Welcome to my first ongoing blog series, social media deep dive! I am basing these deep dives off of the Office Ladies podcast, where Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey go into depth on extremely random topics from an Office episode that they are discussing. I know that they didn't invent the idea of a deep dive, but that's what I am thinking about as I write these.
Today we are looking at Instagram!
Now if you know me personally and follow me on Instagram, you might be scoffing at that idea, because I rarely post. The last time I did was at the end of March, so I may not seem like the most Instagram-savvy human.
But I do spend plenty of time on it, and I see a lot of businesses using it in some...interesting...ways.
Let's get this out of the way first. If you have any interest in targeting younger audiences, particularly anyone under 30, your business needs to be on Instagram.
My generation is one of the last ones to have really bought into Facebook. Most of my friends are still pretty active on it, and that was the main way that we connected with everyone else that we met.
But try to find a 20-year-old who is active on Facebook. It is much harder. Or even a 17-year-old. They are pretty much non-existent.
So while Facebook is a huge business opportunity for reaching adults and other businesses, Instagram is the platform you absolutely MUST be on if you are targeting millennials or gen z.
HOWEVER, you can't just exist on Instagram. You have to do it right. Social media marketing is a massive opportunity for getting your business in front of people's eyes. For that reason, I am going to give you a few tips on some useful Instagram practices that will get your profile moving.
Number 1, and I learned this recently, is that the Instagram algorithm hates text in pictures. It will knock those posts straight to the bottom of someone's feed, so they may never see it. If you are a restaurant sharing pics on Instagram with lots of text about a coupon or new menu item, save the text for the caption. The higher the percentage of the picture that is covered with text, the less likely it is to be given priority on someone's feed.
That knowledge came in handy for me with the ministry I worked for, and I noticed that we had more interactions on posts with no text in the pictures. Just some anecdotal evidence for you to chew on.
Number 2 is that you simply must use hashtags. I hate using hashtags on my personal posts, because I don't care too much about other people seeing what I share. Everything on my feed is just meant for friends and family.
But hashtags have the potential to put your brand in front of new people. Maybe you are a life coach and you ask your followers to post with a hashtag you came up with, like #obstacleannihilated, (I'm not a life coach, so I am sorry if that is a terrible one), followed by #nameofyourbusiness. Your followers start posting pictures of themselves after some personal victory with these hashtags and boom, your business name can be seen by THEIR followers. It's time to think hard on how to use hashtags to your advantage. Plus, people can search specific hashtags on Instagram, so they could find you through that process as well.
Number 3, and my last tip, is to actually engage with your audience. In particular, find a healthy ratio between engagement posts and call-to-action posts. If everything you share is asking followers to buy something or visit the store, then people will be turned off by your profile.
You need to interest them. Instagram is a social media platform, so be social! Come up with contest ideas. Share inspiring stories. Highlight an employee who is doing good work in the community. Just find the right ratio, because your Instagram profile should engage people more than it sells. I would say 3 to 1 is great place to start, with 3 engagement posts for every call-to-action post. This will earn the trust and enthusiasm of your followers.
So there ya go. From someone who spends a fair amount of time on Instagram and wants to help your business go after younger crowds, don't let your Instagram profile be a back-of-your-mind platform. Take advantage and make people fall in love with your brand!
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