once you have your foundation in place—consistent volume, a long-form content engine, strong pillars, one primary platform, and a real plan—these are the extra things I would focus on to grow faster and create more meaningful results.
Get on camera
I know this is not what everyone wants to hear. I have heard every reason: “I am not comfortable,” “I am not good on camera,” “I do not have time,” or “I do not know what to say.”
But if you are avoiding video completely, you may be leaving money on the table. When people see your face and hear your voice, they build a stronger connection with you more quickly. That connection is especially important for service-based businesses where clients are investing in your knowledge, personality, and support.
A 30-second Story where you speak directly to your audience can be more valuable than spending hours creating multiple static graphic posts. It does not need to be polished. It needs to be real and clear.
Practice is what makes this easier. You may feel uncomfortable at first, but your competitors are learning to show up this way, too. The more you do it, the more natural it becomes.
Prioritize Reels and save-worthy content
Video content continues to be a major priority. Reels are a powerful way to reach new people, teach something useful, or create a quick personal connection.
That does not mean every single post must be a Reel. Static images still have a time and a place. But the bulk of your content should either be video or something worth saving.
Educational carousels can be a close second because people can save them for later. Think checklists, step-by-step tips, common mistakes, quick explanations, and useful reminders your ideal clients may want to revisit.
The question I like to ask is: “Would someone want to save this, share it, or start a conversation because of it?” If the answer is no, the post may need more value or a clearer point.
Sell more clearly and more often
I can almost guarantee you are not selling as much as you think you are.
Most business owners worry about being too salesy. But most audiences do not feel constantly sold to. They are busy. They are consuming a huge amount of content. They need you to make it obvious what you do and how you can help.
Do not assume people understand your offer just because they have followed you for a while. Spell it out:
What do you do?
Who do you help?
What problem do you solve?
What result can someone expect?
What should they do next if they want support?
Make the call to action clear. Invite people to inquire, book, buy, join, download, or reply. If you do not tell people how to work with you, many of them will simply move on to the next post.
Do not rely on social media alone
This one is worth repeating: build your email marketing alongside your social media strategy.
There can be a small window when you are brand new and simply need to get started. But as your business grows, you need an email system and a strategy that helps you turn social media attention into a more sustainable relationship.
Social media is an important discovery tool. Email gives you a direct path to nurture leads and make sales.
Stop trying to appeal to everyone
People will have opinions about your business no matter what you do. Your friends, family, competitors, and strangers online may all have something to say.
That does not mean you need to make yourself smaller, quieter, or more generic.
If someone decides your business is not for them, that is okay. In fact, it is useful. You do not want to spend time on calls with people who are not aligned with your offer, only to deal with poor-fit clients, low conversion rates, refunds, or draining working relationships later.
Especially as a one-on-one service provider, the wrong client can cost you far more than money. They can drain your time, energy, and excitement for your business.
Your content should attract the right people and naturally repel the wrong ones. That is not a failure. That is a sign your positioning is getting clearer.
Make content creation feel aligned
Creating content should not feel like nails on a chalkboard every single time you sit down to do it.
You started your business because you care about something. You have knowledge, a skill, a product, or a message that can help people. Ideally, your content should let you share that in a way that feels energizing.
If content creation feels awful, there is likely a disconnect somewhere. Maybe you are missing a skill. Maybe you need a tool or template. Maybe you are trying to force yourself into a content style that does not suit you. Or maybe you do not have a clear plan, so every post feels stressful and last-minute.
Find the disconnect and address it as soon as possible.
Your energy matters. When you create content from a forced, disconnected place, it often does not land the same way. But when you are excited, clear, and passionate about the message, people can feel it.
You do not need to love every task in your business. But your marketing should feel aligned enough that you can keep doing it consistently.
Wrapping up My 2024 Social Media Predictions
My social media strategy for 2024 comes down to a few simple but powerful ideas: create more value, post frequently, build around long-form content, and focus your energy where it matters most.
Do not try to do everything at once. Start by choosing one primary platform. Build a few strong content pillars. Plan ahead by at least two or three weeks. Add Stories into your routine. Create video when you can. And get clearer about selling your offers.
Most importantly, do it in a way that works for your real life and your actual business.
You do not need a strategy that looks good on paper but leaves you overwhelmed every week. You need one that helps you show up consistently, connect with the right people, and make marketing feel easier over time.
If you are ready to create a strategy that fits your business, supports your goals, and makes your marketing feel more manageable, you can learn more about working with me at Brittany Miller Socials.
Your next read:
Frequently Asked Questions About Creating Content in 2024
How often should a small business post on social media?
I recommend posting at least three times per week, with five posts per week as a stronger goal for businesses that want to increase visibility. If you are currently posting less often, start with a realistic increase and build from there.
What is long-form content for social media marketing?
Long-form content is a substantial recurring piece of content, such as a podcast episode, blog post, video, live Q&A, or tutorial. You can use one long-form piece as the foundation for several smaller social media posts throughout the week.
Which social media platform should I focus on first?
For many businesses, Instagram is a strong primary platform because it supports Reels, Stories, educational carousels, relationship-building, and direct communication. The best platform for you depends on where your ideal clients spend time and how they prefer to consume content.
Do I need to show my face on social media?
You can build a business without constantly being on camera, but showing your face and speaking directly to your audience can help people build trust and connection faster. Start small with short Story videos and practice until it feels more comfortable.
Why should I use email marketing with social media?
Social media helps new people discover your business, while email marketing gives you a more direct way to nurture relationships and make offers. Relying only on social media can limit your sales because platform reach and algorithms are outside your control.
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00:00 Intro
1:25 Posting frequently
6:00 Creating long-form content
9:00 Establishing content pillars
11:00 Picking your primary platform
17:25 Planning your strategy
20:00 Quick tips for social media growth
29:30 Wrapping up
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