With a reported 300M users, Instagram is now bigger than Twitter and yet many small business owners aren’t actively using it to engage with their following or potential customers. Here are my 6 simple solutions to increase your following.
- Follow people: Yes really! If you want to make a mark in your niche area follow others in it! Use the search facility to find people you like/admire/engage with already.
- #Hashtags: Use hashtags relevant to your image and your business genre. I search hashtags all the time. Recently I posted a photo of my daughter alongside #ChristmasJumperDay and decided to see what others were wearing to which I found a jumper my son would LOVE so I messaged the Instagrammer and located and bought one. Just think this could have been your product!
- Be consistent: Post images regularly. Doesn’t have to be daily but every 6 months is not very appealing to your followers and you won’t get noticed or make a lasting impression.
- Drive traffic to Instagram: Don’t upload the same images to your website and blog straight from your camera or phone if you have shared them already on Instagram. Instead use the embed facility to add a HTML code to your site, this way you encourage readers to look and interact with your Instagram feed.
- Share, share, and share: I post images on Instagram and then share them on Twitter and my Facebook Business Page. However, don’t always do this in one hit! Spread the sharing throughout the day or later in the week so you are continually hitting a different audience.
- Interact with others: The clue is in the description “social media platform” be social. Like, comment, and share others’ images as well as just your own. Make yourself engaging and likable.
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I love instagram, using it and looking at it. It’s fast becoming myfavourite social media. I do most of the above, have found some amazing and inspiring artists on there. Planning on an instagram project sometime soon
Great tips! Instagram is my favourite social media network 🙂
Sonia recently posted..September Degustabox Review
We still need to get to grips with Instagram. I find that with twitter, Facebook and Pinterest, I don’t have much time left, but I know it’s a good idea and your tips seem excellent!
I’ve been using Instagram for years now – I do keep meaning to focus more on it, but end up doing other things >_<
Michelle recently posted..My Stay at Home Farm Hotel, Honiton, Devon
Great tip about the embed code. I need to remember that – thank you
Jen recently posted..The Jungle Book â The Mowgli Stories
I’ve recently got into hashtags on IG it’s been great to find new accounts to follow! x
fritha recently posted..The MAD blog awards, a night away and the start of nesting..
Instagram is my favourite social media channel and these are great tips. I never use the hashtags but I need to start
Bex @ The Mummy Adventure recently posted..Copenhagen
I love Instagram – it’s such a happy network! I love to find new accounts that fill my timeline with sunshine and prettiness!
JuggleMum, Nadine Hill recently posted..The School Run
Great tips, I’m fairly new to Instagram and I don’t very often use hashtags so that’s one I’m definitely going to try to do more often.
Anne recently posted..School – The next big step!
Thank you for the tips. I love Instagram but I need to post more regularly.
Mums do travel recently posted..Things to do in Cape Cod with kids
Thank you for these tips – I need to build up my following and am going to start interacting more!
Mary recently posted..An Important Casting
I definetley think interaction is key, it is not enough just to like people’s photos these days
Kara recently posted..Win a Family Ticket to Christmas Wonderland at Paultons Park
Great tips – I think instagram is my favourite social media site – so much pretty!
Sonya Cisco recently posted..What the f*** do I do with myself now?
Great tips, it definitely has exercised my photography muscles over time without me thinking too much about it too – has so many benefits!
Brilliant tips – I’m really falling in love with Instagram, so many benefits and engaging with a whole new audience!
Globalmouse recently posted..Frugi Family – AW15 – Embracing the cold with Frugi’s Autumn / winter collection
I really needed this post. I’m new to Instagram and definitely need to look at my photography. Having just done some travel I can really see the benefit on IG in engaging followers. Great tips, thank you. Still seeking out super relevant hashtags….there are so many!!
Donna @OrdCyclingGirl recently posted..Catalunya: City Sight-Seeing & Cycling Around Girona
Some great tips, I I’m off to go and spend some time looking at instagram.
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I went to a conference today and wrote lots of notes about instagram new post coming soon!
Super tips, i must admit i dont use instgram as much as i could but i have made a mental not to be more regular about it
Jaime Oliver recently posted..Pregnancy Update – September
Great tips, I love Instagram and could spend hours connecting with people there!xx
oana79 recently posted..September was…Childhood Cancer Awareness Month