Creating Content For Instagram – Should You Post Personal Content On Your Business IG?
One of the most common questions we get asked in our business is about creating content for Instagram and should this have overlap with personal content? This is a great question, and one that most new business owners likely think about. When it comes to your Instagram account, and your content calendar it’s up to you on if you’d like to post personal content. There are some things we recommend you consider when thinking about your brand, your Instagram feed and what you’d like your account to look like!
How Personal Should I Get On My Business Instagram?
When thinking about quality Instagram content, we often overlook our own personal content. This might be something we shy away from sharing on our business account, or something we’re unsure of how our audience will react to. When thinking about your next post or the next set of images you’ll upload think about what you’re trying to convey to your audience. Do you yourself trust and buy from brands who share personal content, or maybe you prefer businesses with a purely professional social media marketing strategy. Either way, we get it and totally understand why you need to stop and consider what’s best for your own account.
As small business owners, we’ve struggled with the same things when launching or growing our Instagram accounts. Maria is a master meat and cheese board maker, so on her Instagram feed, you can find pictures of them. If you know anything about me, I am obsessed with my German Shepherd, Patrick, and you can see him make his appearance on my Instagram photos. This seems off-brand for a Personal Development Coach and a Virtual Assistant, but we swear by this type of content for the following reasons.
Mixing Personal And Business On Instagram
It’s human nature, we’re a curious group. We want to know more, see more, and understand the world around us! The same concept applies with social media and the digital world!
Think about the last time an Instagram post sparked your interest? How was that person or business using Instagram and what sparked your curiosity? Was it some posts about their latest adventures travelling? Was it an item or product that they create for their business? Was it just simply a picture of their pet? Now, let’s translate that over to using Instagram content to create and generate curiosity that converts into an engaged audience.
When a prospective client or customer goes to follow you on Instagram, they are curious about what you are like, especially if you are in a service-based business. They want to know if you are someone who is relatable, easy going, likes the same things they do, etc. I cannot tell you enough how many times we have posted something on the more personal side and have had people we have never talked to reach out and say, “oh my gosh, me too!”, which in turn, builds us an epic relationship.
Building Trust On Instagram
When thinking about creating content for Instagram you want to create content that builds and instills trust in your audience. Part of building trust is showing them who you are, rather than just statistics or fancy graphics. Building trust in the online world is a balancing act between user generated content geared towards your business and showing them the human behind the brand. Market research shows that people on average are more likely to purchase from people they have a sense of trust with. Therefore, sharing personal content throughout your digital presence can help with increasing your sales, customers, and clients!
There is no shortage of service providers on the internet, and even though your product might be super unique, someone can always look for something else (#truthbomb). When you add in elements of your personal life into your Instagram stories or feed, people begin to feel like they know you. For example, I do not know The Birds Papaya, even though we live in the same city, but I know all of the names of her family members, what kind of takeout they get etc, just from watching her stories. Often, if she eats something great, it triggers me to be like “oh hey, next time I go out, I should get that!” because I trust her in the online space. You want that same impact, where your followers look to you for your expertise and know that the information that you provide them is trustworthy.
A quick and easy way is to utilize Instagram Stories. This is a great place to share things like day in a life, what’s the latest podcast you’re obsessed with, or something fun that happened in your life! Stories have a short life, unlike your feed which allows more flexibility with showing personal content. Give this a try next time you have your phone near by while you’re working.
People Want To Buy From People, Not Companies
Take a moment and think about the companies you most often purchase products or services from when online. Does this business show their face in their marketing and online content? Does this make you happen to purchase from companies where there is a face you often see? Market research suggests you’re more likely to purchase from faces and people you often see, and trust (as mentioned above!). If we wanted to buy based on text or images, we’d likely look to Pinterest or Google. However, Instagram focuses on videos, photos, and catchy captions!
For myself, whenever I think about this point, I think about farmers’ markets. I cannot tell you how many times I have been to a farmers’ market and I have gotten to know a vendor which converted into me buying from them because I enjoyed my conversation with them so much. I get to know them, their story and then they become my go-to on whatever that item is. People are seeking that connection.
In both the businesses I have started, it began with my network where I offered free services or advice and consistently affirmed that I needed to charge for this. With that being said, in The Social Snippet, we got our first almost 10 clients without any advertising, and just through people we know referring us because folks trusted us. It is true, people want to buy from people, not from face-less businesses to build some of that trust.
Some Ideas For Personal Content Sharing On Instagram:
Day in the life
Pet photos
Photos of loved ones/family
Your morning/evening rituals
What you do for self care
Local vendors/businesses you love
Hobby/Interests
Day Trip/ Excursion
Real talk about how it’s going
Favourite items of the moment
Feeling like Instagram might not be for you, or you’re overwhelmed and unsure where to start. Consider looking into outsourcing this task if it’s not for you. Learning more about your Zone of Genius and how you can work more on what you love is important as a business owner!
Stay tuned for a post soon with some ideas on different things you can share on social that is more personal, but helps build trust with your audience (plus, allows you to have some fun!).