What can we tell you about Insta, IG AKA The Gram…

Since its launch in 2010, Instagram has gone on to become one of the most popular social media sites of all time.

With a staggering 95 million posts shared every single day on Instagram, it’s no wonder small businesses want a piece of the action.

Everyone is Talking About The Algorithm…

All the social media platforms have them and they’re simply a way of organising a users’ feed based on what the site thinks they want to see.

To help your business’ posts get seen follow these top 10 tips:

1. Post consistently – not only does this increase your likelihood of getting engagement, it’s a signal to the algorithm that you’re a quality account.
2. If you frequently comment on someone’s posts or are tagged in photos with them, this signals to Instagram that you fall into the ‘friends and family’ category which means you’re more likely to see each other’s content.
3. Post at a time when your followers are more likely to be online – usually between 7-9pm!!
4. Encourage people to spend longer looking at your posts because Instagram will use this to gauge how interested they are. Some great ways to keep eyes on you for longer include writing engaging content, posting videos and asking questions so people take the time to respond.
5. Tag others in your posts – this will help them to engage with you.
6. Comment on your posts to start conversations with people who may be interested.
7. Check in to locations to reach people through the explore tabs.
8. Add hashtags to your posts – you can add up to 30 BUT Instagram’s latest advice is 3-5 specific hashtags!
9. Share your posts to stories and add up to 10 hashtags there too!
10. Change your format regularly – static images, videos and carousels are good!

How often you should post on Instagram and what to post…

How often you post on Instagram is likely to come down to two factors:

1. How much time you can dedicate to social media (not just posting but replying to comments and liking and commenting on other people’s posts)
2. How much good quality content you can generate

The most important thing to remember when it comes to Instagram marketing, is to be consistent. People are more likely to remember you if you’re popping up in their news feed regularly, you increase your chances of getting engagement and most importantly, if you’re not consistent, Instagram won’t show your posts as often.

If you can only commit to four posts a month, you’re better off posting one a week rather than everything in one week and then nothing for the rest of the month.

What to post?

When you’re posting regularly, it can be difficult to come up with content. Below we’ve put together some simple yet great ideas.