Instagram is a free and effective way to market your brand. It is especially useful if you are targeting a younger audience. According to Statista, the average Instagram user is below the age of 34. Here are some tips on how to get the most out of your Instagram in 2021.
1- #Hashtags
Use the power of hashtags. Hashtags are an exceptional way to increase impressions on your Instagram posts. As long as your account is public, users do not have to be following your account to see your posts. Users search hashtags to discover new posts and accounts. This being said, with great power comes great responsibility- and hashtags are pretty powerful. Do not overdo it. You should use no more than 15 hashtags on your posts and space them below your caption so they do not annoy your followers. You want your posts to be discoverable to potential new followers without irritating your current ones.
2- Reposts
Reposting is attractive and easy. The “#repost” was one of the top 25 hashtags used in 2020. Large companies use it to show off positive reviews from customers and you should do the same.
3- Instagram Insights
Instagram Insights - know them and love them. Instagram Insights are available for all business profiles on Instagram. They provide simple analytics for your posts such as where your impressions came from (home, hashtag, location...etc).
4- Canva
Canva is your best friend when it comes to aesthetics, and Instagram is all about the aesthetic. Canva makes it easy with templates for posts and can be customized to fit your aesthetic. Influencers stick to an aesthetic by using the same filters and colors.
5- Data Tracking
Any third party analytic tracking application or website can help your account. Although Instagram insights provide data about your posts, a third party application can track more information over longer periods. We recommend Squarelovin, but it is in your business’ best interest to find the right analytic application for your Instagram.
6- Location
Adding the location to your post can increase impressions. Travel is a large theme on Instagram. There are many travel influencers on the app and Instagram can categorize travel pictures in a search under “places”. Users not only search for new “places”, but they look at the posts tagged with the same locations as their posts. Users like to see what other people in the same area posted, the captions they used, which hashtags they chose...etc. You may not gain many followers from locations, but you will almost always increase your impressions.
7- Organic Followers
Organic followers are far better than paid ones. Do not pay for your Instagram followers. Paid followers are useless because they do not bring any engagement to your account. They will not like, comment, or share any of your posts. We recommend getting followers organically by promoting your Instagram online and encouraging your clients to post about your business on their social media.
8- Consistent Posting Schedule
You need to create a consistent posting schedule. It is important to research the best times to post according to your target audience. You should then do a test trial for a month and then adjust accordingly based on your engagement. Once you establish the best days/times to post you can then create a consistent posting schedule for optimization.
9- Instagram Stories
This is one of the most trending Instagram Tips for Marketing in 2021 Stories - 500 million people use Stories every day (bigcommerce.com). Instagram Stories came out in 2016 after Snapchat Stories became wildly popular. Stories keep engagement up because they show up at the top of users' feeds. You can get away with posting every day, multiple times a day because the user chooses if they want to watch your story or not. This way, posting often does not irritate your followers but they are still regularly reminded of your brand.
10- Instagram Live
Instagram Live is a great way to engage your followers. You can post about the scheduled Livestream the week before to ensure you will have an audience. Throughout your Instagram Live, viewers can make comments and ask questions. This is a great way to promote products, do a Q&A, or show some behind the scenes action. A great example of a business that utilizes Instagram Live is Covet Boston. Covet is a luxury consignment shop that specializes in E-commerce through Instagram. Covet streams at least one Instagram live a week, typically showing a consignment haul where the owner, Hanadi Hamzeh, explains what items she accepts and why. Covet also does Instagram live auctions where viewers can bid on the items Hamzeh shows.