How to create engaging instagram content

4 Tips for Engaging Instagram Content [Examples]

As a marketer, you might have noticed how traditional advertising is less effective. Even mobile ads are disliked by 70% of users. What can you do to effectively connect your products to your audience?

Instagram is a good answer. Its audience has grown rapidly, totaling over 800 million (increasing 200 million between July and September 2017 alone). And, according to Social Media Today, referrals from Instagram “spend the longest time on e-commerce sites with an average duration of 192 seconds, which is almost double Facebook and triple Pinterest.”

Referrals from @Instagram spend longest time on e-commerce sites w/ ave duration of 192 sec. @socialmedia2day Click To Tweet

Which types of Instagram content work best? Consider these opportunities and be inspired by the examples.

TIP: The first step in a successful Instagram strategy is to know your audience members so you can create relevant content for them.

HANDPICKED RELATED CONTENT: How to Outperform Fortune 500 Brands on Instagram [Research]

1. Leverage user-generated content

One of the best ways to achieve maximum reach and engagement is creating content that encourages your viewers to create their user-generated posts featuring your product or message.

One successful example of this approach is the Instagram campaign conducted by Australia-based beauty brand Frank Body to promote its coffee ground-based body scrub. It hired a team of influencers with highly engaged audiences to showcase the product in creative ways. Each post included “#Let’sBeFrank” or “#TheFrankEffect.” The bold content encouraged users to post their own images of the coffee scrub using those hashtags.

25K+ Instagram users generated dirty images & promoted @frank_bod’s coffee-based scrub. @shane_barker Click To Tweet

The results? Over 25,000 user-generated images posted to Instagram and 350,000 followers in 12 months.

2. Create a contest

Running a contest to give away some products always attracts users’ interest. It’s even more powerful when you incorporate user-generated content into the contest. Use a hashtag that encapsulates your message or captures the viewer’s attention enough to make them want to create content and promote the giveaway.

The Body Shop created an incredibly catchy hashtag – #HealthyMoment – to promote its new Fuji Green Tea products. It urged people to create content showing their “healthy moments” throughout the day and to participate in the giveaway.

Do @Instagram hashtag contest that means more than your product like @TheBodyShop #HealthyMoment. @shane_barker Click To Tweet

The results? The brand received over 50,000 “likes” and saw a 200% increase in engagement. It reached 225,000 people through this single giveaway.

HANDPICKED RELATED CONTENT: Instagram Marketing: 4 Features You Should Be Using [Examples]

3.

Show the application of your product

To create engaging content on Instagram, show users how to use your products in their life. Consumers like to get ideas and see what products fit with yours so keep your content as actionable as possible.

To create engaging #content on @Instagram, show users how to use your products in their life. @shane_barker Click To Tweet

It’s been popular in the fashion industry, as retailers show a clothing item within the context of an outfit, a certain look, or a striking combination. One example is ASOS, which posts seasonally relevant outfits to Instagram. In this image, ASOS shows a back-to-school outfit using the hashtag #OOTD (outfit of the day).

The results? ASOS received over 32,200 “likes” and 248 comments for this single post.

A good example of an influencer showing products in use is grey_acuna, who often posts images of several products in the same scenario. Here, he showcases a bag from Lo & Sons, an outfit from Lululemon, and sunglasses from Ray-Ban. His post has received over 700 “likes.”

Food is a popular category on Instagram. And if your products are related to food at all, consider creating dishes and posting recipes. This gives a twist to the show-your-product tip because you (or the poster) make something.

One great example is from the influencer daisybeet who promoted Siggi’s, a natural yogurt brand. She put together a delicious breakfast of yummy grapefruit, blueberries, oats, and a bunch of other super-healthy foods that I can’t pronounce.

The results? Her post received 2,965 “likes” and reached a new audience for Siggi’s that it didn’t have access to.

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4. Tell a story

Creating a story with your product engages consumers and creates a compelling reason for them to click on your site and start shopping.

This strategy works for pretty much any product category.

For example, charity: water uses storytelling to describe the communities benefiting from its clean water initiatives around the world. This Instagram post shows a community in Malawi that now has clean water because of the nonprofit’s project.

Being open and telling your brand story is a good way to build your online community. Posting images reflecting your behind-the-scenes work helps illustrate your values. Most importantly, it provides a way for consumers to better understand your company and to connect with your product.

Being open & telling your brand story is a good way to build an online community, says @shane_barker. Click To Tweet

Apolis is a socially motivated lifestyle brand that creates products from natural ingredients and gives back to native communities around the world. It even posts to Instagram an image of the executive team discussing its next initiative. Note that it uses the text to explain how the viewer can further engage and connect with the members of that team.

Grace & Lace, a clothing retailer that appeared on ABC’s Shark Tank, has built a community of 61,000 followers on Instagram.

How does the brand get those followers engaged? The secret is every post tells a story. They use models and other people instead of mannequins. They share stories about their family and take viewers behind the scenes.

If you make your content relatable and tell stories, then users will connect with your brand and have a positive experience before they ever see your site.

HANDPICKED RELATED CONTENT: How 3 Serious Brands Engage Humanly on Social Media

Recap

Instagram offers a great opportunity to make your brand stand out – if you use it well and:

Leverage user-generated content.
Create a giveaway contest.
Show the application of your product; create a recipe or composition.
Tell your story.

Each one of these strategies is a powerful way to maximize your reach, engagement, and conversions on Instagram.

Don’t limit yourself to a single type of post or the same type of content. Try different ones to see what works best for your audience and your brand.

