How to improve instagram engagement
How to Calculate (and Improve) Instagram Engagement
What is Instagram engagement?
How to calculate Instagram engagement
What is a good Instagram engagement rate?
How to increase Instagram engagement: 23 useful tips
If you’re using Instagram for business, you know it’s more than just a platform for sharing your best product pics. With one billion people using Instagram every month, it’s a powerful tool to build your brand and cultivate an audience online.
But to reap the rewards, you don’t just need an audience: You need engagement. You need comments, shares, likes and other actions that prove your content resonates with the people who see it.
And engagement only works when it’s genuine — coming from real people who really care.
You’re not going to find any tips here about getting into an “engagement group” or “engagement pod,” buying likes, or anything like that. That just doesn’t work — and we should know! We tried it!
The reality is there’s no shortcut to quality engagement. You get out of social media what you put in. So take the time to craft that great post, encourage conversation, and genuinely connect with your followers.
Read on for proven ways to make an impact with your Instagram audience and build strong, lasting engagement organically. We’ve even included a free Instagram engagement calculator!
Bonus: Use our free engagement rate calculator to find out your engagement rate 4 ways fast. Calculate it on a post-by-post basis or for an entire campaign — for any social network.
What is Instagram engagement?Instagram engagement measures the interactions that your audience has with your content. It’s more than counting views or followers — engagement is about action.
On Instagram, engagement is measured by a range of metrics, such as:
- Comments
- Shares
- Likes
- Saves
- Followers and growth
- Mentions (tagged or untagged)
- Branded hashtags
- Click-throughs
- DMs
Check out our complete list of social media metrics and how to track them here.
Actions like these evidence that people aren’t just seeing your content. They’re interested in what you have to say.
Why do we care about engagement?
First of all, it means that your content is making an impact on your audience. (They like you, they really like you!)
Secondly, strong engagement is a key factor in Instagram’s algorithm. The higher the engagement, the more likely the content will be boosted in the newsfeed, attracting more eyes and attention.
How to calculate Instagram engagement
Your Instagram engagement rate measures the amount of interaction your content earns relative to your followers or reach.
In other words, it shows the percentage of people who saw your post and engaged with it.
Depending on your social media goals, there are a few different ways to get to that number. You can calculate your Instagram engagement rate by impressions, posts, reach, or followers.
At its core, the engagement rate formula is pretty simple.
Divide the total number of likes and comments on a post by your follower count (or post impressions, or reach) and then multiply by 100.
Engagement rate = (Interactions / Audience) x 100
Use Instagram’s Insights tool, Hootsuite analytics, or another Instagram analytics tool to grab the raw data. Once you’ve got your stats, use our free Instagram engagement rate calculator to crunch those numbers.
Bonus: Use our free engagement rate calculator to find out your engagement rate 4 ways fast. Calculate it on a post-by-post basis or for an entire campaign — for any social network.
All you need to use this calculator is Google Sheets. Click the “File” tab and select “Make a copy” to start filling in the fields.
To measure engagement on a single post, input “1” in “No. of Posts.” To calculate the engagement rate of several posts, input the total number of posts in “No. of Posts.”
If you want an even easier way to calculate Instagram engagement, we recommend heading straight to your Hootsuite dashboard.
Not only can you view all of your key metrics (including engagement rate) for Instagram and other social networks at a glance, but you can also:
- Improve engagement rate. Hootsuite has integrated tools like Canva, a hashtag generator, and templates that help you beat writer’s block.
- Save a ton of time by scheduling feed posts, carousels, Reels, and Stories ahead of time, even if you’re off the clock. Plus, bulk schedule up to 350 posts at once to avoid content gaps.
- Reach more people by posting at the right time. Hootsuite will tell you the best time to post based on when your followers are the most active, so you always get the most engagement.
- See which posts work best and measure your success with detailed analytics tools.
- Simplify your planning with a calendar showing you all scheduled content for Instagram and other networks.
Try Hootsuite free for 30 days
What is a good Instagram engagement rate?Instagram itself is coy about what a “good” engagement rate is.
But most social media marketing experts agree that strong engagement is anywhere from around 1% to 5%. Hootsuite’s own social media team reported an average Instagram engagement rate of 4.59% in 2020.
