I’m just about to launch a new #SocialMedia campaign for a client and I’ve been coaching him on what makes a good post. So I thought I’d share my 8 top tips. You’re welcome!
1. Choose the right image. Image quality is everything. You don’t have to be a photographer to take a good image (more later on tips for taking good images for social), you just need to get into the habit of taking images of everything you do and lots of them so you have a choice! And there are some amazing stock libraries out there. The right crop and the image can be manipulated to suit your needs super easily
2. Optimise the image for the platform. On the grid you’re looking for a square (ideally 1080x1080 pixels; ratio 1:1), with Stories its portrait (600x750; ratio 4:5)
3. Be consistent. Choose images with a similar crop, not too busy and with similar colour hues. Think about the filter you use and keep this consistent to make the grid look professional and stylish.
4. Strike the right balance between promotional and non-promotional content. Instagram is not a direct sales tool. You need to prove to your audience that you are offering interesting and value-adding content before you can start to slip in the more promotional posts about your business/services/products. Too many promotional posts is a sure fire way to put off your followers!
5. Know your audience and tailor your content to their interests. Don’t just write about what you think/like, always be thinking about your audience and what might be of interest to them or add value to their days.
6. Craft posts with engagement in mind. Publishing content on Instagram is a good starting point but if you want your audience to interact, you need to give them a reason to engage. Ask them a question, suggest that they tag another account, poll them on the topic under discussion. Leaving your posts open to comment will encourage your followers to comment
7. Use the right hashtags. Did you know that you can use up to 30 hashtags? And that using the right ones is the single most important tactic for discoverability of your content. This takes some trial and error and you need to vary your hashtags to ensure that they are relevant to your post and that you are not being too spammy but once you strike the right balance you should see the impact in terms of reach and impressions.
8. Tag relevant accounts into the conversation. Social media should be social! You’re hoping to start a conversation so why not tag other people into the conversation. Ask the opinion of an industry thought leader, tag a location you have visited, recommend a partner brand etc. And don’t forget to be responsive – respond to all comments in a timely manner and encourage additional interaction on each post.
Remember that there is a person behind every #Instagram account so always imagine that you are speaking to a human being. Is your content interesting? Would you want to comment on it? Or share it? If the answer is no, review the tips above again and have another go!
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