Insider Tips to Instagram Success

For many businesses, success on social media platforms can be difficult to attain or fleeting to maintain. This is problematic when you are looking for ways to stay competitive and stand out compared to other brands within your niche. As a successful web development company we have worked with and helped develop many successful brands’ internet presence and today we wanted to share some of that knowledge with our Insider Tips to Instagram Success.

“Success isn’t owned. It’s leased and rent is due every day.” ~ J.J. Watt

That is an important thing to remember about any success; it takes continual effort and work to maintain it, which is a primary reason why staying educated and informed to new ideas or approaches can be so valuable to accomplish your goals.

Instagram Basics

Any strong program is built from the ground up and that means having a solid foundation of basics. The blogs and image content that you post should all fall within the following framework:

• Within your niche – Instagram is a platform that works best when you work within your particular niche. By that we mean if you are selling yarn then everything you post needs to be directly related to yarn or at most one step away. You shouldn’t mix in other things that don’t relate to the niche like automotive repair.
• Engaging photos – This platform is based on the idea of pictures telling the story, so it makes sense that you need to use engaging photos that are beautiful if you want Instagram success.
• Develop a theme – Within Instagram, there are quite a few ways to modify the base layout you are using. There are a variety of options for filters, borders, tint, and background for photos along with numerous methods of layout and presentation. Find a style that is reflective of your brand and then consistently use it each post.
• Proper use of hashtags – Hashtags are an interesting aspect of IG. This is an area that needs to be taken seriously because it can lead to more views. Put hashtags in the comments and then take the time to find relevant and fun hashtags to use. Unless you are branding a term, avoid making up your own hashtags as a way to describe what is going on (#Idontknowwhypeopledothis) because nobody is ever going to search for that hashtag.
• Engage with users – A critical aspect of any social media campaign is remembering that this is a social site based around media! You need to be social and engage with both users who like and comment on your posts but also people and businesses you are connected to.
• Be consistent – Consistency is import for Instagram success, mostly in regards to your posting schedule, but also in all the basics we have already covered. You need to consistently apply the same process so that your branding is constant.

Now that we have reviewed the basics we can move on to the advanced tips!

Insider Tips to Instagram Success

• Plan out postings – You should create a content calendar for your IG posts. The most successful IG accounts often involve amazing photos which aren’t randomly taken at the moment. Often there are professional photographers, graphic designers, or in the very least some level of photo pre and post-production work. All of that takes time and planning which is why it is so important to have a calendar.
• Take photos that match your theme – If you have developed a particular theme or style on Instagram, accentuate that by also matching photos that will look great and fit cohesively when you are looking at your feed. Your feed and the grid you use should be planned out just like how you plan photos themselves. The goal should be to have everything look good while flowing together seamlessly no matter when or where someone jumps into your feed.
• Utilize a photo editor – If you want to have a serious IG site then you need to use photo editing tools for your content. Beautiful photos attract attention and good editing tools will improve any photo.
• Create ways for interactions – Engaging and responding to followers is a great starting point but you need to elevate that to interactions. There are quite a few easy ways to do this. Contests and product giveaways are always a great way to spark up interactions. Asking questions on your posts also works. For example, if you post two pictures of classic muscle cars you could ask, “Which one would you want to drive?” Finally, you can post business or product news with the intent to answer questions that are posted in response to the information.
• Photo tag when possible – If your photos ever include someone notable who uses Instagram, make sure to photo tag so the photo will also appear on the person’s profile. If you sell products and have been approved for shopping on Instagram you can tag products in your photos which will allow click-through access directly to product pages.
• Draw inspiration from the best – Greatness is often copied and while we don’t condone stealing a feed’s look, you definitely should draw inspiration from them. Rolling Stone has a list of the 100 Best Instagram Accounts and that is a good place to start. These accounts aren’t on this list just because of whose account it is, but because of how well they utilize the site.
• Research the competition – Checking out what your top competitors are doing is a great way to stay ahead of them. Not only can you see what their audience likes, you can also see what they don’t like so you can more effectively plan your content.
• Utilize Stories – IG’s “Stories” are a great feature that you should look to master. They are a great way to demonstrate products, gather insights, collect data, and more.
• Run analytics for hashtags – There are a few hashtag analytical tools available that can make a difference in how your hashtags perform such as providing insights into top keywords along with the most engaging hashtags.
• Connect with Influences – There are numerous social media influencers out there that can increase your engagement along with the discussion around your company. Look for influencers in or around your niche and engage with them. You should follow industry leaders on IG to see if they might check out your feed and positively endorse it.

The Bottom Line

The bottom line is that Instagram is a great social media platform and can be used to help expand your brand, boost conversions, and increase engagement. If you aren’t currently having a lot of success on the platform, try out our Insider Tips to Instagram Success to boost up your IG numbers.

Be sure to check back every week for great new Lounge Lizard blog articles.