10 Social Media Mistakes You Should Avoid
10 Social Media Mistakes Your Business Should Avoid
Social media marketing can be a great way to connect with potential customers and promote your business. However, a few common mistakes businesses make can do more harm than good. About a year ago, we touched on a few Instagram social media mistakes to avoid. This new and improved list will cover ten of the most common social media mistakes so you can avoid them.
1. Only promoting your products or services
This is a mistake many businesses make on social media. Yes, you want to promote your products or services, but that doesn't mean that's all you should post about. If you only talk about your business’s offerings, people will quickly get bored and tune you out. Customers don't want to be bombarded with sales pitches. Instead, focus on creating exciting and engaging content that provides value to your followers. You can still talk about your product or service occasionally, but make sure it's not the only thing you're posting about. Check out some examples of the types of content Two Step Social makes for our clients.
2. Posting unprofessional content
Another social media mistake businesses make is posting unprofessional content. This includes anything off-brand or not relevant to your business to posts that are offensive or contain profanity. Always double-check your posts before publishing them to ensure they're in line with your brand voice and image. If you wouldn't say it in person, don't post it online.
3. Ignoring comments
One of the worst things you can do on social media is ignore comments from your followers (including negative ones). If someone takes the time to leave a comment, the least you can do is acknowledge it. Ignoring comments will make your followers feel unheard and unimportant, which is not good for business. Another reason you should pay attention to comments is that they promote your posts' engagement. Posts with more engagement are more likely to show up in people's feeds. If you want to increase your reach on social media, make sure you're responding to comments on your posts.
4. Being inconsistent
It's essential to be consistent with your social media posts. If you post sporadically (only once one month, then 20 posts another month, etc.), it can confuse your followers and the algorithm of the platform on which you are posting. Similarly, if you're constantly changing your posting schedule, it will be hard for people to know when to expect new content from you. Try to find a posting schedule that works for you and stick to it as much as possible. Maintaining a consistent, professional social media cadence is the most important thing.
5. Not using hashtags
Hashtags are a great way to reach new audiences and promote your content. They help users find relevant content more efficiently, making these users more likely to see and engage with your posts. Make sure you're using relevant hashtags on all your social media posts so more people can find and enjoy your content. Not all social media platforms are equal; for example, hashtags can be very effective on Instagram or Twitter, but they aren’t nearly as important on Facebook.
6. Buying fake followers
This is a huge social media mistake that businesses make, especially small businesses or those just starting. It may seem like a quick and easy way to boost your follower count, but it's a terrible idea. Not only will you be wasting your money (fake followers don't engage with content or make purchases), but you could also get banned from the platform for using fake followers. It's not worth it!
7. Not having a social media plan
One of the biggest social media mistakes businesses make is not having a plan for their social media marketing efforts. Before posting randomly, take some time to figure out what kind of message you want to convey, who your target audience is, and what tone you want to use. A plan will help keep your postings focused and on-brand, resulting in better follower engagement.
8. Posting too much
Too much content can be a problem. If you're constantly bombarding your followers with content, they're likely to tune out or even unfollow you. Find a happy medium when it comes to posting frequency, and make sure the content you do share is high quality and relevant to your audience.
9. Posting at the wrong time
Just as with any other type of marketing, you need to post at the right time to reach your target audience. For example, it’s highly unlikely that your target audience is active at 3:00 am. Make sure you're familiar with the best times to post on each social media platform so that you can get the most out of your social media efforts. At Two Step Social, we use software that analyzes the ideal time to post each day.
10. Not tracking analytics
If you're not tracking the results of your social media campaigns, you're missing out on valuable information about what's working and what's not. Make sure you're using analytics tools to track how well your campaigns are performing. Two Step Social clients have access to their own scheduling dashboard which collects data from each of their social media channels.
Avoiding these social media mistakes will help you create a more successful and effective social media marketing strategy. Remember to focus on quality over quantity, be consistent, and engage with your followers. If you do that, you'll be on your way to social media success in no time!
We get it - social media can be a lot of work. As a business owner, your time is often spent doing more important things. With plans starting at only $99/month, we can check this task off of your list! Our clients save hours each week by outsourcing social media management to our team of experts. Learn more about our plans and pricing today!
