2020 saw exponential growth in the usage of social media platforms, especially Instagram. But with so many new creators joining these platforms every passing day, it has become difficult to gain genuine followers who not only like your posts but also comment and share them with their friends and family.
While buying Instagram followers or likes might look like a wise decision in the short run, only genuine followers and real comments tend to benefit creators and brands in raking in more followers and expanding their business in the long run. If you’re planning on increasing engagement on your posts, read on to learn some ways in which you can achieve it without spending a fortune!
1. Use Instagram stories wisely
If you’ve been on the lookout for ways to increase engagement on Instagram then don’t need to look far as Instagram stories can provide you with all the engagement once you realise its true potential! Stories not only help you remain active without posting stuff every single day but also assist you in assessing the likes and dislikes of your followers, forming deeper bonds and getting their feedback on your content, service or products. You can share your latest IGTV videos, posts or website link to direct traffic or simply share glimpses from your day with your followers so they can get to know the person running their favourite Instagram account. Instagram has tons of stickers that you can use for asking questions, conducting polls, adding countdowns before major events and interacting with your users.
2. Reply to comments and messages
You can only become popular on Instagram if your followers love your content and are eager to interact and share your content with others. This is only possible when you take initiative and reply to the comments and messages you receive on a regular basis. You can also pin the comment you like the most on every post to encourage people to comment more often. You need to acknowledge the people who take out time to send you a message so that they feel worthy and it also builds a good image among clients and customers if you respond to their positive and negative feedback. Last but not the least, you can go live with your followers and other content creators once in a while to form meaningful connections with them and get higher engagement.
3. Be consistent
There are countless experts and studies that have proved and demonstrated the benefits of being consistent and actively posting on social media, and Instagram is no exception. Once you decide the theme and purpose of your account, you won’t have much difficulty in deciding what to post in the coming weeks or days, thus helping you plan your content for the month in advance. If you’re caught up in some urgent work, you can always upload a catchy and interactive story or plan a fun “Ask Me Anything” session and reply to your followers as you go about your task. So make sure you post every other day and try to post at the same time every day based on insights about your followers so you can receive maximum engagement as soon as you upload content.
4. Use location tags
Another way to garner the attention of potential followers and clients is by using appropriate location tags while uploading stories and posts. If you’re looking for ways to boost your engagement then tagging locations and venues in your posts allows the Instagram algorithm to expose your post to users who are nearby or interested in the place. Mentioning the location not only provides greater exposure and higher engagement but also allows you to target a specific section of the audience and generate better results in the long term. You can even take the help of local influencers or well-known brands to establish your presence and build a local community to promote your business without spending a fortune. So make sure you mention the name of the cafe or mall you’re visiting to get higher engagement in a short duration of time on future posts!
5. Ask questions and tell stories
While Instagram creators mainly thrive on aesthetic posts, it’s essential to remember that captions play an equally important role when it comes to encouraging people to interact on your posts. You can ask a question, mention a fun trivia, share your story or a funny incident will not only encourage users to interact and share their own experiences but will also help build credibility as people will get to interact with the person running the account which will help them relate in a better way. You can rope in other creators and share your journey or memorable moments once in a while and watch those numbers soar in no time as people value meaningful connections over aesthetic posts with no emotional value. Last but not the least, make sure you are providing them with insightful content and useful tips or hacks which they can share and save for future reference.
Now that you have an insight on how major brands and influencers increase engagement on their posts, get to work and include them in your routine as well! These tips might seem simple but they help form a meaningful connection with your followers, thereby increasing engagement, so hurry and use them to see the expected results!
