On Instagram, follower count is not proportional to engagement rate. If you want a high engagement rate, your focus should be on creating a community that is loyal to you and looks forward to connecting with you.
Here is a list of 5 tips you can use to increase the engagement rate for your brand on Instagram:
1. Content always matters
There are several factors that affect the engagement rate on the platform but the two most important factors are shares and saves. In order to enhance these interactions, you need to focus on sharing unique and valuable content. Figure out what you can deliver that others cannot. Focus on creating unique content that users prefer or can use. This is the type of content people generally like to share among friends.
Keep your focus on the visual elements. Infographics that stand out are a great way to provide insightful facts or helpful tips to users. Infographics could be about breaking down a process in a step-by-step manner.
You may also use colorful graphs or charts. Do not forget about the importance of caption. Use it to provide some context. You may also use the caption to highlight certain facts about the products or your business.
On the other hand, Instagram likes are an important social signal used by all of Instagram’s algorithms to determine an account’s visibility. In need of Instagram likes Socialplus services are the most reliable and results-oriented.
Take a look at the Instagram profile of Passion Planner to get some ideas.
If your goal is to have a simple caption but still provide a lot of important information, the Instagram carousel post format might be right for you. These posts have multiple images and you can use them to bring together a tutorial or tell a story. These types of posts are widely regarded as the most engaging type on the platform. It might be due to multiple graphics that do not have any cluttered text.
2. Aesthetics
Instagram is a visual platform and you cannot ignore the aesthetics on the platform. The first impression is important and if you are not careful with your visuals or your branding, a user might not come back to your account and engage if they are not impressed.
Users on Instagram are looking for eye-pleasing content in their feeds. If you want to enhance your number of followers and engagement rate, you need to be consistent in delivering great visual content.
Think of your profile grid as a portfolio to showcase your brand. When users are scrolling through the profile grid, they should feel connected with your brand. You should use on-brand graphics and images with complementary filters along with pertinent information describing you, your business, and why you are sharing this information.
Think about publishing content with corresponding colors or you may want to use quote graphics with layers of images in between.
3. Do not ignore the video
Instagram is always introducing new content formats. Don’t shy away from using these new formats. These days, the platform is much more focused on video as they are constantly highlighting Reels curated by users which is a collection of TikTok-style videos. It makes sense for the platform as almost two-thirds of the users on the platform find video content to be most relevant.
Video is not just for making Reels. Your Instagram business account can also be used for going live or for posting to IGTV. Think about using short-form animations for your stories and feed. Animated graphics give you the flexibility to combine striking visuals with a style of emotional communication.
Do not forget that most Instagram users like to watch videos without sound.
Video is here to stay and this is why you should seriously consider integrating videos into your profile grid. It will not only help in increasing the user engagement rate but also tells your users that you are willing to embrace new forms of content.
For Instagram videos, there is no need for you to professionally edit videos. Video editing is easy and Adobe Express can be used for quickly merging, cropping, resizing, or trimming videos. You can also use a quick action to slow down or speed up a video.
Instagram users engage with authentic content. Always keep that in mind when you are creating a video to represent you and your brand.
4. Get collaborative
If you change your Instagram strategy to revolve around video, it will also help you in building a community. Mastering Instagram Reels will open up your doors to co-authoring content which means you can collaborate with users or other Instagram influencers in your niche.
The collab feature is impressive. It allows you to collaborate with other users and you may create either Reels or a standard feed post which can be shared by you as well as your collaborator with their own follower base.
A co-authored piece of content that has been created with the collab feature is visible on the profiles of both the collaborators. It allows for shared commands, likes, and views which means both can leverage the enhanced reach of shared content and grow engagement with their respective communities.
Take a look at this collab that has been created by Tamara Malas and Shop Berriez. It shows the power of collaboration and how co-authoring results in a concise, colorful and clear product offering. It also works for both small businesses as they are able to leverage their respective audience to grow their following.
5. Focus on engagement
Engagement is a two-way street. If you want to enhance user engagement, you need to engage with users.
Always be ready to engage with the users as and when they engage with your account on Instagram. Users need to know that you are paying attention. Do not ignore their DMs or comments or the content where you have been tagged by them.
Take your time and respond. Keep in mind that your response has the potential to inspire your followers to keep engaging with your brand which is what you need to build strong relationships with your users.
If you want to go a step further, you should reach out to users with similar values and interests. Find accounts that have a similar target audience and comment on their posts to get more exposure via promotion to their followers. Do not forget to share and like content by users with similar products.
Use relevant hashtags to find related posts and comment on those posts to reach out to potential clients.