10 Steps to Building an Instagram Following

10 Steps to Building an Instagram Following

10 Steps to Building an Instagram Following

Let’s face it.  Instagram is fun, powerful and full of potential (just like you!).  Unlocking its potential is the hard part, but not to worry, we are here to help.  Let’s give you my 10 steps to building an Instagram Following.  And after you are done, if you want even more help, you can join our Instagram training in The Tribe.  Now let’s get to it!

1. Join Instagram.

Now when I say, “join Instragram” I don’t mean simply sign up for the app.  I want you to join, be a part of the party over there.  That means interacting, showing up regularly and posting.

2.  Separate accounts.  

We all have our personal accounts with our kids and cats (you have cats, right?).  Well, that should not be the same as your business account (unless you are selling cats).  Separating your personal account from your business account will help you know what to post and how to keep a loyal following.  While I love your kids, your followers are there to follow you for what your business has to offer.  We do like to see your kids, just not every last photo of them.  Choose the ones that are consistent with your brand.  

And now Instagram has the toggle feature that allows you to go back and forth between your accounts without having to sign in and out of them, so maintaining multiple accounts is very quick and easy.  

3.  Brand your feed.  

Your feed is like a magazine of your brand.  Choose consistent colors, editing style and content to create a cohesive feel and look.  

4.  Post with Purpose.

Posting just to post loses followers and does nothing for your business.  Whenever you post, ask yourself, “why am I posting?”, “what do I want my audience to do after reading my post?” and “what will my audience get from reading my post?”.  

5.  Use your link.

With Instagram, you only get one link and it is in your profile.  This link can be used to direct your audience to your website, Facebook page or anywhere else you want them to go.  I change mine a lot because I often want my followers to go to a specific blog post that coincides with a specific post.  Make this link consistent with what you ask your audience to do in your post.

6.  Create a schedule.

Just like anything in life, if it is on a calendar, it is more likely to happen.  Take the time to plan out your posts in advance.  This will take the guess work out of posting and will help you post with purpose like in step #4.  Also, your readers want to know what to expect and by creating a consistent posting schedule, they will start trusting you more.  

7.  Comment, like, follow.

Don’t be that Instagrammer that posts and posts without giving.  Take the time to comment on other accounts that you follow.  The Instagram algorithm rewards you for more comments on your posts, so if someone comments on your photo, reply.  Not only will this make your post more likely to show up in more feeds, it is just a really nice thing to do.

8.  Upgrade to a business account.

Upgrading to a business account makes it easier for your followers to contact you by creating a contact button.  It gives you analytics to measure engagement and followers.  It also connects you with your business Facebook page.  Becoming a business account is a must!

9.  Coordinate your posts with other content.

This goes along with posting with purpose, use your posts to highlight your other content that you are creating.  Instagram should not be a stand alone piece of your marketing plan.  It should be an integral part that gives your audience a taste of your blog posts and makes your followers into customers.

10.  Use hashtags.  

Hashtags connect us together.  Use hashtags to classify your content so that people can find your work.  You can use hashtags to create a community with likeminded accounts.  And you can also use hashtags to help people find you. 

Want to get some personal help with your Instagram?  Come join our Facebook group and get live training every day this week.

 

 

Want to get the most out of this free training?  Get the worksheets here:

 

We can’t wait to help you build your Instagram following! Come join us in The Tribe.