Time and again most of us see Instagram as a just another mobile photo-sharing, video sharing, and social network site.
However, there is more to Instagram than just the aforesaid features. The site can be used as an effective portal for building your brand. Also, the features of Instagram can be leveraged to give your brand the traction that it needs.
Take a look at these time-honoured techniques that would help you build your brand presence on Instagram:
1. DON’T CURTAIL YOUR CREATIVITY:
Instagram is one such platform where your brand can exhibit its creativity. You need not have any restrictions on the platform and you can let your creativity run wild while you post on Instagram. Simple yet impactful pointers such as pairing your image with a poetic quote, using exquisite image filters, or posting hilarious memes might do the trick.
Also, if you can balance out your content in such a manner that you post about an assortment of content over a range of posts, chances are that your audience will remember your brand better.
2. THE TIME OF YOUR POST MATTERS:
Your team may have the best content along with exquisite visuals. However, if you choose to post it during that time when your users are not active, the effectiveness of the post may simply go down the drain. So, if you are looking to build your brand on Instagram, you must learn to plan and schedule your post. For this endeavor, you can follow these steps:
A. Research on the location of your target:
Before you get to the scheduling, research on the location of your targets. Research and get a fair idea of the location of a majority of your audience before you proceed further.
B. Know when the degree of engagement is high:
Depending on the location of your audience, the time of the interaction will change. Figure out when you should post your content.
Ideally, if you can schedule one post around 9:00 (Local time of commute) and one around 8:00PM (Local time of leisure/unwinding time), you can reach for maximum engagement.
3. DON’T OVERKILL THE HASHTAG:
Granted, Instagram allows up to 30 Hashtags per post. But, don’t overkill the effects by randomly using a Hashtag. Though you can gain presence with a number of hashtags, it would be ideal if you could just post the relevant ones. In fact, it would give your brand a great head start if you can collate a list of frequent Hashtags that your business might use.
Also, if you are unable to find the appropriate Hashtag, you can always use the name of your brand and make it a part of your identity.
4. KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR COMPETITION TOO:
Your competitors will also come out with curated content and attention-grabbing photos on Instagram. You must always keep an eye on your competitors too. Doing that would keep you updated on what is going on around your circle. You may try to beat your competitor and your competitor may try to beat your brand time and again. As a matter of fact, you may have a micro race to grab your audiences’ attention. Do not worry about that, but simply go ahead with your posts. However, never forget to take your eye off your competitor.
5. MEASURE YOUR PRESENCE:
You might roll out remarkable photos with exquisite filters. You may get traction. But, all those activities go down the drain if you do not measure your brand’s presence. So, make it a point to constantly measure your brand’s presence.
When you are looking to measure the progress of your brand, you can look into these parameters.
A. Follower Base:
On a weekly/monthly basis check if your follower base has increased.
B. Engagement Traction:
Check if your audience appreciated your content and check if your audience has liked the content that you have posted
Do consider these points before you make a post on Instagram and be assured of a wider traction that before for your brand.
Originally published at : http://www.brandmoustache.com/blog/build-instagram-presence/