Do you have any questions or Instagram marketing tips to add? Please share them in the comments.

HANDPICKED RELATED CONTENT: Road Map to Success: Creating the Content of Your Audience’s Dreams

Let’s meet IRL and share the Content Marketing World fun on Instagram. Join us Sept. 4-7 in Cleveland, Ohio, for the world’s largest content marketing event. Register today and use code BLOG100 to save $100.

Cover image by Joseph Kalinowski/Content Marketing Institute

9 Tips for Creating Engaging Content for Instagram, Consistently

Creating engaging content is at the heart of what every influencer does. It sounds straightforward, but we all know that it can be pretty tricky to maintain for long stretches, especially when the platform is constantly evolving.

Five years ago it was easy to make it big on Instagram: post at the right time, use hashtags, and try to be featured on bigger creators’ accounts. But when the algorithm changed, all that flew out the window.

Now, there’s no one key to finding success on Instagram. But what we do know is that consistently posting high-quality content that inspires your followers is imperative. So here are nine things to keep in mind when you’re trying to boost your Instagram engagement.

@katherinedorrington for Rhicreative

1. Plan your content

Set aside some time each month to brainstorm and come up with content ideas. Maybe you want to scroll through your IG or Pinterest for inspiration, and jot down the main themes of the posts you have in mind. Not everything has to be a killer idea either—you can do a bulk brain dump of ideas and then just pick and choose the ones you’re most drawn to later.

It will help to also keep a note of any upcoming events or holidays that you can create content around, and categorise your post ideas into timely and evergreen.

2. Track (and engage with) your analytics

There’s no point putting hours and hours into creating content if you forget about it the second you post it. Tracking the performance of your posts and your account is essential for success on social media. You need to know what resonates with your audience, because if they’re not engaging, it’ll be impossible to grow your channel.

You can use the built-in ‘Insights’ section on Instagram to see which of your posts have over-performed, and let those guide your future content. If you’ve posted a video that has received a much higher engagement rate than your photos, then you know that video content is an avenue you should explore.

3. Prep your posts ahead of time

It’s not as simple as just opening up the app and posting a random photo whenever you feel like it. Calendars are key and allow you to schedule your upcoming posts at least a week in advance—but a month is recommended. It’ll show you how everything will look together on your feed, and you can make sure timely content is going out amid your evergreen posts.

Posting frequency is important here. You’ll ideally be posting four to five times a week if possible, so use a scheduling tool like Buffer, Hootsuite, or Later to sort out your content calendar, and you’ll find life gets a whole lot easier.

@stepheats_ for Milk Lab Co

4. Be sure your content is top notch

Instagram is such a visual platform and there's so much out there for you to compete against so stand-out content is crucial. Invest time into making sure you’re sharing the best-quality images and videos possible.

Ensure you’ve got good lighting (or are an editing wiz), interesting poses or angles, and varied content so that your grid doesn’t all look the same. You don’t need fancy equipment—a lot of the best creator content is produced using only a smartphone—but here are our personal tips for crafting content that pops.

5.Diversify your content

You can only post so many selfies and #ootd content before it gets old. Some of the best Instagram creators publish many different types of content to their feeds, and experiment to see what works best.

Use an online tool like Canva to create quote cards or informative slideshows that your followers can share to their Stories; and don’t be afraid to experiment with Reels and IGTV, rather than just static image posts. It pays to get creative!

6. Give your content a helping hand

Ultimately, you want to make sure your content is getting in front of the right people. This can be done by using hashtags, tagging relevant brands and accounts, and even adding location tags to your images.

Also be sure that your Instagram name and bio are geared for SEO, by putting essential keywords in the name section.

@anniesbucketlist for Casemate

7. Post regularly

You want to remain at the top of your audience’s minds—and feeds—and the only way to do that is to be consistent. Set yourself a posting schedule and stick to it.

Stories are a great way to maximise your potential and are becoming increasingly important for growing your account, with around 500 million people engaging with Stories every day. That’s half of Instagram’s users!

If, for whatever reason, you can’t post for a few days, let your followers know ahead of time. Tell your audience where you've been; you’ll be surprised at how far transparency and communication goes.

8. Focus on building a community

Follower count and engagement rates are important metrics, but you should really be focusing on the kind of community you’re building. The more you nurture your relationships with your followers—by asking questions, uploading Stories and replying to comments and DM's—the more your audience will trust you and see you as an authentic part of their lives. This quality is something that brands look for when choosing influencers to partner with.

9. Set yourself up for brand partnerships

Make it easy for brands to reach out if they're interested in partnering with you. Try to make sure your Instagram is verified (read this if you don’t know how) and that you’ve upgraded your account to a Creator account (here’s how!). This also unlocks Instagram’s analytics tools we mentioned above.

Make sure you’re easily contactable by having your email in your bio or accessible via the “email” button on your profile. Remember: If you have any dream brands you want to work with, start featuring them in your posts and tagging them; It might just be the “in” you need!

TRIBE helps creators like you find brands you want to work with. You know... those brands that you already use and love! Don’t believe us? Check out the heap of brand campaigns in our app right now and see just how many tickle your fancy.

Instagram Engagement Post 2021: Best Examples

Engagement Post is a post aimed at generating active feedback from followers and increasing profile engagement.

Now I will list the obvious profits that a brand or blogger receives through such publications. And below are cool ideas for engaging posts.

