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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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Battling Facebook’s Algorithm

Thursday, March 29th, 2018

Facebook’s algorithm change earlier this year sent shockwaves through the businesses and organizations that count on that medium as a way to reach their target audiences. Facebook’s prioritizing of posts from family and friends over public content left business owners and marketers wondering what to do to combat this setback.

According to Facebook, the algorithm will prioritize posts that prompt meaningful conversations between friends, as well as highly shareable posts. Simply put, Facebook’s algorithm is rearranging the way you see posts according to ones you would be more likely to interact with. Posts that spark conversation and get the most authentic reactions, comments and shares will rank much better. It’s not enough just get those post likes, you need to get post shares and comments to broaden your post reach. If you’re seeing a big decline in your Facebook post engagement, it might be time to enlist the help of a social media marketing agency.

Five tips for getting a higher organic Facebook reach

  1. Post meaningful content, questions and items that encourage opinions.

    Spark conversation among your followers with relevant content. Post questions that will evoke emotion and encourage authentic conversation between audience members. When content induces a strong emotion, it is much more likely to get shares and interaction. To do this successfully, you must first understand your audience and what motivates them. It’s all about creating the right mix to appeal to your fans. What exactly is meaningful content? It’s content that educates or informs your audience or is very timely or relevant. This may mean a social media strategy shift to more posts targeted at individual audience groups rather than a “one size fits all” approach to posting.

  2. Think video.

    Video naturally gets better engagement and Facebook Live videos perform even better than regular videos. Facebook Live enables you to interact with your viewers in real time. Facebook Live videos are likely to appear higher in news feed when the videos are actually live. It’s always best to let your audience know in advance when you will be going live to be sure people tune in. Facebook also alerts your audience when you are going live. FB Live videos can be up to 30 minutes long. Once the live broadcast has ended, the video will be saved on your timeline for anyone to watch in the future. Facebook views these live videos as the ultimate authentic experience. Tap to learn how to go live.

  3. Engage customers with Facebook Groups & Facebook Stories.

    See a common theme here? It’s all about Facebook and its products. Facebook Groups are a great way to build a more engaged community around common interests or causes. This can be anything from groups of people who are passionate about animals to people who love travel, parenting groups, clubs, people who support a particular non-profit organization or people who love to cook and try new recipes. Is there a group that can be formed to tie into your brand, products and services? It’s worth exploring to make closer connections with your audience. Facebook Stories is another visual way to share your story and reach your audience. You can create a story through the Facebook app on your mobile phone. Simply go to your business page and scroll down and tap Create Story to begin. You can take or upload photos or video from your camera, add text and filters.

  4. Be sure your photos stand out.

    The more interesting and engaging the photo, the more reaction it will get. If you’re taking a photo, try working with different camera or phone angles to get a more dramatic effect. Action shots are always great. Keep it simple, not overly complicated. Photographing product? Arrange it into a unique type of design and color selection. There are also many high quality and enticing stock photos available online to purchase for social media sharing. That may be the better option for some. Think cute, mischievous puppies and stunning scenery. Whatever photo you use, it should be relatable and authentic. You’ll also need a great caption that ties into the photo and immediately grabs attention. Time spent on finding an appropriate photo and developing an interesting caption is time well spent.

  5. Don’t be shy about reaching out to your fans for help.

    This can be instrumental in combatting Facebook’s algorithm. Ask your followers to go to your Facebook business page, click on following and then click on see first to insure they see your posts. If your content is consistently compelling and useful, your fans will already realize the value and won’t want to miss it. As a result, they will want to do this!

Don’t get caught in the engagement bait trap

Encouraging users to like, comment or share just to boost your engagement could be considered engagement baiting and it could work against you. Businesses that regularly engage in baiting tactics to get a greater reach on their news will quickly see a decrease on their post reach. There are five forms of engagement baiting: Tag baiting, comment baiting, vote baiting, react baiting and share baiting. Posts such as like and share if you like ice cream, share to win movie tickets or comment if you love that the Eagles won the Super Bowl are all forms of engagement baiting.

To overcome the changes of Facebook’s algorithm, your goal should always be to have an authentic connection with your audience. To accomplish that, you need to concentrate on consistently creating content of interest. This content should on its own encourage people to share, because they found value.

Leverage the power of your employees in the battle against Facebook’s algorithm

The involvement of your staff can help you instantly strengthen your Facebook reach. Perhaps feature your team members in certain posts. If they buy in with active participation in the form of likes, shares and comments, more people will see your posts. Encourage your staff to get involved and share. In addition, make it as easy as possible for them to share. Email them links to the post and ideas for captions when sharing. The easier it is for the employee, the more chance they will actually do it. The greater the social media outreach for a business, the better it is for the entire team.

Always be unique and relevant on social media

Remember, Facebook is one big community and the more buzz you can create within that community, the better. Your post goal in overcoming Facebook’s algorithm is to get people talking. You want comments, likes and shares. Therefore, be sure to be unique and not post the same content over and over. If you’re posting product photos, change up the captions or pose questions regarding use of the product. Facebook’s algorithm  prioritizes content based on the value it brings to the individual user.

Facebook ads may be for you

In conclusion, while you always want to focus on improving your organic reach, Facebook ads are a cost-effective way to build engagement and get a positive ROI. Boosting posts and running Facebook ads can definitely work in conjunction with your organic efforts. You can set your target audience for your ads based on many factors, including age, geographic location and interests. The social media team at Corcoran Communications helps clients to strategically develop a mix of enticing social media posts and Facebook ads to enhance their social media efforts and get results.

Need help with your social media initiatives, contact us for a free consultation. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for helpful marketing tips, social media strategy updates and our informative blogs.

 

 

 

 

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