July 28, 2025 • 12 mins
If Instagram has started to feel louder, harder, and way less effective lately—you’re not making it up.
The algorithm keeps shifting, everyone sounds the same, and the pressure to keep up is real (especially if you're a mom trying to grow a business between summer chaos and snack refills).
In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on:
- The real shifts happening on Instagram (and online marketing in general)
- Why even great content isn’t converting like it used to
- What I’m changing in my own strategy and business to make sales without the grind
- How Instagram fits into your strategy instead of running the whole show
- The truth about templates, trends, and why messaging is the missing piece
This is the behind-the-scenes look at why I’m shifting everything—from the way I use Instagram to how I support my clients—so we can all build businesses that work with our lives, not against them.
Because more content is not the answer.
Aligned messaging is.
Mentioned In This Episode:
If this episode hit home, DM me @socially.yours.strategist and tell me: What’s Instagram been feeling like for you lately?
You’re not behind.
You’re just ready for something that actually works for your life.
Grab a Buyer Journey Content Map here!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Hey there and welcome back toMompreneur Mastery.
If you have been feeling overit lately, when it comes to Instagram,
you are not imagining it.
The algorithm keeps changing.
Everyone is sharing the samerecycled hooks.
The vibe feels moreperformance than connection, and
somehow the pressure to domore just keeps climbing.
And if you're a mom trying torun a business through the chaos
(00:21):
of summer with limited timeand limited brain space, yeah, it
makes sense that Instagramfeels way more exhausting than it
does exciting.
So today I am peeling back thecurtain on these shifts, plus the
ones that I am making in mybusiness and my marketing, my Instagram
strategy, all the thingswhat's changing, why it's changing,
and how it just might be thepermission slip you didn't know you
(00:43):
needed.
Welcome to Mompreneur Mastery.
Content strategy that sellswithout spending all day online or
having to sell your soul tothe algorithm.
I'm Sydney o', Brien,homeschooling mom of three, military
spouse and marketing andmessaging strategist.
For women who are so over thepressure to just post more, keep
up with trends, or use fakeurgency and income claims to hit
(01:06):
sales goals, this show is yourpermission slip to quiet the noise,
clarify your message, andcreate content that connects and
converts even in the tinywindows of mom life.
If you noticed this episodehad a slightly new vibe from the
jump, you are right.
The title, the intro, thedirection of the podcast are shifting
a bit too, because everythingI teach and do is evolving in a way
(01:30):
that is more aligned, morestrategic, and more sustainable for
how life looks right now andnot how it looked when I first started
in 2020.
Let's start with what I'm seeing.
And maybe you've been feelingit too.
So the first thing I want toaddress is the noise is louder than
ever.
Oh, my gosh.
Instagram has always been alittle loud, but right now it is
(01:51):
deafening.
Everyone's yelling about hooksand trends and going viral, but when
everyone is talking aboutusing all these same sounds and trends
and hooks, no one's reallysaying anything meaningful.
Which I really hate, because Ifirst started using Instagram as
a way to connect with others.
You know, when I was dealingwith postpartum mental health stuff,
(02:15):
plus my husband beingdeployed, being home at 3Kids, that's
what drew me to Instagram,that connection piece.
And I just keep seeing lessand less of it.
In online marketing,especially on Instagram, I am seeing
more and more mompreneursdoing all the things, following every
hack, trying every tactic, andstill not getting the clients they
thought they would, which isreally defeating.
(02:39):
And I hate that for them.
And then it leads to themstarting to wonder what's wrong with
them, what's wrong with theircontent, what they it wrong with
their business, why theircontent isn't working, why they feel
stuck or behind or just over it.
And again, I really hate thatbecause it's not them, it's the system
they're being sold in.
(02:59):
The truth, Instagram has changed.
There's even more pressure nowto perform, just to be seen.
And no one's really talkingabout what is sustainable now.
Instagram is social media.
It's very dynamic, it'sconstantly changing.
I'm not going to pretend it'snot, but the online marketing world
in general has changed.
And these two things just feellike very, very noisy right now when
(03:23):
combined together.
So when everyone is using thesame sounds, the same templates,
the same viral hooks, the onlything that can truly set you and
your business apart is your messaging.
Okay, so I'm not talking aboutgeneric pain points.
I'm not talking about I help statements.
I am talking about messagingthat is clear, specific, strategic
(03:43):
and rooted in connection.
