When it looks easy on Instagram

Many people initially focus on purchasing Instagram accounts believing that having a ldquomature accountrdquo will help them scale quickly However in reality the account is just a basic toolmdashthe overall operational strategy is what truly determines the results If content interaction and user experience are ignored even an account acquired through purchase will struggle to generate stable longterm conversions1 Account Setup Building a HighTrust Traffic Entry PointA highquality Instagram account is the starting point for all traffic acquisition efforts In the early stage the key is to quickly build trust with usersFirst is the profile picture and bio The profile picture should ideally be related to your product or have strong brand recognition so users can immediately understand what you are selling The bio should clearly communicate your business including your main products core advantages such as high quality or fast shipping and what problems you can solve for users This information can effectively reduce usersrsquo decisionmaking effort and improve follow conversion ratesAs the account develops into the midstage you can gradually strengthen your brand imagemdashfor example by unifying your visual style building a recognizable persona and maintaining a consistent content niche At this stage many sellers may again consider purchasing Instagram accounts to boost credibility However in the long run continuously optimizing your own content and user relationships is far more stable and reliable than relying on external accountsItrsquos important to note that some beginners after trying to purchase Instagram accounts often overlook the importance of engagement resulting in accounts that lack genuine activity In fact the platform places more emphasis on real interactions between users rather than the accountrsquos ldquohistoryrdquo itselfAnd herein is where social media comes in Most of the time we see people living their best lives on these platforms and it could be natural to feel can we have the same lives Yes we could maybe somehow but we will surely need to work for itI do feel that this may affect the younger generations more For someone like me who is 44 and who grew up for almost 30 years of my life without social media itrsquos natural to assume that a lot of work goes into whatever content you see online even if it looks effortless I have never looked at someone and said ldquooh if I start doing this I will get the same results right awayrdquo Because I know thatrsquos not possibleAnd so when I see another writer or journalist getting accolades or opportunities I havenrsquot got I often know that they must have either been in the right room at the right time or maybe they had been putting in the work on a specific project The internet says that itrsquos because social media acts as a ldquofunhouse mirrorrdquo which are common at carnivals and show you a distorted realityWhen we are constantly exposed to perfect or beautiful or exciting or ideal images of other peoplersquos lives we look at our own life and fall short That makes us unhappy and depressed Many times without really taking any steps towards this goal which may not even be aligned with who we are we desire for it to be ours We set unrealistic expectations for ourselves even without knowing our own true talents or strengthsI want you to realise one important thing any Reel that shows vlogs lives and journeys of others is often the selected ldquobest momentsrdquo Even if they show struggle they show the moments that were good enough to film For example to reach the position I may be at today I have had to spend years being misunderstood attacked and rejected For many years I felt I wasnrsquot good enough at my job till one day it all started making sense I got better at dealing with the chaos and developed enough selfconfidence to create and evolve without fearing judgmentIf you are a young person reading this column or just someone who has been feeling ldquobehindrdquo the rest of the world because social media has made you believe so you need to know that your biggest superpowers are your authenticity individuality and your journey to get to your goal Start where you are and speak your truth instead of trying to fit into a mould made by another personStop chasing the milestones already set by another Your life is yours Live that You got thisSee you next timeRanting and raving about all thatrsquos trending on social media Aastha Atray Banan is an author creator podcaster and the Editor of your favourite weekend read Sunday midday She posts at aasthaatray on InstagramSend your feedback to mailbagmiddaycomThe views expressed in this column are the individualrsquos and donrsquot represent those of the paper