Imagine you’re scrolling through your instagram feed and you stumble upon a really interesting post that catches your attention immediately, let’s say a chocolate brand, What do you do next? You’d probably open their instagram handle, check out the products, share it with your friends and maybe end up buying some also. Well, not to brag, but that’s what social media marketing does for your business! Being one of the best digital marketing agencies it’s our job to keep up with the latest trends and technologies to generate maximum business.

We’re living in the era where the idea of social media platforms have conveniently been leveraged into the business industry. From top celebrities and influencers to MNCs and Start-ups, Instagram has made its way into every nook and corner of the industry that there is. and with over a billion daily active users, Instagram has become the star of social media. While industries across the world are depending on the new age technology and confiding to social platforms for reaching out to the maximum potential, we at Modifyed have cracked the code for the best Instagram marketing practices.

Here are some secrets our team of digital experts would like to reveal for effective and efficient social media marketing on Instagram that can actually skyrocket your business.

1. Be consistent but not monotonous.

When we talk about Instagram, one thing that has to be kept in mind is the consistency. Be it a static post, a video, a reel, an IGTV or even if you’re posting or reposting on stories. People on instagram must know that you’re actively participating on the platform in order for them to reach out to you. Consistency is also important to get maximum organic reach as this is one of the hacks for following up on Instagram algorithm. But just being consistent is not enough, Instagram being a heavily creative zone, you need to make sure that you’re targeting the right audience and providing them with new content every time you post to keep up with the interests of the users.

• When is the best time to post?
  A study performed by Later.com, one of the most popular supporting applications for Instagram has revealed that the best time to post on Instagram is between the early morning hours. It has revealed different time slots for organic posting that works best for most, but certainly this template could be used in the beginning of your social media calendar, and then it’s for you to analyze the pattern of your target audience and decide the optimal time for posting on a regular basis.
  
• Post everyday, but differently.
  Like we said, be consistent but not monotonous. This means that it’s essential to keep your audience engaged and draw attention of the viewers to the content that you’re posting but it is also important to keep your creativity dynamic. Make sure you include all types of content posts including static posts, video reels, long form videos, informative content, entertaining content and everything else that you would want to see as an audience.
  
• Constant engagement with followers
  Don’t let your creative efforts go in vain. Reply to all the comments, repost the story you’re tagged in, see the type of following you’re getting, analyze the feedback  you’re receiving and then pursue it the next time you create something to post. Engaging is one the most important  tasks while working with a social media platform for marketing. It really gives you a perspective how people are perceiving the information that you’re providing them with and helps you grow with effective content creation.
  

2. #DoNotForgetHashtags

Creating unique hashtags on social media for business is as important as the brand name. Ideate, post and get on the trending track of Instagram!

•  Create brand hashtags
  As important as it is to create a brand name, on social media it is equally important to have an impactful and catchy hashtag. Hashtags on social media works as a search tool for categorizing the type of posts or handles you’re looking for in particular. Creating a brand hashtags helps in creating a unique identity on social media platforms like instagram.
  
• Use hashtags everywhere
  Hashtags create a brand identity on social media platforms and help in categorizing the content which makes it easier for the target audience to find your directed post. You can use basic hashtags such as #digitalmarketing, #socialmediamarketing,#contentmarketing or brand specific, location specific or product specific hashtags as per the requirement.
  

3. Create and collaborate

• Sponsored posts
  PROMOTION IS IMPORTANT! Sometimes no matter how creative your content is or how great your product is, the response from the audience does not touch the mark. Take a step up and promote your best posts. This will not only increase the reach and engagement of your followers but also expand the horizon of your business on social media.
  
• User Generated content
  User generated content is the new word of mouth, because who would you rather believe, the seller or the consumer?  The answer is pretty clear. Building brand credibility is an important part of social media marketing, and user generated content is the best way to do it. For instance, Vans, a global shoe industry has a very casual vibe on their Instagram handle that showcases creative content from customers across the globe.They have been majorly dependent on user generated content and it has in fact has turned out to be a huge success for the brand with a current following of 17.4 million users globally!
  
  
• Influencer collabs
  Unless you’re a celebrity launching another brand, you need to get on board with influencer marketing on instagram. Influencers these days have a massive control over instagram content. They help brands create content with the help of their outreach to promote the  brand in an entertaining yet informative manner that generally excites the audience and prompts the viewers to look up to the brand. Influencer marketing is one of the trending practices in 2021. Read more on our last blog for the latest trends around digital marketing.
  
• Teaser posts
  Many digital marketers these days have come up with the idea of teaser posts. These posts contain limited information before launching a new product or service to create a sense of curiosity amongst the audience. These types of posts create a chain reaction which gets the audience to come back for follow- up eventually leading to more traffic and engagements. Sometimes these types of posts encourage the viewer to raise questions and queries which is also a great sign for a digital marketer.
  

4. Prepare and strategise

•  Content calendar and target audience
  Before even you start with posting online and become active on social media, it is extremely crucial to lay out a site map and a calendar of how and in which direction you want to move on. Like mentioned before, consistency is important, and that is only possible when you already have things planned out for near future. After a thorough brand analysis, you will know your target audience which in fact helps you create your content pillars and get you in the right direction.
  
• Post scheduling
  Preplanning also includes scheduling the tasks before hand, this includes the social media postings on a daily basis. Try to create and schedule your instagram posts ahead of the week so you don’t stumble upon other duties while packing over new posts everyday.
  
• Follow ups and engagements
  Following up is one of the most important and time consuming tasks for a social media marketer. This activity includes replying and following up to the queries or DMs, replying to the comments, following relevant handles, commenting on relevant posts and other miscellaneous activities.
  

5. Track the metrics

• Use free instagram tools
  Instagram offers a great set of analytic tools that helps to track the metrics of the organic posting on the page. These insights tools come in real handy if you have just learnt instagram marketing.
  -Reach
  -Interactions
  -Accounts engagement
  -Top posts
  -Impressions

All these analytics can be tracked on instagram itself without using an external application. These analytics give you a wide perspective on the type of audience that is engaging with your content and which type of content is getting the most engagement on the basis of location, gender and age to give you a clearer pathway.

• Strategize further according to engagement
  Now that you know how to use the tools on instagram, you can analyze and figure out the best practices for future creations that will drive maximum engagement to your profile or website. Make sure to keep in mind your top posts and follow the lead with the same approach in all your posts.
  Keeping in mind all the secrets we’ve just spilled, you should also know that creating new ideas and approaches for social media platforms like Instagram can sometimes be overwhelming but that shouldn’t stop you from creating groundbreaking content. Make sure to follow the tried and tested methods as mentioned above and create as original and engaging content as you can.
  At Modifyed digital, we ideate and create for your business to grow at a fast pace with a great sense of creativity, original ideas and best practices! Although social media marketing is our strong game, we still make sure that our approach towards efficient deliveries are always in alignment with the current trends and changing algorithms.