Posting a pretty snapshot isn't enough to create and expand a community

Charles Tumiotto Jackson

Sep 1, 2020·3 min read

You’ve heard me talk about delivering value to your Instagram followers over and over again. But for some of you, the idea of value is still unclear.

I get asked quite often how to provide valuable content.

Answering this question is a bit tricky because it depends on the niche, the audience, the tone of voice of the creator, and many other factors.

Here are a few simple tricks I use to make sure my content brings value to my readers.

The Transformation

When I write an article, an email like this one, or an Instagram caption, at the top of the page of my draft, I write the transformation my reader will go through by reading my piece.

The transformation is a simple sentence that explains where the reader was before reading, and where reading the piece will take them.

For this email, for example, the transformation is “My reader will go from an unclear idea of what value is to knowing a few techniques to make sure they now create valuable content.”

I usually write this transformation sentence first.

Then I like to confront it to my finished draft. If it still makes sense and if it still applies, I’m on the right path.

If the transformation changed throughout my draft, I either rewrite it or adjust the transformation.

Me vs. Them

This isn’t a technique per se, but I find it useful, especially on the more personal posts.

Let’s say you need to make a personal post or self promote, then be mindful of the pronouns you use.

Try to use more You than I.

Instead of saying I reached 1,000 followers, try saying Thank you all, we’re now 1,000 persons on this account.

It includes your followers in the process and in your achievements.

This piece of advice works for all types of posts. But it tends to be more useful on the personal and self-promoting pieces of content.

What You Wished You Knew

It’s hard to figure out what you know and what most people ignore about a specific topic. By knowing more about something, we lose grasp of reality, and we often forget that not everyone is at the same level as us.

Try to remember how you were even a year ago. Make a list of everything that you’ve learned that’s related to your niche. Now teach all of that.

That’s what I’m doing with these emails. I have been using social media all wrong for years before I finally learned a few things that allowed me to be a better social media manager, and now a better coach.

Filtering Your Content

Before posting anything, read your piece of content one last time.

Now make sure that the transaction is worth it: is the few seconds of the attention your readers will give you worth the value you’re giving away?

Remember here that it’s a transaction.

People are giving away their time, energy, and attention. In exchange, you have to provide value. Otherwise, your content won’t be worth their attention anymore, and people will stop consuming your posts.

It’s super tempting to post anyway, saying “It’s free to publish, and if people don’t like it, they can just skip it.” But it doesn’t work like that.

You are taking people’s time and attention, you are not posting “for free.”

Do you feel like you tried everything to grow on social media and especially Instagram? Hopefully, what follows will be the last thing you will have to do to reach your goals.

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