← Call Her Creator with Katelyn Rhoades
Call Her Creator with Katelyn Rhoades
136. Weekly Scroll: Is Instagram Engagement Actually Down? Plus TikTok Search and Pinterest’s Big Growth
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This episode is sponsored by Brevo, Collective and Shopify. Brevo is your all in one marketing and CRM platform that helps you turn attention into actual revenue. From email marketing to automation to CRM tools, Brevo keeps your audience warm without you manually following up 247 and collective helps you handle the business side of being a creator or an entrepreneur. From bookkeeping to taxes to compliance, they make sure you're structured correctly and not leaving money on the table. And Shopify your commerce engine. It's how you actually sell the thing. Whether that's digital products, physical products or services. Shopify gives you the tools to build, market and scale your store all in one place. And if you're serious about building a real business, not just posting the content, these are the tools behind the scenes. Get started today with bravo@bravo.com creator save with collective@collive.com CHC and launch with Shopify shopify.com CHC Today's show is sponsored by Strawberry Me.
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Are you actually where you want to be in your career right now? Or do you wake up most days feeling like you're capable of more? You're just not sure how to get there? I have been in your shoes, but here's the truth. Success doesn't just magically happen. Y'. All the people you see doing incredible things in their careers, they have guidance, they have mentors, they have coaches and people helping them think bigger and move faster. And that's exactly why I love Strawberry Me. Career Coaching Career coaching gives you the clarity, the strategy and the accountability you need to turn your goals into reality. Instead of guessing your next move, you're working with an expert who helps you identify what's holding you back, build a step by step plan, and then you take action with confidence. Because sometimes the difference between staying stuck and making real progress is simply having the right person in your corner. If you want to try it for yourself, go to Strawberry Me, stick CHC and get 50% off your first coaching session. Strawberry Mech. It's like therapy for your career. What is up my lovely people? Welcome back to Call Her Creator and to another episode of the Weekly scroll, where instead of you scrolling for updates, I get to scroll for you. Every week I hand pick the most important social media changes, break them down into plain language and tell you exactly what they mean for your growth right now. And if you're smart, you will download this episode right now, click download and follow the podcast so that you get my weekly updates every single Thursday. They'll be sent straight to your phone this will ensure that you never miss an algorithm shift or update from moi. Also guys, I am a 14 year old girl today who just got winked by Aaron Carter in the 90s. Did you guys see Adam Mussery commented on my post. Okay, I almost pooped my pants. He saw my weekly scroll update, he commented. And now that post, I mean, it was starting to go viral anyways, but now it's going even more viral and I just could not be more proud. I'm so giddy. He saw me. I've made it, Mom. Adam knows I'm alive. Just kidding. But it was very cool to see him comment on my post and then all these other people started commenting on it because of his comment. So it just shows how much engagement really does work on Instagram. Like if you get a comment from a bigger account, it's going to help other people see your content. Now this episode is brought to you by Club Influence, my monthly membership for creators who want to grow on Instagram without spending hours researching trends. So every single week, we hand pick viral reels, ideas, content prompts. We've got canva templates in there and we send them to you right to your email every Monday so you don't have to waste your time scrolling through Instagram, scrolling through social media, creating, posting. We give you all of those ideas so you can just edit and post them all on your own. And lastly, I just need to mention Stanley IG for the win this week. I was so like just done on last Thursday. So like by the end of the week my brain is fried. And I was like, let me go see what Stanley ignore thinks I should post today. And if you haven't heard me talk about this tool before, I'll link it in the show notes for you. Stanley AI Stanley ig, you basically link your Instagram to this little AI monster tool and he will scrape your socials and tell you what's working. He'll analyze your content and he'll basically like tell you what you should be posting more of based on data from your actual account. So there's no guesswork, there's no overthinking, it's just this clear direction. Like I said, I'm going to link it in the show notes for you guys. You need to run and try this tool. Because I like I said, I was brain fried. So I kind of let Stanley tell me what to post. And it was a magnificent idea. It's not just those fluffy posts either. Like it told me exactly what to do, exactly what to say, and it was Based off of content that had already been performing very well for me. So if you want to test it out, link in my show notes. Okay, let's kick off the weekly scroll with something that a lot of you have DMed me about, and that's engagement. So if you felt like your engagement on Instagram has been weird, you're not crazy. There was actually a report done from Buffer. Buffer is a social media tool, and it analyzed data from 191,000 social media accounts. Millions