What is social media, if not social? Social networks aren’t meant to work as a one-way ticket. We’re all active on them to connect with other people. Nowadays, it’s even more than ever about having meaningful conversations and finding your communities. As a creator, you should be investing in building your own community and interacting with your followers. Start right now, by reading up.

Gone are the days of a social platform like Instagram as a chronological timeline filled with cute pictures. These days, it’s a powerful tool for brands and creators alike. It allows you to build and connect with your audience like never before.

And here’s why you should do just that. Trust us, there are only benefits.

1) You’ll reach more people

If you keep up with this hub (and the internet in general), you already know it’s all about engagement right now. Engagement happens in the form of likes, comments, shares… This ‘feedback’ is, after all, how you know the content is resonating with your audience.

Instagram wants to see your audience interact with you and vice versa. The more and the better you accomplish this, the higher your engagement rate will be. A high engagement rate thus indicates that your content is being well-received, which encourages the algorithm to keep pushing it – and you – forward.

So take the time to write that great caption, put in that cta, hosts q&a’s and lives, share personal stories, encourage conversation… Thrive to connect genuinely.

Have fun with it, mix it up, find what works for you.

2) You’ll know what your audience wants

Because you’re actively building your community, interacting with your followers and expanding your engagement, you’ll know exactly what your audience wants. Creators with strong communities are often the most attuned to their content and how it can add value to their audiences’ lives.

Plus, by considering and treating your followers as your own tight-knit community, there’s a much deeper sense of loyalty. They will support you and spread the love.

3) You’ll connect with more and better brands

All of the above makes you an incredibly interesting candidate for sponsorships and partnerships, because close-knit communities are gold for brands.

When you give a brand access to yours, they get an incredibly targeted group of followers that they can reach and try to turn into possible customers. Plus, you know them like the back of your hand by now, so you can help them with your expertise. This puts you in an incredibly valuable position.

Brands are actively looking out for creators with solid communities nowadays. Invest in getting to know your followers, and more and more brands will invest in you.

Like we said: only benefits!

Want to know more on how you can grow as an influencer? Check out how we can help you connect and communicate with brands, or read up on our Hub.