Social media has reshaped the way brands interact with their audiences. But Instagram has gone a step further. With higher engagement levels than any other platform, and with more people using it than any other platform, Instagram represents an opportunity to reach new people and dramatically expand brand presence and affinity.
To help you make the most of this powerful tool, consider the following tips for improving Instagram engagement.
Know How Often to Post
To attract followers and engagement, you need to maintain an active presence on Instagram. There’s no magic number for how many times you should post in a day or week, but most people seem to agree that 1-2 times per day is important for staying relevant, especially in the eyes of Instagram’s algorithmic timeline.
When you post is important too, but this will depend on your audience. The best thing is to start trying out some different timing strategies to see which one produces the best engagement results.
Tell a Story
Stories have always been our most compelling form of communications. And Instagram is a “visual inspiration platform.” Too many marketers forget this and preach marketing messages, ignoring the need to captivate their audience. Work to make your content more engaging by including micro-stories, or by using user-generated content.
Make Branding Matter
It’s important to have a focused strategy based on the principles of clarity, creativity and consistency. Decide on the core areas of your brand you want to communicate, and then dedicate yourself to making them clear to your audience. Inconsistency is going to erode your messaging and make it less effective.
Use All Video Formats
Video is one of the most powerful forms of online content out there. And the folks at Instagram know this, which is why they offer you many different options for producing video content. Make sure to use all of them to get the most out of your Instagram marketing efforts.
Use Video Subtitles and Closed Captions
Even though video is so powerful, more and more users are opting to turn off the sound when they watch them, making subtitles an important part of your Instagram content. Spend time getting this right, so that you can reach the right people and increase engagement.
Take Advantage of Video Ads
Instagram users who report being influenced by content they see take an action more often than not, meaning they visit a site, make a purchase, sign up for a newsletter, etc. Instagram video ads give you many different formats for presenting content to people, and they are a great way to boost engagement.
Give GIFs A Try
Attention span on the internet is short, and GIFs are a great way to make this work in your favour. Short, 15-seconds-or-less videos, or animated clips, can be a great way to reach people and encourage them to engage with your content and brand.
Overall, there are many different things you can do to increase Instagram engagement, but give these six a try and see how they help you produce better results from this powerful social media platform.