Sporadically scrolling through Instagram, randomly liking a few photos, and posting a close up portrait of your dog’s face for the fourth time in a week works just fine for an individual using the platform.
But you need to have a more deliberate marketing plan for Instagram if you expect to build a strong community and see real results for your business. Your strategy should cover four key things.
How often and when to post
You’ll want to maintain a regular posting schedule, but don’t bombard your followers with too many posts. The smartest way to figure out what works best for your business is by testing posts at different intervals and times and then tracking the results. Once you’ve figured out the best cadence, a shared content calendar is the best way to keep track of what’s going to be posted and when.
Content themes
Rotating through different content themes will keep things interesting for your followers, and help you achieve different goals. For example, a post-secondary institution aiming to increase awareness and attract new students might use contests, alumni stories, and campus life as its main content themes.
Style guidelines
Do you use emoji in your captions? Are there grammatical guidelines your brand follows? What hashtags do you use? What types of photos do you post? Are there visual cues that every post should adhere to? Your style guidelines should cover all of the ways your brand makes itself distinct and consistent. We’ll go into detail about how you can define these things in the next section.
Engagement guidelines
These guidelines should cover how and when your business interacts with other accounts on Instagram, from liking and commenting on other people’s photos to handling the incoming comments on your own account. Pro tip: Don’t automate any of your engagement. We tried it, and it doesn’t work out so well.
Create a branded hashtag
Finally, there may be non-visual elements to add to your Instagram brand, like common language or style for captions. A popular technique is the branded hashtag. This doesn’t mean simply using your company name as a hashtag, this is about creating a hashtag that embodies your brand and encourages followers to share photos that fit that image.
Getting creative with your Instagram content
Take a picture, add a filter, and post away. Right? That might have worked when Instagram was in its infancy, but the platform has matured and now offers plenty of opportunity for businesses to share different types of interactive and attention-grabbing content. Here are some ways you can break out and get more creative with your Instagram content.
Boosting business results with Instagram ads
Social media ads have proven to be an effective means for generating new business, and Instagram ads are no exception. Whether your goal is to build brand awareness, get more website visits, or increase downloads of your mobile app, Instagram ads can help you access a huge, engaged audience. Learn how to make the most of them in our guide to advertising on Instagram.