Why I started from scratch on Instagram: Balancing privacy and professionalism

Over the last 10 years, social media has changed, and those of us who grew up online, are changing the way we use it too. In my early twenties, I was one of the first adopters to the platform, while growing up from a teenager to a young adult - I slowly worked away on building my account to have over 10,000 followers. I would share my print designs and a lot of my personal life: trips, meals, outfits, major life updates, all of the things most users are doing today.

Overall, I would post a mix of personal and business content, people got to see the best of both worlds, and as much as I loved the attention the design content was getting - the design business was suffering, and in a sense, so was my privacy. 

Before expecting my first child, I knew what I had to do. My values had changed, I no longer wanted to use social media this way. I knew it was time to do a data cleanse, a follower 'clean up'. Over the course of the next few months, I removed thousands of followers on the personal account, switched it to private, and made a fresh page for my design business, titled @bybrittlaspina. 

I knew in order to go 'all in' for my business, I had to create a new public account, exclusively dedicated to design. I am pleased to report that just in these two short years, it has grown to nearly 3,000 followers, all of whom are industry and niche specific. I've reached over 100k accounts and amassed thousands of likes and saves. It is growing fast for the amount I post, my business has never been busier, and I've never been happier.
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Below, I'll share 5 key benefits I've experienced from starting a new page from scratch, focusing on delivering consistent, relevant value to my audience.

1. Maintaining Professionalism: A dedicated business account to my textile print designs has allowed me to present my brand in a more polished and cohesive manner, plus talk to my peers and clients the way I would in a work setting.
2. Focused Content Strategy: I have been able to develop a more focused content strategy. This has enabled me to connect with my audience more effectively by sharing content that aligns with print & textile design. It's also so much easier to curate content, use a consistent brand voice, and showcase services through stories, carousel posts, reels, client case studies and more.
3. Increased Engagement: By keeping things business related, I have been more likely to engage with followers in my niche - plus followers are more likely to engage with me! This has lead to overall higher engagement rates.
4. Targeted Marketing: A niche specific account allows you to run targeted advertising campaigns. Instagram's advertising features enable you to reach specific demographics, interests, and behaviors, ensuring that your content reaches the right people. My popular page, algorithm, following and followers are all industry specific. I am able to run ads to "accounts like my followers", as all of my followers are either designers or brands, which I was unable to do before.
5. Privacy and Boundaries: As a parent, this has been one of the greatest advantages. Maintaining a separate account ensures my personal life remains private, although I can't say I post much of that anymore anyway.

In conclusion, while it was daunting to start from scratch and create a separate account for my business, it was a strategic move that has benefited me in many ways. I have never been busier, and while I have less followers or "vanity metrics" at the moment, the followers I do have are the right ones!

The decision has allowed me to maintain professionalism, focus on a relevant content strategy, build credibility, and engage with my audience effectively. By focusing on my new business page @bybrittlaspina, I can also aim to set clear boundaries, protect my daughter while still growing online, and maintain professionalism.

Ultimately, a dedicated business account has provided the ideal platform for delivering consistent, relevant value to my audience. So, if you're wanting to enhance your personal brand or business's online presence, consider making the move to a dedicated account for your professional endeavors.