“Hey, do I know you from Instagram?”
“Hey, do I know you from Instagram?”
It’s happened to all of us. One moment we’re in line waiting for our latte to be steamed and poured—and the next? We see someone familiar. We don’t know them, but, we actually do know them. From Instagram. This is where some of us (me) goes into panic mode.
“They’ve commented on my posts, do they recognize me, too?”
“Is it a total jerk move not to say hello?”
“Is it a total creep move to say, hey yea, love your gram!”
Or, do I dare say, “I think I know you from Instagram.”
This scenario is still finding its legs. Our parents never had to worry about bumping into kind-of-acquaintances in real life, because they probably met them in real life. Even your older siblings probably can’t relate as much.
So, what’s the etiquette? Are there hard rules about what to do and what not to do when you spot an Insta-pal IRL?
Let’s figure it out together:
1. First off, we’re still in the middle of a pandemic, so before you run up to your Insta- pal, be mindful of their space, of course.
2. As long as the person doesn’t seem to be in the middle of something important, it’s never a bad thing to give a friendly hello.
3. Now, for the big elephant in the room—go ahead and say, “I know you from Instagram”. Chances are, the person you’re speaking to has done the same thing to people they follow.
4. If you have something nice to say about their work, don’t hold back! This person probably spends a lot of time creating their content, so kudos are always kind and appreciated. Just don’t talk their ear off.
5. If you chicken out and don’t say anything but need to know, send a DM along the lines of: “Hi X! I was at X today and thought I saw you, but wanted to be mindful of your personal space. Just want to say I love your content and thanks for inspiring me.” Easy, concise, and only a little awkward. But at least you’ll know for sure.
I’ve personally had people tell me they know me from Instagram. It doesn’t bother me a bit. Sure, I’m not exactly getting bombarded by hundreds of DM’s a day, but it doesn’t come off as intrusive or creepy.
After all, I’ve made many connections through Instagram, and I think this is a topic we’ll all get comfier with as the years go on.
Written by Brittany Barker
Brittany is a senior copywriter, with a passion for helping all kinds of brands find their voice. When she’s not writing, she’s probably styling outfits, playing with her film cameras or talking to her cats. See what she’s up to @glowiboibrit