Instagram for business is more than just a platform for posting the images and short video clips of your products. It is a powerful tool for boosting a brand and attracting target customers online.
Yes, with over one billion users, this social media platform can bring your business a serious potential for ROI in a short period of time.
However, to get these rewards, you need engagement. You need to gather likes, shares, comments, and other actions that prove your content is resonating to the right audience.
Other than that, you must also ensure that the engagement is organic — only comes from those who really care about your business.
This is a challenging task. From crafting compelling content to connecting personally with followers, you must do it all to reap the benefits. But don’t worry because we got you covered.
There is no shortcut for high-quality engagement, so we listed some effective, budget-friendly tips to help you out.
How to grow your Instagram engagement
Showcase your overall brand on Instagram to achieve growth. You don’t need to spend a lot of your budget on this platform, because some of its best marketing techniques are free.
Here are some of them:
Update your bio
An Instagram bio describes who you are, what your business is all about, and the actions you want other users to take after visiting your profile. That’s why you must make the most out of it.
Update your bio. Add a clear description of what you do, an enticing call to action, and a link to your website or recent post. Yes, you must use your in-bio link wisely because it is your only clickable link on the platform.
Post on Instagram Stories
Stories are the most popular content type on Instagram, so make use of them – especially 15-second videos.
Share behind the scenes of your brand, testimonials from recent customers, sneak peaks of your new products or services, and anything that relates to your business. Those posts can help boost your engagement quickly because people love watching Stories more nowadays than scrolling through their feed.
You can also try using Instagram stickers on your stories. Start polls, ask questions, make quizzes to entertain followers, and post a countdown on your upcoming event or product launch. These interactive stories are very attractive to viewers, too.
Reply to comments
Show some love on the comment section. Reply to your followers when they are asking something about you or your brand. Interacting personally with your audience in one if the best ways to boost engagement. This shows that you care about them and their inquiries.
Always remember, the more interaction you get on the platform, the greater chances your post has of being shown to other user’s feeds. This is because the interaction tells the algorithm that your post is what most people want to see.
Use detailed hashtags
Compared to other social media platforms, it is more crucial to use hashtags on Instagram. They can help expose your content to a much larger, and targeted audience. hence, make sure to incorporate different hashtags to your posts.
Don’t worry because people don’t seem to get overwhelmed seeing tons of it on IG in the same way they might on Facebook or Twitter. So, don’t hold back.
Find tags that would appeal to your target audience. You can use free Instagram tools to find relevant tags for your niche or brand. Just simply type in a few words about your content, and those tools will recommend the top hashtags you can use.
Write engaging captions
Whether it is storytelling, funny, question-based, or a call-to-action, engaging captions attract users to comment or hit the like button on your post. Sure, a compelling image or video are attention-grabbing enough, but if you add captivating words on your post – it will be perfect.
It will give more personality to your brand and content, attracting those who are more invested and interested on what you’re offering. Give them the opportunity to talk about themselves through your captions. Encourage them to join the conversation – they will surely love to share their thoughts.
Collaborate with influencers
Collaborating with others on Instagram is another great way to increase engagement. Do partnerships or work with influencers on your niche. They have huge following on different platforms so they will really help your business grow in the long run.
You don’t need a huge budget to do these collaborations. Try working with micro-influencers instead of huge content creators, they are very impactful. The truth is, they have higher engagement rates compared to those who have very large accounts. This is because they can interact with their followers more closely and personally.
Final Thoughts
Be strategic on how you promote your brand on Instagram and other social media platforms, this is where audience engagement begins. Incorporate the tips listed above while carefully planning your content – you will surely have increased engagement rate and more new followers in no time.