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1. Background

Our dedication to offering precise insights motivated us to enroll in six online Instagram courses. This allowed us to fully understand the range of services provided by various coaches and trainers. Additionally, this effort enabled us to evaluate how these services have changed since last year. Notably, one of these courses was a bonus from a platform we already used. The costs of these courses varied, ranging from USD 107 to over USD 800, with our total spending exceeding USD 2100.

The critical question is: What insights were gained from these courses? Although the depth and content varied greatly, the less expensive courses offered valuable resources and advice. Yet, the freshness of the content compared to the previous year was limited, with the significant addition of comprehensive AI-focused sections being a standard feature.

Through this article, we aim to convey the lessons learned from these courses, assisting our readers in avoiding unnecessary expenses by overpaying for similar offerings. In the following sections, we will describe the content of these courses in detail and compare it to our data analysis and firsthand experiences in Permanent Makeup (PMU), with a particular emphasis on Powder Brows.

2. Introduction to Instagram

A Unique Platform Perspective

Each course explored Instagram's distinctive characteristics, differentiating it from other platforms like Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, and TikTok. A focal point was the variance in user intent. Google users, for instance, often search with a specific purchase intent, whereas Instagram and Facebook users tend to browse more casually, resulting in lower direct conversion rates.

The courses frequently highlighted Instagram's emphasis on visuals and its sophisticated, polished feel, particularly compared to platforms like TikTok. This distinction often sparked discussions about "branding" — creating a unique and recognizable business identity that resonates with a particular audience and fosters brand loyalty through regular exposure.

Although the courses varied in approach, they acknowledged Instagram's value as a marketing tool. Some supported their views with growth statistics and comparative analyses, while others emphasized Instagram's widespread use. For those in the brow and beauty industry, it's heartening to see our data validate Instagram's effectiveness as a crucial marketing medium, offering solace to those who have invested in these courses.

Course Content vs. Reality in Brow Business

We recognize Instagram's significant impact when comparing course content to the realities of the brow business. Yet, recent changes in the algorithm, affecting organic reach, have made using it for business purposes increasingly tricky. Notably, the cost of gaining new followers and achieving the organic reach necessary to drive tangible business for Powder Brows has surged significantly over the past 2-3 years.

While Instagram serves as an essential visual portfolio platform, we dispute the notion that its conversion cost is more favorable than Facebook's or Google search's. Our statistical data, especially concerning emerging artists, suggests the contrary. Many trainers extol Instagram's virtues and alleged superiority with emotional claims like, "Do you know anyone who doesn't use Instagram?" This perspective sharply contrasts with the data-driven methodology we adhere to at the Powderbrows.com Research Center.

3. Universal Business Approach

This section explores the more theoretical aspects of entrepreneurship, where the applicability of advice can significantly differ among individuals. Trainers stress the necessity of wholehearted dedication to the entrepreneurial journey, transforming aspirations into achievements. They frequently recount inspirational stories from their own lives or those of their students, illustrating how they've overcome challenges, stress, and the risk of failure to find success through Instagram entrepreneurship. These stories often portray success on Instagram as both inevitable and life-changing.

The discussion extends to preparing for forthcoming success, battling impostor syndrome, fostering self-confidence, and facing fears. Although these subjects might impact each learner differently, they collectively highlight the mental and emotional facets of starting an entrepreneurial venture, particularly in social media-centric businesses.

Course Content vs. Reality in Brow Business

While these stories engage, their practical value may not be as apparent for everyone. In the specialized pigmentation field, including Powder Brows, Hairstrokes, and Microblading, practitioners show diverse risk acceptance levels. Although "mindset-building" stories are intriguing, they don't always offer actionable advice. "Instagram coaching courses" frequently target beginners who may not know which products or services to highlight on their platform, leading instructors to assist in choosing appropriate offerings for their online profiles.

This strategy can be precarious for several reasons. Fundamentally, it shifts the responsibility for Instagram's success onto the learners, allowing instructors to ascribe any failures to the students' lack of effort or incomplete application of the teachings. More revealingly, numerous courses imply that failure is due to offering the wrong product or service. Statistically, only a minority of course attendees begin to profit, with many eventually faulting themselves for their absence of success. Yet, a thorough examination often shows that instructors primarily benefit from selling these online courses. Consequently, it's imperative to approach such courses with skepticism, particularly within the brow business and PMU sector, where the service offerings capable of generating business are relatively limited.

