It’s no secret that Instagram has dominated the social media landscape over the past few years. With more than a billion people using the platform every month, there is no doubt it has serious potential for marketers and businesses. But using this potential to your benefit requires doing more than just sharing your product pictures with the audience.
The increasing competition on the platform means you should engage your audience effectively to build your brand and convert leads. You need genuine likes, comments, and shares that prove that your content resonates with the people you want to engage.
Proactive marketers are continuously seeking ways to increase their engagement rates on the platform. The higher the engagement rate, the better are the chances for the content to get visibility and catch attention.
Here are some smart ideas you can use to ensure that your Instagram marketing efforts hit the mark by building a strong and organic engagement with the audience.
1. Post Consistently & Strategically
Brands should remain active on the platform by posting 1-2 posts every day on a consistent basis. This keeps your feed fresh and relevant, giving you more opportunities to catch more eyes. Moreover, it is also beneficial to know the right time to post on the platform.
Use the Insights feature of Instagram to learn more about your followers’ habits and identify when they are the most active. Posting at these times would ensure your content appears on top of their feeds.
2. Become A Storyteller
Rather than throwing marketing messages at your audience, captivate them through text, images, and videos. Tell stories through your profile, videos, and Stories to increase your engagement rate.
Storytelling helps build a connection between your content and viewers, increasing shares and interaction.
One of the most powerful ways to embrace storytelling is to use long captions. They allow brands to come out as more authentic, building meaningful connections with the target audience.
3. Let Your Brand Shine Through Stories
With over 500 million users per day, Instagram Stories is the most popular and useful feature. Though these posts disappear in 24 hours, they leave a long-lasting effect on your brand reach and engagement, increasing your chances to get new followers.
Stories help project your brand as more authentic and accessible and create a sense of urgency to get the followers coming back to you.
4. Post Carousels
Carousel posts are those containing multiple images and are known to have the highest engagement rate of all the types of Instagram posts.
When all the ten carousel slides are used, they attract even more people by showing the post, again and again, giving them multiple chances to engage.
Use this type of post to tell a story, compare before and after pictures or share details about a topic, to encourage the audience to save the post and boost engagement.
5. Explore The Entire Range of Video Formats
Videos are engaging and eye-catching; video posts on Instagram get about 38% more engagement as compared to other types of content. Instagram recognizes the changing preference of online audiences and offers a host of video options for marketers.
From standalone 60-second video posts to Instagram stories that blend videos and images into an effective ad, there is a lot to explore. For example, the live video option on the platform is a great way to hold Q&A sessions or share news or reveals about your brand and products.
Another powerful Instagram engagement tactic is to share a pre-recorded video of behind-the-scenes tales for an authentic impression on your followers. You can also use an Insta video editor to help you churn out videos in quick succession, many of them are free and even come with extensive features and editing tools.
6. Harness The Power of Hashtags
When used correctly, Instagram hashtags can help you attract some serious traffic. Use a mix of trending and specific hashtags to reach a targeted audience and push a campaign.
Look at the number of hashtags other players in your niche use and then experiment to find the sweet spot.
A great starting point is to use branded hashtags. They make your posts more discoverable, attract traffic to your profile and create a community around your brand.
7. Include CTAs
Call to action has always stood the test of time. Your followers may like your posts, but a powerful CTA is what drives engagement.
You can use CTAs in your images, profile, or caption, but the most straightforward way to push followers in a particular direction is to use the official buttons for CTA available to businesses.
These short and punchy call-to-action buttons like ‘Learn more’ catch attention and get increased Instagram engagement.
8. Host A Contest
Contests are known to be highly powerful, effective at creating more engagement than other types of posts.
Giveaways are the most popular contests as users readily follow your account, tag their friends, and share your post to participate.
When executed right, a contest can prove to be a useful tactic to boost brand awareness and engagement.
9. Work With Micro-Influencers
Influencer marketing has recently become quite significant for its power to help marketers push their brand message to a wider audience through experts in the niche. Partnering with an influencer adds a genuine touch to your brand identity.
Micro-influencers are personally connected to audiences and hold an authentic perception which is why they can be a golden ticket to building your brand.
10. Emphasize User-Generated Content
This tactic is highly cost-effective as the content is created by the audience and gives followers a chance to connect deeply with your brand.
It is a marketing approach that is known to have rewarded businesses across industries. Some of the biggest companies have run such campaigns managing to boost their brand image and credibility apart from engaging huge audiences on the platform.
Final Thoughts
Remember that you can’t boost your engagement rate on Instagram overnight; it takes time and patience. Play around with different strategies to see what works the best for your brand.
Also, remember that your Instagram account is just like your business – it continues to evolve over time, making deeper bonds with your followers. Maximize your channel’s potential with these useful tips and see the engagement rate growing.
