Transcripts
1. Welcome and Introduction to the Course: Hi there. Whether you're brand new to Instagram or perhaps you'd be on this platform for some time. Growing to that first 1000 followers can seem like a huge challenge, especially if you haven't seen much growth in traction. In the meantime, in this course, I will show you the various ways that you can grow your first 100 followers on Instagram. And trust me, we all start from 0. So it's about having the right mindset, the right strategies, and also the consistency. And you'll be on your way to your first 100 followers in no time. So you will learn the difference between the personal and the business account and also what is a creators account? And how do we actually choose between them? How to brand yourself on Instagram in the right way. What kind of contents for IDA post on Instagram in RCC growth and traction, why and how you should be using hashtags in the right way. And I will also show you how to actually find hashtags. So therefore, you can use them the right kind of hashtags that are bringing their rights, have a followers. How to create a really effective in Scrum bio. Therefore, you can attract the right kind of followers when they come to your account and once you actually follow you and engage with the conversation. And lastly, but not least, is how to use Instagram stories to fuel your growth on Instagram even further. And not only be reaching your first one hundred, ten hundred followers, I want you to be reaching the further ten thousand, a hundred thousand plus, that are actually possible for any one of us to do. And if you haven't done so, I also recommend checking out how to create your killer in Scrum bio in one of my other Skillshare courses. And you'll be able to learn how to brand yourself effectively before anyone come see your profile for the very first time. And as always, no software or previous knowledge is required in this course. A complete beginner is absolutely fine. And I really look forward to seeing you in the course. Let's dive in.
2. 1. Introduction - Importance of Instagram: Hi, everyone. Welcome to how to grow your 1st 1000 followers on Instagram course. In this course, I will go through some of the key tips and tricks to help you grow on Instagram as a social media platform. So let's get started. I'm Laurie Wine, a digital marking strategist and trainer based in London, and previously I worked with companies such as Google as well as oh gov, which is the global advertising agency. And you can find me on Instagram and Twitter at I am Laurie Wang, both at the same handle. Previously, someone you guys might have no me through my blogging for beginners course on skill share. Or alternatively, you might know me through how to make money through blogging or the other courses on instagram such as house acquitted killer in Scream profile. If you're interested in growing your instagram account, especially if you're starting out or potentially, you've been on instagram for a while and just haven't seen any traction with your growth as well as engagement when you're following, then this is the place for you. So in this first section will go through the importance of instagram, and why should you care about this platform after all. So let's dive in before I start any marking project, whether that's in my professional job or for my own projects. I always think about how to find out what my wife is on. The reason behind this campaign or the effort I'm putting in two particular social media platform. There's a great cool out there. It says Find out your why and then make that your goal for Instagram Because if you think about it without having a reason why you're spending all this effort in time on a particular social media platform such as Instagram, then there's really no point in wasting that effort and also resource that you have that you can actually use for something else in your marketing strategy. So if you know the reason why you're on instagram and what's the result, you're looking to drive from your instagram efforts. This will help you to make Instagram so much more effective for you. So before we get started, I wanted to write down three top reasons of why you're looking to grow your following on Instagram ready to get started and write that down. I will go through that later on the course and to think about how to actually connect these . Why to your marketing strategies on Instagram. So let's look at Instagram as a social media platform to start off with, and why should you focus on it? First of all, the key thing to remember is that social media is a long term investment. So ah, lot of clients have come to me in the past. They all express the feeling off wise that I'm spending so much time and effort on social media and its national not driving me any sales or leads. What I always tell them is that Social Media is actually more a brand building exercise for the long term. So you shouldn't expect to see immediate results on social media because that's no was actually used for. You're investing into entertaining and lightening and educating your customers and prospective customers on what you offer is a service on also what you do in your industry. So think of this as a way to give back and provide value. Also, people like to buy from those they trust and like and but being on social media, especially a platform like Instagram where people check in multiple times a day, you're building the trusts and, like factor in front them daily, and that will ensure that you will build this long term brand investment into people actually end up doing business with you in the long run. And also what's important about Instagram is that it's now your new home page with those who meet your brand online for the first time. Ah, long times, I'm sure you guys the similar experience. If you encounter a new brand that you like, you will most likely go to their social media profiles to check them out. Andi, if you have instagram as a new home page, then they'll be the see. The visuals behind your brand on the daily lives off what's like to work behind the brand. And these are the