Engaging on Instagram: A Necessary Evil
You know that engaging on Instagram is key to connecting with your ideal client and growing your audience. But you also know that engaging on Instagram as an introvert is completely exhausting and overwhelming!
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In this episode, I’m going to give you some key tips for how to make consistent, authentic connections on Instagram so you can feel confident about how you nurture your audience and stop avoiding the task altogether!
But make sure to ask yourself one question first: is your audience on Instagram? If not, maybe you’re stressing out for no reason! If you’ve determined that Instagram is in fact a necessary evil for your business, let’s simplify your strategy, shall we?
Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One
You’ve got 15 minutes before your next call. Perfect time to squeeze in some engagement. You find a post that seems interesting enough-or…is it? It will do. You type a comment. You reread it four times. Too intense? I mean, it kind of sounds critical. Is that too many emojis? Then you delete, and in that 15 minutes, you have….yup, zero engagement.
It is SO easy to get stuck in your head when you are trying to engage on Instagram as an introvert. There are some introverts who can disguise themselves as cool and collected on social media. Not me. I really am convinced that my awkwardness actually transfers to social media.
It’s Time to Face the Music…and the Gram
The reason that engagement on IG is necessary is that it builds your audience, community, brand awareness, and collectively, these things bring you more leads. And leads my friend, is how you build a business. So here are some tips to help you get out of your head and into conversations with your next future client!
Keep it Simple. As an introvert, it’s so easy to overthink it or get caught in the comparison trap. Remind yourself that people want to hear what you want to say. Plus, you are adding value to them and their business by making the effort. Literally, anything you type is appreciated!
Time yourself if you don’t feel productive. Set a timer for 5-10 minutes a day and then go on your phone, read through posts that catch your eye, and leave simple comments. They don’t have to be ground-breaking thoughts to be valuable!
Engaging consistently. Whether it’s every day for just 5-10 min, or a couple days a week, find what works for you. Schedule it out on your calendar so you don’t get out of the habit.
Outsource it. Find someone who connects and aligns with your brand and business, can use your voice, and loves engaging. You can hire someone for just a couple hours a week to be you! You can still be in there, but hiring someone allows you to be more consistent. Note: finding the right person for this job may take a couple tries, but getting the right person is a game changer for your presence on Instagram.
Engage on hashtags that your relevant audience is using. Remember, you want to engage with purpose, not just to engage. Do some research and develop your hashtag list. Then go to the most recent post, and like and comment on something that catches your eye.
Don’t neglect your current followers. Show them some love! Demonstrate that you want to connect and you’re open to connecting with them. Also, make sure that you’re responding to comments from your followers. Then take time to like and add a comment to their most recent post. But again, don’t leave comments just to leave comments, make it authentic.
Finding hashtags that your relevant audience is using. Do hashtag research. This isn’t rocket science. Just go see what your competitors are using in their posts. They’ve done the research and those hashtags are working! If you’re not engaging on the right hashtags, you are totally wasting your time.
When in doubt, comment on the most recent post or the post that “calls” to you. Your ideal client is going to be drawn to YOU. They are going to be able to spot it when you’re being spammy or inauthentic. So this time, please don’t “fake it til you make it”.
Now You’ve Got Your Head in the Game
So if engaging on instagram as an introvert has been sucking the life and creativity out of you, now you have a strategy. Using these tips will allow you to engage with purpose and I promise you that if you do these things consistently, you’re going to see results.
Which tips will make the biggest difference for you when you engage on Instagram?
A BREAKDOWN OF THIS EPISODE
[2:59] Before you overanalyze anything, keep this tip in mind as you engage on Instagram
[4:40] Try this tip if you feel unproductive when it comes to engagement
[7:15] Why outsourcing engagement may be the key to building your audience on engagement
[14:44] Not sure what hashtags to use? Here’s an easy way to do some quick research
[15:32] Why you actually shouldn’t engage on the top posts from your hashtag research
If you enjoyed this episode I invite you to take a screenshot and tag me on your Instagram stories @introvertcoach and tell me your biggest takeaway!
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