I am not an Instagram wizard. I am not the Queen of IG. But I do know social media. Anyone who grew up with it does. We all know how it affects people and their lives. We want it to be perfect; the best representation of ourselves. I get that. In fact, one of my "rules" (if you can call it that), is to not post any "ugly" pictures in my feed. I may tell the audience that my living room looked like a dumpster fire before the pic, but I don't think anyone wants to really see the nitty gritty. Maybe you love the "befores" and the "real" moments. That's great! Then by all means, do that. And if you are looking to grow your following (and maybe your business) these simple guidelines can help you tackle one of the hardest things to master on Instagram; Authenticity.
I've done my fair share of reading and research about what it takes to be successful on Instagram (I'm still learning new concepts every day of course). But there are reoccurring themes about what it is to have a successful IG account, and if you follow some guidelines, your account will be a source of joy, followers will be more engaged, and your brand will grow:
- Be true to yourself
- Have a cohesive look
- Post consistently
- Genuinely engage with your followers
- Genuinely engage with accounts you admire
- Stop worrying about the numbers
- Use all your hashtags (you get 30)
- Tag people in your posts
- Story more
- Promote yourself
- Give your followers something
So the first point is pretty self-explanatory. There are so many accounts out there that do the same thing and look similar to other accounts. Granted, there's a reason for that; it works. But being a clone isn't the way to have a truly engaged following. You need to put a piece of yourself into your posts and look. So much so that when someone sees your pic pop up in their feed, they know it's you instantly.
That brings me to point two; having a cohesive look. It's important to use the same filters and/or photo edits EVERY TIME. This will make your feed pop and look way more professional and beautiful. If you like dark and moody photographs, go with that. If you like washed out pics with a pink hue overlay, do that too. Just be consistent.
Point three is also super important; post consistently. If you're posting once a week and wonder why you're not getting more followers/engagement, it's because no one knows you're there! To really grow your business or following, you need to be posting, at minimum, once a day. But really, because of the algorithm, you should be posting THREE times a day! Your post can easily get lost in people's feed, and posting more gives you a better chance of being seen. If you have a business account, check out your stats and see when your followers are on throughout the day (mine is 9am-3pm).
Point four AND five really tie in together. Genuine engagement with your followers and accounts you admire is so important. I try to follow the "rule" of, if I really like a post (relatable, pretty, well-written, etc.") I comment and tell them so. Now don't be a cheese ball and copy and paste canned answers like, "So nice! I like your work". Try to be personal with it; we're going for quality over quantity here. Pick out something you really like about the post and extrapolate from that. For example, "I love what you did with that space! The pink velvet chair really ties the room together". Be thoughtful.
Point six can't be stressed enough. We've all been there...riding high on a follow wave, getting to a certain number milestone, only to drop off the next day. So frustrating!!! Most likely it's them, not you. As my friend Rachel says, losing followers is trimming the fat; if they don't want to be there, you don't want them there. Makes total sense right? But high numbers feel goooood. Move on. As long as you are putting out quality, engaging content, the follows will....well....follow!
Using all your allotted hashtags is also super important. Point seven is all about that. In your copy, you are allowed THIRTY hashtags. That's a lot! If you go over that amount, IG deletes your text and you have to start all over again. Ugh. Don't make that mistake like I did several times until figuring it out. Anyway, using as many #s as you can exposes you to more people. Your posts will be seen by more accounts, and if you're lucky AND good, will lead to more follows. Write down your hashtags; I guarantee you won't remember them all. The key is to mix up your hashtag order each time you post. The IG algorithm looks for bots by seeing generic and recycled hashtags. You don't want to get shadowbanned. Make your hashtags thoughtful, witty, relevant, and meaningful to you and your brand (you are your brand btw). Also, keep track of your favorite #s by following them and like and comment on posts you like when they show up in your feed.
Point eight will help you connect with accounts you admire more. If you bought something from an IG maker and you create a post with the item in it, tag them! Got super cute earrings and you want to give the maker credit, tag them in your post (either on the picture or in your copy). I guarantee it will get you feedback. People want to, and love, seeing their customers enjoying what they created. I know I do! I love when customers show me how they've used decor they bought from me, in their spaces. It is an amazing feeling knowing that someone appreciates something I did, or find beautiful.
I can't emphasize enough the importance of stories. Point nine is so important because stories are your time to show who you are. The living and feeling person behind the account they follow. It's video. People love watching videos. Sometimes I won't even scroll my feed. I'll just watch stories for 20 min. They're an amazing tool that you can use to connect with your audience. You can use them to show the less-than-perfect side of your life, what you've been up to, celebrating another 'grammer's success, or giving people a look into your daily life. Stories are also a great way to stay on people's radar. If you are always in front of their face, you'll be on their minds more. Again, just be true to yourself.
Point ten is probably going to be the hardest for a lot of people. Promoting yourself to your followers, and future followers, can be very uncomfortable. The trick is to not be "sales-y" and believing in your product (physical, digital, personal), and engaging with people on why you love it. If I'm trying to sell a pair of lamps, and I don't really like them, it's going to show. No one will want to buy the lamps. But if I really believe they're beautiful and will make someone's home look amazing, I should be all over that. Promoting yourself (your product) feels awful sometimes. However, with most things, it gets easier with practice. Don't be afraid to start the conversation. I might do a post on the lamps and list why I love them so much by saying, "These gorgeous lamps are an amazing example of turn of the century craftsmanship and will stand the test of time." as opposed to, "buy these lamps because it will make you look cool". See the difference?
Point eleven has to do with giving and expecting nothing in return. If you are constantly asking your followers for things (shares, likes, comments, preferences, to buy things...) you'll burn them out and they'll lose interest. Instead, try giving them things with the expectation you won't get anything out of it. Make your followers know you appreciate them. It can be a physical item in the form of a giveaway, free shipping, or intangible like information or mentions of your fave accounts.
OK, I think that about covers it. Thanks for sticking with me to the end! If you have any questions or comments, leave them below or DM me on Instagram @m.jaehomeco
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