Many businesses are changing their social media focus to Instagram because it’s easier to gain organic reach and make authentic connections with potential customers than many other social platforms. Most business owners know to use 15-20 relevant hashtags to gain more engagement but here are 3 less known ways to increase your engagement on Instagram:
- ENGAGE. Engage for 15 minutes immediately after you post. Try to engage with profiles that are currently online. An easy way to see who is currently on Instagram is to tap the heart button and then “following” in the top left corner. This will give you a list of profiles you follow that are currently engaging. Also, engage on the hashtags you just used. People who are using similar hashtags are more likely to be interested in your topic and are more likely to engage back. Lastly, don’t forget to reply to all comments with an authentic answer not just thank you!
- POST ABOUT TOPICS THAT INSTEREST YOUR AUDIENCE. Your content should be 80% about topics that interest your audience vs. 20% about your business and promotions. There’s only so much you can say about your products and/or services. Posting about them day in and day out will become stale and your audience will tune out. Things that work for that 80%: trending topics specific to your audience type (ex. If it’s back to school time and your main audience is moms), topics complementary to your business (ex. If you’re a hair stylist your audience may enjoy beauty tips), and general fun engagement posts (ex. Tell us about your weekend in emojis only).
- USE YOUR AUDIENCE INSIGHTS. Did you know your business profile insights tell you when your audience is most likely to be on Instagram? Schedule your posts when your audience is more likely to see them right away. You can also see how all your content has done. Use the insights to find your most popular posts and create more content like that.
Instagram continues to be a great place for brands and its value for businesses grows every day. Make sure all your great content is seen by using these engagement tips. Have a great engagement tip of your own? Comment and let us know!
Have any questions? Feel free to reach out to me: LoriCaralis@gmail.com