Tips To Help Improve Your Instagram Presence
Written by Trinity Duong
Instagram has been and remains a key focus for business ventures and marketing campaigns. With the emergence of so many new and trending apps such as TikTok and Clubhouse it would seem that the focus would shift to the latest new fad however due to Instagram’s platform garnering billions of active users in its long-standing reign we can begin to understand why it is the main player for advertisement and brand awareness.
The reach and engagement of Instagram are incredibly high because of its vast and wide history from the publication of the application in 2010 and the purchase of the app in 2012 by Facebook that increased its numbers by forging the two platforms together.
By using Instagram properly you will be able to promote yourself and/or your work effectively by properly introducing yourself to social media and growing your presence through these simple tips.
1) Hashtag Usage
Often times hashtags are seen as something cringe. They have become a viral meme with people tagging very unconventional things for comedic purposes. However many experts have advised brands to use as many hashtags as possible (with Instagram’s limit being 30) to maximize reach, however, Instagram advises that brands should add three to five in order to remain relevant and for the best results. Depending on if you are catering to a very niche or very diverse audience, you can choose how you want to hashtag. Hashtags remain a key discovery tool on this platform and users are finding newer ways to use them.
A fun way to hashtag without showing it is by sending the post you picked to your story and while editing hashtag everything you want to and simply place the post over it.
2) Instagram Stories
The numbers that Instagram Stories sees per day is close to 500 million users per day. As it’s displayed at the very top of our feed, this positioning makes it amazing for boosting brand awareness and engagement. Stories are a huge part of harnessing a huge following and presence therefore by creating effective ones, although difficult, is very rewarding. The visuals allow a current positioning of your current status and offer a unique and genuine approach to your message and life.
3) Visual Appeal
Instagram feeds have recently always been about curating the most aesthetically pleasing page that curates to the audience you are trying to form. By creating great, standout visuals, images the people see will pique their interest and form a consensus to invest in what you or your brand are creating. Some main tips for visual appeal are the quality of your images, natural light, professional camera (depending on your aesthetic), props in the photo that create a unique and compelling story, different angles, filters or editing, and GIFs. These are some basic notes for the visual presentation that incorporates artistic direction and experimentation.
4) Instagram Reels
As TikTok rises higher and higher, Instagram has offered its own take on video production through “Reels''. Although it hasn’t taken off the way TikTok has due to the basic algorithm, Instagram continues to validate it and is slowly finding other ways to mimic TikTok’s momentum. Reels is a relevant consideration for brands as it can boost your overall Instagram presence due to the social media wanting to put more emphasis on the option therefore curating your work to more people.
If you’re interested in understanding more about creating and upholding presence on Instagram make sure to keep up to date with every more the platform makes. You can read about all the latest updates here, “The Latest Instagram Updates”.
