With over 200 million monthly active users, there is no denying that Instagram is a massive social media platform with a great deal of influence for individuals that wish to grow a business. There was a time in which Instagram was merely a fun hobby for teenagers to share poorly edited photos. Now, Instagram is a major tool in the marketing strategy of many brands. With engagement rates 15 times higher than Facebook and 20 times higher than Twitter, it is no wonder that so many companies invest a great deal of their social media strategy into Instagram. But what good is having an Instagram for your business if you have few followers and likes?
As with all social media platforms, it is critical to establish a strong following so as to ensure likes and drive more attention to your business. With these simple steps, you will increase your following for your Instagram account and further benefit your business!
Use Effective Hashtags
While your photos and content should be created with the intention of engaging the audience that you already have. It is the hashtags that will help expand your Instagram presence to a wider following. The idea behind incorporating hashtags into your posts is that you are making it easier for users to find your photos. The trick is to realize that there are hashtags used more often than others. Meaning that you must discover the most popular to use, so as to boost your following. However, it is important to not simply use the most popular hashtags in general. Rather use the hashtags that are relevant to your content. Tools such as Website are great ways to determine which hashtags are being searched most that are relevant to your content.
Post at the Right Time
You know the saying “timing is everything”? Well, this also applies to the time of day in which you post your content. Believe it or not, there are actually specific times of the day which are better to post content than others. This can be difficult to calculate by oneself, which is why tool’s such as Iconosquare are available to determine the best time to post in order to optimize likes and new followers. By partnering Iconosquare with a scheduling app that will automatically post your content at the time specified, you will surely optimize your account for more followers and likes.
Use Geotags for Location
Since locations on Instagram have their own designated feed, using geotags for your location in your Stories and posts is a great way to get discovered locally. Take advantage of your Story as a tool to promote the location and venue that you are in. You can also become more aware of what is going on in your local area by searching your location under the Places tab, which will then reveal the geotagged posts from that given area. This will increase your chances of gaining more followers from users who may be searching for trends in your location.
Maintain Consistency
This piece of advice is a common trend among all social media platforms for increasing a strong following. Consistency is significant, not only in how often you are producing content but in the overall aesthetics of your account. Users are more likely to follow an account that has eye-popping content that contains an overall theme of some sort. In regards to how often you produce content, maintaining consistency builds a sense of trust in your followers. Do not, for example, expect to post three times a week followed by no posts for two weeks and to still have a strong, consistent following.
Host a Giveaway
People love free stuff. It is for this simple reason that hosting a giveaway will be sure to draw attention to your account and increase likes and followers. Giveaways are quite effective in that you are offering something to your followers while gaining so much in return. For example, in the requirements for followers to enter the giveaway, you can ask that they comment the names of two other accounts in order to enter. This will do wonders in attracting attention to your account, which will result in more likes on your content, as well as an increase in followers.
Calls to Action
Finally, do not forget the power of calls to action! As Instagram centres around the idea of engagement, do not hesitate to directly ask your followers for something. For example, if your content revolves around the subject of food, you can incorporate a call to action in your caption, such as “Tag a friend below who you know would love this new recipe!” This is a fun way to engage your current followers, while still attracting attention from potential followers.
Do not miss out on the benefits that Instagram boasts in attracting attention to your business. Utilize these strategies and watch as the number of followers and likes on your Instagram content skyrockets! This will certainly ensure more attention and profit for your business.
