Ginger Starr Borden

The truth about growing without putting on a performance...
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You actually have advantages that the “dance every day” crowd doesn’t
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✨ Thoughtful content creates more value than trend-chasing posts⁣⁣
✨ Strategic word choice leads to captions that actually convert⁣⁣
✨ Quality over quantity drives higher engagement rates⁣⁣
✨ Genuine connections build stronger, more loyal communities⁣⁣
✨ Consistent strategy beats reactive posting every time⁣⁣
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Here’s what I wish someone had told me when I started:
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👉 You don’t need to perform to succeed, you need to provide value
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More tips for creators who prefer substance over performance:⁣⁣
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⏰ Set “office hours” for responding to DMs instead of feeling pressured to reply instantly⁣⁣
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🗣️ Use voice messages when you want to add personality without being on camera⁣⁣
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👩‍💻 Create content templates in Canva so you’re not starting from scratch each time⁣⁣
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☝️ Remember that lurkers love your content too, not everyone comments, but they’re still there⁣⁣
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🫶 Build relationships in the comments section where conversations feel more natural⁣⁣
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👍 Use Stories highlights to share personality without daily Story pressure⁣⁣
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👏 The accounts with the most engaged communities? They’re usually run by thoughtful, strategic creators who prioritize connection over performance.⁣⁣
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🙏 Your energy is precious. Spend it on creating content that matters, not content that performs.⁣⁣
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What’s your biggest struggle with feeling like you need to “perform” on Instagram? Let me know below, I read every comment 👇⁣⁣
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Ready to batch create beautiful carousels that grow your account without draining your energy? My Canva carousel templates + 52-page strategy guide take the guesswork out of design so you can focus on what you do best... creating valuable content. Comment GOAT & Ill send you the link

