Instagram is a much-desired tool to gain social media followers and promote an organization’s content. Some think Instagram isn’t the most popular platform in the game anymore, while others believe it to be the superior social site. With new features to utilize and a substantially-growing user base (almost two billion active monthly users), there are so many answers as to why using Instagram with your organization will be a strategic decision. Today, we’re outlining 5 ways to gain followers on IG — let’s get started!
1. Keep Your Profile Relevant
First impressions are everything. Instead of shaking someone’s hand and introducing yourself and your organization, your IG profile will do that for you. Think of it as your organization’s front-facing person. Who would you want to nominate to meet important donors or promoters? It most likely isn’t the shyest person on your team; it would probably be the person who is approachable, concise, and able to accurately speak on behalf of your organization. Keep your profile relevant with links to the website, donation buttons, a cohesive biography, and a suitable profile photo that users can recognize.
2. Build An Online Community
Communities are so important not only to understand your publics, but to help your organization grow. Creating space to allow opinions and conversations to transpire is something that will give your team insight into your users’ purposes and relationships with the organization. Utilize the comment sections of posts and reels: whether this is interacting one-on-one with users by responding to their comments or simply liking the ones you see, this is a way to become more personal with the audience. Many notable companies have been known to interact personally through IG comments, like Chipotle using humor to respond to customers. This creates a unique touch to the organization and reminds users that there are real people behind the screen.
3. Utilize IG’s Features to Engage with Others
Just as we are all changing as time goes by, so is social media. Instagram has come a long way from the days when posting a simple photo was all it took. Now, it is a platform one can shop, promote, edit video, and run a successful campaign on.
When it comes to what physical content to post, it is simple: spotlight new talent, events, and anything else related to the promotion of your organization. These posts can then be leveraged using hashtags, tagging key players, adding locations, and using specific verbiage for search engine optimization. These features will play a big part in showing your audience that the org is staying up to date on social platforms that they like to use,adding it to the list of personal touches that go a long way.
4. Be Consistent
Consistency equals relevancy. Using a mixture of photos, reels, and stories will create more reason for the algorithm to show more of your content. There are so many trends out today that can help jumpstart the creative process, such as fun transitions and designs, and entice users because they will be seeing something familiar. Plus, with familiarity comes more visits to your organization’s page, and a potential new follower! Keeping up-to-date on social media posts will be influential to the the page’s views and new-user count.
5. Promote Your Posts
Instagram Ads are almost too easy when paying-to-play is your organization’s way to go. With Instagram’s business feature, your post can be promoted with just a tap of a button. You can set a budget, track the performance, and set manageable goals for the campaign. Not only is promoting the ad on Instagram going to be a game-changer, but it will cause your profile to reach new audiences. When looking at the actual content of the advertisements, these can be in photo or video format, either shared on your page’s feed or using the stories feature. There are so many ways to show off the product or service in a creative and affordable way.
All-in-all, social media should be a fun experience! While it is helpful for advertising, marketing, and adding personalization for your organization, it should still reflect the ultimate message you are looking to relay. It is safe to say Instagram is still very relevant, and it is waiting for your organization to start interacting on its newly revamped site. Happy (online) socializing!
