Why there is no engagement on your Instagram
Yes, the Instagram algorithm has changed and yes no one is happy about it. Instagram is owned by Facebook and they appear to be running it in a very similar way.
What does this mean?
Well, you need to mix things up a little and make sure you are doing everything you can to get engagement on your page.
- Are you on Instagram because your ideal clients are also on Instagram?
- Is your brand consistent across all your social media platforms?
- Do you share your brand’s message with every post?
- Are you being honest, friendly and helpful?
- Do you post daily without fail?
- Is your bio/profile up to date?
- Do you connect with other accounts?
- Are you using the right hashtags?
What other people are doing
Engaging – Yes, other social media accounts actually engage with their followers and with other businesses. Make sure that you respond when someone leaves a comment, respond in a meaningful way. At the bare minimum, you can just like a comment.
Repeat – The posts that are previously successful for you are worth trying to duplicate in some way. This may be due to the colour or the topic you choose, figure out why it went well and then try to repeat that success.
Stories – Use Instagram stories as often as you can. Make sure you include a call to action for people who see it. Instagram stories are becoming more popular than just scrolling through the newsfeed so don’t waste that space.
Market – If you are using other social media platforms, take the time to remind your followers to catch you on Instagram. Or to make sure they follow your hashtag or to watch your Instagram Story for a free offer.
Advertise – Paid advertising is done using the awesome Facebook Ads Manager. This makes it incredibly easy to get in front of your ideal clients to show them what you have. It is also a very affordable and essential part of your marketing strategy.
Videos – As many will realise video is becoming a large part of what we are all seeing online. Use video in your feed and if that is still scary just use it in your Instagram story. By using a short video in your story people will feel engaged and a part of your business.
Influencers – Yes, Instagram influencers are a thing and partnering with them can be quite successful. Do your research, ensure you have a clear idea of what is on offer and what will be done and have a contract for it.
Preview – Instagram is a great way to give out exclusive previews to your followers. This can be done in the normal feed on within your Instagram stories. Followers love to be a part of the process and the possibility of an early opportunity is always enticing.
Captions – A funny or at the least a well thought out caption can be gold for your engagement. It makes people want to comment and engage with your post. Instagram is not just about the images, there is plenty of scope for content.
Timing – Make sure you try to post at the times that your ideal clients/followers are online. If the evening gets you better engagement, then that is when you need to post.
Sharing – Encourage your followers to share a post tagging your business or a specific hashtag. Naturally, then you can comment/engage with the post and even share it back on your account if it is a great picture of your product. I’m sure you have seen other businesses doing this type of promotion.
Buying – I do not advocate buying followers or buying engagement. Instagram has been cracking down on this so it could see you banned. Not to mention there is little point in having engagement with bots, you want real quality engagement.
Conclusion
Running a social media account is a lot of work, it is so much more than just posting a pic and hoping for the best. That said, if you do put in the work you will see the results and the engagement will be there. Social Media makes the promotion of your small business very easy and very affordable so it is well worth your effort to do it well.
If you need help with any of these areas – contact Kelly @ My Sassy Business
Why not follow My Sassy Business on www.instagram.com/mysassybusiness_
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