If you’ve never used Instagram to promote your business, then you truly are missing out on being able to use one of the internet’s most valuable tools.
Instagram is exceptional for engaging directly with your consumers and thus, building brand awareness and even driving sales.
With its streamlined user interface in comparison to Facebook, and its expanding array of capabilities with regards to photo posts, videos (Insta reels), and profile story features, Instagram does provide untapped potential as a marketing channel for businesses or sole traders who are willing to invest in their Insta profile.
But what is the best way to harness the power of Instagram for yourself, and propel your profile from a face in the crowd to influencer or trendsetter status?
We’ll be answering just that question today by sharing our top tips and tricks for stepping up your Insta feed and your account engagement. Continue reading for ideas concerning using your feed to bring in new customers year-round.
Produce Insta Content For Calendar Events
One of the best ways of generating engagement on social media is to produce content that participates in a celebration or contributes to a topical discussion.
That way, you can ensure that engaging with your content feels more rooted in the real world for your audience, rather than like they’re engaging with purely branded content.
So where do you start with producing Insta content for calendar events? Well, here in India, we’re lucky to have no shortage of national and regional holidays that you can produce personalised content for.
For instance, you could produce an Insta highlights saver for Diwali that can then be used to create photo posts or even introduce a Diwali-inspired reel.
And if your followers love the highlights saver and other Diwali-themed materials you’ve used, then why not make them shareable?
That way, you can promote your brand alongside the many festivities celebrating the Hindu heritage and create a two-way stream of geo-tagged posts or story mentions.
You also don’t necessarily need industry-grade photo editing or video editing software to develop stunning event content either.
In fact, sometimes it’s actually easier to keep your editing set-up as streamlined as possible, just so you don’t have to upload or download files from your computer to your phone and vice versa in order to post on social media.
If you use Adobe Express, for instance, you can expertly edit photos and videos directly on your phone. Talk about streamlined, affordable, and universally accessible!
Insta Storytelling
Unlike Facebook, Instagram has more visual-heavy elements, with Insta captions providing less space for large bodies of text, and no clickthrough features for web links – so you can’t hyperlink in your Instagram captions, basically.
This is actually for a good reason too: so you can focus on storytelling within the app rather than using Instagram as the setting for your clickbait.
The essence of Instagram is using photography to convey narratives that resonate with your followers. But first, you must get them to stop scrolling.
It would help if you had a solid hook to capture attention. A photo with a striking visual, an emotional moment between friends, or a dramatic composition of elements within the image.
Telling the story doesn’t always require words either – good photos typically speak for themselves. Strive for authenticity over curated or staged content.
It’s the key to connecting with your audience on a deeper level. Share real moments, genuine experiences, and meaningful stories that resonate with your audience’s values and aspirations.
Insta offers several formats to present your posts in. You can choose from stories, reels, IGTV or even live streams.
Experiment with these storytelling techniques to see what best resonates with your audience.
And while you’re experimenting, be sure to try these Instagram story hacks to help steer you on the path to social media success.
Hashtag Tips
Using a keyword or phrase preceded by the hash symbol “#” allows users to search or cross-reference content by topic or theme.
Use them strategically to increase post engagement and grow your list of followers.
Begin by researching relevant hashtags that align with your content, brand, and industry. Then, look for those tags that are popular within your niche but not overly saturated.
Optimise this list using those with high search volumes and niches catering to specific interests.
Branded hashtags are a strategic method of tracking user-generated content related to your brand, encouraging user participation, and fostering organic interest in your products.
Location hashtags allow you to promote events or products to users in specific cities or sub-locations to further niche down your brand’s reach.
Use suitable etiquette when selecting which hashtags to boost. Be sure the content is directly related to your chosen tags, and don’t post unrelated content solely to increase visibility.
Collaboration Boosts Credibility
Established users within your industry can often help you tap into new markets and drive engagement. Identify relevant influencers on the platform who align with your brand and target market.
Look for those who consistently post high-quality content to a loyal and equally engaged following.
If you have access to their engagement or performance metrics, then be sure to look over them too. And if you don’t have access, you can always just reach out and ask.
Most influencers are open to partnerships with people who have a flair for marketing and can understand the value that they and their profile may be able to provide.
Once you have laid the foundation for a fruitful partnership, all that’s left to do is create an outreach campaign that details compelling incentives and value propositions for working with your brand.
This might include free product sample packages, affiliate code promotions, special discounts, or other promotions.
These incentives should all work towards building long-term relationships based on authenticity and shared values.
When executed thoughtfully, influencer collaborations on Instagram can be an inexpensive yet valuable tool in your digital marketing repertoire.
And if you’re still not convinced of the power of influencer marketing, then just look over these influencer marketing statistics and color yourself impressed.
Maximize Your Impact
Mastering Instagram requires a combination of authenticity and strategy. Spend significant time customising the app’s settings to match your branding.
Use strategic hashtags to promote the high-quality photography content your team shares with followers.
Before long, you’ll have a broad base of potential customers who want to learn more about your brand and products.
Written by Allison Langstone
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