127: Why Your Instagram Content Isn't Turning Followers Into Clients (Part 2)
Have you ever looked at your Instagram and thought — I'm doing everything I'm supposed to do. I'm posting consistently, I'm showing my face, I'm making reels. People even comment that my content is helpful. So why isn't anyone actually converting into a paying client or customer? If that's you, you're not crazy and you're not alone. Today I want to challenge one of the biggest misconceptions floating around the online business world: that if you just create enough content, the sales will eventually come. And today I'm sharing the story of one of my Hot Reels graduates who learned that lesson firsthand. She went from feeling completely defeated by Instagram to getting 7x more reel views and attracting clients directly from her content.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
04:03 Why consistency alone isn't enough and the real reason content isn't converting into clients
05:26 The most important question to ask before you film anything: what is the job of this piece of content?
08:11 Meet Caroline Hull: podcast strategist, Hot Reels graduate, and someone who had the expertise but couldn't get Instagram to work for her business
12:43 Why attention without clarity rarely becomes revenue — and the four things your profile must communicate instantly
18:43 Caroline's client story: thousands of podcast downloads, zero conversions — and the content shift that changed everything
21:33 Caroline's Hot Reels results: 7x reel views, increased engagement, and her highest revenue month since her brand pivot
24:28 Why a million views on the wrong message produces less revenue than 5,000 views to the right person
Links Mentioned:
Hot Reels VIP Wait List — enrollment opens Monday, August 17th. Join the wait list for first access and an exclusive private coaching bonus
A Truth You Need to Hear:
"The viral reel didn't create the growth. The viral reel revealed the foundation she had spent months building."
— Elizabeth Marberry
S3 Ep127 Transcript - Why Your Instagram Content Isn't Turning Followers Into Clients (Part 2)
00:00
Have you ever looked at your Instagram and thought, oh, I'm doing everything I'm supposed to do. I'm posting consistently, I'm showing my face, I'm speaking to the camera, I'm making reels. People even comment that my content is helpful. So why isn't anyone actually converting into a paying client or customer? If that's you, I want you to know you're not crazy and you're not alone.
00:28
Today I wanna challenge one of the biggest misconceptions I see floating around the online business world and that is if you just create enough content, the sales will eventually come. And yeah, I guess for some people they do, but more often than not, they don't. And it's not necessarily because your content isn't good or because Instagram hates you or because your niche is saturated, but because good.
00:55
Content and strategic marketing for business growth are two different things and today I'm sharing the story of one of my hot reels graduates who learned that lesson firsthand She went from feeling completely defeated by Instagram to getting as much as seven times more reels views and attracting clients directly from her content
01:20
And the lesson she learned along the way is one I wish every small business owner and entrepreneur understood a lot sooner. I hope you're excited to dive in. Let's go.
01:33
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 lead 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.
02:02
Let's dive in.
02:12
Welcome back to the show. Thank you as always for joining me today. My goal is to simplify Instagram and social media marketing for your small business so you can reach more of your ideal clients and customers and hopefully have more fun along the way in marketing and creating content for your business. Last week we kicked off this five part series that is really all about what it actually takes.
02:39
to grow a business on Instagram in 2026. This is not influencer fluff or here's a trending audio you need to use this week. It's not another Instagram distraction of sharing an update with you that really isn't gonna impact you. I don't do that. Really the goal of the series is to share some real client stories, the struggles they had and really.
03:05
the strategies that we implemented to help them overcome those struggles. So you can run with those lessons and really implement them, whether you hire me or not as your coach and mentor in your Instagram marketing strategy. So last week we talked about consistency and why so many business owners quit during the exact season they need to keep going. So if you haven't listened to part one yet and you're feeling frustrated that
03:35
the Instagram growth seems to be taking longer than it should. Definitely go back and check out last week's conversation, because I think it's gonna help you so much. And of course, the series builds upon each other. So ideally you're listening to part one, part two, all of that. And today's conversation is really gonna build on that piece of consistency, because while consistency is absolutely necessary,
04:03
Consistency by itself isn't enough. And I think that's where so many incredible business owners get discouraged is because they actually take the advice, right? They post, they stay consistent, they keep showing up and then nothing. No inquiries, no leads, no sales, no dreamboat clients, maybe a few extra views or likes.
