Whether you’re a brand, influencer or a business looking to establish yourself as an authority in your field, Instagram is the perfect platform to increase your visibility and grow your audience. With more than 700 million monthly active users, it’s no surprise that brands have flocked to this photo-based social network. In fact, almost one third of all online traffic comes from visual social networks like Instagram, Pinterest and Tumblr and it’s expected that by 2021 the number of active users on such platforms will double again.
Instagram has become a go-to source for visual content and users who double tap pictures regularly. If you want to leverage this opportunity to grow your brand or presence, here are 5 tips for boosting your Instagram engagement rate:
5 Tips For Boosting Your Instagram Engagement Rate
When it comes to social media, the popularity of a platform is often determined by its ability to generate user engagement. Instagram, in particular, has become one of the go-to platforms for businesses thanks to its strong visual nature and high engagement rate. In fact, a report by Influential Marketing found that Instagram users are more likely than non-Instagrammers to take part in other social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. On top of that, businesses using Instagram have reported seeing a return on their investment of time and resources. To help you get more followers on Instagram and increase your engagement rate, we’ve got some great tips for boosting your IG performance and keeping those followers coming back for more.
1. Keep up with the latest trends
The best way to keep your Instagram performance at peak levels is to keep up with the latest trends. Instagram is a constantly evolving platform, meaning that you need to stay ahead of the curve if you want to keep engagement rates high. For example, Instagram recently changed the way their algorithm works. This resulted in a drop in engagement rates for brands, meaning that many businesses saw a reduction in their followers. Additionally, Instagram has also been added to algorithms for other social media platforms, meaning that your Instagram performance will be reflected on other platforms. To stay ahead of the game and boost your Instagram engagement rates, you need to keep up with the latest changes to the platform. This means reading articles and following blogs, podcasts, and websites that focus on Instagram marketing. Alternatively, you can also monitor comments on your posts to see what people are and aren’t responding to.
2. Have a plan before you begin
Before you even think about diving into a strategy for growing your Instagram following and engagement, you need to have a plan. This may sound obvious, but without a plan in place, it’s easy to end up going in a million different directions. With this in mind, it’s best to start with a marketing plan, followed by a social media plan. A marketing plan will help you to understand your industry and audience, allowing you to hone in on your target demographic. Follow this up with a social media plan that focuses on the platforms you plan to focus on. This will allow you to have a clear focus and direction, meaning you’re more likely to see a boost in your engagement rate.
3. Use high-quality photos and videos
This one may seem obvious, but it’s important to ensure that the images you share are high-quality. This will help to boost your engagement in a number of ways. For starters, your images need to be visually appealing and of a high-quality. This way, you can be sure that people will enjoy looking at your posts and be more likely to engage with them. Additionally, ensuring that your images are high-quality will allow you to use them across multiple platforms, including Instagram Stories. This will help you to boost your engagement rate even further as people will see your posts across multiple platforms. To ensure your images are of the highest quality possible, use a camera with a high megapixel rating, along with a reliable editing software. You can also make use of stock photo libraries, like Shutterstock, which offers affordable licensing plans. And, of course, don’t forget to use filters to your advantage!
4. Leverage your current followers
If you want to boost your follower count and engagement rate, you need to make sure that you’re engaging with your current followers. This means replying to comments, interacting with posts, and liking and reposting content from your followers. In fact, studies have shown that the best time to make a repost is within the first 15 minutes of the post being published. This is because people are still viewing the post, meaning that reposting at this time will see you get the most engagement from your followers. Engaging with your followers will help to boost your engagement rate as well as your follower count. This is because followers will see that you’re a genuine and authentic account, making it more likely that they’ll follow you back.
5. Don’t forget about organic engagement
Engagement on Instagram shouldn’t just be focused on your followers. While this is an important aspect, you also need to focus on engagement with the platform itself. You certainly do not need to buy Instagram followers but use the tools that Instagram provides, like hashtags and Stories. Hashtags are an excellent way to reach a wider audience, while using them correctly can also help your posts get discovered by the algorithm. To get the most from your hashtags, use relevant and popular hashtags that your target audience would use. Avoid spammish, generic hashtags as these are more likely to be ignored. Similarly, you need to also include hashtags in your caption, but don’t overdo them. Using too many hashtags will make your caption look messy, boring, and unappealing.
Conclusion
Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms, particularly for businesses and brands. This makes it an excellent platform for reaching your audience, but you need to make sure that your strategy is on point if you want to see results. This means keeping up with the latest trends, having a plan in place before you begin, using high-quality images and videos, leveraging your current followers, and making sure you don’t forget about organic engagement. Follow these simple tips, and you can be sure that your Instagram engagement rate will be on the rise.
