9 Tips To Boost Your Instagram Engagement in 2023

If you’re using Instagram to boost your business, you’ve got the right idea. The next step for turning your IG presence into undeniable results is simple: start building your Instagram engagement.

Instagram engagement includes all of the ways that users can interact with your content — through likes, comments, shares, and saves. When engagement is strong, this means that your audience may feel enough of a connection with your brand to make a purchase.

Heightened engagement can even help your content get prioritized by the Instagram algorithm, which means you’ll continually reach more and more of the right people who would be interested in your brand.

Having a large number of followers alone doesn’t guarantee a high engagement rate. To activate your following, you should focus on building an active community of people who are loyal to your brand.

What is a good engagement rate on Instagram?

Your Instagram engagement rate is the number of likes and comments you receive per post, divided by the number of followers you have, multiplied by 100. A result of anywhere from one to three is thought to be good, while anything above three is considered an excellent engagement rate.

In order to increase your Instagram engagement, try your hand at these nine easy steps we’ve compiled below.

How to increase your engagement on Instagram

1. Track your Instagram engagement

Have you ever tried to find out your current level of Instagram engagement? To access this information, go to your Instagram profile and tap on the Insights action button. The metrics you’re looking for will be in the “Overview” section, including more detailed breakdowns based on what you’re trying to find out.

Granted, this information will only be available once you’ve switched over to a Business or Creator account. These metrics on your Instagram post, Story, Reel, Live, and feed engagement are essential for understanding where you’re at before you put more effort into your account.

2. Create valuable content

Saves and shares are two of the most valuable types of engagement that you can get on Instagram. To snag these unique interactions, offer value on your Instagram account. Create the content that users will want to repeatedly reference and share with their friends—but don’t make it a bore. Instagram marketing always requires a great visual regardless of the context.

Offering eye-catching infographics is a simple way to give helpful tips or insightful facts. Create a visual breakdown of a step-by-step process or design colorful charts and graphs. Then, use your Instagram caption to provide more context or highlight specific facts.

Passion Planner‘s Instagram profile is filled with examples of this kind of useful and engaging content.

If you want to keep your caption simple but have a ton of information that should be highlighted all at once, create an Instagram carousel post. You’ll be able to break down your information into multiple graphics and avoid cluttered text. Carousel posts are actually the most engaging type of Instagram post, so it’s a win-win for your profile stats either way.

3. Master your aesthetic

Visuals are everything on Instagram; on this platform, they make the first impression. But if you don’t pay attention to your branding, the first time a user engages with your brand could be their last.

Instagram users want aesthetically pleasing content on their feeds. If they’re going to give you a follow — and help boost your Instagram engagement rate — they need to know that you can consistently deliver high-quality visual content.

Here’s the good news: you already have a built-in portfolio of sorts on your profile — your Instagram grid. When users scroll through your grid, they should see on-brand graphics, images that use complementary filters, and more features that tie together your vision for your brand. You could also publish images with similar color schemes next to each other or make quote graphics every other post, as Explode Digitally often does.

4. Embrace video content

Don’t be afraid to experiment with new content formats. Instagram is pushing video more than ever by highlighting user-created Reels—which are short TikTok-style videos—on its own tab.

Beyond creating Reels, you can use your Instagram business account to go live, post to IGTV, and upload short form animations to your feed and Stories. With animated graphics, you have the added benefit of catching eyes and communicating with emotion — all while getting around the fact that most Instagram scrollers are watching videos without the sound.

Video has a permanent place on our Instagram feeds — and on the web — and statistics show that 91% of active users watch Instagram video content on a weekly basis. Making video a part of your Instagram strategy can win engagement from all the users who are already tuned in for that kind of content.

You don’t have to know how to edit professional movies to master video on IG. Just like top Instagram influencers, small business owners can stand out by stepping behind the camera and simply chatting with their followers.

5. Engage with Instagram users

No one likes the feeling of being left on read. Not much better than ignoring your followers is simply tapping the heart icon when they reach out. Imagine if you tried starting a conversation with someone and they just smiled and walked away — it’s not exactly the best way to make someone feel heard.

Each time an Instagram follower engages with your brand, you should engage right back. Show your followers that you’re listening by responding thoughtfully to comments, DMs, and the content in which they tag you. A great brand response can inspire followers to engage again in the future, while creating the stepping stones for strong reciprocal relationships.

Want to take your engagement a step further?

Grow your engaged community by reaching out to like-minded users yourself! Be proactive and make the first move. Comment on posts from accounts with a similar target audience to gain exposure within their following. You can also follow relevant hashtags to easily find and comment on posts from potential clients, directly on your feed.

6. Use hashtag and location tags

Adding hashtags and location tags to your Instagram posts is an easy way to make them highly searchable. If a user follows one of your listed hashtags, your post might even show up directly on their feed too. These two types of tags can easily boost Instagram engagement by getting your posts in front of people who already have related interests.

