Instagram may be considered a powerhouse platform for many. That doesn’t mean you want to post anything and everything to get your brand out there. If you’re going to grow your Instagram audience, it’s essential to know how to attract them through content. You don’t want to spend hours on Instagram with no one engaging with your account because it can be frustrating, and sometimes you may even give up. You can start increasing your Instagram followers with Followers.io. Below are some additional ways you can increase your followers and engagement.
Piggyback Off Your Own Content
There are many ways to make your Instagram content more engaging. You can piggyback off your own content with series, lists, and collections that provide value to your audience.
You can also encourage your followers to engage with you by asking questions or calling them to action (e.g., share their opinions or experiences in the comments). Create Instagram posts responding to any questions.
It’s also important to post interesting images and post at the right time of day. Your posts should be timed when most of your followers are online on Instagram.
Plan a Themed Event and Share It on Instagram at the Same Time
You can also plan an entire event around a theme and share it on Instagram. Again, this requires some preparation and planning on your part. But if you want to engage with your audience creatively and get them excited about your business, themed events can work well.
It’s important to note that the event doesn’t have to be grandiose or expensive. Here are some examples of how you can plan themed events for your audience:
Host a product launch party. Ask your best customers to attend. Invite them to be the first to try out your new product.
Invite people to meet up at a local park for a picnic or bonfire party.
Plan a happy hour at a local bar or restaurant for your email subscribers only.
Host an open house where people can try out your products in person.
If you are targeting parents, plan an end-of-the-school-year party for their kids. Give out ice cream, rent a bounce house, and get the kids involved in fun activities (like face painting).
Give Your Followers Something To Look Forward To
If you want to increase engagement on your Instagram posts, you should keep a few things in mind.
The number one thing is consistency. You need to be posting consistently if you want people to look forward to seeing your posts. If you post once every two weeks, no one will care because they’re not used to seeing your content. But if they see it twice a day, or even once a day, they’ll start looking forward to it and engaging with it.
The second thing is that you need to be relevant. Post content that people can relate to and that will resonate with them. Don’t just post random things that don’t matter to your audience. For example, if you have an account about dogs, don’t post about cats! That doesn’t make any sense and won’t get as much engagement from dog lovers as posting about dogs!
When creating Instagram content, the third thing you should keep in mind is quality over quantity. If you post once every two weeks with high-quality photos and captions, people will be more likely to engage than if you post twice a day with low-quality content (or spam).
In short: Be consistent + relevant
Share Things That Aren’t Just Your Product
Want to get more Instagram followers? Followers.io can help as well as following these tips. Share things that aren’t just your product.
You know what I mean. You get on Instagram, and you’re constantly bombarded with people hawking their latest ebook, online course, or $8/month software.
You can’t ignore the facts: when it comes to engagement, pictures of your products aren’t going to get you the most followers on Instagram. No matter how good they look.
So instead, share other things – photos of your kids, your vacations, and funny quotes.
Why? Because those are the posts that consistently get the most comments and likes over time.
Cater To Your Audience’s Preferences
Every brand has its own voice, but it should be tailored to its audience. Think about the language you want to use and test it out — see what gets the most engagement with your audience.
Begin with Followers.io and you’ll learn quickly which types of posts get the most engagement, and if they don’t match up with your brand, you can always experiment with different language or posting styles until you find something that works for both you and your audience.
Be Original, and Not Repetitive
To get engagement on Instagram, it is essential to post original content. This means taking your own photos and videos instead of using stock photography or video from another source. People are more likely to engage with something if they know it’s unique because it makes the photo or video more personal and relatable.
Another thing to consider when posting on Instagram is how often you post the same type of content. For example, people are less likely to engage with one of your photos if they saw a similar photo posted just yesterday by your company.
Be Distinct But Not Too Much Of a Standout
What Does it Mean to be Distinct on Instagram?
The idea of distinctiveness is not a new one, and it’s something we’ve talked about before in terms of marketing and branding your business. As you can imagine, the concept translates just as well to Instagram!
Being distinct on Instagram means being true to your brand while also standing out from the crowd. As a small business owner, you have an advantage here because you know your target audience best, which means you should have a general idea of how to appeal to them visually.
Being distinct also means focusing on what makes you different from the competition and highlighting these points on social media.
As an example, let’s say you own a clothing boutique that specializes in vintage items. In this case, posting photos that showcase your unique selection of vintage clothing would be a great way to stand out from local competitors who may sell more mainstream items.
Conclusion
Engagement on any social platform is challenging, no matter what content you choose to post. Whether your goal on Instagram is to sell something, increase brand awareness, or have a little bit of fun, you need to post content that people will find interesting and take the time to check out. We’ve identified a few strategies here that can help boost your engagement on Instagram; hopefully, these tips can be applied to other social media platforms as well—they all have their similarities, after all.