102: Your Complete 2026 Instagram Strategy: What to Stop, Start & Focus On (Part 4)
Instagram does not need to feel chaotic anymore. In this final episode of my 2026 Instagram trends series, I bring everything together.
I share a grounded roadmap for building a sustainable Instagram strategy that drives visibility, trust, and sales without burnout.
I walk you through what to stop doing, what to focus on instead, and how to create content that actually supports your business goals in 2026.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
00:00 – Why Instagram feels overwhelming and how to simplify your strategy
01:21 – The leadership lesson that reshaped how I think about connection
04:16 – A recap of the three biggest Instagram shifts happening right now
05:36 – What to stop doing in 2026 if you want sustainable growth
06:06 – Why chasing trends hurts long-term trust and conversions
07:32 – Why every piece of content needs a clear job
08:53 – Why views do not equal sales
10:47 – Why depth beats being everywhere at once
11:44 – Why posting at 80% good enough is a growth strategy
12:43 – The mindset shift that creates real confidence on Instagram
13:38 – Why human-first content wins in an AI-driven world
15:33 – Why community matters more than follower count
17:54 – How social search is changing Instagram marketing
19:52 – Why conversation-based marketing is the future
21:21 – How to use AI without losing your voice
23:12 – Your simple three-month Instagram action plan for 2026
29:17 – Why trust will be the ultimate currency moving forward
A Truth You Need to Hear:
“Clarity does not come before action. Clarity comes through action.” — Elizabeth Marberry
Resources Mentioned:
Hot Reels Full Program Details
Free Close Sales in Your Sleep, DM Automation Guide:
Get your First month FREE of ManyChat Pro.
S3 Ep102 Transcript: Your Complete 2026 Instagram Strategy: What to Stop, Start & Focus On (Part 4)
00:00
You've made it to part four of our Instagram marketing trends and predictions for 2026. If Instagram has felt confusing, overwhelming, or like you're doing a lot without seeing the results you want, this episode is gonna bring it all together. Today, I'm giving you a clear, grounded roadmap for how to actually build a sustainable Instagram strategy in 2026, what to stop doing, what to focus on instead, and how to create content that drives visibility,
00:29
trust and sales without burning out. If you want clarity, confidence in a plan you can stick with, you're in the right place. Let's go.
00:42
Welcome to Strut It, a podcast about creating bold visibility on social media with zero apologies. I'm Elizabeth Marberry, your host and Instagram marketing coach. I help small business owners get seen on Instagram and monetize their offers so they can make more money doing their sole led work. If you're tired of spinning your wheels on Instagram and you're seeking simple, proven Instagram marketing strategies that actually work, you're in the right place.
01:11
Let's dive in.
01:21
Welcome back to the show, my beloved listener. You have landed on the final episode of our four part series on Instagram marketing trends and predictions for 2026. Before we dive in, I wanna share something personal because I'm recording this episode after three full days at the MIBE Leadership Summit here in Denver, Colorado. That's MIBE, M-I-B-E. It was a truly incredible leadership conference. The attention to detail,
01:50
the caliber of the speakers, the different connections I made. I'm feeling both incredibly inspired and honestly pretty exhausted. What was really special about this experience for me is that usually when I attend conferences, I'm speaking. I'm teaching, I'm delivering, and this time I got to be an attendee. I got to sit in the room, take notes, listen, connect with others, and really
02:19
into myself. That was such a gift and treat. There were so many powerful speakers, but one moment really stayed with me and I wanted to share that with you. One of the speakers was Ryan Leake. He's a bestselling author, a motivational speaker, and a strategic advisor. And he shared something that was so simple yet so impactful. He said, when you ask someone how they're doing, ask them twice.
02:50
When you ask someone how they're doing, ask them twice. Because the first time you ask, hey, how are you? The response is almost automatic for all of us, right? I'm good, doing well, busy, but good. We get those canned answers. But when you pause and ask again, how are you really doing? That's often when people open up and that's when the real answer comes out.
