Making The Most Out Of Instagram

When Instagram made changes to its algorithm in 2016 and no longer displayed posts in chronological order, businesses were concerned that their content would get lost. While users of the social media platform welcomed the change that meant that they could see more of what they cared about, businesses were obviously less enthusiastic.

Instagram’s algorithm now filters content based on a user’s previous behavior. So, as long as a user interacts with your content then they will see your posts, but in order to achieve this, brands need to find a way to increase engagement.   

Instagram is a powerful platform that offers digital businesses the opportunity to reach large audiences, and even though it is more difficult now to get noticed on Instagram, it is still worth it to try and make the most out of the platform.

Instagram is all about visual engagement, and according to research, visuals are a more retainable form of sharing information and news. People retain more of what they see which just confirms how important visuals really are.

Brands that create visually-appealing content often rely on Instagram to engage with their audience when blogging. Finding a way to break through Instagram’s algorithm and using it in your favor can help your brand push more sales. Luckily there are a number of ways that brands can increase their engagement.

Make use of Instagram stories

Firstly, a good place to start when trying to increase engagement is Instagram Stories. Instagram Stories is a feature that allows users to create and share content that disappears after 24 hours.

This has gained a lot of popularity with brands since it was first launched because brands can now share their day with Instagram users. Consistently posting interesting content (such as on a daily basis) can help increase your following as well as engagement. 

Make use of professionals

With Instagram being a visual platform, it is of the upmost importance that the images you post are of a high quality. It can be worthwhile for brands to hire professionals to take photos to ensure that the photos are always of a high quality and attractive for Instagram users.

If users like what they see, then it is very likely that they will want to see more and will engage with your content more. Never underestimate the power of good images, especially on a site that functions around images. 

Keep up with trends

This might be a bit easier said than done considering the rate at which trends change, but keeping up with trends can help you engage with your Instagram audience and stand out from the crowd. – Digital School of Marketing will help you keep up with these fast moving trends – check out their course offerings.

So many other brands have become successful by following trends and basing their content around these trends, so take tips from them and the way they have done things so that you can also make a success of it.

Make use of live streaming

Live streaming is currently a popular trend, and more and more brands are using it to increase their engagement. By engaging with a larger audience on Instagram, you encourage interaction and can boost yourself to the top of the news feed.

As long as you can engage with your followers, you can grow your brand. With video streaming being so popular, it is worth making the most of this trend.

Make use of hashtags

Instagram is the perfect platform to make use of hashtags. When a user clicks on a hashtag from a post they’re viewing, they’re taken to a page that shows more custom hashtags.

The user can then scroll through all the images that have been uploaded under that hashtag, find more images they like, and engage with more profiles. Using popular hashtags can help extend your brand’s reach by appealing to more users.

Share user-generated content

Various studies have shown that sharing user-generated content makes your brand more appealing because it ‘humanises’ your company. So, the more you share user-generated content, the more attention your followers will pay your brand because they can relate to you.

Make use of competitions

People love competitions and the prospect of winning something, so by introducing competitions that require users to interact with your brand in some way, you will get more users talking about your brand and a lot more engagement.

Conclusion

It has become so important for brands to find innovative ways to engage with followers, so while this list just gives a broad overview of some of these methods, it provides a good starting point for any brand looking to make the most out of this popular platform.

To Find out more about social media marketing or perhaps even to take an accredited course in the subject go to visit Digital School of Marketing Social media courses or Digital Marketing course. All courses are internationally accredited – making sure your certificate will go the extra mile!