04:29
or a couple comments from your existing followers or a couple random people, but not really the business growth that they were hoping for. And I get it, that can be extremely frustrating. And it's usually at that point that it's easy to think maybe Instagram just doesn't work for my business. But I want you to pause, take a deep breath, and know that I don't...
04:58
believe that's what's actually happening. What's happening is that we've confused creating content with building a marketing strategy. And those are not necessarily the same thing. One of the things I teach inside of Hot Reels, which is my 12 month Instagram content lab, my signature group coaching program. And honestly, one of the biggest mindset shifts people make is that
05:26
before we ever talk about hooks and trending audio or editing tricks, we get crystal clear on something much more important, which is what is the job of this piece of content? Another way of saying that is like, what is the goal? Because not every post should be judged by the same metric. Some content that you're gonna post,
05:51
The goal and intention is to introduce your brand to a totally new audience, right? Someone who does not know that you exist. Some content exists to build trust and deepen that connection with your existing followership. Because I guarantee you, whether you have a hundred followers or a hundred thousand followers, there are people in your audience who are watching you and have not yet bought, but they're interested.
06:20
Right? So some content exists to build that trust and connection with your current audience. And some of your content exists to start conversations, right? And to invite people into the dialogue with you. Because if you're using your social platform like a stage and it's just a monologue, that's why you feel like you're shouting out into the void. Sometimes when people say, oh, no one's responding to me. Like no one is.
06:50
commenting on my stuff, say, are you asking them to? Are you inviting your audience, your ideal follower or client or customer into conversations? Are you asking them questions or is it just you on a stage with a megaphone shouting out, right? So we can design our content to really start those conversations and nurture the people who are already following you.
07:16
And some content exists to drive people into your DMs or your direct messages, right? That's where a lot of sales conversations can happen and sales can be made. Some of your content might not go straight to a sale, but it might turn that hottest prospect into a lead, right? Someone who possibly joins your email list and then you can nurture them from there and invite them into the next step with your company.
07:45
So when every reel or piece of content that you're putting out on Instagram has a clear job, your marketing gets actually easier and so much simpler. But when you're just kind of posting content without any kind of strategy and you're kind of magically expecting each random reel to do everything for your business, right? Introduce you, build trust, educate, sell, go viral.
08:11
you're gonna feel really disappointed at the results and you are also gonna feel like, I don't get how this Instagram content is gonna work for my business. And that's why I wanted to share with you Caroline's story. So Caroline Hull, she actually was my podcast strategist and coach years ago. I was relaunching this podcast. This was actually season three.
08:36
of my podcast and I really want to dial in the strategy. Now, I want to say Caroline no longer does podcast a strategy in consulting. Otherwise, I would send you her way. But after we had worked together, we had a great rapport and relationship. Caroline joined Hot Reels at a really interesting point in her business because she had already built a successful business. She was really good at what she did. She had years of experience. She knew how to serve her clients. She knew how to create really valuable content.
09:06
but Instagram just was not translating into business. And it felt like a struggle for her. And I actually interviewed Caroline on this podcast when she was really in the beginning of the Hot Reels journey, because I wanted listeners to hear directly from someone going through that process. And I could sit here all day and tell you why I believe strategic marketing matters. And I think it's important.
09:30
for you to hear it from someone who's lived it. And we talk about marketing strategy, not only on Instagram, but just overarching like online strategy and how it correlates with long form content and short form content. And so for those of you who do have a YouTube channel or you do have a podcast or you have a blog that you put out every week or a long form newsletter, this is gonna be super helpful for you from that lens too, because
09:57
It's so important to understand the nuance of the strategies for long form versus short form. And I think as you hear Caroline describe where she was at when she decided to join Hot Reels, you are gonna really relate. Let's hear what Caroline has to say. I mentioned that I'm a podcaster. I'm really good at long form content. I am not good at short form content. Like it is a struggle for me. And in the same way that my podcast works for my business, I want my Instagram to work for my business as well.
