In the final installment of our series 'A Creative's Guide to Instagram,' we will cover some tips creatives should remember when marketing themselves on the platform. While everyone has different uses or expectations for Instagram, the below tips can help steer all creatives in a direction that makes sense for them, their audience, and their work. These tips are not rules, but rather guidelines anyone can use to get the most out of the platform.
Our tips for creatives marketing themselves on Instagram include:
Tip #1: Amplify your Content
There are 2 ways to get your content seen by Instagram users outside of your existing audience. They include: placing ads and boosting posts. Instagram ads takes your content to people who wouldn’t otherwise see it. Ads can appear in feeds, stories, and reels. You can customize them and target specific audiences according to your needs. Boosting posts on the other hand, is a great tool for creatives with similar yet simpler needs. While your content will still reach more people, it offers a more limited reach and less customization relative to Instagram ads.
Tip #2: Post at Optimal Times
Creatives should keep in mind that posting on Instagram should be more strategic than random. Data analysis shows that Instagram users are most active on the platform at midday and during mid-week. This makes Wednesday at 11am the most ideal time to post and engage your followers. However, it’s always best to measure audience activity, and post when it's most active.
Tip #3: Schedule your Posts
Scheduling posts in advance comes in handy if you are trying to reach audiences in different time zones, or post multiple times a week. This is a great way to stay organized, not only for Instagram, but across all your social media platforms.
Tip #4: Make Content Easily Digestible
Content that quickly captures users’ attention tends to perform better on Instagram. Creatives should prioritize brevity, as the attention span of Instagram users is dwindling. This doesn’t mean longer form content should be abandoned, but rather moved to platforms like Twitter & Facebook where they will likely perform better.
Tip #5: Watch Social Media Trends
Seek out trends on social media and keep them top of mind. You can integrate trending materials (audio or visual) into your posts for increased visibility and engagement. With that said, always be sure whatever you post aligns with your overall values and identity.
Tip #6: Don’t Over-Curate your Feed
Establish a visual identity and maintain your chosen aesthetic. However, leaving space for spontaneity is crucial. This breath of fresh air helps creatives build rapport with their audience, and allows some personality to shine through.
Tip #7: Measure Engagement
It's imperative that creatives measure their success on Instagram. Understanding the data can help creatives expand their reach, and strengthen their relationships with their audience. All business accounts have an ‘Insights’ tab on the top of every profile. In this tab, there is a breakdown of the past 7 days, with respect to accounts reached, content interactions, and total followers. This is a good introduction for creatives to understand their reach on the platform.
Tip #8: Pin Posts
The top 3 posts on your Instagram grid are prime real estate. Creatives can pin regular posts or reels to make them the first thing people see when visiting their profiles. It’s a good idea to pin posts that communicate something important to your audience. With the option to unpin, creatives can use that space to promote whatever work is pressing.
Thank you for joining us for our series 'A Creative's Guide to Instagram!' We hope our guide helps creatives feel less intimidated by Instagram marketing, and empowered to show off their work. Join us next week for a brief recap of the series!
