3 Best Practices for Instagram
“You are your own worst critic.” Unfortunately, this phrase rings true when it comes to my personal life and posting on social media.
I pride myself on being a perfectionist, but like everything else, it has its flaws.
For my personal interest project, I chose to use Instagram and focus on living in Palm Beach County and channeling the lifestyle it offers.
Though this may sound simple and easy, trust me, IT ISN’T!
Now don’t get me wrong, it has its perks, but trying to capture the perfect photo or video can be a bit overwhelming.
So, how do I manage to post three engaging posts each week? I use best practices, of course!
And, guess what? You’re in luck! Below are three best practices that I have been living by throughout my personal interest project and why.
Create More Video Content
Video, Videos, Videos! It seems to be the only thing people want to see these days, which makes sense since that can be entertaining and educational at the same time.
Honestly, come on! I know I am not the only person who has tried one of those five-minute hacks from TikTok.
Therefore, I personally know that creating more video content is a best practice I can’t ignore, especially on Instagram.
The platform provides users with different video formats to utilize, like reels, IGTV, lives, and stories. Each of these formats has proven to be effective and popular throughout the platform.
I have used it to show behind-the-scenes content, highlight local places, and feature new finds.
In fact, creating more video content has boosted my brand awareness and engagement throughout this project, which is why I have continued to make them.
Frequently Use Instagram Stories
Another best practice I have been using for my personal interest project is the frequent use of Instagram stories.
They are one of the most popular features on Instagram today and are usually the first thing people check when using the application.
Seriously, there over 500 million users on stories every day.
Stories enable you to post photos or videos and add engaging features like polls, questions, links, etc.
They have assisted me in increasing my reach and boosting engagement, which as a result, helped me gain more followers.
Plus, I continue to use this best practice because it’s fun and entertaining to see who is watching my videos and read the answers I receive from my questions.
Use Geotags and Hashtags
The frequent use of geotags and hashtags is another best practice I have been using during my personal interest project because it puts my content in front of people who aren’t following me.
Now, I have to be honest. When it comes to hashtags, I have had to make some adjustments throughout this project. I come from an era when hashtags were used as jokes and were often long funny phrases or reactions.
Well, today, they are used to help users find specific types of content from different pages on Instagram.
Therefore, it is ideal for any brand to use hashtags in order to expand its reach. However, the key is to use popular hashtags to ensure that people will actually see your content rather than create new hashtags.
Honestly, I found that using the right hashtags can make a huge difference between having your content appear as a top post or basically a nonexistent one.
I now research my hashtags, right on Instagram, to ensure it will help me reach my goals for this project.
In addition, geotags have become my best friend during this project because it has brought me new followers and put my post in front of the city or business location that I am tagging.
As a result, I have received additional comments from the brands and had my post reshared on their page, helping me expand my brand awareness.
Wait! I know I told you I was only going to share three best practices. Well, who doesn’t love a FREEBIE!
Posting During Optimal Times
The importance of knowing the ideal times to post for your target audience is imperative for any brand.
This is simply because it helps you to put your content right in front of your audience when they are most likely using the platform.
As a result, you will gain more reach, increase brand awareness, and boost conversions.
The best way to identify your audience’s ideal posting times is by conducting research based on your current content by looking at Instagram insights to see when your audience is engaging the most with your content.
Plus, if you are using a scheduling tool like Hootsuite or Planoly, you can review the analytics to help identify the ideal times.
For example, Later, a tool for Instagram recently did a study to identify the platform’s ideal posting times. According to Later, here are the top 3 global best times to post on Instagram throughout the week.
At the end of the day, there are plenty of best practices available for each social media platform.
My advice is to try each of them and see what works for you and your audience. What could it hurt?
Happy practicing!
