Instagram Marketing

By the end of 2019, Instagram had over 1 billion users. But the most interesting stat is that over 500 million of these users use the platform daily. These stats present a big opportunity especially to SMEs and startups that use online marketing to get clients. If you are already using Instagram or you intend to start using it as one of your digital marketing platforms, there are a couple of things you need to do right if you’re to succeed. In this post, I will share with you the dos and don’ts for Instagram marketing.

Let’s first look at the dos

• Use Instagram stories as much as you can

One of the most used features on Instagram are the stories feature. They are used by over 90% of the daily users. There are several ways you can create Instagram stories to make them more engaging and entertaining to your followers. Today you can post your story in form of a question tag, poll, emoji sticker, etc. Try out all these options if possible and find out the ones that work best for your brand.

• Add a long enough caption to every photo

Studies show that photos that are well captioned are likely to get more engagement in the form of comments and shares than those that are not captioned. Whenever you post anything about your brand, make sure you add a caption that briefly describes the photo you have published. Make sure the caption you add triggers your followers to engage because a boring caption is as good as having no caption at all.

• Post at least 2 times a day

Studies show that brands that post 1 to 3 photos a day on Instagram always get more engagement than those that post less or more than this. But I would recommend posting at least twice a day. Your followers need to see at least one post from your brand every day. On the other hand, you should also not post beyond 3 posts a day unless there’s something urgent that you’re talking about. This is because the Instagram algorithm reduces the reach of posts from one user the more they post within 24hrs. So, it’s better you make 2 creative and well-researched posts each day.

• Use the relevant hashtags

Hashtags are not only powerful on Twitter; Instagram loves hashtags too. Using hashtags will make your brand posts visible to even people that do not follow your brand. The explore option on Instagram helps users to find content that they are likely to be interested in even if they don’t follow that particular account that has posted the content.

Here are the don’ts

• Don’t use automated replies

Many social media management apps have an auto-reply option for comments and inbox messages. However, most of the internet users (Instagram inclusive) know how an automated reply looks like and they are a turn off for many people. Unless your account gets thousands of comments in a day, ensure you manually reply as many comments as you can. This will show your followers that you care about them.

• Don’t use irrelevant hashtags just because they are trending

This is common on twitter but some people use it on Instagram too. Using a hashtag that is not related to your brand will lead you to the wrong audience who are not likely to even engage with your content. For instance, if your brand is about tech, it doesn’t make sense if you make a post with a hashtag about shoes. This will not only lead you to the wrong audience but will also present your brand as one that is desperate to get cheap attention. This is not a good sign if you want to create a meaningful relationship with your followers.

• Don’t spam your followers with marketing messages

Inboxing your followers once in a while about something like your upcoming event or product offers is not a bad thing. However, it is disgusting to many if you keep sending them messages on a more regular basis especially those that don’t reply. This not only violates Instagram terms of service but also creates a bad image for your brand.

• Don’t only publish direct selling posts

Everyone knows your business can’t survive without selling its products or services. However, it is important to note that the people who follow your brand are looking for more than just the products you’re selling. Always try to create a balance between publishing direct selling posts and posts that teach something to your followers. It’s advisable to publish more informative/educational content than direct selling posts. So always talk about a couple of topics within your niche that can teach your followers a thing or two.

Are they too much to absorb in one reading? Why don’t we set a free appointment and let’s have a quick call about solutions we can provide to you so your business can become InstaFamous!