I always strive to create resources that you can use to build your online business. Most everyone is on Instagram. Has Instagram gone from showing off your latest photos to the newest business platform? Some days it sure feels that way. Did things change after Facebook purchased Instagram? Plus… why is Instagram always testing new features for users?
I never noticed before how every transaction is a sale. We are all selling something. Every conversation is basically a transaction. Whether we are trying to get our point across, or trying to convince our friends to join us for dinner at a fun new place to dine.
Instagram is selling us on using their free platform through a bit of emotion (sales). When someone likes your photo on Instagram, the little heart appears. You’ve been encouraged because someone likes what you shared. So you try it again, you post another picture. Someone else likes what you shared. So you try it again, over and over. Soon others start following you because they like what you shared. And you’re hooked into spending endless amounts of time on IG.
However, you just realized that Instagram might be the platform you would like to start selling your products or your online business. How can we try to sell something on Instagram and keep the fun in it–just like when you posted that first photo that everyone loved? It’s time to stand out on a platform that boasts over 1 billion active users.
Breaking it down…
- Increase your number of followers
- Hope your followers will like your photos
- Increase engagement on your IG posts
- Start making sales
Engagement is the most important piece in bringing you closer to your next sale. It’s time to be proactive and duplicate what the experts are doing to bring in those sales. It starts with more than usage, frequency, timeliness, posting consistently, or trying to become the next Instagram Influencer. Here are my favorite Instagram tips to start increasing engagement.
1. Add Special Fonts and Characters to Your Bio
Make your profile stand out. Add emojis to the bio beneath your profile photo. Not only can you customize your bio with a special font, but you can also add atypical characters that distinguish you or your brand. Instagram is a visual platform, so make it work to your advantage.
As you create more videos use those same fonts and characters in the subtitles and your text allowing viewers to engage when their volume is off. By consistently adding text to your videos, it makes it easy for your community to follow along with your message both audibly and visually. Also consider adding titles and text even on videos that only have music in them.
A scroll stopping caption captures engagement. The more engagement you get, the more visible you will be to your followers. Make the first three to four lines count.
With over 1 billion active users, your best strategy is BE YOURSELF. The experts and influencers are confident, and they don’t care about what people might think about them. Stay positive and try to keep your surroundings positive. Grab your followers’ attention with those great captions because Instagram has a tremendous respect for creators who are unique and add valuable content.
This is about consistency and this is a must. You have to show up 15 minutes a day, with a minimum of 5 minutes before and 5 minutes after you post every. single. day. Only then will you see results. If you can work on these things for 15 minutes a day, you can dramatically increase your engagement over time and form stronger relationships. Make sure the time you spend being social is a systematic, strategic, and not a waste of your time and energy–15 minutes a day!
For the record, I believe in hashtags. I’m not talking about using them in your posts though I do recommend that, but for different reasons. It’s tempting to use the same hashtags when you post–because it definitely saves time, but DON’T DO IT! With a bit of research hashtag selection allows you to reach new audiences and generate more engagement.
BONUS
Finally, this is a bonus tip because we have over 1 billion people around the world who use Instagram and spend an average of 28 minutes each day on the app. That’s a lot of people and plenty of time for brands to reach them, and more competition than ever. Instagram Insights will help you measure your performance, understand your audience, and improve the results of your Instagram marketing. Without Instagram analytics, your marketing efforts might be getting lost in all the noise.
Most metrics and insights are available for free. Understanding the basics of Instagram metrics through a few paid and free Instagram analytics tools are critical to improve your Instagram strategy to increase engagement.
Get started and get ENGAGED for a 21-Day Instagram Challenge to turn your followers into ENGAGED customers.
