5 Tips To Use The Instagram Algorithm To Your Advantage.
Are you a lover or a fighter of the Instagram algorithm?
Businesses see the Instagram algorithm as something to outsmart instead of something to use to their advantage. Wherever you fall on that debate, here are 5 Instagram Tips you that you can use to see incredible growth in your business starting TODAY.
1. Create Purpose-Driven Content.
There’s an old adage that says, you get out what you put in.
If you put in almost no effort when creating your content, you not likely to see much return. The key is to have a strategy before creating any content. Don’t just simply churn out content for content’s sake.
Create content with a specific purpose and this purpose needs to be defined. Ask yourself if you are creating content to boost brand awareness, generate leads, or convert users, attract past customers, or improve search ranking results or something else altogether. Whatever that goal might be you need to create content that serves someone and gives value to your audience.
It’s important to have a content marketing strategy.
Having a content marketing strategy will make certain that you create meaningful, engaging, and sustainable content that attracts your target customers. When creating your strategy, it’s very important to be clear about:
- Who you’re creating this content for (know your specific target audience)
- Why you want to create particular content (what customer pain points are you solving)
- What differentials your content from your competitors (know your industry)
- Where will your content be published (what channels/platforms do your audience use)
- How will you measure your success (knowing what goals you are working toward)
By answering these questions, you’ll be able to create a targeted content strategy that will help you to connect with your audience, also raise awareness of your brand and subsequently convert leads to your customers.
2. Post More.
This is simple math. The more you post the more you grow. Post consistently, 2- 3 times per day. But before you start creating content, you’ve got to sit down and develop a content calendar and plan out your content for all platforms for
a month. Having a content calendar can make a massive impact on both your marketing and your brand.
Your content calendar could be really simple, like an Excel spreadsheet or a Google document or a handwritten desk planner.
So what is a Content Calendar?
A content calendar is a calendar that helps you plan and organize the content you create for your business. It will have details of what content you produce and for whom, what platforms you will share your content on and it’s over a set period of time. Content can be blogs, articles, social media posts, and videos, etc.
In its simplest form, a content calendar will help you to:
- Never miss important marketing dates. One of the key things a content calendar needs to have is special dates that matter to your business—holidays, events, product launches, campaigns, and more. This allows you to plan content for those dates and ensure that you don’t end up scrambling.
- Stay organized. A content calendar will help keep your publishing schedule organized. I know, I know. Obviously, right? But you’d be surprised, despite this very clear benefit many brands still fail to use a content calendar.
- Staying organized not only means you remember important dates, but it also means that you know what you’re publishing, where, and when. Don’t belittle the impact this kind of planning can have on the efficiency of your social media marketing plan. In addition, a content calendar helps you establish a regular stride for each of your social channels and stick to it
- Save time and energy. The inherent organization of content calendars fosters efficiency. Planning content ahead, knowing when you’re promoting products when you’re pushing new content, and when you’re sharing items from other businesses will save you time in the long run.
- Allocate resources effectively. This makes it easier to work with a team. Whether you’re sharing information with your partner or updating your team, this calendar serves as the single source of truth for what’s being published and when.
- Give you an overview of all your content.
- Improve traction and interactions on your website and social media accounts.
- Help to position your brand as a thought leader.
- If you can’t plan out content for 30 days straight, try planning for 7 days.
3. Become Part of the Instagram Community.
Growing a community isn’t all about the number. It’s good to always look for opportunities to grow your following, but the major thing is to help our community grow in strength as well.
So how do we help strengthen our communities?
We need to nurture them! We can do this by continuing to
- Develop already existing relationships, helping out when we are able,
- Maintaining space for authentic conversation to take place, and
- Providing an environment that encourages members to engage with one another.
Also, don’t just post and leave the platform until the next time you need to post.
Make sure you’re an active part of the community you’re trying to create by responding to comments, engaging in other accounts in your niche without being spammy, and always providing value.
On Instagram, you can locate these like-minded people by searching for hashtags relevant to your niche. For example, a perfume company might search for content with the hashtag #perfumelovers, and you can connect with them by commenting on their photos.