Here are the global average Instagram engagement rates for business accounts as of October 2022:
- All Instagram post types: 0.54%
- Instagram photo posts: 0.46%
- Video posts: 0.61%
- Carousel posts: 0.62%
On average, carousels are the most engaging type of Instagram post — but just barely.
Follower count can also affect your Instagram engagement rate. Here are the average engagement rates per number of followers of Instagram business accounts as of October 2022:
- Fewer than 10,000 followers: 0.76%
- 10,000 – 100,000 followers: 0.63%
- More than 100,000%: 0.
49%
Typically, the more followers you have, the less engagement you get. That’s why “smaller” Instagram influencers with a high engagement rate are often a better bet for influencer marketing partnerships.
Curious about engagement rates on other social networks? Check out Hootsuite’s Digital 2022 report (October update) for more performance benchmarking data.
How to increase Instagram engagement: 23 useful tipsTip 1: Get to know your audienceIt’s hard to make great content if you don’t know who you’re making it for.
The demographics of your target audience will help define the type of content you post, your brand voice, and even what days and times to publish.
For example, offbeat indie clothing label Fashion Brand Company targets people with a bold sense of humor. Both product offerings and the tone of its posts reflect that.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Fashion Brand Co Inc Global (@fashionbrandcompany)
For more info on identifying your audience, check out our guide to conducting audience research.
Tip 2: Get authenticBeing honest and relatable is better than being perfectly polished on social media. Share content that goes beyond slick marketing campaigns. It’s time to introduce the real people and experiences behind your brand.
That might mean sharing behind-the-scenes footage or writing a cheeky caption. It might also look like taking ownership of any mistakes.
This meme shared by A Practical Wedding garnered thousands of shares and comments. Looks like their audience found the less-than-perfect joke about wedding culture ultra-relatable.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by A Practical Wedding (@apracticalwedding)
Most people appreciate honesty over perfection… after all, don’t you?
Find more tips for sharing your authentic side here.
Tip 3: Share great imagesInstagram, in case you didn’t notice, is a visual medium. And while you don’t need to be an Annie Leibovitz to thrive on the platform, creating images that stand out from the news feed is important.
Even if you’re not a great photographer or graphic designer, there are a million tools to help you give your pic a little oomph.
You can edit photos directly in Hootsuite and add text and filters. (Or use one of these many other apps to take your Instagram posts to the next level.)
This image promoting Fast Company’s Creative Conversation podcast takes a standard headshot of model Ashley Graham and gives it a creative graphic treatment that helps it pop.
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A post shared by Fast Company (@fastcompany)
Tip 4: Post carousels
Once you’ve gotten the hang of creating eye-catching images, try posting a few with carousels. Carousels — Instagram posts with multiple images — are a great way to build engagement. (As luck would have it, we have some beautiful Instagram Carousel templates right here!)
Hootsuite’s own social team finds that their carousel posts get 3.1x more engagement, on average, than their regular posts. Globally, carousels have the highest average engagement rate of all types of Instagram posts (0.62%).
The algorithm re-serves these posts to followers who didn’t engage the first time around. That means carousels give you a second (or third!) chance to make an impression.
Hack: Create your carousels in advance and schedule them for publication at the optimal time with Hootsuite. For step-by-step instructions, check out our guide to posting to Instagram from a PC or Mac.
Tip 5: Post video contentVideo is both eye-catching and engaging. So engaging, in fact, that posts with video receive about 32% more engagement than images.
Here’s a video from Carly Rae Jepsen, sharing some images from a new photoshoot set to music. How can you look away?!
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Carly Rae Jepsen (@carlyraejepsen)
Don’t overthink it, though. Video content doesn’t have to be overly polished or perfectly edited. (Remember that “authenticity” tip from earlier?) Shoot now, give it a quick edit, and get it out into the world.
There are a million tools to help you combine scenes or add music or text. We recommend downloading a free or paid video editing app, like InShot or Magisto. We’ve got plenty of other suggestions on our list of the best Instagram apps for business.
Tip 6: Write strong captionsA picture is worth a thousand words, but a thousand words are… also worth a thousand words.
