Instagram is the most rapidly-rising platform across social media. As of 2020, the platform registered a total of 1.16 billion users, with more than 10 million app downloads.
The user growth in Instagram has been consistent over the years, and to add to the point, its users are among the most committed when it comes to log-in frequency.
With the right strategy, you can count on Instagram for marketing your brand, with the assurance that it will help you reach a broader audience and maximize your returns. But how do you increase engagement on Instagram?
Check out these 17 effective tips on how to increase Instagram engagement.
1. Understand Your Audience
The first and most important tip to increasing Instagram engagement is to know your audience.
You cannot possibly create content that will please your followers if you don’t know who they are and their expectations. Check the demographics of your targets to help you define the kind of content to post and when to do it.
For instance, if you are targeting middle-aged individuals, they will most probably appreciate chilled content, posted either early in the morning or late-night hours after work. If you are targeting a group with a sense of humor, make sure the tone of your content reflects that.
2. Consistency
Consistency in your posting schedule is the secret to maximizing Instagram engagement. No user wants to visit a dormant page. They will prefer being on pages whose businesses make at least one or two posts per day, to learn or to be entertained.
Posting regularly keeps your feed fresh and relevant. In return, you have more chances to attract an audience to your page.
While at this, evaluate your followers to know the best time to post. Understand when your follower’s log in or are most active so you can make your posts right on time.
3. Be Active in the Comments Section
Posting photos and videos are not enough. You must make your posts more engaging by responding to questions and comments.
Responding to comments makes your audience feel seen, heard, and appreciated. They will love it that you can spare some time to read their comments and respond to their questions.
Keep in mind that comments are the best way to get consumer feedback about your brand and products. Therefore, make that section fun and engaging by participating actively.
You can also make your posts engaging and discoverable by increasing likes. Check out this feature that allows you to get more Instagram likes effortlessly.
4. Be Relatable
Some brands strive to meet perfection. But that’s not what the audience needs. Your followers are looking for authenticity.
It is better to create an honest and relatable brand rather than meet perfection. Share as raw content as possible. Introduce your followers to real experiences behind the brand that they look up to.
You may share a few behind the scene snippets or share some of your day-to-day struggles via your captions. You want your followers to relate with your brand and there is no better way to do so than being real.
5. Make Use of Instagram Stories
Instagram stories are the real deal, with over 500 million stories every day. Users interact with stories better than timeline feeds, and it would help if you took advantage of this to increase followers.
Again, be consistent with your stories and make them engaging. Take advantage of the story’s stickers to have a one-on-one conversation with your followers. You can ask them to ask you questions regarding your brand or let them share ideas on what you can do to serve them better.
The ideas of interacting with your audience with the story’s stickers are limitless.
6. Share Visual Content to Increase Engagement on Instagram
Instagram is a visual platform. It is a chance for you to tell stories through images. And while you don’t need the most expensive camera to stand out, make the effort to post high-quality images.
If you want your audience to take your brand seriously, then be ready to do things seriously. There are thousands of photo editing tools online that you can use to give your images a little oomph. Add filters and some texts to make your photos outstanding and attractive to the audience.
7. Videos Are More Engaging
Besides being fun to watch, videos register a higher engagement than images. Most Instagram users are there to kill time and unwind. Therefore, you should offer them something that will keep them glued to your page longer and videos are just it.
Shoot short but fun videos. Again, take your time to edit to make them entertaining. Posting two to three short videos per week will make a significant difference in your engagement.
8. Take Advantage of Reels
Instagram reels allow you to share short but engaging content with your followers. You can make videos, as short as 15 seconds and add music and filters to make them more engaging.
Reels help you showcase your brand’s personality. They are fun, and users love to be associated with such businesses.
9. Work on Your Captions
Pictures are said to be worth a thousand words. But you can boost the meaning of those words with other stronger words. Instagram captions are up to 2200 characters so you can make yours as long as you wish.
Using hashtags increases the visibility of your post and the best part is that you can add up to 30 hashtags. A strong caption will help you get more likes on Instagram especially if users can relate to what you write. Moreover, to help you create engaging captions for your Instagram post, you can find your next caption using nocaply.
1o. Tell Stories
Instagram is a powerful marketing tool but that does not mean that your posts should solely focus on marketing.
No one will want to visit a dull, boring page filled with marketing missives. Instead, become a storyteller. Tell your stories through videos, images, and texts on both your timeline feeds and stories.
Users crave connection and stories are the best way to create such experiences. Make them connect with your content emotionally and rest assured they will buy into it and probably share your posts with their peers.
11. Develop Branded Hashtags
As earlier mentioned, hashtags are the secret to increasing post visibility. Although mass hashtags may do the job, their impact is not as strong as the effect of branded hashtags.
Come up with a unique hashtag with your brand name. Make it short and memorable to make your profile discoverable and drive more traffic to your page. You may even hold a campaign where whoever uses your hashtag on their posts gets a reward.
12. Make Your Content Savable
Your audience may want to view your stories one or two months from now. Perhaps you recommended a product or service that they didn’t pay attention to at that time but might need it some weeks later.
Creating savable content acts as a perfect reference and will undoubtedly boost your engagement.
The same applies if you talk about complex subjects. They may be hard to grasp immediately but viewers get the context after reviewing your posts many times. Simply create story highlights and save your posts under different categories.
13. Embrace Instagram Live
Going live on Instagram is a great way to connect with users directly. The feature allows you to have a real-time engagement with your audience. You can discuss ideas in real-time, share news, thus building engagement.
The best part is that you can invite your followers to be part of your life. This makes them feel like an important part of your brand. It is an intimate way of engaging with your audience and if you make it valuable, going live helps you increase Instagram followers.
14. Share Your Followers’ Posts After a Mention
Instagram is not a one-way street especially if you want to boost engagement. You want your audience to feel valued and appreciated. The least you can do is to share their thoughts to make them know that you are listening and ready to implement.
Repost their content when they tag your brand. You can do so on your stories to avoid overcrowding your feed.
Sharing your audience’s content after a mention will motivate them to keep sharing about your brand and others will be compelled to start mentioning you in their content.
15. Make Your Content Shareable
The ability for your audience to share your content comes in handy in reaching more people. Take your time to create valuable content that your viewers will want to repost.
The posts should be relatable and entertaining. Conduct research to find data or infographics that will intrigue your audience and make them want to share them with their friends.
16. Instagram Contest
Contests are a robust engagement Instagram tool. If done right, they can generate more than three times more likes than the regular posts.
Unfortunately, contests are regularly overlooked by businesses. Take advantage of this to stand out by hosting a giveaway, where you choose random winners from those who like and comment on your posts.
The contest will create massive brand awareness while maximizing engagement on the specific posts.
17. Embrace Call to Action
You may have killer Instagram Ads. But it is up to you to lead your audience to the purchase page with call to actions. Remind your followers what they need to do after viewing your stories or after reading the interesting captions under your posts.
Make the CTAs short but punchy. They should trigger convincing emotions.
Increase Instagram Engagement for Maximum Marketing Benefits
Instagram for business is the secret to reaching a broader audience. With effective Instagram tips, you are assured of generating quality leads, thus maximizing conversions.
Incorporate the above tips to increase engagement on Instagram, watch your audience grow, and your revenue increase tremendously.
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