Do you want to run an Instagram page for your business or blog? It’s not as easy as it looks.

Coming up with an image, caption and hashtags that will generate attention and engagement can be difficult – but it’s not impossible. Here’s a short 3-part guide to growing your Instagram page.

Your Content

It isn’t hard to tell good looking content apart from the crowd of Instagram posts. Do a simple search for any hashtag and there’s bound to be a few posts that stand out. The most important thing when taking an image for Instagram is to have a vision, don’t just take images randomly. Have an idea in your mind before shooting an image. It can be tough, especially if you’re coming up with a new post every day. To get past this, look to the discover feature, or even browse Pinterest to find inspiration for that next post. You may learn a lot simply by looking at the work of others.

There are a few things to keep in mind when posting on Instagram.

#1. Your posts should be visually consistent. By keeping a running color scheme throughout your posts, your feed looks clean and professional.

#2. By uploading multiple images as a carousel can increase exposure and engagement. If a follower scrolls past your first image in a carousel without liking, the next time they refresh their feed, your second image will be shown for another chance to gain a like or comment.

#3. You should post frequently. By every day or two, the Instagram algorithm will give your posts more visibility to the community and in turn help grow your channel.

#4. Don’t add large amounts text within your image – save it for the caption. Instagram is for images first, text second. Studies show that adding a lot of text to your images lowers engagement.

#5. Don’t over-edit. Try to avoid using Instagram’s filters. Instead, edit your photos manually using the tools in Instagram. If you’re more tech savvy, consider learning Adobe Lightroom to edit your images more professionally.

Your Caption

Your caption should be just as interesting as your image, put thought into it. A caption can form the relation between you and your customer, give more insight into your post, or showcase your values and beliefs. Captions are often more difficult to execute than the image itself and a bit of creativity will help. Look to influencers or businesses to find inspiration. Often times Instagram pages have recurring theme or message that underlies all their posts.

Using a call-to-action in your caption is another great way to drive engagement on your post. Users are more likely to engage with you when you give them something to comment on. Asking a simple question, telling people to vote, or even asking them to tag a friend who would like your post is a great way to get people talking, and increase your visibility.

Once you get people answering your call-to-action, reply to the audience. Try to start a meaningful conversation with individuals to make a genuine connection. After all, people want to feel like there’s a real person behind your page. Let your personality shine through and show them why they should be a follower.

Your Hashtags

Hashtags are huge factor in the initial success of your post. Without using hashtags, your posts could go unnoticed to anyone that isn’t following you. Instagram allows for up to 30 hashtags, I recommend using all 30 for each of your posts. By doing so you increase your chances of getting noticed through Instagram’s ‘discover’ feature. Here’s a couple of tricks for getting the most out of your hashtags.

#1. Make hashtags relevant to your post. Some pages use hashtags that get frequent likes due to their popularity (#art, #funny, etc.) even if they have no relevance their post. This strategy may seem appealing to boost the likes on your post but will cause your page to suffer in the long run. By adding relevant hashtags to your post, you’re making sure it will reach people who are interested in your page’s topic.

#2. Diversify your hashtags. To optimize your post’s engagement, use hashtags that have different levels of popularity. By having an even amount of popular, moderate, and less popular hashtags, you will increase the probability of gaining likes, comments, and followers. Popular, relevant hashtags can help your post gain likes and comments quickly. Moderately popular post will generate engagement less quickly but will appear on the hashtag feed for longer. Less common, more specific hashtags will drive engagement slowly but are more likely to attract targeted users who are looking for exactly what your post is about.

Tip: To save yourself some time, have a list of 15 hashtags that are relevant to all the posts on your page. Use those hashtags for every post and come up with the remaining 15 hashtags based on the specific post.

 

By following this simple guide, you can step up your Instagram game and grow your account to reach more interested, engaged users. Remember creativity, consistency, and being genuine is key.