5 Strategies for Boosting Engagement on Instagram
A recent update of the Instagram feed ranking worried marketing specialists. A direct chronological order will be replaced by an algorithm similar to Facebook that takes into account many social signals, including the commitment and the previous tastes to predict the “relevance” of the publications.
While the movement evoked different feelings, the fact is that the algorithm change is not enviable and marketing specialists will have to adapt. To truly take advantage of the new algorithm for your own benefit, you must publish content that consistently generates high levels of interaction.
The first step in identifying such content is to make sure you know and understand your audience. Who are they? What do they like? What do they dislike? What are your aspirations and lifestyle? What about content preferences? You will have to answer all these questions to really discover what content will generate likes and comments.
The next step in developing your Instagram strategy is to think about the value that your content provides. Sure, beautiful images are elegant, but they have to evoke emotional responses and provide some kind of value. Let’s examine some amazing examples of carefully crafted Instagram strategies that work.
1. Provide inspiration
People love to be inspired. The inspiration lies behind all the great things and inventions. The foundr digital magazine understands this.
The founder’s audience is made up of young entrepreneurs, promoters and agitators. Naturally, it makes sense that Foundr tries to provide inspiration through success stories, interviews and excellent quotes that push his audience to move forward and pursue their dreams.
This strategy has definitely worked for the publication. When it comes to Instagram marketing, they are a recognized authority. His fan base of nearly 700,000 followers is proof that Foundr “gets them”.
One strategy that anyone can borrow from Foundr is to include a call to action in each publication they share. It can be something as simple as “double tap if you agree,” or “tag your friends,” or “let us know what you think.” This simple but powerful strategy increases commitment because you request it directly.
2. Produce stunning visuals
It would be difficult to find a more visual network than Instagram. Not surprisingly, his images have to be up to par. While the platform is predominantly mobile, grainy or dark images on your phone will no longer cut it.
Check out National Geographic, a master in weaving an incredible collection of photos with beautiful stories.
You probably don’t have hundreds of National Geographic photographers in your company’s staff, but with a little diligence, you can also create a beautiful visual history of your brand.
Thanks to technological advances, phonography (smartphone photography) has made surprising advances. People create amazing images with their smartphones and a little help from photo editing applications and smartphone lenses. If you are not a phonograph, you can still create excellent images with a camera or a computer and download them to your phone for use on Instagram.
3. Make the content “Snackable”
Disclaimer: Skip this section if you have not yet had lunch. Even then, the author is not responsible for drooling all over his computer.
On Instagram, you have an instant to impress. It has an image and a title to capture the attention of your audience before they advance. It is crucial, then, to ensure that your content is “small” and fun.
It would be easy for any retailer to take a picture of their products, place a large sales poster and upload the resulting graphic to their feed. However, Whole Foods Market has found a way to make your photo collection incredibly attractive both visually and contextually. Delicious images are combined with quick and easy recipes (who doesn’t love them?), Which makes their content not only beautiful but also actionable.
4. Create a sense of immediacy
Instagram has a feeling of immediacy, of being in the moment with a content creator. While beautiful sunsets and shoe images give the feeling of being there, they may not work as well for businesses. However, what does work are the moments behind the scenes, the advances and the daily scenes.
One of the most prominent marketing specialists, Gary Vaynerchuk, knows one or two things about creating that sense of immediacy. Every day, Gary Vee shares small fragments of his life with his followers and, sometimes, he can’t be much more intimate. If a billionaire and one of the most recognized faces in the industry can be personal and create a sense of spontaneity in their updates, you can also do it.
5. Commit to storytelling
Although images are the main driving force behind Instagram, don’t forget to create meaningful subtitles. Often, those subtitles will add substantial value, context and power to your visual narration.
Take the humans of New York, for example. The images of normal people, not celebrities, get thousands of likes and comments because the subtitles of these images tell powerful stories. I do not want to degrade the quality or ability of these powerful portraits, but I would say that it is the stories that accompany each image that have such a profound effect on the followers.
These are some of the best and most effective strategies when it comes to Instagram participation. Participation is always the key to success in social networks, but with the launch of the latest Instagram algorithm, now is the time to focus on creating an outstanding brand experience for boosting engagement on Instagram.
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