As the most popular year thus far for the platform, Instagram shows no signs of slowing down. However, for how massive this platform has gotten, it’s also become increasingly competitive to go after those eyeballs. And if you’re aiming at trying to compete, there are a few things you should consider first to get ahead. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of some tips to get started. Check them out below:
Invest Into Quality Branding
If you’re going to be successful on Instagram, then a must-have is a quality brand that you’re proud of. As Instagram is the pinnacle of visual platforms, having a top-tier brand on there is a must, providing that entry-level point for other people to look at and understand where exactly you’re coming from, as well as the level of respect you put into your aesthetics.
While we’re not suggesting you need a luxury brand or one with a high-minded concept, but rather just one that simply displays the passion and ethos behind your product or service.
Whether you’ve had your branding for a while or it’s something you’ve put on the backburner, taking an assessment of what you can do moving forward is a must, giving you the foundation for others to gravitate towards you without doing much at all.
Give Yourself The Proper Tools
Another important aspect of doing well on Instagram is arming yourself with the proper tools to help bolster your presence. Quite simply, this is all about engagement, and whether that means being able to acquire more Instagram likes, gaining more followers, or even just having people pass through your page on the way to your webshop, having the proper tools to do so is an absolute must. Study where your shortcomings might be coming from, as well as what options are out there to help you improve from there. With the right base, you’ll be able to start garnering more likes and followers quickly and efficiently in no time.
Start Posting More Stories
When promoting yourself on Instagram, one thing you shouldn’t be shy about is posting more to your stories. As Instagram Stories are one of the shortest, quickest sprints on content, reposting more content by others as well as posting more of your own well help bolster your engagement, as well as give you more to work with.
Try to give yourself a small quota of more stories for yourself and some shared that others made. With time, you’ll see more of an audience enjoying your content as a creator and curator.
Study Some Influencers
Influencers are still a strong force on Instagram, and for good reason too. The biggest secret to their success is that they know how to make themselves more down to earth, becoming invested in their lifestyle as much as it was our own.
For you and your brand, being able to bring things down to that level will help humanize you a bit, giving you a better sense of who you could be long-term. Although it’s not easy for every brand to do, emulating influencers will serve you well in the long-run, providing a solution that will then make you just as influential as well.
Get Into Paid Advertising
Although it’ll take a little bit to learn how to test and iterate different solutions, paid advertising on Instagram is a must for learning about your audience. If you’re not familiar, Facebook for Business (Instagram’s advertising platform) does an outstanding job of curating different ways you can target your base; for example, someone you can look into where someone went to high school, what their current job is, how much money they make, and even who they voted for.
Anything that’s public information on Instagram or Facebook can be used to curate ads, which in turn can help you learn more about your base. Take this as an opportunity to truly study where you can capture an audience, as well as what type of content they want to see out of your brand.
According to ViralRace, when running an Instagram advertising campaign, the biggest goal you should have in mind is what type of ROI you’re getting in return.
Create An AR Effect
As the latest rage, AR effects are some of the best ways to boost engagement with your brand. What started out as face filters and dancing animations have now turned into quizzes and other types of engaging content that your fans will love. With brands breaching here as some of the top contributors now to AR effects, this is the perfect opportunity for your brand to be a part as well. Give them a shot if you haven’t quite tried one out yet or want to learn more before diving in.
Stick To Your Content Calendar
One of the most important tools for any social media manager, the content calendar is what keeps everything together. As the main object that puts what you’re going to drop, when you’re going to do it, and how it’ll be produced all in one place, your content calendar will be what helps you separate your content from the competition.
Furthermore, it also is the tool that will help in case of an emergency, such as a photographer dropping out or designer backing out on a deal. Overall, a content calendar is one of the most vital aspects of any successful planning on Instagram, which will help you form a bird’s eye view for weeks, if not months at a time.
Test New Systems
With how often Instagram changes, it’s important to note how you can formulate different strategies around them. Whether it’s seeing how you can change up your content delivery, looking at how you can alter your design schemes or even just the amount of followers and comments you’re trying to attract each day, looking at how you can change and reiterate is clutch.
Take the time out of your schedule every week or two to reflect on how your progress has been, as well as any new systems you’re thinking about implementing as well. Doing so will help you not only keep up but eventually get ahead of the competition.
What are some ways you plan on having a stellar year on Instagram in 2020? Comment with your insights below!
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