Instagram can be a powerful marketing tool for your business – if you do it right. Lots of businesses fail to realise that Instagram is more than just posting pictures every day. In fact, posting content should only be one part of your marketing strategy.
Here are some of the biggest mistakes businesses are marking, and how you can avoid them.
Not engaging with your audience
When using Instagram for marketing, it’s easy to forget one of its most focal aspects: engagement. Your audience is engaging with your business daily, so why not do the same in return? You, like your audience, should be liking and commenting on posts. This helps ‘brand’ your account, and shows your audience that you’re active and engage on Instagram. In turn, being active in the community will help you gain a following.
Ignoring Instagram stories
Some brands are killing it with Instagram stories. Others aren’t using it at all. The great thing about the feature is that you can use hashtags and location tags, enabling non-followers to discover you. Do you want to attract a certain audience? Use location tags so your story will appear in location-based searches.
You can link stories directly to your website, which is an awesome tool if you want users to instantly visit your website.
Also, stories are generally a fun way to increase engagement. Use Instagram’s story filters, Boomerang videos, and just express your brand’s personality. Do what you can to create a stronger connection with your audience.
Poor quality images
Instagram is based on visuals. So make your content as visually-appealing as possible. Your audience won’t enjoy seeing blurry images, or the same photos being posted over and over. Creating a solid visual content strategy will do you well. It’ll ensure your audience is engaged and that your content doesn’t get boring.
Sporadic posting
This point might seem obvious, but it’s something lots of businesses aren’t doing. Posting consistently and regularly is a major opportunity to gain exposure to a wider audience. Just like how it’s important to have a visual content strategy, it’s also important to have a strategy for posting. Create a content calendar to make sure you’re on track with posting on Instagram.
Not using paid advertising
Want to promote your brand and gain more exposure? Paid advertising is the way to go. Use them to curate content that’s tailored to your target audience. This way, you’re getting your message to the right people.
Avoid making these mistakes, and your brand will see a boost in its audience engagement.
