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Catherine Downes | Instagram Strategist

@askcatherinesocial

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🇬🇧Helping Bucks small businesses get results on Instagram💜
👌From posting +hoping to starting with a plan.
🤩Strategy/Coaching/Audits
🎁Free Starter Kit↓

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Hello, I’m Catherine, your social media strategist.I help you make Instagram and social media simple – even if you’re not tech-savvy.With over 25 years’ marketing experience in the UK and internationally, I create strategies that help your business get noticed, without overwhelm.I’ve created strategies for charities, artists, musicians and small businesses – from hospital trusts to local blues bands – always tailored to their goals and audience.My approach is practical, understanding and tailored to you, so you feel confident implementing it. Let’s chat and create a strategy that feels authentically yours.💜💜💜#askcatherinesocial #instagramstategy #socialmediamarketing #buckinghamshiresmallbusiness #instagramcoach by @askcatherinesocial

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7 months ago

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4 months ago

The easiest reel you’ll ever make - and it actually works 👟👍No talking to camera. No editing marathon. No dancing (promise).Point your phone at your feet, start walking. Add 3 text boxes saying something your ideal client needs to hear.Why it works: ✅ Movement holds attention ✅ The text does the talking ✅ Under 10 minutes, start to finishContent doesn’t have to be complicated to work - it has to be consistent.Save this for your next “I don’t know what to post” day 💜And if Instagram feels like a full-time job and is not what you signed up to, DM me ‘CALL’ and we can have a chat (no commitment) about your account.Thanks to @brienne_williams for the inspiration 💜 Hashtags#instagramtips #reelsideas #smallbusinessowner #socialmediatips #contentmarketingtips by @askcatherinesocial

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Welcome to part 24 of the ‘Do this to grow’ Instagram series.📈🎁What’s your routine like? Are you someone who is super organised and have all your posts scheduled in advance? 👌Or are you someone who is a bit more ad-hoc in your approach, well intentioned but not quite there?🙄This week’s tips are aimed at helping you get into a regular routine with your Instagram. 💯🥳Allocate tasks to each day of the week, in preparation for the following week. That way you can stay ahead without the stress of playing catch up all the time. This is the same routine I taught my client Rachel. She was starting to dread opening up her Instagram, not knowing what to post. Now she has a routine that allows her to post consistently and she actually enjoys engaging on the app.Do you have a good routine? Share 1 tip that helps you stay ahead, drop it in the comments below. I’ll share the best ones to my story and tag you. 🤩If you’d like a free content planner comment ‘plan’ and I’ll send it right over.💜💜💜HASHTAGS #InstagramBranding #brandstrategy #contentmarketing #InstagramStrategy SmallBusinessInstagramDo you have a good routine? by @askcatherinesocial

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Growing an engaged community on Instagram isn’t about luck. ☘️ It’s about having a system. ✅😍Most people focus on one or two of these (usually posting consistently and hoping for the best), then wonder why the followers aren’t turning into a real community.Growth happens when research, strategy and engagement all work together. You can have the best content strategy in the world, but if you’re not replying to comments or showing up in people’s DMs, then you’re not making connections. That means your not building trust, which in turn means you’re not making salesStop leaving money on the table on the table! 💰It’s not easy remembering all this! I’ve got just what you need so you have your strategy mapped out. Comment START for your free Instagram toolkit, so you never miss a beat.💜 Save this for when you’re planning next month’s contentHashtags#InstagramGrowth #InstagramStrategy #SmallBusinessMarketing #InstagramTips #GrowYourBusiness by @askcatherinesocial

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5 days ago

Your Instagram followers are borrowed. 🥸💯You do not own them - one algorithm change and your reach can disappear overnight. 💨 One mishap and your account can get deleted 🤬😱Your email list is the one thing you actually own. 👍😍Here are seven easy ways to grow your email list directly from Instagram, without feeling like you are trying to sell something.Just pick one and add it to your next caption, let me know how it goes.Save this so your next post can do two things: get people talking AND add a new email subscriber later on.💜💜..Hashtags#InstagramTips #InstagramGrowth #SmallBusinessTips #SocialMediaStrategy #emailmarketingtips Do you have an active email list? by @askcatherinesocial

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7 days ago

Welcome to part 23 of the “Do this to Grow” Instagram series.Carousels are the most underused format on Instagram. And the most powerful.They get more saves than any other post type. Carousels take people longer to consume, which signals to the algorithm that your content is worth showing to more people. And when they’re done well, they get shared, which means your content reaches people who’ve never seen your account.😎🤩The mistake most people make is treating carousels like a listicle dump - ten slides of tips with no real thread connecting them. The carousels that perform best have a beginning, middle, and end. They take the reader somewhere. 💯👌This week’s checklist is about building carousels that people actually swipe through and come back to. 💜✅The quickest win? Check your last carousel and count how many people made it to slide 2. If the drop-off is steep, your slide 1 isn’t doing enough work. That’s your fix.Have you found carousels work well for your content? Let me know in the comments 👇💾 Save this — your go-to guide next time you’re building a carousel.HASHTAGS 💜💜💜#InstagramCarousel #CarouselTips #InstagramStrategy #SmallBusinessInstagram #UKSmallBusiness by @askcatherinesocial

