Today, Instagram is used by almost everyone and advertisers use it the most in their strategies. Building an Instagram strategy is easy if you have decided the right time to post. Although, Instagram has changed and has become harder to reach and deliver content for targeted audiences. More visibility means more visitors finding you for building a relationship and eventually purchasing. Instagram engagement is a little more isolated than other platforms like Twitter or Facebook.
Why is your Instagram platform facing a drop of reach?
– Using more hashtags
– Fake posting
– Complaints from users
– Using immortal and inappropriate content
– Going against the rules and guidelines
Algorithm of this marketing platform
When Instagram saw its rapid growth, it had to introduce an algorithm. The algorithm chooses posts that have chances of getting ranked in the user’s feed. This algorithm worked best for some and dropped the organic reach for others. The rules and guidelines were kept a secret for a long period of time. However, some light has been shed on the algorithm and decoded many myths that were assumed. We are mentioning some listicles on how to use the algorithm for your advantage.
– Getting a lot of engagement in first 30 minutes of posting doesn’t have an overall effect on post
– Buying likes is prohibited
– There is no influence on the type of account you possess for the reach
– There is no such thing of Instagram preferring more photos or videos, it’s simply based on what is a user’s preference
Today, we will hit up the strugglers with easy tips to follow for social media marketing.
Use New Hashtags
Hashtags are used for growing followers organically and quickly with relevant ones. For gaining more reach the key is to use proper hashtags with a mix of trends. This method doesn’t require any cost but choose the right ones before posting. Don’t go overboard with a bunch of hashtags, choose up to 15 hashtags and 4 geotags and 4 viral tags. Dumping hashtags in your posts isn’t going to get new followers, it will create unnecessary noise on platform. Focus on industry specific hashtags relevant to customers and brands for a more meaningful niche.
Meaningful Interactions
Instagram understands the depth of relationships between the followers and you. This algorithm happened after the Cambridge Analyica scandal and things had to change. When a user likes and comments on your posts rather than on others, it’s obvious that they would like to see more. It’s always good to have a steady flow of engagement rather than imagining the highest rate. Going back and forth with followers is something that this platform is great for. Respond to the comments and DM’s of people with a supportive nature. You will see a drastic change in the reach when you become more personable with the audience.
Have a visually consistent feed
Before posting, there should be several factors pre-decided for the better. So, decide on the overall feed before starting to post content. Think of a theme that visually appeals to you and your feelings in a perfect way of perception. Make your posts and profile more specific and consistent by opposing sharing posts without giving it a thought. A great theme makes your profile instantly recognizable, standing out from competitors. Some factors that you can consider are picking a colour scheme, choosing one filter, great photos with natural light, planning your feed and setting up a proper profile.
Use emojis effectively
Frequent emojis keep coming up on the platforms, showing the power over words. It is essential to create a strategy without looking too informal. Emojis can add a fun element making an emotional connection with the audience. People are used to emojis and see messages without them as cold. Emoji’s work for a specific brand and it will be inappropriate for a law firm, for instance. Use the right emoji that will help insert personality for a more emotional connection. Gen Z and millennials are so used with emojis that if they see a message without it, it appears to be cold.
Instagram on Pinterest
If you have not considered boosting traffic on Instagram by using Pinterest, it’s the time now. It is a social media tool built with search engines to attract users and build traffic. For allowing people to reach your content, categorise with Pinterest boards for content. Let searches know what is likely to be found under your boards. Pinterest is a superb channel for increasing referral traffic resulting in some serious Instagram engagement and more followers. All you need to do is claim your account on Pinterest, publish on Instagram first then pin it to Pinterest.
Use Instagram video subtitles
As per the research conducted by Instagram, 60% stories are viewed with sound on. While 40% of users still prefer to use it without sound, Hence it is important for marketers enabling core messaging to be delivered. Research shows that captioning videos increase the viewed times by 12%. Effectiveness with 82% success rate on sound and no captions has boosted. With captions people are more likely to watch the entire video without jumping to another. The subtitles on videos are auto-generated that can be saved and posted creating your own dedicated captioning. This doesn’t mean that captions are of no weightage but they’re not a best practice for stories.
It’s more likely that your Instagram platform is like your business so the journey is never over. Instagram is considered a valuable platform for all types of brands and platforms. You can maximise your channel’s potential by following these tips for improving your engagement. Regardless of the evolving network, you can increase engagement with those likes, shares and comments.
Posting at peak times, using user-generated content, posting contests, strong captions and many more techniques to drive reaches. Make a content calendar and put all your creativity in there by taking your Instagram to the next level.