Because without that, yourcontent blends into the scroll.
You might get some double tap,but are people actually resonating
enough to check out your linkin bio or send you a dm?
And it's not just the contentthat follows trends either.
It's offers too.
We've cycled through groupprograms, then VIP days and then
(04:04):
memberships for scaling.
Who knows what's going to be next?
But chasing every trendignores your audience, your energy
and your life.
It's noisy, it's exhausting,and it's time to get off the hamster
wheel and build something thatactually works for you and your people.
That is what I am doing formyself too.
So let's call it what it is.
Instagram is no longer the allin one sales machine it used to be.
(04:28):
These days, Instagram strategyshould more be complimentary to the
rest of your marketing, whichI'm sure you were already doing.
But that means that instead ofrelying on Instagram for consistent
client and sales, it's goingto be more top of funnel than direct
sales sales.
Unless you live in your DMsand story replies.
But I know my audience doesn'treally have time for that and I don't
(04:53):
want to continue to give youstrategies for sales.
Consistent sales on Instagram,when it's just not hitting the way
it used to, it feelsdisingenuous and like a disservice
to you.
So things are not onlyshifting on Instagram, but they're
shifting within my business.
And the strategy I teach giventhat reels just aren't quite hitting
(05:14):
like they used to.
Engagement requires a ton moreoutput than most moms can give and
the algorithm changes fasterthan your toddler's snack preferences.
It is exhausting.
So I am shifting away fromreactive content and more into intentional
strategic content, not just onInstagram, but across multiple platforms.
(05:35):
Because that platform isn'tthe only thing that's changing, it's
the people that are on it too.
Buyers are taking longer thanever to decide.
They're asking more questions,they're waiting for more trust, more
connection.
They're waiting until theyactually feel ready.
And I love that becausethey're skeptical of high pressure
tactics, which I meanrightfully so.
(05:55):
They want that connection,they want that trust, and they want
messaging that resonates, notjust messaging that sells.
Which means we can't rely on asingle post that does well to bring
in sales or clients.
The buyer journey and a sales funnel.
These are not new concepts,but they are more important than
ever, especially paired withconnection based messaging.
(06:19):
And that journey has to fityour real life, not some hustle heavy
highlight reel you saw insomeone else post on Instagram.
So like I said, all of thismeans that my business is shifting
too.
It doesn't feel right tocontinue to share how to just get
sales on Instagram when it'snot really doable with all of these
(06:41):
changes, especially for myparticular audience, which is very
busy, you know, moms who justdon't have the time to do the constant
output to get those consistentclients from Instagram.
So here's what this is goingto look like.
Not only for affecting myclients and members, but also me
(07:01):
and my life.
I homeschool, my kids haverecurring appointments three times
a week, which is a lot ofdrive time.
It's a lot of time hanging outin waiting rooms and in doctor's
offices.
We've got homeschool co op,we've got extracurricular classes,
we've got sports.
And there are plenty of dayswhere client work happens from those
waiting rooms or parking lots.
My work time is limited and myenergy is even more limited.
(07:26):
And I realized that over timethe last few years, I had built a
business that was starting towork against my life instead of with
it.
And that is not why I starteddoing this.
So I am restructuring not justfor my business goals, but for my
own mental health, for thesake of my family.
This means less contentoutput, less reactive marketing and
more deep work, more clientfocused strategy.
(07:50):
So I'm not giving up Instagram.
I am just giving up the grindthat a lot of the time comes with
it.
I am still here to help withInstagram, but now in the broader
context of how it fits intothe rest of your marketing, not how
it defines it.
Because when your marketingworks together, your content, your
messaging, what you're sharingon different platforms, that is what
(08:11):
actually moves people towardthe sale without it taking over your
life.
So Instagram still has a roleto play.
I want to be clear, it matters.
You don't have to use it ifyou don't want to, but it is a great
place to connect and show upand start conversations is growing
your list.
But if you want sustainablesales or if you're short on time,
(08:32):
it can't be the only place youshow up.
It can't be the one place yourely on to get those consistent sales.
It takes a lot more engagementand a lot more performance.
And if that lights you up, ifthat is what brings you energy and
joy, go for it.
Truly, I love that for you.
But for me personally, thatversion of content creation just
(08:52):
does not fit in my life anymore.
It doesn't.
So I'm going to be usingInstagram a little differently now.
