image courtesy of José Moutinho/Flickr
With over 300 million users, Instagram is an incredibly popular social media platform for both personal use and professional marketing. It’s a great place to build an audience for your business or product and expand customer outreach. Here is how you can gain a more engaged following on Instagram:
Incorporate Calls to Action
One of the most effective ways to get Instagram users involved with your brand is by including a call to action (CTA) in your post. CTAs can appear in your images, videos, or captions and can be as simple as asking followers to visit your website. For instance, if you share a photo that is a teaser for an upcoming event or new product, you can then direct followers to learn more information by visiting your site, which you can link to on your profile page.
You can also start a campaign that invites people to share images similar to your post, or ones that are related to your business. Ask your audience to post a selfie with their favorite product from your company, after posting a photo of yourself or an employee doing the same. For increased exposure, ask your followers to challenge (and tag) other users to get involved, too.
Use Hashtags
Another method for improving your visibility and getting involved with the greater Instagram community is to use hashtags in your captions. Hashtags can help improve your visibility with users who aren’t already following you. They help categorize your posts and let others find your account more easily. You can caption relevant images with popular hashtags that are related to your specific field, like #Instafood for the food industry, or use them for more general trends, like #TBT (Throwback Thursday), which is when you post old or nostalgic images or videos.
Interact with Other Users
Hashtags can also be used to search for people or companies you want to follow, who may follow you back. Engaging with the Instagram community is one of the key ways to building an involved audience that cares about what you post. Interacting with your followers, as well as following users who share your interests, are both vital to forming a loyal fan base.
Instagram users love when brands or famous people acknowledge them with a mention or shout-out. If you see a comment with the acronym S4S, shout-out for shout-out, check that person’s account for relatable content that is worth mentioning to your audience (make sure to properly reference them with “@username”). Promoting other accounts will show users your dedication to customer outreach and get people excited about your accessibility on this popular platform.
image courtesy of Pixabay
Produce Great Content
Reaching out to your current base and attracting new followers is important, but establishing an invested audience requires creating strong content and updating regularly. Post photos, videos, and captions that relate to your company, and/or are relevant to special events or holidays. Try out various word lengths in your captions, to see if people enjoy reading about your work. Also make sure to offer variety in your photos and videos, so that followers don’t get bored with your content.
Promote Your Account on Other Platforms
Cross-posting across all your social media platforms is crucial to improving your online network. Increase your exposure by promoting your Instagram profile on your Facebook and Twitter accounts. Link to your profile or re-post specific content, in order to reach a wider base, and encourage people to follow you on multiple platforms.
If you’re trying to revitalize your Instagram profile, remember to update consistently with relevant and captivating content, utilize hashtags and CTAs, and engage with fellow users. You may have to invest some time and energy getting involved with the Instagram community, if you want people to follow you and participate with your account.