In this blog post, we will explore how Instagram works and provide some insights from Hubspot, Hootsuite, and Neil Patel to help you make the most of this platform.
Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms in the world, with over 1 billion monthly active users. The platform has become a powerhouse for businesses and individuals, offering a range of features that enable users to share photos and videos, connect with others, and grow their brands.
Creating an Instagram Account
The first step to using Instagram is creating an account. To do this, you need to download the Instagram app from the App Store or Google Play Store and sign up with your email address or Facebook account. Once you have created an account, you can customize your profile by adding a profile picture, bio, and links to your website or other social media accounts.
With the platform's popularity, it has become a powerful tool for individuals, businesses, and organizations to connect with their audience and promote their brands. If you're new to Instagram, it's essential to know the different types of accounts that you can create to fit your needs. Here are the three types of Instagram accounts:
Personal Account: A personal account is designed for individual use. It allows you to share photos and videos with your friends and family members. It's the perfect type of account for someone who wants to keep their Instagram activity limited to their personal life. With a personal account, you can follow other users, like and comment on their posts, and send direct messages.
Business Account: A business account is designed for companies, brands, and public figures to promote their products, services, and content. It provides additional features that are not available in personal accounts, such as Instagram Insights, which allows you to track your account's performance and audience demographics. Business accounts also enable you to create ads, add call-to-action buttons to your posts, and integrate your Instagram account with your website.
Creator Account: A creator account is designed for influencers, content creators, and artists. It provides tools that enable creators to grow their audience and monetize their content. With a creator account, you can access Instagram Insights, view data on your account's reach and engagement, and set up a shop on your profile to sell your products. Additionally, creators can access monetization tools such as branded content partnerships, fan subscriptions, and merchandise sales.
Instagram offers different types of accounts designed to fit the needs of various users. Whether you want to share your personal life, promote your business or brand, or monetize your content, Instagram has an account type for you. Consider your goals and objectives when choosing the type of account to create and ensure you optimize it to maximize your results.
Posting Content
Once you have created your Instagram account, you can start posting content. Instagram allows users to post photos and videos to their feed, which is the main hub of their profile. To post content, simply click on the + icon in the center of the bottom toolbar, select the photo or video you want to post, and add a caption and any relevant hashtags. You can also tag other users in your posts by using the @ symbol followed by their username.
Hootsuite suggests that when creating content for Instagram, it's important to keep your target audience in mind. This means creating content that is relevant to them and will engage them. Hootsuite also recommends using a consistent visual theme across your posts, such as using the same filter or color palette, to create a cohesive brand image.
Using Instagram Stories
In addition to posting content to your feed, Instagram also offers a feature called Stories. Instagram Stories are a series of photos or videos that disappear after 24 hours. To create a story, click on the camera icon in the top left corner of the screen and either take a photo or video or upload one from your camera roll. You can then add text, stickers, or other features to your story to make it more engaging.
Hubspot recommends using Instagram Stories to showcase behind-the-scenes content or offer exclusive deals or promotions to your followers. You can also use Instagram Stories to promote your latest blog post or other content, as well as to encourage user-generated content by asking your followers to share their own photos or videos using a specific hashtag.
Engaging with Your Instagram Audience
One of the most important aspects of Instagram is engaging with your audience. This means responding to comments and messages, as well as liking and commenting on other users' posts. Hubspot recommends spending at least 15 minutes per day engaging with your audience on Instagram.
In addition to engaging with your audience, you can also use Instagram to connect with influencers and other brands in your industry. This can help you reach a wider audience and build your brand's credibility. Hubspot suggests reaching out to influencers and other brands by commenting on their posts or sending them a direct message to start a conversation.
Instagram Live
Instagram Live is a feature on the social media platform Instagram that allows users to broadcast live video content to their followers in real-time. When a user goes live, their followers will receive a notification and can join the broadcast to watch, comment, and interact with the broadcaster. During a live video, the broadcaster can respond to comments, see who is watching, and even add other users to join the broadcast as guests.
The live video is only available to viewers during the broadcast, but the broadcaster has the option to save the video to their profile or to their camera roll for later viewing. Instagram Live is a popular tool for influencers, businesses, and individuals to connect with their followers and build engagement.
Using Instagram Ads
Instagram also offers advertising options for businesses looking to reach a wider audience. Instagram ads can be created and managed through the Facebook Ads Manager, which allows you to target specific demographics, interests, and behaviors. Instagram ads can be in the form of photos, videos, or carousel ads, which allow users to swipe through multiple images or videos in one post.
Neil Patel recommends using Instagram ads to promote your brand's products or services, as well as to increase brand awareness. When creating an Instagram ad, it's important to use high-quality images or videos that will grab your audience's attention. You should also include a clear call-to-action in your ad to encourage users to take action, such as visiting your website or making a purchase.
Instagram Analytics
Instagram analytics refers to the data and insights that can be collected and analyzed from an Instagram account to track its performance and gain insights into the behavior of its followers. Some of the key metrics that can be analyzed through Instagram analytics include:
Follower growth: The number of followers gained or lost over a specific time period.
Engagement rate: The percentage of followers who are actively engaging with your content through likes, comments, and shares.
Reach: The number of unique accounts that have seen your posts.
Impressions: The total number of times your posts have been viewed.
Top posts: The posts that have received the highest engagement and reach.
Demographics: The age, gender, location, and other characteristics of your followers.
Instagram provides some basic analytics for business accounts, but there are also third-party tools that can provide more in-depth insights and metrics. Analyzing these metrics can help businesses and individuals optimize their Instagram strategy, improve engagement, and grow their audience.
Disclaimer: No AI was injured in the production of this content. AI ( ChatGPT) was used as a tool to supplement, enhance, and make suggestions in writing this blog post.
Resources
Caroline Forsey (2023, February 21) Hubspot. How to use Instagram: A beginners Guide. from https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/how-to-use-instagram
Patel, N. (2023). How To Use Instagram Guides In Your Marketing . Neil Patel. Retrieved 2023, from https://neilpatel.com/blog/instagram-guides/
Christina Newberry. ( 2022, Jan. 5). Hoot Suite Blog. How to Use Instagram For Business 2023 Edition Updated from https://blog.hootsuite.com/how-to-use-instagram-for-business/
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