With a community that keeps growing every day, Instagram is one of the most attractive online platforms for businesses. A recent forecast suggests that there will be 1.2 billion users on Instagram by 2023.
That means that you too can have a piece of that Instagram cake, but only if you do it right! So here are some tips to make your Instagram attractive.
1. Optimize your Instagram bio and profile.
What do you specialize in? What can you offer to your followers? What is your product? Why are you so special that people would want to follow you? Your bio should aim to answer these questions.
Also, don’t forget to add a link to your website or your product’s landing page on your profile. This link makes it easy for anyone to know more about what you do and what you sell. If you want to add more than one link to your profile, you can use an app such as “linkin.bio”.
Your profile is not only about your bio, your profile is also about the look of all your posts on the IG grid when someone visits it. Make sure you use the same color tones or filter in all your posts. It will make your profile look more consistent and professional.
2. Build community through other creators.
Everyone is trying to get a piece of the cake, but other creators with similar products to yours don’t have to be competitors.
There are many ways that you can join forces with other people who have profiles where your target audience is. The key is always the same: offer value to them and their audience.
You can do this by offering to collaborate with giveaways, IG Lives, or even short IGTV videos where you teach the other person’s audience about something. Use IG as a limitless networking event.
3. Engage and then engage some more.
I don’t think much explanation is necessary here.
If someone comments on your post, answer this comment. If someone sends you a DM, answer it. But also make sure you comment on people’s posts (specifically where your target audience is hanging out), and keep engaging in every way you can!
4. Set your account as an Intagram business profile.
Having an Instagram business profile offers certain advantages, like having statistics available to see how your stories and posts perform.
These allow you to see what days of the week and time of the day your followers are more active. You can use these statistics to do A/B testing and refine the timing of your posts.
Another advantage of having a business profile is that you can see statistics on audience interaction and hashtag performance.
Statistics will tell you what works and what doesn’t work, so I recommend you spend time reading and analyzing them so you can adapt your Instagram strategy accordingly.
5. Use all content types that Instagram has to offer.
I am sure you have heard about the infamous “Instagram algorithm”. We creators love to blame every drop of activity on our accounts on the algorithm. The truth is that it changes now and then, and this can affect your traffic.
But the key to keep Instagram happy is always the same: keep users on the app as long as you can. The reason why?: the longest you stay on the app, the more ads you will see, and the more money they will make.
Throughout the years, Instagram has added different types of content to keep users longer in the app: Stories, IGTV, Reels, and the latest, IG Guides. So make sure you are creative, repurpose your content, and use all of them!
6. Be personal. Be you.
I bet there is someone else (probably many “someones”) already doing what you are doing. And I also bet that this idea has made you doubt yourself many times. But there is only one YOU in this world. So if you want to be different, be you.
You are not going to attract anyone copying other accounts or pretending to be someone else. You are not going to attract anyone by acting as if your business is bigger than it is.
Be you, be open, be a real person behind a real business.
7. Keep your content relevant to your message.
Always be aware of what you post. Even if you want to show a bit of your personal life on your account, make sure that you keep it relevant to the message you want to convey.
For example, we post about online marketing, but we also show a bit of our personal life. We do this because we want our followers to see the real people behind the account. And also, to show the world that it is possible to have a remote business that thrives and allows you to have the lifestyle you want.
Because we want to attract people who have a similar lifestyle to us, showing our personal life is part of the message we want to convey.
8. Offer value and be consistent.
There are two reasons why we follow people: because we want them to entertain or teach us. Sometimes both. So make sure that the content you post on your profile does one of these two things: teaching or entertaining. Your followers and visitors should know what to expect from your account.
For example, I follow an account that posts tips on how to grow your audience on Instagram because it helps me learn and grow my own audience. If they suddenly start posting about growing your audience on Pinterest instead, I’m going to unfollow them because I don’t have Pinterest, and this content has no value for me.
So choose your niche and keep offering consistent and valuable content inside that niche!
9. Use your Instagram community to keep growing your business.
You have a community of people who follow you for a reason. Probably because they like what you do and find value in your content and product. So make sure you take advantage of this!!
Your community can help you keep your business relevant. Ask your followers what their problems are, what they like to see on your profile. Use your community to refine your content and your offers. Always inside of your niche, of course.
10. Implement a hashtag strategy.
You know about hashtags already, but are you aware of how important they are? Hashtags have the potential of bringing eyes to your account that might not find you any other way.
We have had clients who gained 30% of their likes through a proper hashtag strategy. That is a lot! So make sure you learn about hashtag strategy so you can use them right.
One little tip about hashtags: don’t use a hashtag-generating tool and copy and paste them on your posts. Do your research and use the hashtags that your target market is checking out. And don’t forget to review and check which ones work which ones don’t!