When used correctly Instagram can really help launch your business forward. Instagram is an excellent platform to build a following and turn them into customers. 30% of Instagram users have purchased a product after first seeing the brand on the platform. That could be a huge uptick to your sales! Where most businesses struggle with finding success on Instagram is in their reluctance to learn the rules or invest enough time into the platform. To help you along here are 5 common mistakes that you need to avoid if you want your business to be successful on Instagram.
1. Lack of a goal
The first thing any business should do before entering Instagram is build goals. They form the foundation of everything that you are doing on the platform. If you don’t have a goal, then why are you on Instagram?
Without goals it is extremely easy to fall into bad habits, committing a lot of the mistakes that will be talked about further in this article. You might even give up, calling social media marketing a waste of time, completely missing why it did not work for you. It is common to face challenges building and marketing your brand across Instagram, but if you don’t have goals you will fall at the first hurdle.
2. Bad hashtags
Want to know how to find and build a strong audience on Instagram? Hashtags. But there are two elements to hashtags that you need to be aware of. Quality and quantity. A lot of businesses get one but neglect the other. It is quality AND quantity when it comes to Instagram, and we will explain why.
The number of hashtags on your posts is incredibly important. It will dramatically affect the number of post interactions you get. TrackMaven released a study that showed that per 1000 followers, on average, posts that used 4 hashtags received over 30 interactions, but posts that used 11 hashtags got 80! You may think, well that is an obvious gradual shift up, but its not that simple. In fact the jump from 9 to 11 hashtags saw an increase of over 30 new interactions. That’s huge! If one or two people from those 30 buy one of your products, then those extra few minutes writing more hashtags will pay off massively. But if you put any old hashtags into your posts then they won’t get very far.
When reaching out to your audience on Instagram you need to put your posts on the channels that they use. This is what hashtags do. Instagram provides users with a feed of posts based on the hashtags they like and Instagramers they follow. So, each of your 11 hashtags need to reach out to your audience. Try using the hashtags for interests your average customer shares in relation to your business. Research the hashtags to see what kind of following they have, then, add them into your posts. All it takes is a few extra minutes and you could be growing your followers, and by extension, your conversions.
3. Not engaging with your customers
A big reason for any business to be on Instagram is brand awareness. That awareness ultimately leads to building a strong following and converting new customers. Instagram is an incredible platform for allowing your brand to speak directly to your customers and develop strong relationships that keep them coming back. If you post regularly, have amazing hashtags, but never engage with your audience both in your content and in comments then you are squandering the greatest advantage Instagram has. Commenting and creating content for your users will build trust and brand awareness, potentially converting more customers.
In building your brand awareness and creation of user-centered content, ensure that you are posting links to your products and webpage. When your customers decide they love your brand they will need an easy way to find your website from your posts. So, keep the links coming.
4. Low quality/random photos
So many businesses post random, low quality, or repeat photos. On Instagram, this is a fatal mistake. Instagram is filled with high-quality content from brands who present a consistent, and engaging image to their loyal followers, converting them. To keep up you need to start by looking at the quality of the content you post.
Combat these problems by planning out content each week before you post. Figure out what you want to post and create a guide to the branding and messaging across your content to maintain consistency.
5. Inconsistent posting
Consistency is key to Instagram. Fans of your brand will look for consistency to know when to expect a new post from you. By being consistent with your posts, your followers will be able to predict when they can engage with your content. Plus, it allows you to keep your content consistently in those popular hashtags, allowing increased recognition for your brand, building your audience.
A caveat is to ensure that you avoid over spamming your fans. How often you should post will depend on your industry. But, no matter which industry you are in, spamming your followers will annoy them enough to unfollow you.
If you find yourself struggling with Instagram, you should talk to Link Pixel. We are experts at Instagram marketing, constantly building brand awareness and converting that into new customers for businesses like yours. Contact us today!
