Long, long ago, all you had to do to succeed on Instagram was submit a passable photo with a brief, and hopefully humorous, remark. Now more than ever, if you want to gain followers and be seen as a “influencer,” you’ll need to up your game and ensure that each and every post is helpful to at least one person.
In a recent episode of the Social Pros podcast, David “Rev” Ciancio discussed how to optimise your Instagram account for maximum engagement. Here’s a rundown of his advice, along with five actions you can do this week to boost Instagram engagement:
Conduct an Experiment to Find the Optimal Time of Day and Frequency
The optimal time of day and number of times per day to publish to your Instagram account may be determined with the use of testing and social media analytics. Rev has figured out, for the Instagram accounts he oversees, the optimal posting schedule and frequency to maximise interaction. One account updates once daily at 6:30 a.m. Another account updates at 6:30 AM, 2:00 PM, and 11:00 PM daily.
As a marketer, you may find the optimal publishing time and frequency for Instagram followers by using a service like SproutSocial(Open Link in new window). What people want to see, when they want to see it, and why they would want to interact with your material should all be considered before you begin testing. Make some educated guesses, try them out, and learn what works (and what doesn’t).
Make sure your content is varied and complements the experience you’re providing
Rev’s experience backs with our findings from a study we conducted on healthcare social media marketing, which revealed that the most engaging social media accounts posted a wide variety of content types (including video, links, and photographs).
Rev suggests sharing media that highlights your company’s distinctive qualities. What kinds of pictures do you like to share the most? Make your postings interesting and different; don’t just publish the same thing over and over again to increase interaction.
Evaluate photos, videos, and carousels
Rev has found that carousel posts on Instagram perform best in terms of interaction. However, research by AgoraPulse(Open Link in new window) indicates that carousels generate LESS interaction than single images. Furthermore, research conducted by Convince & Convert on Instagram Travel accounts found that carousels receive more interaction than single images.
What’s the takeaway? Finding out whether content format (video, carousel, or picture) resonates most with your audience is essential if you want to boost engagement. One company’s successful marketing strategy might not be appropriate for another.
Republish user-generated content (from your customers)
To boost consumer involvement, repost their Instagram photos and videos. User-generated content (UGC) posts on social media have been shown to have the greatest engagement rates in a number of studies. AgoraPulse(Open Link in new window) cites research that shows Instagram posts including user-generated content receive 6.9 times as much interaction as non-UGC posts.
Make sure to mention the user who shared the photo and give them credit; doing so will thank them for their original post and encourage similar ones in the future. Instagram’s terms of service also include this. Republishing material on a brand’s own social media platforms requires the express authorization of the original content creator. It is important to provide proper credit to the content author in the photo description by including a link back to the original source.
Edit Your Pictures to Perfection
If you’re going to the trouble of publishing photographs to Instagram, at least make sure they look excellent and are consistent with your brand. There are several options for altering photos, but Rev recommends Snapseed(Open Link in new window) for its combination of simplicity and high quality. I gave it a go, and now I’m a supporter.
As an added bonus, make sure your Instagram bio is always up to date
Although it may seem obvious, if your company has an Instagram account, you should include contact information, a link to your website, and other pertinent details in your bio. Rev claims that many businesses, whether small and large, do not fill out their Instagram bios.
Instagram bios are one of those little details that make the platform special and encourage users to think outside the box when crafting their profiles. The maximum length for a bio is 150 characters. Instagram now supports emojis and the linking of hashtags and @mentions in profiles. However, Instagram still only allows for one active link in the bio.
Even though there’s only room for 150 characters in the bio, you can use it to promote a new campaign, highlight an upcoming event, or mention a partner account.