What is a Special Ad Category in Facebook?
What is a Special Ad Category?
A Facebook Special Ad Category is a classification for ads that involve housing, credit, political issues, or job opportunities. So if you’re a real estate agent, you MUST use the Special Ad Category for your ads!
What does this mean for me?
If you’re a real estate agent running ads, you will have to classify every campaign you run as a Special Ad Category. It is VERY important that you do this… if you don’t, it could get your ads and/or ad account restricted!
This also means your targeting options are more limited than for normal Facebook campaigns. For example, you won’t be able to target based on age, specific locations, employment, etc. You also won’t be able to create Lookalike Audiences.
Instead, you will have to create Special Ad Audiences. These Special Ad Audiences are similar to Lookalike Audience, except they target based on web behavior, and not demographic information. While you cannot target by specific locations, you can however target using a generic 15-mile radius, which allows you to cover certain region.
Should I even run Facebook Ads?
YES! Even in the Special Ad Category, there are still many powerful ways to target your ideal clients! You just need to make sure you know exactly what you are doing and that you are following all of Facebook’s policies.
Social media can be extremely lucrative for real estate agents in generating both paid and organic leads. If you use social media properly, it can help you sell more homes and grow your business.
Do you have any other questions about the Special Ads Category? Let us know!
How should I organize my business on Facebook?
What is the difference between a Facebook Profile and a Facebook Page?
We get it - all these terms are very similar, and they can be very confusing. But, once you get an understanding of their differences, their roles will become very clear. The first thing to know about Facebook is that in order to create a Page for your business or to run ads, you need a personal Facebook Profile. A Facebook Profile is the account most people are most familiar with; it represents one person, who, through the Profile, can connect with friends and family and “Like” Pages that interest them. So, before you try to run ads, create your personal Facebook Profile.
Now that you have a personal Facebook Profile, you will want to create a standard Facebook Page for your business. This is simple to do; just go to the “Pages” section of your Facebook Profile feed, and select “Create a New Page”. After you create your Facebook Page, your Facebook Profile will be its default owner and admin; you can add other Facebook Profiles (your employees, partners, etc.) to also be managers of the page.
I have my Profile and Page, so how do I run ads?
To run ads, we strongly recommend that you create a Facebook Business Manager. A Business Manager is the main “hub” for a business that wants to manage its ads for Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp, and other Facebook-owned platforms. A Business Manager account can be created by visiting business.facebook.com/create. Once your Business Manager is created, you can add your Facebook Pages and Instagram profiles to the account. This action will effectively make the Business Manager the owner of your Facebook Pages and Instagram profiles; i.e. your personal Facebook Profile will still have admin rights to your business’s Facebook Page, but it will not be the owner.
Next, you need to create a Facebook Ad Account under the Facebook Business Manager account. Add your payment information to the Facebook Ad Account, and you are ready to start running ads. Visit the Ads Manager interface within your Business Manager account, select the Ad Account from which you would like to run ads, and you are ready to go!
This is still very confusing to me, where can I find help?
Two Step Social has lots of experience running Facebook ads for all types of clients in various industries. Contact us today for a free consultation on how we can get Facebook Ads to work for you.
What's the difference between Organic Reach and Paid Reach?
Understanding the difference between organic reach and paid reach is an essential piece of composing a social media strategy. This article will go over both, and provide recommendations on how to address each of them.
What is Organic Reach?
Your organic reach is the visibility your pages have without paying for ads. Organic reach has been declining, as channels have become saturated with content. Regardless of the platform you’re working on, you need to ensure that you’re getting the most out of your posts by implementing an effective content strategy!
Organic reach strategies differ depending on the platform. On Facebook, your Page should join relevant Facebook Groups, comment on relevant posts, and invite users to like your page. On Instagram, you should use all of the platform's features, such as hashtags, location-tagging on posts, and commenting on similar accounts. These strategies are not all-encompassing, but they are a great way to start increasing engagement and getting the most out of your current audience!
The benefits of an organic strategy are that it is 100% free, it’s great for community management/engagement, and it builds brand trust and authority.
