According to Hootsuite, Instagram is the 7th most visited website globally. The site has almost 3 billion monthly visitors.
Among social media platforms, Instagram is in the 4th place, behind Facebook, YouTube, and WhatsApp.
Finally, Instagram is the second most-downloaded application, falling just a little bit behind TikTok.
It is pretty clear that Instagram is quite popular and should be one of the primary targets for businesses that want to establish themselves on social media and raise brand awareness.
Succeeding on Instagram is tricky because the platform has a plethora of different brands fighting for their share in the market.
Despite potential obstacles, aspiring brands should not feel discouraged. There is a lot to be gained from Instagram. A journey starts with getting the basics right, and this is exactly what the article will cover.
Start with optimizing your Instagram bio. You have limited character space to work with, so make the most out of them.
Add your name at the top of the bio. Below, there should be a short description of what the page is about. For instance, if you are an individual who edits videos, you can mention that.
Instagram also has a dedicated URL section. You can include a link in your bio on Instagram. Just make sure that the URL is not clunky. If you have to, use a URL shortener.
Finally, there is the profile image. For individuals, it is usually a professional personal shot of themselves. For brand pages, slapping a logo as a profile image is the way to go.
Content is king. The phrase has been overused, but it still holds true. You should not expect to find success on Instagram by producing lackluster content.
You are against thousands of other content creators. If you cannot offer Instagram users engaging content, what else can you offer?
Instagram began as a platform for images, but it introduced a video player in 2016, and video content tends to be the go-to option for many Instagram pages. From short tutorials and funny compilations to personal vlogs and interviews, there are plenty of different options for videos.
Of course, you do not have to limit the content calendar just to videos. Infographics and other static images can also work, as do stories. To stand out with your content, even more, you can also change the default Instagram font and add various symbols with the help of Glyphy and show off your creativity that way.
Continuing with the content bit, you should find a voice that fits your brand and stick to it. Over time, your Instagram followers will build certain expectations, and you do not want to make a sudden shift all of a sudden because that will result in poor engagement.
Consistency is another important consideration. Depending on your brand, you might struggle to fill out the content schedule every day. Pushing lackluster content for the sake of quantity is not a smart approach either.
If you have to, focus on one or two days per week and work on producing the best content you can.
Collaborations are one of the most effective methods to improve the odds of your success on Instagram. Even beginner brands put a lot of effort and resources into striking partnership deals with influencers.
And improve you growth on instagram by collaborating with other brands.
A lot comes down to how much money you can spend, but there is no need to invest ridiculous sums to gain results.
Micro-influencers, for instance, is an excellent option. Some brands are reluctant to work with micro-influencers because they focus on follower numbers. The thing is, engagement is a more important metric.
Micro-influencers might have fewer followers than A-tier celebrities, but if they get genuine engagement on content, they are worth more than someone with hundreds of thousands of followers who are probably fake and do not engage with the content.
Speaking of engaging with others on Instagram, as a brand, you want to show interest in your followers.
Whenever possible, reply to comments under your posts. Also, try to organize contests now and then. Giving away a freebie, such as a piece of custom merchandise or a discount voucher is well worth it if it results in a lot of interactions with the giveaway post and results in attracting more genuine followers.
Promoting your Instagram elsewhere can be tricky, but you should still look for opportunities to do that.
At the very least, include your Instagram profile link on your other socials, such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc.
If an opportunity presents itself to republish your Instagram content on another platform, such as Reddit, do it, and be sure to mention your Instagram handle in the comments if it is not clearly visible in the content piece itself.