I spent my first year on Instagram like I was trying to win a popularity contest
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📈 Posting 3x a day
📈 Jumping on every trend 30 seconds after it dropped
📈 Refreshing my analytics like it was going to magically tell me the secret to going viral
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And you know what happened?
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I hit 10K followers and felt... empty
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Because none of those people actually knew me.
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They double-tapped and kept scrolling.
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My DMs were crickets. My launches flopped.⁣
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That’s when I realized I’d been building a house of cards instead of a home
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The shift wasn’t complicated, but it was everything.
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I started posting like I was talking to my best friend instead of performing for the internet.
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I shared the messy middle, not just the highlight or win…
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I asked questions and actually stuck around for the answers.⁣
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Suddenly, people weren’t just following, they were engaging.
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💬 My DMs lit up with real conversations
👯‍♀️ My launches had actual humans behind them, not just numbers
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The crazy part? I stopped obsessing over follower count and started growing faster than ever
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Because when people feel seen, they stick around. And they tell their friends.⁣
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If you’re tired of feeling like you’re shouting into the void, maybe it’s time to try a different approach. One that feels like you again.⁣
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Swipe through for 5 shifts that changed everything for me
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💬 Comment “GOAT” if you’re ready to stop chasing likes and start building something real. (And yes, I called my templates GOAT because they’re honestly that good. Sue me 🐐)⁣
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Sometimes the problem isn’t what you think it is 👇
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Just like with Eli’s health scare, your content might look “fine” on the surface while something deeper is misaligned
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Here’s what I’ve learned after working with 100’s of creators: 👉 the ones who break through aren’t just posting more or using better templates
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They have clarity on 3 fundamental things:⁣
1️⃣ Who are you as a business owner?⁣
Not your bio. Not your niche. But what do you actually stand for? What’s your perspective on your industry? When you’re clear on this, your content has a voice that people recognize.
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2️⃣ Who exactly are you talking to?⁣
“Everyone” isn’t an audience. The creators who connect deeply know their person so well they could describe their Friday night routine. This clarity makes every post feel like you’re talking directly to them
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3️⃣ What are you actually trying to sell?
This is the 1st question I ask every new client. Because when you know what you’re offering, you can reverse engineer everything else. Your content, your messaging, your strategy - it all flows from this clarity
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✨ Here’s the truth: Growth, engagement, and conversions don’t happen by accident
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But when you have the right clarity and message? Boom! 🎆
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The problem is, most creators get stuck in the “does this look good?” phase instead of focusing on what actually matters - the message and the clarity behind it.
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That’s exactly why I created these carousel templates. So you can spend your energy on getting clear on who you are and what you’re saying, instead of wrestling with Canva for hours
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Because beautiful design is nice. But clear messaging changes everything
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If you’re ready to stop second-guessing your content and start creating with real intention, comment GOAT - I’ll send you the templates + the 52-page strategy guide that walks you through all of this.
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Your future self (and your audience) will thank you 🤗
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Is it weird how much joy this gives me?⁣⁣
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When I started my business, I promised myself that even if people told me my posts were “too slow to grow” or “not flashy enough,” I wouldn’t start chasing trends just to keep up.⁣⁣
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Because I don’t want my work to feel like a constant game of yelling the loudest or forcing myself to go viral just to be seen.⁣⁣
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That’s just not realistic⁣
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I’m the kind of person who believes growth comes from trust, not tricks⁣
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I build relationships, show up with value, and focus on being worth connecting with, even if that means my numbers grow slower than someone dancing to the latest trending audio⁣
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And give me a steady stream of ideal clients who actually get me over a million random views any day.⁣⁣
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I don’t care if it’s not “cool” or the “most viral” strategy.⁣⁣
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Honestly? I think slow, steady, trust-based growth is the biggest flex.⁣⁣
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Thanks for being one of the ones who gets it.⁣⁣
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💬 Comment GOAT if you want my templates - because fixing your growth strategy AND your design game in one day feels very main character energy ✨⁣
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Most people think engaging with peers is just about visibility
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And yes! It absolutely helps you get seen by the right people!
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But here’s the bigger truth: the right people aren’t only in your target audience
They’re also in your peer group
They’re also in completely different niches
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👉When you step into other communities, you gain fresh perspectives, new collaborations, and unexpected connections
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👉When you step into your own niche community, you’re stepping into the room where people are already looking for the solution you provide.⁣
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‼️Don’t exclude either one
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And here’s what nobody talks about…⁣
Most of us work alone
From home
As solopreneurs in a job that can feel incredibly isolating
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When you try to explain your day to your partner, they look at you like you’re speaking quantum physics 😅⁣
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But your peers? They get it. They understand exactly what you’re going through
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That understanding builds something precious: confidence
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Everyone says “just keep going, confidence will come”
🤨 but honestly?⁣
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The support of my peers gave me confidence when I wanted to quit
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When they agreed with something I’d been thinking…⁣
When they liked my comment and thanked me for it…⁣
Those moments kept me going on my worst days
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Your ideal audience might not engage much yet (they don’t know what to say)
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But your peers? They’re your ride-or-die community who lift your spirits when everything feels hard
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❌ Stop obsessing over the algorithm
❌ Stop asking, “How do I get Instagram to show my content?”⁣
✅ Start asking, “How do I build real relationships with people who understand this journey?”⁣
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Support the people who support you
Show up for your community
The visibility is just a bonus — the connection is everything
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✨ Comment GOAT for Canva carousel templates so you can focus on your message instead of wasting hours designing⁣
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I remember my very first best friend like it was yesterday 👯‍♀️
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I was 5, sitting alone in my tiny kiddie pool in the backyard 😅 classic only-child energy.
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I was perfectly content splashing by myself when this girl from next door, Donna, wandered over and just... stepped right in.
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Like we’d been friends forever
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She started chatting away, and I was completely mesmerized (+ a little intimidated 😅)
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Here was this confident kid who just decided we were going to be friends. I was so nervous and starstruck that I couldn’t even speak
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When I finally stood up to get out 🤦🏼‍♀️ probably to run inside and hide - my nerves got the best of me.

I slipped and went down hard, face-first onto the ground⁣
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I was mortified 😫. 5-year-old me wanted to disappear
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But then Donna did something I’ll never forget. She looked at me sprawled on the ground, started laughing - not at me, but this genuine, delighted laugh. And then, without saying a single word, she stood up and deliberately fell out of that kiddie pool too.⁣
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We both lay there in the grass, laughing until we couldn’t breathe. In that moment, she turned my most embarrassing moment into our first inside joke
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That’s when I learned something I didn’t have words for at 5: the right person will always meet you where you are.⁣
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40+ years later, I think about Donna every time I am in a “new person” awkward situation...
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Because that’s exactly what happens when someone connects with your sense of humor - they’re not just laughing at your joke. They’re saying “I see you, I get you, and I want to be part of whatever this is”⁣
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Not everyone will laugh at the same things you do. But the people who share your sense of humor?
They’ll feel seen
They’ll feel like they found their person
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That’s not just engagement. That’s the beginning of real community.⁣
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🖐️ Save this so future you doesn’t have to awkwardly Google “helpful and funny CTAs I saw on IG??”⁣
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Take it back to November 2017: I had just started learning design.