And I'm really excited to helpmy clients use it in a way that fits
their life and their overallmarketing strategy as well, so that
it also aligns with theirgoals, with their messaging and their
actual day to day lives.
(09:14):
One of the absolute biggestgaps I see right now is a lot of
mom business owners are buyingtemplates, whether it's for posts
or emails, what have you.
We're trying to follow what's trending.
We're kind of piece mailingtogether these strategies based on
(09:34):
different things.
We're seeing rewriting otherpeople's captions and trends and
hooks, but without the actualstrategy behind it and without messaging
that's grounded in their ownoffer, their own voice, their own
audience, it just doesn't land.
The market is more saturatedthan ever.
And if your marketing doesn'tconnect clearly and quickly, it's
(09:57):
not going to convert.
So we need better support formoms who want to actually make money
through their onlinebusinesses without wasting time guessing,
chasing trends or secondguessing what they're sharing.
So no, I don't have everylittle thing figured out.
I do have plans for bigchanges coming, so I am excited to
(10:18):
share those with you in time.
But I do know that what workedeven a year ago isn't cutting it
anymore.
When it comes to Instagram.
So it would be disingenuousand a huge disservice to you to not
update Instagram strategy andhow I teach it and my offers to make
sure that it's actuallyhelping you.
(10:39):
Given that my business will beshifting, my offers are shifting
and this podcast is shifting too.
I am doubling down onmessaging and strategy and helping
you create a content plan thatgets you those touch points, that
gets you that connection andthe trust that you need with your
audience on Instagram andbeyond so that you can get the sales
(10:59):
your business needs.
If this episode resonated withyou, I would love to hear from you.
If you could DM me onInstagram, my handle is ocially yours
Strategist.
I really just want to knowwhat is Instagram feeling like for
you lately?
And I also want you to knowthat you are not behind.
You are not doing it wrong.
(11:20):
You're just ready forsomething that actually works for
your life.
Thank you so much forlistening to mompreduer Mastery.
Also, go refill your coffee orheat it up or whatever you need to
do.
Take a deep breath andremember, you don't have to hustle
harder to make it work.
You just need a strategy thatfits your season.
That's it for this episode ofmompreneur Mastery.
(11:42):
If you're building a businessaround your life, not the other way
around, and you're tired ofbeing told to hustle harder to make
sales when you're alreadyhustling at 110%, I hope this gave
you a breath of fresh air.
And if it did, I would love itif you left a quick review or shared
this with another momentrepreneur who is ready to market
with more strategy and wayless stress.
And if you want to see what acohesive content map across multiple
(12:03):
platforms with strategicmessaging looks like, check out the
link in the show notes to grabyour free copy of the Buyer Journey
content map.
I'll see you next time.
Hey there and welcome back toMompreneur Mastery.
If you have been feeling overit lately, when it comes to Instagram,
you are not imagining it.
The algorithm keeps changing.
Everyone is sharing the samerecycled hooks.
The vibe feels moreperformance than connection, and
somehow the pressure to domore just keeps climbing.
And if you're a mom trying torun a business through the chaos
(00:21):
of summer with limited timeand limited brain space, yeah, it
makes sense that Instagramfeels way more exhausting than it
does exciting.
So today I am peeling back thecurtain on these shifts, plus the
ones that I am making in mybusiness and my marketing, my Instagram
strategy, all the thingswhat's changing, why it's changing,
and how it just might be thepermission slip you didn't know you
(00:43):
needed.
Welcome to Mompreneur Mastery.
Content strategy that sellswithout spending all day online or
having to sell your soul tothe algorithm.
I'm Sydney o', Brien,homeschooling mom of three, military
spouse and marketing andmessaging strategist.
For women who are so over thepressure to just post more, keep
up with trends, or use fakeurgency and income claims to hit
(01:06):
sales goals, this show is yourpermission slip to quiet the noise,
clarify your message, andcreate content that connects and
converts even in the tinywindows of mom life.
If you noticed this episodehad a slightly new vibe from the
jump, you are right.
The title, the intro, thedirection of the podcast are shifting
a bit too, because everythingI teach and do is evolving in a way
(01:30):
that is more aligned, morestrategic, and more sustainable for
how life looks right now andnot how it looked when I first started
in 2020.
Let's start with what I'm seeing.
And maybe you've been feelingit too.
So the first thing I want toaddress is the noise is louder than
ever.
Oh, my gosh.