Firstly, an engaging post cheats the Instagram algorithms: the more reaction to it, the higher it will appear in the feed. Secondly, such publications arouse interest in the blog and increase the trust of readers. Thirdly, engaging content increases brand awareness and attracts new audiences. And, fourthly, based on the response to such publications, you can analyze and draw up a portrait of your target audience. nine0003

COMPONENTS OF AN ENGAGING POST

Now for some theory and some useful information about what Instagram engagement posts should look like.

1. The structure of the post

I suggest you use the classic AIDA win-win formula: Attention (attention), Interest (interest), Desire (desire), Action (action).

I decipher: first of all, we attract the attention of the audience - we write a bright headline, then we arouse interest, for example, we write news or a fact on the topic, then we develop the topic in more detail and, in fact, then we move on to the main part: we invite the audience to take an action, for example, answer question. Done, you are amazing! nine0003

2. Target audience analysis

Before writing an engaging post, be sure to analyze your target audience: in order to get the maximum response, the publication must meet the interests and needs of subscribers. The content, of course, should be within the scope of the blog, even if it is suggested to "just chat" in the comments, the visual and eyeliner in the post should not stand out from the general context.

3. Relevance of content

Of course, you don't need to post all the freshest memes in a row, but outdated ones won't give a response either. The simplest and most common option is seasonal publications: for example, dedicated to the New Year holidays. nine0003

4. Stylistics

Light writing style: text should be simple and easy to read. It is better to break long phrases into several short sentences, the text as a whole into paragraphs. Add emoji to grab attention, but don't overdo it.

5. Visual

I will not repeat that pictures (photos, illustrations, etc.) must be original and of high quality, I will only point out a couple of nuances: firstly, they must be bright and eye-catching, and secondly, they must reflect the content of the post, especially if a mini-game, quiz, or riddle is offered. By the way, posts with a carousel, as a rule, hold the reader's attention for the time it takes to view all the pictures. nine0003

By the way, if writing texts is difficult, read our article about ready-made posts for Instagram.

Tips for ATTRACTING SUBSCRIBERS

Now I will tell you about proven ways to attract subscribers. Or to have someone, in fact, to involve and, in general, launch the account promotion mechanism.

— Quality content

If there is no content, there will be no audience. Let me remind you by what criteria the attractiveness of a blog for subscribers (and for advertisers) is evaluated:

Shaped profile. Memorable avatar, filled in information about yourself, if necessary - contacts;
Visual. Original photographs or illustrations; sustained style - at least the same presets for all photos, as well as, of course, icons for pinned stories;
Texts. Competent, intelligible, written in simple understandable language. Of course, they must be unique;
Variety of content. nine0056 Photos, photo carousels, video content, stories, etc. A pre-compiled content plan will help with the organization;

Regular posting. To always be in front of subscribers. Experiment with the posting time and choose the optimal one;

A seasoned blog theme. Do not interfere with work moments with personal ones: for personal it is better to start a separate blog.

— Cheat

You heard right. Yes, you can use the cheat of subscribers and likes, but very carefully and only at the beginning of promoting your profile. nine0003
I do not recommend winding up some huge numbers: firstly, it looks implausible, and secondly, it will have a bad effect on the engagement rate on your blog.

Related:
Comments on Instagram: from real people + how to wind up

By the way, do not forget to periodically clean up subscribers from bots - even if a small, but lively and active audience will bring much more than hundreds of "dead souls".

— Mutual PR

Classic and free way to attract new audience to your blog. VP is a mutually beneficial collaboration of bloggers of equal reach and engagement with a similar target audience. nine0003
Mutual PR with direct competitors makes sense if the partners are located in different geographic locations. Well, or if we are talking about non-commercial or creative accounts. In general, the VP has many formats and nuances, they wrote about everything in the article.

Related:
Mutual PR on Instagram 2021: what is it + how to spend it Also check out his blog stats and check for cheats. Decide on the format: it can be both a post and a story with a live story about you. nine0003
Form a clear TOR of what exactly you would like to see in the advertisement. But leave the blogger enough freedom, so the recommendation will turn out as natural as possible. Do not forget that native blog advertising works much more efficiently than direct advertising.

- Targeted ads

Or ads targeted at the target audience of the blog. On Instagram, the target can be launched both in the feed and in stories. Just switch your profile to a business account first.

The target can be launched both directly from the application and via Facebook - the latter, of course, provides more settings. nine0003
Instagram offers auto-targeting, but I would still recommend that you analyze your target audience, its pains and needs, and set up ads based on these data. And, of course, you can always contact a targetologist to ensure that your ad hits the target.

Helper services to increase engagement

I have compiled a small selection of useful services that will help you promote your account and, accordingly, increase your engagement rate. nine0003
The cost is indicated for a month, but if you buy a subscription for a longer period, then the services provide discounts. In addition, be aware that some sites automatically connect a paid subscription after the trial period. So if you decide that the service does not suit you, cancel your subscription.
nine0635 From 99 ₽ ("INSCALE" discount 30%)

Service Cost (per month) Free access Tasks

Instahero No - Cleaning subscriptions from bots, inactive users and commercial accounts;
- Removing spam;
- Profile protection.

Zengram 1190 ₽ (“INSCALEPROMO” 20% discount) Test for 1 rub - Parsing;
- Promotion;
- Activity boost.

livedune from 400 ₽ (“INSCALE” 30% discount + 7 days free) Yes - Account Analytics;
- Monitoring comments;
- Autoposting.

Bosslike Free Yes Cheat likes, subscribers

SMMplanner 450 ₽ Yes - Autoposting;
- Image editor;
- Account Protection

in brief

I hope that the above ideas of engaging posts will inspire you to promote your account. But of course, for the successful development of the profile of one such publication is not enough, shoot it at least once a week.