4. Profile Essentials

This section zeroes in on the essential elements that form the core of your Instagram presence. It covers the art of choosing a handle and username that connect well with your audience, creating a powerful "killer bio section," and often, optimizing your profile picture.

These recommendations fundamentally hold value based on our broad experience with various programs over the years. Opting for a succinct handle that reflects your services is preferable to a long, obscure combination of symbols or numbers. Similarly, a clear and concise bio with a call to action is more effective than a lengthy, overwhelming text block that few will engage with. A professional profile picture that clearly shows your face is more impactful than one with a busy background.

Course Content vs. Reality in Brow Business

Applying these foundational principles within the brow business and from reviewing numerous accounts, it's evident that such tweaks make a notable difference once an account gains some momentum. For newcomers embarking on their Instagram path, these insights are beneficial. While they won't rocket an account to immediate popularity, they serve as crucial stepping stones, setting the direction for successful growth.

It's important to understand that while these elements enhance professionalism and clarity, they aren't transformative by themselves. A professional profile picture enhances the brow artist's professionalism, and a straightforward handle is more user-friendly than a complex one. Yet, these technical details play a limited role within the broader scope of the brow artist's branding, marketing efforts, and content strategy, particularly in the beginning stages. Moreover, certain elements can only be adapted to a certain extent. For example, a professional brow artist in her 50s will have different standards for an "attractive" profile picture compared to a model in her 20s focused on fitness.

Our analysis of the courses highlighted the trainers' focus on personal anecdotes regarding account growth and the impact of the bio, profile picture, or handle on this expansion. These aspects are highly personal and should be evaluated within the specific context of their application. Hence, all advice should be approached with caution, recognizing that perfecting the "science" of a "killer bio" has a limited effect on follower growth for a budding artist. This conclusion is supported by more recent, comprehensive research.

5. Technical Skills

Skills for Producing Reels, Stories, and Highlights

This segment delves into various topics, from cinematic creation and photography to mastering content editing tools. The courses thoroughly address proper lighting techniques, underscoring the advantages of natural lighting or the strategic application of ring lights.

They offer insights on capturing professional-grade video content, often showcasing the advanced capabilities of smartphones, and navigating participants through editing with platforms such as Canva, Lightroom, or Adobe applications. Essentially, these sections act as condensed tutorials, guiding learners through the intricacies of filming, photography, and post-production enhancement. This comprehensive training equips users with the technical know-how to create captivating and polished Reels, Stories, and Highlights for Instagram.

Course Content vs. Reality in Brow Business

A crucial, actionable insight stands out in the varied landscape of the brow business. Many instructors stress the importance of starting modestly, highlighting the unnecessary early investment in high-end recording gear, camera lenses, or complex lighting arrangements. Initially, a contemporary smartphone is adequate for basic content creation, with more sophisticated equipment becoming relevant as your journey progresses. This pragmatic advice is precious; too often, beginners overspend on gear, mistakenly believing it will markedly elevate their content quality, which it frequently does not. Hence, the recommendation for moderation is well-founded and endorsed by us.

Yet, instructors often downplay the significant time and effort demanded for producing content, both photos and videos. The examples showcased tend to be selectively ideal, employing effects uniquely suited to that content from myriad options. For most students, crafting comparable quality reels and stories is a more time-consuming and energy-intensive task.

We've noticed that students from these courses often expect quick fixes—techniques that promise immediate success. This leads to many attempting to replicate the showcased steps with much lower-quality raw material, dedicating scant time to effect comparison and design. Consequently, this approach yields unprofessional content created using the same methods but with less diligence and proficiency. Our extensive analysis of the impact of such content reveals that although it may enhance an author's feed aesthetically, it rarely leads to significant follower growth or business expansion. A hard truth seldom acknowledged by course instructors is the absence of quick fixes in content creation.

6. Carving Out Unique Selling Points

This segment explores the critical concept of unique selling propositions (USPs), a frequent focus across various courses aimed at participants from diverse backgrounds. However, the topic's expansive nature sometimes leads to only a cursory examination. The emphasis tends to be on cultivating uniqueness and employing these distinct qualities in sales strategies.

The customer's perception of these unique attributes is a crucial but occasionally neglected point. The success of these selling points largely hinges on their relevance and utility to the customer. It's essential to recognize that having a background as an exciting hobbyist, artist, or composer does not automatically translate to success in fields unrelated to one's expertise, such as fitness coaching or brow artistry. Identifying and emphasizing unique features that benefit and attract your target market is critical to ensuring your USPs genuinely connect with potential clients.

