On Instagram, the “Follow” notification pop-up shines in your eyes like nothing else. Well, it’s the same for all of us: influencers, brand marketers, company managers, or the common mass. Everyone is racing to get more followers, 10k – 20k – 50k – 1M …, and the numbers are constantly increasing.
And why not, after all, is the first metric that defines your success on Instagram. So, while you are preparing to get your first 10k followers, here is a quick checklist that you cannot forget:
Consistency in your subject
With over a billion active accounts on Instagram, your topic is your chance to excel. Each Instagram account represents a voice. If your voice is not unique and does not convey the message, your entire purpose of being on Instagram will fail. Your voice should align with you as a person (if you are a celebrity) or should represent the brand’s personality (if you are promoting a company).
The coherent voice will attract your audience, or be more specific, the target audience taking care of you. Your posts must be related to the audience. If it breaks the consistency, it confuses the audience, its message remains undeliverable, and its sales funnel never reaches the final stage.
Regularity in the publication
As of June 2016, 95 million posts were made on Instagram every day, and Instagram use doubled from June 2016 to 2018. This is MASSIVE!
You cannot afford not to be visible to your audience when everyone else publishes vigorously. Inconsistent publications can cost you credibility, audience, and commitment. Your followers expect to see your content daily. After all, there is a reason why they pressed the “follow” button first. Each of your posts should contain material that brings you closer to your goals. Ideally, you should post one to three times a day. However, if you have just started your trip and your resources are limited, once a day will serve the purpose.
Don’t forget the hashtags.
The Instagram algorithm has a lot of weight for hashtags. Hashtags have proved extremely valuable, and my suggestion is to use the absolute limit, which is 30 hashtags per post. They increase their reach, visibility, and commitment. They take you to viewers who are not yet your followers. Research the most relevant hashtags in your industry, prepare a list, keep it in your notes, and use it in all your publications. You can also modify the latter according to recent trends to help you rank better. Some people also recommend that you add hashtags in your post’s first comment instead of the title, as it discourages the audience from the message.
Geotags are useful
Geographic tags are a technique underutilized on Instagram. However, if used correctly, it can generate surprising results. It allows you to label where your store is located or where your target audience is likely to be. In short, you will get geospecific Instagram followers with this. Suppose you are a sportswear company, and if you attended the most commented event in the sports industry, you could geographically label the event! This will appear in all other event participants (which is also your target audience!).
Mark the times
He has invested hours of hard work and resources in creating an Instagram post, but he has published it during the hours when most of his audience is asleep. Will it make sense? Certainly, No. Then, do your research, and calculate as much information as possible because statistically, there are parts of the day when people are more absorbed in this social media platform.
The moment you decide should be the best time for you. Based on the analysis, different times have different activities. Yes, there is no fixed schedule for everyone; It varies according to your subject, objective, publications, etc. Find out what is best for you.
However, according to research conducted by SproutSocial, the best time to post on Instagram is between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m., and the best Instagram day is Thursday!
The one million-mile journey begins with a step. 10k is just the beginning; there are still many more milestones to cover. And as they say, success is an endless ladder, and so is Instagram!