Instagram has come a long way since it was first launched in the fall of 2010. It has gone beyond being a place where people who love sharing photos congregate. This is because it has become an extremely powerful social media platform amongst others in recent times. Its monthly active users are over 1 billion, thereby making it one of the most effective platforms for businesses to display their brands. One of the best parts about this platform is the fact that it can be easily used by anyone without prior experience.

The major question still remains. What can you do when your photos don’t seem to be reaching the right target audience. There is no need to panic since there are lots of ways that you can achieve this without much effort. Below are the top 6 secrets to boosting your Instagram account.

Selecting ideal content

As far as internet marketing is concerned, content is still king. This simply means that regardless of your business, your focus should always be on creating the right content for your audience. If you’re having some issues creating good content then try following the examples below to help you get started.

People or places – Do you run a gym or a hair salon? Get some snapshots of your happy clients and post them.
Marketing – If you’re like me then you love getting a good bargain. Try giving out promotional codes or running a limited time sale through your website.
Tips and inspiration – You can motivate your target audience by offering helpful tips and motivational messages. The only thing here is to ensure that these posts are relevant to your audience in some way.

Powerful visual design

Instagram is like kinda of like a magazine, just on the web. This means that your content should have a style that is similar. Doing this properly will help Instagram users recognize your brand more easily and may even lead them to download Instagram videos so they can repost them on their own page. There are very simple and effective ways to go about doing this. Post photos, stories, stickers… but always remember to stay within your chosen niche. For instance, there is no need to post photos that are related to weight loss when you are in the hospitality niche. Being consistent with your content is a great way for people to identify your brand and gives your followers a clear idea of what you’re all about.

Consistent brand voice

This is another important tip that you will have to remember in order to make a difference on Instagram. Avoid looking and sounding too casual before your target audience. Your tone should be professional. Always remember to think about who it is your interacting with and keep it professional.

Hashtags should always be added

The images being posted on Instagram every minute are in the thousands. This means that your images could quickly get lost amongst the crowd making it hard for your customers to find them in their feeds. This is where you will need to make use of hashtags.

Think of hashtags like categories. When you publish new posts you can attach hashtags to description using the pound symbol. Users will then use the search function within Instagram to search for such words or topics. This strategy will enable new visitors to discover your page with ease. There are a number of things that you should keep in mind when adding hashtags to your posts. They are:

Don’t use hashtags that are irrelevant
Keep your hashtags to 2 or 3 per post and make them catchy
Use branded hashtags so people can more easily find your posts
Don’t use hashtags that are too common. Your posts will be buried too quickly.

If you happen to have a business profile you can keep track of which hashtags are working best using the post insights tools. Remember that it’s about being seen by the right people, not a lot of people and post insights will help you do that.

Your bio should be clear and descriptive

Your bio is the first thing that your target audience will see whenever they visit your account on Instagram. It gives you the chance to leave a lasting impression on them. With just a few lines you need to be able to clearly explain what your brand is. Avoid writing complicated messages that could cost you, followers. Keep it simple and short!

Engaging with Followers

Interactive with your users can and will have a huge impact on your following. When users post comments on your posts take the time to respond to every single one of them. This will make them feel special and will make them want to engage more in the future. You can even include a few emojis to make the interaction more lively. The more effort you put into nurturing your community, the more it will grow. Always remember that built relationships can bring lifetime clients who will keep your business going.

Conclusion

Following the tips and tricks we’ve outlined in this article will help you push your Instagram account to new heights. If you think we missed anything please feel free to let us know in the comments below. Thanks for reading!

6 secrets to boosting your Instagram account