How to build a community through your social media channels

Building a community through your social media may be a daunting task at first, especially if you haven't tried to build a community before. Despite that, with some dedication and knowledge, anybody can build a thriving community for personal or business purposes. Here are a couple of things to keep in mind to help have successful growth and impact those who follow you:

1. Be active in your community.

Don’t let people think that your accounts are run entirely by a bot. If you consistently post to your accounts and engage with comments and tags, it will let them know that they aren’t only seen as potential customers, but as an audience who is heard. Post informative, engaging content to encourage interaction and growth.

2. Know your audience.

It doesn’t matter what you want to do in your accounts. If you don’t know who your target audience is, it will be harder to build a community. You must be clear on what kind of followers you want to attract and what type of content they are likely to engage with. Knowing your audience will attract followers and buyers who want your services and products.

3. Be consistent.

Don’t post or engage with your community on random days and times, as this may make people be less willing to be part of your community. People like to know which type of content to expect from who they follow and know that they are getting consistent value from you.

4. Don’t be afraid to test and try new features now and then.

The Instagram algorithm actually rewards accounts that try out their new features like Reels and video content. This may seem contrary to the last advice and changing something when things are going well, but coming up with new categories of information, making reels, and adding stickers or music may do wonders for your community. I just suggest testing out new things one at a time.

5. Use videos to reach and grow your audience.

Videos are a great way to attract new audience members who are interested in your content. Using videos with hashtags will help categorise you and your content. Creating and posting funny and informative videos will give you an advantage over those who don't post videos. Instagram is competing with Tik Tok and is favoring those who post reels. So don't be afraid to show your face to the camera and grow your brand and your audience!