Oh Instagram. The app we love to hate, yet equally don’t know what we would do without. Whether you use Instagram to consume your content, as your own personal news feed, to stay connected with the people you love to follow, or are trying to run and grow a business on the app, there are healthier habits we can put in use for 2023 over on Instagram. While I am no social media or marketing expert, I do believe I know a thing or to about balance and prioritizing the important things in life. Therefore, if you want a healthier relationship with social media, specifically Instagram, well here is what you need to do this year, on our favorite app, that so many can feel so strongly about. Bringing you Instagram best practices to utilize this year so you CAN have a healthier relationship with social media! 

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Your Instagram Best Practices for 2023

This Instagram best practices for 2023 is for you if you are someone who loves using Instagram. These best practices are also for you if you desire to have a healthier relationship with Instagram. As well as if you use Instagram to help support your own personal business. My intention is to provide you with helpful strategies to allow you to spend your time on Instagram with more purpose and more intention so that way you can actually focus on the things you want to work on.

All so you can actually spend your moments the way you want to spend them. To allow you to feel freedom in putting your phone down, and intentionally connecting with the people you love the most. As well as feeling the freedom to post what you want to post! All of this for you and more in store on these Instagram best practices for 2023! 

Instagram in the Beginning

Oh, I can easily remember the very beginning of Instagram. As someone who has been on the app since the very beginning, it has been so fun to see how the app has evolved. When I first joined the app, I had a private account that was used mainly for sharing fun and personal things with friends and family. It wasn’t until 2018 that I first started my public account and used Instagram as a blogger / content creator. Quickly I learned just how time consuming, competitive, joy-stealing and comparison growing the app can actually be! And that is exactly how the app can be IF we don’t put healthy strategies in place to help guide us on how we use the app. Therefore, I am sharing with you specific ways to have a healthier relationship with Instagram this year! 

How to Have a Healthier Relationship with Instagram This Year 

As a high school teacher, to be honest, I am so glad that I did not have to grow up as a child and experience my teenage years with the added pressure and distraction of social media. Those years had enough challenge on their own, so thankful that wasn’t me. So thankful that I didn’t grow up as a teenager with social media. But it can easy to feel like high school all over again on the app. It can be easy to feel cliquey. Furthermore, on the app, there are many different avenues to feel less than, not good enough, or not doing enough. And in some ways, it can feel like high school all over again.

And while that thought could be an entirely separate episode on its own – that really isn’t my intention of this episode. Instead, my intention of this episode is to provide a healthy dose of wisdom on how to use Instagram this year.

8 Instagram Best Practices for the Year 

This healthy dose of wisdom is intended for both users and creators on the app. While I consider myself both. Someone who does truly enjoy to see what is going on in people’s lives, what they are sharing, the real and authentic life. And as someone who does create content. Truthfully, as someone who is trying to expand and grow even further to bring in additional income through this business, side hustle, whatever you want to call it. And I know that in order to do that, I do need to be a little more present over on Instagram.

Therefore, 8 truths to implement over on Instagram as part of your social media strategy this year! 8 ways to use the app this year. These truths can be used no matter how you show up on Instagram and use the app. For business or for leisure, 8 truths to implement in your Instagram strategy this year! 

Instagram Best Practice #1 – Remove the pressure & the expectation

The very first best practice to implement over on Instagram this year is really all about adjusting your mindset as you use the app. Therefore, in order to have a healthier relationship with social media, remove the pressure, remove the expectation. Additionally, remove the belief that you need to perform. Furthermore, remove the belief that you need to be perfect. Get rid of it all!

Remove all of those things and simply show up as you. The real authentic version of you. Leave the pressure off. If you create a plan, and don’t fall through with it, that is okay. Be okay with it. Simply show up as the you in the moment, that is what people want. It is through the real and the vulnerable moments of you that are truly encouraging and allow for connection at a deeper level. 