Instagram captions can be up to 2,200 characters long and include up to 30 hashtags. Use ’em! Good captions add context and showcase your brand’s personality.
Nike tells a compelling story with its caption here and asks its followers to share their own stories in the comments.
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A post shared by Nike (@nike)
Get our tips for crafting the perfect caption here.
Creating reference material your audience will want to save in their Collections can also earn you a little engagement boost.
Instagram account So You Want to Talk About creates accessible reference material on complex topics. These posts are perfect for saving in a Collection or Story Highlight.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by So.Informed (@so.informed)
Add a “Save this post” call-to-action to a carousel post with tips, a how-to guide or a recipe video to encourage users to revisit this content later.
Tip 8: Go liveUsing Instagram Live to stream live video is a great way to connect directly to users, share news and build engagement.
29.
5% of all internet users between 16 and 64 watch a livestream each week. Your audience is there — give ’em what they want!
With Live video, you can answer questions live, welcome viewers by name and generally welcome your audience into your world in an intimate, engaging way. You can also build an ecommerce audience with Instagram’s Live Shopping feature.
Here’s our Instagram Live how-to guide for getting your broadcast going.
Source: Instagram
Posting product pics every day will get a little old after a while. Mix it up with a varied content schedule.
Contests, polls, questions and quizzes break the routine and encourage your audience to get involved and active.
Hi Alyssa Comics, for instance, did a custom card giveaway to celebrate a follower milestone, prompting users to share and interact with the post.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by comics by alyssa (@hialyssacomics)
Find more Instagram post ideas here.
Tip 10: Share audience contentSure, treating your Instagram account like a one-way street is tempting. But social media is a conversation, not a broadcast. Make sure you’re listening and engaging with fans when they reach out.
One great way to do that is to repost or share audience content. If someone tags your tequila brand in a post about a wild Margarita Monday, share that post in your story.
The Las Culturistas podcast shared listener compliments of its 12 Days of Culture holiday countdown in its own Instagram Stories. A shout-out within a shout-out, like a little Stories Inception.
Source: LasCulturistas
They’ll feel thrilled you were listening, and other followers may be compelled to tag you in their content.
Make sure you don’t miss a mention with the help of Hootsuite or other social listening tools for business.
Tip 11: Create custom stickers and filtersSprinkle a little of your brand dust onto other users’ posts by making custom stickers and filters available in Stories.
Sephora launched a special “Holiday Beauty Q&A” AR filter for fans to use on their own Stories over Christmas. Features like this help spread the Sephora brand and build community.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Sephora (@sephora)
Here’s a step-by-step for making your own AR filters here.
Tip 12: Respond to questions and commentsWhen the comments start flying in, it’s only polite to respond.
When you join the conversation, your followers feel seen, heard, and excited to chat with you again.
Sunscreen brand Supergoop prompts followers to share their favorite products in this post. But they also chime in to share recommendations and offer support for everyone’s choices.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Supergoop! (@supergoop)
To track any indirect mentions happening outside your page, just set up search streams on your Hootsuite dashboard. That way, you don’t miss a chance to keep the conversation going.
Bonus: Use our free engagement rate calculator to find out your engagement rate 4 ways fast. Calculate it on a post-by-post basis or for an entire campaign — for any social network.
Get the calculator now!
Tip 13: Get experimentalYou’ll never find out what works best for your brand until you test, measure and tweak.
The beauty of social media is that it’s made for experimentation. If something works, you know pretty quickly; if it’s a flop, lesson learned with little risk.
So get creative… just keep a close eye on metrics to see the impact of your grand ideas. Dig into our guide to social media A/B testing here.
Tip 14: Post consistently and at strategic timesThe more you post, the more opportunities your followers have to engage. Commit to a consistent schedule to keep your feed fresh and your followers intrigued.
Of course, posting consistently at the right times is key, too. Because if you’ve got a post going up when your audience is asleep, you might struggle.
Here’s our guide to finding the best time to post on Instagram for your audience.
Tip 15: Drive traffic from other sourcesGet your Instagram handle out there in the world everywhere you can. You can share it in your Twitter bio, include it in your email signature, and throw it in your company newsletter.
