Social Media Today: What’s Working (and What’s Not)

A Women for Women Zoom Recap with W4W member Carla Schwartz

Recently, we had a conversation with Carla Schwartz—social media consultant and W4W member—who gave us a clear, honest look at how Instagram has evolved and what actually matters now.

If you’ve been feeling frustrated, inconsistent, or unsure what’s working… you’re not alone. And more importantly, you’re not doing it wrong.

Here’s what to know.

1. Instagram Has Completely Changed

Carla has been working in social media for over a decade—and the biggest takeaway is this:

What worked before no longer works the same way.

Then (Early Instagram)

• Simple photo sharing

• Community-driven, collaborative

• Content mattered more than strategy

• No pressure for perfection

Now

• Highly competitive and saturated

• Constant algorithm changes (driven by Meta + AI)

• More tools, but more complexity

• Feels harder to get visibility

2. The Biggest Shift: Engagement Doesn’t Mean What It Used To

One of the most important mindset shifts:

Likes and comments are no longer the best measure of success.

What’s happening now:

• People scroll and mentally engage—but don’t always like/comment

• Instagram prioritizes:

  • Shares

  • Saves

  • Meaningful interaction

• Even major brands are seeing lower engagement

Example shared:

• A large brand with millions of followers had:

  • Only ~400 likes on a post

  • Almost no comments

• A similar post years ago had:

  • 30,000+ likes

  • Hundreds of comments

👉 The takeaway:
You’re not underperforming—the platform has changed.

3. Reframing Success

Instead of chasing likes, shift your focus:

What actually matters now:

• Quality of followers (not quantity)

• Real connection → real customers

• Visibility to the right audience

• Sales, not just views

A post going viral does not mean someone is making money.

For artists and product-based businesses:

• Your goal is not to go viral

• Your goal is to build trust and drive purchases

4. The Reality of Instagram in 2026

Current challenges:

• Non-chronological feed (people may see posts weeks later)

• Flood of content from accounts you don’t follow

• Harder to promote time-sensitive events

• Increased competition for attention

What this means:

• Don’t rely on posts alone for events or sales

• Timing is unpredictable

• Content has a longer (and stranger) life cycle

5. What to Focus on Instead

A. Stories Matter More Than You Think

• Best for:

  • Events

  • Real-time updates

  • Casual / behind-the-scenes content

• Disappear in 24 hours (low pressure)

• Often the first thing people view

B. Reels Still Matter (Even If We Don’t Love Them)

• Massive reach potential

• Average 150 billion views per day

• Get easier with repetition

Tip: Add text to your reels
→ Instagram reads it for search and discovery

C. Hashtags Are Fading

Instead:

• Write descriptive captions

• Use real keywords

Example:
❌ “Love this commission #art #lake”
✅ “Custom painting of a boat dock on Lake Lanier for a client”

D. Reuse Your Content

This is a big one.

• Repost old content (most people never saw it)

• Turn:

  • Stories → Reels

  • Posts → Stories

• You do NOT need to constantly create new content

6. One of the Most Powerful Tools: Collaboration

Collaborations allow:

• One post to live on two accounts

• Shared visibility

• Combined audiences

Why it works:

• Expands reach instantly

• Builds credibility

• Drives higher engagement

Example shared:

• A post went from:

  • ~500 views → 82,000 views

  • ~10 likes → 2,300+ likes

• Simply by collaborating with a larger brand

7. Boosting Posts (Simple Paid Strategy)

If you want to spend a little:

• Boost a post directly (no complicated setup)

• Control:

  • Budget (even $2/day)

  • Audience (local targeting is powerful)

• Tip: Use desktop → ~30% cheaper

👉 Best used when:

• A post is already performing well

• You want more followers or local visibility

8. Why Community Matters More Than Ever

This was one of the most important themes of the conversation.

You don’t grow alone anymore.

What works now:

• Tagging each other

• Sharing each other’s posts

• Collaborating

• Supporting consistently

Because:

• Instagram favors connection

• Your audience becomes someone else’s audience

A smaller, engaged network is more powerful than a large, passive one.

9. Instagram Isn’t Enough Anymore

Because of timing issues and algorithm limits:

Use other platforms intentionally:

• Email newsletters → best for events + announcements

• Website → your controlled space

• In-person events → real conversion

👉 Key point:
You don’t control Instagram. You do control your email list.

10. Final Takeaway

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, here’s the truth:

• You don’t need to do everything

• You don’t need to chase trends

• You don’t need to go viral

Focus on:

• Showing your work beautifully

• Staying consistent (not perfect)

• Building real relationships

• Supporting each other

Quick Action List (Save This)

• Post consistently (even 2–3x/week is enough)

• Use stories for daily, casual content

• Add text to reels

• Write descriptive captions (not just hashtags)

• Reuse your content

• Tag + share other members

• Try 1 collaboration this month

• Use email for anything time-sensitive

If you take nothing else from this:

The goal is not more content.
The goal is better connection.