There\u2019s also a large number of influencers on the site with a massive amount of followers. And with the right plan, you can become an influential brand, too.<\/p>\n
You need to post the right kind of content to stay relevant to current followers while also bringing in new ones.<\/p>\n
But it can be hard to know which kinds of posts work best for growing your audience.<\/p>\n
Here are ten powerful Instagram marketing tips (that actually work) that you can use to milk the popular platform for all that it\u2019s worth.<\/p>\n
First, you need to switch to a business profile.<\/p>\n
1. Switch to a business profile ASAP<\/strong><\/h2>\nBefore you start thinking about your Instagram marketing plan, be sure that you have an Instagram Business Account.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s easy to\u00a0switch your current profile<\/a><\/u>\u00a0to a business account.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/switch2digital.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/pasted-image-0-92.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Just head to your settings and click on \u201cSwitch to Business Profile\u201d to get started.<\/p>\n
There are some clear benefits to having a business profile.<\/p>\n
For example, followers can click on your contact button to get in touch with you right from your Instagram page just like they would from your website.<\/p>\n
A business profile allows you to create and publish Instagram ads without needing to use Facebook\u2019s advertising tools.<\/p>\n
You can also access Instagram analytics tools, called Insights, that provide stats about the impressions and reach of your posts.<\/p>\n
Once you\u2019ve unlocked the free perks that come along with a business profile, you need to start using them to track metrics and understand your audience.<\/p>\n
2. Use free Instagram tools<\/strong><\/h2>\nBusiness profiles on Instagram aren\u2019t all that different from Facebook business profiles.<\/p>\n
Through Insights, you can view statistics like impressions, engagement data, and more.<\/p>\n
You can even get\u00a0a breakdown of the demographics of your followers<\/a><\/u>, including\u00a0information on their age, gender, location, and most active hours.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/switch2digital.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/pasted-image-0-141.png\")
<\/p>\n
Insights aren\u2019t just generalized, either. You can get specific insights on posts for the week that show you how many impressions you earned for that time period and\u00a0what your top posts were<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/switch2digital.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/pasted-image-0-107.png\")
<\/p>\n
These free tools are priceless because you can use them to understand exactly how users are interacting with your content.<\/p>\n
The more that you know about how users are interacting with your posts, the better you can adjust your content to boost engagement.<\/p>\n
One category of posts that is almost always attention-grabbing is product teasers.<\/p>\n
3. Post product teasers that will (gently) urge people to buy<\/strong><\/h2>\nWhat if you could sell more products just by posting product teasers on Instagram?<\/p>\n
Well, you can.<\/p>\n
Instagram is a great place to advertise your products. And if you play your cards right, you won\u2019t annoy users or scare them off with advertisements, either.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re too pushy, followers will drop like flies. But product teaser posts are a simple way to talk about your product and increase excitement without looking like you\u2019re trying too hard.<\/p>\n
Here are two posts from\u00a0Gilt Man\u2019s Instagram page<\/a><\/u>\u00a0that don\u2019t directly try to sell a product, but\u00a0offer a free app<\/a><\/u>\u00a0where users can shop all of the brand\u2019s inventory.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/switch2digital.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/pasted-image-0-51.png\")
<\/p>\n
The brand offers a 70% off discount while showing you photos of some of the items that are available to purchase.<\/p>\n
And the posts received thousands of likes each, which is huge in the advertising world.<\/p>\n
The ads work because they aren\u2019t pushy. They\u2019re laid back. They tease users with the discount and product image to download the app and shop around.<\/p>\n
This works for almost any industry.\u00a0Starbucks teases their audience<\/a><\/u>\u00a0by announcing seasonal drinks with sharp imagery and without trying to force people to buy them.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/switch2digital.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/pasted-image-0-67.png\")
<\/p>\n
When you tease people about products they are interested in, and you don\u2019t push them into buying anything, they\u2019ll be more likely to pull the trigger and actually buy something.<\/p>\n
If not, they\u2019ll at least engage with your post by liking it, commenting on it, or sharing it with a friend.<\/p>\n
So don\u2019t be afraid to show off the goods by posting product photos. Just do it gently.<\/p>\n
It also helps to create some sponsored ads.<\/p>\n
4. Create sponsored ads<\/strong><\/h2>\nInstagram ads have become commonplace on the platform. The best part?\u00a0You can control exactly how much you want to spend on them<\/u>\u00a0by setting an ad budget.<\/p>\n
You can showcase just one\u00a0sponsored ad<\/a><\/u>\u00a0or multiple ads with\u00a0the carousel feature<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\nThis gives brands the ability to target their audience in a whole new way. Before sponsored posts, only users following your account could see your updates and photos.<\/p>\n
Now, brands can promote their photos to anyone that fits their target audience to\u00a0increase their reach further than ever before<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/switch2digital.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/pasted-image-0-96.png\")
<\/p>\n
For sponsored ads, use content that is engaging while also appealing to the target demographic you want to put the ad in front of.<\/p>\n
You can turn existing posts into sponsored ads, too, so keep an eye on your top posts.<\/p>\n
You can push these high-performing posts out later to potential customers in the form of sponsored ads.<\/p>\n
Run multiple posts to different audiences simultaneously for even more engagement. Keep in mind that there are many different forms of sponsored ads that you can post,\u00a0such as<\/a><\/u>:<\/p>\n\n- Photo<\/li>\n
- Video<\/li>\n
- Carousel\/Dynamic Ads<\/li>\n
- Stories<\/li>\n
- Stories Canvas<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/switch2digital.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/pasted-image-0-127.png\")
<\/p>\n
Instagram Stories, sponsored or not, are another great way to connect with followers.<\/p>\n
5. Use Instagram Stories<\/strong><\/h2>\nIf you want to generate leads<\/u>, Instagram Stories are here to help.<\/p>\n
Instagram stories differ from regular Instagram posts because they come in a \u201cslideshow\u201d format.<\/p>\n
