Speaking from a slightly Insta-obsessed point of view, Instagram is by far my favorite social media platform to date. When it first made its debut, I’ll be quite honest; I wasn’t sure exactly what the point was. It was an entirely new concept to just share photos rather than a whole album from an important life milestone, or just a status update. And at the beginning, there was no one to really share your pictures with, since no one else quite understood this alien concept yet either. And then one ordinary day, it took off.
People began realizing the benefits of such a simplistic social sharing tool. We’ve become saturated by too many “improvements” on other social platforms, and this was one of the first to take everything back to the basics, while at the same time introducing an entirely new concept.
One of my favorite things about Instagram (other than its simplistic nature) is the ability it gives users to connect effortlessly with people on the other side of the world. Yes, Facebook, Google+, Myspace, etc. all essentially allow you to do the same thing. However, Instagram does a fantastic job at paving a non-creepy road to online interaction. Because you’re able to connect with people who have similar interests, share quick little comments, or even just show some love with a ‘like’, it takes the creep factor out of Insta-interactions, and leaves you with comfortable mini-conversation.
This ease of conversation is what allows community building. Instagram allows users to connect with people of similar interests, hobbies, or even target audiences without being overbearing or pushy. This is a key factor that plays into brand growth. When you start actively interacting with other users, it won’t be long before you see your page’s popularity increase.
So for those of you who don’t have an account set up for your business, blog, or brand, it is most definitely the time to change that! And here are a few simple tips to help you get your Instagram up and running and active.
1. Make sure that your bio and profile photo are the absolute best representation of your brand. If users find your page to look “sloppy” or ascetically unpleasing, they’re bound to move on quickly. Make your bio easy to read, and give your audience something to remember; maybe it’s a quote that’s driven your business’s success, or your company’s mission statement, or even just a simple, clean statement about your company. A quick tip to make it easier on the eyes is to write your bio in your smartphone’s notepad, then copy and paste it into the bio section. This allows you to “return” a line rather than having everything bunched together.
2. Post at the right time of the day. Think about your target audience and when they are most likely to check Instagram. Probably before and after work, during lunch, and before bed. Get in tune with their schedules and post when you think they’ll be looking. Also very important- don’t over-post. More than one picture in a six hour time span will annoy followers and probably lead to them unfollowing you at some point. One post every day is a fair amount; it will keep your followers engaged, but not annoy them.
3. ENGAGE. I don’t just mean liking picture after picture. Leave comments, and meaningful ones. Saying something like “looks awesome” wont intrigue the photo’s owner and therefor won’t entice them to give your page a look. By leaving relevant and meaningful comments on other user’s posts, you’re more likely to gain followers who are truly interested in what you’re doing. And don’t be afraid to comment back when people leave you comments. This is probably even more important. By responding when someone interacts with you, you’re letting them know that you’re interested and appreciate their acknowledgement.
4. Use photo editing apps. There are a million out there, and a ton of free ones. Using them to edit light, photo size, contrast, color, and even add words or graphics to your photos is more eye-catching to someone scrolling through their feed. Some of my favorites are VSCOcam, Instasize, and A Beautiful Mess. There are a bunch of other great ones out there; you just have to experiment and find what works best for your purposes.
5. Using hashtags is important, but overusing them can be detrimental. No one wants to see a hashtag paragraph while scrolling through their newsfeed. And anyone who stumbles on your account and sees your over-usage will catch on to the fact that you’re just looking for more followers and will move on from your page. It’s important to use only key hashtags; do a little research and see what is most relevant, or most searched for your product or brand. Using just a few, and mixing them up for each individual post will accomplish the same as using a giant paragraph full of useless tags.
Image Source:
SHUTTER STOCK
No comments:
Post a Comment