Today I'm going to be sharing some advice for anyone trying to grow their Instagram account, the advice will apply to most people/accounts but I'm going to be focusing it more on those who are trying to grow an Instagram account for business purposes, that could be anything from blogging to owning your own shop.
Create a 'brand'
The first thing to do is think about your 'brand' if you want to create an Instagram account and really take it seriously then everything you post should align with the brand you are trying to create. If your account is for a business, for example, you may want to consider making a separate personal account to post selfies and pictures of your breakfast, if you are a lifestyle blogger however these kinds of pictures might be perfect for your account. Not only do you need to pick the right kind of content but you may want to consider editing your pictures in a similar way or use a specific colour palette so your followers can instantly identify your content.
I also highly recommend using an app to plan out your feed, I use UNUM, it's easy to use and lets you see if each new image works with what you already have posted.
Work on your profile
You want to make a good first impression and encourage people to follow your account so you need to think carefully about your name, bio and profile picture.
First, think about your name, if you are a blogger, for example, your most likely going to have that as your name on your account but if you also include keywords like blogger or beauty blogger you'll have a better chance of people finding your profile (Example - Beauty and Bentley | Blogger ). Next you want to add a profile picture that will get you noticed, people prefer profile pictures with people but if you have a business account and need to use something else like a logo that's fine but try to use eye-catching colours or designs that will be memorable, if you can have a profile picture of your self you could use a brightly coloured background which I've noticed is becoming more popular to help people stand out. Then finally you want to work on your bio, keep it short, sweet and to the point, you want to tell people who you are and what they can gain from following your account. You can also add hashtags into your bio, again to better your chances of people finding your account, emojis are also good to add in to show some personality and make your bio visually appealing. To finish, add a call to action and link to your website/shop/blog.
Choose a good caption
If you are new to Instagram and want to take it seriously then throwing up an emoji or some song lyrics with your images isn't going to cut it. You want to encourage people to comment and engage with your post so get creative with your captions, if you really tell a story in your caption and do it in an interesting and genuine way then people will feel more compelled to interact with you. It's also a really good idea to ask questions or encourage people to tag a friend in the comments as I've done a little research and apparently the comments you get in the first hour after posting a picture are the most important, so the more engagement you get in that first hour the more Instagram will show your post to others and push it up the explore page.
Engage with others
Okay so you want people to like and comment on your content, right? Well, you need to put in the work and return the favour! It's so important to engage with others on Instagram, it is, after all, a SOCIAL media platform, so be social. The one thing you don't want to do is leave spammy comments like 'nice' or emojis with no comment at all. This won't help anyone, you want to comment on content you really like and say something worthwhile, I've heard that Instagram won't register any comment as legit engagement that is less than four words, so if we all want to work together as a community and help each other to grow then be genuine, start conversations and skip spammy comments.
Be consistent
Find a posting schedule that works for you and do your best to stick to it, if you can only post twice a week that's fine, if you can post once a day then great but avoid posting every day for a week then dropping off the face of the planet for two months. Being consistent with how often you post let's Instagram know that you are a genuine account and lets your followers know what to expect from you. Another great idea is to check your insights, if you have a business account, and see when is the best time of day to post, you want to be sharing content when you know most of your followers are already using the platform. Obviously, it's fine to skip posting every now and again if your having an off day or don't have a quality image then skip it and start back up again the next day/a few days later just don't let months go by without using the platform or your followers will forget about you and move on.
Quality not quantity
This tip gets talked about all the time but it's important, pick good quality images to post and skip anything that's not up to your usual standard. If you want to make your Instagram account a success then you need to think about some of the big accounts you are 'competing' with, Instagram is a visual platform filled with perfectly put together feeds, so if you aren't sharing quality content then your account is unlikely to get very far. Don't get me wrong you don't need to have a perfect feed with a strict theme but you want to post images that are well lit, in focus and generally of good quality and in keeping with your brand, otherwise there is no point in posting it.
Okay, so I hope you enjoyed this post and found it useful, I'm going to finish up by sharing both of my Instagram accounts and I would love it if you would go check them out and maybe even follow me if you enjoy my content!
Etsy Shop Account - https://www.instagram.com/beautyandbentleyetsy/
Blogging Account - https://www.instagram.com/beauty_and_bentley/
Did you know I have an Etsy store selling digital downloads, including art prints, planners and clipart - check it out here!
Choose a good caption
If you are new to Instagram and want to take it seriously then throwing up an emoji or some song lyrics with your images isn't going to cut it. You want to encourage people to comment and engage with your post so get creative with your captions, if you really tell a story in your caption and do it in an interesting and genuine way then people will feel more compelled to interact with you. It's also a really good idea to ask questions or encourage people to tag a friend in the comments as I've done a little research and apparently the comments you get in the first hour after posting a picture are the most important, so the more engagement you get in that first hour the more Instagram will show your post to others and push it up the explore page.
Engage with others
Okay so you want people to like and comment on your content, right? Well, you need to put in the work and return the favour! It's so important to engage with others on Instagram, it is, after all, a SOCIAL media platform, so be social. The one thing you don't want to do is leave spammy comments like 'nice' or emojis with no comment at all. This won't help anyone, you want to comment on content you really like and say something worthwhile, I've heard that Instagram won't register any comment as legit engagement that is less than four words, so if we all want to work together as a community and help each other to grow then be genuine, start conversations and skip spammy comments.
Be consistent
Find a posting schedule that works for you and do your best to stick to it, if you can only post twice a week that's fine, if you can post once a day then great but avoid posting every day for a week then dropping off the face of the planet for two months. Being consistent with how often you post let's Instagram know that you are a genuine account and lets your followers know what to expect from you. Another great idea is to check your insights, if you have a business account, and see when is the best time of day to post, you want to be sharing content when you know most of your followers are already using the platform. Obviously, it's fine to skip posting every now and again if your having an off day or don't have a quality image then skip it and start back up again the next day/a few days later just don't let months go by without using the platform or your followers will forget about you and move on.
Quality not quantity
This tip gets talked about all the time but it's important, pick good quality images to post and skip anything that's not up to your usual standard. If you want to make your Instagram account a success then you need to think about some of the big accounts you are 'competing' with, Instagram is a visual platform filled with perfectly put together feeds, so if you aren't sharing quality content then your account is unlikely to get very far. Don't get me wrong you don't need to have a perfect feed with a strict theme but you want to post images that are well lit, in focus and generally of good quality and in keeping with your brand, otherwise there is no point in posting it.
Okay, so I hope you enjoyed this post and found it useful, I'm going to finish up by sharing both of my Instagram accounts and I would love it if you would go check them out and maybe even follow me if you enjoy my content!
Etsy Shop Account - https://www.instagram.com/beautyandbentleyetsy/
Blogging Account - https://www.instagram.com/beauty_and_bentley/
Did you know I have an Etsy store selling digital downloads, including art prints, planners and clipart - check it out here!
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