Update: This Instagram content strategy blog has been updated for 2023!
Over 500 million people log into their Instagram profiles every day. It crossed the billion-subscriber mark in 2018 and continues to grow. Instagram’s wider appeal, diverse content, and amazing features are not only engaging current users but also attracting millions of people every month towards the hottest social media platform. This makes Instagram very appealing to businesses, brands, and content creators.
Instagram is content driven and hence to succeed on it, you need an ace content strategy. Team Upreports is here to share all the Instagram wisdom you need to succeed on Facebook’s adopted child. But before digging into content strategy part, let’s learn why Instagram is the hottest social media channel right now for people as well as businesses:
Instagram – User Base
Instagram crossed 1 billion active users in January 2019. With 25 million businesses on it, Instagram has emerged as a promising platform for building presence, reputation, and also generating product sales & leads. Subscriber base and content is growing rapidly, much thanks to its user friendly interface, multiple content creation channels (IGTV, Stories, and IG Live).
Instagram – Demographics
Stats reveal that 80% of Instagrammers are outside the U.S and 68% of them are females. 6 out of 10 adults use Instagram. Sharing your location fetches 79% engagement on Instagram. If you post include videos, it is possible to get twice the engagement as compared to photos and text. Most important; target your market before posting.
In fact 72% of the teens use Instagram. Snapchat was luring to tweens and teens recently but its growth stagnated while Instagram soon zoomed ahead.
Now that we are better acquainted with the dominance of Instagram, let’s learn what matters the most while planning Instagram content strategy:
Post frequency
Top brands post nearly 10 posts a week. In the beginning, it works to remain aggressive with publishing and push out one Instagram post daily. What will it do? It will make your brand visible on Instagram.
Make sure that you don’t post too often, self-promote a lot, and sound annoying. Follow this Instagram content strategy and make your social media presence strong!
Check out how professional social media marketing services can help you boost your Instagram game in 2023!
Content type
Instagram is an image and video-driven social media platform. Decide your content type while keeping in mind what your customers are interested in. If they are more concerned about information, then, furnish the same by channel image and video content.
Don’t overload your posts with unrelated pictures and videos. Always be informative and relevant. For businesses, an effective way to strategically manage Instagram content is to introduce videos and pictures related to your business.
Audience analysis
6 out of 10 adults and 72% of teens use Instagram. 68% of the world’s females outside the U.S. use Instagram daily. So, it makes sense to analyze your audience and discover what chunk of your users are present on it. Catering to youth and millennials? Instagram is the right channel. Plan Instagram content with your audience cues and demographics in mind to make the maximum impact.
Hashtag considerations
Hashtags are really important to acquire more followers on Instagram. It is probably the most responsive channel for hashtag usage. Meaning, posts with more hashtags usually perform better than posts with fewer hashtags. The platform currently limits the use of hashtags to 30. So, the thumb rule with hashtags is to use a lot of them. That said, the hashtags guidelines of IG changed in 2023. Get acquainted with the latest Instagram hashtag guidelines!
Mobile considerations
Almost every Instagrammer accesses the app through mobile. The most important consideration while posting your Instagram content should be the image dimension. Instagram posts are in square shape. The optimal sizes are 1080 pixels wide by 566 pixels to 1350 pixels high. Uploading a high-resolution relevant image is necessary to get engagement too!
Content branding
Like your competitors, you are also an option to your audience. Branding your content will connect you with your audience as they will have a visual memory of your business identity. Add a relevant logo to your visual content. It will be easier for the audience to differentiate you from the competition. Those who don’t know about you will find it easier to connect!
Above were the critical considerations to be kept in mind before creating your Instagram content strategy. Below are the tips that will help you in posting your content effectively on Instagram.