This London account (alas, not the city) uses its Twitter bio to drive attention to its Instagram handle and content.
The more people you point towards the platform, the more chances for engagement.
Tip 16: Start the conversationYou wouldn’t just wait to be spoken to at a dinner party (a fun one, anyways), right? Some of the time, you’d be prompting the conversation.
The same goes for Instagram. Responding to questions and comments is great; getting out there and starting convos on other posts and pages is even better.
Think of it as a balance of reactive (responding) and proactive (conversation-starting) action.
Tip 17: Create topical contentIf there’s already a buzz around a current event or holiday, squeeze yourself into that conversation.
Taylor Swift’s pandemic albums got everyone talking about cottagecore, and clothing brand Farewell Frances took advantage of the opportunity.
Tagging coats with #cottagecoreaesthetic allowed them to align themselves with the conversation.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Farewell Frances (@farewellfrances)
If there’s a trending hashtag involved, you’ve got an instant hook.
Tip 18: Get active on Instagram StoriesInstagram Stories have incredible reach. Half a billion people use Stories every day, and 58% of users say they’ve become more interested in a brand or product after seeing it in Stories.
Satirical news site Reductress shares its cheeky headlines in posts and Stories. That means two different opportunities to capture readers’ attention.
Source: Reductress
Not only will people be watching, but with Stories, you can engage with stickers.
Questions, Polls and Countdowns are all opportunities to connect directly with your fans.
Here are some creative Instagram Story ideas to get you started. Plus, we’ve got all the hacks and features every master Instagrammer should know.
Tip 19: Add strong calls to actionWant more engagement on your posts? Sometimes, it just comes down to asking nicely.
Welks General Store didn’t just tell the world it had puzzles with this post. It gave specific information about how to purchase them.
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A post shared by Welks General Store (@welksonmain)
When done with care, a compelling call to action can prompt activity, likes, responses or shares. Check out our guide to writing the CTA of your dreams here.
Instagram hashtags are a double-edged sword. Used correctly, you can drive some serious traffic and build buzz. Overdo it, and you come off looking spammy.
Be thoughtful and strategic about the hashtags you use. You can use them to reach a specific community, join a trending conversation, push a campaign or identify your service offerings.
Illustrator Cecile Dormeau, for example, tags her sweet drawings with both art-related hashtags and mental-health ones.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Cécile Dormeau (@cecile.dormeau)
The consensus is that 11 or fewer hashtags are the right number to look professional but not desperate. More info on making the most of Instagram hashtags over here.
Getting your post in front of more eyeballs is a good way to increase the odds you connect with the right audience. You might even increase your follower count while you’re at it.
With a potential audience of more than 928 million users on Instagram, your next superfan could be out there, just waiting to discover what you have to offer.
Using Instagram ads or boosted posts can be a strategic way to get your name in front of the right people. Check out our Instagram ads guide here for more details on maximizing your reach.
Source: Instagram
Sometimes, the strongest engagement can happen in private.
Direct messages and story interactions are great opportunities to engage audiences and make direct connections. When someone reaches out in your DMs, make sure to reply and treat ’em right.
Instagram Reels joined the Insta fam in the summer of 2020 as an alternative to TikTok. With Reels, users can create and edit short multi-clip videos with audio and effects.
Drag artist Eureka O’Hara is using Reels here (well, a repurposed TikTok video within Reels, anyways) to promote an upcoming season of their show We’re Here.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Eureka! 💜🐘👑 (@eurekaohara)
Meta’s betting big on Reels, which means video posts are getting more love from the algorithm these days. More eyeballs mean thousands more people get to enjoy these sick dance moves.
Any new feature to social media tools typically gets a boost in the algorithm, so it’s in your best interest to try out the latest and greatest offerings.
Reels are all over the Explore page, so embrace this new content form. You might just find yourself in front of some fresh faces.
Take a peek at ideas for memorable Reels here.
Whew! There you have it: your crash course on Instagram engagement. Check out our social media marketing guide for an even deeper dive into building a successful social strategy.
Increase your Instagram engagement rate using Hootsuite. Schedule and publish posts and Stories, respond to comments, measure your performance over time, and run all your other social media profiles — all from one simple dashboard. Try it free today.
