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Storytelling allows you to connect to your audience on a deeper level — no matter who they are. Social media strategist Akua Konadu shares the top three stories you should be sharing on Instagram in this podcast episode.

Akua Konadu is an Instagram Strategist who works with creative entrepreneurs and small businesses who want to enhance their Instagram presence with strategic storytelling.

Website // Instagram

The episode:

Katrina Widener: Hello, everyone. This is Katrina and today we have a returning guest expert. She has actually spoken at group coaching on three different topics I think a total of five different times -- and she's also been a member of it since it basically got started. So I'm really excited to have you come back and talk with us again. 

Akua Konadu: Thank you so much for having me back Katrina. I absolutely love the community that you've built and I'm just so thankful to be a part of it. 

Katrina Widener: Aw. Thank you so much! I'm so glad that you're a part of it, too. We, I feel like we like met each other... what? Two years ago, ish, maybe longer? And ever since then, I'm just like, alright I talk to her like every day.

Akua Konadu: I do. I harass you a lot. Like people don't know. I'm always blowing up Katrina, y'all.

Katrina Widener: That's totally fine. Last time Akua came on, she talked about Instagram and we did a little bit of information on  how to optimize your Instagram bios. If you haven't listened to that podcast episode yet I highly recommend. But today we're going to be talking about one of the other things that Akua came and spoke to the group on, and that's all about storytelling. So for those who missed the first episode with Akua, Akua is an Instagram strategist and she focuses a lot on the power of storytelling and how that can create an impact on your Instagram account. So Akua, do you want to get started a little bit telling us why storytelling on Instagram is so important and what kind of an impact it can really make?

Akua Konadu: Yeah. No, the reason why storytelling is just so important is because it is no longer enough to just sell to somebody, right? Like you can't just show up and be like, Hey, purchase this product or, Hey , purchase my services.  It's no longer enough to do that. You have to really weave in together the facts and emotions that your brand evokes. That's what storytelling is all about because storytelling really helps maximize visibility and increases profits, but most importantly, make an impact. What I love about storytelling is it does not matter your background, where you're from. You can find connection with people that are totally different from you through storytelling. And if you're able to have a form of empathy and put yourself in the other person's shoes, you can go so far with the person.  And that's what I think, honestly, we as a country really needs right now, a lot of empathy here. And storytelling does that and that's why I love it. That's why I love it. And that's why I also too love it on Instagram. And as I mentioned previously, it's just such a visual platform and you can share, you can do storytelling in so many beautiful, magnificent captivating ways. And that is why I focus so heavily on that in my business.

Katrina Widener: I really love the fact that you focus so heavily on storytelling in your business, because I think that there are a lot of Instagram experts out there who really know the strategy. And I've worked with you and so I know that you know, the strategy I know you know about the different types of posts and what's going to connect and what doesn't and hashtags and all of that kind of like meaty stuff about Instagram that's very business focused, but I think, and we talked about this a little bit in the last podcast episode you were on, but the connections that you can make really are one of the most valuable parts of Instagram. And by storytelling and by sharing your story, whether it is like for me showing up and talking about my experiences as a coach or what led me to be a coach or my experiences working with experts in particular or clients in particular or group coaching conversations that we have -- it allows me to share about my services in a way that also is connecting on a human to human level and it's allowing me to be vulnerable. And it's allowing me to break down this hard business feeling that we can often have when it comes to selling our services or products. And instead just be like, Hey, I'm a human. And I see that you're a human and we can connect on that level and we'll be able to see if I really am the right person for you to work with, or if you're the right client for me to work with where a lot of Instagram strategists really talk about it more in terms of just like how to make the algorithm get you in front of more people or how to use hashtags, et cetera. And while you talk about that in your services, you also incorporate this human to human element, which is so very important. 

Akua Konadu: Yes it is. And that's the thing, right? There's so many steps, to do X, Y, Z to be successful on Instagram. Okay. Yeah. If the algorithm is working in your favor and it's getting your content in front of people, but then if people aren't engaging, well that's an indication then that you have a communication problem. And so how are you showing up? How are you sharing your story? How are you building and making those connections to get people to like it, engage, and hit that follow button. The human aspect of Instagram is so crucial and so important and storytelling is. And I think it's really important to highlight, especially if you're looking to really know how to get started with storytelling is know the type of stories that every business owner should be sharing. Which I'm really excited to talk about that today. 

