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Many people think that growing their Instagram account is an important and necessary part of life on social media, but very few of us have stopped to ask ourselves, “Is my Instagram account actually worth growing?”

At its core, growing an Instagram does one thing: it increases the number of people who visit your Instagram account or, in other words, it generates additional traffic to your Instagram account. Additional traffic can be potentially valuable (depending on what you do with it) but it also comes at a price. Effectively growing an Instagram account takes a lot of time, energy, mental health, and monetary resources. How do you know if the results you might see from growing your Instagram are worth the effort you’ll need to invest in order to grow it? How do you know that your efforts will result in anything at all?

Without taking the time to ask yourself these questions and clearly think them through, you can easily spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars — and more importantly, put in days/weeks/years of your precious life growing an Instagram account that wasn’t worth growing in the first place.

So if you’re wondering whether your Instagram account is actually worth growing, here are the questions you need to ask yourself:

1. What do I want to achieve by growing my Instagram account?

Sit down and write down your username or usernames (if you have more than one account you’re thinking about growing). Take a couple of deep breaths, and next to each username, write down exactly what you want to achieve by growing your account.

Be honest with yourself and don’t judge your goals, but instead, be specific. You can write down things like “to get 100 people to volunteer for X cause I care about” or “to get 1,000 more monthly readers on my blog,” “have people discover my art,” “to earn sell 50 more items on my e-commerce website,” “to be creatively recognized,” “to have more followers,” “to get my dream job” or “to get 20 people to sign up for my classes.” Whatever it is, it doesn’t matter right now. What matters is that you’re super clear on exactly what it is you want to achieve by growing your account.

Here’s an example of how I’ve done it on a spreadsheet that you can also access here :

If you don’t know why or the reasons aren’t exactly clear enough for you to write down in one sentence, your account isn’t worth growing until the reasons are clear to you.

Once you’ve written down your reasons, ask yourself:

2. How else could I achieve this? Is growing my Instagram the most effective way to do it?

Next to each of the things you want to achieve by growing your account, write down 1–5 other things you can do to achieve this goal. Again, the most important thing here is that you’re specific and creative!

If it’s more traffic that you need, would running Google or Facebook ads, or sponsoring an influencer, require less time, money, and energy? If you want more people to discover your art, would focusing on putting together a local art show help you get more significant recognition? If you want to get more people to sign up for your class, would attending two local meetups a week help you achieve that more quickly or easily, or in a more self-fulfilling way? If you want to sell more items through your e-commerce, would writing a valuable blog generate higher-converting traffic than an Instagram account?

These questions are important because, in many situations, we’ve already made up our minds that we need to grow our Instagram accounts, but we haven’t considered that there are many other, possibly more effective, ways to attain what we wish to achieve without having to grow an Instagram account.

Whether or not growing an Instagram is the most effective way to achieve your goals also strongly depends on your natural proclivity to create high-quality content and use Instagram frequently. If you really enjoy creating new content for Instagram and using the app without feeling mentally drained, then Instagram might be the most viable option to achieve what you’d like to achieve. If you feel overwhelmed and drained just by thinking of Instagram, then it much more likely you can find other ways of achieving your goals in a more fulfilling and energizing way.

After evaluating all of the other possible options, if growing your Instagram is still likely the most effective way to achieve what you want to achieve, write down “YES” and continue to question #3. If it’s not, then the answer is “NO,” and you know that growing your Instagram isn’t worth the effort in this case.

The reality is, Instagram is so competitive and saturated these days that, in most cases, the amount of physical and mental energy it takes to achieve your goals by growing an Instagram account is likely not the most effective way. Instead of rushing into trying to grow an account because that’s what you think/have been told that’s what you should do, spend a couple of days evaluating other ways in which you might attain what you wish.