And finally, one more piece of advice. Periodically visit the accounts of large companies for new ideas. Monitor and analyze their pages, borrow effective features and do not repeat mistakes. By the way, we have a whole article about it.

Related:
Analysis of competitors in the IG: rating of 10 services + 15 metrics

Instagram Engagement Post 2021: Best Examples

Engagement Post is a post aimed at generating active feedback from followers and increasing profile engagement.

Now I will list the obvious profits that a brand or blogger receives through such publications. And below are cool ideas for engaging posts.

Firstly, an engaging post cheats the Instagram algorithms: the more reaction to it, the higher it will appear in the feed. Secondly, such publications arouse interest in the blog and increase the trust of readers. Thirdly, engaging content increases brand awareness and attracts new audiences. And, fourthly, based on the response to such publications, you can analyze and draw up a portrait of your target audience. nine0003
COMPONENTS OF AN ENGAGING POST

Now for some theory and some useful information about what Instagram engagement posts should look like.

1. The structure of the post

I suggest you use the classic AIDA win-win formula: Attention (attention), Interest (interest), Desire (desire), Action (action).

I decipher: first of all, we attract the attention of the audience - we write a bright headline, then we arouse interest, for example, we write news or a fact on the topic, then we develop the topic in more detail and, in fact, then we move on to the main part: we invite the audience to take an action, for example, answer question. Done, you are amazing! nine0003
2. Target audience analysis

Before writing an engaging post, be sure to analyze your target audience: in order to get the maximum response, the publication must meet the interests and needs of subscribers. The content, of course, should be within the scope of the blog, even if it is suggested to "just chat" in the comments, the visual and eyeliner in the post should not stand out from the general context.

3. Relevance of content

Of course, you don't need to post all the freshest memes in a row, but outdated ones won't give a response either. The simplest and most common option is seasonal publications: for example, dedicated to the New Year holidays. nine0003
4. Stylistics

Light writing style: text should be simple and easy to read. It is better to break long phrases into several short sentences, the text as a whole into paragraphs. Add emoji to grab attention, but don't overdo it.

5. Visual

I will not repeat that pictures (photos, illustrations, etc.) must be original and of high quality, I will only point out a couple of nuances: firstly, they must be bright and eye-catching, and secondly, they must reflect the content of the post, especially if a mini-game, quiz, or riddle is offered. By the way, posts with a carousel, as a rule, hold the reader's attention for the time it takes to view all the pictures. nine0003
By the way, if writing texts is difficult, read our article about ready-made posts for Instagram.

TOP Engaging Content Ideas

I have collected obvious (and not so obvious) post ideas for you. For convenience, I divided them into several categories, but they are rather conditional - in most cases, you can combine several ideas in one post. For example, posting a funny "life" picture and asking subscribers a question in the text of the post - in general, you will see everything for yourself in the examples of engaging posts below. nine0003
1. Questions for readers

Probably the most classic and obvious way to invite readers to a dialogue is to ask them a question or encourage discussion on a given topic.

1.1. Open question

Does your brand have a birthday? Reach out to your followers to share their memories or experiences with him. In the example below, they are asked to share congratulations in order to involve not only the part of the audience that used the services of the company, but also other users. nine0003
Life hack. Make the tone of the text friendly and conducive to conversation. Just imagine that you are talking with good friends in a relaxed atmosphere, but without too much familiarity - write like that.

1.2. Blogger as a listener

Everything is extremely simple here: invite your subscribers to share their dreams, ideas, opinions with you. It is desirable, of course, that it was about pleasant things.

Lifehack . Before calling readers to tell a story, write about your own experience or feelings about it. Firstly, readers will have before their eyes an example of what they are asked for, which will additionally motivate them. nine0003
And secondly, here you can deftly enter unobtrusive advertising of your product. A post consisting only of a beautiful picture and a question without eyeliner will work much worse.

1.3. How are you today?

A great way to entertain and engage readers is to choose a "choose yourself" or "what are you today" polls. As a rule, people are happy to participate in them.

Lifehack 1 . Answer options, collected not in one picture, but in a carousel, they will force the reader to pause the scrolling of the feed, hold his attention, and the likelihood of commenting will become higher. nine0003
Life hack 2. A joke poll will get more response: after all, this is entertainment content.

1.4. Or/or

Another easy way to entertain an audience is to ask a question where you have to choose one of two opposite options. Accordingly, you yourself set the form of the answer - subscribers will not have to waste time on unnecessary thinking, so there will be more comments than in posts where a detailed answer is required.

Life hack 1. For variety, offer answers both in text form and in the form of emoji. nine0003
Life hack 2. Such polls will work great not only in the feed, but also in stories - in an interactive yes/no form.

Life hack 3. To increase the likelihood of an answer, make the question simple, relating to everyday life.

1.5. Roll call

Ask subscribers to write, for example, what city they are from or another question that does not require a very meaningful answer.

Lifehack . Roll call as an additional incentive to communicate will fit perfectly into publications where subscribers are invited to get to know each other in the comments. nine0003
2. Subscriber Shared Content

Subscriber Shared Content is the perfect way to engage brands or creative accounts.

2.
1. Customer photos
Buyers often tag brand accounts on publications. ASOS, for example, has been posting photos of followers on their Instagram wearing clothes bought from their website for a long time.

You don't even need to negotiate with bloggers: you get completely free advertising for both the product and the brand. In addition, the brand is "humanized": that is, instead of standard photos from the catalog, subscribers see ordinary people and give a lively response. nine0003
By the way, this works not only with big brands: for example, a stylist or hairdresser can post selfies of clients.