Also publishing your content with hashtags increases your reach capacity for prospective members of that community to see your post. So if you are a cake maker in Lagos, you can aim at cake-lovers who are searching for images under the #CakeLoversinLagos hashtag.
4. Do More Instagram Stories.
The cat is out of the bag that Stories are a big deal on
Instagram, but the fact that over 400 million people use Stories daily may come
as a shock to anyone who hasn’t been using it as they should.
Stories are one of the MOST POWERFUL features
on Instagram. It’s the easiest way to engage your current audience, big or
small, and even monetize it.
You are allowed to create a feed of sequential content that disappears in 24 hours after you posted. If used strategically there of great benefit, so to help you get your mind around why you need them we’re explaining our top 5 reasons why Instagram Stories need to be a part of your Instagram Strategy.
- Instagram Stories are Discoverable: Your stories last for 24hrs, however, it’s not only those who follow you who will see them, in fact, the same way you see some accounts you’re not used to in your stories feed, but that’s also the same way other users will see yours! A great opportunity to create new raving fans!
- Adding hashtags to Instagram Stories: You can add hashtags to your IG stories! When someone is doing a search through a hashtag, if you are using that hashtag in your stories your Instagram stories will appear at the top of the feed, making you even more discoverable!
- Include an outbound Link: This is only possible for those that have more than 10,000+ followers, there’s a ‘swipe up’ option inside your Instagram Stories that allows you add a link (for example, you can send someone directly to your website, landing page for a particular offer, to shop item or your blog article!)
- Grow your community: When you tag other users in your Instagram Stories it makes them feel valued, which will, in turn, strengthens your relationships and can start new ones!
- Promote Exclusivity: By showing people ‘what you’re working on’, and giving them ‘sneak peaks’ of what’s happening behind the scenes shots gives a sense of exclusivity. You’ll also be creating a bit of hype behind what you’re working on.
There are so many things you can do with Instagram stories to keep your audience engaged. But here are 5 types of Stories you should try out
- Share user-generated content.
- Share How-To’s and Tutorials
- Get Feedback with the Question Stickers and Polls
- Share Behind-the-Scenes Stories
- Time-Sensitive Offers, Promos and Deals
5. Use Your Instagram Direct Messages or DMs.
This is another powerful tool Instagram has that allows you to make money from it, even if you have a really small following, but at the same time, it is the most underutilized resource.
It doesn’t matter you run a small business or simply manage your company’s Instagram account, it’s so easy to communicate with your customers and followers through Instagram Direct which makes Instagram messages one of the go-to methods to effectively communicate online.
Instagram DMs allow you to send messages, pictures, and videos privately to any user on Instagram, whether they follow you or not.
For an average Instagram user, this helps facilitate relationships and makes ongoing conversations with friends and brands easier. It also gives businesses the opportunity to network and connect directly with potential customers.
However, if you misuse it and don’t think through your DM marketing strategy it’s a sure way to get your account suspended. That’s why it is necessary to build a relationship with your potential client before approaching them. You have to bring them value first before selling to them, otherwise, you will be more vexing than helpful when you send out messages offering your product or service.
You need to start developing the connection by engaging with your ideal client’s post or post of influencers in your niche that has your target audience. ‘Like’ and reply to comments that the prospective audience leaves on your posts, and also leave your own 2 cents on their content.
A major key to succeeding with your Instagram DM Marketing is to make sure your own Instagram content is done well. Think of your feed as your portfolio that a prospective client will check out before making a decision to do business with you. For example, you can’t just DM an account and tell them that you want to create graphics for them without having awesome graphics on your page for them to check out. You need to show that you can execute and provide value.
This is the most important part of the process that you have the most control over. If you keep making awesome Instagram graphics, even if it’s just for yourself, eventually someone you’re interacting with will notice your great work and say yes to your offer!
After you’ve spent time nurturing a relationship with the prospective client then you can make contact. When sending out a DM for the first time, it should be professional, with a clear message about why you are contacting them. List the benefits of working with your service or product, and include a simple Call-To-Action. For example, you could finish your message with a simple, “How about we arrange a call?”
How do you feel about these tips? Do you think these are
approaches you can implement today, or do you need additional support?
Send me a reply with your thoughts on these tips so I know if this was helpful.
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