Course Content vs. Reality in Brow Business

Shifting the focus to the brow business, efforts to forge a brand identity, form affiliations with academies, and tackle the intricacies of branding and business strategy surpass the scope of what standard Instagram courses typically address. While the advice to pinpoint unique strengths, establish a niche, address customer needs, communicate values, and share the motivation behind your business is sound, the unique hurdles of the brow industry demand a more nuanced approach. The challenges confronting an emerging brow artist extend far beyond the essential insights Instagram training provides, rendering the path to mastery in Powder Brows, Hairstrokes, or Microblading considerably more complex.

Differentiation is undeniably essential, yet this principle's practical application presents challenges. In today's digital age, almost anyone can enhance their portfolio images to magazine-quality perfection for a nominal fee, making portfolio quality an unreliable differentiator. A potential area for differentiation could be a memorable and professional brand name, perhaps created using tools like brandsnap.ai.

Moreover, these attributes must be firmly established beforehand to stand out based on skill and professionalism. Regrettably, there are no accessible routes to this end; it typically demands diligent work. Thus, while Instagram course instructors correctly highlight the necessity of differentiation, their broad strategies often lack direct relevance or impact within the brow and pigmentation sector. Navigating the pigmentation industry requires developing these distinctions with a more specialized approach and dedicated effort.

7. Crafting Compelling Content

Ideas and Strategies for Content Production

Content production methodologies in most courses are primarily technical, focusing on the best times to post, adhering to a regular posting schedule (often recommending over five posts per week), and strategically using hashtags. Generating content often involves borrowing successful concepts from competitors, staying abreast of TikTok trends, and crafting user-engaging material. Aside from the introduction of AI tools for content planning and the occasional use of AI-powered chatbots for creativity, the foundational advice in this domain has remained stable over time.

However, there's been a paradigm shift in the perception of posting frequency. Moving beyond the outdated practice of constant posting, instructors now understand that simply inundating feeds is counterproductive. The emphasis has transitioned to quality over quantity, highlighting the need for fewer but more substantial posts that genuinely contribute value rather than bombarding followers with "digital trash.”

Course Content vs. Reality in Brow Business

Regarding strategies for account growth, the playing field has notably changed, particularly following Meta's recent update and the subsequent decrease in reach. This has led to a reevaluation of strategies, with the old approach of frequent posting now demanding an unfeasible rate, especially within the brow business realm. The critical lesson is prioritizing creating fewer but more impactful posts, focusing on quality rather than volume.

The lessons from these courses are straightforward: creating content that meets your followers' needs while interspersing entertaining and visually appealing elements is crucial. While this advice is sound and widely applicable, the genuine hurdle lies in content creation. Unfortunately, this is where many brow artists encounter difficulties. They often produce limited original content that genuinely engages their audience. Initially, they might rely on straightforward content like before-and-after photos, procedure guidelines, or showcasing their certificates but eventually face a creative impasse, struggling with "empty page syndrome" and lacking fresh, pertinent post ideas. This challenge remains unaddressed by Instagram courses. While advice on crafting better posts may reduce the amount of "digital trash," it fails to tackle the core issue of generating innovative, relevant content.

8. Additional Tools

Leveraging Tools: Analytics, Autoposting, and Reposting

This course section stresses the importance of practical tools for those with burgeoning accounts requiring detailed analysis. It highlights platforms like Iconosquare and others for their capacity to deliver deeper insights than Instagram's analytics. Autoposting services such as Buffer are commended for their role in streamlining content management and scheduling, provided a backlog of content is ready for posting.

A notable strategy covered is creating a content bank of approximately 300 posts for cyclic reposting, underpinning the notion that audiences are unlikely to recall older posts. This enables the recycling of content that has previously seen success. This tactic might initially seem atypical but is rooted in a logical understanding of audience engagement and content consumption habits.

Course Content vs. Reality in Brow Business

Regarding the utility of these tools, the critical lesson is their relevance grows with the follower count and the volume of data available for analysis. Data analysis lacks accuracy without a substantial follower base, as incorrectly attributing trends can easily distort findings. Hence, it's critical to recognize that such in-depth analyses are impractical for smaller accounts with only a few thousand followers, where any singular event could disproportionately affect statistics.

