SHARE
Lately, I’ve had a lot of questions on how to boost engagement on Instagram, or simply how to get more active followers. I’ve tried it all – hashtags, follow ‘bots, planned scheduling, etc. and have found a few tips that have stuck with me and that have really worked when it comes to boosting engagement on my account! Here are some general tips that will help boost your Instagram engagement.
1. Engage
In order to attract engaged followers, you must engage yourself! Commenting at least 3 words usually has the best impact. Interacting naturally and genuinely with fellow bloggers or readers who are interested in your feed (ex. I have a food blog, so I interact with readers who post food photos) is the most effective way to gain engaged followers. My girl Caley, marketing guru, started up an “insta support” group which 10-15 of us support each other via comments and likes for each of our latest posts. This not only will bring your chances of circulating through a readers feed higher, but it also boosts your confidence! Having support is such a great feeling, especially in the blogger world where you can feel a little lost working on your own. Another great way to engage is by tagging popular repost accounts in your photos, such as The Feed Feed.
2. Treat your account like a brand.
I’ve been on Instagram for about 4 years now, but really only decided to turn my account into a “brand” about a year ago. If you’re serious about boosting engagement either for blogging purposes or to sell product/services, then keep it separate from a personal account. Treat it like a business – spend at least 1 hour per day planning posts, engaging in other people’s content and looking at other successful accounts for inspiration. Before posting an image, ask yourself – is this visually appealing? Is the caption interesting to read? Does this promote a lifestyle/ one of my products/services?
“Know your worth and your value, and be firm and clear on what that is.” – Bethany Yellowtail
3. Be Consistent
Consistency is key! Make sure to be consistent with your posts, whether you post twice a day or once every 5 days, make sure to follow order so that your followers can keep up. I recommend 1-2 posts per day for optimum engagement. After you take photos, always keep a few on-hand just in case. Use these photos to fill in the gaps on days where you don’t have anything to post. Instagram now lets you pre-edit photos and save them as drafts, so you can plan out your week! Super simple!
4. Post at Busy Times
There are many different opinions on when the best time to post on Instagram is, but I have noticed that 8-10am, and 6-9pm are good times to post as most people are on their phones during commuting and before going to bed. See what works for you!
5. Use a Call to Action
Tell your readers what you want from them! Using captions like “double tap if you love smoothies” or “head to my blog www.thepurelife.ca to try this recipe” will increase traffic to your website and to your Instagram posts. Easy, peasy, lemon squeezy!
6. Hashtags, duh.
Hashtags are so old-school now, but probably the most effective way to get “likes” and engagement on your profile. Use your fav hashtags that coincide with your vision, image, etc. I keep a list of hashtags that I always use in my Notes section in my phone, that way when I post a photo, all I have to do is Copy & Paste! Explore similar hashtags and “like” or comment on other Imstagrammer’s photos to boost engagement.
Happy Instagramming! And follow me for more inspo here.
Xo, Sisley
These are all great tips! I’ve found that building relationships with other bloggers is def super important!
I agree! So glad you liked them :)