What is Paid Reach?
Paid reach, such as Facebook Ads, is a very effective strategy for brands looking to reach new potential clients and audiences who might never have discovered you otherwise. You can leverage advanced targeting options to target exactly who you want to reach.
The main platforms can accommodate all levels of budgets, allowing your spend as little as a few bucks per day! Once you find a cost-effective ads strategy, platforms like Facebook and Google make it easy for your business to scale.
Before you launch paid ads, you should make sure you are maximizing your organic social media presence. Paid ads tend to work better for accounts/profiles that are established and regularly post content.
Which social media strategy should I focus on?
Organic and paid social media strategies complement each other, so it’s important to implement both! Luckily, we can help you.
Two Step Social has lots of experience increasing social media engagement and reach for clients in various industries. Contact us today for a free consultation on how we can make social media work for you.
Don't make these Instagram mistakes!
As a real estate professional, having a neat, curated social media presence is an essential part of your business. There are many social media platforms that you can choose from, but Instagram is by far one of the most important. Here's a blog we wrote on implementing an Instagram engagement strategy. Please keep reading to learn more about the three top mistakes we see real estate agents making on Instagram!
Not Having a Clear Bio
Your Instagram bio is one of the first things users see when visiting your profile. For this reason, you should spend five to ten minutes thinking of a catchy and eye-appealing bio, with all your relevant business information. For example, suppose you are a real estate agent in San Antonio. In that case, your bio should, at a minimum, include 1) your brokerage, 2) the fact that you're an agent, 3) the fact that you're in San Antonio, and 4) all your contact information. Feel free to throw in some emojis!
Not Showing Your Face
It is a statistical fact that, on average, engagement rates for posts with human faces/figures are higher than those without. People like to see your face! When you're at an open house, try posting a video of yourself on the story, or if you're feeling really brave, try Instagram Live!
Posting Only Promotional Content
While sales/promotional posts have a place in every Instagram feed, they should not be the only thing users see. Users want to get value from following your account, so now and then, share content on market data, neighborhood information, or general real estate trends.
What Next?
We see agents making these Instagram mistakes ALL the time! The same agents are also wondering why they're not generating leads from Instagram...
If you are struggling with your Instagram account, please send us a message, and we'd love to help you create a better social media marketing strategy!
Do you have any other questions about Instagram specifically? Let us know!
What's the deal with Apple's iOS 14 Update?
It’s been all over the news: Apple is releasing their iOS 14 update to iPhone users, and some are worried it will affect Facebook ad performance. Unfortunately, there has been conflicting information about the extent of these changes and how they will impact advertising on Facebook. This article summarizes the three main takeaways of this update.
1) This only affects Apple/iPhone users.
Remember, this update only affects those using Apple products. In the United States, approximately 60% of smartphones utilize Apple’s operating system, while the remaining 40% run on Android. Also, the United States is unique in that most users use Apple; in Europe and other parts of the world, most people don’t use iOS, so they won’t be affected by the update.
2) The update makes it more difficult to track users outside of Facebook.
Have you ever been on a company’s website and later saw their ad on Facebook? Do you wonder how this happened? Well, this occurred because the company sent their website data to Facebook, and then Facebook showed you the company’s ads because they knew you were interested in their products/services.
With the update, Apple basically made it more difficult for Facebook to receive this data from third-party websites. In other words, Facebook cannot as easily track a user’s activity off of its platform. This has many implications: retargeting is now more difficult, Facebook can’t as easily “attribute” a sale or conversion to a specific user, and ad analytics are fuzzier. This only applies to Facebook ad campaigns that take users off of the platform (such as Conversion ads).
3) This minimally affects Lead Generation ads.
Lead Generation ads prompt users to complete the following steps: click on the ad, provide your contact information, and submit the form. They never leave the Facebook platform. This is a huge benefit of Lead Generation campaigns! Facebook does not have to worry about tracking those users on websites that it does not control. All the issues related to tracking, attribution, and reporting disappear because we don’t have to worry about pixels, tracking, etc. In short, Lead Generation ads are minimally affected by the iOS 14 update.
So should I run Facebook Ads?
