Social media posting can feel like you are shouting into a void often. But, if you can stay consistent and build a strategy around these channels, they can be a very cost effective way to reach new and current customers to stay top of mind and increase sales. Beyond the three pillars that I’ve mentioned previously, there are specific things that you can do in each social media platform to improve your results. Let’s focus on Instagram today.
1. Identify Goals and Create a Strategy: Make sure that you set a clear goal for this channel and then determine your content strategy in the channel. Instagram is increasingly popular across the board and is a great place to get your message out there, but it needs to follow a strong plan in order to hit your goals. Having the content strategy in place will help you build quality content that resonates.
2. Engagement and Followers: Engagement is key gaining reach on this platform. Make sure that you spend some time to engage with comments on your posts and keep your followers coming back.
3. Video Content: Instagram is prioritizing video content over simple images these days. Mostly because videos get the most engagement on the platform. Next comes carrousels (multiple images/videos) and finally single pictures. Make sure that you are telling a story through these mediums.
4. Platform Features: features such as stories, reels, IGTV and shopping enhance visibility and engagement across the platform. Utilize them wisely for the biggest impact. Over 2.5 Billion people watch Instagram Reels per month. You can also share these on Facebook and repurpose them in YouTube shorts. Stay relevant and be authentic in these shorts to gain the most impact.
5.Learn the Algorithms: Algorithms may sound confusing and complicated, but they’re designed to enhance the experience of users on the platform. When you keep that in mind, you can create content that uses the algorithm to reach more people and generate more engagement. All of the Instagram Algorithms work on two main concepts: Personal User preference and showing content that keeps them engaged and returning. Play into that for more reach.
Instagram is a big platform, and there are many different ways that brands can use it to go about making their mark on the app. If you make it your goal to deliver excellence, value, and entertainment in your Instagram content, audiences will reward you by engaging with the content, returning to it and asking for more. They’ll share your content in DMs and Stories, in screenshots and reactions. Reward these kinds of engagements by lifting your audience up, making them the hero of the story, and your business will reap the rewards.