The 21st-century human tends to perceive information in images, and as Instagram follows a “less talk, more visuals” pattern, it is no surprise that its engagement rate for 2021 exceeds the one of Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.
Its visually intensified nature and simplicity seem to predispose users to prefer it above other platforms. But this, of course, is not a ground-breaking revelation. You are already fully aware of the stated above – you have already created an Instagram business account, and you post as much as you can. You edit the images before you upload, and you share stories. You do everything by the book, right?
Yet, you feel like you do not receive half of the recognition you aim towards. Well, maybe it’s time to give your profile a makeover and finally turn those passers-by into prospects!
We’ve got the tips to follow!
First things first, your Instagram bio is your business card. And the mistake that many entrepreneurs make is to leave it empty.
A well-written bio will speak directly to your audience, as it will summarise your company – what it offers and what its mission statement is.
Here are two examples.
Both of the accounts have simple yet spot-on bios. They are short but informative, and they familiarize us with the brands instantly.
Whether in a few short lines or a bulleted list, use your bio to do the same – introduce your business, highlight its main aspects and share where it is based. And not overload the tiny space with too many emojis, place just a few that resemble what you are stating.
You share stories in Instagram, and you add them on your Instagram Story highlights, which is a good way to keep them in order and still be visible for your audience that have missed viewing it.
And after you’ve arranged them accordingly and by category, it’s now time to consider making covers – it will add a whole lot of difference to how your account look. Adding Instagram covers will definitely help this section on your Instagram page look neat and nice.
You can use Pinterest to find the covers that will suit the visual style of your content, or you can make some on your own. Canva is a great tool that you can employ! It provides plenty of free designs that you can customize to fit your Instagram. Give it a go!
Instagram grid is the composition that all your posts create. It is the birds-eye view of your account’s posting history.
Many business Instagrammers aim to achieve consistency. Thus, they follow a routine – they choose core colors and filters, decide on an aesthetic that reflects their brand’s personality, and develop their grid around that.
There are many grid layouts that you might come across, some of the most common ones are:
Source: Sociality.io
Credits to: Thepreviewapp.com
Source: Sociality.io
Credits to: Thepreviewapp.com
Credits to: Thepreviewapp.com
Okay, so the question here is – To grid or not to grid? The answer – this one depends entirely on you!
Truth be known, grids do make a good first impression, and they increase the possibility of someone following youjust because your account is perfectly ordered. Furthermore, they assist in developing a consistent brand image and encourage you to plan your content in advance.
However, there are some disadvantages to them, too. They are a bit inflexible and restricting, and your posts may not work as well on other platforms.
If you have the time and resources to curate a particular grid, do so, but remember, consistency here is the Key. If you don’t have the time, the necessary resources and skills, our advice is to stay in the middle. Do not follow a specific grid type, which will limit you in any way. A quick note, Instagram is moving in a new direction where people prefer authentic content over perfectly curated one.
Users favor visual communication, but they get bombarded with it everywhere. Thus, their natural response is to grow resistant, which means that they might see your Instagram posts, but they will not take any action unless it is crafted intriguingly enough.
Research shows that 75% of Instagrammers take action only after being captivated by the image itself, so even if you follow a theme within your postings and you are consistent in keeping a grid, you still need to pay attention to each individual image. How to do that?
No, you do not necessarily need to hire a world-class photographer or designer, or be one yourself to achieve success. As pointed out above, Instagram is changing, and users fancy raw and authentic content. Therefore, be as natural as possible! Of course, we cannot completely exclude stock photos, because let’s be realistic – we all depend on them from time to time. But in cases where you lack authentic images, try to compensate with an extra engaging copy.
A bonus tip! There are free tools that can help you create a content calendar in advance. Some of them are Later, Plann, Unum, Planoly and Greatly Social.
Employ one of them and plan ahead. Seeing the finished calendar will help you determine where you need to improve.
Hashtags are the portal to your target audience, they help them discover you.
Many Instagrammers think that the phrase “the more, the merrier” applies to hashtags, too. This is a myth that needs to be debunked. The limit that you have of thirty hashtags per post does not need to be reached. On the contrary, adding only five hashtags has more effect than adding thirty. Mix niche-specific with general ones for the best effect.
Almost all of the billion active Instagram users currently is following at least one business profile. Take advantage of the statistics, make a good first impression.
With 2022 knocking on the door and new year’s resolutions lists already in the making, it might be a good idea for you to contemplate your company’s Instagram performance over the last twelve months and adjust it to the needs of the consumers. Instagram journey has an impact on the buyer, so make it a good one!
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