As more and more businesses join Instagram, some of them being in your industry, you need to stand out. Standing out means you must avoid stale Instagram posts.
You can’t do that if you’re becoming comfortable with the platform, however. Comfortability leads to stale content, and stale content leads to less growth as a brand on Instagram.
In order to skirt around the Instagram algorithm and be a diamond among the business account rough, you need to capture high-quality Instagram photos, have engaging captions, use templates, and create a theme.
Want to learn how to do all these things? Then, stick around and read below!
1. Shoot high-quality photos
At least in my experience, sometimes I see professional bloggers photos and wonder how they get them to look so beautiful.
Sure, they need to invest in a top-of-the-line camera and most likely pay for the best editing tools, but not everyone has that luxury– especially not small businesses. It’s okay, though! You don’t need all those fancy tools.
All it takes are a couple of clever apps, some quick photography tips, and a good camera phone.
If you have a smartphone with a good camera, you’re in luck! Plus, you can download some amazing editing apps after you finish your next photoshoot on your phone!
One of the apps that many influencers use to edit their photos is VSCO. VSCO is an app that allows you to edit photos using preset filters and editing tools. And bonus, it’s free!
If those tips aren’t enough for you, then Christina Galbato of Later recommends taking “As many photos as possible. Think about changing the composition, your distance from the camera, your pose, having a close-up, or changing the angle from where the photo is taken – all these slight changes means you’re getting a good variety of photos. Not only will this mean you’ll be able to pick the best from the bunch to post to Instagram, but you’ll also have more content for the future.”
2. Use templates
Though comfortability can be the death of a brand on Instagram, that does not mean that consistency is.
Having the same formatting for all your photos helps with the overall flow of your feed. One way to have your posts all formatted similarly is by using free graphic design websites.
One particularly navigable and impressive site we use at LadyBossBlogger is Canva. Canva is a graphic design website that allows you to craft attractive visuals for social media.
Canva offers many free social media templates for you to use on your company’s business page! These templates include borders, backgrounds, fonts, and more!
Emily Lydon of iconosquare said it best in her article How to Create Quality Instagram Content to Engage Followers: “Whatever message you want to send, you can do it with a template!”
3. Give your captions a call to action
“A picture may be worth a thousand words, but you are hugely mistaken if you think that your captions are not as important as your pictures,” says Shane Barker of Post Planner.
Arguably the most important way to engage your followers on your feed is through your captions.
Your captions cannot be simple anymore, so one of the best ways to get your audience engaged is by posing a question to them. Have your followers answer your question in the comments, and maybe even try responding to the best ones!
Not only this, but hashtags are also an interesting way of getting new potential customers to interact with your posts as well.
4. Create an Instagram aesthetic
Want to be sure your followers constantly come back for more? Then you will need an aesthetic!
This can be achieved by using one filter on all your photos or having a color scheme throughout your feed.
Galbato states, “Having one consistent look really is key to helping your audience know about your brand and overall aesthetic.”
If you think you can’t achieve an aesthetic, why not try to create it in one sitting!
Planning your feed in a scheduling app like Planoly allows you to give yourself and your team a sneak peek as to what your profile’s feed will look like in the near future. Plus it will keep you not only organized and prepared but also motivated!
By following these steps we have outlined above and continually taking risks and learning more about Instagram to improve your business profile, you’ll start to see some real growth in your audience!
Additional Articles You May Be Interested In:
- 7 Reasons Why Your Instagram Account Doesn’t Grow
- How To Post Consistent Quality Pictures On Instagram
- How To Take Great Photos On Your Phone
- 5 Best Ways To Connect With Your Instagram Followers
- How To Discover And Engage Your Target Audience
- How To Hashtag: Your Secret Weapon For Social Media
- 22 Of The Best Brands With Stunning Instagram Feeds
- How To Schedule Your Content For The Next 12 Months
Claire Erickson is currently a blogging intern at LadyBossBlogger.com. Claire has just returned from studying abroad at the London College of Fashion and will finish her senior year studying retail merchandising back at her home university – University of Minnesota (Twin Cities). She is looking forward to having a future in buying, trend research, or planning.
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