Tip 1: Identify Target Audience
A great first step is to work out who your target audience is for your products or services. Is it business to business or business to consumer? “Tailor your posts to your audience” for Instagram success says Jo at SocialMediaMakesSense. (1)
Tip 2: Perfect Your Profile
Spend time on your profile to give visitors key information about your business, a link to your website and other important links to your content. Keep it visually both jolly and fun.
Tip 3: Share Your Best Stories
You can highlight stories in your profile. Stories are “a quick, easy way to share moments and experiences. Use text, music, stickers and GIFs to bring your story to life” states instagram on their official website.
Tip 4: Analyse Performance With Insights
View the insights page on your business instagram account to see how many people you have reached and data about whether your content has increased in terms of interactions. Make sure you engage with content produced by the people and accounts you follow.
Tip 5 : Aim to Be Shared on Other People’s Feeds
It is good practice to intend to be featured in other people’s feeds. Reposting photos of your products or images of your customers enjoying your services works really well.
Tip 6 : Really impress with Reels and Videos
Have a go at creating reels and videos. Reels are 15-30 second videos set to music a bit like TikTok and they are created in vertical video mode. Jessica Worb at the Later blog explains how users “Share them to their Stories, Explore Feed and Reels tab”
The more different features you use the better for improving instagram ratings. You can even directly sell products using the shop feature. (1)
Tip 7 : Communication is Key
You can ‘direct message’ followers using the DM’s function which can be found with the paper airplane icon on the top right of your instagram account. This means individual users will receive a personal note from your company.
Tip 8 : Pick your Favourites To Follow
Follow people who will be interesting to your followers. The comments and likes that follow also then trigger the algorithms to boost your profile on instagram too.
Tip 9 : Develop a Winning Routine with Ideal Timing
Think about how often your audience checks in and how often is the right amount to post for your company on instagram. Add hashtags in the comments section to reference your post to twitter and keep your feed looking neat.
Tip 10 : Be True To Your Brand Image
Think about colours and styles and ways to convey your brand on Instagram with impact. “A picture tells a thousand words” as the saying goes, so keep photographs and images high resolution and take time with composition. Make sure your company values are consistently reflected. Remember to post the best quality content you can to retain your following. Look at colours, styles and the themes used and topics covered by other instagram users for inspiration.
(1) For more specialist advice and instagram marketing services contact Jo Booth at ‘What We Do’ SocialMediaMakesSense.co.uk, 16 June 2021 Jo Booth Social Media Marketing at SocialMediaMakesSense.co.uk,
(2) ‘The Ultimate Guide to Instagram Reels’ Jessica Worb, 26 January 2021 ‘The Ultimate Guide to Instagram Reels’ Jessica Worb
(3) ‘How It works: Capture moments with ease.’ Instagram, 16 June 2021 ‘How It works: Stories.’ Instagram