How is your current Instagram strategy working for you?
Maybe you have been wrapped up in other things this year like so many of us and your feed is looking a bit bland or neglected. Keeping up all the things is challenging after all.
It is a great time of year to do an audit of your social media accounts. Know where you want to focus your brand and business for the New Year and beyond. In this three-part series, we will be focusing on how to audit and update pages and profiles for three of the top social media platforms Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.
Today we are focusing on Instagram.
Over 1 billion people use Instagram each month. 1 billion! Think about that for a moment.
According to Hootsuite Instagram Statistics,
130 million users tap on shopping posts every month and 50% of people on the platform have visited a website to make a purchase after seeing a product or service.
While a fun platform to share your life, this platform also has some serious business marketing potential. But it is hard to stay consistent.
To know where we are going we have to first see where we are. That’s why it is a good idea to start with an audit of your current Instagram profile and then we can work on implementing a new strategy if needed.
Do An Instagram Audit to Up Your Instagram Strategy
As you review your Instagram profile here are some things to look out for and take notes on…
- Start With Google
Just like we did with the Facebook Audit in post 1, you can start your audit by typing your blog or company name into Google and see if your Instagram profile comes up in the first few results.
When I do this Instagram is the third result. I have definitely been neglecting my social media pages while concentrating on client work this year so I need to take these actions right along with you. But I am happy to see Instagram is showing up in search for the blog name.
2. Check your info
This is necessary for every profile and website you audit. You want to check your info and make sure it is still accurate. If you have an Instagram for Business account you can share contact information with your followers. You can even sell directly on Instagram. Now is the time to review the prices of your products and service, your about info, and see if anything needs updating.
3. Check your graphics and messaging
Another important one for every platform. Maybe your business has evolved and your story has changed but it is not reflected in your Instagram graphics and captions. Check to make sure you are telling the current story that you want to tell for your business in the images, colors, and captions you choose. If not, make notes on any needed changes and updates. This will make it easier to implement new ideas later.
Instagram is a great place to develop a consistent look and feel for your brand as it is such a visual platform.
Photo by Souvik Banerjee on Unsplash
4. Check your stats
How is the engagement for your Instagram profile? Are you using videos? Are you making use of Instagram stories? Is your page getting engagement and resonating with your audience? Did you know that you can get a free personalized marketing plan for your Instagram business profile?
Click here, sign in and grab yours: Instagram Strategy Marketing Plan
If you find that your profile is not doing as well as you like, no worries. Now is the chance to work on it. That’s why we are doing this audit.
Once you have a general overview from the audit on the health of your Instagram profile, it is time to implement what you’ve learned.
Implement What You’ve Learned
Look over any and all notes you took while completing your audit. You could even take some screenshots of your Instagram profile and evaluate how cohesive it looks. Think about any actions you need to take to get your Instagram profile and feed more in line with your current brand.
What changes need to be implemented? Make a list and consider going ahead and scheduling the time to get the changes done whether you will do them yourself or outsource the tasks.
When your audit is complete and you have your ideas you are ready to create a new strategy. Think about your content plan. How will you keep consistent engaging content on your feed? Is it something you can take on or do you need help with the task?
If you are creating content yourself, brainstorm some ways to make the task faster and easier. This could be through batching your content in a designated time each week or month and then scheduling it out. You could even purchase some pre-made Instagram templates and caption ideas too. If you are short on time using templates can be such a beneficial part of your Instagram Strategy.
Some Best Practices for Instagram
Now on to some best practices for making your Instagram feed shine. These are things to keep in mind as you review your previous content and create your new, on-brand content.
On to these social media leading ladies for tips…
- Work with the algorithm
Jade made a great point about utilizing the algorithm rather than trying to beat it. The point of the Instagram Algorithm is to show users things they are most interested in so they will stay on the platform longer.
Longer, more engaged users is what any social media platform wants.
Tips:
- Make the first few hours after you post count
- Build relationships by commenting and responding
- Pay attention to timing and engagement
- Create engaging and shareable content
- Share from grid to stories
We can see that interacting is important but how do you fit this into your already busy schedule?
Sunny has a 5 minute rule that she uses to interact on Instagram every day. All of us can find 5 minutes.
The 5 Minute Rule for Instagram Growth (Instagram Strategy)
- Pick one for your existing audience:
- Audio and video messages
- Polls and questions
- Heart comments on previous photo when you post a new one
2. Then find like-minded accounts to follow and interact with.
3. Search hashtags to find content to interact with and share. Nurture relationships.
4. Respond to everything that you can.
What if you don’t have followers yet or are starting a new account?
I’m glad you asked.
Vanessa has your tips.
How To Grow From Scratch
How to grow an Instagram account from SCRATCH (With ZERO Followers!)
- Niche- think business, think income in the future
- Think about your personal brand (3 pillars 3 values)
- Optimize bio- keywords, value sentence, external link
- Profile photo that pops
- Plan out the first 12 photos for a fuller feed, Regular posting schedule
- Compile 5 different hashtag groups to use
- Follow people within your niche
- Follow niche hashtags
- Leverage Instagram Stories
And Natalie Ellis fo Boss Babes has some tips on growing organically with $0 budget.
How To Grow An Instagram Account From 0 (Grow ORGANICALLY and FAST!)
- Get clarity and create your content pillars for your Instagram Strategy
- Break those pillars down into topic and create captions around those
- Publish your first few posts
- Get your bio ready and add your I help ____ statement
- Connect with Facebook
How to get traction:
Create content that is easy to share like quotes and infographics. But pay attention to the type of content that resonates with your audience. Videos and carousels are usually popular.
Tag and repost others. And partner up with people that can help drive traffic from their page to yours. Gain the audience and keep them. Retention. Be consistent.
Your turn. Are you ready for an Instagram audit?
Up your game. If you have any tips of your own share them in the comments.
This post is full of tips to help your Instagram Strategy so be sure to pin it or save it and come back to it anytime needed. And be sure to check out the other posts in this series. Cheers and happy content creation.
Other Two Posts in This Series
How To Audit and Update Your Pinterest Strategy
How To Audit and Update Your Facebook Page
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