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With now six months of being the primary content contributor and curator for the seven Instagram accounts of Becoming A Local, I’ve learned far more than I could’ve anticipated about an Instagram marketing strategy.
An app that most of us love to mindlessly scroll through actually has a plentitude of resources that your business can use to humanize your brand. The Instagram algorithm continually adapts, fixing bugs, changing layouts, but most importantly – boosting authentic and highly-engaging content. You may be wondering, “How do I get on the ‘good-side’ of that algorithm?” That’s where we come in to help.
Whether you’re an Influencer trying to boost your traffic or a local business aiming to build a loyal community in your area, these three ways to improve your Instagram marketing strategy will get you started on the right path for success on Instagram.
1. Outline Your Content Pillars
Great, so what exactly is a content pillar? It’s a category of content that aligns with the value your account is providing to the audience you are trying to reach. You should have 3-9 content pillars for each of your Instagram accounts to ensure that your following is finding both engaging and relevant content on your feed.
As an example, the Around Downtown Orlando account is a local account that is committed to highlighting the unique finds of the Orlando area – and our following finds value in the types of businesses and places we highlight in that area of interest. The three content pillars for this type of account are: Aerial shots, restaurant highlights, and community member spotlights.
Once you have this outlined, you’ll move into creating or curating content that fits into those three pillars. Then, schedule them on a rotational basis so that your followers will get access to a plethora of valuable content based on your account’s mission.
The goal is for your Instagram grid to showcase all 3-9 content types on a consistent basis. This helps to keep your branding clear, content consistent, and followers satisfied. In line with keeping your grid theme consistent, Click Here to download our guide to the Perfect Instagram page for FREE!
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Some say that Instagram was built off of hashtags, and I’d have to agree. In my experience working with the seven IG accounts I contribute to, I’ve seen hashtags benefit the overall growth and impact that these accounts have first-hand.
Not only do hashtags grow the potential reach of each and every post you use them on, they also tell Instagram what kind of content you are publishing so that they can put it in front of users already interested in that type of content. Sounds great, right? So, do you already use hashtags for your Instagram account? If not, no worries, check out our Hashtag Help page and learn how we can get your posts in front of the right users to enhance your Instagram marketing efforts.
An example of how to be strategic with the interactions you have on Instagram is finding hashtags that are relevant to your account’s goals and click the “Follow Hashtag” option at the top of the hashtag’s feed. This will not only put the posts with that hashtag right into your timeline, but it will tell Instagram that you’re interested in seeing content that’s related to it.
Both are crucial when you’re building your Instagram account’s impact. Leaving meaningful and unique comments, liking, and following related accounts will grow your Instagram community with like-minded users. See below for an example of where to follow hashtag threads!
3. Collaborate With Brands & Influencers
One of the biggest changes to the platform was when Instagram changed their algorithm to show engaging posts over timelined posts. Basically, the app puts the most engaging content at the top of your page instead of the most recent post. This update changed a lot for accounts that didn’t foster authentic interactions with their followers – which is a problem! So, how do you encourage authentic interactions with followers on your account? The simple answer is, Collaborate!
Like I said earlier, interacting with users that are like-minded is arguably the most important step you can take when planning out your Instagram strategy. The next equally important step is reaching out to people who already have an influence in your desired, value-giving area. Whether it’s geographical or niche, collaborate with them.
The majority of Instagram influencers have begun to monetize their audience and access to their following, so in order to develop a partnership with these accounts, there is normally always compensation required. But it’s a sure-fire way to access that exposure to a larger related audience to your account, thus furthering your #InstagramGoals.
As previously mentioned, the accounts that I contribute to have a large local following in the Downtown Orlando, Tampa, Winter Park, Thornton Park, and Sarasota areas. As a result of the Instagram marketing strategy featured in this blog, our loyal following and community now views our page as a valuable resource when planning their week-to-week leisure time. If you’re interested in growing your account through partnering with ours, Email Us to learn more and Contact Us to discuss this further.
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