Ep 85: Instagram 101: Reels vs Carousels, Faceless Marketing, and More
The Instagram Strategy FAQs You’ve Been Too Burned Out to Google
Instagram isn’t working the way it used to. You’re showing up, posting Reels, trying carousels, maybe even dabbling in Stories—but if you’re still not seeing leads or conversions, you're not alone.
What’s actually missing isn’t your effort—it’s strategy. And more specifically, the right strategy for the season you’re in.
This post tackles real questions I hear all the time from business owners who are done trying to “keep up” and are ready for content that converts without burning them out.
Let’s break down the most common Instagram strategy questions (and answers) so you can stop posting randomly and start building momentum with content that moves people from follower to buyer.
Question 1: Should I focus on Reels or carousels?
This question comes from a good place: You want to use your time wisely and know which format will give you the best return. But the format alone doesn’t make a post effective.
Here’s what actually makes a post work:
A clear goal
A message that fits that goal
A structure that gets people to stop, engage, and take action
What Reels are great for:
Growth. Specifically, Trial Reels—Reels that are built to attract the right kind of new followers. These aren’t random views; they reach people who already follow similar accounts and are more likely to care.
➡️ Want help with this? Grab the Trial Reels Guide to learn how to create them strategically (no trend-chasing required).
What carousels are great for:
Building engagement through swipes and saves
Sharing stories that create connection
Educating your audience and shifting beliefs
Selling directly with clear CTAs
✨ Bottom Line: Reels grow your audience. Carousels nurture and convert. But neither will work if they aren’t structured well. Inside my membership, I recently released a training that breaks down the formulas I use for both—so you’re not just posting pretty content, you’re posting content with purpose.
Question 2: Can I run a faceless business on Instagram?
Yes. But faceless doesn’t mean connection-less.
People don’t need to see your face to buy from you—but they do need to feel something. Emotion. Connection. Trust.
If you're not showing your face, you need to lean hard into:
Voice and tone: So people feel like they know you
Consistency: So they trust you
Storytelling: So they feel seen and understood
✨ Skipping connection content will leave you stuck in the growth phase—forever gathering followers who never convert. You don’t need to go full influencer, but you do need to make them feel something.
Question 3: Can I treat my grid like a static sales page and just show up in Reels and Stories?
You can—but only if your grid is already doing its job. And for most people, it’s not.
Think of your grid like your website homepage. When someone taps on your profile from a Reel or Story, they should instantly understand:
Who you are
Who you help
What you offer
Why they should care
If your last few posts are vague, random, or outdated? You’re missing that window of opportunity.
And with Instagram’s new grid sizing and cropping updates?
That seamless, curated aesthetic is harder to pull off unless it’s intentional. I’m actually working on a training for how to set up your static grid strategically (not just beautifully). DM me if you want early access to that.
Also: relying only on Reels and Stories means you’re leaning on content that disappears fast. Your grid is the evergreen, always-on part of your account. If it’s not optimized, you’re losing warm leads every day.
Question 4: Why isn’t Instagram bringing in leads?
If you’re posting consistently but still hearing crickets—no DMs, no inquiries, no sales—it’s not that Instagram is broken. It’s that your content is likely stuck in just one part of the funnel.
Here’s what a full Instagram strategy actually includes:
Growth – Attracting the right people
Engagement – Getting them to stop and interact
Connection – Making them feel seen and understood
Trust – Showing them you can help
Sales – Clearly and confidently inviting them to buy
Most content only hits steps 1 or 2. And when you skip steps 3 and 4, even the most aligned followers won’t take action—because they’re not ready yet.
✨ Want to know where your content might be falling short?
Take my Find & Fix The Gaps In Your Instagram Strategy Quiz to find and fix the gaps in your current approach.
Question 5: What should I post when I’m not launching?
This is the one that really matters—because most of your content happens outside of a promo period. If you only show up when the cart is open, you're putting all the pressure on your sales posts to do the heavy lifting.
Instead, I use non-launch time to rotate through content from steps 1–3:
Growth content to bring in aligned people
Engagement content to build visibility
Connection content to deepen relationships and learn what’s resonating
This is also when I collect market research. The comments, DMs, and responses I get during this time help shape future launches, offers, and messaging.
If you don’t post intentionally outside of launches:
Your audience won’t be primed when you do start selling
Your messaging might feel disconnected or rushed
You’ll be starting from scratch every time
But when you do?
You’re warming your audience, testing ideas, and building a runway that makes selling way easier—and way less stressful.
✨ The sale doesn’t start when the cart opens.
It starts with the content you share between now and then.
Final Thoughts: Strategy Makes Instagram Work
You don’t need to post every day. You don’t need to be on camera all the time. And you definitely don’t need to do everything.
But you do need a strategy—one that fits your business, your schedule, and your energy.
If this post helped clear things up for you, let’s keep the conversation going.
👉 DM me your Instagram questions for the next FAQ edition—I’d love to feature your real struggles (and give you real answers).
Resources Mentioned:
Trial Reels Guide – Learn how to grow with intention
Instagram Strategy Quiz – Find and fix the missing piece in your content
Join the Membership - Learn exactly what to post and how to use Instagram to make more sales in less time
