Social media has made it much easier for us to connect with others, especially for business purposes. Instagram, in particular, is a great platform to meet new connections. This can be a big part of helping your business or brand expand more rapidly.
The only thing is there aren’t actually any set rules on how exactly to get to know people through this social media platform. But there are a few things you can do to make sure you’re making good impressions and building quality relationships.
Keep reading to check out these 7 tips on how to network on Instagram.
1. Find the Right Accounts
The first thing you need to learn when it comes to how to network on Instagram is locating the right accounts for you to connect with. You’ll want to do an effective search based on what you’re looking for. There are a few ways you can go about this.
You can search for a keyword that’s relevant to who you’re trying to find and browse through the hashtags. You can also go directly for usernames that match your search criteria exactly or are similar enough. There’s also an option to filter based on location if you’re looking for business accounts.
2. Comment on Posts
One of the best ways to network with people is to start talking to them. Social media is the easiest place to do so because it’s built around sharing and conversation. When you find a profile that you want to start building a relationship with you can start by becoming active on their posts.
Leave valuable and supportive comments under their posts often. Try not to look spammy by posting the same one or two-word phrases all the time. Take a moment to read through their captions or find something in the post that you can actually give quality feedback about.
Consistency is best for this strategy.
3. Send Direct Messages
Sending someone a direct message is very tempting because people have become so accessible thanks to social media. But if you really want to learn how to network on Instagram in a tasteful way, there are a few rules about doing this.
Firstly, make sure that you are courteous and have something to offer them that is worth their time. Be clear and don’t beat around the bush. If you need to proofread then it might be best to communicate from a computer and Instagram DM on Mac or PC.
Also, avoid flooding their inbox with tons of messages. Make sure that they don’t state in their bio that direct messages are off-limits.
4. Tag Others in Relevant Posts
Drawing people back to you is a great strategy for how to network on Instagram- as long as you execute it appropriately. One of the ways you can do this is to tag other businesses and brands in posts that are relevant to them.
For instance, if you’ve used a brand’s product and you make a post about you tag the brand in the post. You can speak directly to your followers about the product details and even thank the brand for producing it. If the posts have a lot of engagement, this may get you noticed quicker and shows you in a genuine way.
Try using this strategy for, both, feed posts and stories.
5. Mention People/Give Shoutouts
Here’s another way to draw people back to you. Let’s say you do a live video on Instagram and you’re talking about your beauty routine, for example. Make sure you verbally mention people in a way that shows that you appreciate their brand.
This is basically a way of giving a shoutout to the business or brand and showing them, once again, that you have a genuine interest in what they have going on. You can also choose to tag them in written form on that same video.
Creating a ‘buzz’ for someone else without them asking you or requiring payment is a good way to build trust for relationships. This can also encourage your followers to start mentioning to that brand that you’ve been mentioning them!
6. Audit Profiles
It’s important that when you’re trying to figure out how to network on Instagram, you’re taking into account that these are real people and relationships you need to foster beyond the screen. Because of this, you need to make sure you are connecting yourself to the right people for mutually beneficial relationships.
Do your research so that you don’t waste your time or other people’s time. Take a look at their profile, website, blogs, etc and get a little background information on them to decide whether or not it would be a good partnership.
The information you find will also be good for when it’s time to go to them with conversation starters. People appreciate when you’ve done some background work.
7. Provide Value
This is probably one of the most important tips on how to network on Instagram. Before you reach out to someone, make sure that you know exactly what you bring to the table. After that, you want to be very clear on presenting that to them.
Building partnerships that benefit both parties come from both sides knowing their value and sharing it with the other. Be confident yet polite when approaching someone about business or even just to start a relationship.
Try to sound like you’re trying to sale them when you first contact them. Genuinely get to know what they may need help with and how you can fit into that slot. Be an authentic person and it will go a long way rather than being pushy and using too many sales tactics.
Learn How to Network on Instagram
Social media is the perfect place to start finding the right people to connect with. You can learn how to network on Instagram simply by observing, testing and staying consistent.
Remember that there are real people on the other side of the screen so you should always be respectful and genuine. For more tips and advice on social media, check out the articles on our website.
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