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Showing up on Instagram is a must for modern-day brands. With more than 1 billion active monthly users, this highly targetable marketing channel can help you build brand loyalty and reach new audiences. With that said, growing your Instagram following in this day and age is much easier said than done.
To run a successful Instagram business account, you’ll need a strategic and actionable plan for the social network. Lucky for you, we’re going to break down all the things you need to do to get your Instagram account going in 2022 and explore the options of how to get there!
Design Your Instagram Feed
Since Instagram is a visual platform, it’s important to plan out your Instagram content ahead of time. This includes deciding what type of aesthetic you’d like to use and figuring out ways to incorporate your brand colors and fonts.
You’ll also need to decide how you’ll go about sourcing the images and designs that will make up your feed. Using a combination of stock photos, custom designs, and user-generated content (UGC) is a solid starting point.
As a rule of thumb, it’s generally a good idea to have a bank of 15-30 posts for business accounts. Consumers and potential followers will get a better idea of what your brand is all about if they have several pieces of content to look at right off the bat!
Use Hashtags on Instagram
Using hashtags is a great way to categorize your posts and reach your target audience. To optimize your reach with hashtags and improve your follower count, a solid strategy is needed. Some best practices to follow include:
- Using either seven or 30 relevant hashtags per post. A recent Socialinsider study found that posts that had these number of hashtags hidden in their caption received the most engagement.
- Find popular hashtags related to your brand and use branded hashtags. Look to competitors to see which hashtags are likely to attract relevant audiences.
- Search Instagram hashtags to see how many posts they have. Ideally, you want to use a mix of popular hashtags and niche hashtags.
- Continuously switch up your hashtags. If you use the same hashtags for every post your content will be penalized by the Instagram algorithm. Keep a list of hashtags you can use for your posts, regularly check your Instagram Insights to see which ones perform the best, then mix and match!
- Include hashtags in your Instagram Stories so that they are more likely to be featured on the hashtag page with similar Stories and static posts. If you’d like to include a lot of hashtags, consider using hidden hashtags by minimizing the text until it disappears, changing the color of the hashtag to match the background, and/or dragging the text out of the frame.
Write an Awesome Instagram Bio
First impressions matter in the social media space, and a well-crafted Instagram bio will set the tone for your entire profile. With a 150 character limit for Instagram bios, you’ll need to get creative in order to convey the right message.
Things you’ll definitely want to include in your bio are a concise explanation of who you are, what you do, and what you offer. Adding in a call to action and relevant hashtags is also a best practice. Your bio should be informative, easy to read, and have a link to the homepage of your site.
A suitable username and profile photo are other elements of your Instagram profile that you’ll want to carefully consider. Using your brand logo as your profile picture and coming up with a username that gives some indication of the type of business you are will complement your bio and make your page stand out even more!
Use Instagram Geotags
Instagram geotags are a simple and easy way to reach more people and grow your following. When you add a geotag to your post, you’re essentially pinning your location to that picture. Whenever an Instagram user clicks or searches the same geotag, your photo will show up.
Geotags are great for boosting your visibility, and the more eyes that are on your content, the better!
Do Instagram Engagement Regularly
Building an Instagram community around your business is one of the most effective ways to gain brand loyalty. With that said, your social media efforts can’t just be a one-way street; you actually have to engage with your audience!
Setting aside a bit of time each day that’s devoted to commenting, asking questions, and liking other people’s posts will go a long way to upping your engagement rate. You’ll also want to keep a close eye on your posts’ comments, photos you’re tagged in, and DMs you’ve received to maximize potential new followers.
Utilize Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing is a powerful strategy that should be part of every marketing mix. It can help increase brand awareness, enhance your reputation, expand your audience, and ultimately drive sales. You can find Instagram influencers who align with your brand and amplify your marketing efforts through strategic influencer partnerships.
Like most aspects of social media, influencer marketing is something that requires a strategy. What results would you like to see from your influencer marketing efforts? Do you want to work with macro-influencers, micro-influencers, or nano-influencers? What will your pitch to influencers look like? What type of influencer (lifestyle, fitness, foodie, etc.) is best suited to your brand? These are all questions you should be asking yourself before embarking on your first influencer marketing campaign!
Keep Up with Instagram Trends
The social media landscape is ever-evolving, and over the past year, Instagram has undergone a significant amount of changes. Short-form video content is more important than ever before thanks, in part, to the rise of TikTok, and static posts alone aren’t enough to keep your audience engaged.
To optimize your presence on Instagram, you need to regularly post on Stories and keep up with the latest trends. Don’t be afraid to try out features like Instagram Reels or set up an Instagram Shop!
Run a Giveaway for Your Instagram Followers
If you’d like to boost your following, giveaways are an excellent go-to. Exciting giveaways can reach new prospective customers and keep your current followers engaged. To run a successful giveaway, you should:
- Choose a high-value prize that people will be interested in. If it’s somehow related to your business, even better!
- Come up with contest rules that will get the most eyes and engagement on your post. For example, you may want to use rules that require users to follow your account, like the post, and tag a friend to be entered.
- Consider promoting your post so that it gets the traction it deserves.
There you have it. Eight steps you can take to get your Instagram business account off the ground! With a carefully planned out Instagram marketing strategy and commitment to remaining active and trying new things out on your Instagram posts and stories, you’ll gain a steady stream of followers in no time. Happy Instagramming!
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