Last month, Instagram announced it was testing the removal of the amount of ‘likes’ displayed on posts. The trial started in Canada and was then expanded to seven different countries around the world, including Ireland and Australia. Instagram wants its users to “worry a little less” about how many likes they’re getting but focus more on the content which is being posted.
But how does this effect your business?
Not to panic, you as a business user can still track who is liking your post, but the consumer will not be able to see the amount of people who have double tapped your post. Here at Resolution we can help you deliver engaging content not only to entice and captivate your audience, but ensure you’re sending out the right message for your organisation.
Here are some of our top tips to get the most from your Instagram page:
- Increase your following
If you want to drive sales and increase your brand awareness, consider increasing your followers. This will allow your posts to be seen by a wider audience.
In a recent study, it was asked to the consumer why they follow brands on social media. Although entertaining or incentivised posts scored high, a whopping 73% of people said they followed brands because they are interested in the products or services.
Make sure that the companies’ clients and consumers are aware of your online presence and invite them to follow your page. Incentivise a way for customers to keep track of your business, such as special offers or fun, engaging content.
- Use Instagram Insights
If you’ve signed up as a business page, you may have noticed on each post you can now ‘View Insights.’
The tool can help you understand how your audience is interacting with your account. These include –
- Impressions: How many times your content was viewed
- Reach: Total number of accounts that seen your content
- Interactions: Actions taken from this post, such as profile views
- Website clicks: How many people viewed the link in your bio
- Demographic Info: See where your followers are from, their age and their gender
With this you can build an idea of who is viewing your posts and if you’re hitting the correct target audience.
- Use smart #hashtags
Hashtags are a great business tool to bring your target audience to your content, but make sure you are doing this wisely! Don’t overdo it with 20+ hashtags, keep them relevant to the content or image your posting.
Generic hashtags such as #food or #clothes just aren’t going to cut it. Hashtags like this are being used that much daily that it will be hard to get noticed from them. The two most popular used hashtags globally are #love and #instagood. Time to get your thinking caps on and be wise about what you are trying to advertise, or what message you are trying to put across.
Branded hashtags are a must. If you’re launching an Instagram campaign a branded hashtag will help users follow and track your business. This could be your brand name, the name of a product, or something unique you’ve created for your campaign. Try and use these across all platforms for consistency.
- Make it interactive
The most effective way to get your audience engaged is to ask them! Open up a debate with content relevant to your brand, ask for an opinion on your latest product or run a good old-fashioned contest.
Who doesn’t love a bit of healthy competition right? Ask your audience to be creative with their responses. Make it part of the conditions of the competition, that the user must like your page, which will prompt them to check out your other content. Use hashtags as a way of entering and encourage comments to drive engagement.
To give you an idea, here’s a competition that’s recently been ran:
And don’t forget to tell them to share it with their friends! Asking the user to tag three friends who would love this/be interested in this/who reminds you of this is a great way to drive further engagements not only on your post, but to your page too.
- Timing is everything!
Although you may be at your most creative at 2am, chances are your target audience won’t be checking out your social media pages then. A recent poll showed that the best time to post on Instagram is between 7-9pm. If you’re looking for the most engagement, this is the best time to share content, but be aware of competition.
Scheduling your Instagram posts for specific times is proven to help you reach more followers and get more participation with your content. It all depends on the demographic of your audience, and who you are aiming for.
Know your audience. Adults who work the typical 9-5 may be more inclined to check Instagram in none work hours – such as mornings, lunchtimes and evenings; whereas students who pull all-nighters or stay out late may not be engaged at 7am.
Take note of what works best for you and your business by testing out different times during the day. Monitor your posts – and your competitors. Review analytics and adapt were needed to ensure prime timing for your posts.
Taking these small steps can help optimise your Instagram and ensure you are getting the best out of your social media.
Need more advice? Drop us a line and see what Resolution can do for your business or brand.