Absolutely. There is not a better time to run Lead Generation ads on Facebook. Every step of the user journey for a Lead Generation ad occurs intra-platform, so you don’t have to worry about the effects of the iOS 14 update. Send us a message today so schedule a free social media strategy consultation!
How do I generate leads on social media?
If your business is service-based or sells high-value products, then you know how important it is to keep your pipeline full of incoming leads. But, leads can be super expensive, especially if you buy them directly from lead-sourcing companies. This article will tell you how to generate leads on social media, and what you should expect when those lead forms start coming in!
Organic Leads
When a lead reaches out to your business, and not vice-versa, it is the best feeling in the world. It validates that your customers are happy with your product/service and that your current marketing methods are working. So, how do you get to that point?
It’s really pretty simple: spend time and effort building your digital presence, and people will come. Post engaging images on your Facebook Page multiple times per week. Record a reel every now and then and post it to Instagram. Write intriguing and knowledge-filled articles on your website. If you do these things consistently, your audience will grow over time and leads will find you organically. This is considered a long-term lead generation strategy; don’t expect leads to start reaching out after your first post.
In addition to just making content, you should also take advantage of each platform’s features. For example, on Instagram you should always use all thirty hashtags in each post to reach audiences you might not have reached otherwise. Send messages to your ideal clients, comment on their posts, and generally just engage with others on the platform. On Facebook, post in Groups, which consistently have higher reach rates than a standard Facebook Page. By engaging with communities of ideal customers, your accounts will grow faster.
Paid Leads
You can run ads on all major social media platforms to generate leads. This obviously has additional costs, but if you run ads correctly, they can be very lucrative. Some service-based businesses derive huge portions of their revenues from paid social media ads.
On Facebook, you can run ads with the specific campaign goal of generating leads. In other words, if a user engages with your ad on their feed, it will ask them to provide their contact information. Using that information, someone on your team can contact them and begin the sales process. It is important to keep in mind that a large portion of these leads will be “junk.” You will not be able to get a hold of them, the contact information will be incorrect, or they will not be interested in what you have to offer.
If you start to run paid social media ads, start them with the mindset that it is a numbers game. It may take dozens and dozens of leads before one is actually converted into a paying customer. This is a main reason why lead generation ads on social media tend to perform better for high-value customers; only a few conversions are required to make the ads worth their cost.
Processing Leads
So how do you handle leads once they start coming in? It can really be boiled down to two things: speed and processes. Your business should respond to leads minutes after their contact information is captured. This way, leads still have your business in mind when you call, and they are more likely to take the next step in the customer journey. If they don’t answer the first time, have processes in place to call/text them an hour, a day, a couple days, and a week after they first submitted their information. Never let a good lead go to waste.
You will need to establish processes to handle your leads, which should be built around software and people. Facebook by itself will not notify your business immediately when a lead submits their contact information, so it is extremely important to invest in some sort of lead management software that integrates with Facebook/Instagram. Additionally, make sure you have someone on your team who is ready to pounce when a fresh lead comes across your desk.
How do I get started?
Cadenza Digital Marketing offers content creation, community engagement, and paid ads services. We can create content and grow your accounts on Instagram/Facebook, and we can also run paid social media ads. We handle the entire process for you, so you don’t have to worry about the technicalities behind targeting, audience selection, and ad design. Send us a message today for a free consultation!
How often should I post on social media?
“How many times per week should I be posting on Instagram?” This is one of the most common questions we hear from clients about social media. First, it’s important to reflect on the whole purpose of managing a brand’s social media presence. Sydney, the co-founder of Two Step Social, is an excellent baker… let’s use the (unfortunately) imaginative “Sydney’s Sweets” bakery as an example for this article! Keep reading to learn how often to post on social media.
Purpose One: A Resource for Potential Customers
A primary reason to frequently post on social media is to offer resources to potential customers. People will almost always search for more information online to learn about a company and its offerings. The quality and frequency of your posts can determine whether a potential customer makes the next step to pay for a product/service, or skip over you due to a dormant social media presence. Suppose a customer is thinking about purchasing a wedding cake from Sydney’s Sweets - a perhaps multi-thousand dollar purchase! Posting pictures of beautiful, decadent wedding cakes for previous clients is major social proof, and it will definitely encourage the customer to further-research Sydney’s Sweets offerings.
