Building a professional Instagram account, but not sure where to start, what to do, or what’s important? Here’s a quick guide to the most important Instagram features, including tips and tricks on how to optimize your Instagram engagement!
Profiles
Your Instagram profile is objectively your most important feature on the platform. Your profile is the first moment people are introduced to you and your brand, so you must make sure their quick judgments are positive. Try to keep an identifiable color palette (bonus points if you stick to your brand colors!) to make your profile seem professional and cohesive.
When creating your profile, make sure to choose a simple, easily searchable username. This means minimizing numbers, special characters, and punctuation. Try to keep your handle to your brand or company name, though underscores (_) and hyphens (-) can be utilized to add spaces if your desired handle is already in use. Additionally, make sure to chose a profile photo that reflects you and your brand. An image of your logo or face is a great option! Stay away from a blank profile photo, as users often see these as markers of spam accounts.
When building your bio, make sure you highlight important awards, achievements, and any other important information related to you and your brand. Including contact information if applicable is also very beneficial. This helps users identify your account as reliable and professional. Your bio should end with a call to action, directing users to a website link or secondary account. Use this to drive traffic to important parts of your business!
Carousels
Carousels are the most basic form of content a brand can post on Instagram. These work in a similar manner to a short slide deck during a presentation. Professional carousels often express information in text form. This information is typically organized into sub-categories (think bullet points), which are each assigned their own slide. Carousels are most effective with an introduction, three to four information slides, and a closing image. Ending each carousel with a reference to your brand, or with a call to action directing followers elsewhere for more information, is always a great idea!
Stories
Instagram stories are a great feature to utilize for professional engagement. They are quick, short-term posts on your profile, and they can be used to remind followers of important information, connect with users, and emphasize posts. When creating a story, utilizing various additions can help boost engagement and push your post to a wider audience. Utilize background music for each story (trending audios, denoted with an arrow, and platform-suggested tracks boost engagement the most). Adding locations can be great for additional information, and links can be used to direct users to other platforms, sites, or sources of information.
Reels
If you’re feeling confident, Instagram reels—short-form video content posted like a profile post—are the types of posts pushed out the most by Instagram. Instagram loves when users create and post reels, as it’s their method of competing with TikTok, so they are a great tool to reach a much wider audience. Reels are most often featured on the explore page, and they can be pushed to an exponentially larger audience. Popular reel content includes photo collages with voice-overs, video collages with text overlays, or direct information from an ambassador of a brand. When posting a reel, utilizing trending audios (like stories) can help boost your impressions and increase your reach!
Overall, Instagram is a pretty easy platform to start using. It’s a great place to start building an audience and driving engagement to your brand, as it is one of the most widely used social media platforms today. Using these tips and tricks will put you at a great starting point to cultivate your audience. Instagram, like all social media, is constantly changing, but use this quick guide as a reference for the most foundational aspects of your Instagram journey!
Check out Sarah's Social Strategy on Instagram for a great reference point, and if you’re ready to enhance your business with a genuine marketing strategy, let’s have a discussion by scheduling a free discovery call.
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