However, an insight that resonates with our findings, although not directly stated by instructors, involves adopting a novel approach to Instagram account management. The implicit suggestion to view Instagram accounts as tools for business acquisition rather than as goals unto themselves is pivotal. This perspective encourages managing multiple accounts, posting the same content across local and international profiles, and even operating accounts dedicated to brow brands or those bolstered by numerous fake followers. These tactics aim to elevate the brand, moving away from perceiving any single account as the artist's singular focus or "precious entity." Adopting this mindset shift and altering the internal attitude towards Instagram management has benefitted business objectives significantly.

9. Collaboration and Account Cultivation

Forging Connections in a Saturated Space

Nearly every course introduces a segment on establishing collaborations with creators, influencers, brands, and artists for shared content creation and mutual promotion. Historically influential, these strategies now often resemble requests for donations or sponsorships due to the saturated market and the frequency of such appeals, complicating the development of authentic connections and partnerships.

Course Content vs. Reality in Brow Business

Applying these strategies within the brow business context presents challenges, particularly for novice artists with limited collaboration offerings. Requests by emerging artists are often overlooked or superficially considered by established account owners, generally resulting in a skewed benefit towards the more established party.

Yet, the underlying principles remain sound. The insight to draw from these experiences is the strategy of approaching account owners with robust organic followings and offering them complimentary brow treatments in return for their endorsement. However, finding influencers in need of brow services is increasingly rare.

This doesn't mean such efforts should be abandoned. Courses detail the model and how such collaborations can expand one's following theoretically. Still, many overlook the fact that influencers with significant followings are now often indifferent to "mutually beneficial" proposals, making such outreach efforts somewhat akin to requesting financial aid from strangers.

A more effective tactic in the brow industry is considering what appeals to potential partners. For instance, offering high-value, attractively designed physical gift cards (worth USD 300 or 500) to a professional service provider, like a photographer, in exchange for their services. The photographer could then use these cards as giveaways to enhance their follower base, making them more inclined to engage in the partnership. This type of collaboration, while more nuanced, tends to foster account growth indirectly and over a longer term through increased attention and improved professional branding.

Hence, while the concepts taught in Instagram courses are fundamentally valid, the strategies recommended for brow businesses often lack complexity and are unlikely to elicit much interest. Success lies in adopting more insightful strategies that understand the more extended, indirect causal relationships between actions and outcomes.

10. The Role of AI

Content Generation and Strategic Planning

Exploring new frontiers, the integration of AI into content creativity and strategic planning emerged as a fresh addition to the training programs of various instructors. However, the enthusiasm for AI's role sometimes led to its capabilities being overstated. Utilizing AI to generate Instagram post ideas and captions or manage posting schedules is not as revolutionary as portrayed.

Moreover, the portrayal of AI's prowess, such as claims that AI-generated "flawless prompts" from tools like ChatGPT could drastically ease content creation burdens or significantly cut down workloads (with some suggesting savings of one day in a 5-day workweek), often bordered on the unrealistic. While AI's potential to aid content strategy is significant, it's vital to have grounded expectations of its impact.

Course Content vs. Reality in Brow Business

In the brow business, where visual content reigns supreme, many AI-driven strategies presented in promotional content fell short in practical application, yielding little usable output.

For instance, creating multiple AI-generated "identities" for in-depth strategy discussions or account analysis might captivate those new to AI language models but tend to produce generic and cautious content akin to basic online searches. The utility of AI is undeniable, but the notion that it can wholly supplant human creativity and effort is exaggerated.

At the Powderbrows.com Research Center, our trials with such methodologies reveal that AI can aid in brainstorming content ideas for those not deeply versed in a subject, potentially offering new perspectives. Yet, for professionals in areas like Powder Brows or Hairstrokes, it's unlikely AI will surpass their specialized knowledge.

Thus, the approach to AI in many Instagram training courses warrants a reassessment. While these programs often recommend using AI to brainstorm ideas and subjects for artists to develop further, our findings suggest a reverse strategy is more productive for skilled and knowledgeable artists. The artist should outline the topics and core ideas, with AI then being used to flesh out these concepts and assist in drafting posts. This strategy has demonstrated considerable success among numerous artists we've observed.

11. Account Growth

Growing Follower Base and Crafting a Sales Funnel

Each course reviewed included a segment on account growth strategies, focusing on gaining momentum and expanding the follower count. Despite some courses promoting these sections as revolutionary, "hidden" tactics for growth, the advice typically aligned with well-known social media expansion techniques.

Instructors often recommended following active accounts, tracking who follows back, and engaging with substantial comments to stimulate growth and construct a sales funnel. Although presented as innovative, these methods largely mirror established practices for social media engagement.