So how do you know which Instagram hashtags to use? The best hashtags are relevant and not oversaturated with posts. Broad hashtags like #interiordesign won’t help as much as niche ones like #midcenturyhome. More specific hashtags also help you more closely target your audience, boosting your relevancy on their feeds.

Hashtag research can be as simple as using your Instagram search bar. Start typing in terms and see what suggestions pop up, then use the ones that have between 5,000-500,000 associated posts — the perfect range to generate a decent amount of interest without getting lost in the crowd.

You can take a similar approach when choosing location tags. Tagging your state is definitely too broad, while tagging a location that’s not a major destination may be too specific — that is, unless you’re tagging your own shop to drive potential buyers to your location. City or community tags are usually best for generating good engagement and gaining new followers in your area.

7. Get creative with Instagram Stories and Reels

One of the most notable ways social media channels have evolved over the last five years is with the addition of multiple ways to post content — and Instagram has been at the forefront of this change. Instagram posts will always be there, so it helps to make use of the Stories, Reels and Live features as they’ll provide new and different opportunities to capture audience attention. The way in which your audience prefers to consume content will undoubtedly differ, and a multiformat approach boosts chances of engagement. Always take time to think about which messaging will work best in which formats, and check back on your analytics to stay on track.

Utilizing all of Instagram's content options also increases the frequency at which you can post without becoming an annoyance. It lets you experiment with posting at different times and on different days to see which post style garners the best results. Don’t be afraid to expand your content offering even further by making use of user-generated content through re-posting Stories and posts from other followers, customers, and collaborators on the app.

8. Produce consistent quality content

It’s much easier to lose an audience than gain one, especially on channels that build engagement on current content rather than loyalty. Instagram content obviously needs to be very visual, but should also be a mix of relatable, aspirational, and endearing. This is your chance to show the human side of your brand. The best way to keep your content Instagram-friendly is with the “people test” — this involves asking other people if they would relate to, enjoy, or engage with your posts. If your content doesn’t pass the people test, it’s on the wrong platform.

9. Post at the optimum time of day for engagement

It goes without saying, but we’re going to say it anyway: post to Instagram at the optimal times! This means publishing your content when the majority of your audience is online and ready to engage with your content. As a general guide, the best times to post on Instagram are 2 p.m. - 3 p.m. on Thursdays, 11 a.m. on Wednesdays, and 10 a.m. on Fridays. The best overall day to post on Instagram is Tuesday. While we encourage you to use these posting times as a guide, it’s still important to consider your personal social media audience and vary your posting times to discover what works for you.

Don’t forget the basics

More followers can mean more consistent engagement over time, so it’s important to put some effort into making your account look legitimate rather than only focusing on your content. Thankfully, there are a few easy ways to do so.

Instagram profile pictures are always cropped in a circle shape, so choose and format your image wisely. Instagram bios can only be 150 characters in length, and there is no need to try and use keywords or optimize your bio for SEO/SEM as they are not searchable.

However, both your profile picture and your bio should align with the values, visuals, and tone of your brand. If you decide to include a link in your bio, make sure it leads to something that will personally engage your audience.

Now that we’ve covered how to increase your engagement on Instagram, you’re ready to put your skills to the test. Just remember to plan content in advance, regularly check your Instagram analytics, and don’t be afraid to keep refining and experimenting!

Key B2B Marketing Trends to watch out for in 2021 and Beyond

The only way for businesses to survive 2021 is to embrace the ongoing digital

transformation. Recovery as well as growth for any organization in the post-pandemic era

depends on how well they utilize the available marketing strategies. As conventional

outbound marketing strategies are no longer 'safe,' digital sales and marketing strategies have witnessed a huge acceleration.

Although, this shift is not new since B2B marketing had already been on an evolutionary path since the internet services reached the masses in around 2008 and people actively began using search engines. However, the infamous COVID-1 pandemic precipitated the process of digitalization in marketing. This sudden shift has uncovered numerous opportunities in the field of marketing. 

Here are a few B2B marketing trends to watch out for in 2021 to prepare yourself for the

future of marketing. 

1) AI-Powered Marketing

Underestimating the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in 2021 can prove to be a huge

mistake as this so-called "4th Industrial Revolution" is famous for being much more efficient and smarter in streamlining almost all marketing and routine tasks. Although only a few industry leaders at present can understand and afford to use Artificial Intelligence

technologies, the rapid growth in technology has pushed more organizations to plan and

evaluate the implementation of AI for their businesses.

Understanding the latest AI-Powered marketing trends like Client Insights, Personality Insights, Buyer Intent data, Predictive Analytics, Lead Scoring, etc., can help you tap the available opportunities and aid in devising personalized marketing strategies that can allow you to stay ahead of your competitors.

2) Account-Based Marketing (ABM) Approach 

Account-Based Marketing (ABM) is a dominant strategy that can revolutionize the processes

of sales, marketing, and customer satisfaction. ABM is based on account awareness in which

an organization considers and communicates with individual prospects or customer accounts

as markets of one.