Katrina Widener: Yes. I was just about to ask you that question. Everybody essentially is like, "Cool. Yeah. I want to share my story on Instagram. I want to connect to people on that human level, but how do I do it? And what stories do I tell?" So, Akua if you want to just share with us a little bit of that magic. 

Akua Konadu: Yeah, of course. Yeah. What are we talking about is types of stories that you should be sharing. And the very first story is your origin story. So this story documents the creation of  your business. This story speaks to your dreams and your ambitions, and you share how your business came about so that people can get a better understanding of you and the idea behind your business. Yeah, like for me, my origin story is I was a former miss Minnesota and through that whole process of being able to share my story, I realized just how powerful storytelling is. And so I was sitting in a coffee shop, Googling all the things about social media and I came across the Instagram strategy of somebody else. And this person took me under their wing and really showed me how we can grow our Instagram and be impactful through our stories. That's my origin story. 

Katrina Widener: That's one of the things that I love learning about people too, is jus  how did you get started doing this? Especially in the creative entrepreneurship space,  I feel like every single person's like I was doing this and I was doing this and then I hated it. So I went out on my own and I'm like, yes, I can see myself in that. And I can connect to that so easily. 

Akua Konadu: Yes. And you just nailed it on the head just now with what you just said. That's the thing about stories. People need to be able to see themselves in it. That's the most important piece because again, it creates this bond, right? Like we've been through the same experiences, so let's connect. And so I think that's something that's super important and for people to always remember as you're creating a story. So when you are creating your origin story, think about some of these questions: How did you get started in your business? I think that's just such an important one. Where does your passion come from? So what inspired you to create the thing that you now sell and what challenges have you overcome and what did you learn from those specific challenges? It's not easy being an entrepreneur. It's not. Right, we all have our obstacles. We all have our struggles that we have to overcome. And it's so wonderful when I see other entrepreneurs share their journey and what they've been through because I'm like, Holy smokes. I'm going through it right now. And I appreciate that. I feel seen. And then I'm like, damn it. Take my money. That's to me, yeah 110% because they're in there solving an internal problem. We all have our external problems of something happens in our lives. And how does that make us feel? Some of us, we may feel worthless. We may feel like we're not enough. Like we're not good enough. And that person was speaking to my soul. This person was like, I can help you solve these internal issues. So yeah, they got my coins, girl. I was like, yeah, let's take it off again. It's just so that just again, solidifies just how important storytelling is and yeah just share people with people, your journey, like how you became about and share where you are now. And you'll definitely attract the right type of people. 

Katrina Widener: Which is really important. All of that I'm 100% on board with, and I'm like yes. But also just you want to be able to attract the right people on Instagram too. I know you and I have talked about this, but I recently went through and just got rid of almost 800 followers because I was like, I don't want people following me if they are not my ideal audience, if they're not someone who is engaging with me, if they're bots or whatever it is, because I really want to be able to get my message as -- I hate saying it this way -- but like as pure as possible to the right people.  And in a way that connects with them because that's ultimately my goal is to help them, is to be of service to creative entrepreneurs. And if I got a whole bunch of mess up in there, it's not going to do what I wanted to do. 

Akua Konadu: Yes so true. And so even leading into that, like the next type of story that I think is important for businesses to be sharing is your customer or client journey story. So just talk about a day in the life of your client. So they're at point A feeling XYZ and they need to get to point B to feel X, Y, Z, and you are the person that's going to come in and provide them with the tools that they need to get from point A to point B. The client journey story is something that is very crucial. So you are describing their life and how you can come in and improve that. That's where you're like, you're showing how you can make an impact. So it is extremely important, the customer or client journey story. And so some questions to help you with that is just describe their journey, their problem, their pain points, what are their external problems and what are their internal problems? So like external, for example, would be like, my car broke down. That really sucks. How does that make me feel? Really crappy right now because I can't do XYZ, whatever I need to do. So internally, I just feel because I can't accomplish some of these goals, I may feel like I'm not good enough. Or, I don't know what I'm doing. Whatever that is really dig deep to identify your audience's pain points. And then how do you plan to solve their problems? What value will you be providing to help? So really take the time to think that, to get them again from point A to point B. And then how will their life be after they've worked with you or after they've purchased your products? So really think about those things as you're crafting that customer, client story.