They\u2019re only live for 24 hours, but Stories can be saved to any of your devices and reused at a later point.<\/p>\n
This feature is very similar to Snapchat Stories (and\u00a0is even a direct competitor<\/a><\/u>).<\/p>\nRather than appearing in the news feed, Instagram Stories appear\u00a0in a small area above it<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/switch2digital.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/pasted-image-0-120.png\")
<\/p>\n
Once a user clicks on your photo at the top, a window will pop up where they can\u00a0view your Story<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/switch2digital.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/pasted-image-0-155.png\")
<\/p>\n
The benefits of Instagram Stories for brands are truly endless. For starters, Stories are displayed at the top of follower timelines where users already look daily.<\/p>\n
Brands can use stories to capture behind-the-scenes insider posts that may not be as \u201chigh-quality\u201d as regular posts.<\/p>\n
And you don\u2019t have to worry as much about posting content that aligns with the \u201caesthetic\u201d of your brand or your Instagram page when it comes to Stories.<\/p>\n
Instagram also makes it easy to experiment with different types of content in the Stories feature, like photos, short video, rewind video, live video, or Boomerangs. You can use tools like\u00a0Canva<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0InVideo<\/a>\u00a0to create amazing images and videos for your stories.<\/p>\nBoomerangs are GIF-like images<\/a><\/u>\u00a0that play on a loop.<\/p>\nYou can also tag other accounts in Stories, which is great if you\u2019re collaborating with another brand or influencer.<\/p>\n
Face filters, text, or stickers make it easy to edit images or create\u00a0fun, eye-catching visuals<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/switch2digital.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/pasted-image-0-144.png\")
<\/p>\n
Every photo and video you add will play in the same sequence that you added it.<\/p>\n
The amount of posts that you can add to Stories at any given time is unlimited, and the feature is\u00a0available to all businesses globally<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\nStories are only available on the mobile Instagram app, and it\u2019s not currently possible to send Instagram Stories as direct messages.<\/p>\n
But since\u00a0most Instagram users access the site via the smartphone app<\/a><\/u>\u00a0rather than the website,\u00a0this isn\u2019t really something to worry about.<\/p>\nIf you haven\u2019t partnered with influencers who are already making a killing on Instagram, find a few that you want to work with and reach out to them.<\/p>\n
6. Partner with influencers for a wider reach<\/strong><\/h2>\nIf you want to reach potential customers on Instagram, the fastest way to do that is through influencers who have already built an audience with a large following.<\/p>\n
More and more people are buying services or products based on what they see in their feed from the influential people they follow. They trust them.<\/p>\n
If you\u00a0partner with the right industry influencer<\/u>, you can get your brand out in front of those users.<\/p>\n
The first step is to try and identify a few influencers that have an audience that is relevant to your product or service.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s an example of how\u00a0Gravity Blankets<\/a><\/u>\u00a0used\u00a0influencer Jessi Smiles<\/a><\/u>\u00a0to promote their product on her Instagram page.<\/p>\nThe post has thousands of likes.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/switch2digital.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/pasted-image-0-112.png\")
<\/p>\n
The brand sells weighted blankets for sleep and stress. Their Instagram page has\u00a0under 10,000 followers<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/switch2digital.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/pasted-image-0-116.png\")
<\/p>\n
But Jessi\u2019s page has\u00a0493,000 followers<\/a><\/u>\u00a0that will likely trust her recommendations.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/switch2digital.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/pasted-image-0-152.png\")
<\/p>\n
That means that the brand just exposed themselves to thousands of potential customers (and new followers<\/u>) through one post.<\/p>\n
If you throw aside the short-term gains and direct sales that you can make from an influencer campaign, there are even more long term-benefits.<\/p>\n
If you build a relationship with each influencer, you\u2019ll build lasting brand awareness with a new audience.<\/p>\n
And if you play your cards right, you could even work with a top influencer in the future to gain millions of likes,\u00a0like Coca-Cola did with this post<\/a><\/u>\u00a0from Selena Gomez.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/switch2digital.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/pasted-image-0-63.png\")
<\/p>\n
Your existing customers might not be influencers, but you can still use their posts to influence people to buy your products by collecting user-submitted photos.<\/p>\n
7. Collect user-submitted photos<\/strong><\/h2>\nWouldn\u2019t it be nice if there was a way to create great content for your Instagram page without doing any of the hard work?<\/p>\n
Through user-submitted photos, there is.<\/p>\n
You already have an engaged audience. Whether it\u2019s hundreds of people or thousands, you can leverage your audience to generate useful content for you.<\/p>\n
And your followers will probably enjoy user-generated content even more than they enjoy yours because it\u2019s authentic and unpredictable.<\/p>\n
Cosmetics brand MAC uses tons of user-generated content that they promote on their Instagram page to show off products.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s\u00a0a photo one of their users posted<\/a><\/u>\u00a0that they then added to their Instagram page. Notice how they used the hashtag #regram and tagged the user in the image.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/switch2digital.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/pasted-image-0-87.png\")
<\/p>\n
You might be wondering exactly how you can get your users to create engaging content without being pushy.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s actually fairly simple. Your audience probably wants to grow their own following, just like you do.<\/p>\n
Just let them know that you\u2019ll tag them in your post if you choose their photo to regram, then they\u2019ll have an incentive to post user-generated content on a consistent basis.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a win-win for you and your customers.<\/p>\n
GoPro<\/a><\/u>\u00a0is notorious for this. The brand chooses\u00a0a #FeaturedPhotographer every week<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/switch2digital.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/pasted-image-0-48.png\")
<\/p>\n
The brand (and their followers) treat this like a weekly competition.<\/p>\n
