Here you have it folks – our Top Tips for Organic Instagram Growth!
First things first – if you haven’t already created an Instagram Business Account, go to instagram.com and follow the prompts. This will also get you familiar with the functionality and platform interface, and if you are running Instagram for Business you’ll need to be at least somewhat savvy using the app.
Instagram continues to update the information required for new accounts, and at the time of writing the details required are mobile phone, birthday and full name.
Use your real name and your actual birthday. If you ever lose access to your account Instagram will ask for identification and the details on your ID must match the details you set up the account with, or you’ll never get it back.
We’ve seen this happen all too often, with accounts created under pseudonyms and nicknames that are irretrievable and ultimately lost forever.
This next section applies to all Instagram accounts, no matter how established. Fill out your account profile thoroughly, and check regularly for updates and changes – Instagram continues to add new sections for sharing business information with customers and you’ll get the most benefit from your account by keeping up-to-date with these.
Our quick and easy setup list:
- Upload a crisp, clear photo – or your logo – as your profile photo
- Include all your business contact information (phone number, email, website, address*)
- Write an easy-to-read bio that tells users what your business offers
Give a brief description of what your business offers, include your contact information and if it’s appropriate, include your business address. This means your business can be tagged as a location in posts, and posts with location tags get a much higher reach.
There’s a commonsense element to this – if you’re a work-from-home startup and you don’t want people to know where you live, it’s not advisable to include your address.
If you’re running a cafe, restaurant, beauty salon or other geographically relevant business where customers can visit you during specific opening hours, include your address.
A good (self-promoting) example would be;
Easy Social Media || Social Media Marketing /Agency
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Packages from $349, DM for info, call 02 8867 5340 or visit www.easysocialmedia.com.au
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If your account is already set up and was created initially as a personal profile, switch your account to professional.
Instagram advertising tools
It’s a quick and easy change and it’ll give you access to a suite of tools and features you won’t get in a personal account. It will also mean your account becomes more visible in the categories you operate in.
- Open your app and go to settings > account > switch to a professional account.
- Be sure you’re logged into your own Facebook account when you do this, and if you have a Facebook page for your business, you can go ahead and link that to your Facebook page.
Posting is only a small part of growing your account, and organic growth on Instagram takes time and commitment.
Build your Instagram account for the longterm
Consider it the beginning of a long-term relationship…. make it a priority to see how your Instagram account is doing, anywhere that you could be spending more time now to enjoy more organic growth in future.
You’ll need to set up a regular posting schedule and our advice is to populate your account with at least six posts initially, followed by a posting regime of 2-4 posts per week.
Keep the conversation alive on your Instagram page
You’ll also need to manually follow accounts that are relevant to your business, industry and your audience, and you’ll need to like, comment and engage with their content. Instagram encourages authentic engagement.
Many beginner accounts focus only on publishing their own content, and through this process, they neglect to interact with others. In the very early days of creating an account, this seems to be forgivable by Instagram’s algorithms, however, this strategy simply doesn’t work long term.
Accounts that follow this one-way approach inevitably fade into the Instagram abyss, and it can be an extremely slow and arduous journey back to the promised land once your account has been flagged.
What to post on your Instagram business profile?
When posting, consider what will be of most interest to your followers – and, what will be of interest to people who you’d like to be following your account. Speak to both the audience you have and the audience you want to grow.
Videos generally receive higher engagement and reach, however, both images and videos can perform incredibly well if they’re polished, engaging and authentic.
By authentic, we mean real. Let your Instagram account reflect your brand persona, let it be fun and quirky, let it be eye-catching.
If you’re looking for #inspo one of the best places to start is your Instagram explore feed. Type in any word and prepare to journey down a rabbit hole of content that will continually refine itself to your tastes.
Use this as research – what works for you will work for others, find your niche and craft content that fits within it.
Features on Instagram
We’re huge fans of Instagram for business and with the latest features, it’s more than just a social media platform… it’s fast becoming an e-commerce platform and we’re anticipating significant growth on the channel in 2021.
PS. Check out our latest eBook download for an overview of 2021 Social Media Trends.
