With the ever-increasing popularity of Instagram, the more opportunity you have as a business to utilize it for marketing. Of course, the more businesses doing this, the more competition you have, so you’ll need to be on top of your Instagram game in order to keep the picture looking pretty.
Although Instagram is functional and user friendly, there are hacks that are going to fast track you to marketing success, if you take a little time to understand them. With this in mind, we’ve listed a few simple ideas for you to get your Instagram account into tip-top shape.
As best online marketing agency in Marbella, we like to share a little of what we know to make our readers’ business lives run smoothly. Check out our Instagram Guide below to get the best out of your Instagram:
Use hashtags wisely
If starting a new business, use small hashtags to begin with (those with under 200 people using them) and as your business grows, you can use larger hashtags.
Ideally you will use around 30 hashtags per picture. Make 5 ‘tag bundles’ of 30 hashtags per bundle so that you can easily copy/paste them to similar content.
Hashtags do not have to relate directly to the picture, but to the type of audience you want to attract. So if you’re looking to draw in people who are interested in health products, tags like #healthyliving would work well. It helps to make sure a few of the hashtags are related to the actual picture, if possible.
Your hashtags bundles should be posted in the comments section of your picture, so as to boost your picture; just post 1 or 2 within the actual caption that you choose for the picture.
It’s all about the comments
Comments matter more than likes on Instagram. Ideally your picture will rank in the top 10 of the selection of pictures relating to that hashtag. This is why smaller hashtags are better to begin with, until your Instagram account grows in popularity.
Get a ‘comments pod’ going. A comment pod is a group of around 6 other businesses that help each other out on Instagram by commenting on each others’ pictures as soon as they are posted. Even just a bunch of emojis is really helpful in order to boost your picture in the ratings.
You agree to comment on and like their pictures, and they comment on and like yours in return. In order to keep this moving smoothly, a WhatsApp chat group is ideal. You can notify each other when pictures are posted ready for likes and comments.
It is important to engage your audience with interesting captions, and to make sure that you always respond to their comments.
Follow and unfollow strategically
Numbers matter on Instagram. Follow no more than 500 people, and try to follow as many accounts as you can that relate directly to the audience you want to target. This might include people in a certain area, accounts that focus on your industry or products, etc.
Some people start following accounts, then when those accounts follow them back, they unfollow them. Not the friendliest move, but the idea is that you aren’t following too many people, but have plenty of followers. It means a tidy news feed for one thing.
Choose your pictures (and topics) wisely
Post a picture every 4 or 5 days at least, to keep your account active and visible in people’s timelines.
Pictures should vary throughout the week so they aren’t all related to exactly the same topic, or you’ll start to lose people’s interest. Go with quotes, memes (if that’s your thing), industry-related images, images directly related to your business, products, or services. Infographics are good and visually impacting content is a must.
Choose all of your pictures, quotes and hashtag bundles at the start of the week, in an organised manner, so it is easier and faster to upload them each day.
Find out more Instagram tips and tricks here, and don’t forget that sometimes the best possible option is to hire yourself a competent team of marketing experts to take the weight off your mind, so that you can relax and get on with other pressing business issues.
Marketing in general can be time-consuming, and now that there are so many different social media platforms, marketing this way can take up more of your precious time than ever. If it makes the most sense to hire those in the know on IT solutions in Marbella, you’ve come to the right place.
Optimasit offer all-in-one marketing solutions that are designed to help you build your business without the stress. Talk to us now about how we can help.