As a small business owner, it can sometimes be difficult to be heard amongst the sea of corporations in your niche. One thing that that do not have is the ability to make meaningful connections with clients on a daily basis. I strongly believe that interacting with your clients on a personal level can be rewarding and can quickly build trust.
Finish your Instagram captions with your name: By adding your name to the end of your captions, it reminds your followers that a real human being is writing them. Although you’re on a digital platform, on the other side of the screen is someone just like you. It’s good to be reminded of that.
Share the behind-the-scenes on your Instagram Stories: Giving an exclusive peek behind the curtain makes your audience feel special. As a small business owner, you run the majority of your business. The great thing about your potential customers is that they appreciate all your hard work. Do you hand make your products? Pack your own shipments? Show that off as much as you can in your Instagram Stories with a mix of photos, videos, commentary and fun Boomerangs.
Show your face to your followers every few posts: Try to “show face” once every few posts to remind followers that your account is run by you. Visitors to your profile see your latest six posts first. Whether they decide to hit the ‘Follow’ button has a lot to do with their first impression. Remember to keep photos “on brand”. If you sell designer purses, share photos of you at the mall or organizing your closet NOT photos of your breakfast or gym session as an example. You can use those photos in your Instagram Stories.
Devote one Instagram caption per week to sharing your story and struggles: People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it. What was an obstacle you faced and how did you overcome it? When was the last time you failed? People can relate to your struggle and also feel inspired to see that your hard work has paid off.
Feature your customers on your account and in your Stories: What better way to build trust and social proof than to actually showcase real people interacting with your products or talking about your great service? Having others speak about and refer your business is insanely effective in building trust. Repost photos of your customers using your products and include a short review (1-2 sentences) from them in the caption.
FOLLOW UP TIP
*Let’s assume you already have a branded hashtag because if you don’t – you need to get one ASAP! A branded hashtag is a unique hashtag relevant to your brand. We tag all of our posts and encourage customers to tag their posts with our hashtag.
*BONUS* If you have a decent following (upwards of 10k), reposting photos from your community will encourage others to post about your business in hopes that they will also get featured. It’s a win-win.
The Wrap Up
Leverage your true passion for your business to build trust with your audience on Instagram. Be proud of your story, your journey, successes, and failures. There are so many people out there waiting to hear them! Once you connect with your audience on a personal level, they will connect with your products on a business level.
With Love | Nikki xo