How to Create a More Engaged Instagram Audience
The Instagram Effect is real, and businesses are no longer out of the loop. The value of Instagram far surpasses any other social media platform. With over 300 million active monthly users, it is now one of the best apps to get your blog and business noticed. The good news is; it is one of the more accessible platforms in terms of achieving growth.
The key to Instagram and generating traffic for your business is found in creating an engaged community—your followers are your capital and your best network. This community consists of likeminded businesses, influencers and potential customers and it is crucial that they don’t just follow you, but are receptive to your content and engage with you regularly, and vice versa.
Here’s our quick guide to help you create a more engaged audience on Instagram!
1. KNOW YOUR FOLLOWERS
It is important to study your audience and be aware of their behaviors to ensure the content you are spending hours creating will be seen by your target audience. Eventually, you will get to know these behaviors organically. The more consistently and frequently you post, the more aware you will become of what time of day you receive more likes, and what types of content resonates with your users. However, there are tools to fast track this process. Iconosquare is a great website that links to your Instagram account and gives you information on when your audience is the most active, which photos are most liked, and what your audience comments on the most.
Iconosquare’s statistics can be really useful because they help you see if there’s a disconnect between you and your followers about what or when you post.
Hot Tip! Iconosquare also let’s you know which hashtags have brought the most success — a helpful statistic when planning your captions. You can find all of this information by creating an Iconosquare account via your Instagram and looking under “statistics” >> “optimization.”
2. BE INTERESTED
Show your followers you are interested in interacting with them. Ask questions! The best ways to create an engaged community is to interact within it!
Ask your followers how their day is going, ask for their opinions, what they want to see etc. Get to know them! Give people a reason to care about your business and your Instagram account and the best way to get them to connect with you is to connect with them.
3. BE UNIQUE
This is easier said than done these days, that’s for sure, but remember—nothing is impossible, just think outside the box.
The best way to set yourself apart is to create value for your followers. Offer them something that makes them want to engage with you, and better so, make them loyal to your business. Share behind the scenes insights, industry tips, exclusive promo codes etc. It is a surefire way to get people to want to continuously want to engage with your page.
4. HASHTAG IT!
Make sure you’re in the know when it comes to what hashtags are trending in your industry.
These are your bread and butter on Instagram. Hashtags make your content visible to people who would actually be interested in it, because they have taken the time to search it!
5. CALL TO ACTION
Invite people to be a part of your Instagram world by inviting them to engage. Creating a call to action, such as repost, tag a friend etc. will give your page more exposure and help you get to know your audience.
If you are asking people to participate, it is important to be present with those who are taking the time to do so. This is not only polite, but it also creates a rapport that will benefit your business in the long run!
6. BE RESPONSIVE
There’s nothing worse than following an account who thinks they are above engaging with their followers, so be sure to respond to all of the comments you receive. It adds value to your brand and enhances your accounts credibility and helps separate you from just another business on Instagram.