Lifehack . Check your profile marks regularly so you don't miss anything.

2.2. Minute of fame

Trick: encourage followers to create content based on your brand and post the best on your profile. Be sure to compliment the subscriber in the text of the post and ask the audience to share their impressions in the comments. nine0003
Life hack 1. This method can be separated into a separate section (I will discuss the sections below) and provide such publications with a special hashtag. The more channels of engagement you can tap into, the better.

Life hack 2. Surely you have noticed that this way of involvement combines the features of a contest or SFS. What does it mean? Free PR!

3. Contests and sweepstakes

Another win-win option for engaging subscribers and increasing activity in the profile, which does not need comments. nine0003
Life hack 1. Usually the contest organizers ask you to like the publication and leave a comment. But do not forget to specify in the rules to repost the post and save it as bookmarks: this is what Instagram algorithms pay more attention to. The higher the post in the feed, the more people see it, respectively, the greater the involvement. Profit!

Life hack 2. Make the number of comments from one user under the post unlimited, and let the contestants tag their friends. nine0003
Life hack 3. Invite the contestants to post in their stories not only a post about a contest or giveaway, but also, say, their favorite post from your feed.

As advertising

4. Games, riddles, quizzes

Instagram gamification as a way to engage the audience is becoming more and more popular. I will tell you about the most interesting ways - simple and not very.

4.1. Digital board game

A very non-standard way, but you can play with your friends. nine0003
Lifehack . Before launching the game, analyze your target audience. Some methods, no matter how interesting they may be, will not resonate with everyone.

4.2. Guess the number

Can everyone tell fortunes from books? Here is the same principle: a number is guessed and the corresponding prediction, wish, action, etc. is obtained. Extremely simple, but audiences tend to like it.

4.3. Horoscope

Everyone reads horoscopes, even those who do not believe in them and reduce everything to a joke. It can be funny, motivating or inspiring, in general, there is full scope for your imagination. nine0003
Life hack 1. I have already mentioned that a carousel is better than one picture, but there is one more nuance. Feel free to write text directly on the pictures. Firstly, it is beautiful, secondly, it will take more time to scroll through and read, and thirdly, it is easier to read and perceive.

Life hack 2. Let the horoscope match the theme of your blog, as in the example above - the horoscope is compiled by an art materials store and, accordingly, motivates you to be creative and make purchases in this store. nine0003
4.4. Riddles

The main thing here is that the riddle be intriguing: that is, it is not even the correct answer that is more important, but the imagination of the guessers. The more options they leave in the comments, the higher your post will rise in the feed.

Life hack 1. Play on the feeling of passion. May the one who guesses first wins. By the way, the answer does not have to be exact. Sometimes the closest thing to the correct one is enough.

Life hack 2. Brand recognition will be well affected by riddles concerning, for example, the history of the company. nine0003
Life hack 3. Collections of facts about the blogger get a good response, where subscribers must guess which of them are true and which are false.

4.5. Complete the phrase

Have your followers share their thoughts, ideas, or just witty answers with you.

Life hack. The request can be inspiring or humorous, most importantly relevant to your blog. Choose a topic that is simple and understandable to everyone, but it should include a variety of answer options: let readers dream up. nine0003
4.6. Tell a story using emoji

Encourage subscribers to translate the title of a movie, book, or some information about themselves using emoji. Firstly, it's fun, and secondly, the rest of the subscribers, of course, will immediately start guessing.

Life hack. Organize the reverse situation: You offer a set of emoji, and subscribers decode it.

4.7. Tests

Everyone loves simple tests on various topics in which you can somehow identify yourself. nine0003
Lifehack . Encourage subscribers to share their test results in the comments.

5. Flash mobs and challenges

This way of engagement works perfectly for creative accounts, but in general it can be adjusted to any specific activity or brand.

Distinctive features - spontaneity and mass nature of what is happening, as well as involvement works not only vertically (that is, relative to your blog), but also horizontally: participants get to know each other, put likes, subscribe to each other, repost, etc.

Life hack 1. Usually such events are held on an ideological basis, but incentive mechanisms will also work well, for example, repost participants in stories or even choose winners.

Life hack 2. If the promotion has winners, invite subscribers to choose it by voting. For example, assign numbers to participants, and have voters leave the appropriate number in the comments.

Life hack. Optimize your customer interactions on Instagram with MyBotan. The chatbot will automatically respond to messages, save data about the client and his requests. And you can not only choose a ready-made answer template, but also create your own. Agree this will facilitate the work in the social network? Click and test 3 days for free -> MyBotan

6. Product story

Another way to engage your audience is to share your company's inner "kitchen" with them.

6.1. Ideas for using the product

Non-standard and even humorous ideas work especially well. How to fit an object into the interior? How and with what to combine a piece of clothing? In what dishes to use the product? Etc.

Life hack 1. Share how you use the product and invite followers to share other ideas and experiences. nine0003
Life hack 2. Share subscribers' content on using the product. Alternatively, create a separate hashtag for this.

Life hack 3. Go even further and arrange a contest among subscribers for the most original use of the product. Or the most aesthetic. Well, you understand.

6.2. Tell us about your team

Or about the authors of a particular product. People love stories like this, and it's another way to bring the company closer to the reader.

Life hack. Direct speech of company employees or product authors, photos and videos from the backstage - all this will make the publication even more attractive.

6.3. The history of the creation of the product

And also details about it. In the example below, the brand also emphasizes its ethical attitude to work, which also causes positive emotions in readers.

