Having a strong sense of community on Instagram is arguably way more important than your follower count. Creating an engaged community on your page will ensure stronger and more loyal relationships and end up increasing your growth and overall profits. People go on social media to connect with other people. Users now expect brands and businesses to act more human, transparent, and approachable instead of robotic, distant, and unresponsive. Now is the time to emphasize your brand’s personality and let it shine through the screen. In this post we’re going to show you small and simple ways to easily increase the sense of community on your page.
Screenshots of messages and comments on your Instagram story and feed
This is a simple way to create an engaging story or feed post that creates a sense of community among your followers. Have you ever been swiping through stories and landed on a text or DM conversation between a follower and the brand’s account? You probably found yourself pausing the screen to stop and read the conversation. It’s nice to feel included in a conversation we weren’t initially included in. Not only does this show other followers that people are engaging with you and your account, but it also shows that you’re responsive and care about your community. Keep in mind, the way you respond is a great opportunity to offer valuable information and show off your brand’s personality.
IG user thatsosofi does an amazing job at creating engaging and community-oriented stories. She takes the opportunity to answer a follower’s question privately and publicly! This shows that she’s open to users DMing her and showing that she’s approachable and ready to answer questions. it also shows that her community engages with her and will prompt other followers to do the same. The screenshot of the DM conversation is engaging as it invites us to join in on a private conversation we were not initially invited to.
Creator, kellyu does an equally great job of implementing this on her page. in this example, Kelly took a screenshot of a text conversation she had with a friend relating to a photo she posted on her IG story with the text conversation showing her fan girling over a celebrity she met. Seeing a screenshot of someone’s text conversation always catches our attention, especially when it shows how human and relatable that person is.
Do an Instagram page community spotlight
Once a week or once a month do a community spotlight. This would be where you pick a few of your favorite follower’s brands/pages and share them to your story- write something you love about them, and tag them! This shows that you’re involved in your own community, care about your followers, and strengthens your relationship with them. The people you tag will most likely re-share to their story exposing you to their own follower base. Remember earlier how we mentioned creating an engaging post with a CTA in the caption? Suppose you make a post asking people to tell you what they do and to tag their business/brand in the comments. instead of sifting through your followers, you now have a super-easy way to find really cool brands to shine a spotlight on your stories!
An engaging feed post with a CTA as a caption
Creating a stronger sense of community can be as simple as creating a caption that tells your audience to introduce themselves or to find someone who has similar interests in the comments. When you encourage your followers to share something about themselves in the comments, other followers will naturally get excited when they go to comment and see they have something in common with somebody else.
Here’s an example of an engaging post we made for one of our clients, drinkarizona. Not only does the actual feed post have a simple and engaging call to action, but the caption has another fun call to action on top of it. This post makes you want to identify your vibe, then head to the comments to see if you match with anyone else.
When you head to the comments on this post you can scroll through and see people interacting with each other eagerly discussing that they have the same vibe. This is a great way to create a strong sense of community and bring your followers together. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that the Instagram algorithm loves this type of community engagement either.
Show yourself on reels
Showing your face is such a powerful way to help people feel connected to you and your brand. Photos are great, but reels are even better. Showing your face on reels not only adds a more personal aspect to your brand but also shows your brand’s vibe and personality. If people feel connected to you, then they’re going to feel connected to your brand too, ultimately forming a community rather than just a page.
garyvee does an amazing job of using reels to connect with his audience while building the bond between him and his community. He clearly shows his face, offers tons of value, and truly lets his personality shine through the screen. His reels make you feel like you actually know him and have met him. His content is often him answering a follower’s questions or interacting with a fan in person.
jera.bean is another example that uses reels to cultivate a community on her page. She uses her high energy, sense of humor, and relate-ability to help bring her audience to her page and together. She makes it known that the problems she can solve for her audience are normal problems that she completely understands. Just like garyvee, she does an incredible job at allowing her personality and brand to shine through the screen allowing her followers to feel connected to her and her community.
Just be social on social media
Reply back to all of your comments and DMs. If people are taking the time to engage with you and your content, take the time to thank them, and show your appreciation. You can even create a group DM with similar accounts where you discuss things, ask questions or share updates on topics relating to your field. This is like creating a community within your community, helping to further strengthen your relationships with others.
Add interactive stickers to your stories
Give your followers the chance to engage with you! Adding polls and questions to your stories says “hey let’s talk, let’s be friends, I wanna hear what you have to say and how you feel.” Stickers are so easy to add and convey a message that you care about your followers, and want to hear from them. They make you more approachable. A bonus is that Instagram loves to see people engaging with content, and will push your stories out to more of your followers.
whatevalola does a great job at showing her followers she wants to hear from them. Instead of just showing the Starbucks drink she got she added a poll asking her viewers how they were feeling this morning. Your followers want to know about you but they also want to be included in the conversation. Yes, they’re your followers, and this is your page, but if you want to create a sense of community, you have to allow space for the voices of others.
This is another amazing example of a story posted by jennibrhodes. Asking people to share something about themselves, interacting with it, and then sharing it to your story for the rest of your community to see is a perfect way to create a greater sense of connection and community on your page.
Reach out for help
If you’re feeling stuck on figuring out who you are as a brand or feeling overwhelmed by social media in general, it might be time to reach out for help! We understand how hard it can be to define your brand’s personality and how overwhelming it can be to make content with little time on your hands. You can check out our services here if you’re struggling to manage your social media presence and brand at the same time.