Understanding the Five Hubs of Instagram with Angie Lee

Instagram can seem so nebulous to new business owners. How to start making a splash? How to attract followers? How to make your page look credible and draw in viewers?

Here’s the thing: it’s this nebulous for everyone who is just starting out. But, we can take some advice from the sage experts, who have found their voice on the platform and have built audiences successfully. Chief amongst these experts is Angie Lee, the founder of the Angie Lee Show Podcast and an Instagram personality with just under 100,000 followers. Oh, yeah — and she built that following with zero paid ads. 

Lee teaches that there are ‘five hubs’ to one’s Instagram. Understanding these can help you to craft a strategy that you feel excited about and get to posting with confidence! 

1. Your instagram bio is your business card.

What does a good business card have? Well, at networking events, you ideally want to hand out business cards that are memorable because they say exactly what you do and how you can help those that you connected with. Otherwise, if the value that you offer isn’t clear, your business card might get discarded into the recycling bin. Think of your Instagram bio as your virtual business card. 

“Some may think that your first impression on Instagram will be your feed, but it’s really your bio,” said Lee. “People don’t want to know all about you, your hobbies, and your interests, especially if you’re a stranger to them. Instead, make the bio about your customer instead, so that the value that you offer them is crystal clear.” This can be done by honing in on what you teach and what you do that can be of benefit to potential followers. For reference, Lee’s bio says, “ 

2. Your instagram feed is your magazine. 

Think about leafing through a magazine: whether it’s at the nail salon or on an airplane, a magazine knows just how to engross you with the right amount of education and/or entertainment, depending on your magazine of choice. Your feed should be the same — but Lee says this doesn’t at all mean your feed needs to be filled with professional photos like a magazine is. Rather, it’s all about offering value.

“The key to growing an audience is to post share-able content,” urged Lee. “If a post is not something that is value-packed enough that a viewer would want to save it or share it with a friend, try again.” This value-packed content can’t be varied, though. Sure, you know a little about everything, but make sure this value is niche-specific, just as magazines are.

3. Your IGTV is your Netflix.

Lee says that IGTV is a secret weapon for building a presence rooted in expertise for your audience. “To be seen as an industry expert, make short, educational videos that bring your posts to life,” she advises. “Better yet, it’s evergreen content – meaning people can keep coming back to it and sharing it,” she said. 

Have fun with your own IGTV ‘show’ if you feel called to it! Videos are how to build trust and rapport with strangers who haven’t met you yet.

4. Your Instagram DM’s are your sales meetings. 

When you’re selling on Instagram, it’s usually done through 1:1 DM conversations. Sure, it will be your posts and IGTV videos that spark the conversations, but equally important is how you show up to your DM’s. “I always advise people to just DM potential customers in the same way they’d text a friend,” Lee said. “Plus, add some voice text so it seems more personable.” Lee also replies to every single DM she gets.. Which is a lot, as you can imagine, with her following at 100K! But, that’s one of the most important things you can do to take full advantage of Instagram.

5. Your Instagram stories are your vlogs.

Finally, make sure you’re showing up on your stories, because this is how followers really get to know you and experience a ‘ day in your life.’ “Show up consistently and simply be YOU!” Lee encourages. This can be done through showing your personal life, sharing some more educational content, or even just entertaining your audience. 

Paired together, these five hubs make for Instagram success. It can seem overwhelming to show up for all of them, but they all tie together just so. As long as you’re showing up in some capacity daily, your followers will take notice! Have fun with it.