5 Ways to communicate better on Instagram

We’ve all heard of “twitter-wars”…

We’ve all seen meltdowns on Facebook…

Many of you have seen how quickly a comment on an Instagram post can turn ugly.

Sometimes it starts off innocently: a somewhat controversial post gets a comment that is ambiguous enough to be taken multiple ways…

I’m not saying that there aren’t any trolls out there. Or that there aren’t shrinking violets who get triggered by anything and everything; but I would wager that most “Insta-beefs” evolve from instances of ineffective communication.

If you want to stay away from negative hate on Instagram caused by not understanding (or being understood) through the way you are communicating, check out my…

5 Ways to communicate better on Instagram

1. Focus on what was written, not what was shown. Since Instagram is a photo-blog, there are times when the words written in the caption of a post do not accurately describe or even relate to the photo. A photo may be borrowed from another source, so be sure to read captions carefully as the words written there will actually be a better representation of the message that is being communicated.

2. Keep an open mind. There are as many opinions on life as there are people in the world. Each person walks a different journey, and so there is plenty of room to meet people of different opinions. Understanding this, remember that the internet is meant to be an open forum, so keep an open mind when exploring it.

3. Let the other side finish their point, and avoid interrupting. On Instagram, this often occurs in private messages where the person is still “typing”, yet the responding person keeps interjecting with new messages. This is especially frustrating when the new messages seem to change the topic of the conversation ever so slightly. Let others finish before adding in, because it curbs the effectiveness of the communication when ideas are not permitted to fully form.

4. Respond with a question. Responding to a question with another question ensures that the communication will be effective. Clarity can occur by asking: “What do you mean?”

5. Avoid using sarcasm and put-downs. Don’t be a jerk just because you can. Be gracious, as much as possible.

Communicating effectively is definitely hard to do in an online forum. Using these simple tips, you can remind yourself of the best ways to conduct yourself without taking, or leaving any bait for trolls.

Thanks for reading.

Stephanie