[this post was written in collaboration with Fox Back Drop but all words and opinions are my own.]
We all know Instagram is probably the most used social media platform out there, and if you’re a blogger, long gone are the days where having a good website was enough when it comes to working with brands. Instagram is definitely becoming a saturated market when it comes to ‘influencers’ and ‘content creators’ but there still are a couple of ways you can make your profile stand out and continue to grow your account. Here are a couple of things to make sure you’re currently doing.
1. Optimize your profile page.
In the same way you optimise your blog for SEO and Google, it’s a good idea to do the same with your Instagram page. Instead of just entering your name in the first line, mine says G | travel and lifestyle blog. So that if people are searching for travel and lifestyle bloggers there is more chance of my account popping up.
2. Follow similar accounts.
Sadly just posting nice pictures isn’t always going to gain you a huge amount of followers unless you hit the jackpot and make it to the discover page and get viral success. By following accounts that you’re genuinely interested in, they’re more likely to follow you back, and then maybe their followers will do the same.
3. Change up your hashtags.
Looking at Instagram’s insights feature has let me know that most of the people liking my photos usually come from the hashtags I use. The best thing to do is have a note on your phone of about 4-5 sets of 30 hashtags (the maximum you can post) and rotate the ones you use. There are lots of blog posts out there for the best hashtags to use for your niche. I also post my hashtags in the comments instead of in the caption so it’s less crowded.
4. Have an aesthetically pleasing feed.
Instagram is all about taking nice pictures after all isn’t it? Even if you’re not a great photographer, if your account follows a particular theme then that’s usually enough. Apps like VSCO are great for providing unique filters to your photos. People will also more likely follow you if they know what kind of stuff you usually post. So if you’re a fitness blogger then your account should probably be filled with workouts, nutritional meals, motivation etc. Of course there are weeks that might not be very exciting and you feel like you have nothing to post, that’s where buying a backdrop such as the ones provided by Fox Back Drop to take some themed photos might look good!
5. Use a call to action in your caption.
I’m a curious person anyway, so I love leaving a question at the end of my post for my followers to answer. (Whether they do or not that’s up to them hahaha). People will be more likely to comment on your content if you include them in it or ask something easy to create a discussion.
6. Use Instagram insights to understand your audience.
The great thing about this tool is that it tells you what time of day and which days your followers are most active on Instagram. This means you can publish your content around that time to ensure you’re getting the largest audience seeing your posts! For me it’s 8pm, and it probably takes into account that my two biggest audience areas have an 8 hour time difference!
7. Engage with your audience!
Lastly, after all Instagram is a social app. Don’t stress yourself out with having to comment, follow and like however many accounts a day as that will just take the fun out of it. Just spend some time per day on it and engage with the content you genuinely find interesting, and don’t forget to reply to people who show an interest in you.
Do you have any other tips for growing your Instagram presence? Do you use Instagram a lot for your blog?
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