Do you ever feel like you’re posting on Instagram and hearing crickets? If you’re wondering how to increase engagement on Instagram, I’m going to share three strategies that you can use to organically get more Instagram engagement while creating a deeper connection with your followers.
I’m Natasha from Shine With Natasha, an Instagram strategist and video content creator, and I’m going to share the tactics I recommend my clients implement in their content to build an engaged community.
Instagram engagement tip #1: Use the right type of call-to-action for the content you’re sharing.
It’s important to consider why your followers would choose to engage with your Instagram content. This is where you want to get familiar with what each type of engagement actually means.
- Likes typically mean the visual or first impression of the content that caught the user's eye
- Comments are great for starting a conversation and shows the content was inspiring or valuable, similarly to Story replies
- Shares are the next level of a like by wanting others, like their own followers or friends, to reap the benefits of the content
- Saves often mean the content was so inspiring or valuable that they’d like to reference it later
When you’re prompting followers to engage with your Instagram content in your caption or at the end of your Stories slides, consider what engagement metrics fit best with your content type.
For example, an unpopular opinion post that shares a unique perspective on a topic will lead to comments.
And a highly valuable carousel graphic is something a follower would save for later.
Ask one specific call-to-action (CTA) for Instagram engagement in your content instead of asking for two or more CTAs. Asking your audience to go to the link in bio, comment, and share can result in your followers not engaging with your Instagram at all.
Instagram engagement tip #2: Make it easy for your audience to engage.
Don’t make your audience do all the hard work. You want to make it easy for your followers to engage with your content by providing a clear and easy way for them to engage, like a comment prompt.
Instead of saying “Any questions?,” give your audience guidance about what they should ask. This tip is important when leveraging native engagement features like Stories. Stories Stickers were created by Instagram to make engaging with your community easier, so you’re often rewarded with more engagement when you leverage them.
Instagram engagement tip #3: Train your audience on how you’d like them to engage with your content by consistently inviting them.
Getting more Instagram engagement takes time and consistency, so stick with it even if you’re not seeing engagement just yet or if you’re experiencing low engagement. As social media apps continue to evolve, it’s natural for engagement metrics to ebb and flow.
Most importantly, don’t forget to engage your followers back by actively responding to their comments, messages, and on their own content. It goes a long way to set aside a few minutes on the app to meaningfully engage with your followers to build a community and reinvest in it. You may also be able to leverage content from your followers in your marketing materials.
Increasing your engagement on Instagram is a long game, so stick with implementing these tips in your strategy for the best results. If you’re looking for more tips on how to revamp your Instagram strategy, head over to my profile for more content.
Pro tip:
Find easy to customize social media templates on Microsoft Create.