Promoting your business on Instagram takes time and patience. Staying up to date with the fast-paced ever evolving platform can be difficult. Whether you’re using Stories, posts, reels, or IGTV you need make sure your target audience is engaging and that your business is building brand loyalty. Here are Instagram tips and tricks to help you take control of your content.
- Hashtags
Here are some hashtag rules to keep in mind:
- Use around 10 hashtags (but don’t use too many)
- Make they are relevant for your content
- Research your hashtags
- Avoid using social causes unless the profits directly contributes
- Create a brand hashtag for your business
2. Optimize Your Bio
Make sure your contact details are up to date. Add a link to your bio where people can find out more about your product, service, or business. Add your branded hashtag and any associate accounts to your bio. Many fake accounts don’t have a bio. Avoid being confused for a bot by keeping essential info up to date.
3. Be Active with Stories
Link your business’s website directly to your Stories posts to enable followers to buy or contact you with a couple of clicks. Ask questions and use polls in your Stories to create a conversation with your audience. Use subtitles on your video posts to create more accessible and engaging content.
4. Create Instagram Templates for Design Consistency
Customize a template to match your branding with colors and fonts. Find or have a designer create a template pack with a consistent theme so your account is intentionally cohesive. Use templates for discounts, promos, and sales content for call-to-action posts. Create “Thank You” messages for your followers and customers.
5. Quality Control Your Posts
Check spelling and grammar in your titles and text elements. Use the highest quality stock images and video clips in your post or hire professionals to help take photos and videos of your business. Switch between video and image-based posts to keep it interesting.
6. Create Call-to-Action Posts
Whether you want someone to follow a link, buy something, follow you or sign up, you need to tell them to do so. Ask questions in your CTA to give your potential customers a reason to reply.
Make sure your contact details are available in the CTA text. Create landing pages and promos to link your posts with relevant information.
7. Tag Others in Your Posts
Tag influencers or complementary brands (b2b) that share you target audience in your post. However, be accurate with your tagging, as many handles look similar. Don’t over-tag your posts and always make sure the people or brands you are tagging have a legitimate interest in your post. Create content that offers partnership with other users and tag them in your posts. Follow accounts that inspire you or compliment your offering and tag them appropriately.
8. Always Respond to Comments & Send DMs
Follow-up is essential in the business world, and you should set aside time to respond to your comments, even if it is just a simple “thank you”. Take time to DM your followers when there is a need for longer communication. Use social listening to keep tabs on your content across multiple platforms.
9. Use Scheduling Tools
Save time by creating your posts in batches and scheduling them to publish later. If an old post, photo, or video hasn’t got many views, consider publishing again at a future date. Divide your long-form content into short videos and posts to create a buzz around your company blog or content rich web pages. Mix your content between shared interests, selling, and about us posts. Be flexible when publishing your content for updates within your industry.
10. Develop Your Instagram Live
Create teasers and sneak peeks of your new products or services. Share behind the scenes moments from your office or workplace. Join in social media challenges that are appropriate to your business.
Need help with your Instagram account? Call 248.528.360.