Are you new to Instagram or looking for ways to increase brand awareness, engagement and grow your IG account?
Here are 10 Instagram hacks to grow your brand on this beautiful platform, the good news is, they are all easy to implement!
1. Hashtags are a must!
This is an IG must-have. Hashtags work like folders: they categorize related posts so users can easily search for their topic of interest.
How do you find a suitable hashtag for your post? You can enter a few keyword variations into the Instagram search bar to look for related hashtags.
For instance, the keyword “beauty” suggests various related keywords and their popularity.
Alternatively, you can use hashtag generator apps to draw a pool of related hashtags to your keyword. We recommend Hashtagged for iOS and HashTags for Instagram for Android.
Instagram allows up to 30 hashtags per post, so choose wisely. For instance, a general hashtag like #eyeshadow may potentially reach a wider audience, but competition is high. A more specific hashtag like #etudehouseeyeshadow could land you more genuinely interested viewers. Try out both to see which works best!
2. Tag other IG accounts
Instagram is a social platform, don’t be shy to mention others in your posts!
If you are reviewing a product, tag the brand’s IG account. If your brand has regional branches, tag them too.
For example, Nature’s Way Malaysia tags its regional IG accounts and retail stores which sell their product.
Tagging is an almost effortless way to increase your visibility, as your posts will appear in the “tagged posts” tab of those tagged. Plus, if you’re raving about someone’s products, it’s nice to let them know!
3. Create conversations
The best social media posts are those which spark conversations. The key is to create discussions that leave an impact.
Take a look at the example below using memes to create engagement and conversation with followers.
Ask open-ended questions or call to action in your captions. For instance:
- Like if you agree
- Tag someone who’d like this
- Comment your thoughts
People also love memes and quotes – they’re relatable, fun and shareable!
4. Post when your audience is most active
Utilize your IG insights to find out which day and time your followers are most active. (Note: This is only available for business profiles)
Here’s how to find out:
- On your profile page, click the top right icon with 3 lines
- Select “Insights”
- Select “Audience”
- Scroll down till the “Followers” section and there you can see when your followers are online
Schedule your posts during these peak periods to maximize reach and impressions.
5. Engage influencers
Instagram isn’t Instagram without influencers.
If budget permits, influencers are a powerful tool to leverage on Instagram. By having them post about your product or services and tagging your brand, you are reaching out to their pool of audiences as well.
Kate Cosmetics engaged celebrity Fouziah Gous for their live event and social media posting.
Read more on influencers marketing here.
6. Make your feed pretty
Instagram is all about visuals. Watsons Malaysia does a great job at this, using fun and colorful visual style for their posts as well as a gradient color scheme.
First impressions count, so make sure when a user clicks into your feed, they are greeted by visually pleasing images, color theme and style.
Choose a style that resonates with your brand and stick to it. Having a consistent brand image conveys professionalism and that you are serious about building an identity.
Of course, make sure the photos you post are of good quality and relevance.
7. Use a scheduling tool
Power up your productivity with a third-party scheduling tool for your Instagram account. This is especially ideal if you have multiple accounts to manage.
Tools like Onlypult and Later offer this option for a fee.
We’re still waiting for Instagram to introduce one of its own!
8. Make use of IG stories
These 24-hour disappearing posts are great for revealing behind-the-scenes, teaser announcements and more. Basically, any extra information that is valuable but doesn’t quite fit into the theme of your feed.
If you are a store, you can use highlights as a way of organizing your product categories and featuring the best-selling ones.
Online clothing store Closet Mino uses IG stories to sort their products for easy viewing.
9. Interact with your audience & other accounts
Always reply to your DMS (direct messages) and comments. Good customer service goes a long way, don’t leave your followers hanging!
Also, the more active your account, the higher it ranks in Instagram’s algorithm. This, in turn, increases your chances of being spotted and featured. So check out other accounts in your niche, leave comments on their posts and follow others in your community.
10. Speed up with ads
If you’re serious about getting your Instagram off the ground, then ads are the way to go.
Currently, IG provides 4 main targeting objectives, which aims to send people to
- Your profile
- Your website
- Your shop front
- Your direct messages
After you choose your objective, narrow your target audience based on age, gender, location, interests, and so on.
Don’t miss out on our previous article on how to use ads to grow Instagram followers?
Photo Credits:
- Nature’s Way Malaysia (@naturesway.my)
- Poki Peach (@pokipeach)
- Fouziah Gous (@fouziahgous)
- Watsons Malaysia (@watsonsmy)
- Closet Mino (@closetmino)
