- Plan Out Your Content Strategy
You probably already know it’s not enough to post a few photos or videos and wait for the audience to come rushing in. Instead, you have to build a content strategy just like you would for any other marketing campaign.
Here are a few specific guidelines for Instagram:
- Research the bests posts in your industry and track your competitors. Find 5-10 competitors (such as similar brands) and document their top posts within the last few months. Mark all commonalities: product-related, bright colors, photos of people, and other themes, and see what works. You don’t just want to copy other accounts, but this will help you get a pulse on what’s grabbing attention in your niche.
- Start building a plethora of content around a similar theme or idea. You’ll get greater consistency in your quality and message by planning out enough posts that could provide at least a month or two of content. Adjust them to your social media calendar and ensure each post has a consistent vibe.
- Try to be as unique as possible with your content. While that’s easier said than done, a creative play on Instagram works and there are plenty of reliable ways to get inspiration for Instagram post ideas. Whether it’s the endless table by Reynolds Wrap or the consistent bright color theme of Bioré, themes work.
- Use Branded Hashtags
As a brand on social, you need some form of marketability. It’s a thin line between being promotional and resourceful. According to our 2016 Sprout Social Q3 Index, 57% of users unfollow brands on social because they’re too promotional.
To avoid being overly promotional but still market your brand, consider branded Instagram hashtags. An important stat to know is seven out of 10 hashtags on Instagram are branded. This means your hashtag has to be unique, memorable, and engaging.
For example, Thrive Market uses the hashtag #letsthrive to promote user-generated content on Instagram. The hashtags work as a source of interaction between the brand and users. Instead of a promotion, you’re simply highlighting your users.
- Have a Call to Action
Here’s a question every company should ask itself about its Instagram strategy–what drives users to follow and engage with your brand? Like we mentioned before, having gorgeous photos certainly helps attract users. However, how will your audience know what the next step is if you don’t have an appropriate call to action?
Instagram captions are essential for a successful account. They give your audience everything from context for your products and services to essential calls to action to drive conversion forward. For example, Bucketfeet, a shoe manufacturer, uses Instagram captions to highlight collaborations and new or limited designs.
Don’t Forget Your Link
Instagram is unique because it allows only one link located in the user bio. It’s a common practice for your captions to lead viewers to the link in your Instagram bio. That’s why your link should be as relevant and fresh as possible.
It’s a very common best practice to link to a custom Instagram landing page, which typically features a lot of easy-to-find links to recent content, products, or services mentioned in your feed. You can use an Instagram-specific page builder or create and update your own–either way, you’ll ensure users have access to a plethora of highly relevant content that lines up with what they’ve seen in your recent posts and moves them into your marketing funnel effectively.
- Engage With Instagram Users
If you’re relatively new to building your brand on Instagram, it’s essential to take small steps toward building engagement. However, smaller brands can start following their fans or those considered “power users.”
At the same time, use your space to engage with users and follow them if they produce content relevant to your industry. Urban Outfitters regularly posts user-generated content from artists, photographers, and collaborating designers.
According to our Sprout Social 2016 Q2 Index, one in three users will go to a competitor if they’re ignored on social. This should mean everything to your business on Instagram. Unanswered questions leave a bad taste in people’s mouths.
So make sure you’re willing to put in the effort to respond to those in need. If you want recommendations and good reviews, be ready to use Instagram as a source of information and connectivity.