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By Robert Drazen on Jan 24, 2024
Instagram is a powerful social media network for many businesses both B2C and B2B. But to market effectively on Instagram, you must gain legitimate Instagram followers who are interested in what you have to sell.
Why Instagram?
But there is a whole lot of competition to get in front of your desired Instagram audience. Once someone follows you, at least some of your content will be sent their way. The algorithm may also send your content to some of their friends, particularly if they interact with it. Hopefully some of your audience members will share some of your posts from time to time.
You want to gain your first 1,000 followers as quickly as possible and keep building from there. Following are some of the most important guidelines for gaining and keeping Instagram followers who will engage and buy from your business.
You can’t just jump into marketing on Instagram or anywhere else for that matter. You won’t go anywhere if you don’t first pinpoint and understand your audience. Identify their interests, behaviors and preferences.
Tools such as Instagram Insights provide valuable data on follower demographics and engagement patterns. Tailoring your content to resonate with your audience increases the likelihood of gaining followers who are genuinely interested.
Before you start posting, you need to create a profile that tells your audience who you are. In almost all cases, you will want to use your logo as your profile picture. You will also need to write a compelling description that explains what your business does. Don’t forget a link to your website!
A well-optimized profile can significantly increase the likelihood of visitors hitting the follow button. When people see a post that resonates with them, they are likely to check out your profile before they follow.
You have a lot of competition on Instagram. You don’t stand a chance of attracting an audience without high-quality, visually appealing images and videos and appealing messages.
So plan your content. Post educational content about your industry that is valuable to your audience. Offer testimonials and success stories. Don’t just talk about your brand; tell stories about it. Publish behind-the-scenes videos. Encourage user-generated content with contests.
Instagram Stories and Reels offer dynamic ways to engage with your audience. Stories, with their 24-hour lifespan, are perfect for sharing quick updates, polls or Q&A sessions.
Reels, on the other hand, allow for creative, short-form video content that can go viral and reach a broader audience. You have the choice whether or not to include each Reel in your account’s feed.
Go live on Instagram to interact in real-time with your audience. Use tlive sessions to showcase new products, conduct Q&A sessions and give a behind-the-scenes looks at your business. Live sessions are as close as you are going to get to talking in person with your audience. It’s up front and personal.
Don’t just post whenever you feel like it. Plan and maintain a consistent posting schedule. It not only keeps your current followers engaged but also increases the visibility of your account to potential new followers. Use scheduling tools to plan and post content regularly.
How often should you post? At least a couple times a week, but if you can, post close to every day. You will never gain a significant amount of Instagram followers if you don’t post consistently.
Hashtags and geotags can greatly increase your visibility on Instagram. Using relevant hashtags can expose your content to a wider audience resulting in an increase in Instagram followers. Research and use a mix of popular and niche hashtags specific to your business.
And don’t neglect geotags. Geotags are particularly effective for local businesses looking to attract a local following.
If you are on Instagram at all, you have probably been approached by companies offering to supply you with tons of followers instantly. Don’t do this. To get real, legitimate followers, you need to do the work.
Fake followers don’t engage. They don’t share your content. They don’t buy from you. When followers are fake, it can be obvious to your real audience and discourage them from following you. Be authentic.
Collaborations with influencers and other brands can significantly boost your follower count. Partnering with influencers who have a substantial following in your industry can provide access to a new audience.
You can partner with effective influencers affordably. When looking for influencers, look for those who are known in your industry or region. You don’t need to partner with major national celebrities in order to boost your Instagram followers.
Similarly, collaborating with complementary brands can lead to cross-promotion opportunities.
Contests and giveaways are excellent strategies to increase your Instagram followers. They encourage existing followers to engage with your content and often require participants to follow your account. Ensure your giveaways are relevant to your brand and valuable to your target audience.
Engagement is a two-way street on Instagram. Regularly interacting with your followers through comments. Engage in conversations on other relevant accounts. Responding to comments and messages shows that your brand values its followers and helps build community.
While organic growth is important, Instagram’s paid advertising options can help you reach your desired audience quickly. Targeted ads can reach a specific audience demographic, increasing the likelihood of gaining followers interested in your business. Experiment with different ad formats and targeting options to see what works best for your brand. Most businesses will want to use a mix of organic and paid advertising on Instagram and other social media networks.
Monitoring your account’s performance is crucial in understanding what works and what doesn’t. Use Instagram’s analytics tools to track follower growth, engagement rates and the performance of different content types. This data can inform your future content and strategy decisions.
Be sure to add a linked Instagram icon as well as other social media icons to your website and your marketing materials. Also place links to your Instagram on your other social media pages such as your Facebook page. Inform your website audience when you are planning live Instagram events.
If you want help organically growing your Instagram followers and developing your social media presence overall, schedule a free consultation with an Umbrella Local Expert by going to the Umbrella Local website or calling (646)440-1426.
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