7 things you can do right now to boost your Instagram love

 

Instagram, it’s where all the cool kids are right?! Facebook has lost a bit of its shine with its algorithm deciding what its users see and our younger generations are flocking to Instagram for an unedited (excuse the pun) newsfeed. Read on for 7 tips to boost engagement on your Instagram!

1. Use Hashtags

 
Brands who use hashtags really well are those that don’t overuse them or tag things that are trending, just to show up in feeds. Hashtags can be used to add personality, to categorise and group things together and also to build brand awareness. Think about what you’re selling and what people might search to find you and use those as hashtags.

I will blog shortly on how to use hashtags, but for now, check out the below link to find out what’s trending and if anything is relevant to your business, use it!

http://top-hashtags.com/instagram/

2. Show how far you’ve come

  
Quite often on the above hashtag trending link, #tbt (throw back Thursday) will rank as one of the most used hashtags. This little hashtag can show your audience how far you’ve come and that you’re a business that’s been around for a while. This is quite useful if you’ve just joined Instagram and you want to showcase some photos that aren’t so current. You can use #tbt to show photos of you at uni (to show you’re qualified), of your business in black and white, or a piece of equipment you used to use and the technology has changed. People search this # and it’s a great way to build engagement.

3. Behind the scenes

  

Instagram is the perfect space to showcase what it’s like behind the scenes at your business and humanise your brand. Take photos of your team doing what they do, milestones like major work anniversaries, new additions to the team, new babies, or even birthdays. If you work in a photography business, a new camera, while as exciting to you as an office baby, is a chance to show that you continually upgrade your equipment and your audience will see how passionate you are about what you do. Chances are if you think it’s fun in the office, your audience will enjoy seeing it.

4. Delight with the unexpected 

 Use your own personal Instagram feed to see what everyone is talking about. If there’s something that seems to be getting a lot of engagement, feel free to post and join in the fun! Make sure to use the regram or repost apps to give credit to the source though.

Instagram is a space where it’s ok for your brands personality to really shine #shinebrightlikeadiamond

5. Show off your team

  

Take photos of your team and show off their personality. People are more likely to buy from you if they trust you and they’re more likely to trust you, if you show them who you are and put a face to a brand.

6. Take a different perspective

 

“But I always look so much better in the Amaro Filter!” Don’t always use the same filters, have some fun with angles and lighting. You can turn a photo that people see all the time, into something pretty special if you think outside the square.

7. Have some fun with it!

  
If you’re having fun with Instagram, people will have fun back with you. Don’t take yourself too seriously, enjoy it! Don’t be afraid to post the cat meme, motivational or dog in a sombrero if you can tie it back to your business. Even if it’s ‘at <insert brand> we’re on the countdown to Friday! #whoswithus’
  

Thanks for reading! Tell me about your Instagram successes and #epicfails!