Is your Instagram strategy draining your creative energy? When today’s guest, Kimberly Espinel realized almost all her content had become promotional, she took a bold step back – and discovered a better way forward. We’re exploring what actually works on Instagram in 2025, from finding the right mix of content types to maintaining authenticity while growing your audience. If you’re tired of feeling like every post needs to drive traffic or sales, you’ll learn how to create content that not only performs well but keeps you creatively energized.

The Wake-Up Call

At the end of 2024, Kimberly realized something startling: 95% of her Instagram content was either promotional or educational. While these posts performed well metrics-wise, she found herself dreading her upcoming Q1 launch. “If I wanted to work for a marketing agency, I would have worked for a marketing agency,” she reflected. “I started The Little Plantation because I wanted to share my heart.”

This realization led to a bold decision: postponing her Q1 launch entirely to reassess her approach to content creation. While terrifying from a revenue perspective, it opened the door to a crucial conversation about sustainable content strategy.

The Power of Personal Connection

One of Kimberly’s most striking insights came from an unexpected source. While promoting her book “How to Make Your Food Famous,” she created numerous strategic posts with tips, tricks, and giveaways. However, her highest-converting post was a candid, emotional reel about receiving a negative book review. This unplanned, heartfelt content generated more sales than all her strategic promotional posts combined.

Key Lessons for Content Creators:

• Value comes in many forms – personal stories and vulnerable moments can be just as valuable as how-to content
• Not every post needs a call-to-action or strategic purpose
• Authentic content often performs better than purely promotional material
• Balance is key – mix strategic content with genuine, personal sharing

Creating a Sustainable Content Strategy

Kimberly recommends a “two-to-one” formula: for every two strategic posts, include one that’s purely for connection or creativity. This approach helps:

• Prevent creative burnout
• Maintain authentic connections with your audience
• Keep your content feeling fresh and genuine
• Create space for unexpected wins

Instagram Trends for 2025 and Beyond

Looking ahead, Kimberly identified several key trends:

• Higher quality video content is becoming the standard
• Authenticity and vulnerability are non-negotiable
• Niching down too narrowly can lead to burnout
• Creators are successfully expanding beyond their core topics
• AI integration is becoming more openly discussed and utilized

Finding Your Balance

While taking a complete break from strategic content isn’t realistic for most creators, finding balance is crucial for long-term success. Consider these questions:

• What are your true goals for your platform?
• How can you incorporate more authentic, personal content?
• What stories or experiences might resonate with your audience?
• Where can you create space for creativity without strategic pressure?

The Path Forward

The key to sustainable content creation isn’t abandoning strategy altogether – it’s finding ways to integrate authentic connection within your strategic framework. As Kimberly’s experience shows, sometimes the most “successful” content comes from simply sharing what’s real and true for you.

Kimberly Espinel is an award-winning London based food photographer, stylist, content creator, creative business mentor and educator. She’s taught food photography, food content creation and food styling to thousands of students around the world through her on line courses and in person workshops. Kimberly runs a successful food photography business and is known for her light and shadow play and her playful approach to composition and styling. Kimberly hosts the Eat Capture Share podcast and is the author of the Amazon best selling books, Creative Food Photography and How To Make Your Food Famous.

ready to take your food blog to the next level?

We work with food bloggers looking to stand out of the crowd through custom brand and website design.

Learn More