I was soaking up every Canva tip I could find and trying to make my content look clean and polished.⁣
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All I wanted was for my posts to look professional
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Y’know… tidy and elevated. So I took the advice literally: 👀 use white space
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I was NOT expecting my feed to end up looking like a hospital room 💀

If you’d asked me “Does this look warm and inviting?” I would’ve said, “Of course! It’s minimalist!”⁣ 😅
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🚨 Spoiler alert: it looked more like I was prepping for surgery than starting conversations.⁣
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🌹 Don’t get me wrong! White space is great, but so is layering personality into your design.⁣
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📌 Add pops of color⁣
📌 Lower transparency so text stands out⁣
📌 Use those ripped photo frames to literally show your world⁣
📌 Let people feel like they’re flipping through your scrapbook 👉 not your resume⁣
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Moral of the story? White space helps people see your message… but layers, color, and context can also help them feel it.⁣
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Want to try scrapbook design styles yourself?⁣
👉 COMMENT GOAT and I’ll send you the link⁣
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A few more thoughts on the community-building side 👇⁣⁣
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👀 Look, I’m not here to tell you viral content is evil!
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Sometimes it’s fun to hop on a trend and shake things up for you and your audience 💃
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But here’s what I’ve noticed: when chasing virality becomes your main thing, something shifts 😏

You start creating for the algorithm instead of for people 😔

🔥 You burn out faster
🤔 You forget why you started this whole thing in the first place
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And honestly? That’s the last thing I want for you.⁣⁣
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Because here’s what I know about community-focused content: it actually lasts 🥰
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Those people who engage with your “boring” posts about your business? ⁣
👉 They’re the ones buying from you six months later!
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The viral post might get you 50,000 views and 12 profile visits⁣
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The community post gets you 500 views and 12 people who genuinely trust you, follow you, & may buy from you⁣
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🧐 Guess which one builds a sustainable business?⁣⁣
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I’m not saying don’t go viral if it happens. But I am saying don’t sacrifice the relationships you’re building for views that disappear tomorrow.⁣⁣
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Because at the end of the day, you want people who stick around - not just people who double-tap and move on 😉
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✨ That’s what community-first content does. It turns strangers into friends, and friends into customers who actually care about your success.⁣⁣
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💬 Real talk - which have you been focused on lately? The views or the relationships? I’m curious 👇⁣⁣
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This will change your mind 👇⁣
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SO MANY PEOPLE think⁣
👉 you should post fewer Instagram Stories to boost your views⁣
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And yeah, sometimes that’s true…⁣
if you’ve really got nothing going on business wise...⁣
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BUT if you want to:⁣
📈 Increase views⁣
📈 Increase engagement⁣
📈 Increase connection⁣
📈 Increase conversions⁣
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Then you need to focus on:⁣
🌱 Sharing updates people care about⁣
🌱 Using features like polls, DM stickers, or tap-to-reveal⁣
🌱 Getting people to tap back, rewatch, or reply to your Stories⁣
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And this, my friend, is done by sharing sequences of stories⁣
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So you could keep telling yourself...⁣
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“I should only post one Story a day to get more views”⁣
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Or you could start to believe that engagement is what really boosts reach, not a specific number stories.⁣
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🤫 Psst… if you want to start using Stories more strategically?⁣
This post breaks down exactly what’s working right now.⁣
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👉 Save this post to try it later⁣
💬 Comment “593” if you want my done-for-you Canva Story templates⁣
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🧐 You know what people actually remember from your post?⁣
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🙅‍♀️ Not the pretty Canva template
🙅‍♀️ Not even the first sentence
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💥 It’s the last thing you say.⁣
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And yet… that’s where so many businesses just toss in:⁣
“Follow me for more.”⁣
“Let me know what you think.”⁣
“Thanks for reading!”⁣
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😩 I get it, you’re tired. You worked hard on the content. But here’s the thing...⁣
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📊 According to the serial-position effect (a psychology-backed principle), people are most likely to remember the first and last thing they see.⁣
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You’ve probably heard how important the hook is (and it is), but the CTA?⁣
👉 That’s your final shot to make them feel something.⁣
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And emotion is what drives action.⁣
🙅‍♀️ Not logic
🙅‍♀️ Not templates
🙅‍♀️ Not “add to favorites.”⁣
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💡Feeling sparks the share
💡Feeling sparks the follow
💡Feeling sparks the “omg I needed this”⁣
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So if your last line is just… a generic throwaway CTA
You’re leaving connection on the table.⁣
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And you deserve better than that.⁣
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That’s why I pulled together:⁣
🔥 35 CTAs you’ll actually want to use⁣
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🏜️ Because they aren’t dry
🦾 They aren’t robotic
🧠 And they aren’t designed to make people think,
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🥰 they’re designed to make people feel
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✨ Relatability
✨ Humor
✨ Boldness
✨ Reflection
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It’s all in there. So next time you post?⁣
You’ll know exactly how to end with a bang, not a whisper
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Want to save HOURS in Canva trying to figure out why your carousels aren’t landing?⁣
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💾 Save this post so your next one hits harder
🐐 And if you’re tired of content that flops, comment GOAT and I’ll take that as your official “I’m done with mid CTA energy.”⁣
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Let’s make people feel something.⁣
Your audience (and your future self) will thank you.⁣
—⁣