3. Am I willing and able to put in the work needed to grow an Instagram account and achieve my goals?

If growing an Instagram is the most effective way to achieve what you want to achieve, it’s also important that you ask yourself if you’re willing and able to put in the work needed to grow that account in order to even have the possibility of achieving it. Next to where you answered whether or not growing an Instagram was the most effective way for you, honestly write down “YES” if you’re willing and able to put in the work or “NO” if you’re not. If you answer “NO” here, then you’ll know that your Instagram isn’t worth growing in the long run.

You might be asking: “Exactly how much work will I need to do in order to have a realistic possibility of growing my Instagram account effectively?” Well, that depends on what you want to achieve, but in most cases, it will be a lot of work. I mean it, a lot! Even if you know all of the best strategies, tools, and hacks regarding Instagram growth, it is still very likely that you’ll spend at least one year working it at, seeing little to no money or tangible results. Even then, it’s not a guarantee that your account will grow much at all! Of course, every person and account is different, but that’s the reality of trying to grow an Instagram account. There is no escaping it, and if you don’t take these things into account before you begin the journey, it will likely set you up for a big disappointment (and a whole lot of wasted time) once you realize how hard and time-consuming trying to grow an account actually is.

Make an effort to evaluate things objectively. Spending a year growing an account might be worthwhile if it’ll help your business grow in the future or if you’re sharing content that you’re really passionate about (i that you don’t mind spending time on). Other reasons, like being more popular within your peer group, possibly becoming an influencer, or just growing your account just for the sake of having more followers, might not be worth the effort.

4. Do I have the tactical and strategic knowledge it takes to have a high likelihood of being able to grow my Instagram account?

If you’ve answered “YES” for the previous three questions, then your Instagram account is actually worth growing!

This fourth and final question is of a more rhetorical nature, but it’s essential as it will give you the necessary framework to gather the most important information needed to begin growing your account.

Here’s what you need to know:

The essential Instagram tactics needed in order to have a high likelihood of growing your account: To grow an Instagram account, you need to maximize the people you reach by optimizing the number of times that you post per day , automate the process of posting , implementing a simple system to increase your engagement , using the right hashtags , interacting with as many potential followers as possible per day (possibly using Instagram interaction automation ), getting tagged by as many high-value accounts as possible , and running effective Instagram ads and the percentage of them that you retain as followers (by having a simple and clear bio , as well as differentiated and engaging content showcased in a visually unique grid ). Having the available time and resources required to execute these tactics effectively will depend on the state of your life, but honestly, it just takes a sincere willingness and effort to learn and execute effectively.

The less saturated your niche is, the more likely it is that your account can grow: You can gauge how saturated your niche is by reading #4 in this article , but in summary, the less content-creating accounts there are on Instagram competing for the audience you want to reach (your niche), the more likely you are to realistically achieve your expectations. Innovative products and talented personality-based content creators have the highest likelihood to grow quickly, because they create a niche of their own, without any competition. Non-personality-based accounts looking to grow in an already-saturated niche, such as fashion, quotes, memes, etc. are the least likely to grow, unless they are highly differentiated (which is next to impossible in an already saturated niche).

The more differentiated your account is, the more likely it is that your account can grow: Again, it’s important to be realistic and objective about your content; however, the more differentiated and well-executed it is, the more likely you are to grow fast and achieve your desired results, regardless of how saturated your niche is.

You might have awesome reasons for why you want to grow your account and the willingness to spend the time and energy needed to grow it, but do you have the right tactical and strategic knowledge in order to grow it? Or do you have the time to learn the skills needed to execute these activities effectively?

The results

Like I mentioned before, growing an account takes a lot of time, energy, mental health, and resources. Make sure that your account is actually worth growing before you start the long journey of Instagram growth.

If you know exactly what you want to achieve by growing your Instagram account, and growing it is the most effective way to achieve what you want to achieve, as well as having the willingness and ability to put in the work needed to grow your account, and you know the tactics and strategies that are essential to have a high likelihood of actually growing, then your account is worth growing!

