In order to expand your audience on Instagram, you need to come up with and use a combination of smart Instagram strategies businesses in your industry apply. Building a solid following on social media as a company is no easy feat. You have to be flexible, intentional, and consistent with your efforts day in and day out. As with any tool and platform, you need to make sure you do your research and know the best practices out there.
In order to be successful on Instagram, you need to learn as you go and ensure your experiments will bring you results. That’s why we’ve put together 10 smart strategies that will help you increase audience engagement. Implementing these tactics will help you build a strong community of followers who are engaged with your content. So let’s get started!
Does Your Business Need Insta?
First things first, you need to do your research and decide whether your business needs an Instagram account. How do competitors benefit from their Instagram presence? Do they get a lot of engagement, or do they just repurpose content from their blog without visibility beyond their teams?
Although 2022 statistics show that there are 1.44 billion monthly active Instagram users which is a huge audience, keep in mind that the average engagement rate per Insta post is merely 0.96. So, you need to build smart Instagram strategies that will make all the time and effort worth it.
Let’s have a look at some lucrative benefits of using Instagram for business:
Increase Brand Awareness and Recognition
Instagram is not only a powerful marketing tool but also a great way to increase brand awareness and recognition. By sharing high-quality images and interesting stories about your brand, you can quickly gain the attention of a wider audience.
In addition, using hashtags is another great way to make your content more discoverable. When people search for a certain hashtag, your content will appear in their feed if you’re using that hashtag.
For example, Nike always uses relevant hashtags such as #nike, #nikerunning, or #justdoit to make their posts more discoverable.
Drive More Traffic to Your Website
If you’re looking for ways to increase traffic to your website, then you should consider using Instagram. By sharing eye-catching images and videos with a link to your website in the bio section, you can quickly drive more traffic to your site.
It’s important to note that the link in your bio section is clickable only on desktop. However, on mobile, people have to manually type in the link which is a bit of a hassle.
To get around this, you can use tools like Linkin.bio by Later or StoriesEdit which allow you to add links to your Instagram stories. This way, you can quickly drive traffic from Instagram to your website without any hassle.
Generate More Leads
You can use your Instagram business account for lead generation. By sharing helpful content and using relevant hashtags, you can quickly attract the attention of your target audience.
Moreover, you can use Instagram ads to promote your lead magnet and drive leads from Instagram. For example, you can use a tool like LeadPages to create a landing page for your lead magnet and then promote it on Instagram.
Build Stronger Relationships with Customers
Instagram is also a great way to build stronger relationships with your customers. By responding to comments and DMs, you can quickly build a strong bond with your audience.
Moreover, you can use Instagram stories to give your customers a behind-the-scenes look at your business. This way, you will boost trust and credibility in your brand.
Increase Sales and ROI
Instagram can also be used to increase sales and ROI for your business. By sharing images and videos of your products, you can quickly generate interest among your target audience.
Also, you can use Instagram ads to promote your products and drive sales from Instagram. For example, you can use a tool like Shopify to create an online store for your products and then promote them on Instagram.
Find Top Talent
Instagram is great for reaching top talent for your team. By searching for relevant hashtags, you can quickly find people who are interested in your industry.
Moreover, you can target specific job openings and attract the attention of top talent. For example, you can use a tool like Jobvite to post job openings on Instagram and then target specific demographics.
Networking
Although predominantly for visual content, Instagram is a great platform for networking purposes. By connecting with other businesses and influencers in your industry, you can quickly grow your network.
In fact, you can use Instagram to connect with potential customers and partners. For example, if you’re a small business owner, you can use Instagram to connect with other small business owners and find prospects.
So, what do you think – would you use Instagram to boost your business? Considering the numerous benefits that can come with it, it can actually prove to be a great investment of your resources. Of course, there are certain steps to follow to ensure you’re on the right track, and we will walk you through them in the next section.
10 Smart Instagram Strategies to Boost Engagement
Instagram can be a great way to connect with your audience and boost engagement. But it can also be tricky to figure out the best way to use it. These 10 smart Instagram strategies will help you increase your engagement and get the most out of the platform.
Study Your Audience Well
The first step to take is understanding your audience. Who are they? What do they like? What hashtags do they use?
