Jill Marinelli is a personal stylist, public speaker, and communications coach. She started her business, JM Stylist, in 2009 and has worked with women all over the country. At the beginning of 2022, Jill decided she wanted to focus on expanding her reach on Instagram. Through trial and error, Jill discovered that her audience responded well when she posted reels. Since Instagram is a powerful tool for small business owners, Jill wanted to figure out how to drive traffic from Instagram over to her website.

I sat down with Jill in March and helped her come up with some ideas to try out on her Instagram. We created cover pictures for her existing reels that incorporated her brand colors, and created a simple aesthetic for her feed. We also reworked some of her content from previous appearances on local radio and tv shows to add variety to her content. Most importantly, we discussed which types of content she enjoyed creating. Jill said she wanted to be real, and let her audience in on any tips and tricks she uses to spice up an outfit or feel more confident on an off day.

After 3 months, Jill found that her most successful posts were the reels where she shared simple style tips, budget-friendly staple pieces, or answered questions from her followers. She began to share all the items she mentioned in her reels in a link to her website on her profile so that her followers could “shop her Instagram” with ease. Jill’s follower count grew by about 300 throughout the 3 months we worked together.