With over 1 billion active users per month, Instagram is one of the fastest growing social networks, making this platform a weapon used by many brands to connect with more audiences and boost sales.
How do you boost your engagement on Instagram?
To drive engagement with your audience on Instagram, you need to first understand what Instagram users expect from your brand in terms of content.
In this regard, we have prepared some recommendations to improve your presence on Instagram:
- Create quality content:
Since Instagram is primarily an image-based network, the quality of visuals is of significant importance. This is even more true when it comes to engaging your audience. Opting for high-quality photos or videos is a wise choice to catch users’ attention and generate reactions.
- Know your audience to find the right message
It is important to have a clear picture of the people you are targeting. You need to determine what age range your audience is in, where they live, what their interests are, what their socio-professional category is and most importantly, how interested they might be in your brand.
The more you know about your audience, the more you will be able to offer them relevant content. You can use your Instagram account statistics to quickly learn about the demographics of your followers.
- Use hashtags to increase visibility
When used correctly, hashtags can play a key role in engaging your audience. Depending on your business, use popular or niche hashtags that are consistent with your brand image. Vary them and analyze their performance. Another option would be to create a branded hashtag.
We recommend you use between 25 and 30 hashtags by classifying them into 4 categories:
Ultra-popular hashtag (>500,000 posts)
Popular hashtag (100 to 500,000 publications)
Growth Hashtag (10 to 100,000 publications)
Niche Hashtag (<10,000 publications)
- Share your behind-the-scenes story for more credibility
Internet users like to know how your products are made, to discover your team members and the daily life of your company. To do so, feed the interest of Internet users by sharing the atmosphere behind the scenes or by showing them exclusive pictures of your new products and services. You can also use storytelling to tell a story around your offer and your brand, to create a link with your community. Don’t hesitate to encourage your audience to become your brand ambassadors by creating exciting content through User Generated Content (UGC).
- Use advertising
It is relevant to include Instagram advertising in your marketing strategy. The audience on Instagram is indeed very active. According to a SimilarWeb study done in 2020, on average, a user spends 53 minutes a day on the app. In addition, Instagram offers you the possibility to create ads with various and striking formats, such as video, carousel or even story.
The Instagram community is also very engaged, up to 60 times more than on Facebook. It multiplies interactions and comments, which gives you more chances to generate traffic to your website.
What is branded content on Instagram?
According to Instagram, branded content is defined as content submitted by a creator or publisher that represents a brand or is influenced by a business partner, in exchange for compensation.
To make this type of branded content identifiable to users, Instagram requires creators (regardless of whether they have a creator, business, or personal account) to identify business partners in their branded content posts, when an exchange of value is set up between a creator or publisher and a business partner.
How to become a brand ambassador on Instagram?
Becoming a brand ambassador is mainly about developing brand loyalty among customers. The ambassador will have to make sure to attract the attention of the target audience on the brand he represents, and promote the product for which he has been recruited. This can be done through commercials that he will have to shoot and publications that he will put on social networks.
Several qualities are needed to become a brand ambassador. We have selected three essential ones:
Be authentic
First of all, the ambassador must be authentic and identify with the brand. He/she will also have to share its values and apply them. Indeed, brands are looking for profiles on social networks that positively influence other users. Moreover, brands usually choose people who are specialists in the field in which they operate. For example, if you want to become an ambassador for a clothing brand, you need to be a fashion expert. This is also the case for a food brand, that will be looking for someone who publishes content featuring cooking recipes.
Be a good communicator
To become a brand ambassador, you must have the ability to communicate well orally, in writing and even through images and videos. Furthermore, becoming a brand ambassador means being proactive and having a positive presence in the area where the brand operates. The ambassador must be able to create a buzz around a product or service. In addition, he/she must be able to represent the brand he/she is the ambassador for during public events.
Be trend-conscious
To become a brand ambassador, you need to be aware of the latest trends. Nothing should escape you in your field. This way, you can better represent the brand at seminars, trade shows, and on social networks.
If you have these qualities, becoming a brand ambassador is accessible. Give yourself the means to become one! To do so, develop your awareness among your target audience. Show your commitment and passion for the field. Then, increase your influence on social networks. Don’t forget that social networks have become very important nowadays and that they gather many communities of people. You can reach thousands of people with a single post. Finally, spontaneously promote one of their products or services. This way, you will have more chances to be noticed by the company and to be selected.
How do you get a partnership as an influencer?
For your first collaboration on Instagram to be successful, preparation is key. You need to make sure you get every step of the process right.
Step 1: Find the right partner
The first step to a successful collaborative campaign on Instagram is finding the right partner. As an influencer, it’s crucial to have a clear positioning. In other words, specialize in a very specific area that you master: beauty, food, fashion, etc. From there, you can create a list of brands that you would like to work with and that adhere to your values and ambitions. The goal here is to choose collaboration partners that complement your identity.
Step 2: Contact them
Now that you know who you want to collaborate with, it’s time to contact them. Every brand is different and has a preferred means of communication. Your first instinct is to check their Instagram bio and contact page on their website. Some list their preferred method of contact there. If not, it’s usually best to make initial contact via email rather than a private message on Instagram. At the end of the day, you are negotiating a business deal, so you need to communicate in a professional manner.
Step 3: Structure your Instagram collaboration agreement
Once you’ve found your Instagram collaboration partner, it’s important to set clear expectations on how the campaign will run and write a formal agreement.
Step 4: Execute the campaign
Now comes the most interesting part: executing the campaign. Make sure you have done all the necessary preparations before you launch the campaign. For example, if your partner is helping you drive sales through exclusive discounts, you need to have unique and trackable discount codes in place. If you’re going to post photos of products on your feeds, make sure you’ll have edited photos in advance.
Communication throughout the campaign is key to make sure both parties are happy with how things are progressing.
Step 5: Measure results and ROI
Finally, it’s time to measure your results. You should have set goals and defined success before launching your campaign. Look at your key performance indicators and determine if you met your goals. Did your follower count increase? Has your engagement increased? How many clicks or conversions did your campaign generate?
If your results didn’t meet your goals, try to understand what went wrong and use that information for your next campaign.
Instagram is definitely a powerful way for businesses to increase their visibility by getting closer to people and reaching new audiences. For more information, contact us!