What is a creative community challenge?
Our Artisans Buddies Challenge has been running on Instagram for four days now. And I have to admit, I thought everyone knows how an Instagram challenge works.
Since this is not the case, I would like to provide an explanation here.
First, a distancing:
I’m not talking about the crazy internet challenges that call for excessive dares or criminal actions.
Even if these are sometimes created for an honorable reason, like the well-known Ice Bucket Challenge. (At that time, you should pour a bucket of ice water over your head AND donate money to the ALS Association to draw attention to the nerve disease amytrophe lateral sclerosis (ALS).)
Rather this blog is about the challenges of the creative community. Therefore I use the term "Community Challenge" to differentiate it.
How does an Instagram Community Challenge work?
The first thing to do is explain how to connect on Instagram. Unlike Facebook, no mutual agreement is required to view external posts. If your profile is public, everyone can see it and subscribe to it.
At the same time, there are no groups on Instagram like on Facebook. This poses the big problem, how to find the really interesting people? Instagram has come up with a tool for this: the hashtags.
How do hashtags work on Instagram?
Hashtags are words with the hash sign in front of them. They are keywords that can be used to categorize your posts. Other people who enter the hashtag in the search will find a new feed with lots of posts that include this keyword.
You can search for topics that are quite general. Or there are hashtags that have been created specifically for specific occasions or niches.
As an example, there are weekdays where you work together on a topic, such as #throwbackthursday, where many Instagrammers post a review of their past on Thursday.
So hashtags are the signposts on Instagram.
Longer and compound hashtags are created to help you find your way around better. Sometimes it’s a sentences, sometimes new word creations. They are used by companies, private individuals or social movements. A good example of the latter is the Black Lives Matter movement: #blacklivesmatter.
So hashtags are also used to make his opinion known or to say to others: "Hey, join in."
Hashtags make Instagram democratic.
Everyone can participate, everyone can use them, everyone can ignore them. There are no closed or secret groups. This is ideal for creative people. This allows them to network worldwide. Ideal for hosting community challenges.
What makes a Community Challenge?
In contrast to the challenges that rely on spectacular tests of courage, the goal of such a challenge is to promote the community. A connection is created through the task set and the jointly created solutions. Learning together and exchanging ideas is often a great motivation to participate in this challenge. And of course the curiosity for new participants. Finding new friends and generating followers becomes so easy. See and be seen or in marketing jargon: Increase the reach.
How do I join a Community Challenge?
The biggest question on social media is: "What should I post every day?".
Here the challenge offers a solution. The organizers define a comprehensive topic and a specific period of time. And give out a motto for each day at the beginning. The participants will receive a small editorial schedule for the duration of the challenge.
Based on this plan, everyone who wants to participate posts a suitable post on the corresponding day. In the text, the hashtags of the challenge and the motto of the day are mentioned. And already the post can be found by other participants.
A requirement of courtesy is to mention the organizer with a @ sign.
By the way, you can also follow a challenge by subscribing to the hashtag. This works as a participant as well as an observer.
How do I find a challenge on Instagram?
Search for the right hashtag on Instagram. Either you already know the hashtag of a challenge or you are looking for #ChallengeSeptember22, for example. In the posts that appear as search results, you will definitely find an overview graphic with the topics of the day. Save this post and tell yourself, "Challenge accepted!". Now you can post your own posts according to the motto of the day and topic.
A few more points:
A challenge is completely voluntary. You don’t need a permit, nor do you have to pay anything.
An Instagram challenge is not a competition. If you click on Current in the search result, all posts would be displayed according to their publication time.
You are not obligated to anything in a challenge. If you don’t want to post anything for a day, that’s fine. Just like it’s okay to get in later or catch up days.
The best effect of participating in the challenge is if you also look at the contributions of the other participants. Let yourself be inspired. Like and comment on other posts. Share posts in your story. This not only creates friends, but also increased reach on Instagram.
And finally: It should be fun. Bring a bit of momentum into everyday life. Inspire yourself and your followers.
So if you want to participate in an Instagram challenge, check out my post about our Artisans Buddies Challenge.
I wish you much pleasure,
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