This post is one of a three part series on Instagram growth for heart-centered entrepreneurs and aspiring influencers. If you’re interested in learning more about how to leverage Instagram to grow your conscious business or brand, head on over to beinstagramworthy.com and join me for my upcoming webinar: “Instagram Worthy: How to Grow Your Instagram and Create an Engaged Digital Community.”
Instagram Growth Secrets, Volume 1: Uncover Your Purpose
Anytime we share via social media, we are telling a story, and believe it or not, you have a unique story to tell which originates in your purpose.
Purpose is defined as “the reason for which something (someone) exists.) When you consider WHY you are here on this earth, what comes to mind? Maybe you already know your purpose, or perhaps you’re still figuring it out.
In the teachings of yoga, we refer to purpose as Dharma. You may have more than one purpose or dharma in life, and your purpose can also evolve and change as you learn and grow. For example, part of my dharma was becoming a mother. This is a stage in my life which is impermanent (as all things are), but for the next twenty years or so, this is a big part of why I exist, part of my dharma.
Even if you’re not yet aware of it, there is definitely at least one unique gift that you are meant to share with the world, and social media is an avenue through which you can freely give this gift.
If you’re still in the process of uncovering your purpose, this post is for you.
Uncover Your Purpose
Think about the things that get you excited. If we sat down for coffee and I asked you to tell me about yourself and your passions, what would you share first?
Your passions inform your purpose. For me, my passions go something like this: Yoga. Surfing and paddling. Spirituality and faith. Creative entrepreneurship. Female empowerment.
Okay, so I get jazzed about a bunch of different stuff. How does that uncover my purpose, and what does it have to do with Instagram growth? Lets dig a little deeper and find the intersection of what I get excited about and what the world needs, because this is where the magic happens.
The universe abides in reciprocity, so purpose or dharma is only fulfilled when shared. It’s not enough to know your purpose and keep it to yourself. In order to give meaning to your purpose, you have to give it away.
4 Step Checklist to Uncover Your Purpose
- You enjoy it.
- Others benefit from it.
- It sustains you.
- You experience gratitude and growth.
So let’s say you enjoy baking. It’s one of your favorite things to do. If you have a free Saturday, we might find you in the kitchen, covered in flour, happily humming while delicious smells waft from the warm over. You’re content, you’re in the flow, you’re right where you want to be. Why?
- You enjoy baking.
- It nourishes and feeds your family and friends.
- You feel sustained emotionally and creatively by baking, and maybe sometimes you sell your goods at a bake sale.
- Your heart is happy when you see people eat what you make, and you continue to learn and evolve in your baking.
What if instead, you just baked cookies for yourself and never shared them? Would that fulfill your purpose? Probably not. You’d just be sick to your stomach from too much sugar and end up throwing away stale cookies. Your purpose would be unfulfilled because you didn’t use it in service of what the world needs.
If you’re not sure what you’re super passionate about, check out this blog post I wrote and try this journaling exercise to get more clarity.
Sharing Your Purpose via Instagram
Social media is more than a platform for selfies: it’s a powerful tool for human connection, one which most of us tap into daily. Consider this: could Instagram be a place where you could serve others by authentically sharing your purpose?
For me, the answer is an overwhelming YES. On Instagram, I’m able to share, through visual storytelling, inspiration and encouragement for others to be active outdoors and pursue their dreams in business. I share yoga tutorials, inspirational quotes, and opportunities for growth in business by sharing blog posts like this one!
Every time you post, I invite you to consider how the post aligns with your purpose: does it capture something you’re passionate about, and also benefit others? By sharing, are you creating an opportunity for sustenance (emotional, financial, or otherwise?). And by sharing and engaging, do you experience gratitude and growth?
Shifting Your Perspective
A lot of times, people (myself included) tend to post on social media because they need a little bit of love. Whether we like to admit it or not, we post when we want that dopamine rush that comes from seeing little hearts or thumbs up next to our image or words.
Here is my invitation to you: Before you share, check in with WHY you are posting. If you’re coming from a place of needing love, remember that what you give, you get; what you reap, you sow; the universe abides in reciprocity. Edit your post to make sure that it aligns with your purpose, and the energy will shift. You’ll start to see more engagement and more love, because that is what you’re putting out there. Instagram growth is more about what you’re giving than what you’re receiving. Focus on the give, and the growth will follow.
Going Deeper with Purpose
If this resonates with you, and you want to explore more how to uncover your purpose and expand your sphere of influence to help more people, I’d love to invite you to join me for my upcoming webinar “Instagram Worthy: How to Grow Your Instagram and Create an Engaged Digital Community.” We’ll talk about purpose, message, and building a tribe, along with actionable tips Instagram growth in presence and following. Let’s help you fulfill your dharma in that little square box.
Head on over to beinstagramworthy.com to learn more, and make sure to connect with me @Stoked_Yogi on Instagram so I can support you in sharing your purpose with the world.
