15 WAYS TO ENGAGE

O N I N S TA G R A M

Smart Inbox

Save Messages

A G U I D E BY
 15 WAYS TO E N GAG E O N I N STAG R A M

As you create an Instagram strategy for your brand, let

engagement guide the way. Consider these top tips for curating
content, engaging with your community and building an active
and authentic following.

1
BE C O N S I STEN T
Post fresh content regularly to keep your brand top of
mind. Locowise found most brands typically post 2.3 times
per day, while some larger brands post up to 7.24 times a
day1.
Food

2 O P TI M I Z E Y O U R PR O F I L E
Your profile is the first thing people see when clicking on
your handle. Drive traffic to your blog or website with a
simple link in your bio, and include link in profile in each
posts caption or as a custom geo-location. If you plan to
curate content tagged with a specific hashtag, include the
hashtag in your profile to raise awareness among new
followersjust know that it wont be a clickable link (on the
mobile app), the way it would be in a caption.

3 S TA R T A C O N V ER SA TI O N
Through analytics and social listening, you can learn a lot
about your followers interests and what kind of content
resonates with them. Use a combination of photos, videos
and extended captions to tell a story that invites discussion,
and be sure to moderate the comments.

Sources: 1http://locowise.com/blog/instagram-rules-engagement
 15 WAYS TO E N GAG E O N I N STAG R A M

4
M A K E TH E M O ST O F YO U R CAPT IO NS

Visuals may be the star of the show, but captions play a

supporting role. Both hashtags and @mentions in captions
have been shown to increase engagement.

5
R ES P O N D TO C O M M EN TS AND @M E NT IO NS

Respond to Instagrammers who ask thoughtful questions or

leave nice feedbackjust make sure you include their
handle so that they receive a notification. Monitor your
notifications to learn when other users @mention you in
their captions and comments, and share your gratitude with
a like or comment of your own.

6
S H OW C U STO M ER A P P R EC IAT IO N

Express your gratitude by engaging with photos your

customers share. You might even showcase them on your
website. You can also surprise and delight your customers
by turning Instagram milestones into a celebration. For
example, if you reach 10,000 followers, consider a giveaway
as a way of saying thanks.

7
S H A R E EXC LU S I V E O F F ER S
add a comment...
Another way to show appreciation for your followers is to
share Instagram-only deals, contests and discount codes
through the platform. While cross-promotion can work well
for some of your content, providing platform-specific offers
gives people a reason to connect with your brand on
Instagram in addition to other social networks.

2
 15 WAYS TO E N GAG E O N I N STAG R A M

8
C R EATE & M O N I TO R B R A N D E D HASHTAG S

Branded hashtags organize and track photos related to your

brand, allow you to run and measure campaigns and give
fans a way to join the conversation. Use hashtags regularly
in your captions as well as in replies to comments to remind
fellow Instagrammers which hashtags to use when.

9
U S E & EN GAG E W I TH P O PUL AR

I N D U STRY H AS H TAG S

Search for hashtags with words and phrases relevant to

your content, then examine post captions to see what
#breakfastclub #breakfasttime
additional hashtags are popular. Start using those hashtags
#breakfastofchampions
in your own captions, and make sure you include monitoring
and engagement for key hashtags in your Instagram
marketing strategy.

10
C U R ATE C O N TEN T F R O M YO UR FANS

Monitor branded and industry hashtags as well as your

@mentions to find fans engaging with your brand.
Encourage them to keep sharing by Regramming their
photos with a special shoutout. Just be sure to get
permission and give attribution when featuring someone
elses content.

11
H O ST A C O N TEST O R P R OM OT IO N

Connect with new followers by hosting a contest or

promotion. Let people enter by leaving a comment tagging Interested in winning a $100
a frienda practice that could help your brand connect with giftcard? Tag your coffee art
with hashtag #coffeeart
new people in your audiences networks. But first, make
sure youve read Instagrams promotion guidelines.

3
 15 WAYS TO E N GAG E O N I N STAG R A M

12
F O L LOW R EL ATED AC C O U NTS & C O NNE C T

WI TH I N F LU EN C ER S

Instagrams Explore feature (accessible via the magnifying

glass icon) suggests accounts for you to follow and content
you might find interesting. Use this tool to find like-minded Searh people
people, then make a connection by engaging with their posts.

P E O P LE HASH

13
M O N I TO R LO CATI O N TAG S

When your organization is at an event, add your pictures to

the photo map and monitor who else is posting in that area.
Especially during large industry events, location monitoring
is a great way to identify accounts with similar interests.

14
C R O S S - P R O M OTE I N STAG RAM C O NT E NT

Let your customers and followers know your brand is active

on Instagram by cross-promoting your content. Instagram
enables you to share your photos to several platforms, but
dont hesitate to promote your account on your website,
blog and elsewhere too.

15
AS S ES S & A DA P T

To increase your engagement, continuously assess your

efforts to find out whats working: what types of posts have
the highest engagement rate, which hashtags have the most
active communities and what impact building relationships
on Instagram has made on your brands presence.

Learn more or sign up for a FREE 30-day trial: sproutsocial.com

1.866.878.3231 | sales@sproutsocial.com 4