3 Mistakes You Are Making On Instagram

If you have an Instagram account for your business then you need to be using it as best as you can to make it worth while! Using Instagram doesn’t have to be complicated and it can be as easy as focusing on how to improve a few basic things instead of focusing on if you’ve managed to use every single feature that Instagram has to offer or filling your main feed with content for the sake of it or just not really creating a presence on Instagram at all.

Here are 3 mistakes you could be making when using Instagram and potentially holding back your business to grow online…

Consistency

If you are not consistent on Instagram, there isn’t much point in having a presence. Consistency is so important…this is what will increase engagement overall. You don’t have to post everyday as long as you post consistently!! It doesn’t mean to go and post about anything and everything though! You still need to be posting content that your audience wants to see, offering valuable content and this is what will result in higher engagement.

If you find it hard to be consistent on Instagram or don’t have the time to give to your account everyday then posting 2 – 3 times a week and remaining consistent is better than nothing. Something that will help with you being consistent on your account will be planning and scheduling your content. Just planning ahead one weeks worth of content will take the stress away and not leave you feeling confused about what to post! Being consistent with posting also means being consistent with hashtags…don’t forget to use your hashtags! Ensure that you are using hashtags that relate to your niche…hashtags are very much trial and error so being consistent when using them can help you figure out if they are working for you or not.  

Don’t be afraid to post personal content! Especially if you feel the pressure of not having enough business content. A balance of both business and personal is a great way of being more relatable to your followers. It won’t then just be a faceless business to your audience, they’ll be able to see the work that goes on behind the scenes and hopefully get to know the face behind the business! There’s no ‘rule’ that just because it’s a business account that’s ALL it has to be about. It’s one of the best ways to connect with your audience!

Which brings us on to our next point about connecting with your audience…

NOT posting on stories

Use the stories feature! People love viewing stories as they are so quick to flick through and they can view so many different accounts…Scrolling can really be a chore sometimes! You may have followers that would more than likely see your story content more that your main feed content. Don’t be overwhelmed with the different features that come on stories. You can simply start by posting your most recent posts onto your stories…once you are more familiar start adding in locations…hashtags…gifs…stickers. Hashtags and locations will make you more visible! You can also share more personal content. Let your audience know what you’re having for breakfast…show what goes on behind the scenes for your business!

And lastly…

Not engaging with others AT ALL

It’s all well posting content and sharing stories but if your audience isn’t able to get involved they probably aren’t going to stick around. Encourage your audience to leave comments on your posts…like their comments…reply to comments…share the love! Let them know that you see them engaging. Creating engagement only takes a few minutes and you should not only engage with your followers but also engage with accounts that use similar hashtags as you, follow different businesses, like their content, leave genuine comments and support them, everyone appreciates support!

Why not use your stories to engage with your audience? Ask questions…create polls…get to know your followers. It’s also a great way to get feedback and input from your audience for your business. Share different business accounts onto your stories, tag different businesses, this gives them the chance to repost onto their stories and it increases your accounts visibility and reach.

Sometimes Instagram has so much going on you don’t know where to start but making simple changes can really make a big difference for your visibility and engagement!