Instagram is always evolving, with new features and updates almost every week. And together with the platform, the tastes and expectations of customers evolve too.
If you wish to keep related and hold your followers engaged, it is advisable to adapt and get creative. Luckily for you, we’ve rounded up some of the latest additions to the platform that may improve your social strategy.
Read on to learn how you can increase greater engagement Instagram content material in the year ahead.
1. Increase Engagement Content with the Create Mode
Instagram Stories are still reigning in 2020, with greater than half a billion users watching them every single day.
So it’s no surprise that Instagram usually provides new features and functions to maintain them attention-grabbing.
One of the newest is an expanded version of the Create mode, which beforehand lets customers share text-only posts.
Now you are able to do so much more, together with sharing flashback posts from years previous with the On This Day button (a feature that reminds us of Snapchat’s Memories). You may also repost Stories from followers who’ve mentioned you recently, share GIFs, and ask questions.
To discover, simply open Stories and swipe left to enter Create mode. Then you possibly can tap via the options on the bottom of the screen.
The new Create mode is perfect for sharing participating Stories whenever you’re mild on images and videos. Even without visual assets, you possibly can create humorous and fascinating content material.
- Countdown to launch. In case you’ve got a product release, a marketing campaign, or a once-a-year-sale, stoke excitement with a countdown sticker.
- Flashback to a special day. Celebrate the anniversary of your first publish, your first launch, or your greatest joke (to date). “On This Day” is an easy technique to get a second life from content material you liked the first time around.
- Shout out your followers. Repost content material from your mates and followers to show your appreciation, and amplify positive word-of-mouth.
2. Go deeper with Growth Insights
Should you’re building your brand on Instagram, you need to have a business profile.
Not solely does it can help you add information like class and contact particulars, but it surely additionally offers you entry to richer analytics. This data helps you learn more about your viewers and hone your Instagram technique.
In 2020, take advantage of some new metrics for Instagram business accounts. Their new Development Insights tools reveal which stories and posts are rising your viewers. Understanding what resonates together with your followers will assist you to refine your content material, so you possibly can use your time on social wisely.
Discover ways to access your Instagram Insights. And in case you’re curious, Hootsuite Analytics can present you even more about your viewers and performance, with tools like social listening and sentiment analysis.
3. Bring TikTok to Instagram
Instagram has at all times been a chameleon, reproducing fashionable features from different platforms. Now that TikTok has hooked us on brief clips set to music and altered how we watch a video, Instagram is introducing their own version: Reels.
Reels permits customers to record and edit 15-second video clips, then add music and captions. It’s solely being tested in Brazil so far, however, it’ll likely migrate to different markets soon.
For brands who haven’t ventured onto TikTok yet, this new function would possibly prevent the journey. In the meantime, you can always repost your favorite TikTok content material to Stories.
4. Add music to your Stories
When you wait for Reels to reach, you possibly can still bring music to your Instagram content. The app has finally made music available in Canada, allowing you to look and add music clips to your videos and images in Stories.
Simply swipe up to find the Music sticker, then search the library for a song. You can also add lyrics, selecting between different font and formatting choices as they appear over your Story.
Listed below are some ideas for utilizing music in your Stories:
- Behind the scenes. Do you like sharing real glimpses of your HQ with followers? Improve the expertise by sharing what your workforce is listening to these days.
- Special events. Are you planning your social media content for upcoming holidays or events? Add music that matches your content material, whether you’re feeling festive or celebratory.
- Pump up a photo Story. Maintain your audience’s consideration slightly longer with a catchy track, so they linger on your carefully-chosen photo Stories.
5. Share posts from the feed on Stories
Ever since Instagram switched to an algorithmic timeline, brands have tried to determine the key to making sure followers see every one of their carefully-crafted posts.
There are a lot of effective ways to work with the Instagram algorithm. However, one simple hack for growing the visibility of your posts? Add them to your Stories!
Instagram’s algorithm breaks up a number of posts from accounts to make sure customers see numerous content material in their feed. So in case, you’re posting incessantly, sharing every publishes to your Stories means they won’t get buried.
Simply faucet the “share” button on any post, then chooses “Add post to your Story.”
Listed below are a number of ideas for Story-worthy posting:
- Highlight necessary captions. Posting in the feed is still superb in case you’ve bought an extended caption to share, whether that’s an announcement or a testimonial.
- Spotlight gorgeous visuals. Instagram is exploding with superb visuals lately, thanks to popular collage tools like Canva and Unfold. In case you’re significantly pleased with the pictures you’ve been sharing, give them slightly extra love on Stories.
- Function can’t-miss-it contests. Running a contest is still a surefire technique to increase Instagram engagement content and develop your viewers. Share a post with all the details about the contest and easy methods to enter, then amplify it in your Stories. You may also share a follow-up Story to remind your followers to enter when the contest is almost over, which is able to give it another enhance without clogging your feed with repeat content material.
