Introverts, Instagram, and Getting On Video: Interview With Akua
Social media has changed the landscape of communication in our lives today. The world is now a series of interconnected channels, and communication on digital platforms is becoming more and more mainstream. That calls for everyone to get onto the social platforms in order to tap into that audience, especially so for business people.
So what should you take into consideration when posting on Instagram?
Getting started on Instagram is not as hard, but it feels like a difficult chore for introverts who prefer to keep to themselves and not share as much information about themselves with the world. So here are a few things that can guide you as you start and progress on Instagram:
Goal: You should be clear about your purpose(s) for getting onto the platform. Especially if it is for business. Why are you getting on Instagram? Are you trying to increase your visibility? Are you trying to gain the trust of your followers? Are you trying to increase traffic to your site? Is it to just grow your account? Is it to build your mailing list? Whatever your reason for getting onto Instagram may be, you should really think about and be clear about them. Because every single thing that you do after that needs to reflect that whatever your big main purpose for using the platform is.
Audience: Do you have an exact target group of people your message on Instagram is being sent to? How well do you know them? You should understand their unique needs, pleasure points, what makes them tick. What tools and resources/ value are you going to post to them to help them get there, to solve their problems? Revisit these tips often as consumer needs keep changing over time and you need to keep reinventing your content. This will ensure you post only things that they’re going to want to see.
Strategy: Is there some criteria for what you are going to post? Not everything needs to be done right away. Remember, too much of something is poisonous. Make a plan of what your regular posting looks like, is it twice a week? Thrice a month? Once a day? Your posts should be digestible and actionable.
Sustainability: What can you keep up for a long period of time? When you are creating your content and getting into Instagram, you need to know what actions and content are sustainable. You don’t have to get vulnerable if you don't want to. If you just want to make short, witty, fun captions, go ahead and do that. I focus heavily on strategic storytelling and I think storytelling is something that's so powerful. If you want to share a piece of your story, it doesn’t have to be this long-winded thing. I think it’s just really of whatever it is that you're comfortable with, what your purpose and goals are and, above all, what is going to be sustainable for you.
Variety: Right from the start, you need to know what content categories you will use on your platform. These categories also vary depending on audience preferences and theme, for example. Whenever you get stuck or start feeling redundant, you can always refer to these content pillars to help you refocus. Having some go-to quotes permanently on the ready is a nice way to cushion yourself, for example.
Comfort: As introverts, we are a little different from other people when it comes to our social interactions. Social media should fit into your life; not the other way around. When posting on any social platform you should post only what you are comfortable with. Personally I don’t like to put myself out there a lot. Yet, our audiences need to see a bit of us (either in our pictures or videos) from time to time in order to make and maintain a connection with us. I usually make a concession by including maybe the back of my head, a hand, head turned away, etc. If you are comfortable in front of the camera, go for it! Some days I am okay being in front of a camera, some days I am not. On the good days, I dress up and even wear makeup and record content on different subjects in one stretch and then post it in bits!
Quality: What standards do you want to set and maintain from the content you post? Right from the messaging to the picture quality, you should take time to prepare content that your audience finds worthwhile. How clear are the pictures and videos you post? You don’t have to own a DSLR camera to have good picture quality. Take advantage of natural lighting, varied backgrounds and scenes, or even well thought out outfits! You can also make use of editing apps like SCO or light room or even just purchase and install presets on your phone which will do practically everything else for you. We now have hands-free features like selfie sticks and tripods, explore those too and find what works for you.
Practice/ constant learning and growing: The first time you post something, it may not be the best content ever. But every time should be a learning process. You have to take what you learned from your earlier posts and then adjust it to fit your business and your social media strategy. This may be from feedback from your audience, or from looking around at similar content in comparison to yours. Try and experiment with as many angles and takes as possible, especially when it comes to video content. I am fond of writing down my talking points and then speaking in front of a mirror. Especially since it is digital content, you can record and delete as many times as you want. It may be uncomfortable at first, but it keeps getting easier, and better! Just enjoy the process!