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As a marketer, you know that building an online following is crucial for promoting your brand. And while there are many different strategies for doing this, one of the most popular ways to grow your audience is through Instagram. But with over half a million users on the platform, how can you make sure your content stands out? In this post, we'll break down the different tactics you can use to boost your visibility and attract more followers. So read on to learn more!
Include Instagram Reels into Your Content Mix
Reels are fun short videos you can share with your followers on your Instagram account. These videos can be as creative as you can make them and you can share them publicly in the ‘Explore to reach new followers’ page.
For Reels to offer a good Instagram marketing service to your brand, they must meet the criteria below:
1. Have unique content and trend strategy
Here, you can identify trends on Instagram or TikTok and put your creative spin on them. This increases the chances of the reel going viral and getting in front of new people.
2. Make simple and relatable content
Relevant, relatable content increases the chances of followers sharing it with a new audience.
3. Make educational content.
Strike a balance between entertainment and education in your reels. Incorporate reels that pass across facts and tips about your products in an entertaining way.
This improves shareability and engagement of your reels, which leads to attracting new followers and potential customers. According to research on Instagram marketing service, reels generate 67% more engagement than a standard video.
Cross-Promote Content
A cross-promotion is an Instagram marketing strategy that involves posting similar content across various social media channels. This Instagram marketing strategy will increase your brand awareness and grow your audience on Instagram. For it to be effective, this Instagram marketing service must be applied to social media platforms that you’re target audience are frequently on. This can have a big impact on helping you to build an online following from larger audience of potential customers.
For example, Nadya Okamoto, the founder of the lifestyle brand August, found out that using TikTok and YouTube increased their Instagram following. In an interview with Modern Retail, she says: "We have grown on TikTok……we have also grown to 175,000 followers on Instagram. By actively posting across multiple social media platforms, we have effectively cut the overall acquisition cost, steering our brand away from paid media as the main acquisition channel."
A good way is to repurpose content across platforms. For example, an Instagram reel can be used as a YouTube shorts and Pinterest stories. Be creative and consistent with this strategy.
Work With Brand Ambassadors.
Brand ambassadors are people who will offer you an Instagram marketing service by genuinely supporting and believing in your brand and telling their friends about it.
For example, a luxury shoe retailer, known as Sarah Flint reported success with its brand ambassador program, of more than 500 women. These brand ambassadors have a unique discount code that gives them a free pair of Sarah Flint shoes after five new customers use it. One ambassador, Holly Hollon, attests to the quality and comfort of the brand's shoes on her Instagram account. The post is authentic and relatable to regular and potential Sarah Flint shoppers. This Instagram marketing strategy helps the brand authentically grow its Instagram following and earn more sales.
Use of Loyalty Programs
Many retailers are launching loyalty programs as an Instagram marketing service for their brands. The goal of these loyalty programs is to encourage consumers to shop their brands instead of the competitor brand. This strategy has worked for brands like Rebecca Minkoff, which are capitalizing on loyalty programs to reward people that follow them on Instagram.
For example, Rebecca Minkoff’s reward program known as RM rewards, it gives its shoppers the option to earn points by following the brand on their Instagram accounts. Other brands like Blume are also seeing value in rewarding its Instagram followers. Members of the program can earn Blume Bucks for becoming Instagram friends.
Use Your Personal Instagram Account
It is also possible to build an online following on Instagram by growing your personal account – i.e., making yourself an influencer. Harnessing both the company account and your account increases your brand recognition, followers and sales.
This tactic is working for the fashion brand ANINE BING. The brand has an Instagram profile, but in addition, the founder of the company also drives engagement and awareness using her personal Instagram page. The founder invites which her 1,000,000 plus followers into her design studio, takes them through the design process, and asks for feedback from them throughout the creative process.
Using The Correct Hashtags
Hashtags are a fantastic method to connect with new Instagram users who might be interested in your content. By using relevant hashtags, you can significantly increase the reach of your Instagram posts and help to build your online following. However, it's important to use hashtags wisely, as too many or unrelated hashtags can deter users from following you. When using hashtags, always make sure that they are relevant to your content and that you are not using too many. Instagram marketing services can help you identify the best hashtags for your business and content strategy. Using the correct hashtags, you can reach a larger audience and build your online following on Instagram.
Final Take Away
The correct use of Instagram is important for brands doing Instagram marketing campaigns to grow their following. The success of any Instagram marketing strategy will be evident with the growth of followers and conversions of potential customers into buying customers. Apply the strategies in this article to help you build a targeted following to achieve these goals. With an analysis of what is working and isn’t, you will soon have a successful recipe for Instagram growth! Good luck!