Marketing your business on social media for a while now? You might’ve been given the advice to show up on Instagram Stories. Even when your graphics and photos do well on the feed, nothing humanizes a brand more than when the founder’s face pops up once in a while.
But it can be hard to increase brand visibility on Instagram—and it just doesn’t end with the Instagram algorithm. Sometimes, it all boils down to your mindset and confidence.
If you need a little boost to achieve business visibility, here are three ways you can conquer Instagram anxiety and confidently show up on Instagram Stories:
#1 See yourself as the expert
…because you are the expert. You won’t be offering this service/product if you didn’t have knowledge of it! You don’t need to know it all or be perfect and you don’t need to be in the industry for years to be credible enough.
As long as you know more than the others outside of your field and you’re passionate about your industry, then it’s time to step into that role of being the people’s go-to.
Okay, you may be thinking: “But there are others better than me! They know more than I do! They’re the experts.”
But sweetie, they’re not you.
You have your own voice, your own beliefs, and your own way of achieving results for your clients and customers. And there’s someone out there who is looking for exactly what you have to offer!
#2 Remember that people aren’t expecting you to be perfect
The reason why people watch Instagram Stories is that it humanizes your business.
People want someone they can relate to… and there’s nothing more humanizing than your mistakes, behind the scenes, and struggles.
I know it’s easier said than done but remember that it’s not a fashion show. People aren’t expecting to see a perfectly-crafted TV commercial where it went through numerous takes and edits. If you did make a mistake and they point out a mishap, you still have something to gain since it’s a lesson.
And in the rare case that someone drops a hate comment without constructive criticism, well… they aren’t really your target audience in the first place. Why even care what they think?
#3 Take baby steps but get personal through writing
I get it. You still shake at the thought of speaking to a camera and can’t really take a huge step to conquer your Instagram anxiety. It’s normal and that’s perfectly fine! What you can do is harness the power of writing in your captions. Get personal and show your expertise through written content.
From there, interact and engage with those who comment on each published post. Give it time and soon enough, you’ll build relationships and have a handful of people who eagerly interact with what you put out.
Once you feel you’re ready to show up on Instagram Stories, imagine that you’re talking to just one person. This is one way for you to ease yourself into knowing that someone out there is consuming your content, and they’re waiting for you to go all in.
Showing up on Instagram stories is like working out in the gym. The first time you went you probably thought that all the exercises were hard and people were looking at you weird (at least that was my experience). But you go back day after day; week after week. And after a while your muscles know the exercises, you talk to some people in the gym and you enjoy going. Just like any muscle you can train your Instagram stories muscle. Give yourself time, compassion and education (like with this post).
I hope these tips will help you boost your Instagram engagement by showing up on Instagram Stories. If you want a bit more of a push (+ and possibly a biz bestie!), follow me on my own Instagram account @stephanie.smolders.
