Things change at supersonic speed and if your business isn’t moving forward, it’s moving backwards. Let’s face it--there is no staying in place! Social media is essential these days, and it can also be very difficult to stay up-to-date with everything you need to know with its continual evolution. Here is an Instagram refresher to help keep you moving onward and upward!
Strategize—You have to have a plan in order for your social media to grow. Sometimes individuals or brands get a lucky break, like the singer who just happens to be singing while she is cleaning the hotel room of a famous music executive’s room. She gets the big break! Let’s face it, that story is more like a fairytale than a reality. If you want your social media to be a hit, then you have to make it a hit.
Define goals
Determine what metrics you will use to analyze whether goals are met
Make sure you are clear on your purpose for social media
Determine your voice as a brand
Set up content calendar
Thoughtful Content Creation—Post the content that people will find engaging. Posts that are interesting, unique, special will inspire your audience to engage and share your content. Think of ways to take your ordinary posts and make them extraordinary. And think about your audience/your target market, what are they looking for? Know your target audience and determine what it is they are looking for from your brand. Are they looking for tips, strategies, videos, infographics, information, entertainment, etc…
Make a list of hashtags that you can link with your content. Determine and link with other Instagram accounts that share the same vision, mission, target audience.
Make a list of events coming up in your community that you can partner and piggyback off of!
Determine what promotions are coming up.
Video It—You have been hesitant to jump into the video arena, it is time. While visuals are cool, videos are cooler. It is time to make the leap. Canva, Vimeo, and other online video making tools make it very simple, fairly inexpensive, and very professional looking. Maybe even go live at an event or record you and your team giving tips and tutorials!
Be a Part of the Story—According to Buffer.com, the Instagram Stories feature on the app is severely underutilized. “Instagram Stories take a prominent position on the Instagram app — above the feed. This allows you to stay on top of your followers’ feed and grab more of their attention. If your followers view your Stories regularly, it could possibly even help your Instagram posts rank higher on their feeds.”
Be Timely—According to Sproutsocial.com, most Instagram users are engaged during the old school prime times of 7-10. Wednesdays seem to be the hottest day of the week for people being social. What’s that mean? Schedule your content to post during prime time so that it doesn’t get lost amongst all the other posts.
Always Respond—Make sure to connect with individuals who respond to your content. The more relationships you can build with your audience, the more they will share your content and the sooner your brand will see growth. A comment is nice but isn’t always mandatory. Even just liking their comment is a good way to build relationship.
Complete Your Profile—Many businesses forget to do this when they start on Instagram. This is a must. If a customer goes to your bio, they are wanting to find out more about your business and maybe even make a purchase. They need to be able to link to your website from your Instagram account.
Make Sales—Add tags to your Instagram posts when it is relevant. If your target audience clicks on that picture of your amazing new product, it should give them a link to making a purchase. Also add an in-app checkout so that your brand followers and new customers can make a purchase right then and there.
Take Out an Ad—It doesn’t hurt to take out an Instagram Ad from time to time. Be careful that your cost vs. investment are continually evaluated.
As you can see, evolving with Instagram doesn’t mean you have to be a scientist. It is just continuing to take steps forward and adapting. If you ever feel like you are in quicksand with your social media strategies, please let Anneomaly Digital help. We want to help you navigate the social media evolution and propel the growth of your brand and business.