INSTAGRAM Strategies For Beginners

There are plenty of social media platforms to choose from, but Instagram reigns king. The app is currently ranked #2 on the iTunes store and has over 1 billion users worldwide. Everyone from beauty bloggers to celebrities share their posts with fans, some of who may be following them for years or just a few days. No matter where you are on the spectrum, this guide will help you set up your account and begin following great influencers to learn more about their craft.

Photo by Solen Feyissa on Unsplash

Note: This article was originally posted on Instagram Marketing Hub, a site that explores social media marketing.

Instagram is the ideal channel for businesses in many ways. Users are generally relatively young, making it very important for brands targeting Millennials or Gen-Z to have an active presence on the platform. Instagram has a way of attracting highly engaged users, and the search algorithm even works pretty well on the platform. Instagram is like a mini version of Facebook, with users able to follow companies and industry leaders with large followings.

The power of imagery can be seen in every aspect of Instagram, including your posts. So it’s no surprise that Instagram is the most visual of all social media platforms, so it’s even more important that you tailor your images to the platform. This guide covers how to create the best images, which ones work best, and all of the ways you can use Instagram to attract new clients.

Setting Up Your Profile

The first thing you need to do is head over to instagram.com and make an account. Next, you must put in your email address and create a password. Next, you must agree to the terms and conditions very similar to those of other social media sites. Once you have completed these steps, save the information you have entered so you can log back in later.

Now that your Instagram profile is set up, it’s time to start following some industry influencers. Instagram has roughly 500 million users worldwide, so there is no shortage of people who appeal to businesses looking for more exposure. The types of followers you seek will be based on your intentions for using Instagram.

For example, if your goal is to sell more products or build a business following, then influencers with thousands of followers may not be the best fit. Your followers must also be interested in your industry if you want to generate leads and gain traction. Social media marketers who follow business-oriented accounts and brands will see their posts appear in the feed when they search for specific keywords. What types of accounts should you follow? Thousands of celebrities, brands, and companies have active Instagram accounts you can engage with. The only thing you need to keep in mind is that some users have public and private accounts. A public account is open to the public, so anyone who follows the account will see all of the posts. A private account is only accessible to followers or whoever has been added as a friend. Once you have followed a few accounts, you can begin searching for content to follow. You can perform this search on any of the options listed below:

Photo by Karsten Winegeart on Unsplash

Search Instagram: By typing in “#instagram” or “@instagram” and then selecting the option that says “Followers,” you will find an account with a lot of followers. You should note the number of followers to know where in your industry you fall compared to influencers with more personalized followings. 

Next, search Brands: Similar to searching for individuals, you can look up brands in the search bar. This will bring up every account associated with the selected brand.

Search Keywords: You can type in a few keywords related to your industry and scroll through all of the posts on Instagram related to your targeted keywords.

Best Practices for Creating Images on Instagram

It’s important to know what images work and don’t work when creating posts, especially if you have a small number of followers. The best practices for creating images on Instagram include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Use simple and unique images. You don’t necessarily need to be creative, but try thinking outside the box regarding your pictures. The images you share should have a sense of mystery and uniqueness to them so that people will want to click on them. 

• Pick a unique filter to edit your images in. This can help make your pictures stand out and grab attention. You can also create animations in the same way you would on Vine.

• Use hashtags when sharing photos. Using a hashtag relevant to your business and the industry you are promoting is best. Also, be sure not to overuse them with other accounts or brands, as they will be seen as spammy. 

• Use a photo gallery. If you have a lot of images, try creating a photo album to share. Doing so will also help you in the future when you are trying to organize all of your marketing assets. The image gallery is also best for sharing behind-the-scenes images or one from a shoot that you want to highlight.

The Impact of Video / Reels on Instagram

Videos work very well on Instagram, giving businesses more opportunities to attract followers and spread the word about their business or product. There is a reason why Instagram is the most visual social media platform because of the emphasis put on the actual images and videos being shared. The impact of reels on Instagram can be measured in engagement, page views, and followers.

Engagement is a huge part of your image’s success. Instagram is a visual platform, so your images aren’t received well if nobody sees them. This is where videos do well. When crafting your video, make it attractive for people to keep watching. Creating a video to educate or sell should be engaging and have that magical “wow” factor that keeps people coming back for more. Instagram is also an excellent platform for building an audience, so it’s important to find a way to keep users captivated. If you can get people to stay on your page for more than one minute, you really have them hooked.

Instagram Story Tips and Tricks

Another great way to build followers on Instagram is through stories. Similar to Snapchat, Instagram stories allow users (and brands) an opportunity to showcase their brand in fun and interestingly. In addition, Instagram stories are more popular than Snapchat, making it an even better way to build a large following and get your brand discovered.

Instagram stories aim to classify yourself as a person, or rather, as a human. You can do this by sharing anything that relates to you. For example, you can speak directly to the camera and tell viewers what’s happening in your life. You can also take images or video clips and make them into animated GIFs, which is something people love seeing on Instagram. Here are some tips and tricks to improve your Instagram story and get more followers: 

• Encourage people to ask questions. You want viewers to feel involved in the story, so when they ask a question, take the time (to the best of your ability) to answer them. You can even use this as an opportunity for promotion. 

• Use a lot of GIFs, pictures, and videos. The point is to make it as visual as possible, so people aren’t just staring at the text but actually getting entertained. 

• Check in from time to time. It’s a great way to show your audience that you’re active and care about the brand. By doing this, you create a more personal feel for the brand.

• Take it a step further by adding other Instagrammers and influencers to your story through hashtags, encouraging them to comment on your post. This will help broaden the reach of your content and increase engagement. Drive Engagement on Instagram

Engagement on Instagram is also a great way to build your following and drive traffic to your website. To keep your audience engaged in the conversation, consider adding a #hashtag to relevant posts. You can also use hashtags when creating images or videos. You can use hashtags within the pictures you post and in the caption of those pictures. They can be used to drive traffic to other social media platforms, such as Facebook or Twitter, where you have a more established following.

I hope this post was helpful for you that decided to start with Instagram!

See you next week