If you try something similar, you\u2019ll probably be surprised at just how eager your followers will be to participate.<\/p>\n
Remember to choose the photos you want to post wisely. This can be difficult, but try to remember these things when considering a winner:<\/p>\n
\n- Does the photo fit in with the brand image you\u2019ve already created or are trying to create? Or does it go against it?<\/li>\n
- How big of a following does the person whose photo you want to share have?<\/li>\n
- Is the photo appropriate for your current audience and following?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
When you\u2019re running a business, you have to be sure that everything you post is in tune with your brand\u2019s message (and audience). Even on Instagram.<\/p>\n
If someone shares a user-generated image with a large following, those followers will probably be interested in checking your page out, too.<\/p>\n
Look at how\u00a0this user-submitted photo from Boosted Boards<\/a><\/u>\u00a0aligns with the brand\u2019s aesthetic. It\u2019s high-quality, intriguing, and unique.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/switch2digital.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/pasted-image-0-54.png\")
<\/p>\n
Choose images that successfully mimic your brand\u2019s tone, like this one.<\/p>\n
That being said, try not to be too biased about the content you want to post. Mix it up and watch your follower count and engagement grow.<\/p>\n
It also helps to come up with some kind of branded hashtag that encourages Instagram users to be more interactive with your company.<\/p>\n
8. Come up with an interactive branded hashtag<\/strong><\/h2>\nIf you\u2019re looking to create instant engagement, interactive hashtags are a great way to get it.<\/p>\n
Red Bull has racked up over 299,612 posts featuring their tag,\u00a0#itgivesyouwings<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/switch2digital.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/pasted-image-0-56.png\")
<\/p>\n
Customers can then use the tag to post user-generated content. This allows users to search through all posts relating to your brand.<\/p>\n
It also lets you easily search through images that you might want to consider re-posting on your own page.<\/p>\n
Creating a hashtag that your company (and other users) can search for is essentially free advertising.<\/p>\n
Every time someone posts a photo using the tag, they\u2019re exposing your company to their followers.<\/p>\n
If you already have a popular brand slogan or phrase, consider making that your branded hashtag. Coca-Cola successfully accomplished this with their hashtag,\u00a0#ShareACoke<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/switch2digital.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/pasted-image-0-137.png\")
<\/p>\n
But no matter what you\u2019re posting, you need to post at the right times and refrain from over-posting.<\/p>\n
9. Post at the right times (and don\u2019t over-post)<\/strong><\/h2>\nOver-posting on Instagram is a surefire way to turn off your existing followers.<\/p>\n
If all they see is your brand on their news feed, they\u2019re probably going to unfollow you as fast as possible<\/p>\n
But you want to post on a consistent basis so that you stay in their news feed regularly.<\/p>\n
One of the best ways to do this is to only post during peak days and hours when your followers are online.<\/p>\n
According to SimplyMeasured<\/a><\/u>, the worst days to post on Instagram are Wednesdays and Sundays, while Mondays and Thursdays are the best days to post.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/switch2digital.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/pasted-image-0-123.png\")
<\/p>\n
And according to research from\u00a0CoSchedule<\/a><\/u>, the best times of day to post are between 8:00 AM and 9:00 AM, as well as 2:00 AM.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/switch2digital.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/pasted-image-0-149.png\")
<\/p>\n
The hour between of 8:00 and 9:00 AM correlates with the time of day when people are getting ready for work or commuting to their jobs (and checking social media for the day).<\/p>\n
And 2:00 AM is the time of day when most folks are up scrolling through Instagram when they should be sleeping, so this makes sense as a second most popular time to post.<\/p>\n
You can find\u00a0when your followers are most active in Instagram Insights<\/a><\/u>, so your best days and times to post might be a bit different depending on your specific audience.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/switch2digital.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/pasted-image-0-82.png\")
<\/p>\n
Schedule your posts to go live during these days and times with a tool like\u00a0Hootsuite<\/a><\/u>,\u00a0CoSchedule<\/a><\/u>, or\u00a0Sprout Social<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\nThe research also shows that you should post between one and two times per day, but no more or less.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re tempted to post more, then use\u00a0Instagram\u2019s carousel album feature<\/a><\/u>\u00a0to post multiple images in a slideshow format.<\/p>\nThat way, you won\u2019t overwhelm your followers\u2019 feeds.<\/p>\n
After you\u2019ve made these changes, track your metrics to keep an eye on areas where you can improve.<\/p>\n
10. Make sure you track the right metrics<\/strong><\/h2>\nYou can\u2019t improve your Instagram performance and optimize it unless you know how well your page and posts are performing (or underperforming).<\/p>\n
When you have measurable results, you\u2019ll know exactly what works and what doesn\u2019t.<\/p>\n
Begin by tracking your follower growth rate.<\/p>\n
The total amount of followers you have is commonly seen as a vanity metric. And it is.<\/p>\n
But your follower\u00a0growth rate<\/em>\u00a0isn\u2019t.<\/p>\nWhen you keep an eye on what the growth rate of your followers looks like, you can see how the kind of content your posting (or your posting frequency) is affecting things.<\/p>\n
Track your follower growth rate with a tool like\u00a0Influencer Dashboard<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/switch2digital.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/pasted-image-0-77.png\")
<\/p>\n
Next, measure engagement rates. This includes likes and comments.<\/p>\n
You want to find out the average engagement percentage of your total followers as well as the average engagement rate of each post to get a clear picture of how your page is performing.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019ve got a smaller following, your engagement rate should be higher. Here\u2019s\u00a0what your rates should look like based on your follower count<\/a><\/u>:<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/switch2digital.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/pasted-image-0-101.png\")
<\/p>\n
Finally, you need to track your URL click-through rate.<\/p>\n
