On a platform as popular as Instagram, everyone wants to stand out, and for many, having a huge, dedicated following on the app is the dream. For some, it’s their goal. However, Instagram expert Tyler J. McCall would urge you to stop chasing that dream. In his eyes, a large following shouldn’t be your goal. In fact, at Social Media Marketing World 2020, he talked all about how you can have an Instagram account that thrives without increasing your follower count.
The core of McCall’s claim lies in the fact that Instagram users want to connect with the content they see. Often, in search of a huge follower count, marketers will turn to automation, highly branded posts, and a flurry of other ingenuine strategies. While these tools can be useful, what’s more effective is to look inward. Scale down. Focus on the four pillars of a successful account: content, connection, conversation, and community.
With content, the goal should be to produce high quality posts. McCall encourages business owners to use their accounts for more than just announcements – rather for creating content that “stops the scroll.” In other words, create something an audience member will take a moment to learn from, to connect with, or relate to in some way. This high quality content may not be perfectly on-brand or professionally crafted, but that’s okay.
High quality content helps foster exactly what the next pillar is all about: connection. You want your audience to feel like your content shows them something new and unique about you. Think of your account as a place to share personal stories, talk about experiences, and ask thoughtful questions. In doing so, encourage your audience to connect with you – specifically through direct messages. McCall harped on one point throughout his talk: stop asking people to click the link in your bio. Instead, ask them to send you a direct message. This will allow you to connect with the audience member more, and it’ll show that you care enough to take the time to respond.
After someone connects with your content, and sends you that direct message you’ve asked for, you can engage in a conversation. This is the path to more revenue, which is ultimately your main goal. Your followers hold great power; they can decide whether or not you’re worthy of their time and their money. Through engaging in quality conversations, you’re more likely to convince them that you’re worthy of both!
Finally, McCall encourages everyone to create a community on Instagram. This is also key in generating profit. If your followers feel some connection to your content, if it makes them feel understood or accepted in some way, they’re likely to come back again and again. They’re likely to give you their time and money. They’re likely to help you succeed. Regardless of how many followers are in this community you’ve created, you will see profit – and it will be reliable because these people feel so at home.
So, ask yourself the tough questions. The questions that expose weaknesses in your account might just be the ones that highlight where you can improve. Do your followers have a cause to get behind? Are you relying too much on automation? Are you having conversations with your followers, particularly through your direct messages? Are you treating your followers as just a number, or as the people that they are? How can you improve?
For everyone, the answers will differ. It depends on your business, the content you can create, and how dedicated you are to the pursuit of a profitable account. But, for everyone, the first step is awareness. Now that you know the four pillars of success, you can begin to build them on your own account. And, the best part, you don’t need some insane amount of followers to do so.