Hello seekers,I put together my first Instagram Reel over the weekend (I know, I’m late to the party!) just to play around and get a feel for what I might be able to do with that medium going forward given that I don’t actually sell products and have less things to film. As I crossed the two-hour mark of fighting with the editing tools native to the platform and watching the app crash for the nth time, I couldn’t help but think about all of the vintage business owners that took this new(ish) feature Instagram threw at them and quickly adapted. If Reels were this much of a learning curve for someone who has made her living as an editor and journalist—someone who is by definition a content creator—how much time are sellers spending making these videos while also trying to manage their inventory, host drops, source and generally run their businesses (which in some cases are already a second or third job)? If you’re using Instagram as one of your primary marketing tools, you need to keep up with the way the company is changing the platform (i.e. favouring Reels content) so that your hard work continues to be seen. I’ve had discussions with many sellers lately about the fact that the Instagram “algorithm gods” are seemingly penalizing small businesses for just about everything these days: if you publish still photos instead of video, if you don’t have a big enough ad spend. Simple advertising doesn’t cut it anymore. Sole proprietors and tiny teams have had to become content creators in order to stand out in a crowded marketplace—even if you actually started selling because you wanted to share your finds and your love for thrifting, not because of your desire to create content. It’s a perplexing phenomenon, and, as we head into 2022, I’d love to know your thoughts. How do you approach your role as a creator? Do you foresee yourself diversifying your marketing strategy given the limits Instagram is placing on small businesses? — Kristina
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