Almost every brand wants a successful Instagram, but not everyone manages to do so. While it’s not an incredibly difficult process, it is one that requires dedication, time, and patience. As one of the most popular platforms out there, building a solid foundation to be successful on Instagram is a must—which is why we’ve put together a few key steps to get started. Check them out below:
Start With Your Brand
The foundation of any successful Instagram account is the brand. Not only is this the guide for the rest of your content but also the means by which people will identify and recognize you across mediums. This is a focal point if you want people to take you seriously; as noted by CrowdSpring, 82 percent of investors believe that brand strength and name recognition are becoming more important in helping them make investment decisions. If you’re looking to gain prominence on Instagram, it starts with building your brand.
Take a look at your current branding assets, including your logo, typekits, color schemes, and narrative details, such as the origin of your brand and why you’re in business. If people are going to follow you on Instagram, they’re also going to want to follow the ethos that goes with it; for example, Nike’s ethos is making the world a more athletic place. Thinking about impact can be helpful, and focusing on what makes you unique from the competition.
Know Your Audience
With a brand and narrative in place, the next step is figuring out who’s going to listen, which is where audience development comes in. This is a similar process to finding customer segments, identifying who will resonate with your brand. For example, 71 percent of US adults between 18 and 24 years old are on Instagram; however, there’s a swath of different customer segments and audiences that exist within that age range who are active within their own subcultures. That’s why this discovery portion is so vital.
When going through discovery for Instagram, look through your current follower base and try to characterize in a few words who they are and what they’re interested in. From there, look at a few accounts that catch your eye and see what type of posts they’re making and what hashtags they’re using. Compare trends you see against aggregates like Hashtags For Likes or influencer lists in your industry. The more specific you’re able to be in appealing to your base, the better. They are going to be the core of your engagement moving forward.
Figure Out The Tools
With a good idea of what you’re going to say and to say it to, the next move you should make is figuring out the best Instagram tools. From VSCO to Facebook for Business, Instagram tools are all about learning and building engagement, which is the core reason most brands are active on the platform. In fact, engagement with brands on Instagram is 10 times higher than on Facebook, 54 times higher than on Pinterest, and a staggering 84 times higher than Twitter. That speaks volumes about the amount of time people spend on Instagram and how active they can be; it all comes down to what metrics you define.
There are two primary aspects you need to consider when looking for tools. First, look for tools that help with consistency and tracking metrics. The more specific you’re able to make your list of requirements for an Instagram tool, the better; there’s a wide variation in the quality of products. And while it’ll ultimately take some research and a little experimenting to get yourself set up, once you do, things can run much more autonomously.
Keep It Consistent
Finally, the biggest secret to mastering Instagram is patience. Often times, people who run branded social media accounts become nervous that their strategies are not working or that they aren’t reaching the right milestones quickly enough, leading them to throw in the towel too soon. While it’s smart to analyze, experiment, and adjust, that doesn’t mean you should stop posting in the meantime. Brand consistency will always shine through; in fact, brands that are consistently presented see an average boost in profits of 23 percent. That’s quite a chunk of change, which is why setting up the proper calendar and management system is vital.
To begin, take a look at your current scheduling system for marketing campaigns and where Instagram fits within your campaigns. For scheduling, using a tool like Buffer or Hootsuite can help you aggregate your content so you can work a week ahead, giving yourself space in case any content hits a roadblock. Although it’ll take a little getting used to, the more prepared you can be in advance for campaigns, the better; you’ll find yourself a lot more comfortable in both production and execution.
What are some steps you’ve taken to improve your efforts on Instagram? Comment with your insights below!