Life hack 1. Write about the product in a living language. No one is interested in reading a dry description of a product from a catalog. By the way, here you can also mention an attractive way of using it. nine0003
Life hack 2. Post product reviews. The audience trusts real people and real experience more.

7. Checklists, tips and life hacks

Useful content of various kinds is always well received by the audience. This includes not only tips, checklists, lists and life hacks, but also, for example, news.

7.1. Lifehacks

Everyone (hopefully) strives to simplify their lives, so useful information is never superfluous.

Life hack 1. Ask the audience to share their own life hacks to complete your list.

Life hack 2. If your blog theme allows, then make a step-by-step tutorial with illustrations of each step in the carousel.

7.2. Checklists

How to equip an elderly person's apartment? What to take with you on vacation? And other useful lists that you can bookmark and keep at hand. Of course, they should correspond to the theme of your blog.

7.3. Recipes

It is clear that publishing recipes is a daily routine for food bloggers, but others are not forbidden to share them either. For example, non-banal offers for the New Year work well.

7.4. Recommendations to subscribers

An important point: You must be an expert or authority in the field in which you give recommendations and advice. Or at least cite authoritative sources.

Life hack 1. A visual visualization of the "how to/how not to" or "right/wrong" variety will work great. nine0003
Life hack 2. Do not ignore commentators who disagree with your recommendations. The hotter the discussion, the more engagement on Instagram. Of course, everything should be within the bounds of decency, without scandals and personalities.

7.5. Lists and Collections

Thematic collections are also a great option for engagement. You can make lists of recommendations on behalf of the company with your products or from employees, invited experts.

Life hack. Make a selection in the form of a rating - this way the information is perceived easier (and, of course, you can put the product that you want to sell at the top of the rating). nine0003
8. Recommendations and tips from readers

Feedback is, in fact, the cornerstone of engagement. All you need to do is set your subscribers in the right direction.

8.1. Post for communication in the comments

A loyal community is the dream of any blogger. A post where subscribers are invited to get to know each other will unite subscribers.

Life hack 1. You can make an abstract post, but it's better to set a specific topic, from which commentators can push off. For example, ask what cities they are from. nine0003
Life hack 2. Do not stay away and communicate with subscribers in the comments. Better yet, if this is a personal blog, start with a story about yourself in the text of the publication.

Life hack 3. Post for flood - here you can not even ask a topic or question and just invite subscribers to chat in the comments.

Life hack 4. Quite a popular way to get involved is to ask commentators to ask blogger questions in the comments. You can answer in the same place, or you can conduct, for example, a live broadcast or a stream with answers. nine0003
Life hack 5. If you are shadowbanned, don't hesitate to directly ask your followers to be active.

8.2. Share profiles

Another variation of the dating post, only commenters are invited to share, for example, profiles of inspiring people. People tagged in the comments are also likely to view your post and at least like it.

Life hack 1. Disguise such a post with a request for help. For example, ask followers to share profiles of good hairdressers. nine0003
Life hack 2. Focus on your own profile and target audience and form a request so that your direct competitors are not mentioned in the comments.

8.3. Ask subscribers for recommendations

One of the simplest and most effective engagement options, in my opinion. You can ask for recommendations about anything from your favorite books to the best cafes in their city.

Life hack 1. It is very convenient to combine this method of engagement with your own collections: there will be more feedback. nine0003
Life hack 2. Make your subscribers feel important: ask, for example, what other products they would like to see in your company.

Life hack 3. Ask your followers to tell you what content they like best on your blog and, for example, let them suggest topics for new posts.

9. Trends and topical content

It can be difficult for business accounts to keep up with social media trends. But if you succeed, then the result is not long in coming. Most effective is humorous content, but do not go too far. nine0003
In second place are informative publications, for example, what to do at home during quarantine. And, of course, pre-holiday publications have long become classics.

Life hack. Be careful with provocative content, no matter how witty the idea may seem to you. In no case do not touch on issues that can discriminate against people: that is, no sexism, racism, homophobia and xenophobia of any kind. Respect your audience if you want it to be loyal to you. nine0003
10. Workflow and brand information

As I said above, people love to share their work "kitchen" with them and show them the work of the company from the inside.

10.1. Share the brand story

I also mentioned this above: followers like to feel closer to the blogger, and who doesn't love stories?

Life hack 1. Tell us about what makes your brand, product or blog concept as a whole unique - how you differ from competitors (of course, without asserting yourself at their expense). nine0003
Life hack 2. Tell us why you love what you do: inspiring content tends to get a lot of feedback.

10.2. Workflow

As they say, you can endlessly look at fire, water and how someone works. But seriously, it's really inspiring and mesmerizing.

Life hack. Use different formats: videos, carousels of step-by-step photos and just a photo of the process. You can make small tutorials and talk about the process in the texts. nine0003
10.3. Concept and principles of the brand

Get to know your subscribers better: tell us what inspires you, what values your company upholds or you personally if you have a personal blog.

Life hack 1. Focus on your target audience, write about what they will appreciate and support.

Life hack 2. Do not follow trends and write honestly and sincerely. And the fact that views can change over time is also normal.

11. Nostalgic content

Another option is to share memories with subscribers. This works well with both commercial accounts and bloggers: everyone loves to be nostalgic. In addition, subscribers are always interested, for example, in developing the skills of a blogger.

11.1. Show your old work

Posts like this get a lot of response, especially on creative accounts.