03:19
whatever it is. And I love that because it's such a small act of care and such a simple way to lead with your heart, lead with humanity. And I think that's incredibly relevant right now, not just in leadership or marketing or business or how we show up online, but in this world that feels very heavy and volatile and uncertain, people are craving connection more than ever.
03:49
And so I invite you to play with that very simple but powerful idea of what if the next time you ask someone how they're doing, you ask them twice and see what happens. Before we dive into part four, I want to quickly do a little recap of the last three episodes, because we've covered a lot. So in part one, we talked about why Instagram feels different right now and what the data is showing us and why.
04:16
Opportunity still exists for creators and businesses who are willing to evolve. In part two, we talked about how to stand out without burning out through storytelling, mission-led content, showing your face, using AI strategically, and building something sustainable instead of chasing trends. In part three, we talked about what actually drives sales in 2026.
04:43
the trust recession, the difference between attention and connection, how to really go deeper with your Instagram content, how to map out your customer journey, and most importantly, how to turn those followers into paying clients, right? So today I wanna zoom out, and this episode is really about pulling it all together. If you've been feeling overwhelmed by all the changes on Instagram,
05:09
or if you've been wondering what you should actually focus on moving forward, this episode is meant to give you clarity and a grounded path forward. So let's kick it off with what you can stop doing because I think this is going to give you some relief. Sometimes when you are in a place of building a strategy, the first question isn't what should I add? The first question should be what can I subtract?
05:36
So let's go into some things to stop doing in 2026. First, permission to stop chasing every trend. I know this might sound counterintuitive coming from someone who teaches Instagram marketing and understanding the power of trends, but hear me out. Yes, trends can give you a temporary boost in reach and you can definitely leverage them strategically. But the data in my real world experience shows that trend hopping, like chasing every
06:06
trend does not build long-term sustainable growth. So accounts with consistent niche-specific content, so really targeted content, performs better over time than accounts jumping from trend to trend. Why? Because consistency builds trust and people buy from people they know like in trust, right? And as we talked about in part three, trust is absolutely key to converting those
06:35
followers into clients or those followers into your sales funnel. This doesn't mean you can never participate in trends. It just means you need to be selective. Ask yourself, does this trend align with my mission and my values? Does this trend serve my audience? Is there a creative way I could spin this trend so it serves my audience? Does it feel authentic?
07:03
to my brand. I think that's one of the most important things. I remember talking to a friend of mine who's in real estate and he was like Elizabeth, I see all this real estate humor and he's like, that's just not me. That's uncomfortable for me. I would never want to do that. And I said, well, then you don't have to do it. If it's not authentic to you, it's not going to work. So the answer is no, skip it. The second thing you can let go of is stop posting without a purpose. One of the biggest mistakes I see is
07:32
small business owners posting just to post because they're like, okay, I should be posting something. I'm just gonna throw it up there and walk away. And feeling pressure to show up. So you throw something together without thinking about it. And well, I appreciate that if that's you, you're taking action, which is really important. But if that is what you're continually doing over time, your content is not gonna work for you. So.
08:00
I want you to think about like every post has a job and can a real or a carousel or a single image post do more than one job? Of course it is, but pick one intention in your brain that will really help you when you're crafting your content and give your content a job. So is it meant to attract new people into your field?
08:26
Is it meant to build trust with your community? Is it meant to start conversations, right? Or maybe it's meant to grow your email list. When you're clear on the purpose, everything else becomes easier. The hook, the caption, the call to action, but you have to be clear on your intention. Third, stop measuring success only by vanity metrics.
08:53
Next week, I'm bringing a really special guest on the podcast and she goes deep on how to develop your own metrics of success. And I'm excited for you to listen to that. But I want you to hear this loud and clear. Views do not pay the bills, right? I have clients with under 500 followers who have made $3,000 in one week from Instagram, from their Instagram content, from clients who found them on Instagram.
