Instagram is an interesting platform for marketers as it’s not only an image and video hosting service, but it’s also a social media marketing tool.
While this makes it an excellent source for content about brands and their products, it can also make it difficult to manage. If you’re looking to gain more followers on your Instagram account, then you might want to keep reading. There are a number of things you can do to increase the number of followers you have and promote your brand.
However, if you are just getting started with Instagram, then it can be quite challenging to know where to begin. If you are feeling stuck or want some helpful tips on how to get the most out of this popular photo-sharing and social media marketing app, then keep reading.
In this article, we discuss five common Instagram marketing mistakes that can severely impact your chances of success and boost your follower count.
Not Knowing What to Target Your Followers With
One of the most important things you can do to increase your followers on Instagram is to know what type of content would be the most beneficial for your followers.
This is because various types of content will attract different types of followers. You may, for example, want to follow certain brands or users on Instagram, but you do not want to follow them all the time. You may only want to follow a few users on a regular basis and want to keep it relatively low-key.
Using the Wrong type of Content
One common mistake that many brands make is using the wrong type of content to gain followers on Instagram. This can lead to a number of problems: You will only be following a few users and they will soon become unfollowed. You will only be posting shots of your products, but your followers will soon become uninterested.
Your posts will soon become mundane and repetitive. Your account will soon become a mess because of a lack of follow backs. Your posts will also appear lower in the feed and you will not get much engagement in return.
Poorly chosen images or videos can also have an impact on the number of followers you have on Instagram. For example, you may use the wrong format for your pictures or the wrong resolution for your videos.
Showing Too Much Or Not Enough
One of the biggest problems that many brands face when it comes to increasing their follower count on Instagram is choosing the right amount of content to post on the app.
They end up posting way too much, but not enough to grow their following. Too much content leads to low engagement rates, large unfollowers and low likes.
Too little content leads to high engagement rates, lots of unfollowers, and high likes. It is important to find the right balance between showing off your products and doing in-depth guides on how to use them.
Having Too Many Photos
One of the major problems that many brands face when they try to grow their follower count on Instagram is that they try to post too many photos in a short period of time.
It is very important to pace yourself when posting photos on the app and to take a break between posts if you are getting too overwhelmed. Questionable photos can also have an impact on the number of followers that you have.
For example, you may be posting photos of yourself in your bedroom or kitchen and one could assume that you do not wear that gear regularly.
Another thing that you need to keep in mind is that a lot of your followers will not know who you are in the first place. If they see you posting photos of your lunch or shoes, they will likely never discover your true identity.
Incorporating Video Into Your Posts
One of the best ways to gain more followers on Instagram is to incorporate videos into your posts. This can be a great way to boost engagement and encourage users to like, comment, and share your posts. You can create short, informative videos that teach users how to use your products or services.
These could be on choosing the right lens for their camera, using Instagram as a marketing tool, or how your customer service team can help with returns and refunds.
Video also works really well for boosting engagement rates and increasing likes and comments. You can use this to your advantage and make your posts even more engaging and engaging views on the feed.
Posting controversial content
Content has a way of getting under people’s skin. Whether it’s an article on a social media platform, a blog post, or even an image taken from another person’s account, something about the content is likely to affect them in some way.
Whether you think it’s OK to share content that may upset your customers or other users, you can’t prevent it from ever happening. You can, however, manage what gets posted on your company or product’s social media platforms in order to keep objectionable content off of your site and out of the hands of potential customers and followers.
If you do decide to post controversial content on social media platforms (e.g., through a dedicated Twitter account or Facebook Page), here are some important considerations that might help give you the upper hand when it comes to managing how that content is shared:
- You don’t want to be too ‘salesy’ to get your point across, but rather make your audience feel at home and continue to visit your website.
- Don’t post content that can be offered in an alternative way: As noted above, the key here is to be careful with your posts. Asking for feedback, however, is a different matter. In this instance, you want to make it clear that you’re open to hearing suggestions and are not looking for a fight. While it’s not always possible to be completely upfront and upfront about what your company (and its products) are about, you can always say that you’re interested in hearing what your followers have to say.
- Be Careful With How You Posts:The key here is to be very careful with your posts. While you may have no problem replying to negative reviews or comments on your site, it’s not the same with your social media.
You don’t want to respond to negative social media posts with threats or other types of aggressive behavior, but you also don’t want your responses to be misleading or in bad faith either.
Depending on the nature of the conversation, it’s possible that your followers will notice the difference and cast doubt on your brand’s authority. That, in turn, can make it more difficult for you to grow your business.
- Nobody wants to see photos of your breakfast every day. It doesn’t matter whether every person in your audience is a foodie or not, unless they are! Creating your page personal is one way to cultivate engagement, but not all of it.
- Don’t post irrelevant content for the sake of engagement. Be brand-focused and stay within your brand’s context. Avoid posting links that boost your brand’s credibility in order to keep your posts within their context.
- Avoid controversial content about politics, religion, and other social hot topics.
- Don’t post anything that is seen as racist, misogynistic, homophobic, transphobic, or fascist in any way.
You’re probably asking why you would want to target your specific audience with controversial content in the first place.
After all, isn’t the whole point of your business to satisfy as many people as possible? While this may seem like overkill at first, there are certain audiences (e.g., minors, sensitive topics, and certain professions) who may not be comfortable reading or viewing certain types of content.
Thus, targeting your specific audience can help you avoid the black eye that comes from controversial posts that end up backfiring on you.
Due to racist connotations, an H&M clothing ad was pulled and an apology was made for posting it. Instagram was flooded with racist comments and the brand’s reputation was destroyed, including boycott campaigns.
Some people said the advert was not racist, but others disagreed. It is better not to post anything even remotely controversial.
Conclusion
Instagram is an interesting platform for marketers as it’s not only an image and video hosting service, but it’s also a social media marketing tool.
While this makes it an excellent source for content about brands and their products, it can also make it difficult to manage. If you’re looking to gain more followers on your Instagram account, then you might want to keep reading.
There are a number of things you can do to increase the number of followers you have and promote your brand. However, if you are just getting started with Instagram, then it can be quite challenging to know where to begin.
If you are feeling stuck or want some helpful tips on how to get the most out of this popular photo sharing and social media marketing app, then keep reading.
