Instagram is a great platform for showcasing your product, reaching your audience and communicating your brand in a fun and creative way. Instagram is forever changing so it is important to keep on top of trends to make sure you are getting the most of what is available for a successful Instagram account.
Here are some of our top tips on how to keep your Instagram account current, up to date and reach its full potential.
BUSINESS PAGE
First things first, it is very important you set up a business account for your Instagram page. By having a business account, you will be able to view your page reach and engagement along with being able to create ads, which you would not be able to do with a regular Instagram account.
HASHTAGS
When you post content, it is essential to make sure you use relevant hashtags to increase the reach of your post. Decide what hashtags you want to incorporate as a brand and use them consistently. It is a good idea to tag the location in which the image was taken to increase your reach. See what hashtags are top trending/have the most posts and opt for these ones.
Want more information about hashtags? Read our blog ‘Get The Best Out of Hashtags’
CONSISTENCY
Set aside time to post each week and be consistent. There is nothing worse than an account that hasn’t posted in weeks or months. Create a content calendar so you have ideas of what posts to do each week which will save you time in the long run. Our recent blog ‘Struggling to Create Social Media Content?’ will get you started!
POST AT PEAK TIMES
Keep track of times you posted in the past and which worked best in terms of the amount of engagement. Studies show the best times to post are Mondays at 11am, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10am to 1pm, and Thursdays and Fridays 10am and 11am.
STORIES
When you post on your Instagram feed, also post this content to your story. This will help increase the number of people who see your post. Instagram stories are a great way to be more interactive and show off your brand’s personality. With stories, you can upload images, videos and even create polls or a question box to get feedback and engage with your followers. Instagram stories are only live for 24 hours, so it is a great way to show exclusive content to your followers, maybe tease a new product or showcase a company event.
HIGHLIGHTS
As mentioned in our previous point, Instagram stories only stay live for 24 hours, that is unless you decide to create a highlight – allowing your previous stories to be viewed again in the future. Highlights are like little folders that appear at the top of your Instagram page, forever, unless you decide to delete them. Highlights are a good way to group together certain aspects of your business for example events, reviews, FAQ’s, product highlights and much more.
REELS
As mentioned it is good to stay on top of trends, and reels are definitely one of them. Reels are short, fun videos which can be 15 seconds, 30 seconds or a minute long. Reels incorporate videos and or pictures with backing audio to present your content in a more creative way. Reels are a great way to reach and attract new followers.
INSTAGRAM LIVE
Doing an Instagram live is a great way to personalise your brand and engage with your followers. When you go live, your followers will get a notification so they can join you live from wherever they are. Instagram lives work great at events, going behind the scenes, showcasing your product, announcing a competition winner, doing a Q&A, influencer takeovers and so much more.
WATCH COMPETITORS
Check out your competition’s Instagram feed and see if they are doing anything that you should also incorporate into your social media plan.
INCREASE FOLLOWERS
When you visit your competitor’s page you should also look at who is following them and follow, like/comment on one of their posts so they are aware of your brand and may end up following you as they are interested in your type of product already as they follow your competitor.
STAY ON BRAND
Your social media channels are an extension of your company – you want to portray your company values throughout all social media channels. Ensure your social made posts reflect who you are and appeal to your followers. Our blog ‘Your Company’s Tone of Voice’ delves further into this.