reasons why. If you focus on Instagram, it could be very powerful as a marketing platform for your brand, even for your personal brand as well. And also with regards to being on mobile, it's evermore important to ensure that you have a presence there. If you think about it. Mobile is now our new TV and entertainment in one we have YouTube, which essentially replaced television. We have Paul casts, which essentially replaced radio. We have Instagram, which has now become a new way to connect with friends on brands online via visuals. On, in a way, is becoming a reality TV Siris for your life and your brand right, because you're showing exactly what's like to be living the day to day life. Off that brand were off that life. We have Twitter, which is becoming a text based platform. Were you sharing your thoughts and chatting with people around the world by having this open cocktail party and law CEO of Facebook, where it's almost like a sitcom Siri's, you can create entertainment and also educating content for your audience on a daily basis . So, as you can tell, we no longer need to be on the traditional media platforms as a consumer anymore. Now we have everything our fingertips literally in the palm of our hands as we're serving through our own Mobil's and also here the staff, they really make you go while all on Instagram. There, over one billion users now on a monthly active basis. That's a lot of users, right, and get this over 80% of people actually follow a brand on loves it as well. The reasons, Because on this platform a lot of inspirational and aspirational content are being shared and brands or one of them. So for someone who is into fashion, for example, falling fashion brands is a way for them to know only getting educated content on healthy dress more fashionably. For the same time, they get to engage the brands than Likas. Well, I actually even shopped through the Instagram feeds, which is super powerful on Lost Lee. This is definitely reason. Reveal in scram is the highest engagement rate off all social media channels. So that itself is worth the efforts. So now that I showed you the importance of being instagram, you say, Well, great Laurie. So what do I actually share on Instagram as a platform then? Well, to start off with, you want to have 2 to 3 themes that defines you, your brand, on what makes you unique, especially the ones that resonate with your target market on Lost Lee. If your business owner you want to actually share a mix off No, only just your business, but your personal life as well the daily life that you go through as a business owner on also your motivations behind building that business all on Instagram. People love to share and connect with personal content on why seal all times is a lot of business owners tend to have official business, account for their brand and also then have a separate account for their personal lives that's private to own their friends and family. That's fine as well, if that's what you prefer. But why is he not worth the best? Are those who tend to mix the two for their personal brand and their business account, essentially helping to show the life behind the scenes and that personable side off their brand to their audience?
3. 2. Your Brand on Instagram: in this section, we will go through how to build your brand on instagram and also on the answer. The key question that lot of people have for me with the guards to keeping a difference between their personal and business lives. On Instagram. Let's dive in. So it's important to think about how to actually blend your two sides in terms, your business and personal On Instagram, you will always find your own personal ideal balance for these things. But with the guards is sharing your personal stories. It's a way to let your followers know that you have a business as well, and this really helps them to connect with you on a personal level. So, for instance, he could be sharing a day the office, but it also following up with having some fun with your kids in the back yard. We're having a family day out, and when you share personal sides like this, it really allows your followers to see the real human side off your brand and also for them to share their experience with you as well. To connect on that personal level, I want to talk about how to brand your profile on Instagram. Now, if you haven't yet gone through my course on how to create a killer in Scream profile, please head over to my skill shares. Bile on you can find it all there on Once you do. Here's a recap off what's not course. It's important to start off with a clear and bright profile photo on the top left hand side and then in the title, where it says on my one lorry digital strategist, it should describe who you are and what you do, and we don't know about this. Is that a law? Times. This is the one part where low people get it wrong, because if you change it into the title of what you do, that's actually the only part that's searchable on Instagram. So if you put Digital strategist for those were looking for digital charges on Instagram, then they'll find me on the user name should be as close your name as possible. So in my case, it's at I am Laurie Wang, and then you want to be also very creative with bile. So in this case, I've actually created a little blurb about me about how I believe that the life should be, well, lift. I'm also a citizen off the world, which means that I travel a lot and I've also been previously seen in publications such as Fast Company on Elite daily. Well, you also want to is followed with how you can help the audience that's coming to your profile. So in my profile, I aim to inspire others to lead a life extraordinary to live the best way they can and to inspire them to travel the world. How will you help your audience and show? What are you offering? Czar Lost Lee provide a link where they can find out more about you. In this case, I recommend using a link called Link Tree. So that's L I n k t r e dot com, where you can actually direct them to many different links. If you have more than one website, have you click on my profile? One you will see that is directed to many places where I have my own line digital presence
