I spend a lot of time focusing on engagement on Instagram. In fact, my social media marketing mantra for the last 12 years has been that social media is about being social with your community first, marketing a product or your service second.

In every class, speaking engagement, and most blog posts, I talk about how being social and connecting with your audience is more important than a pretty picture on any social network—even Instagram, which focuses on imagery and video. (Quick note: Pinterest is NOT a social network, even though some people connect on the platform; it is first and foremost a visual search engine). 

Think about this: It doesn’t matter how many followers you have on Instagram if they are not engaged (i.e., commenting, clicking, purchasing).

Right now, I find myself engaging more with people via Instagram DMs and Instagram stories than on the feed.

Does this resonate with you, too?

Don’t get me wrong, I am still a big fan of the Instagram feed. It just feels easier to share content through Instagram Stories. There’s less pressure; it doesn’t have to fit my Instagram aesthetic or get lots of likes and comments for me to consider it a successful piece of content. It allows for more creativity because I don’t have to worry about the Instagram algorithm not showing my content to followers simply because I didn’t spend time connecting with people right before I posted.

Btw, this is a tactic I recommend trying out if you are posting to the feed itself: spend 5 minutes BEFORE you post commenting on posts and Instagram stories with people you follow. That instant connection makes it more likely that they will see your post when you share. Make sure to reply to every comment left on your content for the first few minutes as well.

I Digress…Back to Engaging on Instagram DMs for Brands

I have found that a lot of people also find it easier to engage on Instagram Stories, even more so than on the feed. Clicking one of six quick reactions within stories is almost as easy as clicking “like” on a standard post.

Instagram DMs are important because they are an easy way to engage one-on-one with your customers. It definitely takes more work, but you are able to create more in-depth relationships with the people who will potentially buy your product. And that is always worth the effort when it comes to your social media marketing tactics. Relationships with customers are what create brand advocates: people who want to share the love for your brand with their friends and family! 

Action Items for Engaging in Instagram Stories/DMs:

1. Any time someone comments, answer them back. Even if it’s just to say thank you. Sometimes I simply say “Woooooo,” or comment back with an emoji or a wine glass. And yes, I recommend everyone also respond to those who leave a quick reaction emoji. It’s a great way to start a conversion. 

2. Make sure to double-check your secret DMs from potential customers who you don’t follow. This area of communication often goes unanswered by brands, and they are missing out on connections with people (speaking from experience, it also leaves a bad taste in a customer’s mouth when a question goes unanswered). 

3. Don’t automatically DM someone if they follow you, unless you want to compliment them on something on their feed. This is not the time to make a sale or even start the sale process. I stopped following people on Twitter because I was getting so much new follower spam through private messages, and I just couldn’t deal with it anymore. It comes across as spammy versus smart. 

4. Keep the conversation going through direct messages. If a customer is asking questions under a post and you want to have a longer conversation, tell them to DM you so you can get information to them.

5. Create Instagram Stories that ask questions and encourage people to connect with you. One Instagram hack I love is asking questions about controversial food/wine subjects (e.g., who loves cilantro?!?!?). Everyone loves providing their own opinions and it’s a great way to start a conversion. 

6. Ultizie the Instagram Story stickers to create those questions with polls, questions, quizzes, countdowns (to big promotions or events you are hosting), or slide bar. These are fun ways that encourage Instagram users to engage.

7. Spend some time looking at your community’s own Instagram stories. Leave comments of your own. Make it relate to the content. And be personable. 

Connecting with customers (and potential customers) through Instagram DMs does mean you have to dedicate time to engage on social media. If you are a social media marketer, try to carve out time to focus specifically on engaging with your online audience. Here are some of my favorite tips to engage with your community. My personal favorite has always been to get a kitchen timer so you don’t go down a rabbit hole of looking at Instagram reels from celebrities for long periods of time. (You and I have both done this…)

Here are some other ways to create daily social media habits! Enjoy!

And last… here’s a quick tip for find in new people in your target audience to connect with:

• Search for influential people in your target audience and see who comments/engages with their content.

• Connect with them (follow and comment on a post or two).

• Keep it up (Save an Instagram post of theirs so you can come back and connect later).