Oh, Instagram… don’t we all just have a love/hate relationship with you. We’ve talked before about how to find clients on Instagram… but before you can do that, it’s important to think about the overall feel, brand, and engagement you are fostering on your profile! Having a successful and impactful Instagram account goes beyond likes and comments on your content… but these are important as Instagram ranks posts that receive more likes and comments higher, meaning more people see your content (and hopefully, engage with your post)! Yet getting that engagement can feel like an uphill battle at times. Sharing a post you’re excited about only for it to not be seen by your audience is one of the most frustrating things about this app!
So how do you maximize engagement? There are a few easy ways to increase exposure authentically and grow your audience. Here’s how you can you build your brand, find the right people to connect with, and bring your dream clients to your doorstep by fostering authentic engagement on Instagram.
1. Post when your followers are online.
Make sure you post your photos to Instagram during the times that the largest number of your followers are actively on the app. Then (ideally), more people are going to see and engage with your content! If you switch to an Instagram Business account, you can easily find out when your followers are most active by going to the Insights page, then clicking on the “Audience” tab and scrolling to the bottom. You’ll see a bar graph of the hours each day your followers are most active. If you post within those time frames, you should see better engagement.
2. Tag vendors, clients and media.
Always tag any vendors, clients, brands or other creatives in your photos where their work is being displayed, as well as popular wedding websites and magazines that you love to follow and think your content fits in with stylistically. You never know who might see or repost your photo, sending you more viewers and engagement on your work.
3. Support fellow creatives.
You’ve gotta give love to get love when it comes to Instagram. Haha. Spend some time liking and commenting on other people’s content and they *may* reciprocate. At the very least, be present and engaged on the app. The more you’re using Instagram to connect with others, the more people will see your content and engage right back. It’s always fun to see how other people are building their own brands and sharing what they’re passionate about, and I especially love following creatives that are local to my area. Bonus tip: Find out which hashtags are popular in your city and start there to connect with people nearby! This is a great way to hopefully turn Instagram interactions into real-life relationships!
4. Use a good combination of hashtags.
The BEST way to make sure your content seen by more people than it would be otherwise is to take advantage of hashtags! Many people browse hashtags to find new accounts to follow and engage with (like I just mentioned above!), so if you’re not using them to the fullest extent, you could be seriously missing out. Be sure to choose hashtags that are popular, but not so oversaturated that your content will be immediately buried by other posts. You can use tools like www.displaypurposes.com to browse hashtags, view related accounts, and see other suggested hashtags ranked by popularity.
Instagram can sometimes feel like a game that’s impossible to win… but I promise it’s not as scary as it looks. If you spend some time cultivating relationships with other creatives and use it as a fun way to connect, it’s actually impossible to fail. Just engage with others authentically, remember to have fun, and be yourself when it comes to sharing on Instagram. Your best selling point when it comes to fostering authentic engagement and building a personable brand… is you. :)
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