Podcast Summary: Shiny New Clients!
Episode: How to Fix Your (Low) Instagram Engagement
Host: Jenna Harding (Warriner)
Release Date: May 5, 2025

Introduction

In the episode titled "How to Fix Your (Low) Instagram Engagement!" of Shiny New Clients!, host Jenna Harding (Warriner) delves deep into the prevalent issue of low Instagram engagement that many service-based business owners face. With her extensive experience from working with over a thousand business owners through her program, Magic Marketing Machine, Jenna offers insightful strategies to not only understand but also effectively address and improve Instagram engagement.

1. Challenging Common Misconceptions

Jenna begins by addressing the widespread tendency to blame external factors—primarily the Instagram algorithm—for low engagement rates.

Jenna (00:00:45): "We don't want to blame the algorithm because what you're doing is treating the Instagram algorithm like an entity that has control over you…you take away all your power to fix the situation."

She emphasizes that attributing low engagement solely to algorithm changes is a defensive mechanism that relinquishes control. Instead, Jenna encourages listeners to recognize that the Instagram algorithm responds to strategic, high-quality organic content.

2. Understanding Low Engagement as a Symptom

Moving beyond misplaced blame, Jenna explains that low engagement is merely a symptom of underlying issues within one's content or messaging strategy.

Jenna (00:02:30): "Your low engagement is a symptom. It is not a sickness."

She categorizes the root causes into two main areas:

• Messaging Symptoms: The disconnect between the content creator's message and the audience's understanding or needs.
• Content Format Symptoms: The way content is presented, including visual quality and format adherence to platform preferences.

3. The Importance of Effective Communication

A significant portion of the episode focuses on the critical role of communication between business owners and their audience. Jenna asserts that as professionals become more adept at their craft, they may inadvertently alienate their audience by using industry jargon or focusing on aspects that don't resonate with their ideal clients.

Jenna (00:04:10): "When you get really good at what you do, you get bad at talking to people about it."

Using an analogy from her personal experience, Jenna illustrates how overcomplicating content can lead to misunderstandings and disengagement.

Jenna (00:05:00): "One of the main reasons why people are not getting engagement in their content…it's because you're saying things that aren't relevant to your ideal client."

4. Introducing the GENIE Method

To bridge the communication gap, Jenna introduces the GENIE training, a core component of her Magic Marketing Machine program. This method focuses on aligning the business owner's messaging with the exact language, needs, desires, and wishes of their ideal clients.

Jenna (00:06:20): "We call it our GENIE training and it's in our messaging module. And that's the type of homework that serves you for years and years and years."

The GENIE process ensures that content creators speak directly to their audience, making the content feel personal and highly relevant, thereby fostering increased engagement.

5. Practical Strategies to Boost Engagement

Beyond communication alignment, Jenna provides actionable tips to enhance Instagram engagement:

• Optimize Content Formats:

  • Video Length: Utilize shorter videos (under one minute) as Instagram promotes brief content to non-followers.

    Jenna (00:07:50): "We know Instagram now promotes videos that are under a minute long to non-followers."

• Enhance Visual Quality:

  • Clarity and Presentation: Ensure that visuals are high quality, avoiding issues like blurry images which Instagram's algorithm tends to downrank.

    Jenna (00:08:30): "If the visuals look a little bit more high quality, they're going to be more likely to promote it."

• Improve Content Readability:

  • Font Size: Use larger fonts to ensure readability, preventing loss of audience attention due to small text.

    Jenna (00:09:00): "Maybe you need to write your font a little bit bigger because people can't read it because your font is too small."

• Strengthen Content Hooks:

  • Engaging Openings: Craft compelling hooks to capture immediate interest and encourage viewers to engage further.

    Jenna (00:07:10): "Maybe you need to tighten up your hooks."

Jenna highlights that while some factors like visual quality can be technical adjustments, the more impactful changes stem from aligning content strategy with audience expectations and needs.

6. Emphasizing Ownership and Responsibility

A recurring theme in Jenna's discussion is the importance of taking ownership of one's content strategy rather than attributing failures to external forces. She stresses that recognizing and rectifying internal misalignments can lead to sustainable engagement improvements.

Jenna (00:05:45): "We're not going to blame the algorithm and we're not going to blame the people who are consuming the content. We're going to take full responsibility for our engagement."

This proactive approach encourages business owners to introspect and refine their strategies rather than seeking quick fixes or excuses for underperformance.

7. Encouraging Continuous Learning and Adaptation

Jenna concludes by promoting continuous education and adaptation through her Magic Marketing Machine program. She invites listeners to access a free training session titled "How to Get Clients from Instagram Without Wasting Hours Glued to Your Phone," aiming to provide further strategies and insights into effective Instagram marketing.

Jenna (00:10:20): "If you wanna know the exact strategy that my clients use to get clients from their content, there's a free training under this podcast episode…join me in Magic Marketing Machine."

Conclusion

In this episode of Shiny New Clients!, Jenna Harding offers a comprehensive exploration of the factors contributing to low Instagram engagement. By shifting the focus from external blame to internal strategy alignment, she provides listeners with both philosophical insights and practical tools to enhance their social media presence. Through methods like the GENIE training and actionable content optimization tips, business owners are empowered to transform their Instagram engagement from a mere metric to a dynamic driver of business success.

For those seeking to delve deeper into boosting their Instagram engagement and attracting ideal clients, Jenna’s Magic Marketing Machine program serves as a valuable resource, promising to equip them with the necessary strategies to thrive in the competitive social media landscape.

Resources Mentioned:

• Magic Marketing Machine Program
• GENIE Training Module
• Free Training Session: "How to Get Clients from Instagram Without Wasting Hours Glued to Your Phone"

Note: This summary is crafted to provide comprehensive insights from the podcast episode "How to Fix Your (Low) Instagram Engagement!" by Jenna Harding (Warriner) on Shiny New Clients!. For a more detailed understanding, listening to the full episode is recommended.