These 6 Instagram Hacks Will Improve Your Engagement and Authority – How to Use Them | You don’t need anyone to tell you that Instagram is a powerful marketing tool. You’ve seen the data; you know what A-list influencers are capable of.
But most of us aren’t A-list influencers. Most of us don’t make much of an impression on Instagram at all, to be honest.
Many brands simply check the Instagram box. They know they need an Instagram presence of some sort, so they put the bare minimum effort into maintaining one. And nothing much ever comes of it.
Maybe it’s time to rethink that approach. Maybe it’s time to get serious about leveraging Instagram’s power to benefit your brand.
If you’re ready, start with these six Instagram hacks that will improve your engagement and authority. They won’t work miracles, mind you, but they’re a start.
- Surprise Your Audience Once in a While
No one likes predictability. Even if you are using a formula to create and share Instagram content, your audience shouldn’t be able to spot it. They should be surprised by your posts every once in a while.
Or more often than that. So switch things up as much as you can. Zig when a reasonable person would expect you to zag, and vice versa. Keep it up for long enough and your audience will reward you with more engagement.
- Showcase Your Expertise Consistently
Make it clear that you deserve a place in the conversation by sharing content that showcases your subject matter expertise. For example, the Instagram handle for Yieldstreet, a popular investing platform, is a mixture of syndicated podcast content (more on that in a moment) and candid shots of Yieldstreet representatives mixing it up at industry conferences. It’s not a revolutionary formula, but the message is clear all the same.
- Work With Microinfluencers
Microinfluencers hold the keys to the Instagram kingdom for smaller brands that want to take their exposure to the next level. These individuals have relatively small but devoted followings, usually numbering in the single-digit or low tens of thousands.
They are cheaper to pay for promotion than A- and B-list macroinfluencers, but that’s not the only reason to favor them over the headliners. Microinfluencers tend to occupy specific niches where their expertise is narrow but very deep. This means they’re incredibly authoritative, at least for the people who listen to what they have to say. And that means their power to drive conversions is much, much higher than the typical “follow for the lulz” macroinfluencer. You could also buy an Instagram account instead of repeatedly working with Instagram influencers. There are many sites that sell Instagram accounts. You can get a few here and use them to promote your main accounts and products.
- Syndicate Visual and Video Content First Posted Elsewhere
Let’s talk about content syndication for a moment.
What is it? In a nutshell, syndicating content means repurposing that content elsewhere for related but distinct purposes. For example, a syndicated how-to video might enjoy a second life as a series of TikTok shorts or the basis for an even longer podcast episode about fixing your sink. A syndicated blog post might expand to become a gated ebook at the mouth of your content funnel or shrink to become a targeted email blast.
On Instagram, your syndication will necessarily be visual. You’ll be taking photos and videos produced elsewhere and mapping them to the platform. And your job as a marketer will be easier, less resource-intensive, and more creative.
- Set Up Notifications for Accounts You Want to Engage With
Never miss an opportunity to engage with a person or brand you want to notice you. Set up custom notifications — you can do this easily in your account — for the Instagram handles you don’t want to miss. When you see a new post come through, hop into the app and engage.
- Use Shortcuts to Engage More Effectively
Instagram shortcuts are even more effective than notifications for efficient, targeted engagement. They’re especially helpful if you find yourself responding in basically the same way to the same types of messages, like requests for your open hours or customer service number. The less non-automated repetition, the better.
Make Instagram Work for You
Instagram should work for you, not the other way around.
Well, unless your brand has Instagram as a client. If so, more power to you.
That’s not the case for most of us. For most of us, Instagram is a potentially powerful marketing tool that we’re not utilizing effectively. It’s a missed opportunity.
That changes now, if you’re so inclined to change it. It’s time to implement these seven proven Instagram hacks and actually make something of your time on the platform.
Your competitors aren’t waiting around. Why should you?
