Instagram is a super popular platform with over 800 million users. People can share photos and videos, and their friends can like and comment on them. You can also send photos and videos privately.
Instagram is great because it’s all about photos and videos. To really do wonders, you need to be creative in your posts. Since everything is visual on Instagram, your stuff needs to stand out.
So, how do you make the most of your Instagram?
1. Make Your Posts Interesting!
Don’t turn your brand’s Instagram into a bunch of obvious ads. Your photos should be captivating, so that people actually enjoy looking at them. This means being more creative than just a regular ad.
Sure, you want people to recognize your brand, but you can do that with photos that are truly great.
Look at FedEx—they’re over it. They share photos sent by users, which include FedEx planes or trucks. It’s not just about vehicles; They focus on the good things around them.
People photograph FedEx trucks and planes at various locations. The images feature the company’s brand, but they are also visually appealing and grab users’ attention.
You don’t need to copy FedEx, but aim for the same creativity. His method makes it easy to blend brands into photos without even noticing it.
Look at larger companies like yours with similar audiences. Check out their Instagram and see what they post. This is a great way to find out what your audience likes.
2. Mix It Up!
Don’t stick to the same old thing. To keep your followers interested, avoid posting the same type of content all the time. If it’s always the same, they’ll just keep scrolling through your posts.
Try posting both photos and videos. This way, your content stays fresh and doesn’t get boring. While you have a unique style, make sure your pictures and videos have different content.
See how many companies use people and animals in their posts. It grabs attention! Add some variety to your account by using different types of content. Enter posts about holidays or sales—they really grab people’s attention.
Remember, mixing it up keeps people engaged and more likely to stay as followers.
3. Encourage Followers to Join in!
When you post photos, it’s not just about sharing them. Take some time to think about how to engage your followers. An important part of this is an interesting caption.
Don’t rush your caption; Think about what you want your followers to get from the photo and whether there is a specific action you want them to take. If people like a photo or video, they often read its caption, so use this opportunity to keep their attention.
In some posts, add a call to action like “Tag three friends who would love this!” Or “Tag someone you would take on this trip!” These captions inspire people to take action and engage with your photos.
Encouraging tags increases your reach, potentially getting you more followers. You can also suggest followers to use branded hashtags in your posts. For example, Target shared a photo of a giveaway and asked others to use #ShoppecueGiveaway for be a winner for a earrings pairs.
Using hashtags is a great way to get people interacting with your posts, and popular hashtags can help others find your account.
4. Create your own hashtags!
Hashtags are a big deal on Instagram, helping users find things they like. Unlike Twitter’s character limit, Instagram posts can contain up to 11 hashtags!
Sure, it’s good to use popular hashtags, but you can also promote your brand by creating your own hashtags. Make it related to your brand or a particular campaign. Put them in your captions and ask your followers to do the same.
Keep your hashtags short but specific. Long ones are harder to remember, and normal ones won’t stand out—many people may use them for unrelated things.
Create a new hashtag when you start a campaign or run a contest. This helps organize your posts and shows which campaigns got the most likes.
Be consistent with your hashtags. Make sure each one fits into multiple posts. Creating a new one every week won’t help your brand and users won’t catch on.
When you ask users to use your hashtag, check it! Like and comment on their posts. Maybe repost something with permission. When other people see their photos on your page, they’ll want to use your hashtag to get more followers.
So, create your own hashtag and watch the magic happen!
5. Get Ahead of Trends with Popular Hashtags!
In addition to your special hashtags, try using trending hashtags. Many people use them every week, making them extremely popular.
Check out #motionmonday, #transformationtuesday, and #tbt (Throwback Thursday). People use them in all kinds of ways.
Get involved by sharing your photos with these hashtags. When people search for these tags, they may find your post and decide to follow you.
But remember, only use tags that fit your brand. Using random tags can irritate people and cause you to lose followers. So, keep it relevant and stay on trend!
6. Spread the word on your social accounts!
If someone follows you on one social media platform, chances are they will follow you on others as well. You can sometimes do this by promoting your other channels on your social accounts.
Let’s say you have followers on Facebook who haven’t found you on Instagram yet. Simply cross-post a recent Instagram photo to your Facebook page. It shows your Facebook crew what cool stuff they’re missing on Instagram.
This is very useful if you are new to Instagram. If you already have a good following elsewhere, sharing Instagram posts is an easy way to gain your first group of followers.
7. Keep it under control!
A big no-no for businesses is posting too much. You don’t want to overwhelm your followers by bombarding them with too many posts.
Posting too often can cause people to unfollow you, so find the right balance. Test different times and how often you post to see what gets the most likes and comments. Share new photos when users are most likely to see and interact with them.
Find out which types of posts get reactions and which don’t. This advance testing makes it easier to create strategies that work for Instagram.
Once you know the best posting time and frequency for your brand, stick to a schedule. Some businesses post a lot every day, while others aim to post 3-4 times a week.
Finding the right frequency is like trial and error. If posting four times a day reduces your followers, try posting less frequently. Even if you don’t lose followers, low engagement may mean you should scale back.
8. Tell them what to do!
Many businesses forget to include a call to action or CTA in their posts. This is a mistake you definitely want to avoid because CTAs tell your followers what to do next, prompting them to take action.
There are many ways to inspire your followers to take action. You can ask them to click a link in your bio, leave a comment, or share their own photo using your hashtag.
Whether you want them to buy something, use your hashtag, or simply learn more about your brand, you need to give them a direction. Otherwise, they may just like your photo and keep scrolling without actually engaging.
9. Connect with your followers!
- Respond to comments: When users comment, thank them and answer questions.
- Build relationships: Address individual user comments to foster connections that can lead to conversions.
- Handle concerns publicly: If someone vents in a comment, address their issues and guide them to the right place for help.
- Show appreciation: As your account grows, focus on responding to comments that stand out.
- Join contests and hashtags: Interact with participants, not just to repost, but to strengthen relationships with your customers.
10. Keep track of your performance!
Check how your account is doing regularly to find out what’s working and what’s not. Instagram has some basic metrics to help you analyze your results.
Use Instagram insights to see how many people see your posts, how much engagement you get, and which posts get the most reactions. Adjust your strategy based on this information. It also lets you try out new posts and see how your audience responds.
Compare photos and videos to find out what your audience likes more. The more you understand what they respond to, the better you will be at using Instagram for marketing.
11. Advertise on Instagram!
While you can reach new customers on Instagram for free, there are also advertising options for businesses on the platform. These services can help you reach new users and improve your results.
Instagram ads let you appear in the news feeds of your target audience using specific ad targeting. You can use a variety of formats, including photo and video posts, as well as carousel ads with multiple images.
These ads blend seamlessly into the user’s newsfeed, labeled as “sponsored.” They are an excellent way to get more exposure for your brand.
Don’t forget to use a CTA (call to action) in the blue band on the photo. This makes it easy for users to know what action to take to learn more.
Advertising on Instagram is perfect if you want to increase brand exposure, gain more followers, or inspire users to take action.
In Conclusion
In 2024, Instagram is the best social media platform for D2C businesses because everyone is using Instagram these days. These 11 tips will make you stand out from other businesses if you follow them wisely. If you are unsure about the plan, you can reach out to us. We are a marketing agency that helps businesses grow their presence on social media.