Life hack. Show the old work next to the new one, it looks impressive. You can make a carousel or a table where you can see how your skill, style or even product has developed from year to year. nine0003
11.2. Photo from the archive

The audience especially approves of bloggers' childhood photos, but in general, you can show anything - from memorable photos from events to, for example, portraits of parents in their youth. A stream of approval and compliments in the comments is provided to you.

Lifehack . Commercial accounts and publics can also engage the audience in this way: for example, you can post a photo of a vintage product packaging or share interesting facts about discontinued products. nine0003
12. Inspirational posts

Invite readers to dream together or share your own dreams.

Life hack 1. Motivational content can also be included in this section, especially using your own example. How did you get to where you are now? What difficulties did you encounter and how did you overcome them? What famous people and whose success stories have become your role model? Moreover, you can always ask these questions to subscribers.

Life hack 2. Inspirational content is largely based on aesthetics: pay special attention to the visual content of the post.

13. Memes, jokes and jokes

Was everyone looking forward to this section? Now I'll tell you everything.

13.1. "Life" content

Jokes about everyday things, relationships, etc., in which everyone recognizes themselves, always go with a bang, especially about awkward situations. People are relieved when they realize they are the only ones experiencing this. nine0003
13.2. Topical jokes and memes

Any news item? Fine! Everyone likes memes on a topical topic, the main thing is that they are funny. Well, in the absence of suitable significant events, you can always publish a seasonal joke.

Life hack 1. Do not use outdated memes, follow the trends and pick up viral templates promptly.

Life hack 2. Of course, the theme of the joke must match the specifics of your profile, otherwise it will only cause bewilderment in the audience. nine0003
13.3. Cute Animals

This category, I think, needs no comment. Who doesn't love pictures of kittens?

14.
Enlightenment, ecology and charity
Educational content within the scope of the blog also has a beneficial effect on audience engagement. Even if you do not ask questions to readers in the publication, there will still be those who will express their opinion. Actually, this is what we need.

14.1. Good deeds

Organization of charity events under the auspices of your brand will not only make it more recognizable, but also increase the trust of the audience. nine0003
Life hack. If you undertake to talk about the action organized by you, do it without boasting. It is enough just to tell about the action and about the reasons that prompted you to organize. And, of course, encourage subscribers to participate.

14.2. Conscious consumption

Ethical production can also be included in this section. We can say that this is soft propaganda on its own example. In the modern agenda, such content will be perceived favorably and will cause respect for the brand. nine0003
Life hack. Inform, don't blame. It is unlikely that the entire audience is aware of your views or supports them, and the policy of "who is not with us is against us" will not cause respect, but discontent and an outflow of the audience.

Interesting. Don't forget to add game elements to your profile promotion. For example, give points for activity, and then give gifts. And you feel good, and subscribers are happy. In addition, all this is implemented very simply through the service SUB.BY

14.3. Educational content

You can post both general information and highlight current issues. Again, it all depends on your area of expertise.

Life hack 1. If you have a commercial blog, tell us, for example, about the history of your product or related things and technologies.

Life hack 2. Everyone loves interesting facts: you can make a series of publications with collections of facts or highlight a rubric with a separate hashtag and post them one by one. nine0003
14.4. Charity

Products created in collaboration with charitable foundations are very popular. This will have a great effect on the image of the company, so be sure to talk about it in publications.

Life hack 1. If you can't create your own product, launch a campaign where, for example, a certain percentage of the cost of a certain product or service will be transferred to a charitable foundation. And sell the product, and get a lot of comments. nine0003
Life hack 2. Once again: don't brag about how great you are, but cover the problem and invite subscribers to join the initiative.

14.5. Concern for the environment

Ecology, waste reduction, recycling of materials and separate waste collection are now on everyone's lips, why not take the opportunity and invite subscribers to the discussion?

Life hack. Everything is sold under the "eco" sign: tell us about how you or your brand cares about the environment or ask for advice from subscribers. nine0003
15. Attracting opinion leaders

Collaboration with experts, bloggers and public figures never hurt anyone. Yes, perhaps many will come to your blog solely for the sake of an opinion leader, but this will also increase activity.

Life hack 1. If you intend to invite an expert to your blog for publication or broadcast, announce it in advance and invite subscribers to ask questions in the comments.

Life hack 2. Do not invite anyone. Familiarize yourself with the reputation and authority of the person you want to invite. If in doubt, it is better to refuse cooperation, because you risk losing the trust of the audience. nine0003
16. Headings

A series of publications dedicated to the same topic can be combined with one hashtag and posted regularly on a certain day of the week or month.

Content can be absolutely anything: informative, informative, entertaining, post for flooding or, for example, take place in the "question-answer" format.

Life hack 1. Develop a common visual concept for posts from the same category so that they are immediately recognized in the feed.

Life hack 2. If the rubric is united by a common hashtag, invite the audience to subscribe to it so as not to miss publications.

Tips for ATTRACTING SUBSCRIBERS

Now I will tell you about proven ways to attract subscribers. Or to have someone, in fact, to involve and, in general, launch the account promotion mechanism.

— Quality content

If there is no content, there will be no audience. Let me remind you by what criteria the attractiveness of a blog for subscribers (and for advertisers) is evaluated:

Shaped profile. Memorable avatar, filled in information about yourself, if necessary - contacts;

Visual. Original photographs or illustrations; sustained style - at least the same presets for all photos, as well as, of course, icons for pinned stories;

Texts. Competent, intelligible, written in simple understandable language. Of course, they must be unique;

Variety of content. nine0056 Photos, photo carousels, video content, stories, etc. A pre-compiled content plan will help with the organization;

Regular posting. To always be in front of subscribers. Experiment with the posting time and choose the optimal one;

A seasoned blog theme. Do not interfere with work moments with personal ones: for personal it is better to start a separate blog.

