Spinning your wheels on Instagram and getting nowhere?
yeah, we're tired of it too... so we made a guide to fix it
A quick note - like many of you, all I can think about is what’s happening in LA. Coverage is all-consuming with videos and photos of fire everywhere you turn. If you’re looking for ways to help, please consider donating [I’ve included a handful of resources at the bottom of this email]. 🤍 -
quick summary ⚡️
Moving the needle on Instagram using our latest MTD Guide for paid subscribers
Cultural gems: Pinterest is the internet’s happy place, Google’s AI-powered TV, a look at a YouTube empire and more
Resources to help those affected by the California wildfires
refresh / reset your approach to Instagram
Platforms come and go, but Instagram is pretty much here to stay.
Everyone’s on it, and everyone’s looking to level up. It feels like Meta is constantly messing with the algorithm and giving us new hacks and ways to grow. Honestly, it’s a little overwhelming. That’s why we’re coming to you today with the latest guidance, and for paid subscribers, dropping our new M.T. Deco guide on how to win on Instagram.
This is our second guide - click here for LinkedIn - and these are geared to helping you find you audience, wherever you are in your career:
An entrepreneur or executive looking to build a thought leadership strategy
A side hustler with influencer aspirations
A brand manager wanting to pressure test your current strategy
We’ve got more in the works this year, so subscribe today to make sure you get them!
What’s different about Instagram is that everyone has to be there. While many choose to opt-out of contentious platforms like X, or hold off on trying new ones like Bluesky, Instagram has become a non-negotiable.
Don’t just take our word for it. Sprout Social’s 2024 Social Media Content Strategy Report found that 84% of social users have an Instagram profile. That’s the most of all networks.
“Users’ primary reasons for scrolling Instagram are to connect with friends and family and alleviate boredom. But half of all users also interact with brands there at least once per day. In fact, 69% of social users say they see the most engaging brand content on Instagram, and another 44% wish brands used Instagram even more often, the highest of any network.”
Given that everyone is there, it’s important to A) keep up with the news and updates on what Meta’s up to and B) find ways to stand out in a crowded space.
Of course, staying up to date with Meta can be a full time job. Here are a few of the recent headlines and what they mean to brands, creators, and anyone trying to build an audience:
Meta Ends Fact-Checking on Facebook, Instagram in Free-Speech Pitch - As Meta prepares for the upcoming change in U.S. politics, this is a reminder to keep your content buttoned up.
Meta deletes AI character profiles after backlash, racism accusations - Authenticity has been a social media buzzword for years, so at least this proves that people still want it. But we’d bet that there will be more AI creators in the months and years to come.
Instagram Previews Coming AI Video Elements - This might actually be a good thing for people who aren’t savvy video editors but want to get in the mix. Thinking of AI as a tool to upgrade your content - rather than creating it entirely - feels like a better direction.
[ICYMI, paid subscribers recently got Megan Collins’ deep dive on who’s actually using AI - read it here.]
To keep up with algorithm changes, we suggest following @mosseri and @creators on Instagram. Besides posting some solid inspo, they give direction on the game that is the algorithm. We also love
to keep up with platform updates from week to week.For those of you ready to crush it on Instagram this year, join us as a premium subscriber and then make sure you bookmark our guide.
💎cultural gems💎
The cultural moments and news that caught our attention this week:
INSIDE PINTEREST’S QUEST TO RESTORE INTERNET OPTIMISM, fast company
“According to Sprout Social’s 2024 content strategy report, more than half of social users think of Pinterest as ‘more positive’ than other platforms.”
GOOGLE UNVEILS AN AI-POWERED TV THAT SUMMARIZES THE NEWS FOR YOU AT CES 2025, techcrunch
“By asking Gemini to play your ‘News Brief,’ the AI assistant will scrape news stories from across the internet and YouTube video headlines posted by trusted news channels, and will produce a brief summary to catch you up on the day’s events.”
I CAN’T STOP WATCHING MR. BEAST’S NEW GAME SHOW AND I HATE MYSELF, vox
“The point of Beast Games is laid out with chilling starkness in the first 60 seconds of its premiere. A thousand people are competing for a $5 million grand prize that, we’re told, is the ‘largest in entertainment history.’ But its host, 26-year-old Jimmy Donaldson, better known as the massively successful YouTuber styled ‘MrBeast,’ refers to this pile of money in another way: ‘generational wealth.’”
THE NEXT GORDON RAMSAY: HOW NICK DIGIOVANNI BUILT HIS YOUTUBE EMPIRE, forbes
"It sounds so crazy that it seems impossible, but if you can make it possible, you know people are going to want to watch."
resources to help those impacted by the fires in California
stay informed
Watch Duty App: Real-time updates on evacuation zones and fire spread from verified sources, powered by active and retired firefighters, dispatchers, and first responders.
LA Emergency Alert System: Sign up for real-time updates on the situation as it unfolds.
Real-Time Resources Spreadsheet: A continuously updated list of available resources from those on the ground in LA at Mutual Aid LA.
donate
Direct Relief: Donations support critical aid for fire-affected communities.
GoFundMe: Centralized hub with verified fundraisers for people affected by the wildfires in LA County.
World Central Kitchen: WCK is distributing warm meals, sandwiches and water to Southern California residents who have been forced to evacuate.