About 70% of people in the United States today use social media to connect with their contacts and engage with the world. Instagram is one of the largest and most popular. This social media platform offers a visually intensive experience that people appreciate. Learning how to optimize your Instagram posts, Instagram stories, and Instagram feed can help you garner attention and get results. So, what tips will help you win big on Instagram? We’ve got the answers you’re looking for.
Here are some tips that will help you optimize your Instagram feed.
1. Manage the Way You Respond to Comments
It’s not just about what you post, but how you respond. Boosting engagement helps you get your content out to more people while also getting better results from your Instagram followers and subscribers.
Figure out the best way to track and respond to comments regularly. People will be more likely to engage with you when they know that you’ll have something thoughtful to say.
Investing time and effort into these comments will pay off for you over the years.
2. Study Your Audience In-Depth
Knowing your audience will help shape your marketing strategies. You can hit the Insights tab on a business Instagram account to gain access to more information about your audience’s demographics and activity.
When you access this information, it’ll show you the age of your followers, where they’re located, and their gender.
Spend some time browsing through some of your followers’ Instagram feeds. This will help you understand the interests and thought processes of the people that like your brand.
Take it a step further by drumming up Direct Message (DM) conversations to learn more about some of your followers.
The information they share with you will explain why they decided to become a follower and what they appreciate most about your content.
3. Optimize Your Smartphone’s Camera
The camera you use will dictate a lot about your success or failure on Instagram. So keep an eye on the specs of the newest phones as they’re released to help you figure out when it’s time to make an upgrade.
Today, many smartphones feature 20 MP, shoot 4K video, have 2x optical zoom and 5x hybrid zoom, and feature large hard drives and cloud storage to hold it all. You also need to consider the phone’s battery life so that you can do extensive posting whenever you’re out and about.
New phones aside, make sure you’re also finding ways to get the best performance from your current setup. This means tweaking the exposure, autofocus, photo style, contrast, and high dynamic range (HDR) settings.
You can also install third-party camera apps that use sophisticated settings to get higher-quality photos.
4. Decide on a Useful Theme
The theme is everything when you’re looking into building up your Instagram feed. There are no theme settings on the platform. Instead, you build your theme through conscious decisions that create continuity and appeal with each post.
Choose a theme that is on-brand and that furthers your mission and message. The theme should be visually appealing and strengthen your chosen photography style choice.
If you get your theme right, you’ll catch people’s attention as they scroll through the feed and have an appealing, deliberate-looking aesthetic.
5. Be Cognizant of Your Color Use
The color schemes that you choose should also serve as a reflection of your brand. If your brand is bright and cheery, you’ll likely use different shades of yellow, eggshell, or even tropical colors.
Tech-oriented brands are likely to go with more neutral colors. If your brand is related to health and wellness, you’ll likely use green or other hues that denote life and vibrancy.
Your choice in color creates the psychological response that you’re seeking from your viewer. This choice coordinates your feed in a way that makes it pain-free and easy to skim.
6. Learn How to Frame and Crop
Build your photography skill set and proficiency to get better results. This means getting intentional about how you frame and crop every photo you take.
Your ability to focus on the photo’s subject helps you direct your viewer’s eyes to important points within the frame, makes the best use of space, and creates balance for all your photos. In addition, framing and cropping are critical when using text or effects on an image.
Learning some basic graphic design principles will change how you take photos and use Instagram as a whole.
7. Choose and Use Filters Consistently
Filters are one of the best tools that Instagram provides. These filters change the color, shade, and presentation of your photos so that you can create any mood.
A few examples of built-in Instagram filters and features include Juno, Walden, Clarendon, and X-Pro. Familiarize yourself with the benefits of each filter before deciding which one best fits your aesthetic.
Once you decide on the filter you like, try to use it consistently. Your viewers will appreciate a uniform aesthetic.
Create a Top-Notch Instagram Feed
Your Instagram feed gives you an incredible web presence when you use it in a meaningful way.
When you master Instagram, you really have a chance to capture the attention of users. Eventually, you can monetize this attention, building your brand and creating a sustainable small business.
We can help you learn more about using Instagram and other social media platforms. Browse our other articles when you’re ready to become a social media influencer or take your small business marketing to the next level.