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How to Increase Engagement on Instagram in 2022
Instagram Tips & Resources
By Jessica Worb
•
Updated on May 6, 2022
•
10 minute read
Your fast-pass ticket to more likes, comments, and shares on Instagram.
Published December 1, 2021
Are you wondering how to increase your engagement on Instagram in 2022?
From creating memes to hosting giveaways — there are tons of tactics to engage with your community and see your metrics skyrocket.
Ready to see what content gets the most engagement on Instagram? Here are 11 tried-and-tested ways to increase your Instagram engagement in 2022:
How to Get More Engagement on Instagram in 2022Engage With Your Audience Through Instagram Stories Stickers
Create and Share Relatable Memes
Create Saveable Graphics
Share Valuable Information in Carousel Posts
Include Call to Actions In Your Captions
Let Your Personality Shine Through on Instagram Stories
Host an Enticing Giveaway
Collab on Instagram Reels
Think About What Will Inspire Your Community With the Add Yours Sticker
Post When Your Audience Is Most Engaged
Use Relevant Hashtags
Instagram Stories stickers are a great way to encourage your followers to engage with you, which, in turn, helps create a loyal following that feels connected to your brand.
On stories, there are a number of quick and easy stickers to use like polls, questions, countdowns, quizzes, and emoji sliders to name a few.
One of the most engaging uses of Instagram Stories stickers is the question sticker.
The Instagram Stories questions sticker allows you to have direct conversations with your followers. You can prompt your followers to ask you questions on a certain topic or you can open the floor entirely.
One way you can use the sticker is by hosting an AMA (ask me anything).
The trend made popular on Reddit in the early 2000s has heavily made its way onto the Instagram Stories scene.
You’ll be surprised at how much engagement you’ll get from this simple little questions box. Instagram users like to feel like they’re part of something bigger. And opening up the floor to answering their questions is a great way to do that.
Once you’ve collected all of the questions, don’t forget to hop on your stories to answer them.
Each time one of your followers interacts with a sticker, it counts as engagement! So, why not tap on a sticker on your next Instagram story?
#2: Create and Share Relatable MemesMemes are the way to every user's heart.
They're funny, creative, and relatable. And in 2022, relatability is where it's at.
Simply put: Instagram users want to feel seen and heard.
And with the right meme, your audience will be liking, commenting, and sharing your post with their friends.
Regardless of your niche or industry, the opportunity to create a meme is there.
You can use branded text and a trending photo that ties into your content pillars, like Melanie Laurene:
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Later: Visual Social Marketing (@latermedia)
Or source on-brand user-generated content (UGC) and credit the original creator like Later:
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Later: Visual Social Marketing (@latermedia)
Whether it's someone reposting the meme on their Instagram Story or sending it to a friend, the more people who share your post, the more engagement you'll see.
Wondering where to start? See Later's top tips for creating Instagram memes here.
Start scheduling your Instagram memes with Later today!
#3: Create Saveable GraphicsQuotes, graphics, and repurposed tweets are everywhere on Instagram – and they're perfect for driving engagement.
You’ll find that Instagram users love to share quotes on their stories — especially if they’re both moving and aesthetically pleasing.
A recent trend is repurposing tweets into Instagram feed posts. This type of content is really engaging and popular on Instagram. Ironic, we know.
Similar to meme creation, these sorts of graphics don’t require many resources.
Even if you don’t have Twitter, there are many templates you can use to make it look like a tweet.
Designer or not, you’ve got this!
#4: Share Valuable Information in Carousel PostsCarousel posts are an engagement gold mine.
Instagram carousels allow you to share up to 10 pictures, videos, and text graphics with your audience in one post.
There are so many creative ways to use carousel posts. it's sharing educational content or supporting a social cause, carousel posts that offer some sort of value can help drive saves and shares.
Think about it: each slide in your carousel post is an opportunity to drive engagement – it's a 10-in-1 kind of deal.
#5: Include Call to Actions In Your CaptionsCall to actions (CTAs) continue to stand the test of time.
Including a CTA, more specifically, a direct question, in your caption is a sure way to get more Instagram engagement:
But remember to ask a genuine question.