Purpose Two: A Resource for Existing Customers
One reason to consistently post that is often overlooked is the searchability factor of social media platforms. This is especially important for small and medium sized businesses who have not yet ranked high for organic searches on engines like Google, Bing, etc. Suppose Sydney’s Sweets is located in the rural town of Fort Stockton, Texas, which is about 4 hours west of San Antonio in the middle of the West Texas, Chihuahuan desert. Unless Sydney’s Sweets has a massive SEO budget, its website simply will not rank high when a user searches “dessert in Fort Stockton” or “cakes West Texas”... UNLESS it has a social media presence on Facebook, Instagram, etc. A Facebook Page for a small business is often one of the highest-ranked links for keywords specific to a locale and industry. This alone is a great reason to manage a social media presence.
So, how many posts should I create per week?
It really depends, and to be honest, there is no correct answer. However, there are some guidelines that should be followed. At Cadenza Digital Marketing, we recommend no fewer than one per week, and no greater than one to two per day. Posting less than once per week can give users the impression that your business is dormant, or worse, out-of-business. Similarly, posting more than once per day can make your audience(s) annoyed by the frequency of your posts.
There is evidence to suggest that the platforms (Instagram, Facebook, etc.) will punish accounts/pages that post too frequently. In fact, Hubspot found that social media accounts with smaller audiences experienced a 50% drop in engagement when posting too frequently. This is partly due to the fact that if you post more than twice per day, platforms will always push your most recent post, effectively reducing the “lifespan” of the previous posts from the same day. In other words, people will skip over the earlier posts of the day. It is equally important to be consistent about posting. In other words, it is better to commit to posting three times per week than to post seven times one week and none the following week.
I don’t have time to create social media posts; can you do it for me?
Absolutely. Content creation is our most popular service for the reasons listed in this article. It is always a good time to start thinking about how you can improve your social media presence - we will walk you through the entire process.
Let’s talk about how we can create custom-branded, eye-appealing social media content for your business. Send us a message today so schedule a free social media strategy consultation!
Should I create a Facebook Group?
If your business is on Facebook, you may have heard of Facebook Groups. Lately, Facebook Groups have become popular among companies/organizations because they allow businesses to have organic interactions with target audiences. If you want to learn more about Facebook Groups, if you should create a Facebook Group for your business, and how they could potentially grow your business, keep reading!
Facebook Group vs. Page?
What’s the difference between a Facebook Group and a Facebook Page? A Facebook Page is simply a company/organization’s public profile on the platform, where all content is controlled by the company/organization’s admins. A Facebook Group is a community-based feature that allows members to have interest-based conversations with one another. In other words, unlike a Page, your business cannot control every piece of content that is shared with Group members.
Posts in Groups reach a significantly higher proportion of the Group’s members than posts on a Page reach users who like the Page. In other words, engagement is wider and more authentic in Groups - this is why businesses are beginning to consider them.
We recommend every business to create a Facebook Page. While creating posts and responding to comments/messages on a Page takes time, it is otherwise a simple endeavor. Customers can find you on the platform (and on Google) with a Page and see that you are an active, thriving brand.
Should I also create a Facebook Group?
Well, the answer to this question really boils down to a couple questions:
1) Would my business benefit from interacting with existing customers and target audiences over social media? For most B2C and many B2B companies, the answer to this question is “yes.”
2) Does my business have the human resources to maintain the Facebook Group? Unlike Pages, Groups require a lot of time to maintain. More information on the maintenance of Groups can be found below.
If you answered “yes” to both of these questions, then we strongly recommend that you consider creating a Facebook Group.
How do I create a Facebook Group?
To create a Group on behalf of your business, you first need a Facebook Page. Therefore, if your business does not already have a Facebook Page, the first step is to create one. Once your Page is created, it is best-practice to create your Group through your business’s Facebook Page, which can be completed through the admin interface.
