Instagram is one of the most versatile social platforms out there currently. Next to Twitter, Instagram is also the best way to amplify your brand and grow your social presence thanks to the creative outlet it offers with its many features. Through stories, IGTV, videos, grid photos and highlights, the methods of sharing creative content puts all the control at your fingertips (literally) to construct the perfect image for your brand or digital identity. We’ve put together a few tips for improving your Instagram game to really elevate your online presence:
Hashtag Usage
The way you use hashtags can make or break a post. Instagram allows you to use up to 30 hashtags per post, so be strategic about the ones you use! Add a few to the actual post caption and put the remaining 25 or so in the first comment of the post. Be sure to add a few line breaks before the hashtags so Instagram will condense the caption. This keeps your post looking clean while allowing it to reach a wider audience because even though those hashtags are hidden, they are still searchable and connected with your photo.
Posting Frequency
A lot of times, this will vary based on your audience, but you should try to post 1-2 times a day. If you’re not using a scheduling tool, you can utilize Instagram’s insights tool to get an idea of what the ideal time would be for posting to capture the most engagement from your audience when you upload. By doing this, you are sharing content to the largest amount of your active audience at once, which increases the likelihood of higher engagement. It may take a while for the algorithm of it to adapt to your posting frequency, but once you get on a regular schedule, the suggested times will be much more dependable.
Engagement
Speaking of engagement, the way you use your profile for engagement purposes can have a huge effect on the success of your Instagram presence. While it is important to engage with the people who are interacting with your account through leaving comments and sending you direct messages, reaching out beyond your current following will help expand your reach. Engaging with posts from accounts within your industry and from people who are in your target audience helps to increase your presence within those categories, thus expanding your overall reach.
These three tips are great places to start if you’re struggling with getting your account/brand off the ground. You can also put these into action if you feel like you’ve reached a plateau with the performance of your account. Hashtags and posting times are ever-changing and it’s important to do a refresh of these every few weeks to keep your account and your relevance at the top of the social feeds.
Hear from VSSL Social Media Manager, Kayla Covert about ways to improve your Instagram by checking out her episode of Wayfarer Wisdom on our IGTV feed.
To view the entire Wayfarer Wisdom series, click here.