Why I Left Instagram, and What I’m Doing Instead

*EDIT: As of December 2023 I have returned to IG after taking a 6 month hiatus… the message of this blog still stands, and I am being careful with how I return to the gram. Honestly, I missed the instant connection with people. I didn’t struggle to market myself through my blogs and Pinterest - but there is a very real lack of community that you can’t get as easily through email marketing and other mediums.

Will I be on IG forever? It’s hard to say - something this break has taught me is that there is kinda no point in saying ‘never’ - because after all, we change. And that’s OK. So for now, I am consciously returning to IG but I’m hoping to do it in a very different way this time around.

I believe that when your business is aligned with your energy, it provides.

It's a myth that the only way to be successful with marketing is to use social media. I have always felt that socials, in particular this platform, should be used in conjunction with other tools - like email, blogs, and podcasts.

One of the reasons I encourage people to create freebies, build email lists, and explore things like blogging and podcasting, is because I know the power of these platforms.

There is a whole world outside of IG. It might feel like everyone is on there, and so to not be there would be a mistake, but I can tell you - there are millions of businesses finding success every single day without Instagram.

I thought this post would work well as my highlight reel of reasons I chose to leave the platform. Please note that these are my own personal reasons. I still love and teach IG to businesses - as it holds value for a lot of people and is a great way to build connection and community. But right now, for me, I’m a bit burnt out from it. And if there is anything I know about myself, it’s that I don’t do things just because I think I’m supposed to. I follow my intuitive nudges whenever they come calling.

My energy is better suited to writing long form content and spending time creating content that has a longer lifespan.

My focus for the next 6-12 months is to create simple and sustainable marketing ecosystems that harness the power of evergreen content like blogs, podcasts, and SEO. Since being diagnosed with Bipolar II Disorder in June 2022, I have become increasingly conscious of how I spend my energy. For me, it serves me better to commit to writing content at certain times of the month and scheduling ahead of time. Lots of short form video content doesn’t suit my new way of honouring my energy.

I have discovered a love of writing which I'm keen to pursue through the art of blogging and guest contribution articles.

You know that saying, “when one door closes, another one opens”? Since I made the decision to stop using IG, I immediately had opportunities for new ways of working and marketing myself come my way. The take away from this? There are always solutions to your marketing problems.

Instagram has felt like an echo chamber for a long time.

I grew tired of seeing the same kinds of people, the same messages, and the same demographics. (My feed was 90% white women in their 30’s) I was feeling like I was caught in the middle of a scheme shaped much like a pointed triangle.

It can feel like IG is your entire world.

I have so enjoyed living my life for the sake of living my life since leaving the gram. I’ve always had good boundaries with how I use IG - not following more than 1-200 people at a time, not going on there between 9pm-9am, and limiting my overall time spent scrolling - but still, it can feel wrong not documenting every moment, meal, outfit, trip, or interaction on the gram. It has been liberating to get dressed in an outfit I love and not tell a soul about it, to cook a delicious meal and never photograph it, and to go hiking and swimming and not sharing my movements online.

Leaving IG has opened up my network.

Remember when I said it felt like I was in an echo chamber? Well, I kinda was. There is a whole world of people out there, and although IG is an accessible entry point for new business owners to market themselves, it can also mean you only see the same people day in, day out. I have broadened my network, connecting with other folks around the world who are aligned and not on insta.

I have gained time and creativity.

Not stressing about what to post on my grid has freed up so much time for me to create other forms of content that will have a much longer lifespan. I also have zero access to scrolling which means that the hour or two I might spend each day scrolling has been given back to me. (Think 2 hours sounds like a lot of scrolling? The average user spends up to 2.5 hours each day, and it’s much higher for business owners and content creators, coming in at up to 20 hours a week on the platform)

I want to end this post by stating that there is no right way to market yourself.

However, I think a lot of people are afraid to leave the IG platform, for fear of never reaching their audience, but community is built around people. And people can be found in many different places, not just social media.

There are dozens of ways to market yourself. The key is finding a way that suits you. And in the end, IG might be one of those ways.... but give yourself permission to have the discernment to pick the platforms that really suit your energy.