You’ve come across a brand that has completely nailed how they engage with their audience on Instagram, and you’re wondering how you can replicate that with your channel. It’s no easy feat to create and sustain a successful Instagram strategy. What makes it even trickier is that what works for one brand may not work for another. While there are nuances from sector to sector, there are some must-haves that our team of social media experts suggest to set our clients up for Instagram strategy success.

Here are our top five tips for a successful Instagram strategy:

1. A clear goal or objective.

Both you as the client, and us as the team, need to understand what the goal of your business or brand being on Instagram is. For example: are you on Instagram to create a community? To foster brand loyalty? To drive sales? A successful strategy stems from a clear, actionable goal or objective.

2. Visual cohesiveness.

‍Social media feeds, specifically Instagram feeds, are the new website. Often, people will visit your social media profiles before they visit your website. This means that your brand’s first impression is being made through your social media content. Your social channels should be an extension of your website, and there should be a notable consistency in both content and visuals across all platforms.

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3. Tell a story.

While Instagram is a visual platform at its core, it really is a story-telling medium. Consider each post – the image, the caption, the copy – all instrumental parts of your brand’s story: a cohesive narrative that weaves together all that your brand represents and evokes, so that you can connect your brand to customers in a meaningful, purposeful way.
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4. Consistent posting frequency.

‍Especially when you are first building your following on Instagram, posting consistently is a proven strategy to grow your online community. Consistent posting of both static posts and Instagram stories attracts followers and boosts engagement rates. There’s a ton of information out there on how often you should be posting — brands like FashionNova post 30 times per day on average, while National Geographic posts about 5-7 times per day. For us at 7 Communications, we average 3 posts per week. You need to find what works with your audience – and, what you can realistically both manage and sustain.

5. Engage with your audience.

‍When you begin to build your audience, or if you already have an active following, nothing is more important than connecting and conversing with your community. Reply promptly with genuine responses, and avoid sterile, automated interactions – especially in today’s climate, people want real connection. Relationship building takes time – the reason Community Manager roles are so important in creating and fostering a community of brand fans. A Sprout Social survey recently revealed that 1 in 3 users will go to a competitor if they’re ignored on social — this is significant. Putting in attentive, devoted effort on your social media channels is worth it.

If you’ve been considering investing into an Instagram strategy or want to discuss how to evolve your social media channels, our team is here to help you. DM us on our IG handle (@ruleof7) or contact us here and the 7 Communications team look forward to connecting with you!