09:23
They have less than 500 followers. I've seen creators with over 50,000 views or over 100,000 followers still struggling to make consistent income. So the difference is not audience size, it's connection and strategy. So start tracking the metrics that actually matter. And like I said,
09:50
you can create your own metrics for success. So absolutely log into your professional dashboard. You can study which pieces of content are getting the most saves and shares and comments and likes and engagement. Of course, you can study for yourself, like what is getting people to DM you? Which type of content is really working in terms of getting people to comment your keywords so you can send them your freebie and grow your email list?
10:19
but I really invite you to step away from only looking at the engagement metrics and look at your business metrics. Did I grow my email list? Did I make a sale? Did I get into a conversation where a person booked a consult with me? This is where it's all specific to you that if that's not working for you, then we need to re-look at your content strategy.
10:47
Fourth, stop trying to be everywhere at once. Okay? You do not need to be on every platform. So pick one place where your ideal clients are already hanging out. And for most of my audience, that's Instagram with over 3 billion active monthly users. I'm sure your ideal clients are on Instagram. And if you're listening to this, you probably want to be on Instagram, right? But master one platform at a time. Depth beats diffusion.
11:14
Not to say that you can't repurpose content on other platforms. Of course you can, but some of you are struggling to show up consistently on Instagram because you are spread way too thin. You're trying to do way too many platforms all at once. So I really recommend just build on one platform, one brick at a time. And then of course you can always expand out. And finally, this one really matters. Stop leaving content in your drafts folder.
11:44
Post it, post it at 80 % good enough. I was on a call hosted by Meta the other day and it was a room full of content creators and we got to go into breakout sessions and a woman shared with me, Elizabeth, I have like 60 drafts sitting in my folder and I just cannot get myself to post them. And I said, girl, you've got to just start putting your stuff out there. There is no other way.
12:13
Okay. And I remember after that call we connected and I saw her start to post and I said, look at you go. You were doing the thing. And I could tell she felt just the sense of relief. It was like, even if it didn't perform well, it was like she was finally getting in motion. So post it at 80 % good enough. So even when you know you could do better, even when it feels imperfect, even when it makes you feel a little cringe, just do it. Because here is one of the absolute most
12:43
key takeaways that I want you to move into your week, into your year. Clarity does not come before action. Clarity comes through action. You don't get confident and then post. You post and confidence follows. And sometimes the goal of a post is simply that you showed up. And that could be your metric of success. That counts.
13:11
Perfectionism and freeze and analysis paralysis are what actually hold most people back, not the algorithm. So post your good enough content and move on. Okay, so let's shift into what does matter in 2026. First, human first content in this AI world. As AI becomes more prevalent, your humanity becomes your competitive advantage.
13:38
Smart marketing in 2026 is not becoming more automated. I'm a huge fan of automations and delegation, but it's really about becoming more human in your content. So I use AI every day. I'm a huge fan of chat GPT. I also love using Poppy AI. If you wanna DM me the word Poppy, P-O-P-P-Y on Instagram, I'll send you that link. I use it for everything, ideation, structure.
14:07
ways I can be more efficient in planning and scripting my podcast episodes, research, everything I do in my business. I use AI as a strategic thought partner, but it never replaces my human thought leadership, my human experience. At the MIBE Summit conference I was just at, one of the speakers was talking about the power of AI and he made a really good point, which is that
14:36
as incredible as AI is, it can't believe in the impossible dream that you might have for yourself. And like that sense of self-belief, that is something that we can't delegate to anyone else. And so I invite you to never let AI replace your voice, your stories, your perspective. It's going to become more more important to show your face.
15:03
share those behind the scenes moments in your brand, in your business. Let people hear the voices of your employees. Let people hear the voices of the leaders in your company. Let people hear the voices of your customers. The creators who win will be the ones who master the balance of leveraging AI and also allowing their content to become even more human centric.
15:33
Second, community over followers. So Instagram is really prioritizing that shareability and connection piece. Remember how we talked about with this recommendations based algorithm, it doesn't matter your follower size, like the playing field is even. The way the algorithm works is that it sends it out to a small group of people depending on how those people interact with it.
