Change. A word we all seem to fear! No matter what the change big or small, it always leaves a few butterflies in our stomach. No one enjoys the fear of the unknown.
I know that many of you can relate to this feeling when it was recently announced that some big changes will be coming to Instagram. So many of you have built your businesses around a successful social media strategy and a big part of that, for some the only part is the effective use of Instagram to market and grow your business.
Since Facebook acquired Instagram, we all knew it was only a matter of time before they’d swap their chronological feed for a more business savvy algorithm. I agree, taking the “instant” out of Instagram is not my favorite idea ever, but the bottom line is that we have no choice! It is happening.
It’s not a matter of if but when so let’s do everything we can as marketers and business owners to prepare for this change. This includes adapting how our followers react to our feeds and how we react to others.
- Like & Comment
Instagram is a community and in order to have a prospering community you need good communication. Like, comment and engage with your followers. Develop that sense of community with them and make it an active part of your social media strategy. You have followers because people are interested in you, your business and your perspective. Share the love, create that cross-communication and watch your feed explode!
- Revamp Your Content
With these changes it is more important than ever to have consistent quality content that is constantly evolving to engage your followers and keep them wanting more. Before you post, always ask yourself if your followers will LOVE this post. You want each post to jump out at them. Spend more time getting to know your followers and give them what they want, when they want it. Don’t just post a photo with a caption as an afterthought, give it some true reflection and refine your words. Remember, you can always do better.
- Refine Your Use of Hashtags
Hashtags will continue to be a powerful tool to grow your followers on Instagram. The key is using them correctly and making sure they don’t look like spam. Make sure your hashtags are relevant and on point with the content that you’re sharing. Comment with hashtags and keep up to date with hashtags pertinent to your target market and your industry. Keep a close eye on hashtag trends, trending words and hot topics for each day. Build on that for your own successful strategy.
Like everything, especially in the world of technology, change is always going to happen. These changes to Instagram don’t need to have a negative impact on your business or on your social media strategy. Use this as an opportunity to truly get to know your followers, up your content game and spend a little more time developing your schedule. We aren’t exactly sure when these changes will take place, but by being prepared it will be a seamless transition!
Cheers to change!
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