The Biggest Mistake I’ve Recently Made on Instagram

The biggest mistake I’ve recently made on Instagram? Letting a brand push me into a long Reel, now my reach has totally crashed.

“When a brand insists, but your gut says no, trust your gut.
”

Let me be real for a moment. I’ve spent years building up my Instagram, growing an engaged following, and learning what works (and what doesn’t) when it comes to content. But the biggest mistake I’ve made recently? Letting a brand bully me into creating Reels that were over 30 seconds long, even after I told them exactly why it was a bad idea.

Spoiler alert: it backfired. Not just for me, but for the brand too.

Here’s what happened

I was working on a collaboration that I was actually excited about. But when it came to the deliverables, they were adamant that I produce long-form Reels. I explained, politely, but firmly, that Instagram just doesn’t reward longer videos the way they think it might. I flagged that most of my highest-performing Reels are short, snappy, and to the point. I even mentioned that engagement can tank if the content is too long.

Still, they insisted.

I didn’t want to come across as difficult, and I also wanted to maintain a good relationship, so I gave in.

And guess what?

Those Reels tanked. The reach was terrible, the engagement flatlined, and since posting them, my account visibility has taken a serious hit. Posts that would normally do really well are now barely getting seen. It’s like the algorithm slapped me on the wrist and said, “No thanks.”

The worst part? I knew Better

I’m not new to this. I’ve tested, refined, and adapted my content strategy to keep up with Instagram’s ever-changing rules. But in this case, I let someone else’s opinion override my own expertise and it cost me.

Here’s what I want you to take away from this

Rebuilding from a reach drop isn’t impossible, but it’s hard. And it could’ve been avoided if I had trusted myself and stood firm.

Final Thoughts: Brands, take note. Influencers know their audience.

Collaboration should be exactly that, collaborative. And when an influencer says, “This won’t work for my audience,” brands need to listen. Because forcing the wrong kind of content doesn’t help anyone.

Want more real talk like this?

Join my newsletter for no-fluff influencer tips, content strategy insights, and lessons I’ve learned the hard way, so you don’t have to. You can also check out other blog posts here.

Yvette x