How to Unlock the Key to Instagram Engagement
The key to Instagram engagement is TIME. Visual storytelling and conversation-starting combined with the right mix of when to post and what to post creates Instagram gold.
T – Time
Are you posting at the right time? Are you giving Instagram enough time to make a difference?
I – Intent
Time to stop your random acts of posting on the Gram. Being intentional with your photos, concepts, and descriptions is crucial. And how is your hashtag strategy?
M – Management
Do you have a system down to make Instagram a part of your social media plan? Are you measuring key Instagram factors and making smart decisions based on data?
E – Engage
Responding to comments on your post is important. Are you also commenting and liking other people's posts?
How to encourage people and increase Instagram engagement
Keep a solid community in your comments and stay active by doing the following:
- Delete spammy comments by swiping and remove them.
- Give shouts out to thought leaders and friends.
- Tag people in photos so they receive a notification.
- Create a path for people to follow with your hashtags.
- Make it easy for people to find you.
- You can’t have success on Instagram with a private account. Make it public to connect with new people.
- Check out industry-relevant hashtags to find new people.
- Double-tap a post to like it and show your appreciation.
Direct messages have become a much bigger part of Instagram. You can hit the paper airplane at the bottom of the post and send a direct message to someone to share the post and tell them you'd love to know what they think of it.
There's also the ability to send voice messages through direct messages. If you see a thoughtful comment on your post, give it a heart, and tag them in your comment response. Then send them a voice message right through direct messages. It's a thoughtful touch that people will remember.
Pinning comments is a great way to show your community that you value their comments and they get a notification that you've pinned their comment. To pin a comment, go to that comment and swipe left on it, you'll see the option to pin the comment. You can pin two comments per pin. Pinned comments can add real-time customer testimonials, grow the engagement on the post, and pique interest for people who are reading the post.
A combination of time, intent, management, and engagement creates the perfect Instagram presence to showcase your brand through storytelling and community building. It's not enough simply to post great photos – it's all the moments that occur after you post that build the conversation and relationship.
The key to Instagram engagement is TIME – work on these areas and your Instagram engagement will climb.
Consider this shocking stat: 92% of all social engagement is happening on Instagram vs 7% on Facebook and 1% on Twitter based on the L2 Intelligence Report: Social Platforms 2017
Maureen Mullen and Scott Galloway of L2 say, “The most powerful platform in the world: Instagram. We see about ninety-two percent of all engagement occurring across all kinds of consumer sectors in the brands that we track so you know ninety-two percent on Instagram across countries. Instagram is the new Facebook.”
Four times as much engagement with double growth? Yes, please!
Saving Marketers What They Lack Most – Time
Instagram offers some valuable features to supercharge your engagement game:
1. Direct Messages and Voice Messages:
Incorporate direct messages into your strategy to establish deeper connections. If someone leaves a thoughtful comment on your post, give them a heart and tag them in your response. Then, take it a step further by sending a voice message through direct messages. It's a personal touch that leaves a lasting impression.
2. Pinning Comments:
Pinning comments on your posts is an excellent way to show appreciation for your community. When you pin a comment, the user receives a notification, which can spark more conversation. Consider pinning comments that add value, such as customer testimonials or insightful insights. This not only boosts engagement but also showcases your commitment to your followers.
In conclusion, the TIME acronym encapsulates the core elements of Instagram engagement: Timing, Intent, Management, and Engagement. It's not just about posting high-quality photos; it's about nurturing the conversations and relationships that follow each post.
Remember, Instagram is where the magic happens, with a staggering 92% of all social engagement occurring on this platform. Embrace these strategies, and you'll be well on your way to harnessing the power of Instagram to grow your brand and connect with your audience.
So, invest your TIME wisely on Instagram, and watch your engagement soar. It's a platform where creativity meets community, and the results are worth every moment you dedicate.
And if you're still on the fence, consider this eye-opening statistic: Instagram commands a staggering 92% of all social engagement, far surpassing Facebook (7%) and Twitter (1%). As Maureen Mullen and Scott Galloway of L2 affirm, “Instagram is the new Facebook,” with four times the engagement and double the growth.
In the fast-paced world of digital marketing, Instagram is your secret weapon, saving marketers what they lack most: Time.
I find since the timeline change, when I post is no longer relevant. My followers are on IG between 8-9pm and the post from 10 am with 5+ likes is shown before the 8:15 pm post.
I’m frustrated bc I average 5-10 likes per post but when I have a flash sale, 60-100 people immediately click through to my site meaning there is a large portion of my followers who see my posts but don’t engage.
Hey Genevieve,
Are you using any metrics to figure out when to post on Instagram? Also, if a lot people see your posts but don’t engage you should look at the way that your posting and switch it up a bit. Do you add variety to your types of posts? Do you ask questions that people can respond to?
Thank you for the response! I use IG business analytics and Iconosquare to optimize days & times for engagement. I then line my posts up for the week on Sunday using schedugram so I don’t forget or get pulled away from work.
I have tried asking questions but I get crickets. I also add variety with product shots, me working on new designs, my day-to-day life, etc. I get the most response from product shots.
Instagram is coming really slowly . Updates are weak . I dont think it will be always social as mush as now .
I loved the recent updates – Instagram Stories made a huge difference and pulled a lot of brands and people from Snapchat. I think they’ve made slower, more deliberate choices for updates.
Interesting, but I don’t understand “how” Instagram and Tailwind would help my wife’s Facebook home business “CoZQuilts” would help her market sale her Machine-Quilted custom quilts, T-Shirt quilts, Memory quilts, Quilt Kits, Jelly Rolls, Fat Quarters, and Select Fabrics to a broader audience. From what I’ve seen published on the Internet regarding Instagram, there is a lot of loaded information about benefits, but little if any about how to actually take the First Steps in getting your “presence as a Quilting Business” onto Instagram as a business advantage.
Terrell,
You need to find some intro Instagram articles. You might like other article’s I have about Instagram like Instagram 101 and Philosophy of a Hashtag Strategy. There’s tons of craft people selling on Etsy and using social media like Instagram and Pinterest to build a following of people who’d like to buy their products.
You need to start at the beginning of who your clients will be and then create posts on Instagram to reach them. Maybe the process of making a quilt, picking fabrics, showing finished projects etc. Using the right hashtags will help find people who are interested in the topic.
Good luck with getting started.
Thanks for these tips Peg. The recent update on instagram made it harder for brands to reach out to their target audience.
Great Post! i have read it fully. This is a very inspiring article for me. Thank you so much.
Very helpful post, going to give Tailwind a try for my small business social media.