You don't want your audience to think it's simply an engagement tactic. That's a big no-no.
For example, if you share a selfie asking your followers what their favorite food is, it can look like you’re on the hunt for comments and comments alone.
Whereas if you share a genuine anecdote and follow it up with a relevant question, your community is more likely to respond in your comments.
You can be creative with your questions. You can ask for advice, recommendations (restaurants, vacation spots, books), or what type of content they want to see from you.
Another way to drive engagement with CTAs is by encouraging your audience to click the link in your Instagram bio.
Since you can’t include direct links in your Instagram feed post captions, using a link in bio tool, like Later’s Linkin.bio, is a great way to combat this.
With Linkin.bio by Later, you can build a clickable version of your Instagram feed, along with the option to add customizable button links:
When your followers click the link in your bio, they’ll be able to tap on any image or button and be directed straight to the links you’ve added.
This can be a landing page for a product launch, a blog post, your YouTube channel, and so much more.
Ready to drive more traffic from Instagram? Join Later today to turn your Instagram feed into a clickable landing page!
#6: Let Your Personality Shine Through on Instagram StoriesIf you want to drive engagement with your community, bringing your personality to Instagram is a great place to start.
Stories are the perfect format for chatty, informal interactions – share a personal anecdote, ask questions, and show your face!
The popular podcaster and influencer @lexniko frequently jumps on her Instagram Stories to talk with her community directly:
Likewise, as a brand account, Later’s social team shows up on stories with tips or behind-the-scenes content:
As a brand, it’s important to show your face every once in a while. Your followers want to see that you’re more than a logo.
People tend to be more engaged when they see a face pop up on a brand account’s stories. If you're wondering where to start, here are 25 Instagram stories ideas to start building that engagement.
If you want to take your Instagram Stories strategy to the next level, try planning them out in advance.
With Later’s Instagram Stories scheduler, you can prep a whole week’s worth of stories in one go.
Set aside time in your day to batch film stories content — maybe that’s you talking to the camera about an upcoming sale or an upcoming project.
Next, upload your stories into Later’s Media Library. You can quickly drag and drop your videos into the right order, resize them, add links, and set a time for posting.
It really is as simple as it sounds.
Storyboard, plan, and schedule your Instagram Stories with Later today — available on all paid plans.
#7: Host an Enticing GiveawayEveryone loves free stuff. We don’t make the rules.
And with this knowledge, it only makes sense to include giveaways in your Instagram strategy.
But, not just any giveaway.
In 2022, giveaways need to be intentional, enticing to both your existing and target audience, and authentic to your brand.
Whether it’s a product, service, or experience, with the right prize up for grabs, you’ll be racking up the engagement.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Later: Visual Social Marketing (@latermedia)
If the goal for your giveaway is to increase engagement, the tag/follow/share entry requirement format may be best.
It’s a straightforward and clear way to gain tons of engagement on a single post.
#8: Collab on Your Instagram Reels
Instagram Collabs are a new way to boost engagement on Instagram — especially on Reels, which are only growing more popular.
The Collabs feature allows you to invite someone to collaborate on a Feed post or Reel, so they can share the content with their followers.
Essentially, you can co-author content with a fellow Instagram user, and the post will show up on both of your profiles.
This way, you’ll be able to share views, likes, and comments – allowing you to leverage and engage with each other’s communities.
#9: Think About What Will Inspire Your Community With the Add Yours StickerWith the introduction of the Add Yours sticker it’s now easier than ever to create a viral challenge with your audience and beyond.
From the recent tree planting fiasco to creators encouraging users to share embarrassing childhood pictures, the Add Yours sticker has already made big waves.
Even Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, is taking part:
If you’re a lifestyle brand, you can ask your audience to share their favorite home decor trend. If you’re a skincare company, you can ask your followers to share their morning routine.
Or if you’re a photographer, you can ask your audience to share their favorite photos.
The sky’s the limit with this new trendy feature – you could reach hundreds of new accounts from one single sticker. Talk about engagement.
#10: Post When Your Audience Is Most EngagedPosting when your audience is most engaged is a great tactic for boosting engagement. According to Later, the best time to post on Instagram is 6 AM - however, your own personal best time will vary based on your audience's behavior.
