With over one billion monthly active users, Instagram should not be overlooked as a marketing tool. Whether you are looking to enhance your personal brand or attract customers to your business, there are a few non-negotiable rules you must follow to reach new potential followers as well as to keep your current fans intereste
Post consistently
To reach new followers regularly, you should upload a new post at least 3-4 times a week. This will also ensure your current followers are reminded of your product or brand on a regular basis. However, do make sure not to overdo it with the number of posts as this could have a negative impact. As a rule of thumb, you should be safe with 3 to 8 posts per week.
Use the right hashtags
Using hashtags is essential in getting extra exposure on Instagram. In fact, posts with at least one hashtag receive over 12 percent more engagement on average. But, without the right hashtags for your content, you will not see the right results. Do your research on which hashtags your competitors within your niche are using. Aim for hashtags that are neither the most popular nor very unpopular. If you only use hashtags that are used hundreds of thousands of times daily, your post is highly likely to get lost in a sea of other posts, and if your hashtag is too niche or specific, you will not receive the traction you want.
Post at the right time
Instagram users are proven to engage more on weekdays than weekends, with Tuesday and Thursday showing as the most popular days. Therefore you should aim to post at these times rather than a Saturday evening when many users will be busy doing other things than scrolling. Take into account the time zone you want to reach and upload your posts during daytime or early evening in your area.
Stay within your niche
Many influencers and businesses fail to reach a dedicated following, simply due to not defining their own niche. Write down what the topic or aesthetic of your Instagram profile is, who you want to reach, and what you wish to convey through your images. Imagine who your individual followers are, and avoid posting anything that does not fit with your brand.
Interact with your potential followers
Instagram is all about give and take. When you yourself follow others, like and comment on their posts or even interact through direct message, you attract attention to your own Instagram.
Take advantage of stories
500 million people use Instagram Stories every single day, making them an invaluable channel for any brand. Stories are often used to post information that is only relevant for a short time or to post content that maybe doesn’t fit completely into the feed of your business.
Share your posts across platforms
While Instagram is perhaps the most helpful of all social media platforms for reaching an audience, combining it with other platforms will make for even bigger effects. Any post you share on Instagram can also be shared directly from Instagram to Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr, reaching even more potential followers.
