In the world of marketing, Instagram is a must-have platform. It is ideal for promoting your brand through visuals and interacting with your audience, and it boasts an average of 1 billion daily users.
However, many marketers either don’t use Instagram at all, or who do use it don’t post strategically, resulting in a loss of followers.
If you want to attract quality fans and feedback, steer clear of these advertising blunders.
Here are seven common blunders that businesses make when promoting themselves on Instagram.
Protecting your online identity
It stands to reason that a brand will use Instagram as a marketing tool only if its account is visible to the general public. However, many businesses use a private Instagram account that prevents users from seeing their advertisements, photos, and other content.
Private accounts make sense for individuals, but not for businesses. You’ll miss out on opportunities when people search Instagram for photos related to your business if you make your account private.
Make your profile public to reach the widest possible audience.
Exchanging unflattering media
The whole point of using Instagram is to show off stunning photos of your company, its products, and its employees. An unattractive or poorly taken picture will have no effect. Make sure the photo is high quality before uploading it, and don’t post anything that was taken on a phone.
For perfect results with every photo you take, consider these pointers:
- If you want a great photo of yourself, make sure there is a good light source behind you.
- It’s best to take pictures outside, where there is plenty of natural light. A small filter can make already stunning photos look even better.
- The key is to interrogate: You should consider how easily the image can be shared and if it can be understood.
- Absolutely no self-photographing! Don’t bother posting individual selfies or multiple team selfies; just one with everyone is sufficient. Instead, show off photos of the preparations for an event or photo shoot, as well as those taken during the actual event.
Using hashtags incorrectly or not using any at all
Instagram’s hashtags play a significant role in the platform’s advertising strategy. If you use appropriate hashtags, it can aid in content discovery. Unfortunately, modern marketers use an excessive number of hashtags in their posts, the vast majority of which have nothing to do with the actual subject matter.
It’s bad for business because unhappy customers won’t buy from you again. It’s a lot like sending yourself spam.
In that case, what should I do? First and foremost, make sure your hashtags are pertinent to your content, and don’t overdo it by using more than 5-10. Using them as you would any other set of keywords will help you grasp their meaning and application.
Sharing material that is not necessarily visual
Recently, it has become popular to upload or share pictures with a plain background and a quote written on it. Textagrams are all the rage right now, but you should use them sparingly to protect your brand.
In order to capture attention on Instagram, you should post visual content such as photos or short videos. Use that favourite saying or quote as a caption if it goes with the photo, but don’t make it the focus of the post itself. Design captivating Instagram Stories.
Neglecting to add a clickable link or CTA to your profile
Instagram’s primary purpose as a marketing tool is to increase website visits. But how will people find your website if you don’t include a link to it or a CTA in your Instagram bio?
If you want your share of Instagram’s daily 1.2 billion likes in the form of visitors to your site or landing page, you should include relevant links in your bio.
Posting pictures that have nothing to do with your product
That you are dealing with a business account and not your own personal one is important to remember. As the brand’s marketer, you should only post ads or content that directly relates to the brand. Don’t just put up pictures of your desk and coffee mug. It throws off the consumer because it breaks consistency.
Contrary to those who follow the crowd
In order to better understand your following, you should follow your followers.
Gaining more attention and followers on Instagram is simple with the help of these suggestions. To sum up, remember to always post something useful and honest.