You know that moment when you hit publish on a post and then spend the next ten minutes refreshing Instagram to see if anyone’s liked it yet? Yep, been there. The truth is, your audience is constantly giving you feedback on your content, even if it doesn’t come in the form of a glowing testimonial or five-paragraph DM.

This week’s blog is all about using feedback to shape your content strategy. And no, I'm not talking about the terrifying red-pen-on-a-school-report kind. We’re talking about the useful kind that helps you create more of what your audience actually wants to see.

What actually counts as feedback?

Feedback isn’t just testimonials or formal reviews. It’s much more everyday than that:

• A comment on your post

• A DM that says “thank you, this helped”

• A friend mentioning your latest reel

• An emoji tap on your Stories

• Tumbleweed (yes, silence is feedback too)

It’s all data. It tells you what’s landing, what’s resonating, and what might need a bit of a tweak.

How I use feedback in my business

When someone sends a lovely message about a podcast episode or post, I note it down. If a post flops? That’s feedback too. I ask myself: was it the format? The timing? The hook?

When something goes down really well, I repurpose it. Maybe it becomes a carousel or a reel or gets expanded into a blog. Because if it landed once, chances are it’ll land again.

How to ask for feedback without it feeling awkward

You don’t need a clipboard or a Google Form. Here are some simple, non-cringe ways to ask:

• Use polls or question boxes in your Instagram Stories

• Ask people to reply to your email newsletter

• Pop a question in your caption: “Was this helpful?” or “Do you want more of this?”

• DM someone who engaged with a post and ask what they thought

People are usually more than happy to share their opinions, especially in a private message where there’s no pressure.

What to do with your feedback once you’ve got it

Don’t let your lovely pile of responses gather digital dust. Organise it!

• Create a Google Sheet, Airtable base or Trello board

• Save screenshots of positive messages and DMs

• Record who said what, where, and when

• Note where you’ve used it already (for social proof or repurposing)

This becomes your very own audience insight vault - a treasure chest of clues about what’s working, if you will...

How I turn feedback into strategy

Receiving lovely feedback is always lush. But how do you use that to make your content even better? Thanks for asking - I'll tell you!

1. Find your best performers: Which post got the most responses? Look at the theme, tone, and format.

2. Check for patterns: Are people consistently DMing you after certain types of content?

3. Listen in real life: What do people say at events or in person? Even vague praise like "you make me smile" is useful!

4. Build on what works: Turn successful posts into carousels, reels, stories, or long-form content.

It’s not about copying and pasting. It’s about evolving what already works and trying new angles.

What if the feedback isn’t what you expected?

Sometimes your favourite post will flop. Sometimes people won’t get the message. That’s not failure, that’s information. And it’s incredibly valuable.

Try not to take it personally (easier said than done, I know). Treat it as a gentle nudge to clarify your message or test a new format. And remember: just because there’s no visible engagement doesn’t mean no one is watching. Silent lurkers are real.

Finally...

Feedback is always there - in DMs, in passing comments, in your analytics. The trick is learning how to listen and what to do with it. Inside my signature programme, The One Where You Learn Instagram, I help clients gather and use feedback to shape content that actually works.

If you’d like help figuring out what your audience is telling you (and how to turn that into stress-free content that gets results), book a free Instagram Confidence Call with me. We’ll audit your profile, map out a few quick wins, and see if my programme is a good fit for you.

It’s free, it’s friendly, and it might just be the nudge you need.