How to Market your Brand on Instagram

Are you feeling like your brand should have more followers and engagement on Instagram? I have experience growing accounts with nice engagement rates and I want to share some of the best tips that have worked for me with you.

Why market your brand on Instagram?

Instagram is one of the most popular social media apps ever created. With over 500 million monthly active users, the opportunities to grow your business are endless. People are spending over an hour of there day daily looking for new content on Instagram. You don’t want to sit back while your competitors are competing for everyone’s attention, do you?

Instagram Logo

Here are the best ways to ensure that your Instagram profile is set up for success.

Optimize your Instagram profile

What makes a good Instagram bio, you ask?

I personally love to keep it simple. Give an opening statement about what users can expect from your account. A sentence for your compelling offer. A link in your bio that takes the user to your website (or a Linktree). Adding a few emojis can also help you out, but don’t over do it.

Don’t forget to include a professional profile picture. If you’re a brand, a logo image is acceptable. If you’re a personal brand, you want to make sure you have a high-quality professional shot that helps you stand out.

Here’s an example of a good Instagram Bio

Create a posting strategy and stick to it

The most common reason that people tend to give up on Instagram is due to the lack of consistency. You can just post once a week and expect the world to come and make your post go viral. Establishing yourself as a brand on Instagram requires a consistent effort that creates expectations for your followers.

You don’t need to post daily, but if you’re providing real value or educational posts 2-3 per week, you’re going to start seeing results then someone who isn’t putting the work in.

Focus on crafting a content strategy that builds a community around your brand. Ask the important questions to your followers and monitor the feedback they give you. You can use this information to improve your future efforts. Asking questions is a great way to start building up some engagement.

Don’t forget to use Hashtags

I see many brands not taking advantage of the fact that you’re allowed to have up to 30 hashtags in your Instagram post. That means there’s 30 categories your post can be discovered in, increasing your chances of being found.

When it comes to hashtags, you want to focus on the ones that are most relevant to your niche. Avoid hashtags that are generic and oversaturated such as #happy and #love, and focus on a more targeted hashtag list.

An easy way to find some hashtags you can use is to check out some of the top trending posts in your niche and see what they use. You can use that sample set of hashtags to continue to search for more that you feel are relevant to your post.

Take advantage of Instagram Stories

Instagram stories are a newer way to update your followers on Instagram. I like to use stories to share my most recent posts to remind my followers that they can go check it out. Stories give your content a second chance of being seen.

You can also share posts from related accounts as your story. These updates can still help keep your followers engaged, even if you aren’t sharing your own content all the time. Just be sure not to overdo it.

Host an exclusive contest

A giveaway is always a great way to get the eyeballs looking at your page. The downside is that you might attract people that are only looking for free stuff, and have no intention of actually engaging with your brand. This could lead to you seeing some unfollows after your giveaway has ended.

If you’re consistent with your giveaways, perhaps there wouldn’t be as much of a drop off. You could also require an e-mail sign up to enter the contest to ensure that you can re-target these users after the giveaway ends.

Double down on Video

Instagram has launched IGTV, and a new video format called Reels. Videos are a great way to capture attention and keep your audience engaged.

Instagram wants users to post videos because videos tend to keep users on their platform longer. Once they released Reels, my explore page has been filled with these new Reels highlights. They’re going to continue to push this new format, so it makes sense to take advantage of this opportunity and find a creative way to use Reels for your business.

Partner with niche relevant accounts

Whether you’re looking to increase your following or just looking for new posting inspiration, following similar accounts in your field is a great way to find new people to connect with.

It’s also recommended to take some time to leave comments under popular trending posts in your niche. I’m not telling you to go out there and comment a bunch of emojis under random pictures, but if you take the time out of your day to leave insightful comments on peoples’ posts, they’re going to notice it and respond to you. These comments are also seen by their followers, which means there’s a chance that they check out your profile and give you a follow as well.

Connecting with likeminded accounts also creates opportunities for cross promotion. Instagram users are always looking for ways to grow their profile, so it’s definitely possible for you to find ways to benefit each other. The most common methods are collaborating for a giveaway, or doing a shoutout for shoutout.

Paid ads will always work

While some people are reluctant to pay Facebook / Instagram for advertising, the truth is it still works, and is one of the most cost-effective ways to drive awareness to your business.

Thanks to Facebook’s ad network, you can use Instagram’s database to put your content in front of the people who are most likely to engage with it. Whether that’s based on location, or a persona profile, this is some of the most highly targeted traffic that money can buy. I would avoid using the standard “boost post” option and focus on a custom campaign that is tailored to your needs.

Wrapping it up

When Facebook acquired Instagram back in 2012, there’s no way they would have known just how large this brand would become. If you’ve been paying attention recently, you can see them trying to leverage their ownership by slapping “from Facebook” after the Instagram logo (as well as WhatsApp and Oculus). Instagram is here to stay, and if you aren’t marketing your brand on the platform, you’re only missing out on that relevant exposure that your business deserves.

If you’re looking for more information on Instagram check out my other blog post – Why You’re Losing Followers on Instagram 

If you need help with Instagram Marketing – feel free to reach out to me with my contact page!