Building relationships on Instagram is important…

Connecting with others is part of our DNA. We are hardwired to connect with one another, we create communities, tribes…etc. We should approach the online space in the same way, seeking ways to connect with one another in authentic and real ways. Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Youtube and Reddit (along with many more) were created as places for people to connect with one another. It’s places like these that allow us to share our concerns, passions, businesses, and hopes! With social sites like Facebook with a quarter of the world using its site (Active Facebook Users | 2.2 Billion vs World Population 7.6 Billion) being active online in your business is important. Just like the importance we put on our family and friends to invest their time with us, we should take the time to cultivate and build relationships with our “followers” or customers online. 

Just like in face to face communications usually we can sniff out those who are “fake” or insincere. The same concept goes for businesses who are portraying themselves online. You better believe someone who is taking the time to relate to their followers is going to receive positive feedback and better engagement than someone who just posts and never takes the time to get to know who their audience is.

Below I am going to share a few tips with you than will aid in building authentic and long-lasting relationships with your Instagram followers. These tips can also be used on other social media platforms. But for the sake of specificity I am going to be talking about Instagram.

1. First things first...Who is your Instagram audience? Knowing who your audience on Instagram is important because it will determine how you speak to them. You probably speak to your parents or boss a certain way compared to your BFF or college roomie. You may have different tones you use when speaking and jokes you tell in front of them that are different from one another. The same goes for Instagram, depending on who your audience is will depend on how you speak to them and what you share on your Instagram page.
   • Click the "Ideal Client Worksheet" button below to understand who you are speaking to, and how to better understand them.

2. Now that you know who it is that you are speaking to, next we are going to cover the importance of  Voice and Tone. 

Voice is the character of the brand. These are the core tenets, the evergreen principles. Perhaps they evolve over time, but slowly; their value is routine, predictable. We befriend characters because we get to know them and find their behavior consistently aligns with our expectations. source

Tone By contrast, tone is the expression of that brand character to the audience at hand. Tone changes all the time. It must change — that’s how empathy and relevance are surfaced. How I speak to my kids is much different than how I speak to my coworkers. (Luckily for both groups.) source

When you are writing your Instagram posts it's important to keep your "voice" consistent. Your voice is basically your brand overall. For example, it's less about what you say but more about how you express it through your actions. It encompasses all expression: written, presented, and acted. If you take a look at Facebook theres more to it than the information on its site.

Now tone is a bit different. This changes all the time because it must change. For example when posting you may want to make your audience feel excited for a new product launch, or provoke thought about a certain subject, or just make them feel happy through a funny video or quote. 

We can dive a little deeper into this. For example if you're a business that posts about educational content you may want to write down the way you want the tone to change and the way you don't want to be. You may want to be... 

• Authentic, not authoritative
• Savvy, not scholarly
• Current, not gimmicky
• Accessible, not intrusive
• Whimsical, not overbearing

3. The third way to connect and have a strong relationship with your Instagram audience is by interacting with them on Instagram. Just like you would interact with a close friend by making it a point to contact them, update them about life, ask about their happenings, and follow up on life events. This is the same approach to take with your followers. You may not be able to use this approach with all your followers but take interest in those that are taking the time to interact and comment on your posts.

Establish a relationship with a follower by checking out their posts and dropping a genuine comment every now and again. By doing this you show that you are a living, breathing person behind your account and not a faceless brand trying to sell them things they don't need.

If this task seems a bit daunting  to tackle I would suggest going to your latest post and checking out who has left a comment on that post. Click on a comment and view their profile, then check out their latest post and leave a genuine comment. Then when they respond, make sure to reply. This will get you on the right path to creating those relationships you need to nurture your Instagram audience. 

Not only does this establish your account as a welcoming account it also helps you out with Instagram's ever changing algorithm changes! YUP! By showing Instagram that you have followers who look forward to your posts and followers who actually engage with your posts, Instagram will put your account at the beginning of a followers feed based on their relationship to your account. 

Connecting and nurturing your Instagram audience can be time consuming indeed. But once you are consistent with it, it will show in your Instagram follower count and the way that your followers engage with your posts.

If you are a busy running the many other aspects of a business and this seems to daunting to do by yourself. I would advise you to consider seeking help from a professional. 

Here at Riverland Media we know how very important it is to not only have a growing follower count but to also keep the followers you do have engaged! We offer a service called Instagram Automation. This service specializes in growing your Instagram account organically (No Ads, No fake followers, No buying followers). Through our service you allow us to take the reigns on your Instagram and you can sit back and watch it grow while bringing in clients!!

Send me an email below for more information!

- Lucy Van-Zwol | Social Media Marketer