The recent report from Statista shows that you need to target Instagram for the success of your business. This social media platform, a product of Facebook Inc. is on track to reach the 1Billion mark. In September, Instagram surpassed the 800 million user milestone. One of the main reasons attributed to this spike is the presence of at least 25 million business profiles on the site.
Any marketer knows that this is a mine for new customers. So, how do you leverage the power of Instagram and all the 800M+ Instagrammers? How do you make your pictures worth a million words? How do you get the engagement you only dream about?
- Hashtags are Instagram’s Powerhouse
Contrary to common marketing and social media beliefs, Hashtags aren’t limited to Twitter alone. By using hashtags, you make it possible for users to stumble on your page. Using a relative hashtag like #digitalmarketing improves your engagement.
How many hashtags should you use? Instagram is the mother of hashtags letting you use up to 30 hashtags but, you should opt for the minimum. You are good with 5-10 hashtags. Otherwise, you will appear spammy.
How do you get started? The influencers in your industry are a good guide. You should also track the engagement of your hashtags. Lastly, only use relevant hashtags.
- Correct Picture Sizes
You need to stand out on your Instagram feed. Do so by uploading an awesome photo that gets uploaded as envisioned. To keep up with Retina or other high-resolution displays on tablets, smartphones and laptops, Instagram uses 1080px X 1080px and not 612px X 612px as before.
To make the most out of this, you should edit your photos or create captivating collages using tools like VSCO Cam, Snapseed, Overgram, Camera+, or Squready.
Color drives engagement too. Focus on blues, grays, and greens to get maximum engagement.
- Host contests
We can all agree that there is no better way to increase your engagement than hosting a contest, right? People are always motivated by giveaways so, create a contest. You can create a ‘like to win’ contest, posting photos using a hashtag you provide, ‘tag friends to win’ or you can create a contest specific hashtag.
- Add Witty Captions
It is important to add a call-to-action to your Instagram posts; you are selling anyway. But, a smarter way of getting a higher engagement involves using witty captions.
Wondering how to create the witty captions? Whip up a quick but useful tip, pose a question, sprinkle some benefits, and bring on your sense of humor. Also, brevity wins. Don’t forget about the right grammar and proper spelling.
- Instagram stories
They are short-lived but effective. Instagram stories work like Snapchats, but they disappear within 24 hours. Your followers can add text, filters or draw the photos and video. This boosts engagement and prevents your page from getting clogged.
- Post at the right time
When it comes to social media, there is a right and a no-so-cool time to post. The simplest timing is this; you can post every day at 8-9am, 2 pm, and 5 pm. Keep in mind that, to figure out the best way of engaging your Instagram audience is a game of trial and error.
- Add Link to your profile
Do you want your followers to visit your website, read your blog, or signup for your newsletter? Include a link to the site for direction?
Finally, you may want to use banner images, post more videos, pick the best complimentary filter and share the content across different platforms the follow and link similar accounts. Don’t forget about Instagram Ads and always respond to comments.
Janet says
Thank you for the tip on how to find good hashtags by spying on other competitors/influencers, saved me lots of time lol.
Adam says
Yes, it really does, if you find the right people to spy on 🙂
Edward says
What about Instagram pods, do you recommend using them or they just destroy the organic engagement?
Adam says
They can help if used correctly and not every day. Depends on the quality of the accounts on the pod though.
khadeja says
does removing ghost followers help give your instagram profile more views?
Elaina M says
It’s hard to tell as each account is unique but you can test it out and see how it goes.
Markerly says
You have mentioned very valuable points here.
In my opinion, Standard Instagram clients see hashtags as devices for improving the organization experience, though online advertisers see the potential for building networks, expanding brand acknowledgment and broadening business reach.