5 tips to build your instagram and attract dream clients
february 28, 2022
Category: education
5 tips to build your instagram and attract dream clients
Who else has felt personally victimized by instagram’s algorithm?
Building your Instagram following is no easy feat. With the bulk of my leads coming from Instagram I like to think I’m doing something right. Over the last 3.5 years, I’ve built my following to more than 55.7k and have scored some MAJOR dream clients (cough, cough — Jenna Kutcher). So I’m here to share the love! Below are five of my tips to help you build up that Instagram following and attract your dream clients!!
Spoiler: If you’re looking for more, check out my Brighten Blueprint class that’s relaunching this spring.
Tip #5 | consistency
One of my biggest pieces of advice for those just starting out in their business, side hustle, passion, you name it — consistency produces the results you want to see. Overnight success is a myth.
You can’t post on Instagram once, or for a week, or even a few months and expect to have “made it”.
When I first started out, my feed was nothin’ but crickets. I was searching high and low for my dream clients wondering where they were but I kept showing up, I kept sharing my work and now Instagram is where a majority of my clients come from.
So you might be thinking, how? Well, it started with posting nearly every day for the last 3.5 years. I showed up, wait for it, consistently. Not just when I felt like it or when I was suddenly motivated in my business. I showed up every dang day that I could.
I’m all for setting boundaries with social media and everyone can find what works best for them, but if you can be consistently showing up AND serving your ideal audience with value (this means being open to shifting your strategy and being willing to create different types of content, hint: reels), things will happen for you. Pinky promise.
tip #4 | show your face
I get it, I get it. It’s easy to hide behind your work and putting your face out there can be uncomfortable. But I challenge you to show. your. face. Get uncomfortable! I dare you to even talk to your camera. You might be surprised by how much your audience wants to see Y-O-U. People want to know who’s behind the scenes. People connect with people — not just beautifully designed graphics and curated feeds.
I promise you are the only one standing in the way of this — get out of your own head and SHOW YO’SELF.
Tip #3 | curate a portfolio
This one might seem like a no-brainer but curate a portfolio of work you want to attract! Are you dying to design in a minimal style for wellness brands but all of your portfolio consists of projects that are anything but that? Create a personal project that aligns with your goals and share the heck out of it.
When curating that portfolio also keep in mind an aesthetically pleasing, cohesive feed — we are designers after all. Okay yes, obsessing over an Instagram feed can seem silly BUT if you’re in the business to grow your following so that you can grow your service then buckle up.
Use the same few filters on *every* photo. I’ve made my own in Lightroom and I stick to the same few editing styles for a consistent look.
Come up with a plan to rotate your content and stick with it! For me, I alternate my posts between graphics and photos because it creates contrast when they sit next to each other on my feed. Oh and DON’T FORGET REELS!!
Decide on a color story and font system and don’t change it. Here’s the deal. I get you are excited about this new color or font, and while you can introduce new things to your feed if you’re changing your look every 2 seconds no one is going to remember your brand. Come up with a palette and STICK TO IT!
When you do decide to break your own rules, do it multiple times. For example, when I randomly decide to throw in an off-brand color such as green, I’ll use a similar tone a few posts later, so that as a whole it feels cohesive.
tip #2 | share more than just design work
I know, I know. I already challenged you to get in front of the camera and show your face, but think outside the box and offer up other content types, too! No one wants to hear a sales pitch over and over and over again. Offer design tips or answer a frequently asked question your clients are often asking. Give your followers value! Take things another step further, start sharing your hobbies and interests. Let your followers really see what makes you, you!
Tip #1 | reel ‘em in — literally
I know what you're thinking. When reels came out it was like ugh, just another thing to add to my to-do list. Instagram is already SUCH a time suck. I get it, but also here's a bit of tough love: Instead of playing the victim, think about reels as a new way to get creative!
In less than a year's time, I went from having 20k followers to more than 50k. Now hear me out. Followers aren’t the end all be all, neither are the posts with all of the comments and likes, but in terms of a business strategy, it made me realize where I should be placing my efforts.
I used to show up religiously, 5 to 6 times a week to be exact, but as Instagram has evolved and placed its efforts on video, I've shown up a little less and seen more results since I focused on reels and quality content over quantity.
So will I continue to post most days? You bet because I love showing up on here. But will I feel guilty for skipping a day here and there? Nah.
There’s power in utilizing reels if you haven’t yet. I try to think of Instagram as a business tool and less as a way to measure my success and worth. Because we are worthy just as we are — WITHOUT FOLLOWERS.
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Ready to learn more? I’m revamping my Brighten Blueprint course this spring to bring you #allthethings as it relates to growing your business on social media — not just Instagram. Enroll in the course today!