You need to decide the general theme and topic of your Group. Remember, members will not join your Group unless there is an interest-based reason to do so. For example, a real estate agent in Milwaukee may create a Group about neighborhoods or attractions in Wisconsin. That way, Wisconsinites are likely to join the Group because they want to learn the news in their communities, not to hear about listings or real estate matters.
Let’s review another example. Say you are a restaurateur in Charleston, South Carolina who owns some Southern restaurants. Your group could be about i) Southern food or ii) Charleston attractions. Users interested in these topics will join the Group to learn about culinary or travel topics, not to receive information about the restaurateur’s specific establishments.
How do I grow the Group?
There are many methods to grow Facebook groups. Organically, it is important to focus on high-performing posts, tag top members, and generally try to increase engagement. If these tasks are completed, Facebook will encourage users to join the group. Additionally, right after the Groups are created, it is also strongly recommended to invite existing customers via email and/or invite personal friends to join the group.
You can also grow your Facebook Groups with paid ads. There is no ad campaign type in Facebook that allows you to grow Groups directly. Instead, you can run Facebook Page Like campaigns, and then invite those who liked your Page to also join your Group(s). Running Facebook Like campaigns alone is generally discouraged due to the low engagement rates of Pages, but if the goal is to ultimately increase Group members, then this is a solid strategy. If you choose to run Facebook Page Like campaigns, you need to have a manicured page.
Once your Group grows, your business (the admin) can occasionally advertise your goods/services to the members. It is extremely important that you do not exclusively share content related to your business; members are there because of personal interests, not to constantly read about your latest sale.
How do I maintain the Group?
Facebook Groups require daily maintenance to be successful. Your business must approve/disapprove posts from members, accept/decline member requests (if the group is Private), respond to comments, upload Group rules, and moderate existing posts. In addition to maintaining groups, you must also post engaging and thought-provoking content to encourage member interaction.
On a side note, Facebook Groups can be either Public or Private. If it is Private, you must accept each member individually after he/she submits a request to join. If it is public, anyone can join the Group. Facebook Groups can change from Public to Private, but they cannot change from Private to Public. We recommend keeping the Facebook Groups Public until they grow to a decent size, and then switching them to Private to appear exclusive.
Can someone help me create, grow, and manage a Group?
Two Step Social can help your brand create highly-customized social media content. Facebook Groups can be an extremely lucrative way to generate organic leads and customers for your business. Send us a message today for a free consultation!
16 Top Instagram Tips For Business in 2023
Let’s face it: social media is an extremely important marketing tool for businesses. While there are many social media platforms where you can promote your business, Instagram is one of the most important. Here’s a list of Instagram tips for business to make your brand successful on the platform.
1) Switch To A Business Account
Instagram allows companies to switch to “Business Accounts,” which differ from regular personal accounts. Business Accounts are important because they allow you to i) get real-time data insights, ii) easily share your business’s contact information, and iii) sell directly to the consumer. To switch to a business account, go to settings, click “Account,” and then tap “Switch to a Professional Account.” From there, you can select “Business.”
2) Connect Your Instagram Account To Your Facebook Page
Connecting your Instagram account and Facebook Page allows users to easily switch between the two platforms. It also makes life easier for you because you can auto-post across each platform. By having a presence on both platforms, it shows potential customers that you are a legitimate, polished brand.
3) Create and Share Instagram Reels
Instagram is moving from a photo-sharing app to a video-sharing platform. This is evidenced by the addition of Instagram reels in late 2020. Reels are basically short, entertaining videos that allow you to reach audiences of users who are not currently following you. While they take more time to create than a still image post, their rewards can be lucrative. Instagram has given reels their own feed, which shows the emphasis the platform is placing on video content. This is one of the most important Instagram tips in this article.
4) Display a Business Category
With a Business Account, Instagram allows you to select a “business category.” For example, Cadenza Digital Marketing’s account was able to select “Marketing Agency,” which is displayed under our name. To select a category, tap “Edit Profile” and then click “Business Category.” From there, choose your category and go to “Profile Display” to ensure the category is not hidden. Check out the below image for an example.
5) Develop A Clean, Branded Instagram Aesthetic
Using your brand colors and voice, create posts that are cohesive and clean. An aesthetically-pleasing Instagram feed is an additional signal to customers that you are a legitimate business with well-defined messaging. To do this, select a handful of colors and fonts to use for your posts, and stick with them for the long haul.