Course Content vs. Reality in Brow Business

Indeed, these approaches hold value for kickstarting a new account. Yet, transforming an account into a potent sales tool in the brow business entails additional complexities. While these strategies benefit mature companies, their application can prove challenging in the nascent stages of an account, especially when facing an initial lack of engagement. Our 2023 course analysis revealed that significant advice sections were outdated, particularly concerning Instagram's algorithm changes. Strategies like "follow back" campaigns and relying on comment interactions for growth have seen a decrease in effectiveness.

Nevertheless, creating captivating posts on engaging topics that offer a clear stance on a subject has shown to be advantageous. For example, producing a swift, thorough, and well-argued defense in response to criticism of a prominent pigment manufacturer might lead to the brand or its representatives sharing an emerging artist's content, thus bringing it into the limelight. The emphasis should be on quality over quantity.

Emerging artists should understand that there's little to lose at the start of their careers. Furthermore, diving into contentious, fascinating topics can draw followers more efficiently than generating disconnected, mundane content.

12. General Observations

The primary emphasis of these courses lies in the technical nuances of enhancing an Instagram profile. Yet, they frequently overlook an essential inquiry pivotal for anyone aiming to shift from traditional employment towards "financial freedom" and "passive income" via Instagram entrepreneurship. This critical question revolves around a viable business model and offering value in demand. Simply grasping the technical workings of Instagram falls short without an underlying, robust business concept.

These courses can be beneficial if you're already operating a demanding business, but they won't conjure a company for you.

Seeking a business idea through these courses often results in motivation lacking a clear direction, leaving participants with lofty goals but no definite value proposition for potential clients. For Instagram coaches, their business model is straightforward: they offer technical advice and are compensated for their expertise. For the learners, the hurdle is significantly higher, requiring them to devise and execute a workable business model from the ground up.

An MLM Warning - “Become a Coach Schemes”
While these training sessions can provide essential knowledge on Instagram, they warrant cautious engagement. Many trainers are personable and possess clear business strategies. Nonetheless, many also promote a "mentor's career" pathway, akin to multi-level marketing (MLM) schemes, encouraging students without a solid business idea to pursue becoming Instagram coaches themselves.

This approach is mathematically flawed (essentially, unrealistic), often resulting in a glut of trainers relative to market demand. Studies have cast doubt on these models, showing scant evidence of sustained success for either trainers or their students. Numerous students spend substantial amounts (USD 5000 - 10 000) to "become a mentor or coach," frequently failing to recover their investments. Given the fundamental arithmetic of capital and sales distribution, this outcome is hardly unexpected.

13. Conclusions

Our comprehensive review of Instagram courses has pinpointed ten critical areas, each offering significant insights.

Grasping the unique dynamics and functionalities of Instagram;
Crafting creative business models that break free from the conventional 9-to-5 to achieve "passive income”;
Improving account aesthetics, including the choice of username, bio, profile picture, and beyond;
Acquiring skills in the technical production of reels, stories, and posts;
Building a unique brand identity that resonates with a targeted customer base and provides unparalleled value;
Strategizing content posting schedules and consistently creating engaging content ideas;
Analyzing growth metrics, excelling in fundamental data analysis, and monitoring advancements;
Forming partnerships and collaborations to boost traffic and engagement;
Utilizing AI for streamlined content creation;
Converting an account into a dynamic sales funnel for effective conversion rates.

Nonetheless, certain discrepancies emerge when these strategies are applied to businesses specializing in Powder Brows, Hairstrokes, or Microblading. This divergence isn't a reflection on the trainers or their content but rather on the subjects they aim to address. Given the diversity of businesses, expecting in-depth guidance for each niche is unrealistic.

To sum up, our findings indicate that while these courses furnish learners with the technical know-how necessary to navigate the platform, applying this knowledge necessitates a collaborative effort involving content creators, designers, copywriters, and videographers. The significance of a solid content posting strategy is undeniable, yet the primary hurdle remains content creation. A critical detail often overlooked in promotional materials is that, although these courses equip students with the means and knowledge to achieve technical mastery, the rigorous endeavor of actively nurturing the accounts for growth is ultimately the students' responsibility.

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Maria

Friday, Feb 16, 2024

A good read and I suggest totally that more trainers and artists became professional when it comes to understanding Instagram.

Lasha

Friday, Feb 16, 2024

Very telling long format story and I have to agree, that most such Instagram and social media trainings are just telling very little new practical things.

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