Do you need help to create great posts on Instagram?
Here are a few tips for you.
Photos
Choose good quality photos to share to your Instagram feed. Use the same filter for all your pictures so your feed looks more consistent. If you use someone else’s pictures, don’t forget to ask for their permission and add a photo credit section in your post.
When building your feed, make sure that it looks harmonious. Balance your feed, share contrasting images and coordinate your colours. Choose an Instagram grid layout (there are a lot of free apps to help with your planning). A grid layout helps you create a consistent feed by planning the look of each square/post on the grid (e.g. you could create a rainbow grid, puzzle grid, tiles layout, diagonal layout, etc…).
Content
Post consistently but post quality over quantity. Only post once a week if this means you share great content. However, please note that posting often (e.g. once a day) generally leads to higher engagement and faster follower growth.
Make sure your content varies. Write about yourself, your company and your products/services. Share "behind-the-scenes pictures", top tips and client testimonials. Post valuable content (e.g. do you know something that could be valuable to your audience?). It is not only about promoting your products/services. It is about creating engaging content to encourage people to follow you and interact with you.
Hashtags
Add hashtags to your posts. It helps connect people who are interested in the same topics. When you choose hashtags for your posts, make sure that you also use popular (and more specific hashtags as well). Hashtags help people find your content. But if you only use very popular hashtags in your caption, your content may not even get noticed as it won't stay at the top of the feed long enough to be found by other users. So make sure you use a mix of popular and niche/more specific hashtags in your posts.
Call-to-action
Add a call-to-action to your post. You need to tell your followers what you would like them to do next (e.g. “Please DM me if you wish to receive more info”). Tell them where to find you and how you would like to be contacted.
Location tags
Don’t forget to use location tags. Instagram users may find your business on the discovery page for that location, potentially converting those users into new followers/customers.
Emojis
Use emojis to catch people’s eyes. Emojis are particularly powerful at the beginning of your posts because the captions cut off in users’ feeds after 2 lines.
Engagement
Make sure that your posts are engaging. Ask questions to your audience (e.g. “What is your favourite [...]?”). Let them be part of the conversation (e.g. “double tap if you find this useful”). Invite people to tag their friends (e.g. “Coffee on a Monday morning is a must! Tag a co-worker who could do with one right now”).
Social media cross-promotion
Use your post to promote your other social media accounts. Tell your audience which social media platforms they can find you on and how to find you (e.g. “You can also find us on Twitter @yourusername”).
And finally don’t forget to have fun! It seems daunting at the beginning, but it will soon become easier and enjoyable.