If you don’t know why you want to grow your account and/or growing an account isn’t the most effective way to achieve what you want to achieve, and/or you aren’t willing or able to put in the work, then your account isn’t worth growing.

It’s as simple as that.

So what do you do if you conclude that your account isn’t worth growing, but it’s still important for you that it looks great?

What to do if your account isn’t worth growing, but you still want it to look great:

This one is easy. If your Instagram account isn’t worth growing, then think of it as a landing page. It can be used to visually portray your personality or business, and provide the necessary information whenever people search for you on Instagram, without needing to put in the work to grow fast. Here’s how you do that:

Clarify what exactly you want your Instagram to communicate whenever people first discover it and write an Instagram bio, username, and profile photo that clearly communicate that.

Add the contact buttons to your profile so people know how to reach you.

Make your Instagram grid look unique and visually appealing.

Post every few weeks, not days. It doesn’t really matter, as long as your profile looks awesome whenever people first discover it.

This article was originally written by Eduardo Morales for Better Marketing , a publication providing advice that works and covering digital and social media marketing, tools, and case studies. You can read the original piece here .

Europe got 10 more unicorns in H1 2020 — but brace yourself for COVID-19 instability

The number of European unicorns increased during the first half of 2020, says PitchBook’s latest report. The aggregate valuation of current unicorns in the ecosystem rose, too.

In total, Europe saw its unicorn count increase by 10 in H1 2020, bringing the total in the continent to 53.

Even though this seems largely positive, PitchBook’s European VC Valuations Report: Q2 2020, notes that the rate of newly minted unicorns could cool down as it becomes increasingly difficult to capture growth opportunities in the current uncertain macroeconomic environment.

“Furthermore, valuations of numerous lossmaking late-stage startups could come under scrutiny as revenue and cost squeezes occur during recessions,” the report adds.

According to the report, the aggregate post-money valuation of unicorns in the ecosystem totaled €95.0 billion in H1 and PitchBook analysts believe it will surpass the €100 billion mark in Q3 “with ease.”

It’s worth noting that the emergence and ensuing development of unicorns in Europe has taken place over the past decade, as the European VC ecosystem matured rapidly.

The expansion, the report says, is a consequence of greater capital inflows into VC rounds via funds to finance startups commanding larger valuations by displaying increased revenues and innovation.

Expect downrounds

Interestingly, the report notes that unicorn pre-money valuations are all pacing higher for deals in H1 2020 in comparison to 2019 figures — but warns that the coming months could pave the way for considerable instability:

“Valuations have fluctuated during the last decade, and unicorn numbers have only risen noticeably in the last three years; therefore, we expect volatility regarding unicorn valuations for the remainder of the year as outliers closing rounds can skew values. Moreover, given the current climate we expect flat and down rounds to increase in frequency as the year progresses.”

For example, the report highlights UK challenger bank Monzo’s recent down round in Q2 and notes that “other high-profile companies may have to follow suit in Q3.”

VC dealmaking may remain strong but growth will become increasingly difficult for bigger companies with high cash burn rates and unicorn valuations may indeed need to be reassessed based on short-term revenues during COVID-19 lockdowns.

“Consequently, valuation haircuts may still occur later this year and in 2021, even if business picks up in H2, as drops in revenue and funding gaps from H1 may still require cash to offset losses,” concludes the report.

All in all, I’d say this is probably as good as it gets given the circumstances: it’s a useful overview of where the market is currently at but it’s likely that the pandemics’ effects will be felt for some years to come.

On another note, it should come as no surprise given that previous reports have shone a light on COVID-19’s impact on European deal flow and valuations .

So you like our media brand Growth Quarters ? You should join our Growth Quarters event track at TNW2020 , where you’ll hear how the most successful founders kickstarted and grew their companies.

How to build a customer-obsessed company

For startup founders, passion for the product comes naturally. You’re probably your first customer, and so it’s easy to build something that you think customers will want. But when it comes to growing your business, designing great products requires more than your own intuition. It requires establishing a customer-obsessed mindset.

