Personalization Is A Game Changer
Getting personal is crucial for Instagram success. Why? To answer that question. Let's explore the psychology of personalization.
Personalization is not just a strategy; it's deeply rooted in human psychology. To understand this better, let's break down the psychological aspects of personalization.
Personalization Is Making People Feel Seen
First and foremost, personalization taps into our fundamental need to be recognized and valued as individuals. When someone addresses us by our name or tailors content to our preferences, it signals that they've taken the time to understand us. This fosters a sense of connection and trust. 🥰
Moreover, personalization leverages the principle of reciprocity. This psychological concept suggests that when someone does something for us, like personalizing their content, we feel a natural inclination to reciprocate, often through engagement, loyalty and even purchases.
Another key aspect is relevance. Our brains 🧠 are wired to pay more attention to information that's personally relevant to us. In the world of social media, this translates to higher engagement rates when content aligns with our interests and needs.
Personalization also appeals to our desire for efficiency. When content is tailored to our preferences, it saves us time and effort in filtering through irrelevant information, making it more likely that we'll engage with and appreciate such content.
Lastly, the fear of missing out (FOMO) plays a role. When content is personalized to our interests or needs, we fear missing out on valuable information or opportunities if we don't engage with it.
To better understand how to fine-tune your content I’m going to talk about:
3 Common Mistakes
1. NON- Personal Intro’s. Addressing your audience with: Hi guys, hi ladies, hi everyone – If you have been doing that you may want to stop doing that! Yes it is true that many people will be seeing your content BUT everyone is watching it on their own personal device 🤳 . When you make a person feel like you are talking to her/him personally it will increase the likelihood of this person to stop scrolling and watch your reel. Address your audience with “YOU” instead.
2. Showing but not telling. Demonstrating your audience something like an exercise or healthy habits but not sharing who should be doing this or get specific on the benefits.We like to know “ is this for me” and “ why should I be doing this”. Get clear on what you are sharing and who it is for and why this is important for he viewer.
3. Self-Promotion. Posting content that is focused on showcasing your life and aesthetic and feels more like a personal page rather than offering content that educates, entertains, or provides meaningful value to your audience. It’s content that is more ego stroking and looking for an applause expressed in likes. And sometimes you have to be really honest with yourself; why am I posting this? Do I want the validation or the recognition- is this to boost myself? And there is nothing wrong with doing that every now and then but if it’s the majority of the content you will most likely keep the same friends and family member that applaud you and you're not building a business or will be gaining new followers
Instead of exclusively posting self-promotional content consider diversifying your content include posts that educate, entertain, inspire, or provide value to your audience in some way, Think about your audience’s, interests and needs. What do they want to see or learn from you? What do they keep asking you about? Share the real you.
By sharing personal experiences struggles and wins you demonstrate authenticity and expertise which can help you stand out as a trusted professional
To sum it all up. Personalization in the digital space is not just about algorithms and data. It's about tapping into fundamental human psychology. When you understand your audience's psychological needs and motivation, you can create a deeper and more meaningful connection. Ultimately, leading to online success.
Armed with this understanding of the psychology behind personalization, you can apply it strategically in your fitness and wellness content on Instagram, making your posts more engaging, relevant, and impactful. Psychological power can be a real game changer in building your Instagram audience and online presence.
Knowledge isn’t power until it’s applied.
Action Step 🛠️ :Now let’s put this knowledge into action: In your next reel or post imagine speaking to one person with a specific message. For example: address a common mistake, explain something that you get questions about or simplify something that may look intimidating. It can be as simple as a nugget of wisdom that you shared with a client or friend recently. ( Imagining a real person makes it easier to talk to the camera) Even though we are all unique human beings with unique life experiences we do tend to have a lot of similarities and challenges and we are all striving for progress in life.
If you are not comfortable speaking directly into camera, you may want to read (or listen) to The-Power of Direct-To-Camera in which I address the 3️⃣ most common obstacles and how to overcome them.
