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How to Connect with Your Audience on Instagram
Having trouble connecting with your audience on Instagram? Learn how to establish a meaningful connection with your viewers and gain more IG followers with these tips!
As of 2021, Instagram has roughly 2.85 billion monthly active users worldwide. It's only second to Facebook.
When it started, Instagram was known as a place for people to share bits and pieces of their lives through photos. But these days, Instagram has become the best place to sell products and market businesses. In fact, the platform has become the go-to resource for people who are searching for specific products and small business owners who are building a solid online following.
And why not?
The platform lets users share content freely while fostering personal connections with prospective clients, influencers, and other companies. It's a great place to get to know your target audience and engage with them on a personal level. Instagram doesn't just help entrepreneurs build a stronger online presence; it nurtures meaningful connections with their viewers.
If you’re new on Instagram and you’re unsure how to make meaningful connections with the right people, try these tips:
5 Ways to Connect with Your Audience on Instagram
Tell Your Story
Instagram is all about telling a story through photos and short videos, so you need to put yourself out there and introduce your brand to IG users in these formats. This doesn’t mean that you should share everything about your business, just share what you are comfortable sharing.
Here’s the thing, some people may know your brand well; others have no idea what your business is all about. So you have to tell your story in a way that connects with your target audience. Be honest, be open. Tell the heart and purpose of your business, what solutions you offer, and what keeps you going.
Introduce yourself, tell a little bit about your brand. Do this consistently to introduce yourself to new viewers and form a deeper connection with your existing followers.
Humanize Your Brand
A well-curated feed is vital for Instagram success. You need to give your brand a face, or at the very least, show your followers that there is a real person behind your brand. Show your audience that you’re not a business run by robotic suits. There are real people behind the show.
You can start by engaging with your followers in the comments section, leaving insightful comments. Choose photos that present your brand on a more personal level, like behind the scene look at how the product is created, demos, etc., or posting motivational messages. You can also feature your team (with permission, of course) so that followers will know who the people behind it are.
Avoid using photos that are overly staged because these could come across as insincere, like an ad. It could put people off. Instead, choose casual, unique images, something that shows more personality to evoke the right emotions.
Share “Stories”
Instagram has a trendy feature called “Stories.” This feature lets you share unfiltered video content. You can use this feature to showcase the brand like a behind-the-scenes look at your business, quick product intros or hacks, and perhaps, show what your day-to-day activities look like. Popular brands like Kylie Cosmetics, Glossier, and Everlane, for example, have found success simply by sharing their stories. You can achieve the same success as these brands by sharing compelling stories about your brand and building personal connections with your viewers.
Engage with People
The beauty of IG is that you can talk to just about anyone at any given time. And if you want to build a community, you need to engage with people who engage with you in the comments section. Be sure to offer insightful comments, information that people will find valuable. Engaging with your followers cultivates community, something that you can leverage in future marketing.
Optimize the Captions
A picture paints a thousand words but does not forget about adding captions and optimizing each one with your primary keywords and relevant hashtags. These standard SEO strategies increase the visibility of your photos in the searches. When people find your IG photos in the Explore tab, they’ll be compelled to follow your profile. That said, do not pepper your photos with too many hashtags; only pick a handful that is relevant to your brand.
Growing a brand on IG takes time, but you can build a community and get a lot of mileage from your marketing efforts with these tips. Still not on Instagram? You are seriously missing out. Create your business profile right now and start connecting with the right people!
[…] questions on Instagram is a fantastic way to connect with your audience and learn more about them! Their answers can be a wonderful research tool for you to help you […]
[…] Casting too wide of an audience net sounds like a good idea when you’re eager to attract attention as you build your brand, but this is one mistake that needs to be corrected right away. You don’t want to appeal to too many people because your business isn’t meant to please everyone. Your personal brand should only attract people who have a genuine interest in what you say, what you share, and what you sell! Keep your keynotes, social media posts, and content focused on a specific group of people because the narrower your target demographic, the bigger your business becomes. […]