Pre-Post Progress Update: Today's Follower Count = 435
Change From Last Post: -4
Change From Start: +35
I'm not sure what accounts for the small drop in followers over the last three days -- I've been working hard. Might be a fluke -- I am continuing to push and experiment, we will see what happens between now and Monday.
Intro: You Aren’t Crazy, Comments on Instagram Are Hard
Are you avoiding the simplest, easiest, and yet hardest part of social media marketing?
This post is not a guilt trip. Instead I’m going to try and dig down on the deep emotional and psychological obstacles that may hold you back from doing the thing that grows your organic followers and engagement on social media.
You aren’t leaving comments on other users’ content. If you are doing it, you are not doing nearly enough of it.
It’s a shame because your Instagram channel is one of the most important music distribution channels you have. It may be that way for your entire life, and now is a crucial time when you can build it.
Imagine getting thousands of views, or more, on a whim, whenever you post something on Instagram. You could make an impact with every song you release. That is my goal for myself.
I was talking to a successful musician friend who averages 10k+ views per Instagram video. He was considering paying for a PR campaign… but he realized his Instagram page has more traffic than a lot of “popular” blogs. That makes it hard for a PR agency to convince him that he should give them money.
Even for me the asymmetry is interesting. For example I worked HARD to get these 500 plays on Soundcloud and I was proud of it:
It’s only 550 plays or whatever, but look at the comments. If you read ‘em, you’ll see those dudes are leaving friendly, genuine comments. They heard the music, they liked it. So I felt good about that.
The contrast with Instagram though is crazy. That Soundcloud track took weeks of hard work. This Instagram post took a few hours:
It got almost 200 views in the first week. I didn’t pay for any ads or anything, and my account only has ~440 followers right now.
Can you see how Instagram might be insanely powerful? Imagine a few years down the line, on an account that has 20,000 followers with similar engagement…
So going back to the comments: If your goal is to build your audience or fanbase or whatever, can you see how crazy it is to not do comments on Instagram? When an hour a day for the next year or two could lead to a lifelong platform for attention and impact?
I feel like this is the dope opportunity for DIY artists, all kinds of weirdos, to get some traction.
I am convinced that if you are already posting a few new things per week (even just phone videos of you playing guitar or making beats or rapping a few bars, whatever), you are 90% of the way there. But you’re missing the key 10% of the work that makes it all come together.
Leaving comments on other people’s content online is that 10%.
credit: sndbox.co
Are you doing the 90% and then not sticking the landing with that last 10%? That is a supremely frusterating feeling, and I think many artists are doing it.
If you feel like you just can’t find that “X factor” that would help your career take off, I honestly think this is it right now. Leave comments to unleash your art’s potential.
If you have something better to do - DO IT! But if you are reading my ramblings, you are probably not a master of social media yet. I’m only saying you should do this beacuse it really works and is somewhat foolproof. It’s a good starting point until you do engineer something more brilliant in the future.
Overcoming The Hard Part of Comments: Emotion and Anxiety
Don’t worry, you aren’t crazy. I have experienced moderate social anxiety and emotional awkwardness while learning how to leave comments on social media.
This is the hard part. It’s hard because of the emotions, not the skills. You obviously know how to scroll down the Insta feed - you probably do it 10 times a day. But you usually do it for quick, easy satisfaction. Instagram entertains you while you wait in the line at the store, or on the train back home from work, or while you are sitting on the toilet. Instagram is not something you would normally focus on and “work” at for a long-term goal.
You have to relearn Instagram. Treat it as a business tool during business hours, not an entertainment one.
credit: olo eletu via unsplash
You will seek out other people and generously spend your time to leave a relevant, legit comment. You should seek nothing in return. It’s a nice bonus that some people will follow you back, but don’t ask for it. Don’t!!
Your brain will tell you “this is dumb” or you will actually get anxious, like social anxiety, from the social task of talking to strangers online. These feelings will hold you back. It feels so weird - why am I doing this, isn’t this some bullshit? Am I making a fool of myself?
You must be a warrior. You must persevere and overcome your fear of being unconditionally nice to people on social media. The fact that it seems so easy is just another reason that it is hard. Take this task seriously.
I hope that above all else, this post gives you emotional support as you start to leave more comments.
In that moment when you exit Instagram after 5 minutes of browsing, and you are about to give up… I hope you’ll remember this post. I hope you will think about how the mild angst/anxiety of Instagram is normal, and that we all share it, even if it’s silly — and then I hope you will open the app and put in that 30-60 minutes of time to leave comments on other content.
It is a good idea to do.
Final Thoughts
What holds you back from doing more Instagram engagement?