10 Tips For Using Instagram To Grow Your Business Or Blog

It can be overwhelming to take your business or blog to the next level, especially when it comes to growing your Instagram account. If you’re looking for some easy ways to get more followers and increase brand awareness on Instagram, look no further.

This guide covers everything from how to use hashtags and links, how often you should post, and how to stay organized as your audience grows.

How to Grow Your Business on Instagram

Takeaways
1. Create a captivating profile bio.
2. Consistently post high-quality content.
3. Leverage Instagram Stories for engagement.
4. Use relevant and trending hashtags.
5. Collaborate with influencers for reach.
6. Engage with your audience authentically.
7. Run targeted ads to expand your reach.
8. Utilize Instagram Insights for tracking.
9. Share user-generated content to build trust.
10. Experiment with different content formats.

Table of Contents

1. Add A Link To Your Instagram Bio

If you want to show your followers where they can find more of your work, it’s time to update your bio.

First, add a link to your website. This is the most important piece of information that people should see when they head over to your Instagram profile, so make sure it’s clear and easy to find in the first few seconds after they land on it.

Next, add links to other social media profiles (Twitter, Facebook), blog and email address.

You can also consider adding links for social sharing buttons if you want users to be able to share their favorite posts with friends easily but keep them short and snappy so they don’t get too distracting!

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2. Use Emojis In Your Posts

You can apply emojis to your posts in several ways.

Use them for emphasis. Emojis are a convenient way to add emphasis to a particular phrase, sentence or word.

For example, if you want to emphasize that “The best time to start growing your Instagram following is now!” you could do this with an emoji-like a coffee cup or some sunglasses.

Use them for visual interest. Emojis can be used as an interesting design element in your post as a way of breaking up text on the page and making it more visually appealing for people who aren’t scrolling past your post quickly (like those on mobile devices).

Use them for humor or fun personality. If you see something funny happening on Instagram or somewhere else online that might make sense being posted through Instagram with an emoji added into it (like using one of those gifs where someone literally says what they’re thinking).

Then go ahead! Just be sure not to overdo the whole thing since people will probably get tired of seeing too many emojis within a one-page view anyway.

So keep things varied by mixing up different types of content so there’s always something new waiting around each corner when they click next 🙂

3. Add Links To Your Posts

If you want to make money from your Instagram account, adding links will be an essential part of the strategy. It’s one of the most effective ways to grow an audience and increase engagement on Instagram.

Link to your blog or website. If people click through your link and purchase a product, they’ll see a thank you message on their next visit (this is called “install-tagging”).

If they don’t buy anything right away, but sign up for an email list or follow you on Twitter or Facebook instead, still consider this a win especially if they come back later and make a purchase!

Add social media profiles: Link out not only from within Instagram itself but also on other platforms like Facebook and Twitter that are connected in multiple ways.

So users can easily find something new without having to search too hard for it (and hopefully purchase something).

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4. Post Frequently (But Don’t Overdo It!)

The sweet spot for posting frequency will be different for each business and platform.

Some people have a more successful strategy of posting once or twice a day, while others may find that three times a week works better. You’ll want to experiment with what works best for your particular audience and goals.

On Instagram, the average person sees about 35 posts per day in their feed so if you’re going to post frequently (and we recommend you do), make sure each post is worth it!

5. Be Consistent With Your Posting Schedule

Consistency is the key to success. Posting consistently will help you build a loyal following and keep your content fresh in the minds of people who follow you.

It’s better to post often than to post rarely, but don’t overdo it either if you post too frequently, people will get annoyed; too infrequently and they will forget about you.

To find the right balance for your feed, look at other accounts with followers in similar numbers as yours and see what kind of posting consistency they have achieved.

You also want to consider when you post on Instagram – this can be used as part of your branding strategy (e.g., if you own an ice cream shop that only makes ice cream from 2-6 pm every day).

As long as there are enough hours left in the day for everyone else out there using Instagram!

6. Learn How The Algorithm Works And Use It To Your Advantage

The Instagram algorithm is a little bit of a mystery. But, you can use it to your advantage by understanding how it works and how you can use hashtags to help boost the visibility of your posts.

The algorithm is basically what shows up on your feed when you log into Instagram; It’s based on who you follow, likes and comments you make, as well as other factors like how much engagement (likes or comments) each post receives.

It’s important to note that there are no hard rules for getting yourself in front of the right audience on Instagram it’s all about experimenting with different strategies until something sticks!

7. Create A Hashtag Strategy And Use It Consistently

Hashtags are the most important aspect of using Instagram for business. They’re what help you expand your reach, build brand loyalty and create a community around your content.

To get started, create a hashtag strategy and use it consistently across all of your posts.

