Are you interested in procuring a greater following through social media? The following tips will be invaluable as you look to make your mark!
- Have a photo theme.
When people stumble upon your account and start to look through your images, you need to make sure you have content that draws them in and keeps them there. If you are able to create a photo theme, that definitely helps with this goal.
How do you come up with a theme? Think about how you want your account to make other people feel or what you want them to think about when they are on your page. What words come to mind? Those words can help you select images that are related to your overall theme. The hardest part is making sure you continue with your theme as time goes on!
- Come up with a recognizable hashtag.
One way to inspire a sense of community is to come up with a hashtag that is all your own and has something to do with your niche. It is very important to first search to ensure that your hashtag is unique. You do not want to be confused with someone else’s account!
Once you’ve settled on a hashtag, begin to share it and ask your followers to do the same. As your hashtag catches on, there are a lot of ways that you can increase communication and interaction with your followers, further promoting a sense of community. For example, when someone attaches your hashtag to their image, you can re-post that image. Don’t forget to give your follower a shout out! You suddenly have a lot more content available to you, and it gives your followers a thrill when you notice them in such a public way.
- Get discovered through photo interaction.
It’s not enough to just follow other accounts in your niche. Search for photos that you like and that have something to do with your target market. Make sure to interact with these images; liking them and leaving a meaningful comment will draw attention to your own account. This is a simple way to increase the amount of followers that you have, and it is also a way to ensure that many of your followers are interested in the same things that you are. Take a look at instant Instagram likes services from Socialshaft.
When you find an account that you like, spend some time looking through it. Select your favorite images (you want to interact with more than just one or two, but don’t go too crazy) and like them. Make sure you are also following the account, and leave a comment or two as well. Again, you don’t want to go overboard, but you do want to do enough to get noticed. If you are having trouble finding other users in your niche, use a hashtag search to help you.
- Communicate with others.
If a follower leaves you a comment, do your best to either respond or to interact with that comment in some way (by “liking” it, for example). Spend some time each day commenting on other accounts as well. Make sure your comments are meaningful and are aimed at inspiring further dialogue.
- Make a “story.”
Instagram stories are a relatively new feature, but many users find them extremely engaging. Rather than taking the time to scroll through a feed, watching a story is a quick and easy way to stay up to date. Utilize this feature on Instagram by creating quick, meaningful content that your followers will enjoy. With this sort of internet marketing you can show off a new product or talk about something amusing that happened to you. A sound bite or a short poll are both great options as well.
- Hold a giveaway.
Everyone likes to win prizes! Hold a contest to encourage interaction and engagement. You can ask followers to re-post an image and use a specific hashtag. You can ask them to go to one of your other social media sites and either follow you or like one of your posts. Get creative and have fun!
