seodecorHow To Increase Instagram Engagement
Everyone has heard the expression “a picture is worth a thousand words.” In this case, when you post a picture on Instagram, you expect a lot of engagement, right? However, there are times when you notice a drop in Instagram engagement. This occurs because Instagram is an app, or platform, with a large number of photos, and it is difficult to be noticed all of the time.
Don’t be concerned if you’re not getting as many likes, comments, and new followers as you used to. This does not only apply to you. Accounts of all sizes are receiving less engagement on their posts than in the past.
Fortunately, we are here to assist you in halting the decline in engagement and demonstrating how you can become an Instagram engagement mastermind. In this case, we will discuss 11 effective strategies for increasing Instagram engagement in this article.
#1 Put Instagram bots out of your mind.
As Instagram has become a more competitive social media platform, some users have begun to use Instagram bots to artificially inflate engagement on posts. People believe that if they can’t get 1000 likes per hour organically, why not buy them from a bot service?
Instagram bots may appear to be a useful tool for increasing engagement; for example, it may be useful for a busy, young entrepreneur who does not have time to communicate with and build a community of Instagram followers.
Instagram bots, on the other hand, can pose a serious threat to your account. Instagram’s algorithm can tell the difference between a real user and an automated bot. Your Instagram account will be caught and shadow-banned if you use a bot. If you are shadow-banned, your posts will appear less frequently in your followers’ feeds and you will disappear from discovery pages.
Worse, you’ll never know whether you’ve been shadow-banned or not. Overall, using bots is a bad idea because they will cause more damage over time than they will help you increase engagement. As a result, forget about bots!
#2 Use Instagram Hashtags Wisely
Do you think hashtags are a great way to increase engagement? They make it possible for users to find your Instagram profile by searching for hashtags. How it works: If a user is interested in fashion, he or she will type #fashion into the search window to find all posts about fashion.
Furthermore, to ensure that a hashtag is not prohibited, conduct a simple Instagram search. If only the top posts section appears, this hashtag has most likely been banned.
And now, let us return to the good news about hashtags. It will increase your engagement if you are on the Top Posts of a searching hashtag. Before placing a picture on Top Posts, Instagram considers the following factors: the popularity of the hashtag, the amount and speed with which the post receives engagement (it is likes and comments). Attempt to optimize these aspects, and hopefully your posts will appear among the Top Posts.
Remember that you need to find 15-30 hashtags to help you increase engagement. But no more than 30 hashtags per post, because Instagram can shadow-ban you if your hashtags appear spammy.
#3 Instagram posts should be scheduled.
Uploading Instagram posts when your followers are most active on Instagram is one of the best ways to generate a lot of engagement. This is significant because Instagram prioritizes posts with the highest engagement, i.e. posts with the highest number of likes and comments.
If you post at a time when your followers are most active, it is likely that your post will generate more engagement. And you can see a cyclical process on Instagram as a result of this. The higher the level of engagement, the higher the visibility of the post, which leads to even more engagement, and so on.
The best times to post on Instagram are early in the morning, before work/school, etc. (from 8 to 9 a.m.), during lunch (from noon to 1 p.m.), and in the evening, when people are relaxing after work (from 6 till 8 p.m.).
Additionally, limit yourself to one post per day. Posting multiple times on Instagram can actually reduce engagement. This occurs because the Instagram algorithm displays pop-up posts for a longer period of time, requiring more users to view your content for a longer period of time.
Instead of uploading a second post, use Stories, which will also help to increase engagement.
#4 Use the proper image size and edit them
Assume you took an amazing photograph and when you uploaded it to Instagram, the picture was cut off. Fortunately, Instagram has recently increased the image size from 612 x 612 pixels to 1080 x 1080 pixels.
Remember to edit your photo using various photo editing tools, such as VSCO Cam, Snapseed, Hipstamatic, and others, to make it more appealing to followers. Before uploading a photo to your Instagram profile, make sure it has an idea, expresses emotions, or tells a story.
#5Use a CTA (Call to Action) in your Instagram posts.
The most common issue that Instagram users face is figuring out how to get other people to comment on their photos. That is why it is critical to use the Call to Action technique in the captions of Instagram photos. A call to action is a good way to encourage followers to engage with your Instagram account in comments under photos and spend more time looking through your profile, which is also important if you want to appear among the Top Posts of a hashtag.
To make a Call to Action, ask followers a question in the caption of a photo, such as where they would like to spend their ideal weekend or did they try these new make-up products, and tell them to respond in the photo’s comments.
Using the Call to Action technique, you demonstrate that you are available to your followers and, as a result, you will capture their attention.
