When it comes to Instagram, being able to stand out in a sea of content can be really challenging. Would you believe 95 million photos and videos are shared on Instagram every day? That’s a lot of content for Instagram users to sift through!
If you want your Instagram account to receive the engagement it deserves, you need to make sure you create content that invites genuine conversations with your followers. Here are 8 types of social media posts that you can start creating and sharing on your Instagram to spark engagement with your followers!
Words: Adriana Thani
1. Take your followers behind-the-scenes
As we’ve shared before, it’s really important for you to be visible on your Instagram. Showing your followers what happens behind-the-scenes is an excellent way of doing this! This content is so easy to include, because you are essentially just sharing what you’re doing anyway. Some ideas to get you started include photos of you, photos of your employees, or even a tour of your work space. If you feel that the aesthetics won’t gel with the rest of the photos on your grid, you could share it via Stories instead. If you plan on sharing more behind-the-scenes content, you could even add it as a Highlight on your profile!
2. Share some stats
Statistics tend to get a bad reputation as being dry and boring. However, if you use numbers as a way to keep your followers informed – particularly in a way that supports what you’re offering – then it can go a long way in increasing your credibility. You can share numbers that highlight a problem your product or service can solve, or statistics about how you have helped your customers achieve something. Just make sure to include a call to action to provide an opportunity for your followers to engage with the post in a meaningful way.
3. Share a quote
Quotes, poems, and proverbs are all incredibly useful tools to engage with your followers. Quotes are a great way of reinforcing your personal or business values, and can help your followers get a sense of what you’re all about. It also helps that quotes are generally short and sweet, which makes it more likely that your followers will stop scrolling to read it. Quotes are also highly shareable – Instagram users have been known to re-share quotes from brands on their own Instagram Stories. From an aesthetic standpoint, a few of our clients have employed quotes as a way to add white space to their feed, so there is some benefit in that way too!
4. Ask for help
When creating content, it’s easy to fall into the trap of constantly talking at people rather than having a conversation. One way to encourage conversation and make your followers feel valued is to ask for their help. By sharing a problem, you are also showing vulnerability and trust, and this can do wonders in creating a real connection to your followers. A simple way to start asking for help from your followers is to share a problem and ask them ‘what would you do?’
5. Share a review or testimonial
If you have a lot of reviews or comments from customers and followers, utilise those in your content strategy! This builds your credibility, and showcases the positive ways in which your business has contributed to your customers’ lives. It can also be an opportunity for more followers to comment and share their own positive reviews as well!
6. Share a short video
On average, video content gets the most engagement on Instagram compared to other types of posts. There are so many ways to include videos in your Instagram content strategy! Some ideas to get you started are instructional videos, reviews, tips, and even videos about current issues affecting your industry. You can share your videos on your Instagram grid, your Stories, and also on IGTV. Just make sure your videos are high-quality and beautifully edited to suit your brand.
7. Sneak peeks
People love being let in on a secret! Creating exclusive sneak peeks creates anticipation, and allows you to build momentum in the lead-up to introducing a new product or service. You can encourage engagement by asking your followers to guess what your new offering could be, and make sure to engage with them, maybe by telling them if they’ve made a pretty close guess. You can also refer back to this when you share the eventual reveal by mentioning the followers who guessed correctly!
8. Share some love
The best things about Instagram is being able to use it as a platform not just for yourself and your brand, but also to highlight other Instagrammers that deserve it! You could feature some of your favourite accounts, or even photos of your customers, via Stories or on your grid. Sharing the love with your fellow content creators and loyal customers shows that you care about your community, and this can go a long way in creating lasting connections with your audience.
When creating content that sparks genuine engagement, it’s really important to remember that Instagram isn’t just a marketing tool. It’s more than that, and your content needs to reflect this. If you use Instagram effectively, you will build a community that is engaged, supportive, and loyal to your brand. Keep in mind that creating content and just hoping for engagement won’t work – you need to get engaged too!
Not sure where to start when it comes to content creation on your Instagram? Feel free to get in touch with us!
Leave a Reply