If you could double or even treble the reach, engagement and performance of your Instagram account within the next seven days it would seem something of a no-brainer wouldn’t it? We thought so – and that’s exactly what we’ve done with our own. So, given that many businesses are closed, locked down or suffering at the moment, we thought we’d show exactly how we did it – so that you can start doing the same.

Here’s what we did in a week…

1. Increased average likes per post from 20 up to 38
2. Increased reach from 400 up to 1,191
3. Increased impressions by 873 – up to 3,568
4. Doubled profile visits to 60 in the week.

A little background

We’ve used our own Instagram account for this, primarily because it may well be similar to your social media activity in some specific ways.  We spend a lot of time managing client’s social media – ensuring they’re getting new bookings, enquiries and business.  That means that our own can become slightly neglected or just kept ticking over.  Whilst you won’t be managing other people’s, you may find that the day job pulls you away from your social media activity.

How much time did we spend?

The following has been achieved on approximately 30 minutes each day – that might sound like a lot, but in reality, it quickly becomes part of the daily routine. Whilst it might seem like a drag at first, as soon as you’re getting results, we’re sure you won’t begrudge the time quite as much.

Step 1 – you do need good content

This isn’t going to surprise you, but the quality of your photos does ultimately affect the performance of your posts. There are millions of photos posted onto Instagram every second – yours needs to stand out from the crowd so take some time to capture some really awesome photos. The good news is there’s no better time than now – everything is green, it’s blooming, and it generally looks at its best! You’re also at home to take them!

So action 1 – go out there in the next week and try to take five top notch photos each day – or get them all at the weekend (which is what we did over the past two weekends).  We have 35 drafts ready to go for the next month already.

Step 2 – have a theme for your images

If those already following your account engage with a certain type of image, they’re most likely to do so in the future.  The more they engage, the better your reach – it really is as simple as that! Quite often when we scroll through accounts, we notice that there is a definite scattergun approach to their content. A picture of the kids, one of some horses, then a fitness post.  It’s mixed messaging, so go back to what it is that you are about and what people want to see.

We’ve only shared images of the local area – we happen to love where we live and work – so do the businesses we work with, so they continue to like those posts.  We’ve ditched other content and only have a single content theme to get traction.

We know what people like and we’re giving them more of it on a constant basis.

Step 3 – timing is important

Despite the chronological ordering of posts no longer being present in the Instagram algorithm, it does put your posts in front of people that have previously engaged with your account first.

This means that you still want and need to be posting when they’re online in order to get in front of them as quickly as possible.  For the past seven days we’ve stuck to posting between 7:30am and 8:30am in the morning.  Whilst there is no steadfast rule here as every account is different, the early morning post is more often than not the most effective.

Step 4 – getting hashtags right

Two things I see a lot of – posts with very few hashtags and accounts that use the same ones for every post.  Hashtags are the easiest way to quickly increase your reach and you will see an immediate impact if you start using upwards of 20 each post. That sounds like a lot doesn’t it – so here’s a tool to help:

https://ingramer.com/tools/instagram-hashtag-generator/

As they mention on their website, it’s best to use a balance of hashtags that are most commonly used and those that are more specific and niche.

Step 5 – share your posts to your story

Not sure how to do this? If you go to your post, you’ll see a little aeroplane – click on that and select ADD POST TO YOUR STORY. Do this with every post you publish as it’s another opportunity for followers to see it through your story…. Which leads us to the next point…

Step 6 – spread your stories

I’m afraid that you do need to be regularly posting to your Instagram story as it gets more eyeballs on your account.  The reason for this is that each time your story is updated, your logo appears at the top of the screen for anyone that likes your account.  People are only human – so they do click on it and watch!

The key with stories is to ensure you space them throughout the day.  We’ve been adding around four or five stories each day, which only takes a matter of minutes. When you space them out in time, it ensures that you’re bumped back to the first in line again, which statistically increases profile reach. That’s a scientific fact!

Step 7 – be social

Sorry, it’s not all about me or you, so you’re going to have to be social! Like and comment on othear people’s posts, engage and they’ll engage with you.  Instgram is known to penalise accounts that only post and don’t engage. Nobody likes that person at the dinner party that only talks about themselves!

So a quick recap….

1. Take nice photos – when the sun shines get out there for an hour or two and take loads that you can share over time.
2. Only add photos of a few key themes that represent your business and that your followers have previously engaged with.
3. We find first thing in the morning is the best time to post – you might find differently with your account but definitely test it!
4. Use the tool we’ve included a link to and generate plenty of hashtags for each of your posts!
5. Share your posts to your stories and also ensure that you post to your story at regular intervals during the day.
6. Be social with other accounts – they’ll like it and Instagram will too!

So there you have it – nothing that you can’t easily do yourselves in the next week! If you’re stuck on any of that then take a look at our own activity on Instagram – what we’re doing has a very quick impact.

Good luck, stay healthy and positive – we’ll hopefully see you soon!

Need Instagram training? We can help you by Zoom!

Mark