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Unpacking the Best Practices for Engagement on IG

If you’re like me, the first thing you do in the morning — before even heading to the bathroom — is open up some type of social media app. Truth be told, once I wake up (after hitting snooze 4 times), I sit in bed scrolling through Instagram and tapping through stories. You could say I have some type of FOMO (fear of missing out) or maybe that I get some kind of high from seeing great visual content, but there’s something about Instagram that always draws me in. Instagram has a certain aesthetic and feel that, as a user, is easy to take advantage of and get sucked into.

However, every now and then, there are posts from business accounts that are just so bad. Luckily, Instagram has added some nifty features to help spruce things up a bit.

IGTV

The brains at Instagram recently rolled out a brand-spanking new feature that many social influencers have embraced to deliver content. Instagram TV is built for how you use your phone; videos are fully vertical and can run up to an hour long, and there are channels just like a normal TV. We recommend to use IGTV if you regularly use video in your content strategy to connect with, educate, or entertain your audience.

Story Highlights

Instagram’s Story feature has been out for some time. But Story Highlights are still relatively new, and we’ve seen them increasingly implemented into brand strategies. Highlights allow your stories to exist indefinitely right below your bio section. When users visit your profile, highlights act as quick resources for followers or create that unforgettable first impression to visitors. We suggest using them when you want to market events, contests, giveaways, showcase a new product, or a sale.

Going Live

In all honesty, I’ve seen successful Live stories as well as failed ones. For businesses, Live Stories fail because simply, no one really cares. If you genuinely care about even having a Live Story, build awareness for it, especially if it’s a really big moment for your brand; big moments and breaking news work well on this platform. Let those who follow you — and those who don’t — know with relevant posts at least a week ahead. You want to build “hype” so that people will actually make time to watch. When planning to go live, it’s important to figure out the best time based on your target audience.

Stickers

Remember when you were a kid and got gold star stickers for turning in your homework? Well, Instagram elevated that for the 21st century. Instagram’s stickers are playful, but there is a way you can fully take advantage of them! There are different kinds to help boost your social KPIs:

Location: Increase visibility. Geotag your business or the city you’re in.

Polls: Want quick, easy customer insight? Instagram polls can help! They’re available for a 24-hour period and you can instantly see the analytics.

Emoji Slider: This is another quick, easy customer insight tool. A slider scale — similar to a Likert Type scale — allows your followers to slide an emoji to the opinion that matches theirs. For example, you could use the fire emoji and ask followers how awesome your new product is.

@mention: A great networking tool when you’re collaborating with other businesses or individuals.

#hashtag: Yes, they hashtagged hashtag. This is best used to boost your visibility and organization. Users can follow hashtags just like an account. Keep them relevant — no gimmicky #likeforlike tags. These hashtags also translate to post KPIs.

By now, there is an abundance of methods to deliver quality content to your audience. Explore the features that different platforms offer and use them to your advantage.


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About the Author

Cuore is currently studying Digital Media with a minor in Marketing at the University of Central Florida. She is part of the web production team and the social media assistant at On Target. When she’s not creating pretty visual content for our clients, you’ll find her experimenting in the kitchen or discovering local hole-in-the-walls. You can find her on Instagram at @cuore_angela.

On Target Digital Marketing is a full-service digital marketing agency located in Orlando, Florida. Through branding, web design, content creation, and social media, we get brands found and talked about online. To learn how we can help your brand grow and thrive, call 407-830-4550 or fill out our contact form. Thanks for reading and sharing!