Build relationships in DMs or in the comments?

Build relationships in DMs or in the comments?

Q: "I want to actually connect with people, not just post. Should I focus on DMs or replying to comments?"

Short answer: comments to be seen, DMs to be remembered.

Thoughtful comments on other people's posts are public, so new people discover you through them. Spend 15 minutes a day leaving real, specific replies on accounts your future audience already follows. That's quiet, compounding visibility.

DMs are private and slower, but they go deeper. A genuine message after someone engages with you repeatedly turns a stranger into a contact who remembers your name.

The order matters: comments first to create the opening, DMs second to deepen it. Cold DMs to strangers rarely work and often annoy.

Try this today: leave five specific comments, and send one warm DM to someone who already engaged with you.