6) Maximize Your Hashtag Usage
Hashtags are one of a few methods businesses can use to reach untouched users on Instagram, so it is important to make the most of them. Each Instagram post can include up to thirty hashtags. Every post should include all thirty of these hashtags, as each one is an opportunity to reach a new audience. Your hashtags should have a varying number of “mentions,” or popularity. Instead of choosing super generic hashtags with millions of mentions, try to niche-down. You should have a good mix of hashtags with under 500K mentions, but more than a few thousand (of course, including a few hashtags that are super popular is totally acceptable).
7) Partner With Other Brands And Leverage Their Audiences
This doesn’t apply to every business, but if you can partner with another brand to mention each other on each’s account, you should do it! Leveraging existing audiences of other brands is a great way to grow your followings and reach. Of course, only partner with brands that you feel align with your mission and values; getting featured on an account with lots of negativity or questionable content is something you want to avoid.
8) Post Different Types of Content
Instagram rewards accounts that post different types of content. On Instagram, not only can you post photos, but you can also post reels, IGTV videos, stories, guides, and product lists. Instagram shows users content that they are most likely to enjoy, and some users prefer stories or reels. For this reason, you should have a variety of types of content on your account.
9) Run Paid Advertisements
Of all of these Instagram tips, this one will cost you money. Paid advertisements aren’t for every business, but they can be extremely lucrative. On Instagram and Facebook, you can run ads that generate leads, increase web traffic, grow general brand awareness, and more. Generally, you are a good candidate for paid social media ads if i) you can afford to spend more than $10-15/day in ad spend and ii) your target audience is active on the platform.
10) Share A Display Link In Your Bio
There are many reasons businesses might want to share a link to users: a website link, a link to a product, a link to an informational video, etc. Unfortunately, Instagram does not allow users to click on links in posts, or pretty much anywhere else on the platform, with very few exceptions. One of those exceptions is the link in the account’s bio. We recommend sharing a website link or a LinkTree/Bitly link, where users can click through to different pages.
11) Use Instagram Highlights
Highlights are different categories of stories that your account makes over time. You choose the categories and the stories you would like to “place” within each category. They appear as bubbles underneath your profile heading, and are an opportunity to share additional content and create an even more visually appealing aesthetic for your profile.
12) Offer Promotions/Giveaways To Your Followers
If you have spent time on Instagram, you have probably seen companies sharing either special offers or giveaways for their products/services. Both of these methods are great ways to build followings and remind current followers about your promotions. It is common in giveaways for participants to follow the account and tag a few friends, which encourages even more people to follow your account.
13) DM Customers And Stakeholders
One of the greatest benefits about Instagram is that you can message your followers and other users. This is a great way to keep in touch with your customers and stakeholders.
14) Geotag Your Posts
When you create a post, Instagram gives you the option to “geotag” your location. Typically, this location is where the photo was taken. By doing this, your post is more likely to be shown to other accounts/users in the geotagged area, which is a great opportunity to boost your interactions. Unless the post is completely unaffiliated with a specific location, we strongly recommend that you always geotag your posts.
15) Save Posts For Future Inspiration
Instagram offers the ability to “save” posts via the ribbon icon below each image/photo. This allows you to revisit content that you find interesting or inspirational for future posts. For businesses, saving the posts of competitors, vendors, and customers allows for future analysis down the line.
16) Be Consistent With Content and Engagement
One of the most important tips for Instagram is to be consistent. Check out our earlier blog post for information on how often to post. To sum it up, you should post no fewer than once per week, and no greater than once or twice per day. You should not only be consistent with content, but also with engagement. Try to spend at least fifteen minutes per day messaging customers, responding to stories, and following new accounts if you want to see great results.
I don’t have time to create social media posts. Can you do it for me?
Absolutely. Content creation and community engagement are our most popular services. There are lots of features to leverage on various social media platforms, as demonstrated by the Instagram tips in this article. We will make sure that all of these features are being utilized to grow your online presence. Send us a message today to schedule a free social media strategy consultation!
