Instagram can be an overwhelming place to market your business, especially if you are just starting out on the platform. Instagram is saturated with content, so it is easy for your content to get lost among the 40 billion photos and videos on the site.

You may also be discouraged when observing your competitors’ Instagram accounts. Why do they have so many likes? Why do they have such high engagement on their posts? It is possible that your rivals have mastered their Instagram engagement in ways that you haven’t thought of, but don’t despair. We have created a guide to increase your Instagram engagement rate and ultimately expand your audience.

Source: Morden Millie Youtube Channel 

12 ways to increase your Instagram engagement

1. Choose the best times to post

Timing is key when it comes to uploading your content to Instagram. One of the best ways to increase your Instagram engagement is to post at times when the majority of your audience is active on the site. Factors such as the time zone and location of your followers determine the best times to post on Instagram, which is why it is crucial that you know your audience inside and out prior to posting content on the platform.

2. Write engaging captions

Instagram is not just about aesthetic photos and high-quality videos. The most successful businesses on Instagram engage with their audience by relating to them through language. For example, writing witty captions is amusing for audiences and shows off your brand’s personality. Understanding your audience is essential. In this way, you can adapt to the language that your audience is familiar with, using humour, puns and emotive language to communicate with and entertain your followers. 

It is also important to stay on top of the latest social trends within your demographic so that you can incorporate them into your Instagram captions. This creates interesting captions for your audience and is more likely to be memorable.

3. Partner with influencers

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Dazhané 🦋 (@dazhaneleah)

Instagram influencers are undoubtedly some of the most followed people on Instagram. They amass huge followers and have a close-knit community of supporters. Collaborating with an Instagram influencer is guaranteed to expose your brand to wider audiences. Influencers are considered to be trustworthy and genuine among their fan bases, so getting an influencer on board with your brand will significantly increase your conversion rates.

4. Be transparent about your brand

Another way to increase your Instagram engagement is to show an honest and vulnerable side to your brand. The more you open up about your journey as a business, the more people will relate to your brand. It might seem tempting to always post the positives surrounding your business such as reaching huge milestones and releasing new products, but the best way to connect with your audience is to also show them the struggles that you encounter along the way.

5. Create shareable content

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Chipotle (@chipotle)

Creating relevant content is crucial in order to increase Instagram engagement. Your content must be relatable enough to make your followers want to share it on their Stories and DM it to their friends. You can even consider posting quotes and memes that are related to your brand in order to keep your followers engaged.

6. Cross-promote your Instagram account

Promoting your Instagram account to your existing followers on other social channels is a no-brainer. This is especially useful if you are new to Instagram, as your followers on other platforms may not be aware of your presence on Instagram. You can promote your Instagram on any platform, but be sure to include your Instagram handle in places that are visible. For example, you can include your Instagram username in the description box of your YouTube channel.

7. Start conversations with your followers

One of the most effective ways to increase your Instagram engagement is to initiate conversations with your target audience. The majority of online consumers expect brands to interact with their customers, so it is vital that you actively reach out to your audience. Whether it’s replying to questions in the comments section or reposting Stories, you must show your audience that you value them. Another way to increase Instagram engagement is to create Instagram Polls and Q&A sessions to your stories in order to boost interaction with your content.

8. Post more videos

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Nike (@nike)

Video marketing is at an all-time high, as social media users prefer visual aids to text. Most brands take advantage of Instagram’s video-sharing features, so you must think about the types of videos that you wish to create. Remember that your videos should be short and concise in order to keep your audience captivated.

9. Motivate customer and employee posts

User-generated content is one of the most practical ways to increase Instagram engagement. This is a great way to show authentic and genuine reviews of your products and services. Positive reviews about your brand that come from your existing customers is guaranteed to generate trust among your audience and increase conversion rates. 

You should also encourage your employees to get involved in posting content to Instagram. This shows your followers an unfiltered and raw perspective of your brand, which can help your audience to identify with your brand’s values.

10. Choose the right hashtags

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Bagels N’ Brews (@bagelsnbrews)

Understanding how to use Instagram hashtags is important if you want to increase your Instagram engagement. Instagram influencers and brands typically use the most popular trending hashtags to increase engagement with their posts. Make sure that you always use relevant hashtags that are popular within your niche. For example, #foodlover and #foodie are the most popular hashtags for food content on Instagram.

11. Give teasers and hints

Giving your followers sneak peeks of new information creates anticipation among your audience. You can make announcements on your Instagram Stories, Reels or even your posts, in order to give your followers special hints about important information. Make sure that when posting teaser information, you choose only Instagram to share this type of content. This is sure to generate a buzz among your followers across different social channels. This will make your followers on sites like Twitter and TikTok flock to your Instagram page to find out about new releases and information.

12. Host giveaways and contests

Utilising videos on Instagram in the form of giveaways and contests is a great way to drive your Instagram engagement. Making videos that announce winners of giveaways, or using Instagram Live to promote new contests and giveaways is guaranteed to excite your audience. You can also incorporate images of your giveaways into montage videos when anticipating the winners of each contest.

Our Influencer marketing agency and Social agency are located worldwide, with our agency network based in the USA, UK, UAE and China.

If you want to receive our industry insights, visit our Influencer Marketing & Social Media blogs here.

@ Socially Powerful

Contact us

 

Popular Blogs

Most Popular Instagram Hashtags | Tiktok Hashtags | Instagram Monetization | Facebook Banner Size | Snapchat Influencers | Most Subscribed Youtubers | Best Time to Post on Youtube | UK Twitch Streamers | Female Twitch Streamers | Popular Tiktok Songs | Male Tiktok Influencers | Lgbtq Tiktok Influencers | The Rise and Fall of Clubhouse  | Influencer Marketing on Clubhouse | LiketoKnowit | Pretty Little Thing Instagram| Social Marketing Agency