Last updated on November 6th, 2014 at 12:02 pm
Many businesses are latching onto the Instagram buzz. Simply Measured analyzed Interbrand’s Top 100 list on Instagram during Q3 2014 and found that 86 of the top 100 brands are now on Instagram, up from 54 of the top 100 companies at the same time in 2012. User engagement has also increased during this time by 415 per cent.
But it’s not enough for companies to upload photos of new products or corporate HQ shots. As with any social network, there are ways to maximize engagement with your audience to set you apart from the rest.
Check out these handy tips that your company can use to get the most out of Instagram.
- Use hashtags – According to the Simply Measured analysis, having at least one hashtag increases engagement by 12.6 percent, and hashtagging the location of a post can increase engagement by 79 percent. Always include up to four hashtags with each post, the report recommends
- Use @mentions – Mentioning other users can draw a lot of attention to your Instagram account as well. @ mentions can increase engagement by up to 56 percent.
- Post daily – To reap the benefits of Instagram, you need use it regularly just as with any other social network. The more you upload, the more people will see you on their feeds, so post at least once per day.
- Don’t forget video – Videos are a new area of opportunity on Instagram. Disney made it into the Top 10 of Fortune 500 Instagram users with just 6 videos. We’re not all Disney, sure, but the appeal of Instagram is promoting behind-the-scenes footage of processes regular people may not regularly access.
- Cross Promote – Remember to seed your other social networks with information about your Instagram account. Cross-promote on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn about your Instagram presence, because how else will your audience know about your photos?
Do you have any other tips for brands using Instagram? Let us know in the Comments below or via @b2bnewsnetwork
Photo via David Silverberg/Digital Journal
I had no idea how much hastags or @mentions really affect the percentage of your Instagram followers engaging with you. 79% engagement increase just for hashtagging the location or 56% just for using @mentions? That is an incredible difference. I would like to ask if posting daily is also affected according to the time of day that it is posted on Instagram for your followers to see? http://shopsocialbusiness.com