4. 3. Killer Content to Grow Your Instagram Account: So now in Section three, we'll go through content ideas that will help you grow your account. This is crucial because just having an INSTAGRAM account it doesn't really help unless you actually have content. That's constant entertaining and lightning and educating your audience. Let's get started now. The best content processes on instagram are aim to post at least 12 twice daily minimum. Now I want to live in mind to 1 to 2 times a day purely because instagram all like Twitter . It actually shows your content to your audience multiple times if you're to post it out frequently. So instead of actually bombarding your audience with all the content that ones, what you want to do is actually space it out so they can actually see your content on a daily basis and also helps you to plan your content this way because then you will get to share with them consistently and to show that you're on instagram regularly as well. Next is your content high quality. A lot of times why see is people tend to think about whatever they have currently other disposal and the share straight away. Now, contrary to popular belief, instagram is longer, instant, so you can actually create a feat of content that you prepared beforehand. And the share that consistently in the days after on what you want do is ensuring that the content is a top on highest quality that you can create before you pose that image or that video OSS yourself. Is this something I'm happy to share with the audience and the highest quality that half. If the answer is yes, then go ahead and share with the world. Have you included Hashtags that's relevant to your post? This is my third point, because a lot of times I just did. People write a few hashtags, attached their photo and share out there. We're all thinking too much about it. But having a consistent hashtag strategy on researching hash tax they're relevant to your audience is crucial because that's the only way we'll one the only ways that instagram shows your audience the right content. So if you find the hashtags where a lot of your target audiences are hanging out and searching for each other, then they're more likely it finds you and your brand. The fourth point is, have you engaged with other accounts because, as we all know, social media is meant to be social. And if he only just share content from your account and no, actually engage with others, then that leads to no engagement with you as well as you're not creating any conversations on on Instagram, you will find that everyone is super friendly on a long times. They'll come to your account and levy with very encouraging comments. So this itself is worth the effort to engage the community and to create a thriving community on the back of out. The fifth point is, have you rich in the valuable caption that shares a story, and in this case, don't be afraid to go along. The reason why I say that is when you actually share a story with your audience allows them to see the inside behind your brand and again connect with that personal side off you. So a lot of times in my captions, I wanted to share something along the journey of mine that I want to share with other people. It could be a story of how I grew up. It could be a story about how I met my husband and why I moved to London things like this. It gives them such a personal side of me that allows him to connect with inside of me that they wouldn't be of the sea behind the stories behind the photos on my last point is, Did you actually attack the relevant brands, accounts and people your posts? I also taught the location. The reason why this is very important is because when you actually use older, relevant pieces of instagram when it comes to sharing since Grandma, she read this photo and think, Oh, wow, this person is actually a legitimate user on Instagram and they're actually really popular by linking other social media accounts as well as tagging where they're taking this photo from. Let's show this content to more people. So essentially you increase the possibility off your account being found by just using all the features and in scrum has obviously you don't spam people, but more about doing the relevant brands that you currently have in that photo sharing the council you currently linking with. For instance, if a photographer took a photo of you and that person's also on instagram, make sure attacked them so these are the best content processes. When it comes out, she share your instagram. It's a great little trackless to have with you or to have your mind whenever you're going through posting on instagram for the next time. Aside from posting the right whale, instagram was also important is have a content strategy behind your instagram content. So here we like to call content pillars. So in your strategy, you should choose the themes that you want to share. Remember what I said earlier slide that you should choose to three themes to share on your content pillars. So these my include in my case travel business. So these are my two main ones because other the share A make sure of my life when it comes to traveling around the world, but also creating a freelance business through my digital normal lifestyle and for yourself that maybe something relevant to what you do and also a theme that interest you as well. You also wanna create content under each theme that is relevant to your audience. Now that you've chosen your two main pillars or three pillars of content, this is where you start creating content. That's a mixture of these or for each different pillar as you're sharing a continent instagram. So for me, I share a different mixture off photos for one traveling, inspiring locations as well as myself. My day, day of running my own business. And lastly, don't be afraid of share your personal side with your audience. This is where you could share more images off yourself in your day life, but also adding those important captions that gives him the story of why are you sharing this content with them in the first place?
