There are dozens of rules about becoming successful on Instagram. “Post pictures, go live, upload stories, interact with others.” Sometimes those rules are difficult to follow for shy people (AKA you). Even though things are easier when done online because you’re behind the safety of your computer, they’re still difficult.

We want your brand and/or business to be successful on Instagram, but we know that’s not going to happen unless you have the confidence to put yourself out there and promote your business. We understand that it’s not just about selfies, but also the ability to promote your business.

Shy Instagram users: how to build your confidence to finally promote your brand or business

Confidence comes with practice. When you finally, for example, upload a selfie, and you realize it wasn’t that bad, the next is a little easier to upload. After ten times, you’ll find that you can’t figure out why you were afraid of uploading a picture of yourself in the first place. The best advice I will offer you in this entire article is this:

Just do the thing. Don’t overthink it, and don’t give into the fear.

It may seem impossible to be able to make a choice like that, but it’s not.

1. Think about the people who need you

No matter what industry you’re in, there is someone out there who is looking for what only you have. No matter what advice I offer you, whether you’ve tried something others have told you—visualization, affirmations, etc.—the best you can do is to just do it.

The best motivation you can have is knowing that people are out there waiting for someone like you. Next time you paused before going live on Instagram because you don’t think anyone will watch, go live anyway because one day you’ll have a thousand people watching, looking for the advice only you can offer.

Going live when someone isn’t watching may seem useless, but think of it as practice for when someone actually tunes in, for when you have a hundred people, and eventually those thousands of people, watching.

2. Think about the fact that you deserve this

You’ve been working night and day for months, maybe even years for this thing. A lot of people can, for example, work on their beautiful blog, have amazing content, and be ready to promote, but they’ll get stuck on that last part because they’re too shy to promote it.

You may feel that way, too. You may feel afraid of what others will say—that you’ll be annoying—but those are just your fears and nerves talking. In fact, your friends and family will most likely be excited when you finally share your first article. A random follower of yours could become a fan right away.

You deserve to have your work and products and content see. You’ve worked for it, and you deserve to be heard. Remember that.

3. Don’t worry about the numbers

We have a fear of being rejected or of failing in the beginning of anything that we try. The reason we’re deterred from going live is because we think no one will watch. We’re afraid of uploading an Instagram story a certain way for the fear of being judged and rejected. The fears are always going to be there.

You have a choice. You can either give up before you’ve started, give in... or you can overcome, win. Don’t focus on the amount of likes you get, the number of viewers you receive, or how many comments are under your last post. If you focus on those things, your confidence will remain low.

You’re new to Instagram. You haven’t been found yet, so you’re not going to have a lot of followers that engage with your content. You have to be patient, and give it time. When you upload something to Instagram, don’t worry about how many likes or comments it might get; focus solely on providing the best value that you can to the followers you do have.

4. Others felt this way in the beginning

I know it may not seem like Grant Cardone, Brandon Burchard, or even some of the biggest names in fashion were ever insecure or afraid when they were starting out, but they were in the exact same position that you’re in now. They too had to overcome being shy.

It helps to know that even some of the most successful people in the world started out where you are now because it can provide you with hope. Maybe Instagram didn’t exist when these people were getting started with their careers, but they too were new to Instagram at some point.

You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into when you walk into the unknown. Be like your idols and inspirations. Follow their footsteps. Don’t let something as small as being shy be the thing that stops you from succeeding.

5. Put yourself in the position of having already succeeded

What if you pretended that you were already successful? That your Instagram lives were top lives with thousands of viewers, that your posts got ten thousand likes, and that you got messages from people, telling you that you’d changed their lives?

If you could visualize yourself as the success that you imagine yourself being, how much easier would it be to go live or upload a picture promoting your new course? Put yourself in a state where you’ve already “made it” and upload without a worry in the world that what you’re content will be successful.

Speak honestly, believe what you say, and give value. That’s all people want from you anyway. They don’t care that you curse or that your vocabulary isn’t big.

Finally

You already have all of the confidence you need within you. I know it may feel like it’s not there, but you just have to tap into it. Follow all of the steps above, and you’ll find that your confidence exposes itself to you more and more every day.