This would have saved me so much time when I was starting out...⁣⁣
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You know that feeling when you sit down to create content and your brain just... goes blank?
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Like, you know you have things to say, but somehow you can’t figure out how to start saying them?⁣⁣
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That’s where having a few go-to hooks in your back pocket changes everything.⁣⁣
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Now, before you roll your eyes and think “great, another person telling me hooks are the magic solution” - hear me out!
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I’m not saying a catchy opening line is going to solve all your content problems 🙅‍♀️
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But here’s what I’ve noticed after years of helping people find their voice online: sometimes we get so stuck on the how to say something that we forget to say anything at all.⁣⁣
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These hook templates?
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They’re not meant to make you sound like everyone else.
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They’re meant to give you a starting point so you can share what’s actually in your head and heart.⁣⁣
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Think of them like writing prompts that help you get to your own thoughts faster. The magic isn’t in the template → it’s in what YOU bring to it.⁣⁣
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🫶 Your experiences
🫶 Your perspective
🫶 Your way of explaining things that makes people go “finally, someone gets it”⁣⁣
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Because honestly? People don’t need another perfectly polished post.
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They need to hear from the real you.⁣⁣
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Save this for the days when you’re staring at that blank screen.
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And remember - the goal isn’t to sound like me or anyone else.
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💖 It’s to sound like the most authentic version of you.⁣
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The one mindset shift that took me from⁣...
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😩 “I can’t post that… it sounds like everyone else”⁣
to⁣ ⤵️
😍 “I know what I have to say is a unique perspective that will resonate with like-minded people”⁣
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It’s this:⁣
Reclaiming my own voice 🗣️
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I used to hear “you just need to post consistently” all the time.⁣
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But I always found some reason NOT to share what I really wanted to say.⁣
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→ “That’s not the kind of content that performs”⁣
→ “Everyone’s already said this better”⁣
→ “This doesn’t sound like what I should be posting”⁣
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Then earlier this year, I hit a wall.⁣
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I had ideas! ..but none of them felt worth posting.⁣
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Everything felt... recycled, done already... OVERDONE!
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And I knew it wasn’t going to fix itself.⁣
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I didn’t want to spend another year sounding like a placeholder version of myself
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So I finally gave in and started writing what I actually believe.⁣
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✨ No formulas
✨ No regurgitated tips
✨ Just real thoughts, backed by experience, shaped into connection-driven posts
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And holy moly! am I glad I did
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Because within a few weeks…⁣
→ I was excited to create again⁣
→ I started attracting more values-aligned followers⁣
→ I built a content bank I actually love pulling from⁣
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SCROLL this post to grab 6 post ideas to help you show up like you again
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Not a template. Not a trend.⁣
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Just the real, resonant voice your people have been waiting for.⁣
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👉 Save this one for when you’re stuck⁣
💬 Comment GOAT if you would like to stop spending hours in Canva creating carousels and still worrying about your strategy with them...
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