Instagram has always been alittle loud, but right now it is
(01:51):
deafening.
Everyone's yelling about hooksand trends and going viral, but when
everyone is talking aboutusing all these same sounds and trends
and hooks, no one's reallysaying anything meaningful.
Which I really hate, because Ifirst started using Instagram as
a way to connect with others.
You know, when I was dealingwith postpartum mental health stuff,
(02:15):
plus my husband beingdeployed, being home at 3Kids, that's
what drew me to Instagram,that connection piece.
And I just keep seeing lessand less of it.
In online marketing,especially on Instagram, I am seeing
more and more mompreneursdoing all the things, following every
hack, trying every tactic, andstill not getting the clients they
thought they would, which isreally defeating.
(02:39):
And I hate that for them.
And then it leads to themstarting to wonder what's wrong with
them, what's wrong with theircontent, what they it wrong with
their business, why theircontent isn't working, why they feel
stuck or behind or just over it.
And again, I really hate thatbecause it's not them, it's the system
they're being sold in.
(02:59):
The truth, Instagram has changed.
There's even more pressure nowto perform, just to be seen.
And no one's really talkingabout what is sustainable now.
Instagram is social media.
It's very dynamic, it'sconstantly changing.
I'm not going to pretend it'snot, but the online marketing world
in general has changed.
And these two things just feellike very, very noisy right now when
(03:23):
combined together.
So when everyone is using thesame sounds, the same templates,
the same viral hooks, the onlything that can truly set you and
your business apart is your messaging.
Okay, so I'm not talking aboutgeneric pain points.
I'm not talking about I help statements.
I am talking about messagingthat is clear, specific, strategic
(03:43):
and rooted in connection.
Because without that, yourcontent blends into the scroll.
You might get some double tap,but are people actually resonating
enough to check out your linkin bio or send you a dm?
And it's not just the contentthat follows trends either.
It's offers too.
We've cycled through groupprograms, then VIP days and then
(04:04):
memberships for scaling.
Who knows what's going to be next?
But chasing every trendignores your audience, your energy
and your life.
It's noisy, it's exhausting,and it's time to get off the hamster
wheel and build something thatactually works for you and your people.
That is what I am doing formyself too.
So let's call it what it is.
Instagram is no longer the allin one sales machine it used to be.
(04:28):
These days, Instagram strategyshould more be complimentary to the
rest of your marketing, whichI'm sure you were already doing.
But that means that instead ofrelying on Instagram for consistent
client and sales, it's goingto be more top of funnel than direct
sales sales.
Unless you live in your DMsand story replies.
But I know my audience doesn'treally have time for that and I don't
(04:53):
want to continue to give youstrategies for sales.
Consistent sales on Instagram,when it's just not hitting the way
it used to, it feelsdisingenuous and like a disservice
to you.
So things are not onlyshifting on Instagram, but they're
shifting within my business.
And the strategy I teach giventhat reels just aren't quite hitting
(05:14):
like they used to.
Engagement requires a ton moreoutput than most moms can give and
the algorithm changes fasterthan your toddler's snack preferences.
It is exhausting.
So I am shifting away fromreactive content and more into intentional
strategic content, not just onInstagram, but across multiple platforms.
(05:35):
Because that platform isn'tthe only thing that's changing, it's
the people that are on it too.
Buyers are taking longer thanever to decide.
They're asking more questions,they're waiting for more trust, more
connection.
They're waiting until theyactually feel ready.
And I love that becausethey're skeptical of high pressure
tactics, which I meanrightfully so.
(05:55):
They want that connection,they want that trust, and they want
messaging that resonates, notjust messaging that sells.
Which means we can't rely on asingle post that does well to bring
in sales or clients.
The buyer journey and a sales funnel.
These are not new concepts,but they are more important than
ever, especially paired withconnection based messaging.
(06:19):
And that journey has to fityour real life, not some hustle heavy
highlight reel you saw insomeone else post on Instagram.
So like I said, all of thismeans that my business is shifting
too.
It doesn't feel right tocontinue to share how to just get
sales on Instagram when it'snot really doable with all of these
(06:41):
changes, especially for myparticular audience, which is very
busy, you know, moms who justdon't have the time to do the constant
output to get those consistentclients from Instagram.
So here's what this is goingto look like.
Not only for affecting myclients and members, but also me
(07:01):
and my life.
