Instagram marketing offers the potential to reach an audience of more than 1 billion people. So it’s no wonder that businesses, streamers, content creators, and bloggers invest in the Instagram platform, using it to reach a global audience.
When done right, Instagram marketing offers many benefits. Driving traffic to a website, connecting with a community, reaching new audiences, and boosting sales are just a few. However, when done wrong, Instagram marketing can have a negative impact on you and/or your brand.
Let’s explore a few of the biggest mistakes made on Instagram, and how to avoid them.
Posting Inconsistently
Just like all avenues of marketing efforts, Instagram marketing needs to be strategic. Posting consistently, according to a schedule, is an important part of an Instagram marketing strategy. Unfortunately, this part of the strategy is often forgotten. Instead, brands leave their profile static for a long period of time and then spam their followers to make up for their silence.
Inconsistent posting can be fixed by drawing up a schedule and sticking to the calendar. Use the analytics and insights available with an Instagram business profile to find out when your audience is most engaged and schedule your posts for these times.
Consider your niche and research how many posts are “too much” and “too little”. The sweet spot will keep your audience engaged without exhausting them.
There are several Instagram scheduling tools that help to streamline the planning process. By planning your feed and stories in advance, you’ll have more control over consistent posting.
Failing to Engage
Are you wondering how to grow on Instagram? Engagement is at the heart of Instagram’s algorithm. The more likes, shares, and comments that a post receives, the broader the reach. Engagement rates are also one of the top metrics that brands consider when working with influencers. So, why do so many content creators neglect engagement?
Content creators spend so much time focusing on posting, that they sometimes fail to engage with their followers afterward. Instagram growth is largely dependent on engagement rates, and failing to invest in the process is a huge mistake.
Start small and allocate a few minutes each day to comment and engage with content within your niche and in your home feed. Make sure that you respond to all comments and messages, encouraging your followers to engage further.
Taking Shortcuts
Whether you’re a new streamer that is just entering the game or you’re an established influencer who has worked with big brands, there is always room to grow. Unfortunately, the market is flooded with cheap shortcuts that promise the world (but usually fall short).
For example, there’s the option to buy followers. While these followers offer quantity, they don’t offer quality and your overall engagement rate will be lower. Another bad practice is to play games with your target audience by following and unfollowing and leaving spam comments.
In addition to prioritizing quality engagement as an Instagram best practice, there are other above-the-belt ways to grow your Instagram following. Consider working on viral content and collaborating with other streamers or content producers.
Posting Low-Quality Content
As Instagram is a visual platform, it’s important to share content that is visually appealing. Each day, millions of pictures and/or videos are uploaded to Instagram. If you want to stand out from the noise, then you need to make sure that your content is well-formatted, edited professionally, and well-lit. If you can’t produce decent content, then you’re better off not posting at all.
There are a few other points to keep in mind when creating content. For example, consider your branding. Each image or video should empower your brand and boost awareness. Brand image, colors, and style should be consistent across all posts.
Another way that you can prioritize quality is by paying attention to the caption. Make an effort to double-check your grammar and use the caption intentionally. Do you want people to subscribe to your channel? Tell them how to! Do you strive to inspire people to cook at home? Share recipes!
Using Generic Hashtags
Did you know that the average post on Instagram contains 10.7 hashtags? These hashtags help to identify competition, boost visibility and branding, promote products and ideas, and jump on trends. However, not all hashtags are created equal.
If you use a broad hashtag, then your post will get lost in a sea of other posts using the same hashtag. The more specific the hashtag, the more relevant the post becomes.
While hashtags are important, they should be used strategically. When applied effectively, hashtags can be an effective Instagram growth hack by reaching new audiences and driving engagement.
The Profile Becomes a Dead End
While some Instagram profiles are only used solely as a visual platform, other profiles are used as a method of driving traffic to a money-making source. Considering that Instagram doesn’t hyperlink URLs in comments, content creators need to give their followers an easy way to access their website, blog, or online store. Failure to do so is a major mistake.
It’s important to make the user experience easy and efficient, with minimal effort required from the follower. Instagram offers the opportunity to include a link in the bio, and this link needs to be optimized.
Avoid a Critical Mistake with Link Space
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