If you find yourself intimated by how to use Instagram to grow your blog, don’t miss this 10 Instagram Strategies that are sure to be effective!

I have fallen in love with Instagram over the past couple of years. It is the number one way I engage my community and I have so much fun with it!

If you’re struggling with where to start or how to use Instagram to grow your blog, try these 10 Instagram Strategies I’ve found to be very effective:

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If you have fewer than 10,000 followers on Instagram, you’ve probably experienced frustration in trying to get people to click through to your content without the swipe-up feature! Read this post for some creative solutions!

Instagram has this super cool swipe-up feature that allows your followers to simply swipe up from an Instagram Story and be directed to the URL you’d like to send them to.

There’s just one problem…

You don’t get the swipe-up feature until you have 10,000 followers and have a business account.

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Are you discouraged by your lack of Instagram engagement? Here are some simple tips to upgrade your Instagram profile — which can often help increase engagement!

Instagram is one of my very, very favorite topics and my favorite place to hang out.

I also believe Instagram is one of the best ways to build and grow your business — for FREE!

If you’re interested in increasing Instagram engagement or growing your Instagram following, making some simple tweaks to your Instagram profile can really help!

Today, I want to give you 5 simple ways to upgrade your Instagram profile:

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I absolutely love Instagram and think it is one of the best and easiest (and most fun!) ways to grow your online following, get more loyal readers, and even convert leads to your email newsletter or sales of your products or affiliate products.

Here are 8 ways to grow your following on Instagram:Continue Reading

Guest post by Erin Port from SimplePurposefulLiving.com

Instagram stories are my favorite way to authentically engage with my tribe, and they have single-handedly fostered the sense of community that I have with my followers. One of the methods I’ve used to do this is direct video messages.

If you’re looking for unique ways to meaningfully connect with your tribe and increase engagement, I’d highly recommend trying out direct video messages.

Why I Started Sending Direct Video Messages

One day I was responding to a tribe member via Instagram direct message and I saw there was a video message component built in right next to where I could send a text response. I remembered some advice I had received that face-to-face conversations could not be replaced by a written word and I decided to try sending my first video message response.

I started doing this often and my tribe loved it. They even started to respond with their own video messages, which was SO cool because I could see their faces and hear their voices!

These direct video messaging exchanges have been invaluable. Not only have I increased engagement, but I’ve also gotten to know my audience on such a more intimate level. I’ve been able to have direct connections with them and listen to their stories — which in effect has helped me create content that better reflects my audience and meets their needs.

So, How Do You Start Sending Direct Video Messages?

Don’t let video messages intimidate you; just try it out! Direct video messages are just like an Instagram story except they are sent to one individual instead of posted on your stories feed.

Here’s how to get started…

1. In order to receive a direct message, you need to give your audience a reason to message you. Ask them a question on Instagram stories and tell them to message you their answer. It could be something as simple as asking them to tell you their favorite recipe or tv show — just something to get the interaction started!
2. When someone responds to your story, message back with a video message. Simply click the video icon next to where you would type a response and record a personal video for them.
3. Once you have recorded the video, you can modify how many times the video can be viewed. When you start out, I would recommend at least allowing it to be viewed again. People might be surprised at first to see a video message from you and will want to watch it again!

How Direct Video Messages Have Increased My Engagement

The social media world is run by algorithms, and those algorithms love authentic engagement. When you send direct video messages, you are not only getting to know your tribe better but the algorithm also sees you are engaging in a meaningful way. That’s a win-win!

Since I started using direct video messages, I have seen a large increase in the number of daily messages I receive. On average I receive about 100 messages each day. I take the time to respond by video message to everyone every day. (After all, I did ask my tribe to message me, so I want them to know they can expect a response from me to make it worth their time!)

We all have a desire to be seen, known and heard in this crazy world. Direct video messages give your tribe that ability to be seen and heard, and it feels more real and personal — like you’re friends! It completely changes the way you engage with your tribe on social media.

If you want to make authentic connections with your audience and increase your engagement in a meaningful way, I’d highly encourage you to try out direct video messaging!

Erin Port is wife and mom of three, soon to be four by international adoption. In addition, Erin is a public speaker and blogger. She founded Simple Purposeful Living to empower and equip women to lead simple and purposeful lives in a chaotic world so they can do what matters most with those that matter most. In her free time, she loves to find simple adventure with her family.