If you don\u2019t already have\u00a0a link to your website in your Instagram bio<\/a><\/u>, add one ASAP.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/switch2digital.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/pasted-image-0-59.png\")
<\/p>\n
Then, measure how many people are clicking through to your URL.<\/p>\n
The average CTR on Instagram is 0.94%,\u00a0according to Conversion XL<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/switch2digital.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/pasted-image-0-72.png\")
<\/p>\n
The more effective your Instagram marketing techniques on your audience, the higher your CTR will be. If it\u2019s low, work on improving your approach.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Just head to your settings and click on \u201cSwitch to Business Profile\u201d to get started.<\/p>\n
There are some clear benefits to having a business profile.<\/p>\n
For example, followers can click on your contact button to get in touch with you right from your Instagram page just like they would from your website.<\/p>\n
A business profile allows you to create and publish Instagram ads without needing to use Facebook\u2019s advertising tools.<\/p>\n
You can also access Instagram analytics tools, called Insights, that provide stats about the impressions and reach of your posts.<\/p>\n
Once you\u2019ve unlocked the free perks that come along with a business profile, you need to start using them to track metrics and understand your audience.<\/p>\n
2. Use free Instagram tools<\/strong><\/h2>\nBusiness profiles on Instagram aren\u2019t all that different from Facebook business profiles.<\/p>\n
Through Insights, you can view statistics like impressions, engagement data, and more.<\/p>\n
You can even get\u00a0a breakdown of the demographics of your followers<\/a><\/u>, including\u00a0information on their age, gender, location, and most active hours.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Insights aren\u2019t just generalized, either. You can get specific insights on posts for the week that show you how many impressions you earned for that time period and\u00a0what your top posts were<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
These free tools are priceless because you can use them to understand exactly how users are interacting with your content.<\/p>\n
The more that you know about how users are interacting with your posts, the better you can adjust your content to boost engagement.<\/p>\n
One category of posts that is almost always attention-grabbing is product teasers.<\/p>\n
3. Post product teasers that will (gently) urge people to buy<\/strong><\/h2>\nWhat if you could sell more products just by posting product teasers on Instagram?<\/p>\n
Well, you can.<\/p>\n
Instagram is a great place to advertise your products. And if you play your cards right, you won\u2019t annoy users or scare them off with advertisements, either.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re too pushy, followers will drop like flies. But product teaser posts are a simple way to talk about your product and increase excitement without looking like you\u2019re trying too hard.<\/p>\n
Here are two posts from\u00a0Gilt Man\u2019s Instagram page<\/a><\/u>\u00a0that don\u2019t directly try to sell a product, but\u00a0offer a free app<\/a><\/u>\u00a0where users can shop all of the brand\u2019s inventory.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The brand offers a 70% off discount while showing you photos of some of the items that are available to purchase.<\/p>\n
And the posts received thousands of likes each, which is huge in the advertising world.<\/p>\n
The ads work because they aren\u2019t pushy. They\u2019re laid back. They tease users with the discount and product image to download the app and shop around.<\/p>\n
This works for almost any industry.\u00a0Starbucks teases their audience<\/a><\/u>\u00a0by announcing seasonal drinks with sharp imagery and without trying to force people to buy them.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
When you tease people about products they are interested in, and you don\u2019t push them into buying anything, they\u2019ll be more likely to pull the trigger and actually buy something.<\/p>\n
If not, they\u2019ll at least engage with your post by liking it, commenting on it, or sharing it with a friend.<\/p>\n
So don\u2019t be afraid to show off the goods by posting product photos. Just do it gently.<\/p>\n
It also helps to create some sponsored ads.<\/p>\n
4. Create sponsored ads<\/strong><\/h2>\nInstagram ads have become commonplace on the platform. The best part?\u00a0You can control exactly how much you want to spend on them<\/u>\u00a0by setting an ad budget.<\/p>\n
You can showcase just one\u00a0sponsored ad<\/a><\/u>\u00a0or multiple ads with\u00a0the carousel feature<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\nThis gives brands the ability to target their audience in a whole new way. Before sponsored posts, only users following your account could see your updates and photos.<\/p>\n
Now, brands can promote their photos to anyone that fits their target audience to\u00a0increase their reach further than ever before<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
For sponsored ads, use content that is engaging while also appealing to the target demographic you want to put the ad in front of.<\/p>\n
You can turn existing posts into sponsored ads, too, so keep an eye on your top posts.<\/p>\n
You can push these high-performing posts out later to potential customers in the form of sponsored ads.<\/p>\n
Run multiple posts to different audiences simultaneously for even more engagement. Keep in mind that there are many different forms of sponsored ads that you can post,\u00a0such as<\/a><\/u>:<\/p>\n\n- Photo<\/li>\n
- Video<\/li>\n
- Carousel\/Dynamic Ads<\/li>\n
- Stories<\/li>\n
- Stories Canvas<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
Instagram Stories, sponsored or not, are another great way to connect with followers.<\/p>\n
5. Use Instagram Stories<\/strong><\/h2>\nIf you want to generate leads<\/u>, Instagram Stories are here to help.<\/p>\n
Instagram stories differ from regular Instagram posts because they come in a \u201cslideshow\u201d format.<\/p>\n
They\u2019re only live for 24 hours, but Stories can be saved to any of your devices and reused at a later point.<\/p>\n
This feature is very similar to Snapchat Stories (and\u00a0is even a direct competitor<\/a><\/u>).<\/p>\nRather than appearing in the news feed, Instagram Stories appear\u00a0in a small area above it<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Once a user clicks on your photo at the top, a window will pop up where they can\u00a0view your Story<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The benefits of Instagram Stories for brands are truly endless. For starters, Stories are displayed at the top of follower timelines where users already look daily.<\/p>\n
Brands can use stories to capture behind-the-scenes insider posts that may not be as \u201chigh-quality\u201d as regular posts.<\/p>\n
And you don\u2019t have to worry as much about posting content that aligns with the \u201caesthetic\u201d of your brand or your Instagram page when it comes to Stories.<\/p>\n