Your hashtag should be unique to you anyone can come up with an idea for a hashtag (e.g., #picnicwithfriends), but if they don’t have an audience or relevance to their business or blog then it won’t go anywhere fast!

Here are some ideas:

Create a branded hashtag for contests + giveaways, e.g., #winafreebie
Create one specifically for your businesses or blogs specific social media channels (@instagram only has 30 characters in the description box), e.g., @thevegan817
Use them for individual campaigns (an event like Earth Day), e.g., #earthday2017
Use them when there’s something worth celebrating (a birthday), e.g., #happybirthdaymommy, etc.) that would work well as part of another post’s caption;

This way people will see both posts at once without having two separate conversations going on at once)

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8. Create Branded Hashtags For Contests + Giveaways

Hashtags are a great way to help users find the content they’re interested in and to make your post stand out. In the example below, I used the hashtag #InstagrammersUnite because I was hosting an Instagram meetup.

When you create branded hashtags, responses from other users will be displayed in chronological order based on when they were posted (as opposed to being displayed as replies).

This means that if someone leaves a comment on a photo more than once, it will only show up once.

So use this feature wisely! You can also click on “View All Comments” when viewing a post from your account dashboard and scroll through all of them at once if you want to see more than just those that have been favorited by others or commented on by yourself.

9. Create A Shoutout Strategy So You Can Reach New Audiences

Reach Out To Influencers In Your Niche:

If you’re an athlete, reach out to other athletes who have a following on Instagram and ask them if they would be willing to do a shoutout for you. If you’re a fitness coach, reach out to fitness coaches with large followings and ask them if they would be willing to do a shoutout for you.

If you sell supplements or protein powder, reach out to supplement companies or protein powder companies with large followings and see if they will promote your product on their page.

You can also look up specific hashtags related to what it is that you sell (for example: #gymrat) and see which accounts are posting about those topics most frequently these accounts may have an interest in partnering with someone like yourself!

Reach Out Directly:

You can also use Instagram’s search function by typing “#” followed by whatever it is that interests your target audience (i.e., #gymrat for people interested in working out at the gym).

These users will show up at the top of the list when using this method so feel free to use their photos as inspiration!

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10. Use Business Tools To Grow Strategically + Stay Organized

Hashtags. No matter what you do, you’re going to need hashtags on Instagram. They’re the fuel that drives activity on the platform and they can help your business grow by making it easier for people to find and follow your account.

Analytics. You should always be looking at the analytics of your posts how many likes, comments, and impressions they get, and adjusting based on those numbers accordingly (for example, post more often if engagement is low).

Scheduler/Scheduling Tool. There are a lot of scheduling tools out there (like Later) but one of my favorites is Tailwind.

Because it allows me to schedule my own posts and use their hashtag suggestions as well as their other features like tracking competitor data or monitoring trends in real time!

Crafting compelling content is the cornerstone of successful marketing. Delve into our guide featuring 15 best practices for writing a blog post that will actually sell to refine your writing skills and create content that resonates with your readers.

Conclusion

And there you have it – 37 of the best tips for using Instagram to grow your business or blog in 2020. As you can see, there’s a lot that goes into growing an account and navigating the algorithm.

It’s important to remember that all of these strategies are meant to help you grow a real audience who wants to hear from you. Don’t go crazy with bots and shoutouts and like-for-like groups I can assure you that those will not get you anywhere.

Focus on providing value for your followers, engaging with them genuinely…and if they don’t seem interested, then maybe Instagram isn’t the right platform for you at the moment!

FAQs

How can I effectively use Instagram for business growth?

Leveraging Instagram for business growth involves a strategic approach to content creation, engagement, and audience targeting. Utilize compelling visuals, engage with your audience through stories, and use relevant hashtags to expand your reach.

What types of content perform well on Instagram?

Visual content such as high-quality images, videos, and visually appealing graphics tend to perform well on Instagram. Behind-the-scenes glimpses, user-generated content, and product showcases can also captivate your audience.

How do I measure the success of my Instagram marketing efforts?

You can measure the success of your Instagram marketing by tracking metrics like engagement rate, follower growth, website clicks from Instagram, and the reach of your posts. Instagram Insights provides valuable data to assess your performance.

Are there any best practices for hashtag usage on Instagram?

Using relevant and popular hashtags can increase the discoverability of your posts. However, it’s essential to strike a balance between using industry-specific hashtags and more general ones to reach a broader audience.

How can I convert Instagram followers into customers?

Engage with your followers authentically, respond to their comments and messages, and provide valuable content that addresses their needs. Use compelling calls-to-action in your posts and stories to encourage them to visit your website or make a purchase.

Costantine Edward

Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.