If you are taking steps to build a presence on Instagram, then you’re headed in the right direction. As it is one of the top networks with over 1 billion users and high levels of engagement. Many people also visit the network to look for products, so you will also generate some sales.
But you might be making some mistakes that are costing you. To help you identify and fix them, I have shared them below…
Not doing any research
A common reason why people fail on Instagram is that they don’t do any research. The top marketers on Instagram do two kinds of research before they move forward with anything else. One is competitor research to see what types of content their audience is posting to generate the most engagement and sales and the other is audience research to see what their audience likes to interact with.
You too need to do both these types of research if you want to get the best results from Instagram. Very few people do this. Research can be boring, but if you put in the effort it will improve your results significantly.
Not posting enough
Another reason why people don’t get the results they want is that they don’t post enough. The most successful accounts on Instagram, publish content at least 7+ times a week. The more times you post, the more impressions, likes, followers, and sales you will generate.
Another thing you have to remember is that the top accounts, don’t just publish in-feed posts. They publish a variety of posts such as stories, reels, and IGTV posts. They even make some of their stories into highlights. Publishing a variety of content, especially things like stories will help them stand out and reach more people. As the competition for other types of content is lower than that for in-feed posts where people publish the most.
Not taking advantage of paid methods
When you only use free methods to promote your account on Instagram, you will be spending more time. So, if you have the time and patience you can stick to only using free methods. But if you want to grow rapidly by investing less time, you should use paid methods.
They will help you get your message in front of your target audience very quickly. There two popular paid methods. One is influencer marketing and the other is ads. You should pick the one depending on the time you have.
If you have more time and less money, influencer marketing is better. While if you have more money you can go with ads.
Ads can also help you sell better on Instagram as you can include links in them.
The best option is to actually use a combination.
Not posting video content
Did you know that only 18% of the posts on Instagram are video posts? But they generate more engagement than carousel and photo posts.
Therefore, if you want to get more engagement on the feed itself you should switch to publishing more video content. Creating video content might seem like a complicated step, but it is quite easy to make them today as there are so many tools that can help you create one in minutes.
Not writing proper captions
Captions are an important part of your Instagram post. Most people give importance to the visual aspect and forget about this part. But they are just as important. As this is where you will expand on where the photos or videos finish. This is where you will include a call to action that asks people to take the next step whether this is to buy something or follow you.
You can also include hashtags in your captions as they can increase engagement. Most studies find that the ideal number of hashtags is 11 or more. So, include a lot of them. But make sure they are very relevant, as this matters too.
Not engaging back
If you want more people to engage with your Instagram posts, you should engage back with them too. So, always look for ways to interact with people on Instagram. You can either interact with people you follow on Instagram or go to the explore page and like posts and comment on them.
You can also respond to comments on your own posts. As this will encourage people to leave more comments in the future.
Another great place for engaging with people and building relationships is Instagram pods.
Not paying attention to analytics
The only way you will know if your current strategy and tactics are working is if you study your analytics. So, spend some time every week or month seeing which posts are driving the best results. You can post similar content in the future to growth hack your account.
Conclusion
These are the common mistakes people make on Instagram. If you rectify these you will see your Instagram results skyrocket.
