Five Tips to Grow Your Instagram Engagement

Social media, especially platforms such as Instagram, has become a part of daily life for many consumers. In fact, Statista reports that “13 percent of everyone on the planet uses Instagram.” With this many people scrolling through Instagram every day, it becomes the perfect method to market a business, brand, or service. 

Another advantage that Instagram provides an amazing reach for businesses. Millions of people use Instagram every single day, much higher than the number of people who consume other forms of traditional media. This advantage has been demonstrated even more so by the pandemic. With people unable to leave their homes, they have turned to social media even more than normal, demonstrating how useful it can be.

To help companies unlock the full marketing potential of Instagram, Allen Marketing Communications, a boutique travel and lifestyle public relations agency, gives these five tips to extend a company or brand’s reach on Instagram.

Create a Distinct, Consistent Profile and Feed

Curating a distinct brand has been essential to marketing for years, it’s nothing new. This same idea applies to your Instagram profile and posts. They should follow a consistent theme and be recognizable as your brand. Details should remain similar throughout your posts, whether it is something as big as the layout or as small as the font used. This way, followers will instantly recognize whose content they’re seeing. 

This similarity should carry itself through all of posts on Instagram; if you post a story, make sure that it is just as distinguishable as a regular post. In fact, it’s best to post stories and IGTVs in your company’s style. This way, more people will see the posts and associate them with your brand. 

Use Hashtags Correctly

Hashtags are a feature of social media that allow users to categorize content. They help consumers discover more photos, videos, and accounts that fall under their interests, making them a useful tool for growing engagement. That is, if you know how to use them correctly. 

Firstly, it’s important to know just how many hashtags to use. Research from TrackMaven “illustrates that posts with eleven or more hashtags tend to see more engagement, meaning that you’ll have more luck with more hashtags.” 

Next, one of those hashtags should be branded to develop a unique identity for your company or service. That way, all of the posts and content under the hashtag will generate more activity on your profile. You can upload media using the hashtag, as can your followers. 

Instagram Advertising

Hashtags are not the only way to increase profile activity. Instagram advertising has become a very useful tool to reach more users, especially as the platform has been working with various brands for feedback and improvement. 

Additionally, since Instagram is owned by Facebook, it also utilizes deep integration and allows businesses to advertise to people based on their interests and demographics. Companies can use this feature to reach users who are most likely to be interested in your company. A world of potential customers is at your hands, and Instagram advertising is one of many ways to unlock it. 

Engage With Your Followers

An easy, free way to increase engagement and profile activity is to engage directly with your followers. Instagram is not just creating content, it’s also consuming it! Comment on other accounts’ pictures, reply to story posts, and interact with other people on the platform. Not only does it show your existing followers that you’re accessible and friendly, but it shows potential followers the same. 

In a similar sense, encourage your followers to engage with your posts! Leave a prompt in the caption for them to respond to or try a giveaway or promotional event. These will inspire consumers to pay attention and interact. In turn, Instagram’s algorithm will show your profile more often; active accounts are favored. For the same reason, make sure you post consistently. 

Include a Link or Landing Tree in Your Profile

Now that we have gone over a number of strategies to increase engagement with your Instagram profile, it’s time to see how this growth can lead to more activity on your website. It’s simple: put a link or Linktree in your bio. When consumers are driven to your company, they can learn more through the link. This means more activity for your website, content, or anything else you choose. 

It’s clear that Instagram is a tool that everybody should take advantage of. Let Allen Marketing Communications help! 

By Kendall Mason at Allen Marketing Communications, Inc.

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