15:58
If it does well, they'll expand it to a bigger group of people. Again, if it does well, they'll continue to keep expanding it to a bigger group of people, okay? And they show it to people who they think are gonna be interested in it, right? So focus on content that your existing audience wants to share, right? Think about when you go to create a piece of content, like why would someone wanna share this? Why would someone wanna DM this to their buddy?
16:25
Why would someone wanna DM this to their wife, right? Depending on your target audience. So the content that sparks conversation, content that makes people feel like they belong, that they're seen, that they're heard, that they're helped, this is where DM automation becomes so powerful, not just for list building, but starting real relationships and conversations. And I'm a huge fan of leveraging DM automation to essentially get the conversation
16:54
going for me because I'm not on my phone 24 seven. I have two businesses to run, two young kids. I have a lot going on, but I have my DM automation, just simple funnels set up to start conversations for me. And then I can hop in with a voice memo or a follow-up message. So if you're not yet leveraging DM automation, make sure you have connected with me on Instagram. You have followed me over there at Elizabeth Marberry, M-A-R-B-E-R-R-Y.
17:24
If you DM me the keyword leads, L-E-A-D-S, I have this short and sweet little guide about how to set up DM automation. You can do it in less than 30 minutes. And I give you a free month of many chat, which is the platform I use and recommend. It's a meta business partner, very intuitive, no software skills required. They make these things so easy for us. We're so fortunate as business owners and entrepreneurs in 2026.
17:54
So don't forget to DM me leads if you want to try out MiniChat for free for a month. The third thing I want you to focus on in 2026 is social search optimization. People are using Instagram like Google. Okay, they're going on there to search for what they're looking for. Like if I'm going through perimenopause, I'm going into Instagram and I'm searching in Instagram perimenopause tips.
18:24
This means that your captions, your hooks on screen, the words you're saying in your videos really matter. So this is where again, messaging, the words you are choosing to use, they really need to be specific and they need to be searchable. So an example of this would be instead of saying Monday motivation, which could go for any niche or any person really, I would be more specific. I would say,
18:52
Monday motivation for overwhelmed entrepreneurs who feel like quitting. Do you see how many different keywords were in that sentence versus Monday motivation? That second sentence was, I identified who I was speaking to, overwhelmed entrepreneurs, and I identified their pain point. They feel like quitting. And then I gave them a solution, Monday motivation. That clarity helps both the algorithm and your people find your content.
19:22
It helps the algorithm know what your content's about and it can put it in front of more people who are interested in what you have to dish up. The fourth piece to focus on is conversation-based marketing. The future of Instagram marketing, and it's currently happening, but it's gonna keep happening, is conversation. They said that more DMs are sent every day on Instagram than any other use of the platform. That's why they're really
19:52
putting a lot of investment into optimizing that part of Instagram because that is where a lot of people are hanging out. So how do you get those conversations going? You have to ask questions, right? It's not a monologue, it's a conversation. So ask questions, invite replies, respond to comments. I'm always blown away when I go and Instagram audit for a client and I'm looking at their stuff and there's some comments on their posts and they're not responding to them or.
20:21
They're just responding with like liking it, know, the little like they're hurting it or they're like commenting an emoji. This is a two way energetic, it's a two way street. If you want more engagement, you need to give more engagement. You need to comment, you need to be active. I've never been a fan of, oh my gosh, you have to log in 30 minutes before you post and then interact with accounts and then you post and then 30 minutes after, I have never done that. You do not have to do that, but just be a person, respond to people.
20:51
And use DMs intentionally, really inviting people into that conversation and then into the next step of your sales funnel. There are strategies around how to have those sales conversations in the DMs. I work with my clients on that. We don't have time to get into that today, but just start having those conversations. Before we break down your 2026 action plan, I just want to quickly highlight this piece around the AI opportunities.
21:21
My clear prediction for AI in 2026 is this, that the gap between businesses and creators who use AI well and those who use it poorly will be massive, okay? AI should make you more efficient, not more generic. So it is very important that you invest in learning how to use this tool and you can use it for...
