Best Practices for Faster Growth on Instagram in 2023

Step -02. Posting on the Best time provoking best results

Images are from Instagram

Numerous Researches have shown, the awesome time to post photos on Instagram is Wednesdays - 11 a.m. -While Reels, is 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. Monday to Thursday. The average Instagram meta business account post is 1.71 main feed posts per day.

This is a good start. But to determine the most impressive time to post, understand the Instagram habits of your defined audience.

Step -03. Schedule your post content in Advance to produce a Mind-Blowing outcome

Images are from Instagram

Now that you know the best day and time to post, kick start your posting by planning for posting on Instagram -- Step up your game by scheduling posts to go live at the prime time.

Hootsuite is one the best tools to schedule your Instagram posts, Stories and Reels alongside other social media platforms' posts, Complete your posting and scheduling calendar of various social media platforms all using one powerful tool.

Tools like HootSuite also plot complete analytics of all the platforms, also help plan and optimise posts with the combination of photos, carousel posts, and videos.

Step -04. Engage to Hook the Followers

Images are from Instagram

Instagram is a Social Media Network, not a broadcasting service, which implies your followers expect two-way communication and a sense of community. If you aim people to engage with your Instagram account, then you must get engaged yourself.

The advantage of engaging Yourself is to easily DM and reply to comments on your own. With multiplying followings, keeping up with them can be overwhelming. At this stage it is advised to bring in tools and even a teammate to extend a helping hand and manage the Instagram Communication.

Tools like the Hootsuit allow you to effectively interact with followers on Instagram and other social meads platforms. With these tools, you can assign responses for further follow-ups. You can also create templates with common replies, comments to queries - with quick replies.

Step - 05. Tag your Products to increase visibility

Images are from Instagram

Studies have shown just about half of Instagram users shop on the platform weekly.

Facts about tagging: Brands that tag their products in feed posts have generated 37% more sales on average. And brands tagging two or more have seen 117% more transactions.

Tagging across surfaces: Reels, posts, stories and even ads. around 61% of weekly IG users say that "Ads with tags make them more likely to shop."

Step -06. Study and Improve the Instagram Posts Outcome

The process of posting on Instagram is an experimentation, to identify what works best for your particular target audience. This process must be an ongoing theme when posting.

Use native tool Instagram Analytics, which helps to plot the performances of the experimental posts and get you started. To push things a notch higher, download exceptionally detailed pictures of your Instagram post results, Instagram tools can also incorporate professional analytics.

The Instagram Analytics coupled with the Hootsuite functionalities includes creating and exporting charts and graphs and easily downloading them in High Quality version, to Analyse the data to understand what's working and what isn't. You can also enumerate Instagram's performances than other social media platforms.

Step -07. Make use of Reels; [more Reels]

Yet to use Reels? Then it's time to kick-start Your Instagram Reel posting.

A careful study of Instagram posting algorithms it was quite evident that Reels account for 20% of time spent on Instagram. And also many researches have shown that 300% more engagement than regular Instagram Videos. Bottom line statement - Instagram Algorithm prefers Reels, too.

So, this simple practice is essential and proven to produce the best results. Simply post reels more reels.

Step -08. Show your human bag more

Reels which portray a human tend to have a 25% higher clickthrough. Reels are not the right format for stuffed products. Be dynamic and post reels incorporating people using your products. Include your team, Spice up the reel with more personality. Discover your human side and have fun.

Step -09. Break it or Make it in the first 3 seconds, your time to hook your audience

Hook your audience downright with teaser titles and dynamic motion. Ensure to deploy on your title - watchbait is a no-go.

Showcase to people in the first three seconds what they can get from the reel and reasons why they must continue to watch it - entice their inquisitiveness.

Step -10. Add copy to your reels and let them speak

Including text in your Reels can work in your favour. Posts or Reels can be easily understood by a deaf and hard-of-hearing community. It's also essential for Reel views that happen with the sound turned off.

By default, the Closed captions are automatic on Reels unless you choose to turn them off. Users can. Users have the option of adjusting their feed if they prefer not to see the captions, and no harm in leaving it on.

You can also schedule posts on crucial points in your videos.

Step -11. Use pop, trendy audio

Incorporating trending audio in your Reels is another fabulous way to boost your exposure. You can identify popular audio with a little arrow next to the name of the sound in any reel.

Tap on the audio icon to get the entire essential details including the number of reels using the audio. Incorporating this technique the are higher possibilities of getting a super boost to your Reels with less or no competition. Aim for 30k or Fewer. It is best practice to keep competition levels lower.

If you stumble upon interesting content, you might want to consider it saving for future posting. It is important to cross-refer to it being trending.

Step -12. Scale an Effective Template

Templates can help you create Reels or posts with multiple videos or images and are a great way to get started. Using a template automatically syncs the audio with your media posts/Reels.

To find and use templates, open the Reels tab and select the camera icon in the top right corner, scroll down to Templates at the bottom of the screen and continue till you can identify a Reel that interests you, once found use the template for your posts.

Instagram Stories Best Practices

Step -13. Use stickers to help create interaction with audiences

Interactive functionalities like the Vote Button, Question Button, and Quiz Button, these buttons can help understand your audience. They also help by providing opportunities to stay connected with your community and also drive good engagement rates.

Ask your followers what type of content they prefer to see from you. Or incorporate a Question Sticker to do a follower Q&A

Step -14. Save your best and go the extra mile

Instagram Stories are more effective ways to experiment with fresh ideas and more casual content because they disappear after 24 hours.

