For you Instagram users, every time after posting a video or photo, you want to know whether the video or photo you posted is liked by your followers, commented on, and shared by followers. Back and forth you check likes and how many times your videos are played and your photos are viewed. This step is also done not only by ordinary users but more by influencers, celebrities, and brands to see how far the audience likes and how effective and successful a campaign they run.
For this reason, Instagram or other social media facilitates users with metrics that measure the level of interaction between social media users and uploaded content or engagement. Instagram engagement can be measured by the number of interactions such as likes, comments, shares, views, reposts, saves, and clicks on the link. Instagram engagement is an important indicator of the success of the content created.
The higher the engagement rate, the more likely the content will be seen by others, and the reach will be wider and deeper. Instagram engagement can also help increase visibility and brand engagement, foster brand loyalty, provide valuable feedback, improve algorithm work, drive conversions and business success, and become one of the digital marketing strategies to increase sales. Instagram Engagement Rate is calculated by the formula ER = (Total engagements per post: Total followers) x 100.
For that, let's discuss ways and tricks to increase engagement so that your posts can get more likes, shares, and comments, and promotion is achieved.
1. Know Your Audience
The first step to increase engagement is to understand who your audience is. You don't have to worry because Instagram has a tool at your disposal, which is a platform analytics tool to collect data about your followers' demographics, interests, and behavior. This information will help you create content that resonates with your target audience.
On Instagram, you can check your demographics in the "Followers" section of Instagram Insights. This tool provides detailed information about your audience, including age, gender, location, and uptime.
In Meta Business Suite, you can access audience insights through the Insights tab in the menu and then select the "Audience" tab. This section provides detailed information about your audience, including demographics such as age, gender and location.
2. Present a High-Quality and Interesting Photo or Video
Define your unique haya and personality as your identity and niche. Give an initial hook that makes your viewers stop and decide to continue watching or viewing your photos. This is because you only have a few seconds to grab people's attention as they scroll through feeds on various social media platforms.
Make sure your photos or videos have a good element of creativity and give a pleasant impression so that the audience continues to decide to watch your video or photo.
If you don't have a professional camera, don't be sad, because nowadays many cellphone cameras are supported by good technological developments. If editing is required, then use good applications available in the smartphone app store.
3. Consistently Post Photos or Videos
Consistency is one of the important keys in achieving the expected engagement rate. By providing a variety of content on a regular basis, users will find it easier to find out information about the brand, products, or services offered. This helps maintain your presence in your followers feeds and build consistent brand awareness.
An important point to note is the posting time you set, because the right time can maximize the level of engagement you get. To determine the right posting time, do an analysis through Instagram's insight feature. By knowing when your users are most active on Instagram, you can set an appropriate posting schedule.For example, during the day after lunch, in the afternoon after working hours, or in the evening before break time.
Choosing the right posting time helps increase the chances of your content being seen and interacted with by more users. However, if the content is uploaded at an inappropriate time, it is likely to get less attention. So you can create a content posting schedule to help you upload content regularly and be more organized and purposeful in presenting content to users.
4. Using Relevant Hashtags
Don't neglect hashtags. Hashtags play an important role in increasing the visibility of content on Instagram. They allow users to find content based on the specific topic or interest they are searching for. When using hashtags, make sure to use ones that are relevant to your content and field.
Find out popular hashtags related to your niche and use them strategically in posts. Proper use of hashtags will help you reach a wider audience and attract new followers.
5. Create Questions and Prompts and Answer Followers Questions
This is very influential in the interaction between you and your followers, engage your followers with questions and invitations. When sharing posts, ask interesting questions or polls to provoke responses from your followers. This will spark discussions and make your followers feel more connected to you.
Also, provide clear prompts, such as “Tag your friends who will love this” or “Give us your thoughts in the comments.” These prompts will stimulate followers to actively participate and increase your engagement.
Don't ignore followers or non-followers comments on your posts, this is the first sign that they are interested in your posts. Be responsive to build a strong and authentic relationship. If you show care and responsibility towards your followers, they will feel valued and encouraged to continue interacting with you.
6. Encourage User-Generated Content
According to a study on the post-pandemic shift, user-generated content (UGC) has 8.7 times stronger appeal than influencer content and 6.6 times more persuasive than branded content. UGC is definitely a great way to increase engagement while building trust.
Invite your followers to share photos or stories featuring your products and repost the best posts. It's also a smart way to keep your content fresh and consistent without the pressure of constantly coming up with new ideas.
7. Leverage Partnerships with Influencers
As mentioned above, the symbiotic partnership between influencers and brands is very helpful in increasing engagement. Partnering with an influencer is like getting a backstage pass to meet a new audience. If the fit is right, the results can be magical.
8. Run Contests and Giveaways
Who doesn't love free stuff? Contests and giveaways are a surefire way to increase engagement. For new businesses, they are especially effective in growing your following.
A typical contest might ask participants to follow your business page, like a post, comment on what they like about the product, and share the post or tag a friend. Those are direct requests for engagement.
In addition to the above 8 points, social media engagement metrics that you should track and pay attention to are engagement rate, reach, impressions, click-through rate, shares, comments, mentions, and follower growth rate.
Conclusion
When it comes to increasing Instagram engagement, consistency, rigor, and patience are essential. You can't rely on luck. Social media engagement is not magic, it requires strategy, consistency, and a deep understanding of your audience, conducting and encouraging interactions, and consistently monitoring your performance closely.
Keep in mind social media is constantly evolving, so stay flexible and be prepared to adjust your strategy as needed. Keep experimenting, keep measuring, and most importantly, keep engaging!