10:27
and it doesn't. And so even though I've applied a lot of the same strategies, I show up very differently behind a microphone than I do in front of a camera. So Elizabeth and I have been talking for a while about that issue of mine with confidence and from the camera, and also just talking about how to create better hooks and things like that. So that's really why I decided to join because I'm ready to take my online presence to the next level. And I know that
10:55
podcast, Instagram, that's the next level for me. So I'm really excited. I love that clip because I think so many business owners will hear themselves in Caroline's story. Notice what she didn't say. She didn't say, I don't know enough. She didn't say my offers aren't good. She didn't say I need another certification or I need to read another book or listen to another podcast. She already had the expertise.
11:21
What she needed was a better way to communicate that expertise to her ideal followers. And honestly, that's marketing. Marketing isn't convincing people to buy something they don't need. Marketing is helping the right people, your ideal clients or customers, understand why your product or service or solution matters. It's helping someone think, oh my gosh,
11:48
that's exactly what I've been experiencing. Because people don't buy products or services, they buy people. They don't buy because they're impressed by your credentials or that you have 100,000 followers. They buy when they feel understood. And that is one of the biggest mistakes I see entrepreneurs making on Instagram is they spend all this time
12:14
in their content teaching or explaining or sharing information or giving tips. And don't get me wrong, education is totally a pillar that works on Instagram and it can be valuable, but information alone doesn't move people into action. What does drive people into action is that feeling of connection and clarity. Like, oh my gosh, this is the product for me. Great messaging will do that.
12:43
Right? When someone lands on your Instagram profile, they should immediately understand who do you help? What problem do you solve? Why should they trust you and your brand? What's the next step for them if they want to go work with you or buy your product or service? Because if those four things aren't clear, it doesn't matter how many people watch your reel. Attention without clarity rarely becomes revenue. So how do you actually fix this? How do you stop?
13:13
creating content that people scroll past and start creating content that moves people toward becoming clients. Ironically, I don't think the first question you should ask yourself is, what should I post today? I think your first question is, what do I want this piece of content to accomplish for my business? Because if you don't know what success looks like before you hit publish, how will you know if it worked?
13:41
How will you be able to measure the results if you are unclear on that? Right? So one of the things that we spend a lot of time doing inside of Hot Reels is getting incredibly intentional about the purpose behind every piece of content. So before you write your hook, before you film the reel, before we design the carousel, before we write the caption, we ask, what is the goal? Do we want to reach people who've never heard of our brand?
14:09
Do we wanna nurture the people already following us in our orbit who are stocking our feed, but they haven't taken action yet? Do we wanna build credibility in our space and thought leadership? Do we wanna overcome some objections that tend to stop our ideal clients from taking action? Do we want people to comment a keyword so they enter our lead funnel? So that would be leveraging DM automation. And if you're like, Elizabeth, what the heck is that?
14:36
You can direct message me right now on Instagram leads, L E A D S. And I made a one page guide about how I'm leveraging DM automation to drive leads and sales. I've also done a lot of different episodes on that where I go into much more depth. So make sure you're following me on Instagram at Elizabeth Marbury, M A R B E R R Y. And then you can DM me the keyword leads L E A D S and I can get that over to you.
15:04
But let's say I post a reel and my goal is to have people download my lead magnet so that way I can get them on my email list and I want them to comment this keyword. If I create a reel and one person comments that keyword and opts into my list, that was worth it. In my eyes, that was worth it because now my content is working for the business and I'm clear on that.
15:30
So all of those things are different marketing goals, right? And if your goal isn't clear, your messaging won't be clear either. And I think that's one of the reasons why so many business owners feel discouraged is because they're measuring every single post the same way. They're like, well, it didn't get this many views or it didn't get this many followers or it didn't go viral. And then they equate that to, oh, it failed, it flopped, right?
15:58
But what if that wasn't the job of that piece of content in the first place? What if that reel was simply supposed to introduce your brand to new people? What if that carousel existed to tell a story that would drive connection and build trust because you know that your people need to see your brand at least 25 different times pop up before they're gonna purchase from you. And you know that story is building that trust.
