Top Tips for Instagram Success
They say Instagram is the "King of Engagement," and as a marketer, I have found that to be true. The same piece of content I put on Instagram will get 100 likes and 10 comments but on Facebook will yield about 3 likes and 1 comment (organically). Why? It's partially just the nature of the community of Instagram, but the reach is better as well. In my last several months using Instagram more seriously for my business, I have picked up some tips that have resulted in quick growth on my account.
Beautiful imagery
Your first step is to be choosy about what you post. Beautiful imagery is key, and curating a page that flows together is a plus. Unlike Facebook, people often do visit your profile page to see how everything looks together. I have chosen to highlight pink in my profile, so you will see a lot of pink flowing through to tie my posts together. Sometimes I will even post something that I just have to get out there, but will delete it later because it didn't match the entire page.
Hashtags
Using hashtags is the number one way my posts are seen. People search hashtags on Instagram more than any other platform, yes, even Twitter! You can use up to 30, which sounds obnoxious, but I always put my hashtags in the comment below the caption so it doesn't clutter up the caption. Try using hashtags that vary in their scope. For instance, #socialmedia is a huge category, but your post will get buried quickly, so you can add another hashtag for #sacramentosocialmedia, which is more niche, and you will be one of few posts out there when people search for it.
Comment and Like Regularly
As I mentioned, Instagram is the "King of Engagement." People LOVE when you like things and a comment is even better. When someone writes me a comment that truly applies to my post, I will surely follow them back. After you post something, go out to other pages (customer prospects, industry peers) and like and comment on their posts. You'll see your comments and likes grow quickly!
Use a Geotag
You'll notice under someone's user name on Instagram that it often includes their location. Adding your location boosts your reach in Instagram's new algorithm, and puts you in a geohub that users may search. Especially great for those of you in vacation destinations where people are searching places to go in a specific location!
To tag a location on Instagram:
Tap “Add Location”
Search for your location.
Select it and post the photo.
Those are my quick tips! Wishing you great success with Instagram. Please stop by @coreycwalker and give me a quick hello on Instagram!