In my first startup, we were building a platform to buy and sell solar renewable energy credits. It was a nascent market driven by new laws requiring the adoption of solar energy. Our first thought was to build an online auction for buyers and sellers, like eBay, but for solar energy. Simple. If you build it, they will come, right?

Cultivating a relationship with your customers can be incredibly difficult. It takes diligence, patience, and processes that can be hard for founders—and at the heart of it, it’s all about being vulnerable and committed to listening to customers. We told everyone we were a startup trying to figure this business out, but in a way that was open, honest, and transparent.

A few months after we launched, we had a small number of buyers and sellers, but the hockey stick growth wasn’t happening. I had started my career in customer support, so one of the first things I did was set up a toll-free number and support email. We published that everywhere and took every phone call and every email.

We listened. And we learned. We learned how difficult it was for home and small business owners to register their solar energy systems. This led us to develop a subscription service along with our trading platform which made it easier for our users to do this. Eventually, one in seven installations in the market we served was registered on our platform.

Once we created that service, we learned more about how difficult it was for solar installers to explain everything to their customers. So we developed a channel offering our service alongside their installation. We then developed a network of over 300 partners who we initially thought we were competing with for business.

Sometimes, it took us a long time to listen. We were brazen in our thinking that all transactions would happen online when we courted large energy companies to be buyers in our marketplace. We were an online technology company incubated at Stanford… so when buyers suggested that we transact with them over AOL Instant Messenger, we didn’t take it seriously. But once we listened, we completed our business model and reached the scale to be profitable.

In these three different relationships, what we thought going in was very different from how our business evolved. When you’re building a startup, there is not a lot of margin for error. Each piece that came together made the difference between success and failure.

So why is being vulnerable with your customers vital to your startup’s future? Simply because those conversations—as awkward and painful as some of them will be—generate invaluable feedback that will help you build a product that truly serves your users’ needs. Here are a few ways to do this:

Talk to every customer

As the face of the company, the founder needs to be available to those early customers. Give out your email or WhatsApp so customers know they can talk to you. Model this behavior in front of your team, however small or large.

Pay attention to negative feedback

Check your social media and online reviews, and investigate every complaint. Those gripes are gifts, and they’re how your customers will teach you. Dig into the details to find meaningful insights, and don’t ignore them because they tell a story you don’t want to hear or they’re hard to address. Pay attention for precisely those reasons.

Amplify the voice of your users

Don’t stop with just talking to customers—make their voices heard. For example, you could use software like Airtable or Trello to create internal dashboards that display customer feedback (as well as other metrics). Also, consider a Slack integration where customer issues are automatically posted to a shared Slack channel—it’s a great way to get product managers, engineers, and other employees thinking about the customer experience.

Base product iterations on customer feedback

When developing your product roadmap (and later, when you’re hashing out the product requirements), be sure to incorporate user feedback. Analyze how they’re using your product, and embrace agile development so you can shift direction quickly without losing large amounts of development time.

4 ways to act on customer feedback as a founder

We recently started a Zendesk for Startups Program where we share strategic advice with an exclusive community of up and coming startups. Here are four essential tips we always share with founders for getting customer experience right:

2. Analyze bad ratings that include comments . While it might be tempting to spend time on the glowing reviews, you’ll garner more actionable information from those customers who are unhappy with your product or service.

3. Meet every week to discuss customer satisfaction outcomes. Set time aside for the team to analyze negative comments and brainstorm about ways to remedy the underlying causes.

4. Group negative comments by cause—and look for trends. Doing this will help you identify problem areas such as long ticket resolution times, poor product documentation, or bugs/unexpected product behavior.

The next time you’re debating how to balance the time you’re spending on your product vs your customers, remember this quote from Zendesk’s CEO & Founder, Mikkel Svanne:

Don’t forget to talk to your customers!