6 Mistakes You’re Making on Instagram
When working with brands and influencers I often get asked a range of questions all of which lead to how do I/we ultimately gain more business. Everyone wants a quick fix, a magical formula an instant online takeover. Unfortunately, there is no ‘one-size fits all’ formula to social media, no exact science to this new foreign platform, instead a strategy that involves analysis, trial, adjustment and evolution.
Yes, yes yes I know I stated in the title that you are getting it all wrong and now I’m saying but there is no real wrong or right, but stick with me. There are a few basic rules everyone must practice.
So, lets talk about these best practices and how your business can make sure you are sticking by them. Take notes!
Your Account is set to private
Your bio is lacking that WOW factor
Hashtags are just ‘not your thing’
Absent visual strategy
Timing is key!
It all about me, me, me!
Ok, let’s break it down…
Your Account is set to private
To put it simply if I can't see who you are, how do I know what you do? Business accounts set to private not only limit your reach but create a sense of ‘what on earth are they hiding?’. If I can’t see you, engage with you and keep up to date with you, I’m not going to buy from you! So off you go, login to Instagram and check your settings, are you on private? If so, switch that bad boy off immediately!
Your bio is lacking that WOW factor
Here is your opportunity to tell the world who you are! Your 150 character sales pitch! Ask yourself
Have I utilised these 150 characters?
Is my website link present?
Can I be contact?
Can I be located?
Is my account set to business?
How’d you go with that checklists? Few things missing? Jump into your Instagram account, hit edit profile and get going! With Instagram’s new business account feature now available, hit the cog in the right hand corner, scroll to business account and switch yourself over! Not only will this update give potential clients more opportunities to contact you, you will now gain important account analytics. LIFE CHANGING!
Hashtags are just ‘not your thing’!
Time to make them your thing! Hashtags help categorise your images for people who might enjoy your content to find them. Keywords of the social media world! There are two issues I stumble upon when working with clients
They aren’t using hashtags at all
They are using the incorrect hashtags
Hashtags are a crucial part of your social strategy, make them a priority, choose them wisely. Ask yourself who are you targeting? Why are you targeting them? What would your consumer be searching for to find such content? Once you’ve worked through that search these hashtags yourself. Check out what content is being displayed and the count associated to that tag. If all looks good, start using these tags!
Side note… We are currently working on our ultimate hashtag guide including top hashtags for a number of different industries that we will share on the blog. Stay tuned!
Absent visual strategy
Like any area of your business social media needs a strategy, that includes a visual strategy. Often we come across brands whose online visual strategy is simply non-existent. First impressions count, especially with today’s consumer being so visually driven you need to make an impact immediately.
Posting willy-nilly is like sending your salesmen out to cold call without a pitch. You need to know what your message is, who are you trying to engage with, how will you get that message across through your visual content?
Any good visual strategy incorporates all aspects of posting including the filter used, hashtags, tone of voice, captions and image selection. Think of it like a complete branding package, what you post on your wall is a direct reflection of your brand! Now you wouldn’t go build a website without a branding package therefore, the same is required for social! PLAN, PLAN, PLAN!
Timing is key!
So you’ve nailed the visual strategy! Well what’s your posting strategy? Aka when are you posting, what time of the day? Ask yourself are you posting in the times your prospective client base is active online? NOPE? WELL STOP! Do a little research on when your customer demographic will be most active online and immediately start scheduling your posts for then.
It’s all about me, me, me!
NO IT’S NOT! Yes, it’s about your business but it’s just as much about your clientele. I always stress to clients that social media is not a set and forget platform, you don’t just hop on post about YOU and then hop off. You need to interact, engage and communicate with your following. Make the same amount of time to engage as you do to post (don’t have the time? Hire someone to do it for you!). Possibly the most forgotten aspect of social media is engaging with your base.
Get out there, interact with your potential clients, introduce yourself, form a relationship! This is where you see your base grow and hang around, not grow and ultimately leave!
There you have it! The top 6 mistakes commonly made on Instagram! Do you feel like you’ve learnt something? I’d hope so! Now stop reading and get active! Do a quick audit of your account, create a strategy and immediately start engaging!