Enough with the Montessori approach to communication.

[An excerpt from the Cose a Caso newsletter - 2024]

A quick note before we begin.

Dear Maria (Montessori), don't hate me—I don't hate you.

Dear parents, don't hate me either—I don't hate you.

I'm not a mother. Maybe one day I'll embrace the Montessori method myself. I'll probably be influenced by it, too. So what you're about to read is simply the opinion of Sofia, 28 years old, doubled over with period cramps (oops—is that still a taboo subject?) in September 2022.

Could I end up contradicting myself in the future? Absolutely. But then again, change is part of our nature. Nothing is ever truly static.

So: no hard feelings.

What Is the Montessori Method... in Communication?

I assume everyone knows who Maria Montessori is.

I know very little about her myself, and only at a surface level. But if I had to choose just two words to describe the Montessori method, they would be:

1. Independence

2. Freedom of choice

Today, it's the second one I want to challenge: freedom of choice.

One thing that has always annoyed me on Instagram is influencers' obsession with polls.

Sure, polls have their upsides from a community-building perspective. They drive engagement, and they make people feel like they're part of the decision-making process—as if they can genuinely, democratically influence the influencer's choices.

"Which shoes should I wear with this outfit? These or these?"(Cue the nosebleed... but okay.)

"When do you want me to post it?"(Shouldn't your insights tell you that? But fine, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. It also builds anticipation and draws attention to the upcoming post, so you could argue it's part of the funnel—the whole process leading up to publishing a piece of content that needs to perform well if you want to land brand collaborations.)

"Which do you prefer: peach iced tea or lemon iced tea?"(Wait... wasn't this the kind of thing that page with the orange logo used to post? What was it called again... Poivorrei? Oops.)

Anyway, all of those polls are relatively harmless.

The problematic ones are the polls about your communication strategy.

Never let your audience make those decisions.

And never hand them the reins of your communication strategy.

Never.

"Where do you think I should post this?"

The other day I came across an Instagram Story from an account one of my clients follows. (Yes, sometimes I have to look at these things—with permission, of course. Otherwise, there's no point in just publishing content without understanding the context.)

I honestly couldn't tell you whose account it was. I didn't even register the name.

But they had posted a poll asking something along the lines of:

"Our new collection drops on [XY]. Where would you like to be notified? Here on Instagram or via our newsletter?"

(Poll)

The next Story showed the poll results, proudly announcing the winner...

Drumroll, please... 🥁

Instagram.

The creator added something along the lines of:

"I'm actually quite surprised that you prefer Instagram, but that's fine..."

That's fine? Excuse me? What's fine, exactly?

Of course, if you ask a child who's used to sleeping in their parents' bed whether they'd rather sleep in their own, they'll probably say no.

And of course, if you ask an Instagram audience whether they'd like to leave the app, they'll probably say no too.

But that's exactly the point: it's your responsibility to make those decisions—not theirs.

Because you are the one who should define the strategy.

And you are the one who should educate your audience.

Newsletters in 2024

There are countless reasons to build and nurture a newsletter audience in 2024:

• You bring people beyond Instagram.

• You finally own your data (email addresses).

• You create an alternative communication channel (what happens if Instagram goes down one day? Or if you lose everything?).

• You gain access to an entirely different set of metrics.

• You get to know your audience better. What do they click on? Do they engage more with images, buttons, or linked text?

Great.

But how do you actually build that audience?

By banning the Montessori approach.

Thank you.

You—and only you—should guide your audience.

Create exclusive content. Offer special promotions. Give newsletter subscribers early access to a product, a collection, or a piece of content. Build anticipation. Be crystal clear about the value you're offering.

Give people a reason to stay.

How Independent Are You? 

Going back to the core principles of the Montessori method I mentioned at the beginning, let me ask you this:

If you run a small business, how independent are you when it comes to your communication strategy? How much do you rely on channels beyond Instagram—like email marketing and newsletters?

If you need someone to assess your current situation and help you build a strategy that doesn't depend on a single platform, that's exactly what we're here for. 👩🏻‍💻

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We're Metòdica — a strategic marketing consulting studio.

We help businesses define a communication method that is rooted in their identity, reflects what makes them unique, and supports sustainable growth.

Want to get to know us? Book a discovery call and let's explore how we can work together.

hello[at]studiometodica.com