With roughly one billion monthly active users, it’s no wonder that businesses are jumping on the Instagram bandwagon to promote their products. As lovers of social media marketing, we know the importance Instagram’s algorithm places on engagement in determining where your content shows up in user’s feeds.
If your audience doesn’t engage with your content then chances are your post isn’t being seen by potential customers/clients, creating a negative impact on your ROI. Keep reading to learn three easy and actionable tips for improving engagement on your Instagram posts.
Tip #1 Post Strategically
Want your target audience to see your content? Post while your followers are online to maximise the full potential of your post being seen. Sounds simple but this is something that is commonly missed in social media strategies.
The best way to find out when your target audience is online is by having a good look at your metrics. Using tools like Later, Instagram Insights, or even SEMRush can be a quick and easy way to have your audience data at your fingertips to track this type of information.
Facebook recently launched their new Planner tool which tells you the best days and times of day to post for both Facebook and Instagram, making our lives so much easier in the process!
Tip # 2 Direct your audience on what to do next
So you’ve created a high value piece of content for Instagram that has caught the attention of your audience. What next? Provide a call to action (CTA) of what you want them to do from there. Do you want your audience to head to your website to check out your latest blog (😉), or ‘Swipe to see cute puppy photos’ (yes please). Whatever it is, make your call to action nice and clear.
Your CTA should have your marketing goals in mind. Think about what it is that you are trying to achieve with your call to action – it should give your audience motivation to do something, to interact in some way. CTA’s invite customers to engage with your content in a more meaningful way.
Tip # 3 Use Instagram Stories
Stories are such an easy way to improve your brand’s visibility. Instead of getting lost somewhere in the midst of Instagram’s algorithm, your company’s story will be illuminated at the top of the Instagram app with a gold ring around your profile symbolising new posts.
Instagram stories allow brands to post as much as they would like without the worry of “over posting”. After 24hours the stories will disappear, creating a blank canvas for new posts to add to your story. The beauty of stories is the interactive features it provides such as polls, quizzes and countdowns that you can add to your post. Not only are stories a fun and interesting way to present content, but they are also fantastic drivers of engagement. With a simple click of a button, consumers are able to give their opinion, click through to see your newest post, or even head straight to your website.
Need help?
Alright so there you have it! My top 3 tips on increasing your engagement on Instagram! Try them out in your Instagram strategy and watch your engagement grow. And hey, did I mention we do Social Media? Click here to view our Social Media Services (see what I did there 😉)