I homeschool, my kids haverecurring appointments three times
a week, which is a lot ofdrive time.
It's a lot of time hanging outin waiting rooms and in doctor's
offices.
We've got homeschool co op,we've got extracurricular classes,
we've got sports.
And there are plenty of dayswhere client work happens from those
waiting rooms or parking lots.
My work time is limited and myenergy is even more limited.
(07:26):
And I realized that over timethe last few years, I had built a
business that was starting towork against my life instead of with
it.
And that is not why I starteddoing this.
So I am restructuring not justfor my business goals, but for my
own mental health, for thesake of my family.
This means less contentoutput, less reactive marketing and
more deep work, more clientfocused strategy.
(07:50):
So I'm not giving up Instagram.
I am just giving up the grindthat a lot of the time comes with
it.
I am still here to help withInstagram, but now in the broader
context of how it fits intothe rest of your marketing, not how
it defines it.
Because when your marketingworks together, your content, your
messaging, what you're sharingon different platforms, that is what
(08:11):
actually moves people towardthe sale without it taking over your
life.
So Instagram still has a roleto play.
I want to be clear, it matters.
You don't have to use it ifyou don't want to, but it is a great
place to connect and show upand start conversations is growing
your list.
But if you want sustainablesales or if you're short on time,
(08:32):
it can't be the only place youshow up.
It can't be the one place yourely on to get those consistent sales.
It takes a lot more engagementand a lot more performance.
And if that lights you up, ifthat is what brings you energy and
joy, go for it.
Truly, I love that for you.
But for me personally, thatversion of content creation just
(08:52):
does not fit in my life anymore.
It doesn't.
So I'm going to be usingInstagram a little differently now.
And I'm really excited to helpmy clients use it in a way that fits
their life and their overallmarketing strategy as well, so that
it also aligns with theirgoals, with their messaging and their
actual day to day lives.
(09:14):
One of the absolute biggestgaps I see right now is a lot of
mom business owners are buyingtemplates, whether it's for posts
or emails, what have you.
We're trying to follow what's trending.
We're kind of piece mailingtogether these strategies based on
(09:34):
different things.
We're seeing rewriting otherpeople's captions and trends and
hooks, but without the actualstrategy behind it and without messaging
that's grounded in their ownoffer, their own voice, their own
audience, it just doesn't land.
The market is more saturatedthan ever.
And if your marketing doesn'tconnect clearly and quickly, it's
(09:57):
not going to convert.
So we need better support formoms who want to actually make money
through their onlinebusinesses without wasting time guessing,
chasing trends or secondguessing what they're sharing.
So no, I don't have everylittle thing figured out.
I do have plans for bigchanges coming, so I am excited to
(10:18):
share those with you in time.
But I do know that what workedeven a year ago isn't cutting it
anymore.
When it comes to Instagram.
So it would be disingenuousand a huge disservice to you to not
update Instagram strategy andhow I teach it and my offers to make
sure that it's actuallyhelping you.
(10:39):
Given that my business will beshifting, my offers are shifting
and this podcast is shifting too.
I am doubling down onmessaging and strategy and helping
you create a content plan thatgets you those touch points, that
gets you that connection andthe trust that you need with your
audience on Instagram andbeyond so that you can get the sales
(10:59):
your business needs.
If this episode resonated withyou, I would love to hear from you.
If you could DM me onInstagram, my handle is ocially yours
Strategist.
I really just want to knowwhat is Instagram feeling like for
you lately?
And I also want you to knowthat you are not behind.
You are not doing it wrong.
(11:20):
You're just ready forsomething that actually works for
your life.
Thank you so much forlistening to mompreduer Mastery.
Also, go refill your coffee orheat it up or whatever you need to
do.
Take a deep breath andremember, you don't have to hustle
harder to make it work.
You just need a strategy thatfits your season.
That's it for this episode ofmompreneur Mastery.
(11:42):
If you're building a businessaround your life, not the other way
around, and you're tired ofbeing told to hustle harder to make
sales when you're alreadyhustling at 110%, I hope this gave
you a breath of fresh air.
And if it did, I would love itif you left a quick review or shared
this with another momentrepreneur who is ready to market
with more strategy and wayless stress.
And if you want to see what acohesive content map across multiple
(12:03):
platforms with strategicmessaging looks like, check out the
link in the show notes to grabyour free copy of the Buyer Journey
content map.
I'll see you next time.
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