A few weeks ago I talked about my blogger anxiety and in that post, I mentioned I was scheduled to speak to middle schoolers for career day. Well, I came, I spoke, I conquered (and had no anxiety by the way), and I even learned a few things from the kids.
Because I am a research junkie and I strongly believe in getting to know your audience (clearly), I asked these middle schoolers some social media questions. First, I asked what social media platforms they used the most (Instagram and Snapchat). Then I asked why (because they’re fun and easy to use).
However, the kids did say Instagram was their #1 which is why I decided to save the best for last.
So for the last post in this series, we’re going to focus on knowing your “Instagram fam” inside and out and building a trusting, long-lasting relationship which can be attained by doing the following:
Testing different types of pictures
There are SO many different angles you can use to tackle Instagram. And the best way to figure out what works for you is to test them. You have flatlays, full body shots, half body shots, sitting shots, boomerang shots, mini movies, detail shots, scenic shots, quotes… the list goes on. All of these different photo shots should be taken and experimented with on your Instagram feed.
In my personal experience, flatlays are poor performers, either because mine suck or my followers aren’t interested. So what do you do? You stop posting them! Simple enough, right?
New bloggers have an advantage because your audience doesn’t know what to expect from you so you can kind of throw out whatever you want to and see the results. The earlier you test things out the faster you’ll find a recipe that works for you so you’re able to build on that and grow, grow, grow!
Using Instagram live
I can’t stress the value of Instagram live enough! Oh man, I love me some Instagram live. It’s definitely scary at first because anyone can hop on at any time and troll the crap out of you (I’ve seen this happen a few times to other bloggers), but once you do it a few times it’s no big deal.
Instagram live is the best way to get the face time interaction with your followers, it doesn’t get more real than that! You can gauge how many people actually consume your content by the number of people that show up; plus you will know what type of content you should be creating by the questions and comments you get during your Instagram live. It’s a total game-changer.
Instastalking your followers
Another semi-creepy way to get to know your audience is by stalking them! Let’s be honest, we all do it to celebrities, our friends, our favorite bloggers, etc. so why not do it to total strangers? After all these strangers follow you for a reason so it may be a good idea to find out why.
Once you do a little stalking you’ll be able to see what types of pictures they’re posting, what their interests are, how old they are, etc. This will help you create content based on what they want and need.
Asking questions
Asking your audience questions is the best way to get to know them. However, you won’t get an answer all the time, and that’s ok. Even if you start with one response, one response is better than none so take that one response and run with it! Show extra love to the people who are engaging with your questions so other followers are enticed to join the fun too.
Sharing the stage with your readers/followers is the most effective way to get them to care about your content because they see that you care about them by getting them involved in the conversation. Make sense?
Having your followers involved in your content creation and overall brand really speaks volumes. Keep in mind, there are a lot of other bloggers fighting for your followers’ attention on Instagram, so to go out of your way and ask for their opinion on something that relates to you and your brand, is memorable. It will keep them coming back for more. Trust me when I say reader/follower appreciation goes a long way.
What question do you have about Snapchat, YouTube, or Instagram? Ask us in the comments because next week’s post is going to answer all of YOUR questions with a special shout out to those who ask!
xx Britt
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You Should Also Read:
Get to Know Your Audience: YouTube (Part 1/3)
Get to Know Your Audience: Snapchat (Part 2/3)
The Secret Sauce to Growing Your Following