5. 4. How to Find The Best Hashtags: So in this section, Section four I want to talk about when the key ways to find the best hashtags for your instagram account. Let's dive in. So why Instagram Hashtags and why is this so important? Well, it's actually the most effective way to grow your followers and increase your engagement on your INSTAGRAM account. The reason for that is because this is actually one the only way. Still, for instagram toe organize their content online on to showcase. That's their audience in various different formats. One of that's through instagram posts, such as videos and photos. Or it could be through instagram stories as well, which I'll share with you in the second. Now, By using the right hash axe, you're allowing yourself to find relevant followers who are interested in your brand. So, for instance, if you sharing a food photo and you're tagging with hashtags there, complete our late of food, then you're unlikely to actually find followers who be interested in your content specifically. And another great thing is that business profiles can now track insights from Hash Axe to see how many people have engaged with you and your content by the hash like that you posted . That's also a very valuable insight. Additionally, you can now add hash axe to instagram stories, which will allow you to expand the reach of your stories above and beyond. Those are just following you. But to those who actually never seen you before, and this will help you to grow followers much more Foster, if you're using it in the right way. On Lost Lee, people can now follow hash tags. So instead of just following accounts before now, people can follow hashtags on, look a content and see content from those hashtags in their instagram feed again, another powerful way to expose your content to people who are following hash eyes that you're using. So I always get asked this question. So how maney Hashtags is enough or good? Well, the answer really various, to be honest, but I always advise people to use the maximum allowed by Instagram, which is 30 hashtags. However, if you know comfortable with using that many hashtags and you feel like it might look not right on your account, then do whatever feels right for you. There is no right answer in this, but my only caveat is by using more Hashtags, you will be able to expose your content to more people. So if that's your target, then go ahead and uses many hashtags as you can within 30. The only thing you can do is use Hashtags beyond 30 on Instagram will actually stop you from posting. So that's the only thing to keep in mind. So now the magic question is how to find the best hashtags. Well, there's a few ways to go about this on. The first to start off with is to research your audience. So who are your target audience? What's it look like? What they actually read, Who do they follow and what hashtags are the actually using? So go through your existing followers and look through the kind of hash I said they're using. And if this follower has been engaging the content consistently, then sharing your content using the hashtag that they're using and the hash I that they're searching on will be very useful for you as well. Secondly, research you competitors check to their account on. Look at what hashtag are they using? And are they actually attracting the right target audience by using those hash axe If so, there's nothing wrong with using the hash like that they're using put together and your own combination of hashtags that works for you. Thirdly, looking in your industry and specifically looked through the feet of influencers who have accumulated, ah, large mullah following in your niche and then look to the hash out there currently using. If those irrelevant hash hikes and you feel like that's the right fit for your brand, again combined those with your previous to research and put them into a group together. And the fourth way is when you're researching half shacks on top of your instagram up, you will see other related hashtags listed by Instagram. Click through those and looked through the feed off those who are sharing their content on the hash tag. Are they sharing quality content? Are they sharing content similar to yours and also how many people are actually using this hash tag? All these are great waste termine. Whether or not this hashtag is actually right for you and lost Lee, make sure the organize your hashtags by the content pillars that mentioned in the earlier section. So let's say one of your categories is food than all the hashtags that you researched through your audience, the competitors, the influencers in your industry and also really hot shacks and put them all together into one constant pillar. One the ways All right to do this is actually saved them in a no pad, all my phone under each specific category. And then from there you can use those as you wish when you're sharing content in different content pillars.