#6 Don’t Pass Up the Opportunity to Join Instagram Pod
If you’re wondering what Instagram pods are, we’ll help you figure it out. So, Instagram pods are private groups made up of 10-15 users who have similar Instagram audiences (followers) and collaborate to increase their Instagram engagement.
Instagram direct messages are used by these users to communicate with one another. When a new Instagram post is published, they share it in their private group, informing other Instagram pod members that they can click on it, like it, and comment, which will encourage others to engage with the post.
If you want to join an Instagram pod, you should use word of mouth and meet someone who is a member of such group chats, or you should search through various Instagram themed Facebook groups. Typically, each Instagram pod has its own set of rules for members, and if these rules are broken, there will be consequences.
Furthermore, Instagram pods are not prohibited by Instagram, so you should not be concerned about being shadow-banned.
#7 Make an effort to be more active on Instagram Stories.
Instagram Stories are not only entertaining, but they also help to increase account engagement. Instagram circles Stories at the top of the page. When you click on one of these circles, you will be taken to someone’s story. As a result, we can confirm that Instagram stories are similar to sharing photos or videos, but without overburdening followers’ news feeds.
You can also use popular hashtags and tag other users in your stories to increase engagement. You’ve probably noticed that there are Stories in the Search section, also known as the Instagram Explore page, which Instagram selects based on the posts you like and the accounts you follow. Furthermore, stories of accounts that were liked by a large number of users can be included in this section. Furthermore, stories of accounts that were liked by a large number of users, or famous accounts, can be included in this section.
You must engage in extreme engagement in order to appear on the Instagram Explore page. Don’t forget to include relevant hashtags, tag people, and even use a Call to Action technique in your Stories to increase engagement.
#8 Hold Instagram competitions.
Organizing contests is another brilliant way to encourage Instagram users to interact with your posts. If you are considering creating a piece of content, we recommend collaborating with another company or, in other words, an influencer. In this way, you not only promote the contest to your Instagram audience, but you also share followers. As a result, forming a partnership allows both parties to benefit.
When you have found a business partner and have gone over all of the details, you can begin organizing a 3-7 day giveaway. Following the announcement of the giveaway, Instagram users should like the giveaway photo, tag their friends in the comment, and follow both accounts (who organize the contest and business partner). A business partner could be a store that provides items for a giveaway or a hotel. The prize could include trendy cosmetics, fashionable clothing, or even a two-night stay at a seaside hotel. On the final day, a winner is chosen from all those who have correctly completed the rules of a giveaway.
Allowing users to tag their friends will result in a significant increase in followers as well as increased engagement on your account.
#9 Create Banner Posts
Using banners may appear to be an annoyance, but it also helps to increase the engagement level of an Instagram account. So, what exactly is the Instagram header? It is an image composed of multiple posts uploaded to Instagram in order to form a single large image on the profile.
Only use banners on your Instagram page if you have a fantastic promotion of some new products. Furthermore, you can only upload a few posts of a banner and leave it up to your followers to guess what it will be. In this way, you pique your Instagram audience’s interest and encourage them to interact with your posts.
We will tell you which App to use to create a banner if you are unsure. You can use a variety of mobile Apps to create an eye-catching banner, such as Grinds, PicSlit, or Giant Square. These apps allow you to divide a picture into segments and upload them to your Instagram profile as separate posts.
#10 Add a Geotag to Your Posts
Why don’t people take advantage of all of the opportunities that are available to them to increase Instagram engagement?
Geotagging is one of these possibilities. When you upload a photo to your Instagram gallery, you can not only tag a person, but you can also choose the location where the photo was taken.
This step of tagging a photo’s location is critical because when Instagram users want to look through other people’s photos, they search by typing a specific location, which could be a city, a building, or another famous landmark.
So, don’t forget to include a location tag, which may draw the attention of your Instagram audience and increase engagement.
#11 Test out Instagram Live Video
Live video is probably scarier than Story because it is unfiltered, raw, and there is always the fear that there will be no viewers. Actually, it is yet another excellent method for attracting new Instagram followers and increasing your account’s engagement.
When you go live, your Story circle will appear ahead of all other Stories. As a result, when your Instagram followers open the Instagram app, they will see your Live video as the first thing they see. Are you still thinking about doing a live video? Don’t be afraid to give it a shot; you’ll be surprised at how effective it is at increasing Instagram engagement (likes and comments).
Overall, if your engagement is declining, there is an opportunity to grow your Instagram account.
Don’t wait for miracles; instead, try to understand your week spots, rethink your Instagram strategy while keeping the previously discussed tactics in mind, and do your best to get massive engagement (huge number of likes and comments of Instagram users).
