So, at the beginning of the year I made a social media action plan – in a nutshell, divide and conquer. The first part of the year I’m concentrating on Instagram. My follower number is vaguely respectable, but my engagement is terrible. Very few likes and barely any comments – why? Anyway – it’s been a month, and here’s my Instagram action plan, which includes advice from bloggers already killing it on the platform and my own four golden rules for Instagram!
I’ve been reading lots of posts about Instagram (and pinning them of course – check out my board!) and asking other bloggers for their tips and tricks. Here are some of my favourite tips:
“Using stories is a great way to share stuff without spamming on your main feed. It’s also a great way to engage with your audience” – Twinderelmo
“Consider what you’re posting and work on posting some really great images. Follow and engage with people in your field, get to know (and be part of) that community. Encourage and support others where you can, quite often it will be reciprocated. Work on your hashtags – follow the big accounts in your field and check out what hashtags they use. And enjoy it” – The Daisy Pages
“I think the best advice is to be consistent. Doesn’t matter what or when but that you actually do” – Mummy In A Tutu
“My advice is to do your own thing. I try to forget what everyone else is doing and just focus on sharing consistently good quality photos.” Five Little Doves
All good advice, but I like to see things in method and stages. So, here is what I’ve learnt from what I’ve read in the ways of actually formulating an Instagram Action Plan!
1: Use all the hashtags. ALL OF THEM. YES THIRTY. A ballache, but they are free advertising of your picture to the people who might like it. And then follow you. The general consensus seems to be search through relevant hashtags, looking for ones with less than 5,000 posts. That way you don’t disappear straight away in the reams and reams of pictures tagged, for example, #love (1,240,830,085 pictures when I just checked. It will be more now!) EDIT: Lot of advice is now saying just five or six pertinent hashtags (bloody algorithm) so my advice now is experiment with this number if the full whack doesn’t seem to be going places – but rule no2 is where the good happens regardless.
2: Engage with the hashtag ‘communities’. These are your people, they want to share your stuff and boost you – but you need to get in there and get chatting with them first. Don’t tag and run!
3: Only post a picture you love, and one that fits what you are about. You can go for themes/brand colours only, which looks amazing. but making sure you only post gorgeous, well planned images is a rule of thumb.
4: Use your stories. If you have a strict theme, or vibe, then stories are where you get to be you and post that picture of your dog being a doofus or your wild-from-the-rain hairstyle and candid snaps that don’t quite make the feed. Tag other bloggers too – get the chat going. It all helps!
So for the last week I have been sticking to this plan – and I’ve definitely seen a small improvement. I’ve gone from less than 10 likes to nearly 50 per photo, and instead of losing followers I’ve gained 20. Baby steps!
Really great tips, I love Instagram and it is the place I waste the most time as I can not resist watching stories and also looking at so many gorgeous feeds. I wouldn’t say I have a theme, I just snap and share everyday things I am up to or pretty things I see, but I wouldn’t share photos that I think are below average standard.
I am not on Instagram, or Facebook, I think because they involve a lot of photo sharing and it isn’t something I feel comfortable sharing. I take so many photos and I am very fussy about them, but due to being stalked by the person who abused me I am scared to go on them. #abloggingggodtime
Good tips. Instagram is by far my favourite social network. I love seeing what everyone else is posting. #ablogginggoodtime
Great tips – I really need to up my Instagram game. My feed has been mostly (actually, completely) neglected for ages now. It would help if I actually posted regularly and, you know, engaged with people. I know what I need to do, but as Katie Tutu says, the most important thing is to just do it. #ablogginggoodtime
Very interesting post, thanks! I’ve not thought of commenting and sharing through Instastories. A great tip! x
Well done! I really need to start posting on Instagram again
I’m trying to learn the ways of the Instagram, so your post is timely for me! Thank you!
I struggle with Instagram to be honest because I don’t have the time it needs. I’m hoping when we have longer days and more sunshine, I can rengage with some of the followers I’ve built up but it is really tricky. I much prefer Twitter as it’s so instant. #ablogginggiidtime
This is something I need to work on. Got to build up my followers. I will try the hashtag trick! #ablogginggoodtime
Love a good plan! Think il be taking on some of that advice you shared- thanks! #ablogginggoodtime
Sounds like improvement then which is good! This seems like sensible steps. I thought the comments from other bloggers was very interesting. #ablogginggoodtime xx
Great plan, I need to up my instagame but photography isn’t my thing. Need to schedule some photography time and plan content I think #abloggingoodtime
I am feeling really frustrated with my Instagram – I had really good growth when I first set up but now I’ve been stuck at the same number of followers for months. Everytime I think I’m making some progress, people unfollow me and I’m back at the start again. Grrr! I have to admit, though, that I didn’t even know it was a “thing” to join in with hashtag communities – I always just used the hashtags. Obviously I like & comment on the photos that appear in my feed, but I’ve never actively looked through a hashtag list. I will try that 🙂 #ablogginggoodtime
I don’t even know how to join hashtag communities. I just use the hashtag but regardless, I like the way I do things on my Instagram. I’m just not that into gaining as many followers as possible because for one, it never leads to anyone reading my blog so it’s a waste of time in my opinion. However, I do enjoy Instagram for the photo sharing. I have gained several followers in just the last few weeks so I’m not complaining. I use various hashtags as well because not all of my photos pertain to the same category so I just enjoy Instagram for what it is and I don’t sweat the small stuff. #ablogginggoodtime
Enjoy your journey on Instagram. #ablogginggoodtime