Before you dive in to this episode, I wanted to invite you to my upcoming free class, all about Instagram and how to convert your followers into paying clients with 3 simple shifts to land more inquiries into your inbox. We’ll talk about whispering your message to the right followers (and stop screaming into the void), I’ll share my exact process of getting followers off the app and into my inbox and the number one thing I do in each post in order to speak to my dream clients. Just click here to grab your spot or head over to: www.jkinstagrow.com and I’ll see you guys inside the training!

Creating Community on Social Media

Finding a community can feel a lot like online dating: does she notice me? Does she like me? Does she even know I’m alive? It can feel so isolating. When I first started I believed there were secrets, I thought that everyone had to go it alone in order to find success, in order to grow a business. But the truth is, opening up and finally sharing the imperfect side of being a boss was what started to foster REAL relationships both on and offline. Confession time: I am a huge introvert. I love being alone, I recharge alone, and being on my couch in my attic is my happy place.

When we first think about fostering a community, it’s easy to assume that I’m going to tell you to attend a meet up, show up at a conference, or spend an hour a day commenting on other people’s accounts (ALL BRILLIANT THINGS, but I think this starts with you.)

Community has to start with CONNECTION.

If we are hiding behind our work, we are blending in to already saturated industries and leaving price as our only differentiator. How many of us are sick of being price shopped? (Raises hand)

First, that connection needs to start with you. It’s easy to think that people have to LOVE everything about us to feel connection, but connection often comes in having ONE thing in common (then the friendship grows.) So whether it’s where you live, where you travel to, your love for animals, a cheesy carb, or the fact that you both work from home, having that ONE common denominator can create something more memorable than just a title.

When it comes to community:

• GIVE FIRST: ask what can I do for you, not what can you do for me?
• CHOOSE YOUR INFLUENCERS WISELY: You can’t take on a million mentors and have clarity.
• ASK FOR HELP: we all need it, when you remove the veil you can grow true community.

When you start telling stories, people become impacted by YOU. They fall in love with you, they back you, they support you. When you build your brand around your product/service/business, you are FREE from backing yourself into the corner. When you pivot, they pivot with you.

We have to REFRAME the way we are sharing our work, why are you doing this in the first place? What is driving you? Ask yourself these three things:

• Why does this matter?
• Am I doing this story justice?
• Is this post serving anyone other than me?

There are people that go onto Instagram for pretty photos, there are people that go onto Instagram for inspiration (both visual and through words) and there are people who engage because the both of them together make them take action.

My Social Media Rules:

• I never share in real time: I want to think about it, write it, edit it, have space from it, and take time to process it.
• Is the work you’re sharing exemplary of what people will expect from you if they hire you? As a photographer, it’s important that I only post professional images from my DSLR and iphone photography.
• When you’re hustling for more followers, it’s like hosting a dinner party and your guests are already there waiting for you.