Instagram is remaining one of the most popular platforms for growth. This network is now a highly developed and multicultural marketplace. Here both brands and nonprofits can gain influence in a pretty short period if they would use a thorough marketing strategy specifically for Instagram. Primarily, tactics for this platform include actions that would increase the numbers of Instagram likes, views, because gaining numbers can provide the blogger with automatic recognition within the network. But it would be best if you didn’t focus your attention solely on increasing your stats. How to create an effective marketing strategy, and what techniques to use for making your results better? In this article are described eleven tips that will bring your Instagram profile to success.

1. Be consistent

Regular posting is one of the keystones that hold your popularity. Even the best content will not get you anywhere if users don’t see it constantly. A steady online presence requires a schedule and a particular frequency of posting, which your followers get accustomed to. On Instagram, the regularity of posting depends on the type of content, but in general, here is the scheme that is considered optimal for most blogs:

• Feed posts – 2-4 times per week
• Stories – daily
• IGTV or Live – once a week/once in two weeks.

In this scheme, the most significant part of your attention has to be streamed to stories. This form of content is fast. Hence, it is easy to overload your viewers with it. So you have to count your potential and make adequate pauses between your Stories, so you will keep the online presence but wouldn’t annoy your viewers with the content.

2. Tell A Story

This advice is relevant for brands as for individuals. To get appreciation from the audience, you should focus on what you do. Recognition comes when people see that you know what you are doing and you like it. Users easily detect if the content is not genuine, and they won’t appreciate such posts with likes. Instead, you can get criticism and negativism in comments, and your popularity will be dropping down.

Never put the promotion to the first place. It is better to grow slowly but organically then try to take it all at once like Blitzkrieg. Your marketing campaigns have to be subtle and impact the audience delicately because aggressive tactics annoy people and make them skeptical of your content.

3. Create A Memorable And Original Visual Key

When people enter your profile on Instagram, they will see your posts as a set of thumbnails that look like a perfect grid. To make your image more steady and easy to distinguish from others, keep it in a similar style. This way, users will easily find your posts and connect with your blog, as they like the general aesthetic look. To keep a consistent style, use a specific range of filters or a standardized set of features in the editing program to help you edit your imagery according to your preference.

Another way to increase the rate of your recognition is to create filters and masks for Stories. This feature spreads incredibly fast and not only assists in making your image but also attracts the audience to your blog through the prism of aesthetics. You can either create masks yourself or order such services from filter creators, who can be discovered through lurking on the platform.

4. Encourage User-Generated Content

This practice is not only a life-saver for content planning, but it also strengthens the bond between you and your audience. The ultimate power of user-generated content is that it is excellent communication between bloggers and their followers. There are many forms of user-generated content:

• Artworks
• Photo edits and collages
• Inspired Stories and reposts
• Ideas for your posts
• Feedback and testimonials.

You have to demonstrate that you appreciate everything you get addressed and repost the best works to your profile. Doing so will motivate other users, and as a result, it can become one of the frequent rubrics in your content plan, that will gain organic likes. Of course, at the beginning of your career, you won’t get much of it, but the amount of user-generated content will grow as you go.

5. Use a Business Profile

Instagram gives this option for brands, but individuals can take advantage of it as well, and they should because a business profile has many valuable tools for growth:

• Insights, the quick-access analytical instrument
• Instagram Ads
• Shopping features
• Double messaging
• Clickable buttons for contacting you and adding a CTA.

With these elements in your arsenal, it will be easier to understand who your target audience is, analyze the result, and attract new users to your profile. As we can see, switching to a business profile is a far more practical option for you, as you can compare the results of your performance and improve it with haste.

6. Optimize Your Bio

This tiny field on the top of your Instagram profile can play a big part in marketing. Although it is limited to 150 characters, this is where you explain why people should follow you. So try to make it brief but clear. Also, pay attention to additional details that can be displayed in your bio. For example, place a link that you need in a particular field to appear in your bio, and users won’t miss it.

Don’t neglect to add a category to your profile, as this feature helps Instagram organize the search results, hence making your content or profile appear in the right place and increase your chance to attract more people. More followers mean more likes and comments.

7. Pay A Lot Of Attention To Stories

Instagram Stories is the most engaging content form on this platform. This is why you should squeeze out the maximum of them. As it was mentioned before, it is easy to overload your viewers with Stories, so be wise with the quantity. But the content – here possibilities are endless. As the progress of the format develops, the trends are changed. For example, if at the beginning of the Stories launch, talking head in videos was a normal deal. Nowadays, such kind of content is considered boring and not effective for growth, so all the talking is better to be left for your Lives and IGTV. In stories, follow the general aesthetic of your profile and make them concentrated on the life around you. Promoting content also has to be creative and engaging, not just a brief description of the product and making it look like feedback.

8. Maintain The Branding

To increase your recognition, make your profile look more professional, and for your followers to want to leave likes & comments, create branding for it. Your profile picture, post features, stories, and highlights covers – all that has to correspond to the style and topic you chose. This way, you will appear more accurate and neat to your potential followers. It works for brands and individual bloggers in the same way because visual hooks help users distinguish their profile from others.

9. Go Live

Lives are an incredibly engaging feature that assists in retaining the audience you already got and increase the percentage of active followers. To make the most of this option, you should plan it and promote it before the launch. For example, announce that you will go live at the end of the week and use stories to keep up the interest in this fact. The easiest way is to offer your viewers participation in this venture – ask people to write questions and offer topics for discussion for the upcoming life.

Don’t make lives too long, though. Instead, control the user activity all the time, and when it drops organically – finish the life. Also, always use one theme as a leitmotif for your speech. This will help you to keep track of your content and stay brief.

10. Use Instagram Ads For Growth

The mechanism of Instagram Ads makes it the perfect promo instrument – advertising posts look the same as usual feed posts, sometimes with small banners in addition. Running an advertising campaign is an excellent method to expand your influence, as it should be used when you already know who your target group is. You can either create new content for Ads or use one of your older popular posts if you are sure it will be engaging enough for newcomers.

11. Constantly Analyze Your Progress

Without examining your performance, you won’t be able to adjust your strategy fast enough. It would help if you kept an eye on the user activity and interaction with your content. Thanks to the Insights, you can see the dynamic of your growth and act accordingly.