Instagram also makes it easy to experiment with different types of content in the Stories feature, like photos, short video, rewind video, live video, or Boomerangs. You can use tools like\u00a0Canva<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0InVideo<\/a>\u00a0to create amazing images and videos for your stories.<\/p>\nBoomerangs are GIF-like images<\/a><\/u>\u00a0that play on a loop.<\/p>\nYou can also tag other accounts in Stories, which is great if you\u2019re collaborating with another brand or influencer.<\/p>\n
Face filters, text, or stickers make it easy to edit images or create\u00a0fun, eye-catching visuals<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Every photo and video you add will play in the same sequence that you added it.<\/p>\n
The amount of posts that you can add to Stories at any given time is unlimited, and the feature is\u00a0available to all businesses globally<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\nStories are only available on the mobile Instagram app, and it\u2019s not currently possible to send Instagram Stories as direct messages.<\/p>\n
But since\u00a0most Instagram users access the site via the smartphone app<\/a><\/u>\u00a0rather than the website,\u00a0this isn\u2019t really something to worry about.<\/p>\nIf you haven\u2019t partnered with influencers who are already making a killing on Instagram, find a few that you want to work with and reach out to them.<\/p>\n
6. Partner with influencers for a wider reach<\/strong><\/h2>\nIf you want to reach potential customers on Instagram, the fastest way to do that is through influencers who have already built an audience with a large following.<\/p>\n
More and more people are buying services or products based on what they see in their feed from the influential people they follow. They trust them.<\/p>\n
If you\u00a0partner with the right industry influencer<\/u>, you can get your brand out in front of those users.<\/p>\n
The first step is to try and identify a few influencers that have an audience that is relevant to your product or service.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s an example of how\u00a0Gravity Blankets<\/a><\/u>\u00a0used\u00a0influencer Jessi Smiles<\/a><\/u>\u00a0to promote their product on her Instagram page.<\/p>\nThe post has thousands of likes.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The brand sells weighted blankets for sleep and stress. Their Instagram page has\u00a0under 10,000 followers<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
But Jessi\u2019s page has\u00a0493,000 followers<\/a><\/u>\u00a0that will likely trust her recommendations.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
That means that the brand just exposed themselves to thousands of potential customers (and new followers<\/u>) through one post.<\/p>\n
If you throw aside the short-term gains and direct sales that you can make from an influencer campaign, there are even more long term-benefits.<\/p>\n
If you build a relationship with each influencer, you\u2019ll build lasting brand awareness with a new audience.<\/p>\n
And if you play your cards right, you could even work with a top influencer in the future to gain millions of likes,\u00a0like Coca-Cola did with this post<\/a><\/u>\u00a0from Selena Gomez.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Your existing customers might not be influencers, but you can still use their posts to influence people to buy your products by collecting user-submitted photos.<\/p>\n
7. Collect user-submitted photos<\/strong><\/h2>\nWouldn\u2019t it be nice if there was a way to create great content for your Instagram page without doing any of the hard work?<\/p>\n
Through user-submitted photos, there is.<\/p>\n
You already have an engaged audience. Whether it\u2019s hundreds of people or thousands, you can leverage your audience to generate useful content for you.<\/p>\n
And your followers will probably enjoy user-generated content even more than they enjoy yours because it\u2019s authentic and unpredictable.<\/p>\n
Cosmetics brand MAC uses tons of user-generated content that they promote on their Instagram page to show off products.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s\u00a0a photo one of their users posted<\/a><\/u>\u00a0that they then added to their Instagram page. Notice how they used the hashtag #regram and tagged the user in the image.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
You might be wondering exactly how you can get your users to create engaging content without being pushy.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s actually fairly simple. Your audience probably wants to grow their own following, just like you do.<\/p>\n
Just let them know that you\u2019ll tag them in your post if you choose their photo to regram, then they\u2019ll have an incentive to post user-generated content on a consistent basis.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a win-win for you and your customers.<\/p>\n
GoPro<\/a><\/u>\u00a0is notorious for this. The brand chooses\u00a0a #FeaturedPhotographer every week<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The brand (and their followers) treat this like a weekly competition.<\/p>\n
If you try something similar, you\u2019ll probably be surprised at just how eager your followers will be to participate.<\/p>\n
Remember to choose the photos you want to post wisely. This can be difficult, but try to remember these things when considering a winner:<\/p>\n
\n- Does the photo fit in with the brand image you\u2019ve already created or are trying to create? Or does it go against it?<\/li>\n
- How big of a following does the person whose photo you want to share have?<\/li>\n
- Is the photo appropriate for your current audience and following?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
When you\u2019re running a business, you have to be sure that everything you post is in tune with your brand\u2019s message (and audience). Even on Instagram.<\/p>\n
If someone shares a user-generated image with a large following, those followers will probably be interested in checking your page out, too.<\/p>\n
Look at how\u00a0this user-submitted photo from Boosted Boards<\/a><\/u>\u00a0aligns with the brand\u2019s aesthetic. It\u2019s high-quality, intriguing, and unique.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Choose images that successfully mimic your brand\u2019s tone, like this one.<\/p>\n
That being said, try not to be too biased about the content you want to post. Mix it up and watch your follower count and engagement grow.<\/p>\n
It also helps to come up with some kind of branded hashtag that encourages Instagram users to be more interactive with your company.<\/p>\n
8. Come up with an interactive branded hashtag<\/strong><\/h2>\nIf you\u2019re looking to create instant engagement, interactive hashtags are a great way to get it.<\/p>\n
Red Bull has racked up over 299,612 posts featuring their tag,\u00a0#itgivesyouwings<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Customers can then use the tag to post user-generated content. This allows users to search through all posts relating to your brand.<\/p>\n