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18 days ago

Curiosity hooks that grab your ideal client!💯🥳Ever scroll past a post because the first line didn’t grab you? Your ideal client is doing exactly that to your posts, right now.🤪The fix isn’t a better photo or a trendier Reel - it’s your opening line. ✅😎Swipe through 5 curiosity hooks you can steal for your very next caption. Stop the scroll.Save this so it’s ready next time you sit down to write....Hashtags #instagramtips #SmallBusinessTips #SocialMediaStrategy #ContentHooks #InstagramCaptions by @askcatherinesocial

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Feeling stuck on what to post in July? 😘 Do you ever find yourself looking at the screen and thinking “What on earth do I post today?” Trust me, I’ve been there! That’s why I create these calendars which will help you show up with purpose and stop the guessing.This July content calendar is packed with ideas that will help you to: ✅ Build genuine engagement ✅ Help you stay visible without burnout ✅ Will work across Reels, Stories, Carousels + Posts ✅ Align with your niche and personalityIt’s mid year, it’s summer and it’s the perfect time to realign with your goals, show up more consistently, and refresh your content energy. This calendar is your shortcut.👌👇Which idea are you using first? Let me know👇 💬 Drop a comment or DM me if you’d like help adapting these to your niche.✅ 📩 Found this helpful? Tag a friend so they don’t miss it.💜💜💜#JulyContentIdeas #InstagramTipsUK #SmallBusinessMarketing #AskCatherineSocial #IGStrategy by @askcatherinesocial

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22 days ago

Welcome to part 22 of the “Do this to Grow” series.💯💜The fastest way to reach 50 new ideal followers isn’t a viral post. It’s the right collaboration.When you show up on someone else’s platform, whether that’s a collab post, a Lives session, a podcast, or a simple shoutout swap - you’re borrowing trust. Their audience already likes and believes them. That endorsement transfers to you in a way no ad ever could.✅💜The barrier most people hit is thinking they’re not big enough to collaborate yet. But the best collabs happen between accounts of similar size. You don’t need 10k followers to be worth collaborating with. You need a clear audience and something genuinely useful to offer theirs.😍🎁This week’s checklist is about making collaborations a regular part of your growth strategy. 🤝Who in your niche could you reach out to this week? Not to pitch anything, just to start a genuine conversation. That’s always how the best collabs begin.Drop a 🙋 in the comments if collabs are something you’ve been meaning to explore but haven’t started yet.💾 Save this - it’s a great reference when you’re planning your outreach.HASHTAGS #InstagramCollabs #InstagramPartnerships #InstagramTips #SmallBusinessInstagram #UKSmallBusiness by @askcatherinesocial

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Small steps 👣 can equal big impact 💪Your Instagram looks good but your reach, engagement and enquiries aren’t following. Sound familiar?That usually means one thing: you’re posting without a complete Instagram strategy.Here are the six foundations I use when I build a client’s content strategy (and you can apply every one of them yourself):1️⃣ Start with clarity What’s your niche? Who are you for? What do you want to be known for? One clear message beats five vague ones every time.2️⃣ Make your visuals instantly recognisable Consistent colours, fonts and style mean people know it’s you before they’ve read a single word.3️⃣ Write captions that guide the reader Hook → value → next step. Grab attention, give them something useful, then tell them exactly what to do - save, comment, share, click or enquire.4️⃣ Use keywords, not just hashtags Think Instagram SEO: use the words your ideal client would actually search for - in your caption and your on-screen text.5️⃣ Show the difference you make Results, client stories, proof, process. People connect with impact, not perfection.6️⃣ Pick the right format for the job Reels = reach. Carousels = saves. Stories = trust. Match the format to the message.💜 Save this post for later - it’s one you’ll come back to.If you want a done-for-you Instagram strategy so you can stop guessing what to post, comment STRATEGY and I’ll send you the details.Which of these six are you missing right now - clarity, keywords or calls to action? Tell me in the comments and I’ll cover it in my Stories 👇. . .#instagramstrategy #instagramtips #instagramforbusiness #socialmediamarketing #smallbusinessmarketing by @askcatherinesocial

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wrong. 🥵💯Not because they’re lazy. But because nobody taught them the right way.These are some common mistakes I see:💜Mistake 1: Posting without a strategy Your followers don’t know what you do. You’re posting tips about Instagram one day, then a random selfie the next. They unfollow because they’re confused.In coaching, the first thing we do is define your content pillars - the 3–4 topics you own. Followers stay because they know what to expect.💜Mistake 2: Ghosting after you post You post a reel, then disappear for 3 days. Engagement dies.The algorithm favours consistency. I coach creators to post 3–4x per week minimum and engage with comments for 24 hours after. That’s what moves the needle.💜Mistake 3: Chasing vanity metrics Obsessing over follower count. When I ask my clients: “How many of those followers have actually enquired or bought?”most say….. zero.In 4 weeks of coaching, we shift focus to engaged followers, the ones who care about what you do. That’s when DMs and enquiries start coming.Want to fix these three things and actually get seen? Let’s talk. drop me a DM for more info.Hashtags #InstagramStrategy #GrowOnInstagram #smallbusinesscoach #buckinghamshirebusiness #instagramtips by @askcatherinesocial

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