3 Ways to Create Authentic Connection Through Social Media


Today, we have a special guest post about using your writing platform to create authentic community from two of Proverbs 31 Ministries’ social media gurus: Macie Moseley and Madi Vincent. If you’ve ever scrolled through the Proverbs 31 Ministries or COMPEL Training Instagram or Facebook pages, chances are, they were the brains behind the engaging content and encouraging community for almost four million followers. Read on for a special message about cultivating authentic community while building your platform!

Every day we’re given the opportunity to connect with people all over the world, making building a platform easier than ever before through social media.

With 3.39 billion active social media users engaging with content, the biggest obstacle we face is determining how to authentically stand out amongst all the noise. We’re sharing our biggest tips on how to stand out in a crowded social media space.

1. Don’t let the size of your following deter you.

It’s easy to get caught up in the number of followers and likes you do (or do not) have on social media. Keep in mind that this is just a vanity metric, and doesn’t actually benefit your long-term goals. Whatever your goal is, it’s far better to build deep relationships online than cast a wide net. If you only have 30 followers on Instagram, treat those 30 followers the same way you would if you had 30,000 followers. It’s always better to have 30 loyal followers than 30,000 disengaged fans. One individual’s value is far more important than a large number of followers.

2. Remember social media is supposed to be social.

If you’re viewing your social media page only as a chance to inform or sell, you are missing the opportunity to gain perspective into your audience. When you take time to comment back and engage in a meaningful and conversational way, people will leave feeling connected and cared for by you. And when people feel connected and cared for, they become loyal to you and your content. It will take extra time to do this, but it is the most valuable way you can spend time on social media. It’s far better to post one thing a week and be able to provide meaningful conversation through it than to post seven things a week and have no time to interact with the people reading your content.

3. Provide quality content.

Don’t ask the question, “How many times should I post?” Instead, ask the question, “Will the person seeing this gain value from my social media content?” If you’re consistently providing content that is helping your audience with their lives, they will always come back for more. If you feel stuck trying to figure out what your audience finds valuable — take time to listen to them. Read their comments, talk with them through direct messages, and then write content based on their needs.

Making the effort to personally connect with people online will always be more beneficial than growing large social media followings. When you follow these three easy steps to connection, you will immediately feel the difference in the effectiveness of your posts.

Have you followed COMPEL Training on social media?

Last week, COMPEL Training launched our all new Instagram and Facebook pages. Follow us to learn from bestselling authors, powerhouse speakers, and master communicators on how to creatively and expertly share the message God has placed on your heart. COMPEL Training offers a community for writers who want to write words that move people and whether you’re an aspiring or seasoned writer, we want to offer you invaluable information for mastering your craft.

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Tracie Miles has been the Director of COMPEL Training at Proverbs 31 Ministries since January 2017, and has been volunteering on the speaker and writer teams for Proverbs 31 since 2007. Tracie is an author coach who works one on one with writers of all levels to help them pursue their writing dreams, and can be found at www.traciemiles.com. She is the author of seven bestselling books, including Living Unbroken, Love Life Again, Unsinkable Faith, Stress Less Living and Your Life Still Counts, and has a new book releasing July 2024 called God's Got You: Embracing New Beginnings With Courage and Confidence. She is also the founder of the national Living Unbroken Divorce Recovery Program, a 7 week study series to help women heal and recover together. Tracie has three grown children, two of whom are married, and lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. You can connect with Tracie on her website at www.traciemiles.com as well as on Facebook and Instagram.

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Comments

  1. I am trying to enlarge my social media presence for my blog. People follow me on Instagram and I am not sure why. I do not see that they are liking or commenting on my posts. I am not sure if I should be following them back or not. Usually, I look at their profile and if their posts look interesting I will follow back. I think perhaps they are following me in hopes that I will “follow back” so they will get more followers. The whole thing is a lot of work and I am not sure what I will get from it. My goal is to get more readers of my blog.

  2. so true, great advice!

  3. Great advice! I have been so guilty of looking at my numbers and getting discouraged. Quality content is so important. I’m going to look back over my past posts on Instagram and see which ones had the best interaction.