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Ep. #9 – 4 Ways to Increase Reach and Engagement on Instagram (Tip of the Week)

If you’ve ever wondered how to reach more people on social media, this episode is for you! I’m going to be speaking mostly with regards to Instagram, but the fundamental principle is true not matter which platform you are trying to grow. The principle is this: If you really want to receive something, you have to give it first. If this sounds familiar, IT IS! It’s the most timeless rule in the book – the Golden Rule. Treat others how you want to be treated. So if you want more people to be interested in what you’re doing, and like, comment on and share the content you’re creating – guess what! You need to take the initiative and do that for others.

Remember what I said in the very first episode of this podcast? Social media is, SURPRISE! Social! It is designed in such a way to keep users on the platform and it rewards accounts that help them to do that through content and conversations. But here’s the thing: you can’t just go on Instagram and haphazardly like posts at random, leave emoji comments or spam identical direct messages to 50 people and expect to see good results. You might get a few more likes, but are you really on social media for likes? Or are you there to make real connections and nurture relationships with people who will hire and refer your business?

I’m going to assume that you’re looking for the latter. If not, you can just stop right here and go about your day. 

Here are 4 great ways, in no particular order, to systematically boost your presence and invite more engagement.

1- Remove ghost accounts. Instagram determines the value of your content based on your engagement rate with existing followers. If you have 1000 followers but only 5 people are liking or commenting, that tells the algorithm that people aren’t interested. It is much better to have 100 followers with 5 people engaging because that’s a 5% engagement rate. You can go through your followers list and remove accounts that are either not your ideal clients or haven’t been touched in a long time. Do this every 6 months or at least once a year.

2- Get into the habit of doing outbound engagement with your existing followers. Like a few of their posts, leave a thoughtful comment that invites a reply, and if they have an active story up, like or reply to it. This tells the algorithm that you might be important to this person and, as a result that person is more likely to be shown your new content.

3- If you want to expand your reach beyond your current followers, the same rule applies. Seek out accounts of people you would like to have a relationship with. Like, comment and respond to their stories AND give them a follow. Will they all immediately follow back? No! Especially if you haven’t built a relationship yet. Be patient. Continue to give, and trust that you will receive from those you’re meant to connect with.

4- Create content that invites engagement. People, especially strangers, are not on social media to find out what makes you awesome. They are looking to be entertained, educated or inspired. Where do you think your “just sold” posts fit into that equation? You can invite engagement by using simple calls to action (CTAs) like, “Would you live here?” or “Like if you agree!” Asking simple questions at the beginning of your captions is another great idea. Try using poll or question stickers in your stories too!

As with all relationship-building (formerly known as “Lead Generation”) the more you do it, the better the results. Time-block your own engagement into your work day and do it intentionally. This means avoid letting yourself get distracted by aimless scrolling. Spend a minimum of 15 minutes reaching out to different people on your existing followers list and 15 minutes seeking out new ideal clients to connect with. As you do this consistently, results will follow!

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Still have questions? If you’re looking for guidance for your social media marketing, schedule a FREE 1-on-1 with Kati to learn more about how we can support you – or simply ask a question!

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