I have officially had enough requests for tips on how to build an Instagram account specifically for sharing goodness that a blog post was needed!
Do you have a desire to share goodness online? Do you want to make an impact on the world, but don’t know where to start? If so, these tips are for you!
Some of these are general Instagram growing tips, some are specifically for sharing the gospel, and some are both. If you have any specific questions that this blog post doesn’t answer, please let me know. I would love to help you one on one! But for now, let’s see if I can help you at least get started.
Choose a Specific Topic
Let me start out by saying that you don’t need to only post about one topic. But it should be what your account is about. For example: Instead of creating an account on how to become more Christ-like (very general), talk about the attributes of Christ. Break them down. Spend a whole week or even month on one attribute. Where to study about it. How to apply it. Etc.
Another example: Instead of posting “5 truths to remember,” post “5 truths to remember when you’re preparing to go through the temple.” Think about what topics resonate with you. What do you know a lot about? What do you want to know a lot about?
Find a specific problem and solve it. I promise that the more specific you get, the more content there actually is.
Become the Expert
Speaking of solving problems, when you become known as the “expert” at a specific problem or topic, more people will come to you. How do you become the expert? Tell people so.
A year or so ago, I shared one little post about spiritual gifts. People loved it. They wanted to know more. So I studied more and shared what I learned. I literally called myself the “spiritual gift guru” on another post. Now for example, whenever someone at general conference talks about Spiritual Gifts, I get tons of messages saying, “I totally thought of you when I heard this talk” or something similar.
I found that spiritual gifts was a topic that not many were posting or teaching about very much. So I adopted it and it became my thing. What will be your thing?
Be Consistent
Why does consistency matter when building an Instagram account for sharing goodness? Consistency builds trust. There have been thousands of accounts created for sharing the gospel. I have probably started 4 or 5 myself! But only a small percentage of them have stood the test of time.
It doesn’t matter if you post every day, three days a week, once a week, or whatever. Just pick some kind of schedule and stick with it. And if you want to change the frequency…that’s ok too! Do whatever works best for you and your life. Just keep sharing!
Create a Strategy
I have learned this secret from several Instagram strategists and have seen success using it myself: Use a formula for each post. My favorite formula that has worked for me is to use a hook, story, and CTA.
In short, a hook is a question or short line that will hook the reader in. A story helps you relate to your readers. Then finish with a CTA (call to action) to ask your followers to do something like comment, share or visit your website.
I could probably write a whole other blog post on this tip, so if you’d like more info – see the end of this blog post.
Use Trends
This tip isn’t necessarily specific for sharing goodness, but I received many questions about how to grow your account in general (which ultimately will allow you to share more goodness). Instagram trends are constantly changing and evolving and it’s important to be aware of them because using trends like reels, videos, and trending audio will get more eyes on your content. It can feel intimidating and scary, so don’t overwhelm yourself. Just try it. You might like it.
Share Doctrine
When sharing goodness online, be careful to not spread false doctrine. It can also get tricky when sharing your opinions about doctrine, which I think is totally fine as long as you include some kind of disclaimer that they are your opinions. If you’re not sure if something you want to share is endorsed by the Church, it’s easy to check in resources like the Church’s website, the Handbook, the LDS Scripture Directory, etc.
Share and Declare
Elder Bednar encourages us to declare, not defend. And Elder Stevenson counsels us to be sharers, not sheriffs. With all the contention the online world can bring, it can be very tempting to defend our beliefs, especially when the negativity is a comment on one of our own posts. It feels personal. But I promise you it’s not.
The Church and its eternal truths can stand on their own. We only need to share it. And if you need to, you can delete, restrict, and even block anyone you want. No permission needed.
Focus on Followers Community
I have gotten so many questions on how to get more followers (which is funny because I don’t have many compared to other LDS Influencers). Let me just say this: please don’t focus on followers. Focus on building a community.
Now, I get it. The more followers you get, the more reach you have, right? Not necessarily. Studies show that “micro-influencers” or those with less than 10 thousand followers have much better engagement than the big guys. It’s like going to a small town mom and pop shop. It’s all about community. You feel taken care of. You feel like family. Not just a number. Plus, if your content is good, they will find you.
Show Your Face
This might be the most important tip of all. Really. Show your face! Show behind the scenes. Show what your day to day looks like. I’m not saying you have to show your kids or your dirty laundry. But show your followers that you’re not some robot posting static quotes every day.
I would encourage you to show up at least 5 days a week. Stories are a great platform for this. Most people use this to relate to their followers and vice versa. Talk about an insight you had during your scripture study or show a project you are working on. I promise they will love it.
Just Start
It doesn’t matter if you have a bunch of content all ready to post or if you’re still working on your niche. Just start. Sign up for an account. Post something. Share it. And then come tell me about it so I can like it! This is your sign. Share goodness. Change the world one post at a time.
After organizing this blog post, I realized there is so much more info I could share with you. I also know that these tips apply differently to each and every unique situation. If you’d like to dive even deeper into how I share goodness (the behind-the-scenes, access to my workflow, Q&A’s, etc.) I’d love for you to join the Share Goodness Membership! You’ll get a constant flow of share goodness inspiration!
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