5 TIPS FOR INSTAGRAM GROWTH

Instagram has one of the highest engagement rates of any social media network, and coupled with the visual nature of the app, it can be the ideal platform to promote your brand and products. But how can you stand out from the crowd and find Instagram success?

1. Engaging Your Audience

To many, the number of followers you have is the most important metric for Instagram success. While having a large follower count means being able to reach more people and thus more customers, it isn’t always the most important thing to focus on. Having an engaged audience who cares about your business, however, is extremely important to achieving Instagram success.

The best way to find your niche is to examine your competitors and their audience and engage with them. Liking and commenting on photos, as well as following people, will mean you become recognised as an active member of a community; ideally leading to an increased following of your own. Additionally, engaging with your audience by interacting with their content is more likely to result in them becoming engaged with your content in return.

2. Hashtags

Hashtags are another way to find your niche, increase your exposure and engage your audience. Using specific, relevant hashtags, or even creating your own branded hashtag, will help you find an audience who care about your business, and potentially create a sense of community with your followers and encourage user-generated content.

3. Brand Ambassadors

Brand ambassadors on Instagram endorse and embody your business, as well as increase your reach, traffic, and create brand awareness. Finding someone with a large following of their own inside your niche and reaching out to them can create positive word of mouth, as well as legitimising your business as one to be watched in the community.

It’s important, however, to make sure the person you’re working with shares the values of your brand and is someone you’d be comfortable in a long term business relationship with.

4. Having a Content Strategy

Having a content strategy and sticking to it can also help grow your Instagram following. Finding your content strategy can be as simple as attempting to replicate particularly popular posts you’ve made; or by looking at what top influencers in your community post, the style of their photos and the subject matter they address then seeking to emulate that in a way that’s true to your own brand message and identity.

Posting high quality images consistently (but not too often), with a cohesive look and identifiable brand style, will not only lend your Instagram profile an air of aestheticism but also a sheen of professionalism.

5. Regular Evaluation

It’s all well and good to stick to a content strategy, but it’s equally important to regularly assess your efforts. If you aren’t achieving any increased engagement then taking the time to evaluate what is and isn’t working can be more beneficial for your Instagram growth in the long run. Having clear goals and achievable steps to take in pursuit of these goals will help give your Instagram strategy focus.

Achieving success on Instagram might seem time consuming, but it’s worthwhile when you consider the potential for your brand or business to experience engagement and growth; as well as the benefits of having an active and engaged following.