Instagram is a powerful marketing tool, but not one you should just wing and see what sticks. As with any marketing channel you need to have a plan. If Instagram growth is your goal, make sure you are following these 8 marketing practices:
Having a strategy: You need a strategy in place to build a strong organic presence. Without a clearly defined strategy, you’ll find yourself just posting for the sake of it and, as a result, seeing no return from your efforts.
Setting goals: Without setting goals, which should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound (SMART), it’s difficult to measure progress and validate the work you are doing is paying off.
Following trends: Jumping on a trend is a sure-fire way to encourage engagement with your target audience, increase reach and stay relevant.
Staying on brand: The more consistent you are with your brand, the more recognisable it becomes inspiring trust and a feeling of reliability.
Knowing who your audience is: To grow you need to know who your target audience is and understand why they follow you, what are their challenges and pain points, and how you can help solve them. Without knowing this you won’t be able to create content that offers value and resonates with your audience.
Engaging with your audience: Social media is a two-way street and if you want your audience to interact with your content, and see an increase in your engagement rate, you need to start authentic conversations with them. This is how you build a community of followers, that become loyal customers.
Monitoring Insights: If you want to grow your personal brand on Instagram, make sure you are monitoring your Insights regularly to find out more about your audience and the type of content they enjoy the most from you. This will help you shape your content strategy.
Replying to comments: This is important for several reasons; not only is it courteous and helps you to build an engaged community (point 6), but it signals to the algorithm that your content should be seen, helping more people discover your page.