of posts through 2025. Okay. And it confirmed what many of us have been feeling, and that is that engagement on Instagram, engagement on LinkedIn, and engagement on Threads has declined over the past year. Now, on the flip side of this, TikTok stayed about the same. Now, I will. I. I will be curious to see if it continues to stay the same since the US Bought it, because I know a lot of people have complained about the algorithm changing. So we'll have to see. With that, TikTok, Facebook, Pinterest, and even X saw a slight increase in use. So what do we think's going on? Well, there's a few reasons why engagement starts stalling. One, there is just so much more competition. Guys, you have to understand that more and more people are posting, which means that more content is fighting for attention in the feed. It just is what it is. At the end of the day, there are more people there fighting to be seen. Secondly, Instagram specifically has heavily prioritized reels, which means that traditional feed posts may just naturally see lower engagement than they used to. Now, I will say back over Christmas break, carousels were outperforming reels by a lot, but I am seeing the shift back to favoring reels. Told you guys. We own a. So I own a social media agency. We post a lot of content here. I see it client after client after client, with my own content too, myself, post two to three times a day. So I'm not just like, guessing on this stuff. I'm being serious with you. I have seen a shift in views and engagement increasing for my reels, and carousel's kind of taking a little bit longer to get that engagement. Buffer found that when creators reply to comments on their post, engagement increases significantly. And I've told you guys this a lot. I've told you this a lot. Engagement will go up when you comment on other people's content. So for Instagram, when you engage, they saw an increase in engagement by 21%. LinkedIn, if you're commenting on other people's content, 30% increase threads, you're replying to people, you're commenting, you're gonna see a 42% increase, and that's huge. This is exactly why I created the 28 day Instagram engagement Challenge in the first place. If you guys have not got that from me yet, I will put it in the show notes for you. It truly will change your life when it comes to Instagram engagement. We did a live challenge a couple months ago and everyone who did the challenge, like, I was getting so many emails, like, oh my God, my followers increased. Oh my gosh, I'm getting likes and comments. Oh my God, I just booked someone and it was because of the engagement challenge. So it's just like this little intentional interaction. 28 day challenge. I will walk you through exactly what to do. It's just these strategic engagement habits that get the algorithm to recognize that your account is active, that it's relevant, and that it's worth pushing to more people. And I have seen people completely revive their accounts using the 28 day Instagram engagement challenge. More comments, more DMs, more reach. Because the algorithm doesn't just reward posting guys, it rewards conversation. It rewards people who spend time on the app. So if your engagement has felt a little quieter than normal, this might be exactly what you're, what you're needing right now. So I will link the 20 day Instagram engagement Challenge in the show notes if you want to try it. Honestly, it's one of the things I stand behind the most when it comes to growing an account and reviving an account. And it works. All right, next update. This week, Meta just dropped new updates to the Edits app, which is their video editing tool designed specifically for creators. So if you haven't tried Edits yet, it's basically Meta's answer to Capcut. It's built for editing reels short form video quickly without needing a bunch of outside apps. I personally only use Edits. I did download Capcut at the end of last year, but I actually need to go cancel that subscription because I'm paying for it and I am not using it because Edit just has everything. And, and I swear like almost every other week or every week, there's a new update on the Edits app that allows more. Like right now I logged in this morning and sometimes when I do a video, I'll use some of their in app effects, like maybe it's like a slow zoom in or slow zoom out. And I've noticed that they've added quite a few more edits in there. So definitely check out the Edits app for editing your video. It's so easy, but there's a few new updates I want to touch on. So the newest update added several features that are actually pretty useful for us content creators. So first they added the new video effects and that could mean like the colored outlines around clip segments. So if you've ever seen me post a video and maybe I highlight a reel inside or I show off a picture or something, you can actually add a little outline to that. So that makes it pop a little bit more. It's a small change, but it really does help make your transitions and your visual moments in your video stand out more. And it you're just doing a little bit more than the next person, right? We already talked about at the beginning of this episode, there are so many people using Instagram, there's so much competition. This helps you stand out just a little bit more. They've also refreshed the Ideas tab. So if you're someone who saves content ideas or notes inside of the app, it's now more visual and easier to organize. So I love the thought of the Ideas tab. I personally have not used it, but I suggest if you're one of those people that has a hard time coming up with content ideas or you're one of those people that saves a lot of inspo, try using the Ideas tab.
