Instagram is the go-to social media platform for almost 1 billion people worldwide who head to the platform to share their photos, videos, and stories.

5 Easy Ways You Can Boost Your Reach and Engagement on Instagram 2021

Even though newer and hipper social media platforms like TikTok and Clubhouse pop up all the time, Instagram continues to enjoy a loyal and engaged fan base. Interestingly enough, 33% of its massive global audience is aged 25 to 34, making Instagram a valuable target for marketers.

This gives brands a break to interact with their intended audiences, understand their needs, and serve visually appealing content that draws them in.

Social media has provided businesses with an unprecedented opportunity to communicate and engage with their audience. With most brands striving to build an online presence, the competition to stay the most unique and attractive to customers will also be challenging.

This is why it is vital to stay on top of the latest trends and deploy strategies that will never get old!

In this article, we will show you five easy, effortless ways to boost your Instagram engagement.

Create A Visually Aesthetic Feed

Instagram is the hub of beautiful pictures and visual content. One of the reasons why Instagram has become so popular amongst brands is that while Twitter and Facebook share lengthy stories and captions, Instagram can capture the essence of content through visuals.

Not to forget that visual media is quick to consume and is 65% more likely to be remembered by people than remembering any text-based content.

For these reasons, as a brand establishing an online presence, your Instagram feed should be immaculate. Since your feed is the first thing that customers will notice, it should be cohesive and reflective of your brand.

Use appropriate colors, layouts, templates and create a unified tone across the feed to convey your brand’s voice and personality.

Some of the most successful Instagram profiles have a dedicated color palette for all their photos. This creates a unique feed style that is in line with their branding.

For example, Tara Whitman uses bright, vibrant photos to create a cheerful, fun, and youthful vibe for her Instagram account. She has managed to achieve a following of 1.4m followers by turning her love for photography into a career.

You don’t have to be a pro at editing or photo-shop to create a visually aesthetic feed. Online design tools such as PosterMyWall let you create eye-catching posts from pre-made templates. All you need to do is add your text, tweak the colors, and you have a post for your Instagram in no time.

It might also be a good idea to learn from online graphic design tutorials to understand how best to use colors and graphics for social media content.

Remember, a visually aesthetic feed is not just pleasing to look at but can also improve brand recognition on Instagram.

Make Use Of Instagram Reels

Instagram Reels is the new ‘in’ thing on the social media platform. That’s why brands these days are scrambling to make short-form videos (TikTok style) to increase engagement with their customers.

Unlike Instagram stories that disappear after 24 hours or IGTV videos that are longer, Instagram Reels are short videos that can stay on your profile for an indefinite amount of time.

When everyone is in a hurry to sift through content in this age of urgency, Instagram Reels can be the perfect solution for brands to convey their message interactively.

The casual format of these Reels takes away the pressure of editing and removing clips that can be bothersome for some marketers. Moreover, the casual style can be perfect for brands to showcase their behind-the-scenes on the creative process or unrehearsed peeks at their products.

Many popular brands have jumped onto the opportunity of creating Reels to showcase their latest collections and engage with customers. Louis Vuitton has garnered as much as 5M views on each of their Instagram Reel by creating high-quality, creative campaigns through Instagram Reels.

Make A Consistent Posting Schedule

Consistency in posting content can help your audience learn about your posting tactics: when to expect new content, what kind of content to expect on what days, etc.

People love brands that are mindful of their time. Letting customers know about the posting schedule beforehand can help them manage their time strategically.

A consistent posting schedule also boosts engagement as audiences are more likely to react, comment, and share if they often see you in their feeds.

As of yet, Instagram does not offer a scheduling option. However, you can use an app that allows you to schedule your posts and post them automatically later. This ensures that even on days when you don’t have time, you can still continue to post something on your profile.

Create An Interactive Branded Hashtag

Hashtags have become a way for brands to categorize their content for a particular campaign and allow their customers to discover related content through the Explore page. Moreover, using hashtags can widen your brand’s reach and make it more discoverable for people across all market segments.

The best way for brands to build hype around their products is to create a brand-specific hashtag. Create a hashtag that is unique, creative, and, most importantly, is easy to remember.

It should also be able to reflect your brand’s voice. When you stick with one particular hashtag, people recognize it and start using it in their posts, especially when they want your attention.

Here are a few ways you can create your hashtag:

Pick A Conversation That Is Trending On Social Media

Trending, hot topics can generate buzz around your brand and tell your audience about your brand’s stance on a particular topic. For example, on Mother’s Day, different brands go out on a limb to support mothers everywhere. Many of them create their hashtag, calling out all the mothers to share a personal anecdote with them by sharing their hashtag. Nivea encouraged its audience to hug their mothers using the hashtag #SayItWithHugs. This does not only help with brand recognition but also creates and nurtures a community that brings people together.

Evoke An Emotion Through Your Hashtag

To leave a lasting impression on your audience, use a hashtag that pulls at their heartstrings and motivates them to share. Make them laugh or cry – something that can make them feel passionate about the hashtag. For example, #SFBatKid is an excellent example of a hashtag that promoted the Make A Wish Foundation. The advert showed a young boy dressed as batman, accompanying the real batman and saving the day. It got a lot of positive attention as people shared the videos and the hashtags with their own feel-good stories.

Make The Most Of Your Captions   

Captions are a great way to enhance your content and elaborate in words what your vision is all about.

While some brands may choose to share personal stories in their captions, others may use it to convey critical information like an event’s date or a branded hashtag. The best part is that the word limit for captions on Instagram is 2200 characters, which is enough for influencers to share stories that are neither too long nor too short.

Ever since Instagram’s algorithms started prioritizing ‘saved posts’ as the top priority, more brands share content that can motivate a person to save the post. This could be in the form of self-love quotes, a discount voucher, or a quiz question.

The possibilities of an interactive caption are endless. Just make sure whatever you write, your audience can relate to it, and it aligns with your brand.

To Conclude

Everyone needs creative inspiration from time to time.

Whether you’re working for a brand or building your own Instagram presence, these are the five most straightforward tactics you can use to grow your brand. They can help achieve wider recognition and engage with a relevant audience on the platform.

Happy Instagramming!