How You Can Use Instagram To Network More

When we think about networking and social media, one of the first places we consider is LinkedIn. After all, LinkedIn is supposed to be the business world’s platform, but with so many people on there all trying to vie for each other’s attention, it can also be somewhat suffocating. 

However, a good alternative that’s relatively untapped is Instagram, which despite its popularity isn’t quite used to its full potential for networking. And if you’ve never really been one to network on Instagram, then luckily for you, we’ve compiled a short guide on how to get started with Instagram followers. Check it out below to get lots of Instagram followers:

Give Yourself The Right Tools To Garner More Traffic

As we’ve covered a lot about outbound traffic, a big portion of being a successful networker regardless of the medium is also getting yourself to a point where you’re receiving inbound leads as well. 

Although you might be thinking that this can only happen after you’ve built up a popular following, there’s actually a multitude of strategies you can use starting from 0 that will bring you more of a base in no time. Even if you’re not an expert in social media, learning how to growth hack on Instagram for a stronger network is actually much simpler than might imagine, especially if you have even the slightest budget to work with.

Depending on how much money you have to work with, one of the best things to start considering is looking into how to buy automatic Instagram likes; which, when coming from a legit source, will easily start to help you build your instagram followers tenfold within a week. As organic traffic from those within your industry can help start determining quality leads, it’s always well worth it to look into tools that drive real traffic with real results. 

Additionally, some other tools you should consider are analytics and planning platforms like Buffer and Later, which help a lot in planning out the content that will get people gravitating towards your site. Although finding the right tools to bring on more traffic isn’t an overnight success, you’ll eventually find that bringing on these leads gradually over time will help you vet and decide who is going to help bolster your network versus who is not. 

Breakdown Who You’re Trying To Network With

If you’re looking to network more on Instagram, the first step you should consider is who exactly you’re trying to network with, as well as why that’s the case. We’ll note that this goes against a lot of what we’re traditionally thought about Instagram, whereas it’s generally a tool to reach the masses, while the strategy we’re mainly aiming towards is a little more niche and personal. 

The goal here is to find quality accounts to connect with rather than a massive quantity, which is why it’s a smart idea to breakdown who you’re trying to network with and why.

When making your list, start out with the accounts you most admire, as well as jot down a central point or two as to why you like them. It doesn’t need to be anything verbose or even that complicated, but rather just a simple point that says you’ve studied what they’re about and there’s a mutual respect that comes along with it. 

While every pitch won’t be perfect, as long as it’s honest, then that’s all you need to worry about. As a big part of networking is connecting with those who you organically are attracted to, the most important point to keep consistent with your outreach over anything else.

Research What You Can Connect With

Aside from reaching out to more individuals, the other half of networking on Instagram is going after who you can connect with as groups. 

As Instagram is a significant hub for a lot of organizations and meetups that are looking to attract new members, knowing who is within your grasp and what value you can pull from them is crucial. We’ll note, however, that this isn’t necessarily just about meeting up with people in formal business settings but getting unconventional with it too.

What types of events you’re looking to connect with on Instagram ultimately boils down to the type of industry you’re in, as well as what your intent is on the platform, says ViralRace.

For example, if I’m a small business lawyer, then going to events for the wedding industry or food service could be a good spot to attract clients, which even though they aren’t exactly lawyer meetups, actually serve a better purpose because of the value we’re able to bring as an outsider. 

A smart place to start your research is through hashtags (especially those that are localized), as well as geo-tags of popular meetup spots. While your search might be a long-play if you’re trying to get clients out of these soon, there’s also a no better time to start planting your seeds while you can.

Start Conducting More Engagement

One thing a lot of small businesses and consultants are generally shy to do is to conduct more engagement on Instagram. This is hands down one of the most important aspects for acquiring more of a following and also for maintaining relationships with other accounts. 

As we discussed above, half of the battle is knowing who you want to connect with, while the other half is maintaining a relationship with them. Quite simply, it’s not enough to just say something nice once and then move on…you need to keep up your engagement day-in and day-out.

A smart strategy for conducting more engagement is taking an hour or two per day to simply scroll through your feed and see what your favorite accounts are up to, as well as who they’re tagging. Essentially, this process should be about going through what’s happening on your feed and actively being a good conversationalist about it. 

As we all have things we see but are on the fence about commenting or sharing, start taking that extra leap to commit. Not only will you be surprised by the results, but you’ll feel a lot better for building a knowledge base of who genuinely likes what your brand is about versus those who do not.