It also lets you easily search through images that you might want to consider re-posting on your own page.<\/p>\n
Creating a hashtag that your company (and other users) can search for is essentially free advertising.<\/p>\n
Every time someone posts a photo using the tag, they\u2019re exposing your company to their followers.<\/p>\n
If you already have a popular brand slogan or phrase, consider making that your branded hashtag. Coca-Cola successfully accomplished this with their hashtag,\u00a0#ShareACoke<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
But no matter what you\u2019re posting, you need to post at the right times and refrain from over-posting.<\/p>\n
9. Post at the right times (and don\u2019t over-post)<\/strong><\/h2>\nOver-posting on Instagram is a surefire way to turn off your existing followers.<\/p>\n
If all they see is your brand on their news feed, they\u2019re probably going to unfollow you as fast as possible<\/p>\n
But you want to post on a consistent basis so that you stay in their news feed regularly.<\/p>\n
One of the best ways to do this is to only post during peak days and hours when your followers are online.<\/p>\n
According to SimplyMeasured<\/a><\/u>, the worst days to post on Instagram are Wednesdays and Sundays, while Mondays and Thursdays are the best days to post.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
And according to research from\u00a0CoSchedule<\/a><\/u>, the best times of day to post are between 8:00 AM and 9:00 AM, as well as 2:00 AM.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The hour between of 8:00 and 9:00 AM correlates with the time of day when people are getting ready for work or commuting to their jobs (and checking social media for the day).<\/p>\n
And 2:00 AM is the time of day when most folks are up scrolling through Instagram when they should be sleeping, so this makes sense as a second most popular time to post.<\/p>\n
You can find\u00a0when your followers are most active in Instagram Insights<\/a><\/u>, so your best days and times to post might be a bit different depending on your specific audience.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Schedule your posts to go live during these days and times with a tool like\u00a0Hootsuite<\/a><\/u>,\u00a0CoSchedule<\/a><\/u>, or\u00a0Sprout Social<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\nThe research also shows that you should post between one and two times per day, but no more or less.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re tempted to post more, then use\u00a0Instagram\u2019s carousel album feature<\/a><\/u>\u00a0to post multiple images in a slideshow format.<\/p>\nThat way, you won\u2019t overwhelm your followers\u2019 feeds.<\/p>\n
After you\u2019ve made these changes, track your metrics to keep an eye on areas where you can improve.<\/p>\n
10. Make sure you track the right metrics<\/strong><\/h2>\nYou can\u2019t improve your Instagram performance and optimize it unless you know how well your page and posts are performing (or underperforming).<\/p>\n
When you have measurable results, you\u2019ll know exactly what works and what doesn\u2019t.<\/p>\n
Begin by tracking your follower growth rate.<\/p>\n
The total amount of followers you have is commonly seen as a vanity metric. And it is.<\/p>\n
But your follower\u00a0growth rate<\/em>\u00a0isn\u2019t.<\/p>\nWhen you keep an eye on what the growth rate of your followers looks like, you can see how the kind of content your posting (or your posting frequency) is affecting things.<\/p>\n
Track your follower growth rate with a tool like\u00a0Influencer Dashboard<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Next, measure engagement rates. This includes likes and comments.<\/p>\n
You want to find out the average engagement percentage of your total followers as well as the average engagement rate of each post to get a clear picture of how your page is performing.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019ve got a smaller following, your engagement rate should be higher. Here\u2019s\u00a0what your rates should look like based on your follower count<\/a><\/u>:<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Finally, you need to track your URL click-through rate.<\/p>\n
If you don\u2019t already have\u00a0a link to your website in your Instagram bio<\/a><\/u>, add one ASAP.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Then, measure how many people are clicking through to your URL.<\/p>\n
The average CTR on Instagram is 0.94%,\u00a0according to Conversion XL<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The more effective your Instagram marketing techniques on your audience, the higher your CTR will be. If it\u2019s low, work on improving your approach.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Insights aren\u2019t just generalized, either. You can get specific insights on posts for the week that show you how many impressions you earned for that time period and\u00a0what your top posts were<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n These free tools are priceless because you can use them to understand exactly how users are interacting with your content.<\/p>\n The more that you know about how users are interacting with your posts, the better you can adjust your content to boost engagement.<\/p>\n One category of posts that is almost always attention-grabbing is product teasers.<\/p>\n What if you could sell more products just by posting product teasers on Instagram?<\/p>\n Well, you can.<\/p>\n Instagram is a great place to advertise your products. And if you play your cards right, you won\u2019t annoy users or scare them off with advertisements, either.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re too pushy, followers will drop like flies. But product teaser posts are a simple way to talk about your product and increase excitement without looking like you\u2019re trying too hard.<\/p>\n Here are two posts from\u00a0Gilt Man\u2019s Instagram page<\/a><\/u>\u00a0that don\u2019t directly try to sell a product, but\u00a0offer a free app<\/a><\/u>\u00a0where users can shop all of the brand\u2019s inventory.<\/p>\n The brand offers a 70% off discount while showing you photos of some of the items that are available to purchase.<\/p>\n And the posts received thousands of likes each, which is huge in the advertising world.<\/p>\n The ads work because they aren\u2019t pushy. They\u2019re laid back. They tease users with the discount and product image to download the app and shop around.<\/p>\n This works for almost any industry.\u00a0Starbucks teases their audience<\/a><\/u>\u00a0by announcing seasonal drinks with sharp imagery and without trying to force people to buy them.<\/p>\n When you tease people about products they are interested in, and you don\u2019t push them into buying anything, they\u2019ll be more likely to pull the trigger and actually buy something.<\/p>\n If not, they\u2019ll at least engage with your post by liking it, commenting on it, or sharing it with a friend.<\/p>\n So don\u2019t be afraid to show off the goods by posting product photos. Just do it gently.