21:48
literally anything and everything in your business and life. You know, I use it for research, ideation, structure, repurposing content. I mean, I could go on and on. Never copy and paste blindly. You have to proofread. You have to give it feedback just like you were if there was a copywriter sitting across from your desk who was writing an email for you and your brand. You would have to give that person notes, right? Like, hey, I would never use that word or actually it makes more sense to me to start with this piece.
22:18
than that, right? Like you have to go back and forth with this tool, but my goodness, I truly equate my massive revenue growth last year because I was actually in the top 1 % of Chad GBT users last year in 2025. And I'm very proud of that because that is a tool that I have learned how to use. And the people who are learning how to use that tool with strategy are the ones who are gonna win in 2026.
22:48
I've done multiple series on this podcast about leveraging AI in your marketing and business growth journey. So if you're listening to that you're like, okay, wait, I wanna use AI more strategically, go back and binge the pond because I've gone very deep on exactly how I use it. And so you can replicate that for yourself and your business. Okay, so let's close out with...
23:12
your 2026 action plan. And I'm just going to keep it really high level just to help you kind of connect these dots. As always, if anything I share with you is just not intuitive for you or it doesn't feel like it aligns with you or your brand or your capacity or whatever it is, just take what you need and leave the rest behind. Okay, so here's a simple way to implement everything we've talked about. And I'm going to give you like a three month kind of starting point.
23:42
Month one, I would love for you to focus on building the foundation. So in month one, I would love for you to take some time offline, just using your brain or using AI to help pick your brain and clarify your mission and point of view as a founder, as a CEO, as an entrepreneur, as a marketer, whatever your role is.
24:09
Clarify your mission and really get deeper into your why, your value system, and your point of view. Next, I want you to audit your content. I want you to run a report in your professional dashboard or Meta Business Suite, and I want you to just get curious about the last three months of your content. In Meta Business, you can go back a full year, so whatever you have access to, but...
24:38
yeah, get curious about what content performed well, what didn't, are there any themes, and noting if there's any pieces of content that you need to repurpose or even make better. Next, I do want you to set up at least one evergreen DM automation. Evergreen meaning you can set it and forget it. So an example to that would be if you are interested in working with me privately,
25:02
I do offer a complimentary 30 minute Instagram breakthrough session with me, but to get that you have to apply. So I have an automation set up where you can DM me the keyword apply, A-P-P-L-Y, and my automation will send you a link to just fill out a short application so I can learn more about you, your business, your vision, your goals, where you're struggling and then.
25:27
I can really maximize our time in the call and just make sure that it's really worth our time. And if I'm not the right person to support you, I can point you in the right direction, right? So that's an example of one of my funnels that I just have running all the time. So you could do that for your business. And by the way, if you're listening to this and you're like, I would love to explore private mentorship with Elizabeth, DM me the keyword apply and let's chat. But I would love for you to set up one DM automation funnel this month.
25:57
Finally, I want you to show your face more. And I know it's so uncomfortable. It's funny, I get it. I have a personal brand, so of course I'm showing my face all the time, but I also own a brick and mortar dance studio called Wedding Dance Coach. I am in the CEO founder seat, so I have a team, a beautiful, brilliant team of instructors who are teaching all the lessons. So I am really not the face of that company, but I...
26:25
did show my face in our Instagram story the other day. And I have to tell you all, I felt a little awkward. And here's why. I had the story in my head of, okay, this Gen Z couple is gonna see this woman in her 40s and be like, why would I listen to her? I I teach this for a living and that voice of judgment came up for me. But you know what? I did it anyway, right? I did it anyway. So darlings, show your face more. Month two, content strategy.
