BRAND BUILDING ON INSTAGRAM: DOS AND DON’TS OF GROWING A BRAND ON INSTA
If you are a marketer, you understand the importance of brand awareness, not just when you are starting out but also when your business is growing.
Now, take a quick look at three crucial statistics;
- There are over 25 million brand accounts on Instagram with 80% of users following at least one.
- Over 60% of users log in to Instagram daily, making it the second most engaged network after Facebook.
- People engage with brands on Instagram 10 times more than Facebook, 84 times more than Twitter and 54 times more than Pinterest.
These facts confirm that building a business profile on Instagram is crucial for brand awareness and business online reputation management.
In a world dominated by social media, Instagram stands out as a powerhouse platform for brand building. Over 1 billion monthly active users are there on Instagram, including the marketers and entrepreneurs. Whether you are a seasoned marketer or a budding entrepreneur, navigating the ins and outs of Instagram can be problematic. That is why understanding the do’s and don’ts is crucial for success. In this blog, we will delve into actionable tips and strategies to help you harness the full potential of Instagram for brand growth. From crafting compelling stories to optimising your bio link, we will cover everything you need to know to make a lasting impression on your audience. Get ready to elevate your brand presence and stand out in the crowded digital landscape with our expert guidance on Instagram’s top FIVE do’s and don’ts.
5 Do’s for Instagram Brand Building:
- Instagram Stories:
Instagram Stories have revolutionised the way brands engage with their audience by offering a dynamic and ephemeral content format. Authenticity is key to resonating with your audience. Share behind-the-scenes glimpses, product demos, and candid moments to humanise your brand and foster a genuine connection with your followers.
Encourage audience engagement by incorporating interactive features such as polls, quizzes, questions, and countdowns into your stories. These features not only boost engagement but also provide valuable insights into your audience’s preferences and interests. Maintain a consistent story posting schedule to keep your audience engaged and ensure your brand stays top-of-mind. Whether it is daily updates, weekly series, or themed content, consistency fosters loyalty and strengthens brand recall.
- Instagram Highlights:
Instagram Highlights allow you to showcase your best and most relevant stories beyond their 24-hour lifespan. Organise your highlights into categories such as products, tutorials, testimonials, or behind-the-scenes to make it easier for users to navigate and discover your content.
Leverage the urgency factor by promoting limited time offers, flash sales, or exclusive discounts through your stories. Utilise features like countdown stickers to create excitement and drive immediate action from your audience.
- Post Consistently and Use Scheduling:
Consistency is vital on Instagram, but it can be challenging to maintain a regular posting schedule amidst busy workflows. Plan your content in advance by creating a content calendar that outlines the types of posts, themes, and publishing schedule. This ensures a cohesive and strategic approach to your brand’s Instagram presence. Instagram has now added scheduling feature for your ease-of-work. Take advantage of scheduling to streamline your posting process. Schedule posts in advance, optimise posting times based on audience insights, and maintain a steady flow of content even during peak engagement hours.
Mix up your content formats to keep your feed fresh and engaging. Incorporate a variety of visuals, including photos, videos, carousels, and Reels, to cater to different audience preferences and behaviours. Building a community around your brand requires active engagement with your audience. Respond to comments, DMs, and mentions promptly, and proactively seek out opportunities to interact with your followers through likes, shares, and reposts.
- Utilise the Link in Bio:
The “link in bio” serves as a valuable gateway for driving traffic to your website, blog, e-commerce store, or landing pages. Clearly communicate the purpose of the link in your bio. To encourage clicks the CTA (call-to-action) should align with your marketing post’s objectives and offer clear value to the audience stating to click on the link in bio. Maximise the effectiveness of your bio link by rotating it strategically based on your current campaigns, promotions, or content priorities. Use tools like Linktree or Shorby to create a custom landing page with multiple links, allowing you to drive traffic to different destinations simultaneously.
Monitor the performance of your bio link using link tracking tools to measure clicks, conversions, and other relevant metrics. Analysing this data provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of your Instagram marketing efforts and helps optimise future campaigns.
- Analyse Performance:
Analysing performance metrics is essential for understanding what’s working, what is not, and how to refine your Instagram strategy for optimal results. Identify the key performance indicators (KPIs) that align with your brand goals and objectives. These may include metrics such as engagement rate, reach, impressions, follower growth, conversion rate, and ROI. Instagram provides built-in analytics tools, known as Instagram Insights, which offer valuable data on your account’s performance. Monitor metrics such as profile visits, website clicks, impressions, and audience demographics to gain insights into your audience’s behaviour and preferences. Supplement Instagram Insights with external analytics platforms such as Google Analytics, Facebook Analytics, or third-party social media management tools. These tools provide a more comprehensive view of your Instagram performance and allow for deeper analysis and cross-channel comparison. Use performance data to iterate and optimise your Instagram strategy over time. Identify high-performing content, trends, and audience preferences, and adjust your approach accordingly to maximise engagement, reach, and conversions.
By implementing these dos, brands can enhance their online presence, foster deeper connections with their audience, and drive meaningful business results in today’s competitive digital landscape.