<\/p>\n It also helps to create some sponsored ads.<\/p>\n Instagram ads have become commonplace on the platform. The best part?\u00a0You can control exactly how much you want to spend on them<\/u>\u00a0by setting an ad budget.<\/p>\n You can showcase just one\u00a0sponsored ad<\/a><\/u>\u00a0or multiple ads with\u00a0the carousel feature<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n This gives brands the ability to target their audience in a whole new way. Before sponsored posts, only users following your account could see your updates and photos.<\/p>\n Now, brands can promote their photos to anyone that fits their target audience to\u00a0increase their reach further than ever before<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n For sponsored ads, use content that is engaging while also appealing to the target demographic you want to put the ad in front of.<\/p>\n You can turn existing posts into sponsored ads, too, so keep an eye on your top posts.<\/p>\n You can push these high-performing posts out later to potential customers in the form of sponsored ads.<\/p>\n Run multiple posts to different audiences simultaneously for even more engagement. Keep in mind that there are many different forms of sponsored ads that you can post,\u00a0such as<\/a><\/u>:<\/p>\n Instagram Stories, sponsored or not, are another great way to connect with followers.<\/p>\n If you want to generate leads<\/u>, Instagram Stories are here to help.<\/p>\n Instagram stories differ from regular Instagram posts because they come in a \u201cslideshow\u201d format.<\/p>\n They\u2019re only live for 24 hours, but Stories can be saved to any of your devices and reused at a later point.<\/p>\n This feature is very similar to Snapchat Stories (and\u00a0is even a direct competitor<\/a><\/u>).<\/p>\n Rather than appearing in the news feed, Instagram Stories appear\u00a0in a small area above it<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n Once a user clicks on your photo at the top, a window will pop up where they can\u00a0view your Story<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n The benefits of Instagram Stories for brands are truly endless. For starters, Stories are displayed at the top of follower timelines where users already look daily.<\/p>\n Brands can use stories to capture behind-the-scenes insider posts that may not be as \u201chigh-quality\u201d as regular posts.<\/p>\n And you don\u2019t have to worry as much about posting content that aligns with the \u201caesthetic\u201d of your brand or your Instagram page when it comes to Stories.<\/p>\n Instagram also makes it easy to experiment with different types of content in the Stories feature, like photos, short video, rewind video, live video, or Boomerangs. You can use tools like\u00a0Canva<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0InVideo<\/a>\u00a0to create amazing images and videos for your stories.<\/p>\n Boomerangs are GIF-like images<\/a><\/u>\u00a0that play on a loop.<\/p>\n You can also tag other accounts in Stories, which is great if you\u2019re collaborating with another brand or influencer.<\/p>\n Face filters, text, or stickers make it easy to edit images or create\u00a0fun, eye-catching visuals<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n Every photo and video you add will play in the same sequence that you added it.<\/p>\n The amount of posts that you can add to Stories at any given time is unlimited, and the feature is\u00a0available to all businesses globally<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n Stories are only available on the mobile Instagram app, and it\u2019s not currently possible to send Instagram Stories as direct messages.<\/p>\n But since\u00a0most Instagram users access the site via the smartphone app<\/a><\/u>\u00a0rather than the website,\u00a0this isn\u2019t really something to worry about.<\/p>\n If you haven\u2019t partnered with influencers who are already making a killing on Instagram, find a few that you want to work with and reach out to them.<\/p>\n If you want to reach potential customers on Instagram, the fastest way to do that is through influencers who have already built an audience with a large following.<\/p>\n More and more people are buying services or products based on what they see in their feed from the influential people they follow. They trust them.<\/p>\n If you\u00a0partner with the right industry influencer<\/u>, you can get your brand out in front of those users.<\/p>\n The first step is to try and identify a few influencers that have an audience that is relevant to your product or service.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s an example of how\u00a0Gravity Blankets<\/a><\/u>\u00a0used\u00a0influencer Jessi Smiles<\/a><\/u>\u00a0to promote their product on her Instagram page.<\/p>\n The post has thousands of likes.<\/p>\n The brand sells weighted blankets for sleep and stress. Their Instagram page has\u00a0under 10,000 followers<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n But Jessi\u2019s page has\u00a0493,000 followers<\/a><\/u>\u00a0that will likely trust her recommendations.<\/p>\n That means that the brand just exposed themselves to thousands of potential customers (and new followers<\/u>) through one post.<\/p>\n If you throw aside the short-term gains and direct sales that you can make from an influencer campaign, there are even more long term-benefits.<\/p>\n If you build a relationship with each influencer, you\u2019ll build lasting brand awareness with a new audience.<\/p>\n And if you play your cards right, you could even work with a top influencer in the future to gain millions of likes,\u00a0like Coca-Cola did with this post<\/a><\/u>\u00a0from Selena Gomez.<\/p>\n Your existing customers might not be influencers, but you can still use their posts to influence people to buy your products by collecting user-submitted photos.<\/p>\n Wouldn\u2019t it be nice if there was a way to create great content for your Instagram page without doing any of the hard work?<\/p>\n Through user-submitted photos, there is.<\/p>\n You already have an engaged audience. Whether it\u2019s hundreds of people or thousands, you can leverage your audience to generate useful content for you.<\/p>\n And your followers will probably enjoy user-generated content even more than they enjoy yours because it\u2019s authentic and unpredictable.<\/p>\n Cosmetics brand MAC uses tons of user-generated content that they promote on their Instagram page to show off products.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s\u00a0a photo one of their users posted<\/a><\/u>\u00a0that they then added to their Instagram page. Notice how they used the hashtag #regram and tagged the user in the image.<\/p>\n You might be wondering exactly how you can get your users to create engaging content without being pushy.<\/p>\n It\u2019s actually fairly simple. Your audience probably wants to grow their own following, just like you do.<\/p>\n Just let them know that you\u2019ll tag them in your post if you choose their photo to regram, then they\u2019ll have an incentive to post user-generated content on a consistent basis.