Did you know that Instagram has almost 170 million active users in the U.S.A.? That’s almost half of the entire American population actively using the app. It’s become clear that businesses can no longer shy away from developing their social media presences, and Instagram is a platform that many small businesses could afford to utilize better. With that in mind, here are a few best practices to refresh your Instagram:
Post Regularly
Aim to post 3-5 times a week to consistently reach your followers and to keep them engaged with your profile. It is important to adhere to a specific posting schedule, as this will make your brand feel stable in the minds of your followers.
Post Relevant Content
Keep the content you post relevant to your target audience to keep them engaged with your profile and to increase the chance they share your content with their own followers. This will organically increase your location's reach.
Use Instagram’s Story Feature
Instagram Stories are a fun way to engage with your audience on the platform. An Instagram Story is content that can be found on a user's profile for up to 24 hours.
Re-Share Content From Other Users
Posting 3-5 times a week, week after week, can grow wearisome. However, you can also reshare content from other users on your own page to help you keep up with the demand. Try encouraging your customers to post pictures on their Instagram and to tag your location in them, you can then repost that picture to your own Instagram’s Story. User-generated content like that typically performs very well, allowing the experience of one of your customers to speak for itself.
Promotional Giveaways
Promotional giveaways are great opportunities to showcase your brand to a larger audience. Running a giveaway on social media is a great way to get your content shared by your audience with their own followers - organically expanding your location's reach.
Boost Engagement with Follows, Likes, and Comments
When your followers interact with your posts, interact back by liking their comments or commenting back. You can also follow back certain users who really engage with your business, which will help you build a true community within your Instagram business page.
Use Hashtags
Hashtags are fun ways that brands can reach a larger audience. Hashtags turn topics on posts into clickable links; when people click on a hashtag or search for one, they’ll see all the topics containing that word or phrase. By using hashtags that are relevant to your audience when you post, you can expose your brand to more people - organically increasing your reach on social media.
Write Engaging Captions
The captions you write underneath the content you post gives your brand a voice. Use that voice to make your page feel fun and exciting while keeping your audience involved with your brand.
Promote Your Instagram
You should promote your Instagram or any other social accounts within your location to help grow your follower count. Try using indoor signage or table top tents to encourage your customers to follow you on social media.