The growth of social media has been meteoric. So fast, in fact, that many businesses are still not on board. They are missing the marketing opportunities waiting for them. Don’t be part of that crowd and don’t get left behind. Even though about 100 million new photos and videos go up every day, it is much easier than you think to dominate the scene and have your posts liked by your potential market.
Remember that Instagram engagement is 15 times that of Facebook, and engagement is what you need.
You don’t want to miss out on those potential customers. There are some easy tips to build your following to record numbers and create lots of traffic for your business. Let’s look at some key points in how to dominate Instagram and make your business soar.
Like other people’s photos.
It makes sense that if you like someone, they will like you back. So by paying attention to what other people are doing, and handing out likes, you will attract them in return. If you like hundreds of random photos a day, in return you will increase your own likes and get lots of new traffic too.
Pay attention to your photography.
You should not be surprised to learn that the qualities of the photographs you post makes a big difference. Here are some points that studies have shown affect the likes you get.
- Choose a dominant color. It turns out that pictures where blue is the main color get 24% more likes that ones that are mostly red.
- Keep it light. Bright pictures get 24% more likes than ones that are ‘artsy’ and dark. Makes sense to me!
- Keep the background open. Pictures with plenty of background get 27% more likes than ones that are solid and continuous.
- Go for ‘old-school’ black and white. Not only do they get 18% more likes than color, but black and white photographs project an image of class and sophistication. This can be very useful - especially if the audience you want is more upper class and a little older.
- Don’t go color-crazy. A simple palette of a few colors gets 18% more likes than a rainbow of color.
- Texture really works. Smooth, bland pictures do not attract anyone. Those with lots of textured surfaces in them get a whopping 79% more likes than smooth surfaces.
Become a curator.
What does this mean? It means collecting content generated by other uses that relates to your business. So you might have material from big, influential players in your industry. If your customers post too, and they probably do, then collect posts that are relevant and involve them. Don’t forget to do this across media, from your website to your Facebook page. There is a great app called Curalate that will help you do this job to the highest level.
Go for video.
When we look at what the best, most involved brands are doing, using video stands out. 79% of the top brands are posting more than one video a month, so you should too. Short 10-15 second videos can really catch attention, and they are surprisingly easy to make with a low budget. Remember what worked in photos? Well those things will work in video too, so keep them in mind while setting up your shoot.
Keep it fun.
We know that your posts are about generating business, but that does not have to mean they need to be serious all the time. Your followers will appreciate it if you get personal and remind them of special, personal things that mean something to them. Getting close is good marketing. Lifestyle images and personal photos get the most likes. Get personal and build a giant following.
Use tools.
There are lots of useful apps and software that make using Instagram easier and more effective. Your time is precious and these tools will save you time, while delivering top results. Some of the most effective and useful are:
- Snapwidget. This friendly app allows you to put your Instagram posts on your website, encouraging cross-fertilization. This is a great tool to bridge the gap between social media and your site. Potential customers go quickly between your different media and flow smoothly from likes to sales.
- Schedugram. This great tool allows you to manage multiple accounts, put up posts at times you schedule in advance, and edit everything before you put it out there. You can take advantage of the prime times for posting, without having to be available at that time to post live.
- Tagboard. This app is great for curating your posts, and others that relate to your business and develop your profile. It lets you collect various social media posts under one hashtag, so that followers easily see them.
- Iconosquare. Analytics are so important in tracking your success, and this tool does that for you. Among its many functions, it lets you track followers you are gaining or losing. It tells you their location, who are your top followers and when are the best times to post. With good analytics, you can build on strengths and identify weaknesses that need attention.
Post at just the right time.
Posting at certain times of the day and certain days of the week gets you more likes. If you are tracking your metrics, you will soon find when to post to get the maximum number of likes for your posts.
Conclusion
There is a lot more to social media than just posting and waiting for likes. Use the ideas here to develop a strategy that works for you. Create engagement with a large number of people, and subsequently build your business in the process.
What are some of the most successful tactics you’ve used in Instagram stories?