So, how do you know when your audience is most engaged?
You could manually track when you post on Instagram, and see how your content performs over time in an Excel sheet or Google Doc.
However, if you want to skip the experiments you can make life easier with Later’s Best Time to Post feature:
It automatically calculates your top posting times based on your best performing posts from the recent month – game-changer!
Later’s Best Time to Post feature is available on all paid plans.
Upgrade now to find the best days and times to post on Instagram for maximum engagement.
Hashtags are, first and foremost, a reach tactic – but greater reach typically equals higher engagement levels.
Without a doubt, hashtags should be part of your strategy.
In a recent Later study, results showed that posts with 30 Instagram hashtags received the highest engagement rates, on average.
The trick to encouraging the most engagement possible? Make sure your hashtags are tapping into niche communities that resonate with you content.
TIP: Use Later’s Instagram hashtag tool, Hashtag Suggestions, to help find relevant hashtags.
There it is — 11 ways you can creatively increase your Instagram engagement.
Next time you’re planning and strategizing your content, try to incorporate these tips and watch the engagement roll in!
Sign up to Later and start scheduling your Instagram posts today! Your Instagram engagement will grow in no time.
About the Author
Jessica Worb
Jessica is a creative content writer and marketer. She lives and works remotely from Winnipeg, a city smack dab in the middle of Canada. Follow along at @jessicaworb.
Plan, schedule, and automatically publish your social media posts with Later.
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3 ways to improve your Instagram experience | by Airat Galiullin | Futureinapps
Is Instagram marketing a priority for you? Want to know what Instagram posts people like?
In this article, you'll learn how to create a more organic interaction on Instagram.
Changes in Instagram marketing
eMarketer's 2018 Social Media Industry Review ranked Instagram as one of the best platforms for marketers, rising from #4 on the list to #2. Expected to be #2 in 2019more brands will appear on Instagram this year.
The 2018 industry report also showed that Instagram organic activity was a top priority for most marketers surveyed.
We've put together the best information to help you find ideas for your organic Instagram efforts.
Instagram reports that 80% of all Instagram users follow business accounts.
So you need to decide what type of interaction best suits your goals. More likes can lead to more followers, but comments can lead to wider reach. Setting a goal will lead to fewer distractions and a more accurate strategy.
The above report says that video content gets the most likes overall. However, the average number of likes for images is higher than for videos, so the study concluded that the most popular posts with videos can earn a disproportionate percentage of likes.
Instagram likes can be a valuable tool for analyzing what the audience is responding to best at the moment. As far as information sharing is concerned, comments can be the best indicator.
The report notes that comments are much more sharply divided by content type. Videos garnered 46% of all comments from the 115 million Instagram posts analyzed.
In short, think about the ideal behavior you want from your audience and adjust your content to achieve the ideal response. Test different types of content at different frequencies and then find out what resonates best with your audience.
In addition to the pictures and videos themselves, Instagram accounts have the ability to tag users and add hashtags to create engagement. These extra steps make Instagram different from other visual sites like Pinterest.
The Mention study looked at both the average number of likes per Instagram post and the number of users tagged in the post. These two indicators turned out to be interrelated.
Each tagged user brings from 0.5 to 1 like.
Same result with comments, albeit with slightly less regularity. It should be noted that extremely popular posts from individual influencers (such as Beyoncé) may not feature tagged users but still garner a lot of attention.
Instagram hashtags have been the subject of much discussion in the social media community, starting with how many to use in posts and where they should be placed. The study confirmed that most people use within 30 hashtags, with most top users using far fewer.
The most intriguing part of the study was that increasing the number of hashtags does not in itself lead to increased user engagement. In fact, there have been sharp drops in posts with a large number of hashtags.
This report also does not indicate whether hashtags were placed in the body of the post or in the comments, which is the subject of much experimentation among marketers.
If you pay attention to what draws your audience to Instagram and customize the content of the post to suit their needs, then it can be a better predictor of engagement than just uploading hashtags.
Among the most surprising findings of the Instagram Mention report is that the most engaging content on Instagram doesn't necessarily come from the most popular accounts on the web.