#2 – Create Healthy Boundaries 

The next best practice for Instagram to use this year and to incorporate as part of your social media strategy is to create healthy boundaries. Create healthy boundaries within your day and within your week where you are not on the app. Think through your daily routines and ask yourself how often you spend scrolling through your phone. Alter your morning routine and nighttime routine to spend less time on your phone. Have windows of your day where you purposefully avoid looking through the app. Utilize focus mode or work mode on your phone. Or even delete the app if you need to. Set a limit to what you expect yourself to do and set a healthy boundary with yourself and your Instagram usage. 

#3 – Don’t Worry About Everyone Else

The third best practice for Instagram in 2023 is to stop worrying about everyone else! Seriously, don’t worry about what everyone else is doing. Focus on YOU and what makes YOU stand out! It can be so easy to get caught up in what other people are sharing and posting and how they are performing. Instead, don’t get caught up in that. Simply focus on the things you are doing and the passions you have!

Focus on what you do and what makes you stand out. If we get lost by looking at the world and by looking at what works for someone else. We lose our value, we lose our worth. And we lose what makes us unique, as well as the gifts we give and how we serve. You are the you that you were created to be. That is beautiful. There is incredible power and purpose in that. So be that person and show up as that person. Focus on doing the things you need to do, that make you stand out. When you actually create content, focus on creating content that works with you. Content that works for you. That is authentic to you. Don’t try to be another voice, just be yours! 

Instagram Best Practice #4 – Share what you LOVE to share! 

Another best practice to use on Instagram to up your social media strategy and to maintain a healthier relationship with how you use social media is to focus on creating and sharing what you LOVE. What brings you JOY. Focus on sharing that. Don’t feel like you have to share something simply because everyone else is doing it. Just focus on creating and sharing the things you love to share.

Personally, I need to get in my own rhythm of doing this. To continue to pour in and create content for my amazing community over on Instagram. Share what you love, what brings you joy, and don’t worry about posting things just because others are posting them. Share what you love to share and that joy and love will radiate to others. 

Instagram Best Practice #5 – Take time off 

The fifth Instagram best practice to utilize this year is to take specific time off of the app. Whether it is just one day a week, or a weekend, or even an entire week throughout the year. Pick a time where you are not going to be on the app. Give yourself permission to take time off. Give people a heads up about it. And then actually do it. Don’t think twice about it. Do the things you need to do without it!

#6 – Create your own routine that works for you! 

Another best practice for Instagram is to create your own consistent routine that works for you and stick with it. Figure out what works for you. Create your own consistent routine. If you are a creator, have your own business and are trying to show up consistently on the app, work on creating your own routine that works for you. What makes sense in your life and how can you actually show up consistently. Figure out what works for you and create your own consistent routine. Stick with it and be confident in it! 

#7 – Nourish your audience that is already there 

The seventh best practice for Instagram is to nourish your audience that is already there! So many people focus on growth and wanting to grow bigger and expand their reach to grow even wider. That is a great goal in theory, but the reality is, unless you have all the time in the world to do that, that is extremely hard to do these days with how many users are out there generating content on the app. Instead, switch the focus away from growing bigger, and instead focus on growing deep with your community that is already there. Nurture your community. Talk to the people who are already listening. Show up for the people who are already in your corner. Focus on serving that audience. And show up for them! 

Your 8th Best Practice for Instagram – Be genuine & be authentic. 

The final best practice for your Instagram use this year is to be genuine and be authentic. Focus on being yourself. Be the you that you are, not somebody else! And be so incredibly kind! Seriously share from the heart. Show the real, show the raw, show the messy. And be so incredibly kind! Trust me, it resonates and goes a long way. Of course have your boundaries and be mindful of the message that you are sending. Focus on showing up genuinely and authentically and kind. Every single thing you post on the app sends a message, so make sure the message you are sending is purposeful and intentional. That the message goes with you! 

Have a Healthier Relationship with Social Media This Year! 

There you have it. Your complete Instagram strategy for 2023. Looking for additional ways to grow your business this year, sharing best practices to use to grow your brand on Pinterest as well!  I truly hope you feel refreshed and feel encouraged. That you feel like you can take a deep breath. In order to show up as you with no pressure or expectation. That you feel freedom to establish routines that work for you and create healthy boundaries to support that. You can love Instagram and being on the app. A healthy relationship with social media, specifically Instagram, is capable this year! Believing in you and cheering you on, every single day!