Katrina Widener: This is something that's also so interesting because for those of you who are in group coaching, and were able to hear Akua talk about storytelling. When she came and spoke on this, she has this like amazing information and I won't give it all away cause it's Akua'sproprietary information, but she has this  really cool portion of her session that talked all about  how the brain actually connects when you're telling these stories and how empathy and telling stories of empathy really connects to the brain and lights it up. And that was one of the things that I know everybody was like, so intrigued and so interested in because  actually, like you were saying, it's scientific it's biological. Like the response that you get when someone is saying this is how you'll feel at the end of this, they are immediately like, yeah, I do want to feel that way. Yes. This is me. This is me. And that's the whole point. 

Akua Konadu: Yes. Yeah. And I think, Oh, I always remind myself  people buy from their internal problems being solved, not their external problems. It's all about how can you make them feel? So that they can purchase from you and it's  so important. So the final tip of the types of stories that we should be sharing is your why story. And so that explains the reason and the purpose behind your business, your vision. So what problems did you notice that you wanted to solve? What were some gaps in the marketplace  for your ideal client or audience. like for me? I realized I wanted to be an Instagram strategist. How many Instagram strategists do you know?  Like it's a saturated market. So for me, as I was doing my research, I was like, there's. Not a lot of people that talk about storytelling and that's what I love to talk about. So that was me identifying a gap. So really identify a gap in your market that's something that your audience could benefit from and then really ask yourself too, how do you plan to make an impact and why should people care? Why should people care about what you have to offer? I think that's so important. A lot of times when we talk about marketing on any platform, honestly, and especially in Instagram, you can't make it about yourself. You have to make it about the people that you're trying to serve. You're going beyond what you sell and showing them how you can make an impact in their life. How you can make a difference. They're purchasing it. Not because Oh, Hey, I really want this cool thing. They're purchasing it because they're hoping that this will change their life. And to me that's such a big deal because I'm like, that is such an honor to be able, like when somebody purchases like for my Instagram strategy service, that is an honor that I get to play a small part in their story to help them get the confidence that they need to proudly and loudly share what they do or what they sell. And I love that. So again, your why story, share that and really think about those questions and how you can really make an impact on what your vision is. 

Katrina Widener: Oh I love that so much because I also think that oftentimes when you hear the, know your why or share your, why people think of like Simon Sinek books and I have to find my purpose. And the thing is that yes, like for me, for my business, I genuinely want to help people. I genuinely want to make them feel supported and seen and loved and heard and feel confident about what they're doing. And that is all 100% genuinely me, but also my business exists because I don't like working underneath a boss. I hate being micromanaged and 40 hour weeks are not something that I ever want to go to ever again, like I did that in my nine to five job and now I'm done. And that is also my why. And that's also my purpose. And the thing like, especially for me, me sharing Hey, I'm done with 40 hour weeks. Like you were just doing it. You're like, yes, I'm with you. I agree with all of these things, we just gave them an example of exactly what sharing your stories could make someone feel because it's like, yeah, I do want to work less hours. I do hate being micromanaged.  This is something that a lot of people feel  similarly about, and that's exactly  the power of it. And  your why can be something more than just like this deep I'm doing it to save the world. It's I'm also doing it  because I want to.

Akua Konadu: And that is more than enough. That's the thing too. I like to remind people is you don't have to, like nothing traumatic has to happen to you. Like your story is valid, it doesn't matter. Whether, if you feel like it's very mundane or not, like they're both equally as valid, we all have our journey.

We all have our struggles and nobody can copy your story because it's your story. Nobody can take your experiences  away from you. So don't shy away from that. Bring it to the table. 

Katrina Widener: I am so glad that you came on here. And I think that's  the perfect thing for us to end on, but thank you Akua for coming on here again. I'm sure just because you're in my world so often and you have so many brilliant insights that we'll have you back on again at some point of time, but will you let everybody know how they can get in contact with you after this?

Akua Konadu: Yes. Yes. So if you would like to connect with me, my Instagram handle is @akuakonadu_ and on my profile, I have my Instagram storytelling quiz that you can take. So if you take the quiz, you will be able to know what type of story teller you are. And I'll also provide you with really helpful tips to help you craft the story that you should be sharing as a business owner. So definitely check it out. Send me a DM once you get your results. And I cannot wait to connect with you.

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