When you plan to have stories to hang around, you may consider using the stories' highlights.

Highlights are present on your Instagram page over the grid. Moreover, you can use Stories, to showcase information about your business and products in the extra space on the right.

Step 15. Maintain a Visual Consistency

An Instagram account with a visually consistent style is a mesmeriser. Often produces better recognition among the audience which instantly appears in their feed.

One of the ways to achieve this is to retain a theme following the brand guidelines such as colour, style, etc.. which can help recognise your content posts instantly by recalling your brand.

Step 16. #Hashtags are the Last Lifeline

Although, Social SEO has dropped the importance of hashtags, however, using them can still produce surprising outcomes.

Significantly, using relevant #hashtags based on specific niches can help engage with the audience, and connect with passionate communities on Instagram. Brand hashtags can help to collect social proof and user-generated content.

Step -17. Catchy Captions - Hooking copy

The first impression is the best impression Catchy Caption can instantly grab the attention of audiences and manure them to indulge in the Reels or the posts and eventually make them stop scrolling down further. Instagram captions can help audiences connect with your brand and also learn about the brand and its whereabouts.

Writing a captivating caption can be one of the best practices for Instagram Reels and Posts because They also help with Instagram SEO. Captions are the source for Instagram algorithm to crawl through the keywords during a content search on the platform.

Super-ultra-hi-res media make it possible -to hook the audience at first glance itself and engage with them.

Step - 18. "Alt Text" Alongside to Describe Media

Alt Texts on Instagram are another best and most effective means to make your content more accessible, when boosting your Instagram post and also helps in SEO ranking signals.

Although, Alt-Text works similarly to the text on the web: it provides the text with a description of the media used for Instagram posts or reels.

Instagram automatically creates the alt-text using AI tools for all the posts on the web. However, you can customise the alt-text yourself and personalise it to produce better results.

Step - 19. Pin Your Best Posts - Keep on top

The first three spots serve as prime spots on your Instagram grid. Favourably You can decide what must go on the grid that can produce the desired outcome.

Pinning your excellent popular posts or Reels or most timely.

Do you have a promotion on the go?

Or Are you planning on launching new products?

Pinned posts keep followers'/users' eyes on the prize.

Get creative with pinned posts, here is how Rocky Mountain Soap Company used a teaser campaign for their product launch:

Step -20. Get Creative and Experimental with your Ad placements

Instagram ads can be placed in feeds, Reels, stories, and the Explore tab, with a super potential reach ranging from 713.2 million to 1,32 billion for the feed to Explore Tab.

Instagram experiments data shows vertical have a 48% lower cost-per-action -CPA compared to non-vertical ads, so Reels and Stories are the best choice to test the performances of the Video Ads.

While, with your organic strategy, testing to identify the best performing with your audience and your business's goals. Keep your experiments on, never fix yourself one or a few things. Instagram's algorithm is constantly changing, hence keep experimenting constantly to identify the effective formats ebbs and flow with time.

Step 21. Collaborate with Creators

Collaborating with influencers - aka creators - to create Branded Content can improve credibility to run Instagram ad Campagins.

Meta Research shows that 78% of consumers admit that influencers help them get exposure to new brands. Significantly, campaigns with branded content ads besides business-as-usual ads approximately have 53% higher click-through rates.

Step 22. Collate Your Product Catalogue

Listing your products in a catalogue for Meta ads and Your Instagram Shop can make tagging easier while helping you to get the best of complete Pixel Data.

The Shopify integration in Hootsuite can make it easy if you are already registered on Shopify.

Instagram Bio is Best Practices

Step: 23. Keep it Complete

You don't have a free space to for our Bio, Instagram limits our BIO's to 150 characters. So you must to audience -who you are and why they must stick around.

However, you may choose to overcome the limitation by completing your Instagram profile, such as a profile picture, a link, an address, and an account category. On that matter...

Step-24. Identify the favourable Account Category

Choosing the appropriate category in your Instagram Bio can make it easier for users to recognise what your brands are about.

This is also an important feature on Instagram, especially for enhanced tagging. When you collaborate with other brands or creators, the enhanced tagging displays each account's contribution to a post, including the account category.

25. Verify your account and Keep it Professional

Give your account an edge, Imagine an account with a blue check, and apply for Instagram Verification. A verified account can go a long way in helping your business account look professional keeping a check on the fakesters from stealing your spotlight.

Conclusion:

Instagram is one of the most used social media platforms, making it the most trending one. Professionals find it as a promising platform to showcase their products and services businesses and reach out to the relevant audience.

Individuals use the platform for social interaction and share media with near and dear ones. Irrespective of the purposes or use, Instagram is can serve all.

Start-ups can use this platform and expand their businesses to unimaginable heights. Many individuals have become creators and influencers, carving their own nieces.

Instagram also provides functionalities that are similar to Facebook, Which help create communities, communicate with community members on a regular basis, and keep them engaged. Showcase a product/services catalogue in case of the plethora of business opportunities Instagram has to offer.

Instagram, apart from being one of the most used platforms, helps businesses and Individuals expand their network, and create their presence among their relevant communities. It is crucial to understand how Instagram can affect users psychologically and physically.

Case Studies done by many universities and research scientists, it has become quite clear the extensive use of Social Media often tends to damage mental stability, leading to increased levels of -Anxiety, hypertension, insecurity, hampering the ability to make decisions, and eventually driving to depression.

Instagram or any other social media platform can be a boon or a curse, the shade you paint is what matters the most. It is ultimately your choice.

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