To increase Instagram engagement absolutely takes time as well as effort. After all, it isn’t just realistic for brands to expect instant Instagram success à la Jennifer Aniston. a million followers in five hours and 16 mins? Record-setting.
In this post, you will know what Instagram engagement means, different methods of measuring your engagement rate on Instagram, and 15 easy ways you could do to raise your brand’s Instagram engagement.
And we are talking real, genuine methods of driving engagement. You aren’t going to learn how to cut corners with Instagram automation. (We have tried that already so you don’t need to.)
You aren’t getting a complete guide to joining an Instagram pod. (There are better methods than turning to increase Instagram engagement groups. Promise!)
Keep finding out effective ideas and tips that’ll have long-term outcomes for your brand’s to increase Instagram engagement.
What does Instagram engagement mean?
Instagram engagement is how the public engages with the content you publish. Calculating your Instagram engagement rate measures how great your brand is connecting with its audience.
However, Instagram’s algorithm is always updating. And it means your brand’s Instagram engagement rate will likely fluctuate, too.
It’s additionally about more than just gaining likes. Back in April 2019, Instagram started hiding the number of likes a post received for its users in Canada. By November 2019, Instagram started hiding likes worldwide.
Why? Pursuant to a January New York Times article, Adam Mosseri, who is the Instagram CEO, was concerned about the effects likes had on users. He kept considering this episode of Black Mirror. Hiding likes seemed like the best factor to do to keep the platform safe.
It means brands should not only think about the number of likes a post gets when measuring Instagram engagement.
If you use Instagram for business, keep track of various metrics utilizing tools such as Instagram Insights.
Here are some helpful metrics your brand could analyze to measure Instagram engagement rate:
- Impressions
The total number of times all of your Instagram posts and your Stories are seen. - Reach
The number of unique views your posts and Stories have. - Site clicks
The number of times that the site link in your Instagram account is clicked, causing a user to leave Instagram and go to your site. - Profile visits
The number of times that a user visited your Instagram profile. - Followers
Calculate your follower development rate by dividing the number of followers you have gained in a particular time period by the previous number of fans. Multiply that by 100 for the percentage.
Other metrics to consider:
- Comments
The number of times that users have written something underneath your post, including once they tag a friend. Add the number of comments with likes and saved posts to find the total engagements on a post. - Saved posts
The number of times that users have clicked on the flag icon at the right side of your post to add to their private collection of saved posts. They’ll probably return to your post to review later or view it repeatedly. - Views
The total number of times your video or Instagram Story was seen. - Likes
The number of times that users have clicked on the heart under your post. Even with likes being hidden, keep in mind: Likes still matter.
Unluckily, there isn’t just one method to do it.
How you select to calculate the Instagram engagement rate relies on your brand’s purposes and objectives.
Ensure you could access the data
You should use analytics tools to access accurate Instagram metrics. And there are a variety of Instagram analytics tools available, including:
By the way, desire a video that walks you through Instagram Insights? Take a loot at the video:
Do some math
There are different methods of measuring your Instagram engagement rate. However, no matter which method you select, it is going to involve doing a bit of math to measure how users interact with your content.
Right here, we clearly outline 6 ways to measure Instagram engagement rate, including:
- Engagement rate by reach
- Engagement rate by impressions
- Daily engagement rate
Keep these formulas useful for in terms of writing that monthly Instagram engagement report!
15 tips to increase Instagram engagement
When you have arranged an Instagram business account, it’s time to work.
Know your audience
Track your audience metrics utilizing Instagram Insights.
Under the “Audience” tab in Instagram Insights, you will see data about your followers. This helps you better know who they’re so you could make content that’s related to them.
Keep track of time
In terms of timing, you wish to ensure that your followers see your posts. With Instagram Insights, you will see when your followers are online. The data shows which weekday and daytime most of your fans are on Instagram.
It will assist you to schedule your content at peak times. For instance, in case your data shows your audience is rarely on Instagram on a Monday morning, wait to schedule your content for a day and time when your audience is available.
And yes, there are optimum times to update on Instagram.
Ensure you post often — but not too often
One of the things Instagram’s algorithms consider is recency. That means new posts are more likely to show in your followers’ feeds.
Your posts need to be scheduled for when your audience is most likely to be available. Meaning they’re more likely to see your content and are more likely to interact with it!
Consistent posting is vital. However, you do not want to overwhelm them with content either. Attempt to create a content calendar to keep track of when and what you are posting on Instagram. That way, you could ensure you aren’t under-posting or over-posting.
For context, our Digital 2020 report shows that, on average, business accounts post content to their Instagram feeds 1.7 times per day. Meaning just over 7 posts a week.
Engage with your followers
It’s called social media for a reason. Be social!
Instagram is a platform to talk to your fans, for your followers to talk to you, and for you to interact with other users and brands. Reply to your followers’ direct messages. Reply to their questions or comments underneath your posts.
If you interact in the conversation on Instagram, this helps you know your followers, how they connect with your brand, and what they are saying about your brand.
Don’t forget about your caption
There are many methods to write a great Instagram caption to drive engagement.
You have 2,200 characters. That includes emojis and hashtags. That’s ample space to tell a story, write something thought-provoking, ask your followers a query, spend some time showcasing your brand’s voice, or provide some context for the picture you are posting.
SeaLegacy, an environmental non-profit, uses long-form captions successfully. Usually, their captions include details on animal behavior or scientific research.