According to a research from Terminus, only a small percentage of businesses are implementing ABM optimally. 8% of businesses are still in pilot mode and 43% are in the early stages of implementation. But only 13% say their sales and marketing teams are fully integrated into their ABM program. ABM's focus on revenue instead of leads makes it a customer-oriented strategy that aims to protect the existing revenue base. This shift in focus from customer acquisition to customer retention has enabled organizations to generate revenue even when their budgets have tightened. 

3) Use of Video Content

With an increase in online marketing strategies, video content has proved to be one of the

best ways to garner public attention and disseminate information about a particular product or service. However, video content is not just limited to B2C sales. In a study by LinkedIn in

2018, around 62% of B2B marketers voted for video content to be their preferred choice.

Other formats like e-mail and infographics trailed behind it in the list as they could not match the popularity of visual content. Organizations can focus on creating relevant and unique video content like Television ads, videos, etc. to engage, educate and shape the opinions of their customers through visuals. 

4) Buyer Enablement

Buyer enablement helps buyers buy by providing them with the right information that can help them navigate and support the completion of critical purchase activities. In a survey of more than 250 B2B companies by Gartner, it was found that 77% of them rated their purchase process as extremely difficult or complex. This complexity of making a purchase decision can be attributed to the availability of high-quality information to buyers in abundance.

Every new information instils a sense of insecurity and the buyer revisits his decision to arrive at a logical conclusion. Buyer enablement can be seen as a much-needed support system that can help buyers make informed purchasing decisions. By creating buyer- centric content, an organization can create a buyer-first world. By reducing any kind of friction along the buyer's journey via phone, email, live chat, social media, or website, a company's buyer-centric approach can become its most valuable marketing asset. 

5) Omnichannel Marketing 

To form a unified customer experience, omnichannel marketing aligns sales efforts with marketing across all distribution channels. It makes use of multiple channels to tap the various prospects available at every stage of the sales funnel. It makes sure that the audience gets a chance to engage in relevant interactions and feedbacks to improve the engagement with your brand across different channels- physical as well as digital. This type of marketing ensures that a customer has a positive and consistent experience on each channel by offering a consistent and identifiable brand tone, personalized messaging based on specific interests, and a chance to find and purchase online, in-store, or a combination thereof - such as “buy online and pick up in-store.”

Conclusion

The only constant in the world of marketing is the changing trends. By keeping an eye on the

new trends, an organization can gauge the available opportunities or threats effectively.

Growing demand for customer experience management has encouraged companies to adopt novice strategies and many hyper-personalized marketing strategies to drive

conversions. Since customer spending altered drastically in 2020 with a similar trend in 2021, embracing marketing changes and digitalization is the only way to move forward.

Top 3 Powerful Facebook Ad targetting strategies

With roughly 2.85 billion monthly active users on Facebook, you can bet that a huge chunk of your target audience already has a Facebook account.

Then why let this golden opportunity slip out of your hands?

Here are the top 3 strategies that can help you target the relevant audience with Facebook Ads.

If you want to know how to sell more, then you better know why customers buy.

-Steve Ferrante

To know why your customers buy what they buy, closely analyze the Purchasing Behaviour among Facebook users. As creepy as it may sound, this strategy is the key to designing effective Facebook ads. Initially, Facebook was seen as a fun place to visit, chat and network with little commercial purpose or potential. However, this perspective changed in early 2013 when Facebook entered into partnerships with data brokers such as Epsilon, Acxiom, and Datalogix. After this, Facebook probably knew a whole lot more than it did about its users earlier. From the games played by the users to the aimless internet browsing, Facebook had an eye on everything.

This change in perspective, provided an opportunity to the advertisers to obtain data that was beyond their CRM Database and employ this newly obtained information to design effective advertisement strategies. The information obtained from Facebook helped the advertisers to prepare content that was specially designed for a particular segment of Facebook users.

Life is all about the sequence of events!

Certain types of businesses target a particular type of audience. Targeting users that are experiencing certain major life events can help in improving the effectiveness of your Facebook ads. For example, campaigns and advertisements related to a Catering/Photography/Decoration business will be most effective when directed towards an audience that is already engaged.

Since people tend to post these major life events online, Facebook makes it possible to identify almost every major conceivable life event experienced by the users.

Allow your competitors to push you to achieve more

Targetting your competitors' fans using audience insights is a wonderful way of understanding the methods that you can use to target your potential customers and followers. Use these insights to know who you are competing with on Facebook and what does your target audience engage with the most.

Use the Audience Insights dashboard on Facebook to create an audience that matches your target audience persona. You can use the basic targeting options like age, marital status, gender, location, education, etc to create a new audience based on these demographic insights.

To know more about how you can optimize your Facebook Ads, contact Grow More Marketing to book a free consultation by a team of highly qualified and experienced professionals.