It can be quite difficult for businesses to create content for their social media accounts consistently, even though it is very important for them to interact and engage with their target audiences. Of the various alternatives available, Instagram has emerged as perhaps the hottest platform for businesses. It has witnessed a meteoric growth in the five years it has been in existence and it has currently over 500 million active users per month who are uploading more than 80 million photos daily. It has a very strong and vibrant base of major brands, key influencers, and celebrities.
Keeping their Instagram presence vibrant is quite easy for businesses that are in sectors that lend themselves naturally to communicating with stunning images. However, many others continually find themselves struggling to provide content that will keep their audiences engaged. This issue of interesting and user-relevant content has become all the more critical because of Instagram’s intention of adopting an algorithm-based news feed display. Some top ideas for content posting:
Product Images in Context
The secret of brand building on Instagram revolves around the quality of images being posted as well as their ability to tell a story to the audience. This makes it imperative for photographs to be conceptualized and executed well. You can and should make the photographs more appealing by using a variety of filters and other tools to change the appearance of the photographs in such a way that they will hold the interest of the viewer better. Instead of placing the product in isolation, it is always far better to show it being used so that it looks more realistic and compelling.
Placing accessories in the same frame also enable you to define and accentuate the use of the product. For example, if the product is a shoulder bag, it may be helpful to place a pair of sunglasses or a cool tall drink next to it for a better effect, and display the style-quotient of the brand better. Specialist digital marketing agencies can advise you in detail on the art of photograph layouts and product placements.
Inspirational Books
Even though we live in a digital age, there is still a lot of credibility and authority in printed books, newspapers, and magazines. If you are a business that’s even remotely academic or creative, you can think about taking the product photographs in an environment that has books. This will not only create a very arty image but you could also inspire your viewers to read more, something that is always appreciated by audiences all over. It is important to include only books that are relevant to your business and are objective oriented, not textbooks, or manuals.
Positive Press Coverage
A third-party review that is published by a newspaper or a magazine can be leveraged on your Instagram account by posting a screenshot of the article and if possible, by providing a link to the article. Be sure to mention the name of the publication and the edition details to make it easy for followers to look for a printed copy of the publication, in case they desire. Also, mention your brand’s primary hashtag in the post description so that more people can see it in case the publication or its followers share the image.
Client Accomplishments
There’s nothing quite like a satisfied customer to convince potential customers to actively consider engaging with your brand. It is a very effective brand-building tactic to post photos of customers interacting with the company in promotional events, or using the product in their own environments or getting associated with your brand in any other way. Instagram photos that show the customer and the product in the same frame are very useful in building brand credibility. It can also be very productive to congratulate your clients on achievements such as winning awards, reaching business milestones or any other occasion that calls for a celebration. However, it is always better for you to get their permission before you post to avoid any unnecessary hassle later on.
View from the Inside
Those who are following your brand are invariably very curious to know what happens inside the business. If you share with them pictures of the production, testing or quality control processes you can cater to this curiosity. High on the list of interests is the people behind the business, which is not necessarily the top management. You can not only feature your staff going about their business, or posting videos on their experiences in the company but also show them attending workshops or even having fun at a party celebrating some achievement, business or personal. These posts also lift the morale of your employees so make sure that do it on a regular basis to increase the level of engagement with both customers and staff.
Conclusion
Audience engagement on Instagram is all about great content being served in an imaginative and creative manner. For your brand to really resonate with your audience you need to ensure that not only your content is unique but is humanized.
Author bio:
John Keynes is an analyst of social media trends and how businesses can take advantage of them. Some of his industry insights can be read on Gramista.com, a leading social media marketing consultancy. Also if you are looking to buy real Instagram followers; visit his website.
