If you’re using social media to boost your business or your influencer career then you need to increase your Instagram engagement.
Instagram engagement refers to all the ways users can interact with your content, for example, through likes, comments, shares, and saves.
When engagement is strong, it means that your audience may feel a strong enough connection with your brand to make a purchase or to just continue following you.
But we are sure you know already the benefits of it so lets jump to the important part.
Top Ideas To Increase Instagram Engagement
1. Post Good Content
This might be the most obvious idea but it is the MOST important one, no follower will engage with your content if it is bad.
Your content must be high-quality, visually appealing, and on-brand.
It is also important to post a mix of content types, such as images, videos, stories, carousels, etc.
Do not forget to use the appropriate hashtags, locations, and caption your photos.
2. Reply Back
Another highly relevant point that a lot of people forget is that once you get someone engage in your content you have to reply back.
This makes the person feel appreciated and that their opinion matters to you.
It will also make them want to continue engaging with your content in the future.
If they comment in your post, reply back to their comment, this is a great way to get more comments.
If they DM you, take some minutes to read and answer them.
Not a lot of influencers or brands take time to reply back to their followers, this for sure will make an impact on them.
3. Write Unique Captions
This is something a lot of people struggle with but it is my favorite thing to do, writing unique captions.
A way to make sure your caption stands out is by using jokes, being personal or adding a little bit of controversy.
If you can make them laugh or if they can relate to what you’re saying, they will definitely engage with it.
I personally like using puns or dad jokes. You might think they are bad but trust me, a lot of people reply to my posts with their own jokes when I do that.
So you can say whatever you want about my bad jokes, but they increase engagement 😉
4. Know Your Audience
To get more engagement you have to know your audience, what are their interests?
What content would they like to see from you?
You can find this out by analyzing your current followers and also using Instagram insights.
This way you’ll be able to post content that is relevant to them and that will make them want to engage with it.
5. Show The Real You
Your followers want to see the real you, they don’t want to see a fake persona.
Be genuine in your posts, show them your hobbies, your daily life, what you like and what you don’t like.
This will make them feel closer to you and they will be more likely to engage with your content.
6. Use More Videos
Videos are a great way to increase your Instagram engagement, especially if they are well done.
They have more chances of being seen by more people and they also keep the user’s attention for a longer period of time.
You can make videos about anything, from product reviews to tutorials, videos about your regular day or from a trip.
The great thing about videos is that you can share and say more than with pictures and text, videos are a good tool to use.
7. Post At The Right Time
This is something a lot of people don’t know but it makes a big difference.
You should post when your audience is more active, this way you’ll have more chances of them seeing your content and engaging with it.
You can use Instagram insights to check when your followers are online and then plan your content accordingly.
8. Follow The Same Aesthetic
This is something that will help your account to look more professional and on-brand.
If all your posts have the same aesthetic, people will know that it is you who posted them even if they don’t follow you.
A great way to do this is by using the same filters, colors, and editing style.
Many people scroll through the feed so fast sometimes they don’t even notice whose post they saw.
Using the same aesthetic will help them recognize your posts instantly.
9. Do Live Sessions
Live sessions are a great way to engage with your followers and share information easily.
They are interactive and people can ask you anything they want, this makes the experience more personal.
Live sessions can be about pretty much anything, you can go live on an company event, review a product or just do a Q&A with your followers.
10. Share User-Generated Content
User-generated content (UGC) is any type of content that is created by someone who is not affiliated with the brand.
This can be in the form of pictures, videos or even text.
UGC is a great way to increase your engagement because it is authentic and people love seeing real-life examples of how your product is being used.
You can share UGC by reposting it on your account or by using hashtags.
When you use hashtags, make sure to use ones that are relevant to your brand and that are not too popular.
This way you’ll be able to reach the people who are actually interested in your content.
11. Post About Your Niche
You should post about your niche and only about your niche.
People who follow you are interested in what you have to say about that particular topic.
If you start posting about other things that are not related to your niche, people will get confused and they might even unfollow you.
So make sure to only post content that is relevant to what you talk about and what your brand is about.
12. Do Collabs With Other Accounts
Collaborating with other accounts is a great way to reach new audiences and engage with new people.
When you do a collab, make sure that it is with an account that is relevant to your niche.
For example, if you are a fashion brand, you can collab with a fashion blogger.
This way you’ll be able to share content with each other’s followers and they’ll be more likely to engage with it.
You can also use the new collab post where the same post is share in both accounts.
This is right now the best way to do collaborations with other accounts.
Instagram Engagement – FAQ
What Is Instagram Engagement?
Instagram engagement includes all of the ways that users can interact with your content.
You can see Instagram engagement on:
- Likes
- Comments
- Shares
- Saves
- Follower growth
- Tags
- Hashtags
- DM
How to measure Instagram engagement?
There is no proper way to measure your engagement rate but the most common formula is: (likes + comments) / followers x 100.
You have to keep in mind that all niches are different, in some niches followers interact more than in others.
Also, once you reach a certain amount of followers (usually after a few millions) the engagement rate starts dropping.
This is completely normal, which is why some brands prefer to work with micro-influencers where engagement rate is higher.
What Is A Good Instagram Engagement Rate?
There is no such thing as a “good” engagement rate because it varies depending on your niche.
In general, you want your engagement rate to be as high as possible but you can’t compare yourself to other brands because they might have a different type of audience.
The best way to know if you’re doing well is to track your progress and see how your engagement rate changes over time.
Conclusion
Building a strong Instagram engagement is key if you want to boost your business or personal brand.
Make sure to post content that is interesting and relevant to your followers.
You can also collaborate with other accounts to reach new people and use the ideas we shared above.
Remember to focus on quality over quantity, and always post relevant content that your followers will love.
