Instagram is the most happening social media platform for marketers with more than a billion smartphone-savvy, young, and affluent users and an engagement rate that leaves the rest of the players far behind. However, in recent times, marketers have been complaining of a drop in the engagement rate, possibly due to the change in the way the platform’s algorithm works. While Instagram will be constantly seeking to upgrade the user experience, marketers should not worry about temporary setbacks but instead focus on implementing their organic marketing campaigns in such a way that they continue to engage their audiences productively. Some tactics for 2021:
Post Engaging Content Consistently
Everyone knows that unless brands are active, they will fade from the memory of users and not able to attract followers or boost the rates of engagement. However, there is an open debate regarding how frequently brands should be posting on Instagram. According to experts, consistently posting once or twice every day is best for keeping your feed fresh and relevant while being able to attract the maximum number of views of your content. However, every marketer should experiment to find out how many posts work the best for him. You should also try to post at the times when your target audience is most active because otherwise, it is very likely that given the flood of posts in every user’s Instagram feed, he will miss it. Again, testing the response by posting at different times will give you an indication of the ideal posting times. The good thing is that you don’t have to be tied to your desk to keep posting manually at different times. You can use a post scheduling tool to line up your content in advance and post them at the specified times and dates.
Tell Stories Instead of Instructing
Even though Instagram is supposed to be a social media platform that inspires with visual content, many marketers forget this and try to engage customers with brand messaging that is mediocre at best. Rather than preaching what users should or should not do, brands should attempt to enthrall their audiences by telling stories using high-quality images, videos, and captions. Your audience is more likely to engage with you when they have an emotional connection with your posts. Of course, you can set the ball rolling by reserving a part of your marketing budget to buy likes for IG from real Instagram followers. If they believe what you are posting is true and relevant to them, they are also more likely to share the content with others. Sharing user-generated content that shows your brand in a good light can be a good element to introduce in your storytelling. According to experts, long captions are more authentic and lend credibility to brands in an environment that has been criticized for being very superficial. The easy way to make audiences connect with your content is to avoid posting product pictures to sell, rather, aim to deliver content about things and issues your audience truly cares about or solve their concerns using diverse content formats.
Ensure an Instagram Feed That Is Consistent Visually
Instagram is all about visual content that is relevant, entertaining, and aesthetically-pleasing. Even though the earlier popular style of visual perfection is going out of fashion on Instagram, users are still seeking visual content that pleases even if the focus is shifting towards authenticity and diverse perspectives. The earlier in-the-face visual perfection has given way to shots that are more candid and muted with a low-key style of editing infused with earthy tones. Another method in vogue to make the content look more appealing is to increase the brightness and reduce the color saturation without altering the colors themselves to arrive at a more natural look. Another style gathering popularity is a no-edit look. Regardless of what style you adopt, it is important to make consistent use of it so that your feed has a uniform look that supports your brand’s visual identity and appeals to your audience. To get the looks of your preference, you can use one of the several photo-editing apps available.
Use Hashtags Optimally
Using the right hashtags means the difference between your posts getting seen by your target audience and their passing by without getting noticed in the feed. Considering that more than 95 million posts are uploaded daily, the chances of your target audience getting to see the posts in their feeds are pretty remote. However, by using hashtags to search, they can see all posts, including yours, that use the same hashtags. The selection of the hashtag has to be done carefully because if you are too generic, your content will get included with millions of others and go unseen while if you are too specific, the search volume may be very low. Before using a hashtag, you should research it thoroughly. If you can find posts similar to your content that use it and get a lot of engagement, you should immediately adopt it. According to https://www.forbes.com, you should attempt to know the meaning of every hashtag before using them to prevent them from creating controversy or being offensive.
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The number of hashtags you use can also make a big difference to the visibility your content achieves and the engagement it generates. While Instagram permits a maximum of 30 hashtags to be used, you can make your post look cluttered and unprofessional if you do so. According to experts, you can get the best engagement by using around seven to eleven hashtags. Studying the hashtag use of your competitors and experimenting with their use with your content is the best way of finding out what works for you.
Conclusion
To attract the attention of your target audience on Instagram, you need to be posting engaging content and promoting them in such a way that they get the optimum chance of viewing them. Use hashtags strategically to boost the visibility of the content. Doing everything you can to build a strong brand will also help you to elevate your rate of engagement and establish a loyal community.
