Getting real Instagram followers.
When I first joined Instagram for my small business, the first 100 followers were the hardest to get. I worked hard to convince family and friends to follow my page, but with only a few posts it proved to be more challenging than expected. They also did not quite understand what I actually did. To this day, it is still difficult to explain that I make gift boxes or curate unique gifts, or however fancy you want to make it sound. At the end of the day, it is my goal to make people happy on some of the greatest days of their lives. Weddings, birthdays, graduations, holidays, you name it, I love to make gifts for it! This business in itself is something unique, and when I first started there seemed to be a lot less of us out there. I really had to figure this out on my own and determine what my direction was going to be. It is hard to find your place in a creative community when you don't exactly make handmade products, but you take handmade products and put them together into something amazing.
The first few months building my Instagram account were very frustrating. I did not know how to organize my content, I didn't have a theme or much direction at all, and I didn't know who would want to actually follow along. I think when you are first starting out as a small business, you can more easily get discouraged over the smallest things.
Follow along.
Tip #1: My first tip to finding your place on Instagram is following pages similar to yours. Also, following pages that you like can be beneficial too. You will get to see how they work and what content they post that people of a similar audience like!
The first people I followed were family and friends, but I also followed pages similar to mine, other creatives, and small business that had great products that I wanted to eventually try in my gift boxes. There is no right or wrong way to do this step. 🙂 Follow your heart!
Tap that ❤️!
Tip #2: Like a lot of photos! Like photos similar to your products or content and like photos of things that you like. You want to surround yourself with pretty things, fun things, and inspiring pages. You will get a lot of motivation being surrounded by awesome content that you enjoy!
Funny story, I actually broke Instagram before! Yep you read that right! I liked so many photos and followed so many people apparently too fast and I got blocked from activity for 24 hours! 🙈 I wouldn't recommend this! 😂
Hey girl hey. 🙋🏼
Tip #3: Comment on your favorite photos! Comments are not only super sweet and nice, but they also get you some exposure too! Sometimes you get a follow back, and sometimes someone can see your comment and want to check out your page. I know I have followed other people I have seen in the comment section! 😃
Giveaways are so fun!
Tip#4: Host a giveaway. Even better if it is a collab! A great way to get exposure is to host a giveaway that will attract new followers. Collaborating with a fellow creative will also help you gain exposure with another group of individuals who might be interested in your content also! Make sure you organize all your details, use your hashtags, and have FUN! It's all about fun and happy content. Don't take it too seriously or you will drive yourself nuts! Trust me.
Don't leave em on read!
Tip#5: Interaction is crucial! When someone comments on your photo, respond! Say thank you to compliments, respond to questions, and make sure that your audience feels like they are apart of this journey with you. You want to build a connection with your followers. Don't ignore them! This is very important for gaining real followers. If you get along with your new followers, give them a follow back too! Developing connections in your respective community will help motivate you in good times and bad, and will be great for furthering your business in the future! Trust me, I have met some amazing individuals, and they have been a huge part in my success this far! It is awesome to have people you can go to with questions, concerns, and just to push each other to keep going! They know who they are! 😘😘😘😘
Consistency is key.
Tip#6: Be consistent. Post often and post quality content. Quality content does not mean perfect photos or flawless witty captions, but real and meaningful content that you are passionate about. If you truly love it, your followers will also. If you are real and passionate, this will reflect and you will attract wonderful real followers. 💕
Overall, I can overwhelm you with a million tips, but the most important tip is that you are happy and you are doing what you love. Yes followers are great, and hundreds of likes are awesome, but following your dreams tops all of that.
P.S. All great things take time. Don't be discouraged if you don't have 1,000 followers overnight. You are wonderful, you post lovely things, and the right people will notice when the time is right. Keep going!
Jess
#instagram #instagramtips #realfollowers #smallbusiness #shopsmall #motivation