RELATED POST: The Art of Online Marketing Analytics and Measuring Performance
5 Don’ts for Instagram Brand Building:
- Don’t Buy Engagement:
One of the most tempting but ultimately detrimental practices in Instagram brand building is the purchase of engagement. This involves paying for likes, comments, and followers in an attempt to artificially inflate one’s presence on the platform. While it may seem like a quick way to boost visibility, buying engagement is widely disapproved-of and can have profound consequences for a brand’s reputation.
Purchased engagement is often easy to spot. Authentic engagement tends to be more varied and meaningful, reflecting genuine interactions with followers. In contrast, artificially inflated metrics can appear suspiciously uniform or generic, raising red flags among discerning users. Moreover, platforms like Instagram actively combat fraudulent activity, frequently purging fake accounts and penalising users who engage in such practices. As a result, brands risk not only wasting resources on ineffective tactics but also damaging their credibility in the eyes of both consumers and the platform itself.
Instead of resorting to shortcuts, brands should focus on cultivating organic engagement through high-quality content, genuine interactions, and strategic partnerships. By building a loyal following based on trust and authenticity, brands can establish a more sustainable presence on Instagram and foster deeper connections with their audience.
- Don’t Over-post:
While consistency is key to maintaining visibility on Instagram, there is a fine line between staying active and overwhelming your audience with excessive content. Over-posting can lead to follower fatigue, causing users to disengage or even unfollow your brand altogether.
To avoid this pitfall, it is important to strike a balance between quantity and quality when planning your content calendar. Instead of bombarding your followers with multiple posts a day, focus on delivering content that is relevant, valuable, and visually compelling. Consider the preferences and habits of your target audience, and tailor your posting frequency accordingly. Take advantage of Instagram’s features such as Stories and reels to diversify your content and engage users in different formats. By mixing up your content strategy and experimenting with timing and frequency, you can keep your audience interested and invested in your brand without overwhelming them with an excessive number of posts.
- Don’t Overuse Hashtags:
Hashtags play a crucial role in making your content discoverable on Instagram, allowing users to search for and explore topics of interest. However, overusing hashtags can have the opposite effect, diluting the effectiveness of your posts and detracting from your brand’s message. When selecting hashtags for your content, focus on quality over quantity. Instead of cramming your captions with as many hashtags as possible, choose a few relevant and targeted tags that accurately describe the content and resonate with your audience. This will help your posts reach the right people and increase the likelihood of engagement from users who are genuinely interested in your brand.
Be mindful of trending or popular hashtags that may not align with your brand or content. Using irrelevant hashtags simply to capitalise on their popularity can come across as disingenuous and may attract the wrong audience to your profile. Instead, prioritise authenticity and relevance when crafting your hashtag strategy, and aim to foster meaningful connections with users who share your interests and values.
- Don’t Post Irrelevant Content:
In the quest for engagement and visibility, it can be tempting to deviate from your brand’s core message and post content that is trendy or attention-grabbing but ultimately irrelevant. However, this approach can backfire, alienating your existing audience and diluting your brand identity in the process.
Before sharing content on Instagram, ask yourself whether it aligns with your brand’s values, objectives, and target audience. Is it consistent with your brand voice and aesthetics? Does it provide value or resonate with your followers in some way? If the answer is no, reconsider whether the content is worth sharing or if it would be better suited for another platform or audience segment.
By staying true to your brand identity and focusing on content that is authentic, meaningful, and relevant to your audience, you can strengthen your brand’s presence on Instagram and cultivate deeper connections with your followers over time.
- Don’t Use Auto-Connections:
Finally, in the age of automation, it can be tempting to rely on tools and software to manage your Instagram presence, including auto-connection features that automatically follow or unfollow users based on certain criteria. However, this approach can come across as impersonal and insincere, undermining the authenticity of your brand and alienating potential followers.
Instead of relying on auto-connection tools, take a more hands-on approach to building and nurturing your Instagram community. Engage with your followers directly, respond to comments and messages promptly, and actively seek out opportunities to connect with new users who share your interests or values. By fostering genuine interactions and relationships on the platform, you can create a more authentic and engaging experience for your audience while avoiding the pitfalls of automated tactics.
By avoiding the “don’ts” outlined in this blog, you can cultivate a stronger and more authentic presence on Instagram, fostering deeper connections with your audience and driving sustainable growth for your brand in the long term.
Wrapping Up,
Mastering the do’s and don’ts of Instagram for brand building is essential for success in today’s digital landscape. By implementing effective strategies like consistent posting, utilising Instagram Stories and Highlights, and analysing performance metrics, brands can enhance their online presence and connect with their audience on a deeper level. However, it is equally important to avoid common pitfalls such as over-posting, neglecting engagement, and ignoring analytics.
As you navigate your brand’s Instagram journey, remember to stay authentic, creative, and responsive to your audience’s needs. Ready to take your Instagram game to the next level? Reach out to Web Circle Australia today for expert guidance and support in maximising your brand’s potential on Instagram!