7 Ideas for Growing your Social Media Following Organically By Being Yourself

If it wasn’t for social media, you wouldn't be reading this post right now. And it's not just because you're on LinkedIn right now :-). It’s because much of my own business grew out of the inspiration and insights I gained from a course that I found through an ad on Instagram. Because of the higher price tag on the course, it took me over a year before I finally decided to click that "sign up" button. But man, am I glad I did - it was that one social media post that started a journey that would transform my life into one where I can work from anywhere, serving the people I most love helping!

(Perhaps you've had a similar experience with a course you took or a book you read as a result of learning about it through social media? If so, I'm curious to hear about it - let me know by commenting below!)

Here's the thing though: if it wasn't for the personal connection that the wonderful lady who built the course sprinkled into her online content and emails, I probably would've never started a business where I get to help mindfulness teachers make a bigger impact.

This personal story underscores the importance of two things that apply to your mindfulness business and offerings:

1) Never underestimate how much your creation - your class, your coaching wisdom, your course, your program, your art, book, or personal sharing - can change someone's life (and then all those people whose lives they can now touch).

2) Never underestimate the power of personal connection in building the trust that is needed to get people to sign up for your offer.

So let's talk about the importance of showing up on social media as your wonderful authentic self and then offer a few ideas so you can start engaging with your audience today.

What does personal content on social media refer to?

Anything that:

• relates a story of something that happened to you
• includes a lesson you learned or a challenge you overcome
• shares a win you're celebrating for yourself or your clients/students
• includes a picture of you, your family, or something that has a personal connection to you such as your favorite spot in nature

Sharing personal content comes down to being yourself, not overthinking it, and showing up in a way that feels good to you!

My heart felt so happy to learn, thanks to my friend Sarah Santacroce at Humane Marketing, that even the LinkedIn algorithm may actually move personal photos up in the feed because it wants to encourage deeper connections!

How much personal vs educational content should you share?

What do the people that you want to help want to know about mindfulness? What are they struggling with that mindfulness can help them resolve?

These are some of the questions to ask when you want to post educational content to engage people and gently lead them to the next step in the customer journey process so they can become clients/students.

Sharing educational content and infographics is great. But even the top-level executive at a Fortune 500 company (or the most zen mindfulness teacher) comes up against personal struggles, rough days, anxiety, and frustration.

And they all want to know one thing: they're not alone in this. (And neither are you, sweet soul!)

Being yourself and connecting with personal content is key to creating that beautiful deeper human connection. The more often you can show up with both value-add pieces and personal pieces, the stronger and deeper connections you'll create.

While there is no "perfect" mix for how much to post between educational and personal content, I'd say that out of every 10 posts, making 2-5 of them more personal content may be a good ratio.

This still gives people a chance to get to know you but also to learn from you through the practical mindfulness content and tips you share. Because without those, they might like you, but are less likely to actually sign up for your offerings...because they're not quite sure what you do or why it works. (So don't be shy about telling them :-))

7 Ideas for Engaging Personal Social Media Posts

1.Tell your personal mindfulness story

How did you find out about mindfulness in the first place? Share a brief intro to the story of how mindfulness impacted your life. (And send them to your website About page to read the full story if they want :-)

2. Share a mindful moment

Taking a mindful pause and doing some mindful breathing? Let your audience know how they can do the same in the midst of their busy day.

3. Your favorite mindfulness or meditation book

What was the first meditation or mindfulness-related book you read? What are you reading right now? Share your fave quotes or tips from the book. And maybe add a pic of you cuddling up with the book in your favorite corner of the house or out on the front porch with your cat. :-) Cuz who doesn't like cute animal pics and books?

4. Mindful nature moments

Going out for an evening walk to pause and reflect? Let us bask in the beauty of nature with you! Tell us more about the natural landscapes in your corner of the world and your connection to them.

5. Celebrate your accomplishments out loud

Did you just finish teaching a mindfulness class? Wrote a helpful mindfulness blog post? Or perhaps even finished speaking at a conference, podcast, or summit? We want to celebrate your success with you! Post pictures or share your learnings - you never know how many other people you'll inspire with your example!

6. Bond over common human struggles and challenges

No matter how much mindfulness we bring into life, external obstacles and inner fears and difficult emotions will still arise. And of course the practice of being with them is mindfulness itself. What matters most, as those who teach mindfulness, is how we respond (or don't) to these challenges. Share a recent challenge and how mindfulness might've helped you cope with it better than before you started practicing.

7. Inspire us with your healthy habits

Do you have a morning routine that makes you feel excited and energized to start each day? have you developed a gratitude journaling practice that you love? Tell us about the healthy mindset (or physical) habits that keep you feeling great. Perhaps even offer some tips for how we can do the same.

Reality and consistency over perfection

When you’re a mindfulness teacher, one of the most challenging things might be learning to show up even when your own life gets messy. But the truth is that most people don’t want an image of perfection. They would rather learn from someone who’s real. Someone who’s going through the same struggles they can relate to...like that incessant voice of the inner critic that's whispering that there's more to do when your heart knows that you're enough just as you are right now. :-)

Increase engagement by asking questions

Sharing your personal stories, photos, or inspiration can be a great way to start conversations. Ask your audience a question that’s related to your post. This gives them a chance to share their tips, opinions, and connect with one another. It’s a way of building a network that values and honors individual expression. (And the algorithm may love it too by the way...which means your post will likely be seen by a lot more people :-))

Don't forget self-compassion and healthy boundaries

When sharing anything online, always make sure that it feels good in your heart first. Give yourself self-compassion and make sure that you're not overstepping any of your own personal boundaries in what you want to share. Feel into your heart space to let you know what to share and what to keep to yourself.

But what if you don't like to be social media?

This is probably one of the most questions I get from mindfulness teachers who come to me to grow their reach. If you're like most mindfulness teachers, posting on social media is probably the last thing you enjoy doing online.

Well, here's the good news, kind soul: social media is not the only way to grow your following, business, and impact. There are many other strategies that are just as effective. Try these 3 ways to market your mindfulness services without social media.

Whichever marketing strategy you use to acquire new clients and students, the key thing is to understand your audience's needs and then to consistently show up for them in places where they already hang out and with content that will draw them in.

And because all the people you're trying to reach are human beings just like you, showing up as your full authentic self and sharing some personal content can be a powerful way to create deeper connections that will naturally help your mindfulness business grow too.

Want to learn more ways to connect with your target audience and build a sustainable mindfulness business that allows you to earn a living while making a deep impact? Grab your spot in my free 5-step mini-course on building a sustainable mindfulness business here.