Instagram from Zero to Hero

If you have recently opened an Instagram account for your business or personal brand and don't know where to start, don't worry we got you covered! Here it is, our top 10 tips to bring the noise and get noticed on the platform.

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1. Know what your account is about.

Before jumping on the wagon and start posting, choose a relevant user's name for your account, set an eye-catching profile picture and write a bio description that conveys your brand's message and lets users know what your niche is.

2. Consistency is key.

Unless you are a celebrity or a very well-known brand, we all know that to get people's attention you got to be persistent. That's exactly why consistency is one of the keys to expose your brand to the world and create a connection with your audience. There is not a magic number or a secret formula for this: for some brands, a weekly post is enough while other brands may need to post daily. Experiment with the frequency of your posts and track results, later you will be able to schedule your posts and know how to keep your content stream.

3. Content is king.

After all, Instagram is a visual app: you may have very interesting captions, all the hashtags on point, but if your images are not capturing people's attention you might not reach as many potential customers as you could. Make sure the content you are posting is striking and matches your brand's style.

4. Do your hashtag homework.

The lifetime of your post on Instagram will ultimately depend on how many interactions and how much exposure your post is getting. Therefore, it is fundamental to make it as easy as possible for other people to find you and, guess what? Hashtags will do exactly that for you. The hashtag topic is way too extensive to mention it briefly, so we will cover it in-depth in a separate blog post, but for now, make sure your hashtags are relevant to your post content. Try to avoid too vague or commonly use hashtags. For example, if you are posting a photo of a hand-made bag, try not to use #Fashion but be more specific like #independentdesigner or #handcraftedfashion.

5. Aesthetics are your first impressions.

Users have an average of 3 seconds from the moment they land on your profile to the moment they decide to become your followers, therefore, you got to dress to impress. A clean-looking feed that will catch the eye and transmit your brand's personality is essential.

6. Pay attention to your captions.

It is one of the most important things to consider when posting on Instagram. The tone you use and the message you want to convey will always influence how your audience will perceive your brand's personality. Get creative with your storytelling and remember that generally including a call to action or a question will increase the likelihood of your followers to interact with your post.

7. Be Social!

As the word says, in social media, you got to be social (and strategic) to get noticed. Find your target audience and get out there, talk to them, give them some love and comment on real and genuine things. As a result, you will create a healthy community of people that not only see what you post but will also care about what your brand is up to, so it's a win-win for everyone.

8. Stories are more significant than you think.

Get real! People not only want to see the best of the best and stories are a very short-lived tool you can use to share a more raw view of your brand: adding a human element always increases the ability of your followers to relate to your brand.

9. Monitor your analytics.

Progress is only measured with numbers and luckily, Instagram got you covered! If you have an Instagram business account (if not, you should consider it, it is free!) head to your insights on the app: there you can find an incredible amount of information which will help you to identify which type of content works best for you, at what time of the day most of your users are active, and it will provide you with a general overview of your audience's demographics. Take all of these into consideration when creating your next business digital strategy.

10. Balanced media diet.

Just like food, too much of only one thing is bad. So spice it up and get creative! Try experimenting with different types of posts and media content. These could be photos, videos, infographics, texts, the sky is the limit. As a result, you will be able to understand your audience better and therefore produce content which will be more appealing to them.

Do you guys use any of these tips already? or do you have any other tips that we have missed? write them down in the comments we would love to know.