Use Different Content Formats
Using different formats on Instagram such as stories, reels, photos and even live videos are a great way to engage your audience for longer. Going live can be the most daunting of the group, but it can be a fantastic way to interact with your audience and be more authentic. Authenticity is loved by audiences, so don’t be afraid to show this authentic side. For instance, you can showcase behind-the-scenes footage, host a Q&A session or just have a general catch up. Surprisingly, carousel posts have the highest engagement rate. So it’s always a good idea for a post to contain multiple different media forms in one. This will give you a high-impact post.
Quality over Quantity
The more you post, the more opportunity there is for audiences to comment, like and share. However, keep in mind that there is a thing as too much. Some may say posting one to three times a day is good, whilst others four to six times a week. It all depends on your audience and what works for you. Just remember to post high quality photos and videos with meaning, rather than spam content which will only cause your following rate to decline. Going back to our first tip, it is a good idea to mix and match the content you post each day. So, be strategic and not oversaturate your audience with the same material.
Write Strong and Catchy Captions
Always include captions, because after the post the caption is the second thing an individual will see. And in a sea of posts, it is usually the cool and witty captions which gain the most engagement first. Whether the caption is short or long, make sure they are informative, and fun for your audience. There are many different directions you can take with captions. For instance you can tag people, ask questions, and encourage your audience to comment by starting a conversation. You can even make your audience aware of competitions, and/or discount codes you have available.
Use Relevant Hashtags
Hashtags are one of the most important parts of getting your content seen by people who don’t follow you. If used strategically, hashtags can help boost your content and gain additional likes. It is important for growing your platform, especially if you are new to Instagram. Whilst Instagram allows up to 30 hashtags within a post, it doesn’t mean you should use all 30 on every post. Sometimes having too many can make your content look spammy. So it is a good idea to use the right and relevant hashtags to attract a genuine audience. Do a bit of research and see what popular hashtags come up. A good tip for businesses and influencers is to use a mixture of brand, product category and location-specific keyword hashtags. You can also use hashtags within stories, which we encourage you to take advantage of.
