By Instagram has become tremendous over a short period. Initially released in 2010 but only hitting up steam in 2012, Instagram now owns more than 1 billion users, making it the second-most popular social network platform in the world, behind just Facebook.
If you are like most people, you start drooling when you read that introduction. Instagram has a lot of potential benefits for brands, and not just because of its extensive user base—it also lends itself to a broader visual form of storytelling and a more dedicated, passionate following for your business. But as you might think, being successful on Instagram isn’t as easy as creating an Instagram account and occasionally posting. Actually, most brands struggle to generate any sort of momentum.
For the most part, this problem can be broken down into eight reasons most Instagram marketing campaigns crash.
#1 You aren’t unique
The best examples of Instagram marketing our brands and people who have something unique to post. There are hundreds of brands on Instagram, and many of them are competing with you in terms of target audience and industry. So what will you post to set yourself apart from everyone else? You need a different angle here, or you will never build an audience.
#2 Wrong timing
Timing is an essential factor on Instagram. The platform’s algorithm recently changed from being entirely time-based to being based on relevance and engagement rate, but you still need to post at the right time. Make sure you are posting pictures and videos of events as they unfold and still hot, also try to post when your followers are most active, such as on weekdays mornings or around noon.
#3 You’re posting newsfeed white noises
A perfect post is the one that stands out in the “white noise” of the typical user’s newsfeed. Instagram feeds are usually crowded with stereotypical pictures of cats or selfies in same poses. It’s simple for photos to go invisible when users are blindly scrolling by—so choose pictures and videos that catch users’ attention instantly. Find a way to stand out with contrast, color, or your subject matter of choice.
#4 You’re not using #Hashtags
Hashtags are a great tool to help your content be noticed and seen by people who aren’t already following you; still, it’s easy to over-use or misuse them. While using hashtags, make sure you know the meaning behind each of them, and only use a few of them at a time. Otherwise, you will look Spammy or downright offensive.
#5 You’re not engaging with your followers
Good content plans are always adjusted on the end users. Your Instagram account shouldn’t be a one-sided campaign, like a microphone, dedicated entirely to promoting your own product. Listen to what your followers have to say. Reply to their comments. Interact with their content. The more engaging you are on Instagram, the more followers you will gain.
#6 You’re not consistent
If you want to gain more followers, you need a degree of consistency as well. It’s not enough to post every once in a while, or only when you feel like it. You need to share at least one new post on a daily basis to keep your followers amused and aware of your brand.
#7 Your content doesn’t offer any useful value
Though not always needed, at least some of your Instagram posts should contain some helpful value associated with them. Can you teach your followers something new? Can you provide them for some information? Make it worth their while to hit the follow button.
#8 You’re not improving your marketing strategy
It doesn’t matter how much you have researched the platform or how successful you are as a photographer, your Instagram campaign won’t be very productive at first. It takes time to build an Instagram following, and even longer to improve your skills. You should make adjustments to your strategic plan, explore new possibilities, and continuously develop your marketing campaign, and that’s challenging even for the most expert marketers. Keep your focus on reliable data, and keep moving forward.
Conclusion
As successful as Instagram already is, I think that it is only going to become more popular from here on out. It’s in-the-moment, It’s visual, and best of all, it’s always improving—so it’s going to keep people hooked for the infinite future. Despite the difficulties associated with starting and managing a continuous campaign, Instagram is well worth the investment for most businesses, so keep your focus and make Instagram a more significant part of your marketing strategy.
