1. It starts with the bio
Your Instagram bio is the first interaction Instagram users have with your brand. So, for your marketing strategy, make sure your Instagram bio stands out from the crowd. A fancy Instagram handle isn't enough. Your business profile must clearly and concisely state what your company does and include keywords relevant to your brand or industry. Pro tip: maximize the potential of your Instagram bio link by using a tool like LinkGallery to drive visitors to multiple destinations (like your website) through a single link.
2. Quality content creates good relationships
Instagram is ideal for addressing your target group on a personal level. Ideally, you will create lasting relationships with your dream customers, get to know their needs and problems, and find suitable solutions that you can wrap up in exciting content. Quality content generates the most valuable leads because they are based on an authentic connection. As Instagram is currently experimenting with hiding the actual number of likes, the importance of quality content is growing all the more. Likes no longer show how the success of good content is measured.
Rather, honest comments and the number of times a post is shared gain in value. However, the best measure of success is the memory function, because it suggests special appreciation for a post and is classified as relevant. Always remember: for a successful Instagram strategy, it is always better to post a few high-quality images per week than a lot of low-quality content. Use Instagram analytics to see which trending and top posts are resonating with your audience and the Instagram algorithm.
3. The importance of captions
What began as a photo medium has long since established itself as a platform for micro-blogging. For a successful Instagram marketing strategy, high-quality photos and professional graphics are just as important as appropriate, cleverly formulated texts. When developing an Instagram strategy for your business, good captions are essential. On the one hand, these should provide your followers with real added value and, on the other hand, help you to get more involved. The more engaged your community is, the more likely the algorithm will reward you with more reach. A caption can be a maximum of 2,200 characters long and thus offers enough space without straining the attention of your community. Digital storytelling works best when credibility and tension trigger pure emotions.
Pro tip: to make longer stories visually compelling, you can use the carousel feature and split your content across multiple slides. For a successful caption, follow the KISS principle (keep it short and simple) and your Instagram strategy will work.
4. Show emotion and authenticity
No matter how pristine the photos on your Instagram feed are, if there's no human behind them with a real personality, your followers won't engage in dialogue - rightly so, after all, nobody likes talking to a robot. As a company, dare to express your opinion and show your attitude. Always focus on the values that define you as a brand and regard them as the common thread of your communication strategy. Only through authenticity build trust and make your community feel understood. It doesn't matter if you have 500 followers or 500,000, staying true and authentic to your brand will resonate with your audience and help you grow.
5. Respect community guidelines
Whether you're posting to Feed, Reels, or Stories, Instagram's algorithms limit the viewability of content that violates the app's Community Guidelines. If you share false information, political posts, potentially disturbing or sensitive content, or even just low-resolution media, your content may be less widely shared and you may be shadowbanned. After all, an Instagram strategy is also successful because it sticks to the rules of the game.
6. Use of Video Content
The success of TikTok has proven once again the potential of creating professional videos. It is not for nothing that Instagram followed suit in August 2020 with the “Reels” feature. Reels are 15- to 90-second videos that you can edit with augmented reality and other creative tools and share to Instagram Stories, your feed, and the Explore Page. The aim of video content is to grab the attention of your followers and keep them for as long as possible. Instagram is always coming up with new, more creative ways to entertain the community.
As a company, you can, for example, shoot a short "behind-the-scenes" video with reels or create your own AR filter and thus encourage your followers to participate. The biggest advantage of reels: placed on the Explore page, your reels can be seen not only by your followers but by all Instagram users - this takes your Instagram strategy to the next level.
7. Get more engagement with stickers
Engagement is a key indicator for the Instagram algorithm. Are you dissatisfied with your engagement rate? Sometimes it is enough to use a simple sticker to generate more interaction and make your Instagram strategy more successful. On Instagram Stories, question stickers, emoji sliders, and polls open up direct ways to ask your fans and followers to get involved. Posts can also encourage conversation by asking questions or encouraging comments directly in the caption (or in the image or video itself).
8. Engagement with others
With all self-expression, one should not forget that Instagram is a social media platform where you can meet new people and communicate. So start liking other pictures that relate to your range of topics and look for people who can talk about it and become multipliers of your topics. Leave your comments under other posts or share your own opinion on this topic. Your own comments and the messages in your DM inbox should not go unanswered either. Pro tip: if you don't want to miss a comment on your profile, make sure you have notifications turned on.
9. Use Instagram Shopping
2020 was a record year for online trading, and not only because of the coronavirus pandemic. As early as 2019, a study by Facebook found that 70% of shoppers found their products via Instagram. Product-based companies should therefore definitely use Instagram's shopping function. Experts also expect the area of e-commerce on the platform to be further expanded in 2021. Instagram already offers entrepreneurs the opportunity to set up their own online shop and generate direct sales of the products - and without having to steer their dream customers away from their favorite platform, that's how effective Instagram marketing works.
10. Influencer marketing via stories
According to Instagram Marketing Software Later, influencer marketing is expected to generate a whopping $15 billion in revenue by 2022. Live streaming is expected to reach $500 billion by 2023. Anyone who enters into cooperation with influencers should have a feeling for the compatibility of the brand ambassador with their own brand. The channel on which influencers show paid content is also crucial. Although it was launched four years ago, the story function for influencers is still the most used feature.
Regular posts in the feed are often not seen by the target audience and are accordingly used less by influencers. 88% of influencers regularly publish their content via stories and the trend continues. From a company's point of view, it is therefore advisable not only to carefully curate the messenger and the message but also to use the medium with the greater reach.
Conclusion
Take your chance now to jump on the Instagram train and create a successful brand presence. As long as you are consistent with your Instagram strategy and communicate authentically, success is on your side. By the way: a business profile is free and can be installed within minutes. Read more stories
