More and more businesses across Devon and Cornwall have started using Instagram to increase their reach, sales and social media interaction. But how exactly do you do that? No matter if you’re an Instagram newbie, been using it a while or already have a few thousand followers, these simple tips will help you quickly increase your reach…

Research your hashtags

Hashtags play a huge role in how far you can reach and you’ll probably already know that each of your posts should include them.
How can you tell which ones are best for you? Try looking at other accounts in your industry and your competitors. Which hashtags are they using? Are there others that you could be using too, or can they provide inspiration for you to come up with even more?
Remember this isn’t all about numbers; whilst it’s great to get loads of likes by using hashtags with millions of posts, you’ll want to make sure that you’re reaching people that are relevant to your business, and will potentially buy from it.
Also make sure you use a range of hashtags – some broad, some generic and others slightly more niche and relevant. This will ensure that you’re gaining a good range of visibility.

Use plenty of them

How many hashtags should you use? We’ve found that using between 10 and 15 for each of our posts gains the highest levels of likes and interaction.
To save a few minutes each day, consider typing them up and copying and pasting your core hashtags in each time you post. Remember that you shouldn’t always use the same hashtags in every post, or you’ll end up only reaching the same people each time!

Make sure they know where you are!

An increasing amount of people search for locations on Instagram, whether to find a great spot to visit on holiday or to locate local businesses and suppliers. For that reason be sure to include your location on any post you make – whether that’s a standard post or in your Instagram story, which leads us nicely onto our next tip…

Get involved with Instagram stories

Get involved with Instagram Stories! These mean that your profile picture will appear at the top of people’s app whenever you’ve posted, giving you more visibility and space on the screen! They also provide you a more dynamic way to post and it doesn’t have to take all of your time either.
Our own reach has more than doubled since we started telling a story!

Making people swipe left increases dwell time

Ever tried adding more than one photo to a post? If not then now’s the time! The feed on Instagram is vertical, meaning that people are permanently sliding up and down their feed. How do you get them to spend more time on yours? By getting them to swipe left to see more of your photos in a gallery. Try it – it definitely works!

It’s not all about you – be sure to interact!

We can’t spend all of our time shouting, so make sure you pay people interest through liking and commenting their posts too. Whilst it takes more time, it is social media after all and they’ll be more likely to follow you – if they don’t already!
If you want to find out more about Instagram, or how we can help you with any social media platform, give us a ring on 01566 232323 on email us at hello@mihidigital.co.uk