Instagram advice for 2023

My top behind the scenes IG tips

Most people know that a little strategy and effort can have Instagram engagement and the platform working for you. Yet how many of us have actually stop feeling overwhelmed with creating content and posting deadlines for influencers, or time, insights and numbers? Define your niche in Instagram and choose 3 content pillars. Examples are " Lifestyle, Modern home and Momlife" for me. Then get started. I am sharing my top behind the scenes Instagram growth tips.

1: Use your automated response button. This option in your comment section when sending a DM is so underrated.

My top suggestion is to create a few fast "responses" as a businesses quickly thanking someone for a new follow or offering a promotional code or sale.

• As a brand you want to say:

Example: "Thank you for the recent follow, your support means so much to a small business like mine. I would love to offer you a limited time promo code of: THANKYOU10 to use on your first order.

Giving someone a little nod for their support and offering them a coupon makes them feel appreciated and seen. This is the number one reason why people support small businesses so make sure you are connecting with your customers.

Not a business and just a content creator? How many times have you reached out to a brand to ask them to partner up with what you have to offer?

• As an influencer:

Save an automated intro! " Hey,_________

__ (leave this part blank to add the brand name) team, I am a content creator based in__________ and I would love to partner up!

Say what you share and who your demographic is i.e. "busy modern moms" or the "health and wellness mindset community"

*key pointers* set this into TWO sections

The first being the intro to who you are.

The second being what you are looking for, paid, gifted or to host a giveaway with their product as the prize and leave your email so they can then respond via email. Most brands sign and firm up all deals via email as its easier to track and certain PR team members deal with collab sign ups.

2.Instagram is now promoting clear crisp images as king content and reels video's as they roll our new features. Make sure your content has good lighting, clear images and is noticeable. Make sure to utilize all of Instagram's new features as they always favor those who share their newest offered features. Reels can be funny, with advice, before and after's or just a sneak look into your day to day life. Choose a niche and be consistent posting and showing up for your followers with content they respond best to. Search on tik tok for trending songs and remember that Instagram will give your reel most exposure if you create it with their app and don't just cross post a tik tok labeled video to your IG feed.

Feeling overwhelmed by reels ask a friend for advice and help to get started.

3: Lets talk about engagement groups: The most unspoken secret of Instagram.

Finding a niche of likeminded moms, fellow travel, or photography enthusiasts is a great way to bump your engagement and keep things growing.

By connecting with genuine handles and asking them to help you share content, get to know their friends and you reciprocate by doing the same; is a great way to build a media niche and put the social into social media.

4: Instagram allows you to view the amount of times your reels were shared. It's always a good idea to thank your audience and followers who have done this. Just tap on the three dots at the top right corner of your post and view story re- shares. Send them a message thanking them for their support.

5: Post more carousels

YES! Adding the swipe feature can improve your engagement. When scrolling through instagram you might notice you see the same post but another image from it. This is thought to be because if a post doesn't receive engagement in the first round then Instagram will push it out again but starting with the second frame to see if it does better. This way you will have twice the opportunity for engagement.

Tips:

• Your second image should be as strong as your first.

• Repeat the first frame idea in the second frame from a different angle or with an additional or closer image.

• The more frames you post in a carousel the longer your audience stays on your post.

• Include a call to action at the end of your carousel, it's a great way to get your message in front of your audience.

For my example below I would ask my followers to let me know their top vitamin choices for busy moms.

6: CAPTIONS! Stick to short sentences and don't draw out long paragraphs often. While its nice to speak and give a long story once in a while. Research shows that the average IG user is younger than the FB user meaning your audience is younger and faster and lives a fast paced life. They want to engage and move on; Cue the "Stop the scroll!" message. Try keeping your content short and sweet 80% of the time otherwise people on their lunch break might just scroll past. The average user has only a short amount of time to check on their friends online.

lastly here's my easy breakdown of how to use Instagram's features:

• IG LIVE: Do an interview , Collaborate, Or host a Q&A.

• REELS: Tutorials, Trends, Entertainment.

• IGTV: Educate, Establish credibility by giving longer insights into what you stand for.

• IG STORY: personal life, Daily routine, CTA promotional.

• CAROUSELS: Storytelling, Before and After, Case studies.

• STATIC IMAGES: Infographic, Business updates, Life events, Partnerships.

Have fun and if you incorporate any of these tips into your daily Social media use let me know.

Thanks for being here

Meg