However, getting great exposure also takes time since everyone wants a piece of the pie. It takes time and some doing, but adopting a smart strategy can hurry things along. So, besides Instagram growth services, how does one go about growing their Instagram following? Here are some tested and proven tips from the pros.
1. Make Your Bio Compelling
Your bio is the first thing that people see when they visit your Instagram account. It is essentially a sneak peek about your brand. As such, it should make a lasting impression. Pay close attention to the description about your brand. Make the words brief and compelling when describing the brand – use a salesman tone but don’t make it too obvious. Additionally, provide all relevant information and contact about your brand and give visitors a personal reason to connect with you.
2. Make Your Instagram Brand Personality Speak
After your bio comes to your Instagram feed. This is where all activity goes down. Your posts all end up here. Your Instagram feed says a lot about your brand. Every post has something to contribute, so make sure that every post makes a good impression. Make your posts relevant, engaging, and fun to read. Also, maintain aspects such as color and tone as they are part of the brand’s identity. Most importantly, try to make all your photos breathtaking and engaging – after all, Instagram is all about posting that perfect picture. Make sure that the colors blend in just right. If you are really serious about taking your Instagram game to the next level, then you should consider using the services of a professional photographer – it will be worth it when the brand goes viral. You can also take it a step further and hire the services of professional Instagram account managers.
3. Time Your Posts Well
There is always someone active on Instagram at any given minute. However, certain times are more active than others – this is when most of your followers are active. Coinciding your new posts with these periods would maximize your reach as more people will get to see what you have to share. Depending on the profile of your target audience, make use of advanced analytics programs to determine the ideal times to post.
4. Zero in on Your Target Audience
It is okay to aim for the stars, but you should realize that not everyone on Instagram is interested in your brand. In fact, trying to reach the whole world would be a waste of time and resources – it would also probably harm your brand and make it seem generic. The trick is to focus on people who would be genuinely interested in what you have to offer. There are analytics tools designed to enable Instagram users to analyze many important aspects, including identifying their ideal target audience. You can narrow down your target audience based on factors such as demography, age, and sex, among other factors.
5. Make the Most Of Hashtags
Hashtags are the keywords of Instagram. For example, consider a cosmetics brand promising to erase acne using its products. Anyone interested in such a product will search for keywords such as cure acne. So, suppose that the said cosmetics brand used hashtags such as #acnecure and #cureacne on their posts, their posts will be among the search results. As such, you can think of hashtags as pointers towards your brand. It is common for brands on Instagram to use dozens of hashtags on one post. However, it is not necessary – smart brands come up with the most relevant hashtags using advanced analytics tools. As such, choose your hashtags well and treat them as you would keywords.
6. Engage With Your Audience
Conversing with your audience is the most important thing you can do for your Instagram brand. It makes your audience trust you more as they can identify with the voice on the other end. As such, take every opportunity to engage with your audience. As the driving force behind the brand, take the initiative to initiate engaging conversations once in a while. Center the conversations about things relevant to your brand and followers. Additionally, track your IG posts and respond to comments or questions. Be courteous and witty, and use words and tones that build on your brand’s personality.
7. Make Use of Instagram TV
IGTV is one of the many new goodies that Instagram has to offer. It enables users to post long-form videos – videos on the feed are usually limited to 60 seconds, which is not always enough to get the message across. Videos are among the most preferred content on the internet – most people would prefer watching a video to reading through a long IG post. However, you need to make your videos compelling and engaging to make them popular. If possible, solicit the services of professional video editors. Finally, make the thumbnail as attractive as possible to grab as many users’ attention as possible.
8. Tell Your Story
Research shows that Instagram Stories get more engagement compared to regular posts. This is a clear call to make use of more story highlights. Instagram Stories should tell your brand’s story. You can twist the narrative any way you see fit to promote individual products, promote the brand, or just start a conversation. Make sure that you use a compelling and engaging tone to leave a lasting impression. And, just as is the case with other posts, make sure that you time your stories well.
Final Word
Instagram provides a whole new world of opportunities for anyone seeking exposure on the platform. These opportunities come to users and brands with the most followers. You, too, can increase your exposure. The most important thing is to establish a genuine and trustworthy Instagram brand personality – with this in place, long-term growth and expansion is guaranteed when you put these tips into practice.