16:24
And you can measure that by the engagement on that post and who the thoughtful comments that came from that storytelling carousel, for example. What if your Instagram story is meant to simply just start a conversation in your DMs and it doesn't even have to be a conversation about your product or service. It could be, hey, I just got my dog groomed and oh my gosh, it does not look good. I think it was on me. I did not tell the groomer. Like I did not give them enough.
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clarity about what I wanted and I realized I don't even know what I wanted. any tips, any dog owners out there, right? Getting into conversation. Clients come from conversations. So when you understand the role of each type of content and how it really plays inside of your overall marketing strategy, you stop expecting one post to carry your entire business. And honestly, the drama over like, oh, this isn't working or this isn't working.
17:19
It kind of diminishes because you're like, okay, I did a post this week that was totally off topic. I typically would tell you, you your feed posts, you do want to essentially deliver on the promise of your bio. So I'm an Instagram marketing strategist and business growth coach. So most of my content, I'm talking about that. But sometimes I will share something totally off, like outside of my niche. And this week I did that and it was just a really silly, funny video. And honestly, I just...
17:48
wanted to make people laugh and I wanted to also showcase a part of my personality, which is that I don't take myself too seriously. And I think that's kind of refreshing and my people do too. Even though it wasn't about, oh, join my program or here's an Instagram marketing tip, because I'm building a personal brand, it still makes a lot of sense. And I was clear on the goal of that piece of content. So I wouldn't have been like, oh my gosh, it didn't get that many views or no one commented my keyword because that wasn't the point, right?
18:17
So when you stop expecting one post to carry your entire business or your marketing strategy, it's a very freeing feeling and I want that for you. And I remember something Caroline shared with me during our podcast interview that stuck with me ever since. She wasn't even talking specifically about Instagram, but she was talking about marketing as a whole. Take a listen. A lot of this boils down to content and making sure your content is aligned.
18:43
I had client who came to me, she has a big podcast. I'm talking thousands of downloads per episode and was seeing no conversion. And so this is just like a true testament to the fact that like downloads do not equal conversion, right? And she was like, I have this podcast, but it's not doing anything for me. So we looked at her content and the problem was she wanted this to drive members to her membership. But the problem was she was giving everything away on her podcast. She had fallen into that trap of I have to give so much value, right?
19:13
And what happened is that people were listening to the podcast and they were going and applying all the things she was telling them. They didn't need to join the membership. And so we shifted her content. So that was like in December, probably in February, she told me that every time she posts an episode, so every Thursday, somebody joins her membership. And it was just thinking about her content differently. If you already have a podcast and it's not working for you, there are things we can do to make it work for you.
19:41
When she said that, I remember thinking, yes, exactly, because I see the Instagram version of that story every single week. People come to me frustrated because they're getting the views or maybe they have followers or they're posting consistently, but they're not getting the inquiries, the leads and sales. And the assumption is always Instagram's not working. But most of the time, Instagram isn't the problem. The strategy is because attention by itself doesn't pay the bills.
20:11
You know what does? Helping the right people move from, I've never heard of you to, ooh, I like you, I'm gonna give you a follow, to, oh, I trust you, to, I wanna work with you, or I wanna purchase your product or service. And that is marketing. And that is why I often say, I don't actually teach Instagram, I teach marketing and business strategy using Instagram.
20:40
Instagram just happens to be the vehicle because the real skill is learning how to communicate your value. It's learning how to position yourself. It's learning how to tell stories that will be so magnetizing to your ideal clients or customers. And it's learning how to help someone feel so understood before you ever ask them to buy from you.
21:04
And those are skills that will serve you for decades, long after today's trending audio disappears or the algorithm changes yet again or after some new platform inevitably comes along. And I wanna share an update from Caroline toward the end of her Hot Reels experience with me, it is a 12 month group coaching program. She shared this quote with me, before working with Elizabeth, I was ready to give up on Instagram. My views were almost non-existent.
