By Shana Lynn Yao

You have a personality - I know you do. And somewhere between working and real life is where your personality lives. As a business owner and someone using social media to grow your following for the purpose of business, something usually gets lost in the translation. 

If you are a little confused on how to use Instagram to build your influence on Instagram, you're not alone.  As a business strategist who works with entrepreneurs to help them build their brand online, I hear questions such as: "Are you supposed to post photos of what you ate and your dog?"  "Shouldn't I promote my business?" "How do I know what people want?"

Truthfully, that is a much deeper question than it implies. First you have to know who you are, what your personal style is so you can define it in your business, you have to understand who your clients and audience is, and what your brand story is.

But let's assume you know those things so we can get down to the basics of how to create a brand personality on Instagram.

Why Personality Matters

It's the way business is trending  Gone are the days of just trying to "build a list", just running a Facebook ad, or hanging out on Facebook all day (really when did that ever work). :o With the rise of the number of people building businesses online - from teenagers to millennials to even grandmothers - it's becoming harder to be visible, to stand out, and to have a presence on any social media app.

But in fact, Instagram is the best place to actually build a personal brand that attracts your ideal clients and raving fans. 65% of all people communicate through visual communication, and with a high potential for engagement, it's quickly becoming the darling of social media for business owners and bloggers who want to monetize their blogs.

And as someone who has taken this formula to heart, I've tripled my following in just 45 days, gained new clients AND met people who actually "get" me and I get right back - simply by trashing my stuck and boring social media strategy and infused, well, ME into my Instagram.

But it's more than just posting selfies. As I said, it's a multi-layer process (in other words, it's a personalized STRATEGY) that takes thought, insight, and a plan. (sign up for THE DAILY and get on the list for my upcoming masterclass to master your personal brand on Instagram).

But it starts with knowing how to create your brand personality on Instagram, so let's get make this simple.

3 Steps To Creating Your Brand Personality

1. BE YOURSELF

I know, you have a business, your want to monetize your blog - shouldn't it be more difficult to make sure it's business related?

Yes and no. As I said, with the rise of social media, the brands that stand out and that have influence have business owners that have a strong POINT OF VIEW. Bland is the opposite of standing out.

Being yourself on Instagram means - what are you into? 
What is your personal style?
What inspires you?
What do you like to do everyday?
How is that similar to people who need what you sell or are about?
What do you gravitate to on Instagram? 
What accounts do you follow? Why?
What are your FAULTS? (this is important to understand and redefine so it becomes a strength - it's one of the main reasons you are so good at what you do and what your audience will relate to)

Being yourself does NOT mean just posting selfies (unless you are a fashion blogger). It means knowing what you're about and communicating that through beautiful, thought out images. 

2. TELL A STORY

Brand aesthetic. Write that on your wall, on your phone, and understand that Instagram is a VISUAL APP. That means that people view your images 2 ways - by individual photos, and by your FEED. That

 

A cohesive feed is your ongoing brand story. Just as your life, your audience will follow you when they relate to the story you are telling with your page.

Do you have a magazine? Well in fact, if you use Instagram, you do. It's called INSTAGRAM. This is one of the hardest thing for many business owners to understand, but your potential clients and customers are not dollar bills. They are human. Just like you, they have lives. They have morning, noon and nights, kids, personalities, and needs. So if you think of you, your life, the things that make you you, how does that become your brand story? 

One of the BEST apps I use to plan a cohesive feed is UNUM. It's FREE (yay!) Another popular planning app for Instagram is PLANNELY - but personally I haven't used it but have also heard good things about it - so it's your choice.

Just remember, BRAND AESTHETIC. Make your Instagram magazine one YOU would follow.

3. BE WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE

People buy what you sell, they follow you when they relate to you - but there is something that I've never seen addressed and think it's important to understand. It's called your CONFIDENCE. If there is one thing that is a basic human need - something everybody - from Oprah to President Obama, to Beyonce to the homeless guy down the street - we all are HUMAN with a human mind. That mind is made up of 80% negative thought, 95% subconscious. 

If there is one thing EVERYBODY seeks out as we move forward in our lives, it's our CONFIDENCE and BELIEF in ourselves. And while on social media it's easy to think the people that are smiling in every picture, talking about how great they are, don't have self esteem issues, the truth is, everybody has them. It's just that many people have mastered the art of understanding them better.

They have ways to manage their own thoughts, strategies that personally keep them on the up and up and they literally become better at being themselves everyday.

You become in life who you THINK you are and what is possible for you - and Instagram - I believe - is not just a way to grow your business, but it's a way to literally manifest your best life.

That means making your photos beautiful (tutorial coming soon so be sure to SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY), being yourself out loud and making THAT beautiful, and DECIDING to live up to the person you are on Instagram.

Being authentic in business is not just something you say, it's actually something you have to consciously do. And if you're trying so hard to understand all of the difficult tactics that people talk about, you're going to have a hard time showing how you're DIFFERENT on your social media.

As I started this article, it's your point of view - your personal style that people want to see. #beyou and you'll find that you too can live your best badass business and life - through the magic of Instagam and having a business that connects and sells.

So I want to ask you, how are you going to build your brand personality on Instagram? Tell me below and LIKE and SHARE this article with others who want the inside scoop on growing their personal brand on Instagram.

LET'S CONNECT!

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