Are you struggling to gain engagement on Instagram? With the new updates on Instagram every week, brands need to constantly keep up with the trends to satisfy their audiences, which can be overwhelming for you. But you are not alone on this journey. So BON VOYAGE!

In this post, we’re sharing 5 ways to level up your Instagram game and get better engagement in 2021.

For the time being, marketers’ favorite social media platform is Instagram. It’s easy to understand why, given that it’s used by 13% of the world’s population, with 80% of the following companies. Consumer involvement, as measured by likes, shares, and comments, is also off the charts, according to Oberlo, with a rate of 4.21 percent. That’s ten times more than Facebook, 54 times more than Pinterest, and ten times more than Twitter.

In spite of such impressing figures, brands still struggle to get the attention they desire due to their failing marketing tactics. That’s why we have put together the 4 most important tips to ensure your organic posting continues to hit the mark and your brand is still on top of the game.

Let’s get started:

• Have a visually consistent feed
• Pay more attention to Instagram Reels
• Host an Instagram Contest/ Giveaway
• Embrace Instagram stories

 

1) HAVE A VISUALLY CONSISTENT FEED

Instagram is a social media network that promotes visually appealing content.

Your Instagram feed is the first thing your profile visitors notice when they land on your page s the saying goes “First Impression is the last impression”.

According to WebDam social media research, 60 percent of the best-performing Instagram companies maintain a consistent appearance across all their posts. The appearance of your profile should be consistent with your business identity and appealing to the desired target audience.

Here’s how you can create a cohesive and aesthetic Instagram feed:

• Choose your Aesthetic:

The first step in creating your Instagram Feed is deciding the aesthetic of your profile. Do you prefer a pastel aesthetic or a dark and warm theme? A great way of finding your aesthetic is by looking at your favorite accounts for inspiration.

These are some of the best-looking feeds for us created by some brands.

@shopcider

You can also take a look at some of your favorite celebs on Instagram, for example Ariana Grande. She has followed a polaroid aesthetic with hues of black, white, and purple maintaining the in all her posts.

@arianagrande

Colors, typefaces, and textures from your business may all contribute to a distinct and compelling Instagram style. Once you have figured out the aesthetics for your brand, you can create a mood board to bring the idea to life. A great way to do this is by taking inspiration from Pinterest.

• Finding the type of content:

Once you decide on the aesthetics of your feed, the next step is to start implementing the type of content you will be posting. Is it stock images or videos or is it user-generated content? It all comes down to the goals of the brand.

@glossier

For example, ave a look at Glossier’s Instagram tactics. They’ve become a social media sensation because of their feminine style and love of natural beauty. Glossier has the same attitude as the millennials who use their products: no supermodel photoshoots, just iPhone pictures, and boomerangs. Glossier’s signature shade of washed-out pink, now called Glossier pink, pictures of diverse women, minimalist makeup looks and dewy skin, and the millennial voice have all contributed to the brand’s success.

• Plan your Feed-in Advance:

Once you have decided on the aesthetics and the type of content, the next step is to think about how your feed as a whole will look. You should also make sure your feed is aesthetically appealing and not overly repetitive. Experimenting with different compositions — placing more convoluted pictures next to more minimalistic photos to mix things up a little — is a smart method to achieve this.

If you’re a company selling items on Instagram, you may accomplish this by alternating product images with user-generated content posts, lifestyle photos, or any other sort of material you want to share.

There are certain apps available to make your life easier. For example, UNUM is an all-in-one designer tool where you can organize your posts and visually see how harmonic the images in your feed will look like.

 

2) PAY MORE ATTENTION TO INSTAGRAM REELS

This Instagram feature has been out for a quite long time. With Tik Tok becoming immensely popular, Instagram has shifted its focus to videos. “Video is driving an immense amount of growth online for all the major platforms right now and it’s one that I think we need to lean into more,” said Mosseri, the Facebook executive in charge of Instagram. “We are no longer a photo-sharing app.”

Things change quickly in today’s digital environment. Trends burst out of nowhere, and the companies, influencers, and artists who get in on the ground floor reap the benefits. Keeping up with customer expectations is critical for your company’s relevance – and profitability – especially if your target market comprises millennials and Gen Z.

Instagram’s TikTok-like feature allows users to quickly share tips, teach, inspire, sympathize, and interact. And the beauty of it is that you don’t have to be a big-name company to be noticed or go viral.

Allow yourself to be creative and use your Instagram reels to demonstrate your brand’s authenticity. For Example, you can show a behind-the-scenes of a product or service. Have a look at Netflix promoting Outer Banks’ new season in a unique way.

Instagram Reels may be a wonderful place to showcase your company, from short tutorials to introducing your team to teaser product videos.

If Reels aren’t on your radar, it’s time to reconsider your social media approach.

3) HOST A CONTEST/ GIVEAWAY

Unless you have an army of dedicated followers, it may be difficult to cut through the noise, whether you’re a small company owner or a marketer. Fortunately, you can conduct a successful Instagram giveaway to quickly achieve your goals.

If you own a small firm, it’s more probable that your brand isn’t well-known, therefore you haven’t yet attracted many consumers. As a result, it’s critical to increase brand recognition. People love free stuff, so holding an Instagram giveaway is a tried-and-true method to capture your target audience’s attention and spread the news about your business. You may also encourage your participants to tag their friends in the comments, which will increase visibility, therefore increasing organic reach and attracting more interested people, who will eventually become your followers or customers. This also helps in increasing user engagement and gain more followers.

Take “The Klog” for example, collaborated with @thenimetyou to attract more users and create a buzz around their giveaways. In a few hours, they got 500+ likes and 200+ comments.

@theklog

 

To stand out from the crowd of rivals vying for the same target audience’s attention, organize Instagram freebies, which provide several advantages for small companies when done correctly. There variety of reasons to try them out, ranging from drawing new followers to increasing eCommerce sales.

 

4) EMBRACE INSTAGRAM STORIES

With 500 million daily users, Instagram stories have become the most popular feature on the platform.

You may use Stories to create a collage of images of a single post that will be deleted after 24 hours. However, their advantages might endure far longer in terms of your reach and engagement rates, increasing your chances of being included in the Explore area and gaining new followers in the process. Using stories may help your business appear more genuine and approachable, as well as generate a feeling of urgency.

Posting a story is a great opportunity to take a break from your meticulously managed, on-brand feed and show off another aspect of yourself and business .It’s a perfect combination of freedom, humor, and serendipity. It’s an opportunity for your audience to learn more about the individuals behind the beautiful-curated feed your fans already adore.

You can also show a sneak peek of your new product, product information, location, or also user-generated content.

 

FINALLY

Continue to examine fresh stuff. It is never too late to attempt something new. It is always preferable to step outside of your comfort zone and try something new. While there is no question that Instagram and social media marketing in Abu Dhabi are competitive, there are a lot of creative methods to increase your Instagram engagement.