“If you’re not paying for it, you are the product.” I’m not sure how many people are fully aware of this sentiment yet or whether they even care but in this digital age we have sacrificed our privacy in order to access all manner of free stuff on the internet. And Instagram isn’t exempted.
As an Influencer or a general user of Instagram, we are all rewarded with a higher engagement rate for doing certain things on the app. Instagram makes their money from advertisers who get their products in front of our eyes using specific targeting tools which identify a potential customer based on our internet usage. So the more time people spend on Instagram, the more chances of a successful advert.
How to Increase Engagement
Use All Available Features
Gone are the days when a static feed post got the most likes and comments. We are not even that concerned about likes and comments now because the number of times a post is shared or saved says more about the type of content you are creating. Use stories that were designed to make your interaction with your followers more personable. Create IGTV videos for those who don’t really want to watch YouTube videos but want a bit more info on the product you are using or the service you are providing. Find a way to make a one minute video interesting and or informative. From time to time, go LIVE. Make use of stickers. Create carousel posts. Create reels and have fun.
Create Engaging, Sharable Content
The more interactive and engaging your content is, the more likely people are to share and save it. Using carousel posts is one way to keep people going through your posts for longer, the more they are likely to save it for future reference or share it for their followers and friends to see it too. The more people spend time on the app, the more money Instagram is likely to make and the more engagement you are likely to get.
Engage With Others
We’ve already established that social networks benefit from the amount of time we spend on their apps so they reward us with higher engagement rates when you spend more time on their app. Engaging with other people’s content is one way of spending more time on the app but you could also be saving inspiration for your own work or simply scrolling through the explore page.
Use Stickers
Stickers are the easiest way to increase your story views. At least try to include them in your daily posting schedule.
Use the Latest Feature
At the moment reels are being pushed out by Instagram because they were released as a competitor to TikTok so the more reels you create the better chance you have at increasing your engagement as well as your following.
Follow me on Instagram for more tips, @vchilimanzi
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