6. 5. Use Instagram Stories to Grow Your Account: in this section. Section five. I want to go through how to use into em stories to help you grow. Your account in some stories was rolled out a couple years ago, and ever since then everyone's been using it in different ways. But I want to show you some of the ways that you can use in scum stories strategically to help you grow your account, even foster through instagram. Now here's what interim story is. It would have a content that will only live 24 hours on your profile unless you added into in scrums story. Highlight, which I will show you later on what that is. So because it's very transient and very temporary. You have so many options at your disposal in terms of water, share with your audience. So here's some of the ways that you can share in scrums stories to help your audience engaged with your brand First, perhaps it behind the scenes image or video off something that you're working on. Or maybe backstage or second, it could be a sneak peek on you. Problems are you currently releasing on digging the first look at that or three it could be directing attention to your recent block posts where your recent video post on YouTube or four. It could be content that's live to get more attention on your brand profile, because what happens is when you share live on incomes. Story actually pushes the story ahead of every single other person that this follower is seeing on their instagram profile. Essentially, you're saying hello, I gone live right now. Check me out says a great way to do that. Next. You can also use it to pull your followers. So perhaps you're working on a new product or a new idea, and you want to get some feedback on how this could help them on whether or not be useful for them in order for you to make that sale. So this is a great way to see whether your product would take off or not before you even start it. And next, you can actually also asked them to ask you a question. Now this is a relatively new feature on Instagram that's rolled out a few months ago, but when people actually used it, it's Chris. So much engagement because for the first time, rather now she people passively watching your stories. They can now engage with you and ask you a question for you, too. Response them in return and next. You can also create storyline for viewers to top third on. What I mean by that is by using the stories in the strategic way. As people are topping through the stories on your profile, you can create a little story line for them to follow throughs almost like a little story board on. Lastly, you can save on your profile is highlights, as mentioned earlier, because in some stories is only temporary and lives for 24 hours in your profile by saving on your profiles, Highlights allows them to live on forever. But I also does is give you that creative outlet where you can use it in various ways to create a profile for yourself. With the highlights as different sections off your website, I will show you what I mean later on an example. So here's Holly, used in scrubs. Story highlights by savior stories You make you to be permanent on your profile. So is actually one the best ways to introduce your brand to your audience. For instance, the first highlight can have a few stories about you and in a second highlight can be a group of stories on testimonials from your clients and your costumers. The third highlight can feature new products that you currently release you on your website , and the fourth highlights can be only events. Are you currently holding? There are endless ways to use is I remember using effectively on providing value is key. And please don't sell on this all the time because your audience will be turned off and they actually will follow you if all they see are selling messages from your instagram profile.
7. 6. Summary and Takeaways: So in this section, I want to go through some key summary and take ways for you to make your instagram profile amazing. Grow your instagram account effectively on also using all the key features a new features that instrument rolling out this year and beyond. So to grow your 1st 1000 followers on more number one the sign of the kind of content you be sharing with your audience. And this goes back into picking the key topic areas that you want to share with them as a mixture for your brand and your business. Second, you want to be using the best processes to ensure that instagram shares your post to most your followers. So if you use the checklist I provided with you in this course on actually looked through that checklist every time you share your content and also ensuring that you're using all the features that Instagram has to ensure that your contents being found by your followers , This will help you give your profile the best chance to get more followers and gets seen by more than a swell third, you want to find the ideal time to posts. So this is actually available Teoh a business account. If you were to switch from a person account into business account, and then you have access to the analytics data that in scram provides for you. And here you can find the ideal time to post by seeing one is a time during the day that most your followers are actually online. And once you find out about that time period, this is the ideal time to pose because you will actually reach more followers. And the more the followers actually see your content, they will then engage with this. And then this will show to Instagram that this piece of content EU shirt is actually very engaging, valuable, and in return they will share this with more people. A swell and fourth you want to be using income stories to share your personal side, as I mentioned earlier, is not just on Lee to share your business brand to your audience, but also important to mix in that personal side to given that connection, the human connection behind your brand and for your audience to engaging in further and lastly use highlights to see what's the best behind your brand. By highlighting some of your best brand imagery and also some of your best stories to showcase the different sections of your brand to your audience. Well, that's all the key points and also the key tips I want to share with you guys today. I hope that was very helpful. Thank you so much for joining me in this course. I hope that you'll be able to apply some of these in your future strategies on Instagram. If have any questions on this, he could always find me on Instagram and Twitter at I Am Laurie Wang. And also email me and Lori lori wine dot com. I look forward to connecting with you in my other courses. Thank you very much.