Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
It’s time to get serious about building your Instagram account and posting relevant content that your viewers will love, so what’s the first step? Let’s take you through the Instagram Fundamentals.
What’s New?
What’s new in marketing? YouTube adds video chapter listings in search, Snapchat introduces a new tool, Twitter announces DM improvements, and YouTube publishes a new guide.
YouTube Adds Video Chapter Listings in Search – YouTube wants to enhance its in-app search tools, with new video chapters within search results and expanded access to content in different languages to broaden search capacity.
Snapchat introduces a new “Trends” Tool – Recently, Snapchat has brought about a new tool that will help brands optimize their posts and advertisements, thus making them rank higher while also helping them reach their target audiences.
Twitter Announces Coming DM Improvements – Twitter has announced some new improvements to your tweet DMs, including new options for sharing tweets via private message and improved navigational elements.
YouTube Publishes New Guide to Rising Aesthetic Trends – Even if you’ve heard of these niches, you likely don’t have a complete understanding of what they mean and the context from which they’ve emerged, which is where YouTube’s latest culture and trends report comes in.
What’s Working?
Creating a successful Instagram account goes beyond just posting.
You need to explore the hashtags, content, and schedules that are used.
But don’t worry, we’ll help you understand the fundamentals of Instagram so you can bring your business from Zero to Hero.
Instagram Fundamentals: From Zero to Hero
Optimizing Your Profile for Business
Think of your profile as your homepage; this is what users see first.
- Profile picture – Include a nice image of your logo.
- Switch to a business account – This offers many additional features.
- Perfect your bio – Add a brief description of your company, who you are, and what you do.
Warming Up Your Account
Instagram rewards you for using the platform the way it was supposed to be used.
Like and comment on various posts from following the hashtags and the explore tab to help you gain that added reach.
Creating a Content Plan That Works
Creating a content plan is crucial in staying organized and consistent on Instagram.
This entirely depends on your company and the audience you have.
Curate your content plan for what works for you.
The Right Time to Post
You want your content to spark engagement, so understanding your most active users is key to success.
Understand micro-moments for your business, as the right time to post can vary based on your industry.
For example, a law firm might have a different posting schedule than a florist would.
The Importance of Hashtags
Hashtags are critical as they are what makes your content discoverable.
Create a mix of high, medium, and low niche hashtags.
You want to use about 3-11 hashtags per post. Avoid using too many as it appears spammy.
Create Engaging Content
An engaged audience is your best audience – no matter your follower count.
It is essential to create content that catches the viewer’s attention, provides an invitation for conversation, and “stops the scroll.”
A simple and easy way to create engaging content for your audience is to utilize the features at your fingertips.
Utilizing Instagram’s Features
Instagram comes with many fantastic features to help you create an Instagram account and feed that you and your followers will love.
These include:
- Story Highlights
- Instagram Stories
- Instagram Reels
- In-feed Videos
Uploading & Editing on Instagram
Now that you have a content plan,
it’s time to post!
Ensure you have proper dimensions:
- Photos perform best at a 1:1 ratio
- Reels & Stories perform best at a 9:16 ratio It’s vital to meet the post requirements to avoid auto-crops and quality loss.
When uploading your content, double-check that you:
- Spell-check your caption
- Add relevant hashtags
- Add a call to action
- Tag relevant accounts
- Add a location tag
- Add keyword-rich alt text
- to the image
Instagram Shopping
This set of features allows users to shop directly from your Instagram page.
Your shop is a place to sell and share your brand story, where people can browse products, explore collections, and finalize purchases.
Instagram Stories
Instagram stories effectively promote new products, showcase behind-the-scenes content, and engage with your audience.
Each business is different, so it is important that your story reflects your brand and appeals to your audience. Have fun with it!
Collaborations & Partnerships
Find businesses that have similar profile sizes to yours, so you can mutually benefit.
Build your community:
- Host giveaways and contests
- Start a photo and hashtag challenge
- Host Instagram takeovers
- Crosspost
Wrapping It Up!
There’s more to Instagram than creating a profile and posting for the sake of it.
Always have a game plan for creating the best and most relevant content for your business and become a true Instagram Hero!
We hope you enjoyed learning about Instagram Fundamentals. If you’re looking for more great content, check out some of our other reads below:
Beyond Keywords: Understanding Search Intent
