instagram tips

3 EASY Ways to Attract Your Ideal Audience on Instagram

Consistency. 

Consistency in your marketing.  Did you just cringe a little?  I hope not, but if you did I know that this can be SUCH a struggle.  But, it doesn’t have to be!

I truly get so excited about this part.  You see, when you reach out to your ideal audience- the people who are looking for your resources- about those resources, then you’re going to start really growing your store..  

 

Why Is an Ideal Audience Important?

 

One of the biggest myths I hear from TpT sellers is that the best way to reach a lot of people is to target A LOT of people.  False.  This is just not true.

When you try to sell your resources just to “teachers” or even narrow it down a little to “middle school teachers” or “math teachers”, you are talking to a lot of people who aren’t actually looking for your 7th & 8th grade algebra resources.  That means you are wasting time and energy, and that’s not helping your store grow!

Some people like to focus on the number of likes, comments or followers, but that’s actually pointless!  Having 100 followers who are your ideal audience and engage with your content is so much more useful than 10,000 followers who never notice what you post.  

Think of it a little bit like this… when you go shopping for school clothes for your kids, first you head to the clothing section, scan for the kid’s section, then find the general size, and start looking through the rack that has the Disney or Minecraft theme that your kid requested.  You don’t just start looking through the first rack you see in the kids section (unless it happens to be exactly what you wanted)!  

Just like those racks, you want to talk about your resources to draw in the 9th grade English Lit teacher, or the 1st & 2nd grade teacher looking for a science lesson.  The easier your “section” of TpT is to find, the sooner they’ll start actively browsing your listings… and the more likely that they will find exactly what they are looking for!

But, how do you put up these kind of “department” markers on social media?  

Let’s get started with the…

 

3 easy ways to connect with your audience on instagram!

 

We’re going to be talking Instagram specific with these three things to draw in your ideal audience, but you can modify them to any platform.  

 

1. Be searchable!  

 

Help your audience find you, starting with that first line of your IG profile.

When you’re looking for a solution to your problem or question you open up a search bar and type in what you want, right?

Your ideal audience is using that search bar too!  And the first line of your profile is SEARCHABLE.  This is a gold mine!  

Your profile should include your key words like “High school”, “Science”, “Special Ed” or any part of how your ideal audience.  If you focus on classroom posters or self-checking resources, you may want to include that in your profile too.  

To come up with those keywords, you can think about how you would look for resources, or ask colleagues how they search.  Then go add those exact words into your profile. 

And I don’t mean that you should just put in a laundry list of “High School Math Posters TpT Algebra Geometry Nature Lover”.  Your profile should be presented as a list or a short sentence.  Something another person would identify with!

For instance, one of the teacher’s recently spotlighted on my IG has a profile that reads:

“High School special ed math teacher passionate about helping make secondary math accessible for all learners.” 

You know INSTANTLY if you’re going to be interested in her, her store and her resources.  Or if you’d love to support her passions, but won’t be needing her resources.

It’s ok to leave room to share a few personal things if you want.  People don’t always just buy resources, they buy into you. Someone could choose you over another seller just because they are a “girl mom” or “boy mom” like you.  Your personality and story, your unique voice, and the way you create and present your store and resources is going to make a world of difference. 

So, take a few minutes to review and update your IG profile!  Let your audience know exactly what you do, the minute they find you.

 

2. Post about a problem AND a solution.  

 

We’ve all had problems in our classrooms, and we love to go on Instagram to see how other people have solved a problem just like ours.  It saves a TON of time if you can just find a solution instead of having to go through all the steps to solve it yourself!

Your simple solution could be a game changer for your ideal audience.  You’ll have saved them time.  And sanity.  Maybe even money.  And as a teacher, you know that sometimes saving time and sanity is worth MORE than money.  

Your posts need to include both  a problem and a solution!  Don’t fall into the trap of posting only “This is the answer.”  Including the problem first makes sure that your audience can identify with the pain points, and visualize that struggle- the same struggle they are having right now.  Then they can really know that your resource or service is the solution that they are looking for right now. 

And of course, you don’t want to be focused on ONLY problems and how you can be the right answer.  I mean, that gets pretty old, like really fast.  That’s why we need this last thing!

What problem does your resource solve?  Create a post with both the problem and the solution today.

 

3.Serve your audience, don’t just sell to them.

 

This is SO important!  

Your audience knows that you are a TpT seller, and they know that you can solve problems.   But they’re not going to stick around if ALL you do is remind them to buy your resources.  This is a relationship you’re creating here, and it’s so much better than just one sale.

Yes, you absolutely want to include posts that spread the word about your awesome resources.  That was part of posting about the problem and the solution!  BUT… you also need to mix in other types of posts, like tips and tricks that helped you create those resources, or freebies that you offer.

These types of posts SERVE your audience, and help develop that relationship.  And even those can include identifying with their problems, talking to their pain points and talking about their struggles.  But it’s more than that.  

Here are a few ideas for posts that serve: .

  • Quick and actionable hack related to your niche.  You can also post similar tips every couple of months.  Your favorite back-to-school help can make a yearly appearance!
  • Share an idea, photo or video of your work space… your solutions there might be just what someone needs.  Plus, it’s fun to show off your new wall planner with the amazing colors and design, or whatever it is that just sparked delight in your teacher’s soul!
  • Make a video showing how you created a resource, or how it would work in a classroom setting.  

When you serve your audience with ideas, tips and freebies, you are helping them save time and learn to trust you, and that helps create that personal connection and community.  Sparking that kind of interest will show them you’re the go-to for the resources you provide.  

This is the beauty of social media.  You can connect with teachers from anywhere and have amazing real conversations with your audience.  You can make a huge impact on teachers and students when you draw in YOUR audience, help them, and make sales.  

How will you serve your audience this week?  Write down at least one post you can share to inspire, teach or share.

Come share your questions and ideas about this in the Teacher Instagram Boss Facebook group

 

If you are struggling to post on Instagram regularly, I’d love to share my Ultimate Instagram Checklist This is an amazing, free, resource to help you really get started with consistency on your Instagram.