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11 Brand Building Instagram Marketing Tips

Tuesday, July 10th, 2018

With the right Instagram marketing tips and a strong focus on the interests of your target market, there’s a good chance you can build a loyal following for your brand on Instagram. Statista.com reported that as of June 2018, Instagram had reached 1 billion active monthly users worldwide. The company projects they will surpass 111 million users in the United States in 2019. An estimated 71% of U.S. businesses have taken advantage of the power of Instagram to communicate their message. Although it’s a social media platform saturated with businesses vying for attention, Instagram is still a great way to capture the attention of an audience. With a little knowledge you can advantage of this social media platform to grow your business. To help, here is a list of Instagram marketing tips to implement into your Instagram marketing strategy.

Eleven Instagram marketing tips for growing your brand

  1. Focus on the interests of your target audience.

Keep in mind that Instagram users are highly engaged. According to research, 75% of Instagram users will take action, such as visiting a website or clicking on a blog after looking at a post that captures their attention. That’s low hanging fruit for businesses looking to grow sales via social media. What are Instagram users looking for? Posts that relate to their interests, ambitions, likes, and dislikes. They want to see engaging visuals and enlightening content that delivers value. As a brand trying to increase your following on Instagram, it’s in your best interest to research the interests of your customers. Of all of our Instagram marketing tips, this is one of the most vital to your success on this platform! Keep your posts looking fresh and exciting and also aimed at the interests of your target audience.

  1. Take advantage of Instagram Carousel.

It’s hard to find one image that says it all. Did you know that you could use up to 10 photos or videos in a single post with Instagram Carousel? You can even combine the two. It’s a great way to showcase a product line, tease content, compare before and after shots, share a how-to and more. How do you create an Instagram Carousel? It’s simple. You start by launching your Instagram business page. When you tap the + add an image, you will see a new post feature, which is an icon of stacked squares that represents the photo carousel. When you tap that icon, you can scroll through your image library and select up to ten photos or videos. You can even order them how you’d like, and apply filters individually or to all of the photos in the carousel. Tap share and you’re ready to go!

 

 

  1. Be strategic with your hashtags.

They are an important part of Instagram posts, helping you to expand your reach and connect to new potential customers. How can you figure out what hashtags you should be using? Well, for a start, they should definitely relate to your business, products, and services. If you haven’t already, you should create brand hashtags that you use consistently. You can even develop specific brand hashtags for special campaigns or promotions. To expand on the hashtags you are using, do a little detective work and see what your competitors and industry influencers are using. Most importantly, your hashtags should reflect the content of your post. An experienced social media marketing firm can help you with this as well.

  1. But don’t go overboard.

Is there such a thing as too many hashtags? Although Instagram allows you to use up to 30 hashtags per post, certain studies warn against overdoing it. According to research by TrackMaven on Instagram accounts with >1k followers, there was a steady increase in average interaction up through five hashtags per post, after which the average interaction actually drops. According to SimplyMeasured, 91% of posts by top brands use seven hashtags or less. It makes sense that top brands are using fewer hashtags, since they’re established. If your business or organization isn’t, it’s ok to use more hashtags as long as they’re relevant to your content. Another of our integral Instagram marketing tips – relevancy is key! It’s also important to avoid coming across as spammy. Don’t use the same list of hashtags for every post, change them up depending on your content.

  1. Use filters.

They can enhance the look of your photos and help give your brand a distinct look and consistency. Relatable published a report on the most popular Instagram filters that was based on a study of 40 million posts. They concluded that 18% of all photos posted used a filter. The winner by far of the most popular Instagram filter is Clarendon. It was used in 25% of the photos with filters, followed by Juno, which was used in 8% of the photos. Juno was followed closely by Gingham and Lark, both around 7%.

  1. Try Instagram Stories.

It’s a great way to maintain visibility on Instagram. You can tease new products, promote an event, poll your followers, or even advertise a flash sale. It will allow you to incorporate photos and video into a slideshow that can be enhanced with text and graphics. You also have the ability to tag and link. Your story only lasts for 24 hours, so it’s great for things that don’t need to be up indefinitely.

  1. Use Instagram’s video ad formats.

This valuable tool for targeting a select audience offers three video formats to create Instagram ads. We all know that Instagram users love video. According to the SensorTower Ad Intelligence Data Digest, one in four ads on Instagram is a video. That number is even larger this year. When developing a video, the most important thing to remembers is that you only have a few short seconds to capture and keep someone attention. Get to the point quickly in a unique and engaging manner.

  1. Take advantage of all of the bells & whistles.

Instagram’s new zoom feature gives you the ability to get a little closer to your audience while using stories. Users can zoom in on photos or videos. You may also want to consider using emojis or better yet, the emoji slider poll feature to generate even more interaction. The emoji slider is a new audience feedback sticker that polls your viewers on a rating scale using any emoji. After all, it’s all about the image on Instagram!

  1. Consider the best time to post on Instagram.

Best time for you to post is when your followers are most active. Every business is unique in that their audience is different. It may take some trial and error and tracking of your results. A good rule of thumb is to post during lunchtime (11 am to 1 pm) or after work (6 pm to 9 pm). You can use Instagram analytics tools to find the best time for your posts. Instagram analytics is located right on your app. Best of all, it’s free when you set up an Instagram business profile. So, be sure to use the information available in the insights feature of your Instagram business account to identify when your followers are most active and schedule your posts accordingly.

  1. Don’t over post.

Just like including too many hashtags isn’t a smart move, neither is over posting. A couple of relevant posts a day is ideal. You want to post just enough to keep your followers interested and engaged, but not so much that you become a nuisance. An experienced social media marketing firm can help you build a social media calendar with engaging posts and optimum post times.

  1. Don’t forget a CTA in your post.

Very important on our list of Instagram marketing tips, be sure to use a CTA! While engagement is important, for certain posts, you’ll want a call to action. Remember, Instagram allows a single clickable link in your bio that can take followers directly to your website or landing page. You can include a copy of the link in your post, remind the user that the link is in your bio or both.

 

Reach out and touch someone with an engaging Instagram post 

According to the Pew Research Center, one-third of the US mobile users are on Instagram. The majority of Instagram users (59%) are between the ages of 18-29. Instagram reported 15 million registered businesses using the social media app with 2 million active advertisers on the platform each month. Obviously, businesses are seeing the benefit of engaging with this large captive audience. If you’re a brand that’s looking to reach a younger demographic, this should be your social media choice and our Instagram marketing tips are for you!

We hope you found this list of 11 Instagram marketing tips useful. If you’re not taking full advantage of Instagram to help promote and grow your business, consider the benefits. At Corcoran Communications, we help businesses and organizations of all types and sizes build strong followings, drive engagement, and execute high converting ads. Contact a social media consultant at Corcoran Communications today to learn more specifically about what we can do to help build your brand on Instagram.

 

 

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