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a win-win for you and your customers.<\/p>\n GoPro<\/a><\/u>\u00a0is notorious for this. The brand chooses\u00a0a #FeaturedPhotographer every week<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n The brand (and their followers) treat this like a weekly competition.<\/p>\n If you try something similar, you\u2019ll probably be surprised at just how eager your followers will be to participate.<\/p>\n Remember to choose the photos you want to post wisely. This can be difficult, but try to remember these things when considering a winner:<\/p>\n When you\u2019re running a business, you have to be sure that everything you post is in tune with your brand\u2019s message (and audience). Even on Instagram.<\/p>\n If someone shares a user-generated image with a large following, those followers will probably be interested in checking your page out, too.<\/p>\n Look at how\u00a0this user-submitted photo from Boosted Boards<\/a><\/u>\u00a0aligns with the brand\u2019s aesthetic. It\u2019s high-quality, intriguing, and unique.<\/p>\n Choose images that successfully mimic your brand\u2019s tone, like this one.<\/p>\n That being said, try not to be too biased about the content you want to post. Mix it up and watch your follower count and engagement grow.<\/p>\n It also helps to come up with some kind of branded hashtag that encourages Instagram users to be more interactive with your company.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re looking to create instant engagement, interactive hashtags are a great way to get it.<\/p>\n Red Bull has racked up over 299,612 posts featuring their tag,\u00a0#itgivesyouwings<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n Customers can then use the tag to post user-generated content. This allows users to search through all posts relating to your brand.<\/p>\n It also lets you easily search through images that you might want to consider re-posting on your own page.<\/p>\n Creating a hashtag that your company (and other users) can search for is essentially free advertising.<\/p>\n Every time someone posts a photo using the tag, they\u2019re exposing your company to their followers.<\/p>\n If you already have a popular brand slogan or phrase, consider making that your branded hashtag. Coca-Cola successfully accomplished this with their hashtag,\u00a0#ShareACoke<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n But no matter what you\u2019re posting, you need to post at the right times and refrain from over-posting.<\/p>\n Over-posting on Instagram is a surefire way to turn off your existing followers.<\/p>\n If all they see is your brand on their news feed, they\u2019re probably going to unfollow you as fast as possible<\/p>\n But you want to post on a consistent basis so that you stay in their news feed regularly.<\/p>\n One of the best ways to do this is to only post during peak days and hours when your followers are online.<\/p>\n According to SimplyMeasured<\/a><\/u>, the worst days to post on Instagram are Wednesdays and Sundays, while Mondays and Thursdays are the best days to post.<\/p>\n And according to research from\u00a0CoSchedule<\/a><\/u>, the best times of day to post are between 8:00 AM and 9:00 AM, as well as 2:00 AM.<\/p>\n The hour between of 8:00 and 9:00 AM correlates with the time of day when people are getting ready for work or commuting to their jobs (and checking social media for the day).<\/p>\n And 2:00 AM is the time of day when most folks are up scrolling through Instagram when they should be sleeping, so this makes sense as a second most popular time to post.<\/p>\n You can find\u00a0when your followers are most active in Instagram Insights<\/a><\/u>, so your best days and times to post might be a bit different depending on your specific audience.<\/p>\n Schedule your posts to go live during these days and times with a tool like\u00a0Hootsuite<\/a><\/u>,\u00a0CoSchedule<\/a><\/u>, or\u00a0Sprout Social<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n The research also shows that you should post between one and two times per day, but no more or less.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re tempted to post more, then use\u00a0Instagram\u2019s carousel album feature<\/a><\/u>\u00a0to post multiple images in a slideshow format.<\/p>\n That way, you won\u2019t overwhelm your followers\u2019 feeds.<\/p>\n After you\u2019ve made these changes, track your metrics to keep an eye on areas where you can improve.<\/p>\n You can\u2019t improve your Instagram performance and optimize it unless you know how well your page and posts are performing (or underperforming).<\/p>\n When you have measurable results, you\u2019ll know exactly what works and what doesn\u2019t.<\/p>\n Begin by tracking your follower growth rate.<\/p>\n The total amount of followers you have is commonly seen as a vanity metric. And it is.<\/p>\n But your follower\u00a0growth rate<\/em>\u00a0isn\u2019t.<\/p>\n When you keep an eye on what the growth rate of your followers looks like, you can see how the kind of content your posting (or your posting frequency) is affecting things.<\/p>\n Track your follower growth rate with a tool like\u00a0Influencer Dashboard<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n Next, measure engagement rates. This includes likes and comments.<\/p>\n You want to find out the average engagement percentage of your total followers as well as the average engagement rate of each post to get a clear picture of how your page is performing.<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve got a smaller following, your engagement rate should be higher. Here\u2019s\u00a0what your rates should look like based on your follower count<\/a><\/u>:<\/p>\n Finally, you need to track your URL click-through rate.<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t already have\u00a0a link to your website in your Instagram bio<\/a><\/u>, add one ASAP.<\/p>\n Then, measure how many people are clicking through to your URL.<\/p>\n The average CTR on Instagram is 0.94%,\u00a0according to Conversion XL<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n The more effective your Instagram marketing techniques on your audience, the higher your CTR will be. If it\u2019s low, work on improving your approach.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n3. Post product teasers that will (gently) urge people to buy<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n4. Create sponsored ads<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n\n
<\/p>\n5. Use Instagram Stories<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n6. Partner with influencers for a wider reach<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n7. Collect user-submitted photos<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n\n
<\/p>\n8. Come up with an interactive branded hashtag<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n9. Post at the right times (and don\u2019t over-post)<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n10. Make sure you track the right metrics<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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