— Cheat

You heard right. Yes, you can use the cheat of subscribers and likes, but very carefully and only at the beginning of promoting your profile. nine0003
I do not recommend winding up some huge numbers: firstly, it looks implausible, and secondly, it will have a bad effect on the engagement rate on your blog.

Related:
Comments on Instagram: from real people + how to wind up

By the way, do not forget to periodically clean up subscribers from bots - even if a small, but lively and active audience will bring much more than hundreds of "dead souls".

— Mutual PR

Classic and free way to attract new audience to your blog. VP is a mutually beneficial collaboration of bloggers of equal reach and engagement with a similar target audience. nine0003
Mutual PR with direct competitors makes sense if the partners are located in different geographic locations. Well, or if we are talking about non-commercial or creative accounts. In general, the VP has many formats and nuances, they wrote about everything in the article.

Related:
Mutual PR on Instagram 2021: what is it + how to spend it Also check out his blog stats and check for cheats. Decide on the format: it can be both a post and a story with a live story about you. nine0003
Form a clear TOR of what exactly you would like to see in the advertisement. But leave the blogger enough freedom, so the recommendation will turn out as natural as possible. Do not forget that native blog advertising works much more efficiently than direct advertising.

- Targeted ads

Or ads targeted at the target audience of the blog. On Instagram, the target can be launched both in the feed and in stories. Just switch your profile to a business account first.

The target can be launched both directly from the application and via Facebook - the latter, of course, provides more settings. nine0003
Instagram offers auto-targeting, but I would still recommend that you analyze your target audience, its pains and needs, and set up ads based on these data. And, of course, you can always contact a targetologist to ensure that your ad hits the target.

Helper services to increase engagement

I have compiled a small selection of useful services that will help you promote your account and, accordingly, increase your engagement rate. nine0003
The cost is indicated for a month, but if you buy a subscription for a longer period, then the services provide discounts. In addition, be aware that some sites automatically connect a paid subscription after the trial period. So if you decide that the service does not suit you, cancel your subscription.
nine0635 From 99 ₽ ("INSCALE" discount 30%)

Service Cost (per month) Free access Tasks

Instahero No - Cleaning subscriptions from bots, inactive users and commercial accounts;
- Removing spam;
- Profile protection.

Zengram 1190 ₽ (“INSCALEPROMO” 20% discount) Test for 1 rub - Parsing;
- Promotion;
- Activity boost.

livedune from 400 ₽ (“INSCALE” 30% discount + 7 days free) Yes - Account Analytics;
- Monitoring comments;
- Autoposting.

Bosslike Free Yes Cheat likes, subscribers

SMMplanner 450 ₽ Yes - Autoposting;
- Image editor;
- Account Protection

in brief

I hope that the above ideas of engaging posts will inspire you to promote your account. But of course, for the successful development of the profile of one such publication is not enough, shoot it at least once a week.

And finally, one more piece of advice. Periodically visit the accounts of large companies for new ideas. Monitor and analyze their pages, borrow effective features and do not repeat mistakes. By the way, we have a whole article about it.
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How to create engaging instagram content

4 Tips for Engaging Instagram Content [Examples]

1. Leverage user-generated content

2. Create a contest

3.

4. Tell a story

Recap

9 Tips for Creating Engaging Content for Instagram, Consistently

@katherinedorrington for Rhicreative

1. Plan your content

2. Track (and engage with) your analytics

3. Prep your posts ahead of time

@stepheats_ for Milk Lab Co

4. Be sure your content is top notch

5.Diversify your content

6. Give your content a helping hand

@anniesbucketlist for Casemate

7. Post regularly

8. Focus on building a community

9. Set yourself up for brand partnerships

Instagram Engagement Post 2021: Best Examples

COMPONENTS OF AN ENGAGING POST

1. The structure of the post

2. Target audience analysis

3. Relevance of content

4. Stylistics

5. Visual

TOP Engaging Content Ideas

1. Questions for readers

1.1. Open question

1.2. Blogger as a listener

1.3. How are you today?

1.4. Or/or

1.5. Roll call

2. Subscriber Shared Content

2.1. Customer photos

2.2. Minute of fame

3. Contests and sweepstakes

4. Games, riddles, quizzes

4.1. Digital board game

4.2. Guess the number

4.3. Horoscope

4.4. Riddles

4.5. Complete the phrase

4.6. Tell a story using emoji

4.7. Tests

5. Flash mobs and challenges

6. Product story

6.1. Ideas for using the product

6.2. Tell us about your team

6.3. The history of the creation of the product

7. Checklists, tips and life hacks

7.1. Lifehacks

7.2. Checklists

7.3. Recipes

7.4. Recommendations to subscribers

7.5. Lists and Collections

8. Recommendations and tips from readers

8.1. Post for communication in the comments

8.2. Share profiles

8.3. Ask subscribers for recommendations

9. Trends and topical content

10. Workflow and brand information

10.1. Share the brand story

10.2. Workflow

10.3. Concept and principles of the brand

11. Nostalgic content

11.1. Show your old work

11.2. Photo from the archive

12. Inspirational posts

13. Memes, jokes and jokes

13.1. "Life" content

13.2. Topical jokes and memes

13.3. Cute Animals

14. Enlightenment, ecology and charity

14.1. Good deeds

14.2. Conscious consumption

14.3. Educational content

14.4. Charity

14.5. Concern for the environment