21:33
My reach was stagnant and my confidence on camera had hit rock bottom. Joining Hot Reels completely turned things around. My Reels views have skyrocketed, sometimes seven times what they were before, and my engagement has significantly increased. Even better, I'm now attracting clients directly from Instagram and recently celebrated my highest revenue month since my brand pivot. So I just want to point something out.
22:03
Yes, she mentioned the 7x increase in real views and that's exciting, but that's not my favorite part. My favorite sentence is I'm now attracting clients directly from Instagram because that is the point, right? We got bills to pay y'all. The views are wonderful. The followers are awesome. The engagement, yes, we want it, but none of that is the ultimate end goal, right? The goal is building a
22:31
business. The goal is creating opportunities for people to discover you and trust you and choose to work with you in your business. And that is what gets me excited. Not because I don't love seeing viral reels. Believe me, I do. And people in Hot Reels post in our group and they're like, Elizabeth, I took the content prompt you shared last week and oh my gosh, my reel is popping off. It's going viral for me. I'm so excited. You know I'm going to do a happy dance with you. I will sell a break you. But
23:02
I also know that a million views on the wrong message can produce less revenue than a reel with 5,000 views that speaks directly to your ideal client. And I think that's one of the biggest mindset shifts I hope you, my beloved listener, will take away from today's episode is please stop asking, how do I get more views? And start asking yourself, how do I better serve the one
23:29
I most want to attract to my account today. Because when your marketing becomes more intentional, your results almost always become more predictable over time. And to close out this episode, I wanna say there's one more thing Caroline shared during our conversation that I think every entrepreneur needs to hear. Because if I'm being honest, I don't think the biggest obstacle for most business owners is Instagram.
23:58
I think it's fear, fear of putting yourself out there, of saying the wrong thing, of being judged, fear that people from high school are watching your Instagram stories, fear that you'll post something and nobody will care. We've all been there. I still have moments where I put something out in the world and I wonder how it's gonna land. But here's what Caroline said and I just loved it. Feel that she gets what I'm struggling with. And I connected with her first through her podcast.
24:28
And so I just really want to encourage everyone, like it is really hard showing up and putting yourself out there. And I know for me, like with Instagram, some days I just want to give up. like, I don't know what I want to film today. My hair looks terrible. You know, I don't have makeup on, but honestly, it's those moments when I show up just as myself and I make a silly video that they do better. And it's the same with podcasting. Like if you can just sit down and really share from your heart and, you know, share.
24:58
why you're doing what you do, why are you helping people with the thing you're helping them with? They're going to connect with that so much. And so there really is room for everyone. There is room for every voice. And that's something that has been a very long journey for me to learn for myself. So, yeah, I just think it's really important. I love that perspective because it completely shifts the focus. So instead of asking, what if people judge me, you start asking.
25:26
What if someone needed to hear this today? Instead of making your content about yourself, you make it about the person on the other side of the screen. And isn't that why most of us started our businesses in the first place? We wanted to help people, we wanted to solve a problem, we wanted to make someone's life easier or better, we wanna create something meaningful. When you reconnect to that, your why,
25:50
marketing starts to feel very different and it becomes less about performing and more about serving your ideal client or customer. I also think Caroline's story highlights something I believe so deeply about coaching, which is that it wasn't one reel that changed everything or one hook, one caption. It was dozens of tiny adjustments over time. A better hook here, a clearer message there, a stronger call to action here.
26:19
a different angle, a different viewpoint, right? A better deepening understanding of your ideal target audience. Week after week, those tiny improvements compound. And that's why I don't believe the biggest value inside of Hot Reels is that I'm teaching Instagram marketing strategy. You you can find Instagram tips all day long on YouTube, chat, GPT, Google, right? Information has never been more accessible.
26:43
What is much harder to find is someone who knows your business. Someone who can look at a reel and say, this hook isn't connecting because you're speaking like the expert instead of your dreamboat client. Or your call to action doesn't match the goal of this piece of content. Or this would make an incredible carousel rather than reel and here's why. That's coaching. And that's why I keep hot reels intentionally small.
