Our Instagram series is back by popular demand! This time I’m covering some of the most common mistakes made when promoting your Instagram account. Just as importantly, I also provide tips on how to rectify them. So let’s get started!
Here’s the 6 most common Instagram promotion mistakes I noticed:
1. Missing out on the power of hashtags.
Hashtags are the blood of an Instagram promotion. It’s the only way to have your photo discovered by people outside of your followers. If you’re not using hashtags, you’re missing out on having your posts seen by potentially thousands or even millions of people.
FIX IT: Easy! Learn how to use Instagram Hashtags here.
2. Posting randomly.
I’ve personally experienced the negative effects of posting at random times or not posting regularly. When I’m traveling, posting at a fixed times becomes very difficult because of different time zones or unreliable Internet connections. A predictable drop in numbers (likes and followers) soon follows. I usually get back on track once I’m back to a regular schedule but imagine how much damage you’re doing if you don’t have a schedule at all.
FIX IT: For two weeks, post daily at various times then sign up to Iconosquare and analyse your best times. Create a schedule for your posts and post exactly at those times.
3. Posting unedited photos.
If you’re serious about your Instagram, then put some more effort and focus into your photos. Instagram is after all a photo sharing app and consequently, the image is everything. Luckily we live in 2015 and the new generation of smartphones have excellent optics and software allowing you to take amazing photos with a few quick tweaks.
FIX IT: Learn how to take great Instagram photos and improve them with these great Photo editing apps. Want more? Here’s 9 Instagram editing apps for special effects.
4. Not providing links to your website.
This is probably the most common mistake. I often see businesses promoting their products on Instagram and not providing links to their own online shop. Not even in the bio!
FIX IT: If you’re a blogger start adding links to photos that promote a particular blog post. If you’re YouTuber, add a link to your YouTube in your bio and to your post. If you’re a business, it is crucial that you have an active link in your bio and a link added to every post that promotes a product. This is not overselling, this is just making it easy for your potential customers to find what they need.
5. Missing out on features.
If hashtags are the most important thing for Instagram promotion, getting featured by influential accounts is a close second. If you’re not doing everything possible to get your photos in front of ‘feature’ accounts, you’re missing out. It will take you significantly longer to reach your first 10,000 followers without being featured.
FIX IT: Learn right now how to get featured on Instagram and don’t forget to start watermarking your photos, otherwise some feature accounts may ‘forget’ to credit you. Here’s a handy list of Apps for watermarking your photos.
6. Avoiding advertising.
Advertising is like 100% guaranteed features. So if you can’t get featured for whatever reason, consider advertising with influential accounts. Instagram rockstar Tamara @ohmygoshpolish cleverly pointed out here how important and useful Instagram advertising is. Particularly for business accounts or new Instagram accounts with small followings. Advertising is the best way (if not the only way) to kick start your following and online sales.
FIX IT: Get in touch with the most influential accounts in your field and arrange a few ads for the coming months. If you don’t know which accounts to advertise with, consult with a social media expert. And yes, you can email me at < info@sonailicious.com >, I can certainly help you with that or even organise an ad for you.
What do you think guys, are you guilty of any of these Instagram promotion mistakes? Or, maybe you’d like to share a story about something you’ve done to achieve a huge breakthrough on Insta?
Come and join the discussion, the more more merrier!
– Maria xx
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