Last year, we told you that if you weren’t on Instagram then you should be (and if you haven’t read the blog piece you can check it out here) however just simply being on Instagram is not sufficient and you will need to work at it.
With millions of active users worldwide, Instagram is a platform that can boost your brand onto a global stage. A good quality Instagram feed will not only gain you followers but will also maintain your followers. It can be difficult to not only gain an audience but to gain the right audience, losing your audience however is far easier.
To keep an interesting and engaging feed, here are the mistakes you need to avoid.
Photograph Quality
Instagram is all about the photograph! If you haven’t got a good photo, then there is no point sharing it. Blurry, dark, low quality photos are not going to cut it with your Instagram followers.
Remember the photo you share is representing your brand, your product, your business!
Quick hints: Make sure you have the right lighting; Draw the viewer in with focus on a clear point of interest; Look for strong shapes, colours and lines.
Post consistently … but do not over post either!
It is important to get the balance. Consistent posting is important so that your audience do not forget you or lose interest; Over posting however is definitely a big no no as you don’t want to bore or annoy your audience, this could lead to them hitting the unfollow button.
To keep your audience engaged it is recommended to post 1-3 times per day.
No Engagement
Engaging with your audience is very important; posting a picture is not the only piece of work you need to do on Instagram. Comments should be given a reply. Your engagement could help convert a simple follower into an actual customer.
Try to pencil in some time each week to engage on social media, it will be worth it.
Bad photo captions
Your caption, just like your photo, needs to be engaging. The caption needs to capture your audience and keep them invested. Take the time to put some thought into your caption; a good photo with a bad caption are not a good marriage for Instagram.
To hashtags or not to hashtag?
There is no question when it comes to hashtags! On Instagram, hashtags are your path to followers, and their path to you. Hashtags allow people, who may or may not know about your brand, find you. The correct use of hashtags could enable you to attract a new audience every day.
In addition, make sure you are proactive on Instagram, add value to your audience’s news-feed, have a subtle theme throughout your feed, do not buy fake comments and/or likes, and don’t be to ‘salesy’.