TIPSHEET: INSTAGRAM SUCCESS

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Komal Dixit started her page @classywomenn for herself. She wanted to post things to keep her motivated and positive. Within three years, she has over 730 thousand followers on Instagram.

How to get customers for your business through Instagram 3:40

- Find your niche and target market. Post content daily and interact with people commenting on your posts. Dixit suggested posting free tips and answer questions your followers ask frequently. This is how you build relationships with your followers and gain their trust. This can lead to getting their business. 

- For organic growth only, Dixit says the most important thing is to post one thing daily that is of value for your followers.

How to overcome shadow banning and the algorithm 7:00

- Shadow banning is when a platform restricts visibility of your posts so only your followers are able to see your content. This can happen sometimes when you comment too much on posts or send too many direct messages in a short period of time. Dixit said social platforms are like humans. They have a health, so you need to keep your profile healthy. Too much commenting or messaging can be seen as spam. 

- Definitely try to interact with all your followers, but if you have a ton of comments to reply to, try to space them out so you don't have to deal with the potential shadow ban.

What are shoutouts? 13:38

- You can purchase shoutouts. This means you would go to pages within your niche that has a large amount of followers. You can pay for them to promote your page on theirs and thus gain some more followers of your own. Dixit advised to make sure they have the same type of followers you want for your page.

- The cost depends on how many followers the page has. It can cost anywhere from $10-$300. Start out on smaller pages and if it helps gain followers for you, move onto bigger pages.

Are stories important? 18:25

- Stories are very important! The feed explains your brand. The posts are the first thing people see when they click on your profile. But, stories allow you to interact on a different level with your followers. You can ask your followers questions and get feedback from them to get an idea of what they want to see from your page. Dixit said if you want to get to know your audience, use stories.

- It's also very helpful to go to other pages within your niche and comment on their posts. This helps you build relationships with other people within your field. Be genuine within your comments. Don't just post some generic response.

What are some common Instagram mistakes? 21:57

-Not being consistent when posting. It is so important to post content daily. People follow you for your content so if you don't post, you will lose followers.

Hashtags 23:20

- Use hashtags within your original caption and not in the comments. Don't use an extreme amount. Keep it at a reasonable amount so it doesn't look like spam. Dixit suggests using between 10-15 hashtags that are relatable to your content and brand.

Is it worth it to buy followers? 26:40

- Typically, purchased followers are all bots. They won't interact with your page so it really isn't worth it to have more followers. It's better to have less followers that interact and engage with your page than having millions of followers and no comments on your posts.

- Dixit wants people to know it is possible to gain a following on Instagram. She said your first priority shouldn't be the followers, it should be creating content that will help people. That is how you will be successful.

First job paperwork 1:50

- Many people starting their first real job right out of college don't know how to make sense of the first day paperwork that's required to be filled out and returned within a few days. It can be very confusing to understand all the financial jargon when you haven't learned about it in school or from family. 

- Brumm recommends a resource through the International Revenue Service website. It asks you a few questions, calculates the information and gives you a number so you know what your taxes and withholdings will look like.

- Sign up and start your 401k! Even if it is just a small starting amount, do it. Also, if your company matches your 401k deposits, say yes to that as it is essentially free money.

Life insurance 6:05

- Life insurance is a benefit that is voluntary. Sometimes it may be offered and payed for by your company and if that's the case, Brumm suggests to just take it. It doesn't hurt to have it.

- Some younger people don't know who to give it to or don't see a need for it. But if you're a parent, sign up for it for sure. Also, if you don't get life insurance when you're young and you get a medical condition, it may be harder for you to get the insurance later. If you have some type of ailment or condition in your family history like cancer or heart attacks, it's good just to get the life insurance while you can when you are young.

- You can put money aside in things like life insurance that allow you to get the insurance, offers tax-free growth and it's accessible for you when it comes to retirement age. 

Savings Accounts 7:30

- You are allowed to open different accounts for certain things you are saving for. For example, you can have a separate account for "kitchen remodel" and "Paris vacation." Having different accounts that you're able to name is very helpful because it helps keep you accountable so you don't spend that money for something else.

- If you have trouble with spending, open an account across town and don't get a debit card. That way it is harder to access your money so you won't spend as much as often!

How to track spending 10:45

- One of Brumm's favorite ways to track spending is an online resource called Mint. You can put in your accounts, mortgage etc. anything that has an online presence and it can link those with tax resources and help with your taxes. It helps keep all your accounts in one place so you don't have to track different account or credit card numbers to different websites. It's all in one place!

Money Tracking Resources and Apps

- YNAB (You need a budget)

- PocketGuard

- GoodBudget

Entrepreneurs 17:20

- If you're just starting out, there are many different ways to start and register your business. You can create an LLC, which isn't really a tax advantage, but if someone were to sue your company, it keeps the assets of your entity sheltered so it doesn't touch your personal assets. Brumm suggests seeking legal advice especially when starting out just so you get everything set up properly.

- You should definitely try to set up a new account for your business so you keep your personal funds separate.

Entrepreneur Resources

- Women in business classes

- General business classes

- Small business education and training

- Support for small business owners

What bonds you can set up for your child 28:35

- There are mutual funds out there that are municipal bonds only. It's like a savings account in a sense.  Looking at the statement with your child is very beneficial for both of you because they get to learn and see how it works first hand.

Brumm at My Financial Girlfriend works with all people. You don't have to make $100,000 a year in order to get a meeting with her. She wants to educate others so they know how to understand their finances.