27:11
I don't wanna be the coach with hundreds of people on the Zoom call where everyone gets five minutes. I wanna know your business. I wanna know your offers. I wanna know what you're launching. I wanna know what you're struggling with or what you're celebrating because that's when the real breakthroughs happen. And it's really just one giant aha overnight success moment. It's dozens of little course corrections throughout our year together and those small adjustments and one to 5 % upgrades every week.
27:38
are what can completely change the trajectory of your business, just like they did for Caroline and so many of my clients. So if you take nothing else away from today's episode, I hope you remember these three things. First, don't judge every piece of content by the same scoreboard. Before you create anything this week, ask yourself one question, what is the job of this content? What do I want it to accomplish? So when your goal becomes clear,
28:07
your messaging will become clearer too. Second, stop measuring success only by views and followers. Yes, reach matters, discovery matters, new people, follower growth matters, but those are only the indicators that your marketing is starting to reach more people. What I want you to notice are people replying to your stories. Are they sending you direct messages? Is your email list growing?
28:33
If you do sales calls, are you booking more discovery calls? Are people signing up for your lead magnet? Are people referencing your content when they inquire with your business? Hey, oh yeah, I see you on Instagram all the time. I love what you're doing, right? Those are all signs that your marketing is doing its job. And sometimes the biggest wins happen long before you have a video pop off and go viral. If you know what to measure.
29:00
Right? Because remember, we are connecting all of this back to the bottom line of your business. And lastly, remember that marketing is a skill. It is not a personality trait. You're not either good at Instagram or bad at Instagram, just like public speaking or dancing or sales or leadership. Marketing is something you practice and you get better at over time. You get feedback, you improve, you refine, and you become someone who communicates your value with
29:28
confidence, you find your voice, you're able to show up on camera and not want to barf, right? I truly believe that's one of the greatest gifts entrepreneurship has given me is that Instagram didn't just help me to grow two businesses, my brick and mortar service based business and my online business. It helped me to find my voice. It helped me to become a better communicator. It helped me to feel more confident.
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seeing my 40 something year old face on camera without a filter. It helped me to become a better storyteller and teacher. And those are skills that I'm gonna carry with me for the rest of my life, no matter what comes next. So today's episode resonated with you and you're realizing, okay, I actually don't need to create more content. I need a better strategy. I'd love to invite you to join the Hot Reels VIP wait list. As I mentioned last week,
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Hot Reels is my 12 month Instagram content lab and enrollment opens on Monday, August 17th to the wait list only. I intentionally keep the program capped at just 20 business owners because I believe the best coaching happens in close proximity to the mentor. And it's where I can truly get to know you, your business, your audience, messaging, and help you make those small refinements over time that really create massive results.
30:51
And when you join the VIP waitlist, and by the way, it will take you 30 seconds to join, you'll be the first to know when doors open and you'll also receive an exclusive private coaching bonus. It's so good that won't be available once enrollment opens to the public. So head on over to ElizabethMarberry.com slash hot. That's Elizabeth Marberry, M-A-R-B-E-R-R-Y.com slash hot.
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Or you can DM me the keyword hot, H-O-T on Instagram. Make sure you're following me over there at Elizabeth Marbury so I see your message. And my gorgeous robot assistant will send you the link automatically. Next week, we are talking about something I think is quietly costing entrepreneurs thousands of dollars in missed opportunities because I see so many brilliant experts making this mistake every single day.
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They're creating the content that sounds incredibly smart, but is not connecting with the people they're actually trying to reach. So we're going to dig into that. And I'm so excited. Make sure you're following the show so you can see when part three drops and do not forget to get your gorgeous face on that Hot Reels VIP wait list. So you can be the first to know when doors open. Thank you so much for hanging out with me today. And I can't wait to start it with you next week.
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Thank you for listening to Struttit. If you're ready to start leveraging Instagram to grow your business, 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.
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to get my monetize your IG guide. If you got some incredible value from today's episode, be sure to leave a review and subscribe on your favorite podcast platforms. And I cannot wait to start it with you again next week.