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another update is the ability to highlight specific words inside of your captions, which this means when your video plays back there are certain words that can be emphasized, right? Think of this as like a built in caption styling to make those hooks or those keys for key phrases pop out more. And one thing I thought was interesting too is the Edits team said they're actively building the app based on creator feedback. So the engineering team actually monitors Instagram and threads daily and even has a group chat with power users to gather suggestions. So if you've ever complained about a missing feature in editing apps, they're basically saying, hey, we're listening. So make sure that you're using the app giving feedback. You can always shake your phone if you want to give feedback back to Instagram. The bigger picture here is that Meta is clearly investing and making edits a core tool for short form creators and they're pushing updates almost every single week. So if you've not tried it out highly, suggest trying it out. The more you use it, the better you'll get. Like nobody is going to be an expert obviously, but the more reps you put in, the better you're going to get at it. And then you know you're going to be putting out these magnificent videos. And I'm not telling you to create these overly polished and edited videos. We've already said that that's kind of going out for 2026 people want more raw and authentic, but there are little edits that you can do to the video that's still like authentic and subtle that make your video pop. So if you're creating reels regularly, this is definitely an app worth keeping an eye on because it's quickly becoming a very powerful part of the creator toolkit. All right, next update, because this one's pretty big if you're trying to grow on Instagram, which raise your hand if that's why you're listening to this episode. Yep, I see you. Instagram just announced that it's opening up creator tools to all public accounts, so not just people who switch to the professional mode. Up until now, a lot of the useful growth tools were locked behind that creator or business account setting. But Instagram is now rolling out things like scheduling the Insights Dashboard, trending audio tools to way more users. That means that even smaller accounts can now schedule their posts directly inside of Instagram, and they can see how their content is performing and they can track what's actually working. Honestly, I think this is great news for creators because it removes a lot of the friction that was once there. One of the biggest reasons people struggle to stay consistent on Instagram is because posting just feels like a lot can feel challenging. You might forget. But now when you're in the mood to post, you can plan your content in advance and just let Instagram publish it for you. And Instagram also clarified some of the feature thresholds, meaning as your account grows, you'll unlock additional tools. So I kind of like this. It's, you know, giving you something in exchange for using their app. So, example here is, once you hit 1000 followers, you'll start seeing more advanced features, like trial reels, for example, that let you test content with people who don't already follow you. But here's why I think this update is the most interesting. If Instagram is making scheduling easier, that means the real challenge isn't just about posting, it's about knowing what to post. Right? Because if they're unlocking this for everyone to be able to schedule content now, it's going to be a how good is your content? And so knowing exactly what to post is why I created Club Influence inside my membership. We literally give you the content every single Monday. You get an email, you open it up. I've got timely viral reels, ideas for you. I've got hooks for you to steal. I've got Canva templates that are tried and tested. I've got captions. The whole shebang is inside of Club Influence. So imagine this workflow, right? You grab your content ideas from Club Influence, you batch create your post for the week, you schedule them inside of Instagram, and then your content is going out consistently through the week without you stressing about it every day. That's honestly the system that most creators need. They just don't take the time to do it. So I'm going to tell you right now, get off your booty, go sign up for Club Influence, go make all your content in an hour and schedule it out. Because growth doesn't come from posting randomly when your inspiration hits. In fact, when you do that, you are setting yourself up for failure. It comes when you have a repeatable content plan and show up consistently. Okay, all right, sister. Okay. Next update is a platform that I'm going to keep talking about every single week when you tune into the weekly scroll, okay? Because people are still sleeping on it. And that's Pinterest. Pinterest just reported really strong results in their latest earnings update. So the platform now has 619 million monthly users. And after adding another 19 million users in just the last quarter. What the Frick? They generated $1.3 billion in revenue in Q4 alone. $1.3 billion, guys. With over 4.2 billion for the full year. So clearly the platform is not dying. All right, People love to claim that Pinterest is dead or it's old. No, sister, it's not. In fact, Pinterest is doubling down on what it does best, which is search and discovery. So the platform now processes around 80 billion searches every single means. People are not just scrolling Pinterest for fun. They're actively searching for ideas. They're actively looking for products, inspiration, all the things to buy. So Pinterest is leaning heavily into that behavior with a couple of improvements. They've got improved search tools, they've got better product categorization, and there's even AI powered recommendations that help people discover things based on what they've already saved or engaged with. I 100% really enjoy the AI powered recommendations because like I've said in past episodes, we're building a house and I'm using Pinterest for all the things. And every single time I log in, they serve me up content that I didn't know I needed. It's based off of what I've been searching for in the past. I get it. But like, they'll give me even better things that I didn't even think to search up. So if you did not know, Pinterest is a Very high intent traffic. People are on there to search for something specific. They go there when they're