Insta-fixes to Boost Your Profile
Instagram is BIG news. With over 1 billion active monthly users, 60% of users log in daily making it the second most engaged network after Facebook. Its snazzy filters, easy sharing options and visual focus have resonated with many and it has an energy that older social media brands have lost over the years.
But how do you make the most of Instagram as a brand and take advantage of its momentum and potential to engage? Simple really, just follow Queen Bee’s insta-fixes.
1. Post regular content - A post a day would be an ideal place to start. Try and mix the content you post, use photography but intersperse these posts with ‘live’ photos from where you are and what you’re doing. If people look at your account, it should tell a story about who you are.
2. Photography - Think about how the photo reflects your brand but don’t get too hung up about taking the perfect picture. Don’t over rely on filters, perhaps choose one that you like and use that for photo grid consistency.
3. Hashtags - These are the single most important way of being found. People can follow hashtags, so your content can end up in a users’ feed even if they don’t follow you. You can include up to 30 hashtags on a regular post, and up to 10 hashtags on a Story - but that’s probably overkill!
4. Use Explore –This function will help you find new content, inspiration for your own posts and people you’d like to follow or Like/Comment. You can also search by typing a key word or #.
5. Interact – This is as important as posting content, it is social media afterall. In your own posts try and give your followers a reason to engage. Ask a question, include a call to action, @mention in your post or tag someone in a photo. Like and Comment on other people’s posts (they are then more likely to engage with you).
6. Repost - If you want to repost (share) someone else’s post you can either take a screenshot (and edit), click the 3 dots on the person’s post, copy url and paste it into DownloadGram to download the image or use a third-party app e.g. Repost for Instagram. The main thing is to state it’s a repost in your message (the app does this for you) and tag the person so they get the credit. This is an absolute must for Insta-etiquette!
7. Stories - The Snapchat-like feature that creates photo and video sequences that disappear within 24 hours has proved hugely successful for engagement. Its relaxed nature takes the pressure of the perfect grid and should give a real behind-the-scenes flavour to your content. Have fun with it – go live, post videos, use effects. We’re a sucker for the range of stickers you can add – very addictive!
8. Make Money – You can make money through product placement. The latest is called shoppable posts, and they allow businesses to add tags to the products in their photos with links that include a product description, price and the ability to "shop now," which will lead the user to your online store.
9. Get Creative - A great benefit of the photo-sharing app is the creativity it provides. Go wild coming up with new ways to draw attention and add followers and new customers. Show the public that your brand has personality and that you are worth following and doing business with. Mix up with contests, shout outs, vivid images, interactive videos and more!
10. Insights - Use insights to show you what type of posts are getting the most interaction, demographics, what time people are engaging etc. It will help you build a picture of what works and what doesn’t and enable you to repeat what works best.
If hashtags, stories, insights and explore, sound more like random words in a dictionary than tools to make the most of Instagram, don’t panic. Creating social media profiles that engage, are individual and tell the story of who your business is, is our speciality. Just give us a buzz!