Username
A username that is professional but also memorable is key. This is what followers will click on and remember.
Theme
It is important to pick a theme and be consistent. Most people unfollow because they can’t relate to the posts – it is crucial to choose an audience which relates to you. So, if you like to travel – make a travel Instagram and gain a travel audience. The same goes for if you like stationary or bullet journaling. Choosing one style is also important, for example choosing the same filter each time in order to create an aesthetic. Of course, you can change style as you like but in order to gain followers and keep an audience engaged, it is a good idea to stick to certain colours/styles at first.
Tell a story
For example, use the Instagram slideshow in order to deliver your theme and tell a story all at once. This is great to convey your point without someone having to spend hours scrolling on your feed for the same content.
Hashtags and Geotags
It is important to use relevant hashtags, for example, #love is too broad and won’t gain much attention. Careful to change your hashtags to avoid using the same ones all the time. “However, using hashtags does improve engagement, in fact, 11+ hashtags get the most attention. Geotag your location, this lets followers think about whether they want to visit or not and the more your account is on their minds – the better” says Jesse Kelly, a Social media manager at Brit student.
Engage
Tag people in your posts and reply to comments you are mentioned in. This means followers will receive notifications. If you’re serious about upgrading your Instagram then consider following hashtags which relate to your Instagram, comment on the posts that appear on your feed and follow profiles which are relevant to your theme and aesthetic. This means more people will look at your profile. Equally, you can ask people’s opinions on your post and start a conversation. It is common practice for people to do this on their stories: e.g. “Ask me anything” – this engages your audience.
Stories
This is a good way to connect with your followers quickly and easily without annoying them. This is of utmost importance since you can include links to your website here too! Also, it is an ideal place where your followers can get to know you and find out about the process of you making your Instagram blog.
Post Regularly
But not too much! Posting constantly annoys followers and will mean you will lose them. A maximum of 4 in a 24hr period is suggested and make sure they are spaced out. Instagram even has a draft box so you can plan your posts accordingly.
(Un)Follow
This is all about following the number of people you feel you can engage with on a regular basis. “Don’t instantly unfollow someone once they follow you as this is not good in the long run, it will hurt your engagement more than it will help it. Don’t worry about people unfollowing you: they weren’t engaging with your content so they weren’t helping your blog grow” explains Samantha Meyers, a marketer at Australia2write.
Content
Top quality content only i.e. you should only use good photos. Try to invest in good equipment and take the time to learn how to take good photos. Be sure to edit and plan your photos, you can preview them to be sure they fit in with your theme. Instagram doesn’t have the best editing system, it is easy to download another app to ensure your blog really stands out. It’s important to be happy with your feed, so take the time to work on colour, filters, tone, etc. Also, take the time to think up a strong caption you feel tells a story and really portrays something meaningful. People are more likely to engage when they are directed towards a more meaningful comment as opposed to simply responding with “cool” which won’t aid your levels of engagement.
Optimum Posting Time
It is important to experiment with posting times to find out what time works best for you; however, it has been found that between 12 pm – 6 pm is the best time to engage followers since both followers in the US and Europe will be awake. It is best to find the optimum time for your blog by posting an hour earlier/later and seeing how this impacts engagement. Emily Williams works as a passionate business analyst and writer at PhD Kingdom and Next Coursework. She loves getting engaged with the readers who are seeking business-related information. With more than five years of experience, she enjoys supporting smart people to achieve online success.
