How To Post Less And Get Better Results With A Personal Brand Storytelling Strategy
“I feel like I’m constantly on my phone — posting, checking notifications, closing the app, immediately reopening it, checking again.”
One of my clients recently described the “always on” trap that depletes business owners posting content to grow their businesses.
Gives me flashbacks to this time last year, careening full speed ahead toward burnout that took a full eight months to recover from. I didn’t see the signs. Or even know to look for them.
All I knew back then was I lost my creative edge.
But I forced myself to keep posting at least five days a week to feed and countless more times to stories — constantly checking, and rechecking, notifications — as if getting external validation would somehow remedy the fact that I was disconnected from my work (and myself).
LOL. I was fooling myself.
And fizzled out accordingly.
So much so I went completely dark on social media. For almost three months, I stepped away from being constantly online so I could find myself offline. I didn’t know if I would return to my 55,000 followers at the time. But after many weeks, I realized I did have a message I was passionate about sharing — even if no one “liked” it.
But there was no way I was going back to what burned me. I designed a storytelling content strategy that allowed me to post less (three times a week to feed) and resonate more (my content has received more than 800,000 views in the last three months. See the results below.).
But most importantly, I am well. Energized. Pumped about the life that my business supports as a byproduct of my revamped plan.
Today I’m excited to share my Instagram storytelling strategy with you.
Whether social media is stealing too much of your time or chasing external metrics has you teetering on the edge of burnout my strategy will help you be efficient, so you can enjoy showing up consistently without being “on” constantly.
Let’s dive in.
Start A Personal Brand Storytelling Strategy
All good strategy starts with an insight. And a personal brand storytelling strategy is no different.
A strategic insight is this: An observation backed by evidence that gives you direction.
Most marketers try to collect this evidence by looking at industry stats or trends, or an “ideal client avatar” (not the strongest starting point for people who value authenticity. This is why).
When restarted on Instagram in May 2024, I leveraged an insight from my journalism days: The best way to engage people emotionally, make them remember me, and make the meaning behind my message resonate is to tell stories.
I began with a four day a week posting schedule.
I did not learn my lesson.
Even four times a week was too much as I was recuperating, plus social media wasn’t my primary focus anymore.
At the time, I was winding down my content agency to go full time as a storyteller and creative. Creating an exceptional digital course and newsletter was my focus. Spending too much time designing Instagram posts held little appeal.
But something good did come out of that short-lived, four-day-a-week posting schedule: the insight got me the results I mentioned at the beginning. It was this: My engagement spiked — higher than before I took a break — when I used storytelling carousels and static posts.
I realized I could post less and still make my point land with the RIGHT people.
Bam💥. The new strategy was born:
Storytelling content. Three times a week. NO reels.
Post Less, Impact More With Social Media Storytelling
There’s a lot that goes into a storytelling content strategy — knowing what stories will explain your expertise, how to tell them engagingly, and how to break down your big picture message into bite-size content that draws in the right people.
But once you have those details in place, the execution just fires off.
I broke down the day-to-day IG posting like this:
Monday; Context
Storytelling content isn’t just individual stories. In a storytelling strategy, every piece of content builds a bigger picture narrative that gives context to your message through the lens of your unique way of doing things. StoryCraft is practical. In other words, we can talk about how great storytelling is in theory, but if you can execute it in your content, then it’s not on-brand for me. That’s why a huge aspect of my message is “everyone can get better at storytelling.” On Monday, I put my words where my message is, sharing practical, actionable storytelling tips in a carousel. Usually, but not always, with a story explaining the benefits of these tips in the caption. (Here’s an example).
Tuesday; Practicing What I Preach
A storytelling strategy requires that you know your values. You know what you stand for, and you actively do or work toward living into your beliefs. This is the only way to attract the people who want to work with you because you are you. They vibe with your approach, and that makes selling very natural. On Tuesdays, I told inspiring stories about my values that demonstrated the uniqueness in my approach without ever mentioning my offers. The 2024 P&L statement is in and I took home a personal record: $135,600—even though I took six months off from 1:1 client work last year. I’ll leave it at that. (Here’s an example).
Thursday; Shared Identity
The secret to turning followers into community is shared identity. Most marketing seeks to separate: “you” are the expert, “they” are buyers. But communities that consistently care about your brand are built on commonalities. Think: Shared goals (i.e. calm minds, financial freedom). Shared enemies (i.e. anxiety, burnout, perfection). I sprinkle this concept everywhere in my brand, from my homepage to my blogs. On Thursdays, I opted for a bold statement on a static post to call out the people who vibe with my views on business and life. (Here’s an example).
This is how to post less, and get better results.
StoryCraft Personal Brand Storytelling Prompts
If you don’t want to burnout, or burnout again, unlearn the force-fed social media narrative that you need to be “on” constantly to stay relevant. Instead just be relevant by strategically creating a brand narrative that pulls the right people into your orbit.
Here are your next steps. Draw upon your experience and expertise and riff on these prompts (no self-editing, just flow):
1. Start with creating context for your brand narrative.
Why is your approach needed today because of what’s happening in the world now? What does someone need to know to fully enjoy the benefits of your work?
For example, using storytelling to explain the value of your expertise is the best way to be remembered in a 24/7 content world. To fully embrace that fact, everyone needs to know storytelling is a skill they can get better at with intentional practice.
2. Get clear on your values and beliefs, and use them to differentiate your brand.
Free write 3-to-5 “die-on-hill” viewpoints on what's wrong in your industry—and how to make it right. For example, in my industry (marketing) people are told to post constantly, but because of my experience and client results, it’s my die-on-this-hill belief that we don’t need to post constantly to grow consistently.
3. Tap into a shared identity
“World-building” is a term you're going to here a lot this year. We'll talk about it more, but for now just know: Belonging is the name of the game. Brainstorm on the common enemies I mentioned above, but most importantly, define success. Not just from your offer outcome but how people in your community (including you) feel, act, and embody when life is at its best. Knowing both enemies and aspirations makes it easy to tell transformative stories.
If you want a brainstorming partner to turn these prompts into a brand narrative that paves the way for a strong storytelling strategy, books a strategy session.
Moral Of The Story
Creating a life you love with a business that supports it requires showing up in a way that feels good for you.
But that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice results. A storytelling strategy gives you the best of both worlds.
That’s all for now.
As always, thanks for reading and…
Happy Storytelling,
Cyndi
