Everyone uses Instagram and claims that they know how to use it, and while it does seem easy, developing a killer Instagram strategy takes a lot of work and experience. From the photo to the caption, and other essentials like stories and hashtags, here’s what you should be doing to take your Instagram account to the next level.
Know Your Audience
When it comes to social media marketing (SMM), we talk a lot about knowing your audience, both existing and target. If you’re looking to get impressive results when you post on Instagram, it all starts with audience research.
You’ll need insights into your target audience’s behaviors and interests. After you learn what type of content they like to interact and engage with, you’ll be able to better share a great photo that grabs their attention and a caption that pulls them in.
Keep Tabs on Your Competitors
Your competitors are your competitors for a reason; they are targeting the same audience as you. Take advantage of the work your competitors have already put in and use it to your advantage.
Your competitor’s audience must be following them because they have an interest in the product, service or whatever it may be that they are providing. If their audience learns about your company, they may just start following your Instagram account. They are potential customers.
Look at what type of content is working on their account and leverage that information to come up with something even better for your account. Your Instagram grid (otherwise known as the look of your profile), has to be impressive to win over the audience.
Actively Engage and Post
You’ve gotten this far and have put in the time and effort to create an Instagram account – now follow through with it. Though you should focus on growing your number of followers, creating awesome content, and seeing results, you have to take the time to engage too.
Remember, social media has the word “social” in it for a reason. It’s a place to be social! Yes, great content will get you halfway there, but the other half will have to come from engagement. This includes replying to comments & direct messages (DMs), exploring other pages and hashtags, posting stories and user-generated content (UGC), and going live.
The Instagram accounts that will stand out will be the ones that are building relationships with their followers. Instagram favors accounts that are active with their audience and will show content from these active accounts more often. If you get really good, Instagram can even feature your post in the Explore tab. That’s #goals!
Contact us if you would like to discuss what it takes to create a stellar Instagram account.
- Take Your Instagram Account to the Next Level - June 17, 2019
- Facebook Announces Platform Redesign & Privacy Push - May 13, 2019
- Knowing Your Audience: A Digital Agency’s Tips for Social Media - April 10, 2019