26:54
Okay, that's where you've set the foundation in month one, month two, content strategy. I want you to start really leaning into AI strategically as a thought partner if you haven't already. I want you to focus on developing a content strategy that is very personalized on storytelling your lived experience, your clients or customers lived experience, why the business was started, why you keep going, why you're passionate about it, highlighting the key, you know,
27:23
problems of your clients or customers through storytelling, right? Like that is gonna be so key in 2026. I want you to optimize your captions for search as well. So not just your Instagram bio and profile, your hooks and whatever you're saying on screen, but also your captions for search. That doesn't mean that you just like stuff a bunch of keywords. You still need to just speak like a human, but being mindful of, okay, is my content optimized for search?
27:53
And I want you to, if you're not already, start tracking those business metrics so you can really assess outside of your Instagram engagement rate, like is this content actually moving the needle for my business or not? Month three, I want you to focus on community. So create conversation-driven content. So maybe in month three, you're just playing with this idea of
28:21
Okay, for the next month, I am gonna see how many conversations I can get going. Does it mean that they'll lead to a sale? Maybe, maybe not, but your goal is really to engage intentionally, okay? And I think that'll be a really fun challenge. I'm definitely gonna be doing this. And month three is a great time to refine, refine the DM automation, see what content is working, what's not, and of course,
28:49
keep moving forward, keep posting that 80 % good enough content one step at a time. Remember that progress compounds. Okay, to close out the episode, here's what I believe we will see by the end of 2026. AI will amplify those who use it intentionally. Community will matter more than follower count. Social search will rival Google for many businesses.
29:17
And I want to add in here that now you do want to be aware that your business needs to be positioned to be found through chat GBT search. So if I go into chat GBT and I'm a Gen Z couple who's planning my wedding in Denver and I type in, where should I take dance lessons for my first dance? You better believe that my company is going to come up because chat GBT m
29:45
is pulling from Google, it's pulling from Instagram, it's pulling across everywhere my brand is present and that is why it is imperative that you have cohesive messaging and SEO across all channels. Okay, so social search is super important. And lastly, trust will be the ultimate currency. Trust. It has always been key, but I would argue it's even more precious in this day and age.
30:15
I hope today's episode resonated with you and served you. If you have enjoyed this four part series and you are totally ready and amped to stop spinning your wheels on Instagram, I wanna invite you to join my Hot Reels VIP wait list. Hot Reels is my 12 month Instagram content lab where I teach you how to create the scroll stopping content that is gonna grow your brand's visibility.
30:43
help you to feel more confident with your content strategy so ultimately you can achieve your business growth goals on Instagram. It is killer and I love our group. The doors are currently closed and I keep this container very intentional, very high touch and intimate. This is not a group program where you're gonna be in a room with hundreds of other people. It's very intimate. So.
31:06
When you're on the wait list, you'll be the first to know when the door's open and you'll get access to some really fun bonuses designed to help you drive more visibility and revenue. And it takes less than 30 seconds to join. Are you ready? Pay attention. All right. So you can DM me the keyword hot, H-O-T on Instagram. Remember, make sure you're following me over there at Elizabeth Marberry, M-A-R.
31:31
B-E-R-R-Y, DM me the keyword hot and my robot assistant will send you the deets to join the wait list. Or if you are one of those researchers where you're like, what is Hot Rails? I wanna know every detail before I join the wait list. You can head over to our website, which is elizabethmarberry.com slash hot for full program info and the wait list link. That's elizabethmarberry, M-A-R-B-E-R-R-Y.com slash hot.
31:59
I would absolutely love to see your name on that list and I so appreciate you spending time with me, investing in yourself, investing in your business. I know that you care so much about what you do and I'm rooting for you and I know that whatever you see and envision for your life is possible for you. I'm sending you so much love and I cannot wait to strut it with you next week. Thank you for listening to Strut It. If you're ready to start leveraging Instagram to grow your business,
32:27
then you're gonna wanna grab my free Monetize Your IG Guide, where you'll learn seven simple and proven ways to finally make money on Instagram. You can grab your guide at ElizabethMarberry.com slash freebies. That's ElizabethMarberry.com slash freebies to get my Monetize Your IG Guide. If you got some incredible value from today's episode,
32:55
Be sure to leave a review and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform. And I cannot wait to start it with you again next week.