This might seem like a lot of work, but it’s actually quite easy to do with Instagram’s built-in analytics tool, Insights. Just go to your business profile and click on ‘Insights’. Here, you’ll be able to see detailed information about your audience, including their age, location, gender, and interests.
Create content that appeals to your audience. For example, if your target audience is 18-24 year olds, you might want to consider using more casual language in your posts.
Find Killer Hashtags
Hashtags are a great way to reach new people on Instagram. When you use relevant hashtags, your content will show up in the feeds of users who are interested in that topic.
To find suitable business hashtags for your company, try using a tool like Hashtagify and Ritetag. Just enter a relevant keyword and it’ll show you a list of related hashtags.
You can also use Instagram’s ‘Explore’ page to find popular hashtags in your industry. Just click on the magnifying glass icon at the bottom of the app and then enter a keyword into the search bar.
Actively Push for Opinions & Comments
Don’t be afraid to ask your audience for their opinions! This will not only make them feel more involved, but it will also give you valuable insights into what they want from your business.
To do this, you can ask questions in your posts or run polls. You can also encourage people to leave comments by giving away prizes or discounts.
Post Regularly
One of the best ways to engage with your audience is to be consistent and committed to delivering high quality with each and every post. This doesn’t mean you need to be posting 10 times a day – once or twice a day should suffice.
So, try to build a posting schedule you and your team are comfortable with. If you only post occasionally, people will quickly forget about your business. But if you post regularly, you’ll stay top of mind and increase the likelihood of people engaging with your content.
Show Off Your Personality
Your business is more than just a logo and a name – it’s also made up of the people who work there. So why not show off your team’s personality on Instagram?
People want to do business with other people, not faceless corporations. So give them a behind-the-scenes look at your business and let them get to know the people who work there.
This doesn’t mean you need to post photos of your team members every day. But every once in a while, it’s nice to give your followers a glimpse of the humans who make up your business.
Use Instagram Stories
Instagram Stories allow your business to communicate with your followers on a more personal level. You can use them to give people a behind-the-scenes look at your business or to show off your company culture.
Stories are also a great way to run quick polls or quizzes. This can be a fun way to engage with your audience and get them talking about your brand.
Cross-Promote Your Instagram Content
Don’t just rely on Instagram to promote your content – use other channels as well! Promote your Instagram account on your website, in your email signature, and on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.
You can also include a call-to-action in your posts, telling people to follow you on Instagram. And, of course, don’t forget to include a link to your Instagram profile in your bio!
Use Influencers & Brand Ambassadors
Influencers and brand ambassadors can be a great way to reach new people on Instagram. And because they already have an engaged following, there’s a good chance they’ll be able to get people interested in your brand.
When working with influencers, make sure to set clear guidelines and expectations. This will help ensure that they’re promoting your brand in the right way.
Embrace User-Generated Content
User-generated content (UGC) is a great way to engage with your audience and get people talking about your brand. UGC is simply any content that’s created by your users, such as photos, videos, or reviews.
To get UGC, you can run competitions or encourage people to tag you in their posts. You can also use hashtags to find UGC. For example, if you sell sports equipment, you could use the hashtag #mynewgear to find people’s posts about your products.
Monitor & Perfect Your Instagram Strategy
Of course, none of these Instagram strategies will matter if you don’t take the time to monitor and adjust your strategy. Keep an eye on your analytics to identify aspects that need improvement. Then, make changes accordingly.
And don’t forget to have fun with it! Sticking to these smart Instagram strategies could turn into an enjoyable way to connect with your audience and promote your business. If it starts to feel like a chore, take a step back and reassess your techniques.
Wrapping Up
There you have it – a few smart Instagram strategies to help you increase audience engagement. If you’re still on the fence about whether or not your business needs an Instagram account, hopefully, this list of benefits has helped you make up your mind.
And if you’ve already jumped on the Insta bandwagon but want to know how to level-up your game and start seeing even better results, then study these 10 smart strategies for boosting engagement.
Just remember to stay true to your brand identity, have fun with it, and be patient – building a strong presence on any social media platform takes time. But once you get things going, we think you’ll agree that it’s well worth the effort!