How to Network on Instagram (It's More Than Just Sliding Into DMs!)

How to Network on Instagram (It's More Than Just the DMs!)

9 Feb 2024

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LinkedIn isn't the only way to make professional connections.

Have you ever written a "professional" DM? It's basically a message you send to someone in hopes that they'll be willing to connect and help you with some aspect of your career. That could be landing a job, collaborating on a project, or even just giving you sound advice.

Most people use LinkedIn to make these kinds of connections, but here's a tip: try using Instagram instead. The platform is less crowded, which means your message may actually be read. At the same time, writing the message itself will still be a challenge.

Do you sound too eager? Do you sound like a spam message? Are you being annoying? When should you follow up if you don't hear back?

Multimedia Producer Elainy Mata spoke with Jesty Beatz — a musician and postproduction specialist who has built his career through DMs — to learn best practices for networking on Instagram. Watch his step-by-step guide on how to network on Instagram and improve your chances of getting read and replied too too.

00:00 Wait, this works!

00:10 The professional DM

01:01 Meet Jesty Beatz

01:51 Use LinkedIn for research