planning something. Maybe that's a purchase, maybe a project, maybe just a life change. And so that's very different from platforms where Instagram is just kind of like doom scrolling or entertainment. Right? So if you're creating content that's educational, inspirational, or maybe it's tied to a product, maybe you're a influencer who pushes your Amazon affiliate or you're working for Mavely or momfluencer. All the things. Pinterest is still a massive opportunity that a lot of people overlook. So how can you use it right now? The best way you could do this? And we do this at, at the agency. Darby will download my top performing reels and she will re upload them to Pinterest and then drive that referral traffic back to my Instagram profile. And I can't believe I just told you guys that because that is a really good growth tip. But that's what we're doing. And honestly it's. Pinterest is just one of those platforms where your content can keep working for you or even be like just a search engine more than a social media feed. So do not sleep on Pinterest. If Pinterest is something that's on your radar, you don't have time for it this year. Reach out to me Influence Marketing Studio, baby. We are a full service social media agency and we can repost your top performers over to Pinterest for you. All right, this is a perfect way to to end this episode. I want to give you guys a posting assignment for the week. I'm going to try to do this every weekly scroll and it's going to be based off whatever is like in the news, right? So last weekly scroll I talked about talking head reels and how they're absolutely crushing right now. Low production, just you Talking like you're FaceTiming your best friend. One strong hook, right? So these are the kind of reels that are going viral because they feel real and they feel conversational. So I wanted to give you a fill in the blank reel idea that you can steal today. All right, here is your hook. Listen carefully. I can tell exactly why you're struggling with and it's not because of then the rest of the reel is you explaining the real reason. So example with this would be something like I can tell you exactly why your house isn't selling and it's not because the market is slow. That would be for a realtor. I can tell you exactly why you're struggling to lose weight and it's not because you're not working out hard enough. Fitness coach I can tell you exactly why your Instagram is not growing and it's not because the algorithm hates you. Creator Social Media Manager. Now here's how I want you to actually film this, guys. Step one, I want you to go to Google and literally type in why do people struggle with xyz? Put the pain point in that you solve. Or you can even Google like common mistakes people make when blank. And then Google is going to auto populate the most searched questions people are asking. You know, you can also go to answerthepublic.com if you're not a Google person. That's another great one. You type in a keyword and it's going to show you very popular searches based on that keyword. But that's your content. Okay? See what it says? That's your content. Step two, you're going to turn on that camera and you are going to record a 20 to 30 second talking head video explaining the real answer. And I would love if you recorded this straight in the Edits app. There's so many different things you can do in there with the Edits app versus just recording it straight from Instagram. So do it in the Edits app. A few tips to make your reel perform really well. One, start talking immediately. We don't need an introduction. You don't need to say, hey guys, welcome back. Hey guys, it's Caitlin. No, just start talking immediately. This is the number one reason why, or I know you're struggling with, this is probably why. Like, you just start talking. You look directly into that camera and you just start talking to them. And then you're going to use closed captions, okay? Because most people watch reels with the sound off. So I want you to record the video. I want you to turn on closed captions so it starts talking. And then when you go to edit inside of the Edits app, go ahead and delete the closed captions from like the first five seconds that you're talking. We can delete that. And instead that first five seconds of the video, I want you to put a really good hook as your big text on the screen. Okay? Write the hook big up top top of your video so people can read it while you're talking. And then the caption for all this is simply you expanding on that point and inviting some type of conversation or giving them a call to action on how you help. Okay, so just to clarify, we're recording a video, we're not doing any fancy schmancy intros. We're just getting to the point. We are recording this in edits. We are adding closed captions. We're removing the closed captions from the very first beginning of the video and just putting our own big text on screen. And if you need help with that, that's where ChatGPT can come into play. Like, give chat, you know, the premises of your video, what it's about, and say, can you give me, you know, a really good hook to put on screen at the beginning of my video? And then you'll just pop that in right up top. Don't make it any weird colors. We want black or white so it's easy to read. And then make sure that hook on the top just lasts for about five seconds. And then you can remove it. You can end it there so that the video continues. And then they're just like watching you and reading the closed captions. Post this reel this week and tag me. Call her creator so I can see it because I'm going to go through and share some of my favorites. I'm going to comment on them, I'm going to engage with you, and maybe I'll talk about them on next episode because I love seeing you guys actually take action on these ideas. I need you guys to remember the creators who win on social media are not the ones who learn the most. They're just the ones that are actually posting. They're doing the thing. Okay, now, before you go today, if this episode helped you or gave you a new idea to try this week, it would mean the absolute world to me if you just left me a quick review on Apple podcasts or Spotify. Those reviews are one of the biggest ways to help my show get discovered by new creators, ambitious women, and leaders. And it helps us keep bringing you these weekly scroll updates. So if you've been listening for a while and you haven't left me a review yet, this is your sign. All right, thanks, guys. I will see you next week.