Instagram content strategy – Tips for 2023
Instagram is crucial for businesses as well as entrepreneurs, and it definitely helps to come up with an ace strategy to get more followers. Below are 10 sure-shot Instagram content creation tips for businesses. Consider these essential IG content strategy tips to succeed in 2020:
Use hashtags
Hashtags work best if you are campaigning on Instagram. In the beginning, you can choose popular hashtags related to your post. Later on, when you build a follower base, you can create your own hashtags.
This social media tip will make your post gain visibility on IG’s search and will create further engagement. So, don’t forget to add relevant hashtags while publishing your Instagram posts.
Increase followers
Out of the total, nearly 73% of Instagram users follow brands on Instagram to get the latest updates. Increase your follower base by introducing your clients, customers, or internet friends to your Insta account. Follow other people, businesses, and profiles related to your business. Be genuine in what you post and try to make it visually attractive by using images and infographics. Engage in commenting and liking other profiles to get follow-backs.
Is Pinterest relevant for you? Check out Pinterest Social Media Content Strategy for 2023
Image source: Google
Don’t oversell
Be patient if you want to drive sales from Instagram. Don’t irritate your followers every time with promotional posts. The best strategy is to get the right mixture in your content. Business owners can share their workplace, employees’ images, and informative content on their Instagram pages.
Social media is all about engagement. Posts related to your work are good but make sure that all of them are not promotional. This social media content strategy tip is a must-know how for becoming a successful brand in 2023.
Create stories
Instagram stories help you save and share content similar to Snapchat stories and WhatsApp statuses where images and videos can be uploaded. It remains visible for 24 hours and can be utilized for sharing updates or limited-time offers. Creating interesting stories relevant to the business will help entrepreneurs market their brands in a creative way.
Create highlights
Highlights are memories of a story. It is essential to create a highlight if a cover is to be added to your insta story. There are two ways to do this: you can add a Story that is currently live or choose an older memory to share the highlight. Entrepreneurs can save their insta stories in form of highlights and view them anytime.
Figure out timezone
This is crucial if you cater to an international audience. The world is divided into time zones. Everyone cannot be available online at every time. You need to study the Instagram usage pattern across the various time zones and schedule your posts accordingly.
It will give you an edge over competitors who are not following this strategic tip for Instagram content management.
Go live sometimes
Nearly 70% of social media influencers are from Instagram. There are endless benefits of live streaming. Going live is not just fun, but also an excellent promotion strategy for Instagram. Give a tour of your facility, your product demonstrations, and events of public interest in your live feed.
You can get more personal with your followers by planning a Q&A session. It will build engagement and you will be able to communicate with your audience in real-time. It will create a positive impact on your brand image.
Support UGC
Sometimes, it is the audience that promotes a business. Allow your followers to create their own content that relates to your business. Plan contests related to your brand and don’t hesitate to give away small gifts. Your followers will share it within their community and a chain will be created.
This is an effective social media content strategy in which your time and funds are saved.
Check out the best content marketing tips of 2023 to win customers and clients.
Channel micro-influencers
A survey says that 90% of consumers trust the recommendations of their peers. Have you heard of Huda Kattan, Cameron Dallas, or Louise Cole? These are world-known Instagram influencers. Renowned brands partner up with these personalities and market themselves. Low on budget? Look for micro social influencers that are relevant to you and reach their audience at a small spend.
Bonus Instagram content creation tips
Businesses are making an impact on Instagram by following above top IG content strategies in 2013 but there is a lot more you can do. Below are some bonus tips to increase your Instagram audience:
- Make your profile public
- Organize events using giveaways
- Create engaging posts
- Post more funny and surprising content
- Calculate peak posting times
- Always reply to comments
- Use fewer promotion posts
Ever thought about why Selena Gomez has over 140 million followers or why National Geographic is the biggest brand on Instagram with over 90 million subscribers? It is because of the right Instagram content strategy.
If you follow our Instagram content strategies and tips, your business will build a strong Instagram presence within a few months and generate sales as well as leads.
Need help creating Instagram content and managing your social presence? We are doing the same for local businesses and global brands! Email us at hello@upreports.com to discuss your goals.
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