Instagram has changed the way we interact with each other, as well as how we consume and share content. With more than one billion monthly active users, Instagram is one of the most widely used social media platforms. And with such a massive audience comes a unique set of opportunities for brands, influencers, and individual users. Here are some tips that will help you engage better with your target audience on Instagram:
Find Your Unique Voice and Make Sure It Comes Across in Your Captions
As you start with Instagram, finding your unique voice and ensuring it comes across in your captions is essential. Your caption should be about something interesting to you, whether it’s a quote, an interesting fact, or a personal story. Don’t try to be someone else or try to fit into the mold of other accounts on Instagram — just be yourself! Showing off your personality will help people connect with you and want to come back for more.
Share New, Attractive, and Valuable Information
Posting new, engaging, and valuable information is a great way to get Instagram engagement. Make sure that the information you share is relevant to your audience, and use a variety of media formats (video, images) to share content. If possible, share useful or valuable content with your audience—that makes them interested in returning again and again. When posting on Instagram, make sure it’s also relevant to your brand!
This is the most important tip. If you don’t have a good image of your brand, no one will follow you. Ensure your profile picture is consistent with any other social media platforms you are active on (i.e., don’t use an old logo on Instagram).
Make sure that your profile picture is a good representation of your brand. If you are selling swimsuits, don’t use an image of yourself in a suit if you have never worn one before! This will make people skeptical about whether or not they can trust your product.
Post Consistently
Posting consistently is essential to keep your audience engaged, but there’s a fine line between posting too much and not enough.
The best way to do this is to post at least once daily, but no more than three times daily. Any more than three posts, and you may annoy followers; less than that, and you risk losing followers because they think your account has become inactive.
If you don’t post for a few days (for whatever reason), let them know what’s going on with an Instagram Story or in the comments of your latest post, so they know not to worry!
Choose Engaging Pictures and Videos That Tell a Story
Your Instagram feed is a visual representation of the stories you want to tell, so ensure that your pictures and videos are engaging. Choose images that tell a story, an idea of an event, or just a glimpse into your life. You can create a mini-series around different aspects of your day-to-day life by posting photos at certain times during the day with captions explaining what’s happening in each shot.
Some examples: “Waking up early,” “Getting ready for work,” and “Coffee break.” This can help you connect with people with similar schedules, so they feel like they’re part of something bigger than themselves — and maybe even inspire them to adopt new habits!
Use Hashtags Intelligently
One of the most common ways people engage with each other on Instagram is through hashtags. The more popular a hashtag is, the more likely it will get you new followers and likes because people following that topic will see your photos in their feed.
Use hashtags that are relevant to your content. If you’re posting photos of your dog, don’t use #fashion unless you’re also posting pictures of designer clothes for dogs or something similar.
Don’t just search for relevant hashtags—you’ll find tons already being used by thousands, if not millions of people (and probably not just from your target audience). Instead, try to find niche hashtags that aren’t being used as much but still have a high level of engagement among users who fit within your target market. Tags like these are harder to find because they’re less popular but can be very effective when paired with other techniques, such as boosting posts or targeting specific audiences with ads.
Partner With Other Instagram Influencers to Reach New Audiences and Gain Followers
You can partner with other Instagram influencers to reach new audiences and gain followers. You can collaborate with other Instagram influencers on a post or ask them to promote one of your posts. Collaboration is a great way to boost engagement and drive traffic to your account. When you work with another influencer, you can use hashtags relevant to the influencer you are partnering with, which will help bring more eyes to both accounts.
Use Relevant Calls to Action in Your Caption Copy
When posting on Instagram, make sure you have a call-to-action in your caption copy. You may be asking people to engage with your content in various ways: ask for feedback or comments, share the post with their friends, like the post and tag someone who would enjoy it. Make sure that whatever you’re asking for is relevant to the content of your post so that it makes sense within its context.
Encourage User-Generated Content From Followers
Instagram is a visual platform, so you must show off your followers’ photos and videos — not just your content. The best way to do this is by encouraging users to create content in videos or pictures. You can ask for user-generated content with hashtags like #IGers or #MyStoryIn5Words on nearly every Instagram post you publish (see our list above for more about using hashtags). You can also offer rewards for those who share their pictures or videos with you (e.g., gift cards, discounts at local businesses, etc.), encouraging more people to participate in the campaign!
The best part about encouraging user-generated content on Instagram? It’s free! Allowing others’ images into your feed will increase engagement because they are more likely to engage with the posts themselves than if only yours were shown on your account all day.”
Ask Questions in Your Captions
You can increase engagement by asking questions in your captions. This type of content is more engaging than a simple statement, as it encourages users to interact and share their stories.
- Ask open-ended questions
- Ask certain questions that require more than a yes or no response
- Ask questions that encourage people to respond
Asking an open-ended question in the caption of your post will encourage interaction with the content, which will help increase engagement with the post.
Respond to Comments, Direct Messages, and Mentions Regularly
Responding to comments, direct messages, and mentions increases your engagement.
Remembering to do this regularly can be challenging, but it’s a good idea. You might think that you don’t have time to respond to all of the comments on your posts, but it will make a difference in how people perceive you and your business. When someone takes the time out of their day and makes an effort to engage with you, give them the courtesy of responding!
If someone sends you a direct message either through Instagram or via email (if they send it privately), take advantage of those opportunities! This shows that you are accessible and willing to engage in conversation, which is what social media should all be about anyway, building relationships!
These Tips Will Help You Boost Instagram Engagement
Are you looking to jumpstart your Instagram engagement?
Instagram is an excellent platform for brands to connect with their audience and build their brand, but it’s not easy to build a following on your own. According to an article published by Adweek, some of the most popular brands post on Instagram every 12 hours—and they still struggle with gaining followers. That’s why we’ve put together this list of tips for boosting engagement on your Instagram account:
– Create an engaging bio – Post at least once a day, if not more often –
– Use hashtags: They’re your best bet for getting organic reach – Include links in your captions, but don’t overdo it—you want people to read the caption instead of immediately clicking away to another site.
– Make sure that your posts are high quality and attractive. Don’t just post pictures of products or text alone—add some context so people can see how they can benefit from what you’re selling.
Take Away:
We hope you’ve learned a lot from these Instagram engagement tips and are excited to implement them in your accounts. Remember that while there is no magic bullet, if you stay consistent and work hard, you will see results!