Looking to enhance your Story technique? Right here’s everything you need to know.
6. Connect with your biggest followers
Everybody wants to grow their viewers, however, you additionally want to build deeper bonds with the followers you have already got! Nurturing these relationships can assist you to discover and help your brand advocates, and determine what your brand does best.
Instagram has launched a number of options recently that can assist you to strengthen these ties, such as Primary and General inboxes for business accounts.
You’ll obtain notifications about your Primary inbox messages, and might transfer lower-priority messages to General. In case you often feel overwhelmed by direct messages, benefiting from the two-inbox function can assist you to ensure your most valued followers are sorted into Primary.
The app may also present to you every story that’s talked about you in the last 24 hours with their new Stories About You function. Resharing this user-generated content provides credibility to your brand and reveals your appreciation to these followers. Now it’s simpler than ever to search out and amplify.
Should you faucet the Following button on your profile, you’ll see new particulars concerning the people who comply with you. Head of Instagram Adrian Mossi announced the feature in a tweet, showing two categories that seem on the top of your Following list. “Least interacted with” are the 50 accounts you interact with least often, and “Most Shown in Feed” is the 50 you see most frequently. The latter class is a little less precise but generally, the accounts you see most frequently are additionally these you interact with incessantly.
As of right now you possibly can see which Instagram accounts present up in your feed essentially the most and who you work together with the least… Now you possibly can faucet “Following” in your profile and handle all the pieces from there.
That is helpful data in case you’d like to know the relationships your account has with different customers. Figuring out common themes among the most-engaged and least-engaged accounts in your feed can help you refine your target market.
7. Create a customized AR filter
There was a hot minute in early January where 99% of the people I follow were sharing “What X Are You?” results and nothing else. These goofy filters revealed your inner Disney character, Pokemon, Pantone color and more. A seemingly infinite variety of permutations popped up overnight, together with a number of revealing your inner dog.
The results were randomized, which implies you had an equal chance of being flattered (Ariel!) or horrified (The Hunchback of Notre Dame) by your results. However, though the outcomes were meaningless, the filters have been still fairly enjoyable.
This trend reminded us that everyone loves a quiz, particularly one which reveals one thing foolish about themselves (that’s why we all spent so much time on Buzzfeed). Additionally, they proved that the fitting AR format can catch fire.
Augmented reality (AR) filters are any filter that interacts together with your camera to supply an altered picture, like adding sun shades or a pet canine nose. Instagram usually releases new filters, however, anybody can create and share their very own. Your account’s customized AR filters will stay under a dedicated tab in your profile, like Aritzia’s Super Glow filter.
Interactive elements increase Instagram engagement content together with your Stories, however, customized AR filters have another benefit too: they encourage customers to share your content material with their very own followers.
Listed below are some more concepts for getting creative with AR filters.
8. Get into IGTV
Designed for longer formats (up to an hour for verified accounts), Instagram TV was launched in 2018 as the platform’s reply to streaming content material and creator channels like YouTube. In contrast to Instagram Reside, the content material might be filmed and edited upfront for higher-quality expertise.
Nonetheless, IGTV didn’t catch fire instantly. In 2019, the platform started displaying previews in the regular feed, which boosted IGTV views. Instagram additionally started allowing horizontal videos in IGTV, which offered more flexibility for creators. Nonetheless, long-form video isn’t exactly what the platform is known for.
However, it appears to be like like Instagram is hoping to vary that in 2020. They’re piloting a function that would permit creators to monetize their IGTV content by including ads. They’re additionally increasing the Brand Collabs Program, previously only obtainable via Facebook, which is able to facilitate partnerships between brands and creators. This shift will hopefully develop IGTV content material, together with audiences for it. Some video-focused brands, like Bon Appetit, have totally embraced IGTV collection:
Which means in case you’ve been enthusiastic about dipping a toe into IGTV or starting an IGTV series, now would be the time! Instagram has shown they’re dedicated to rising IGTV and offering compelling causes for businesses and people to increase engagement content material for the platform.
Instagram’s recently-launched @creators account contains ideas for compelling IGTV content.
9. Free yourself from the tyranny of “likes”
After removing likes from posts in a number of nations (including Canada), Instagram is now contemplating removing them from all posts worldwide. This doesn’t imply you won’t have the ability to see likes behind the screens or get a full image of your viewer’s engagement within the Insights tab. It simply means your followers can’t see that complete quantity.
For some, this may appear scary. However, contemplate it releasing! Without that quantity dictating how fashionable your publish is, you need to really feel liberated to try something completely different together with your Instagram posting technique.
It may be liberating to interrupt out of your traditional habits. And audiences respond to content that’s more raw, authentic, and unexpected. So in case you’ve been feeling trapped by your Instagram method, consider the disappearance of likes to be permitted to experiment!
Listed below are some ideas to increase Instagram engagement content to encourage your new instructions!
How will you be conserving your Instagram technique recently in 2020? Tell us below!