We frequently get asked for Instagram management, and we usually turn most of these requests down. Not because Instagram doesn't matter to how a tattoo studio gets found, but because of the belief that usually sits behind the request: the belief that Instagram will finally fix the quiet diary. And, from experience, we know that isn't the case.
We understand the belief behind the request. Instagram is where most studios experience a lot of their visible activity: likes, comments, direct messages. So it's easy to conclude that by increasing that activity, you'll increase growth. However, going solely in that direction usually neglects how everything else is performing, such as the website, the enquiry process and the booking flow. And, more often than not, these are the areas that are really limiting growth.
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What often gets neglected
A studio running its whole marketing effort through Instagram posts is, in practice, often running its business through DMs: fielding enquiries one at a time in a format that was never built for booking systems, pricing conversations or deposit collection. Meanwhile, the rest of the funnel (a site that answers questions before they're asked, tracked and structured enquiry capture, a booking process that doesn't rely on someone remembering to reply) sits largely untouched, because all the attention went to Instagram.
Instagram itself is not the problem. A strong following does genuinely bring people to a studio's page. The gap is what happens next, once that interested person clicks through and lands somewhere that either doesn't exist properly or doesn't do anything useful with the attention Instagram just generated.
Why we say no rather than just taking the work
We could take these projects on; however, we turn most of them down because it would be disingenuous of us to charge for an activity that often isn't going to make a difference to the numbers that matter. Even if it seems easier to just say yes, we would much prefer to have a wider conversation about the bigger picture so that we can provide the most value.
Why it's so easy to overlook the value of the bigger picture
Focusing the majority of your marketing energies on Instagram is not something to feel foolish about. It's the natural result of Instagram being the most visible, most immediate-feeling channel available. Also, most studios never had a reason to step back and look at the rest of the funnel until something serious has forced the question. Fixing it isn't about abandoning Instagram. It's making sure it's one part of a system rather than the entire system by default.
If your whole system is reliant on DMs alone, you have very little data to work from in order to grow. Being in the dark over whether a lead came from a Google ad, a search or social post means that you have no identifiable data to work from in order to pivot your spend to focus on what's working, or what needs propping up more next time. Similarly, not knowing what status your customers are at (ie, how many are waiting to pay a deposit) means you are unable to pick up the conversation and encourage them to book. If you don't know what your conversion rates are then the chances are you are better looking at the whole picture before driving more enquiries into a broken system.
