If you are a small business owner, you already know the power of being able to sell goods online. Social media, and Instagram in particular, has proven itself to be a dynamic sales channel. With this in mind, organic reach is crucial to success. It is important to reach people who will engage with your brand, not those who merely click an ad but will never make a purchase or be an advocate. It’s all about balancing the age old equation: the size of your brand’s reach versus the quality of your brand’s reach.
Define Your Baseline
Before you update your Instagram marketing strategy, measure your current reach for later comparison. Instagram will soon roll out analytics tools, but in the meantime you can use a service like Iconosquare to measure followers, likes, comments, and other data. Once you launch your campaign, don’t be discouraged by slow organic growth: while your business may not break records overnight, the changes you implement will pay off in wider, more meaningful reach.
Hacking Growth
To organically increase your Instagram following, experiment with these tactics:
- Use new hashtags. Sometimes, you need to shake up your hashtag game to reach new fans. Research hashtags that are trending in your industry and incorporate them into your regular rotation.
- Post more frequently. The average rate for brands is one or two posts per day, but sharing up to 10 times a day doesn’t result in decreased engagement according to this article from SlideBean.
- Post at different times. Your audience is scattered across different time zones, and they have different habits for checking social media. Cast a wider net by changing what times you post and gauging the results.
- Reward your followers. Let your core constituency feel valued by offering exclusive deals and promotions, behind-the-scenes content,
- Use interactive and visual content. Get your target demographic’s attention with videos, GIFs, original graphics, Boomerang videos, etc.
While we’re all for change and progress, keep in mind that for any up and running business, it is wise to avoid making frequent organizational changes. In the same vein, you should not change your marketing strategies abruptly. Stay consistent and true to your company’s personality. If your brand is a wholesome family flower company, you should not decide to test out whether or not sex sells begonias.
By keeping a clear idea of your audience makeup, potential audience, and brand ethos, you’ll be able to shape your Instagram strategy to boost organic reach.