The content most people interact with is produced by accounts with 10,000–50,000 followers.
What explains this result? These users created content that resonated with their own audience more often than with a wider audience.
Micro-accounts that post daily and communicate regularly with their followers are more likely to get a response back. As such, accounts of this size may have more value from followers, so they are willing to take the time to develop content with audience needs in mind.
This is encouraging for brands with low followings.
So rather than trying to reach out to a broad audience on Instagram, it's more important to work with the audience you have and meet their needs.
Instagram rewards brands that meet the needs of their audience.
Video content is getting more comments today. But what will happen in 2019?
Brands looking to move to Instagram need to be attentive to the needs of their customers. Learn from these studies, but adjust your strategies according to what works with your audience and what will best help you achieve your Instagram goals.
We remind you that the Futureinapps campaign promotes business in social networks, including Instagram!
6 ways to interact with followers on Instagram
Instagram is a great way to advertise your business. However, if you want to get the most out of your Instagram, then you need to know how to interact with your followers the right way. Here are some proven ways to improve engagement on Instagram.
1. Call to target action in posts
A call to action in a post is a great way to interact with your followers on Instagram. This directly tells subscribers what action you want them to take. For example, under an image with several discounted products, a call to action might be: “Catch discounts on the site!” This will not only increase the chances of selling products through Instagram, but also increase the value of the publication.
You will significantly increase interaction with subscribers.
2. Publication of organic content
The more views and shares, the better. To push people to views and shares, publish organic content that is interesting to the audience. For example, you are a shoe retailer. A photograph of a person running through a beautiful area will organically grab the attention of the audience. Especially if you choose the right hashtags. Everything related to running and sports shoes will do. Organic content has a higher return. Strive to ensure that publications are eye-catching and interesting.
3. Make captions for posts
Captions contribute to effective interaction with followers on Instagram. Posts with captions are more valuable and generate more interest than posts without captions. It can be a quote, a joke, a case from life, or additional information about what is captured in the picture. All of the above will make your post more interesting for subscribers and increase the chances of a repost.
The caption of a publication makes it stand out, and the visibility of the content is essential for effective interaction.
4. Responses to comments
If you have a lot of followers on Instagram, you will probably get a lot of comments. And for interaction with subscribers, it is very important to respond to comments. This allows you to build stronger relationships. A simple "thank you :)" is enough. For example, if your post was praised. If they ask, answer; if you need to ask, ask yourself. Any interaction is beneficial. Strengthen your connection with your followers. This is how you win customer loyalty. They will want to leave comments and share your posts.
5. Running contests
Running contests is a great way to interact with your followers on Instagram. People love to play and participate in competitions. It's fun! Make a post with the conditions of the contest. The prize can be a gift card or company products.
Alternatively, organize a competition for the best photo caption, best hashtag, etc. You can also set an additional condition: those who like the ad or share the post automatically become a participant in the contest. And then just pick a winner at random. Contests generate interest in the brand, increase its recognition. If there are prizes, it will attract attention, and if contests are held regularly, the effect will be even greater than from one or two spontaneous contests.
6. Regular posts
A decent level is four posts a day. Regularity is important, because without it, the brand will disappear from the “field of vision” of subscribers and interest in it will fade. But if you publish regularly, then the brand remains in sight. It supports engagement on Instagram. Regular posts help build a good reputation. They show dedication. Subscribers are waiting for brand publications. If a company rarely posts, then something is wrong with it. It is unlikely that anyone wants to have such an opinion about his company.
Therefore, make your posts regular to get the opposite effect.
Conclusion
With the right approach, you will greatly improve the interaction with followers on Instagram. Hashtags, organic posts, captions to publications, responses to comments, holding contests, regularity of publications - all this is only good. You need followers to know about your Instagram: 1) it has a lot of useful things, 2) it is entertaining, 3) you respond to comments. If you put into practice the above tips, then you will be able to achieve these goals.
In addition to increasing the level of interaction, all of the above will lead you to new subscribers. Follower growth is key to getting the most out of your Instagram. The more followers, the higher brand awareness. This increases sales and improves the perception of the company as a whole. Therefore, it is highly desirable to have as many subscribers as possible. If possible, use all of the above strategies.
