Instagram is a platform that you can't afford to overlook.
With over two billion active users, you can massively extend your reach if you have a strong Instagram marketing strategy. To achieve that, you'll need some healthy engagement – and there are a few tried-and-tested strategies to get there.
In this article, we'll examine some Instagram best practices that can enhance your presence on the platform. These include things like posting consistently, using a mix of content formats, engaging with followers through comments and DMs, and optimizing posts with clear calls-to-action.
Method 1: Optimize your Instagram profile
Your Instagram profile serves as your digital storefront. That means it's the first thing people see when they look up your Instagram account or click over to your profile from a suggested post.
For this reason, it's important that your profile is visually appealing and contains all the practical information that a new customer might need to know about your business.
This will increase engagement by making people more likely to hit “follow” or interact with the content on your page.
To start, you need a professional profile picture that represents your brand or personality. Then, create a memorable username that's easy to spell and search for. If possible, use your brand name and keep it consistent across all social platforms.
Your bio needs to pack a punch in 150 characters, which isn't always easy! Include relevant keywords and tell visitors what you do and why they should follow you. If you have space, you could add some emojis for personality, or a branded hashtag to encourage user-generated content. Finally, make sure you include a clickable link to your website to drive traffic.
Next, take advantage of Instagram's business profile features. Add your contact information, business category, and location to help people find and reach you easily.
You can also use alt text for your profile images to improve accessibility and searchability. This hidden text helps screen readers and search engines understand your content better.
Beyond your bio, your grid should be visually cohesive with a consistent color scheme and content style. This creates a strong first impression when users visit your profile.
Instagram best practice also includes creating highlights of your best Instagram Stories. These are the little clickable circles just below your bio. Group them into relevant categories and use branded cover images to complete that polished look.
Profile optimization checklist:
- Professional profile picture
- Searchable username
- Keyword-rich bio
- Website link
- Contact information
- Business category
- Location details
- Branded highlights
- Alt text for images
Method 2: Develop a consistent content strategy
Instagram best practice includes having a strong Instagram strategy – this means a clear plan for what you'll post and when. If you post frequently, your content is more likely to be favored by the algorithm, which will lead to more engagement.
To get started, choose three to five content themes that match your brand. Any more might start to confuse your audience.
Then, create a content calendar to map out your posts on you Instagram page. As a rule, it's best to plan at least two weeks ahead and include a mix of photos, videos, Reels, and Instagram Stories. Aim to post regularly – either every day or every couple of days.
Remember to consider seasonal events and trends when planning content. This will help you stay relevant and give you natural themes to work with throughout the year.
The content on your Instagram account should blend promotional posts with authentic behind-the-scenes moments so that it doesn't feel too marketing-heavy. A good mix is around 40% promotional content, 30% informative posts (the stuff that's worth saving), and 30% entertaining or purely fun content.
Visual consistency matters a lot and will make your content feel more cohesive. To achieve this, it's good to use similar filters, fonts, and colors across your posts – this will create a recognizable brand look that helps your feed look professional.
Once your content is live, it's important to pay attention to what your audience responds to most. Check your Instagram analytics to see which posts get the most engagement, and then create more of that type of content.
To encourage more engagement, you could test different posting times to find when Instagram users are more likely to be scrolling. The best times vary by industry and audience, so it's always worth experimenting to find your sweet spot.
Method 3: Make full use of Instagram features
Those familiar with social media marketing know that another way to increase engagement on Instagram is to make use of all of the built-in features you can use to grow your presence. For example, Stories, Instagram Reels, and product tags help you connect with followers in different ways.
Instagram Stories are a great way to share quick, engaging updates that last 24 hours. It's good for Instagram content that's perhaps not polished enough for your main grid, or just doesn't need to stay up for long.
Posting regular Instagram Stories is great for boosting engagement because people who view your stories regularly will also be served your grid posts thanks to the algorithm. You can also share your latest grid posts to stories, so they're less likely to be missed and people are more likely to click on them and engage with them.
Another way to boost engagement is to make the most of Instagram Reels (in other words, short-form video content). With this feature, you can use trending audio and popular sounds to reach new audiences.
Because Instagram wants to promote its video content, Reels are favored by the algorithm over standard Instagram feed posts. And the more Instagram users who see your Reel, the more people are likely to engage. Just keep them short, typically between 15-30 seconds, for the best results.
Another way you can increase engagement is to use product tags. This makes shopping seamless for your followers and can increase engagement with people clicking the product link, or saving a post for later. You can tag items directly in posts, Stories, and Reels so viewers can learn more about your products with one tap.
Here’s another smart tip: carousel posts tend to get more engagement than single images. You can now share up to 20 photos or videos in one Instagram post to tell a complete story (the previous limit was 10).
All this is more likely to land you a spot on the Explore page, where content that's starting to go viral is promoted to a wider audience and given an extra boost. There are a few additional tricks to increase your chances of appearing on the Explore page, such as using relevant hashtags and engaging with similar accounts.
Method 4: Nurture audiences through active engagement
Building real connections with your Instagram followers takes more than just posting content. You need to actively participate in conversations with your audience. For instance, it's really important to reply to comments promptly and thoughtfully. A simple "thanks!" is nice, but asking follow-up questions shows you care about having real discussions.
You can also boost engagement by asking questions in your captions or running polls and quizzes in Stories. Q&A sessions can work well too – especially on Instagram Live.
Content generated by other users or followers (USG) is another way to boost engagement since it attracts different audiences to your content and encourages followers to interact. While hashtags might have less influence than they did previously, the strategic use of a few trending hashtags can still attract new, interested audiences to your content.
Ultimately, engagement doesn't have to be complicated. Even just responding to DMs helps create stronger relationships with your followers. To make sure you keep up, set aside time each day to check and reply to messages from your audience.
For a small business, developing a personal relationship with followers can do wonders for engagement. For example, you could host local events or meet ups to provide opportunities to chat with followers in person. When people feel like they know you, they're more likely to engage.
If all that sounds a bit complicated, remember that the most important thing is to focus on content that sparks conversations. Share stories that resonate with your followers and encourage them to share their own experiences.
Method 5: Analyze and fine-tune your marketing strategy
If you've fine-tuned your Instagram marketing efforts to improve levels of engagement, you'll need to monitor your Instagram analytics regularly to see if those efforts are producing improved results.
Check key metrics like reach, engagement, and follower growth at least once a week. Look at which Instagram posts get the most engagement. Pay attention to things like best posting times, popular content types (photos, Reels, Stories), and any top-performing captions.
Instagram Insights is full of important data about your audience. It can tell you more about when your audience is online and who they are. It can even tell you the actions they've taken on your profile, and whether people are watching your Stories to the end or not.
If you want to dig even deeper into the data then a tool like Brandwatch can give you a complete picture of what’s going on with your Instagram presence. Look at the entire social media landscape, compare your brand accounts to your competitors, and understand your audience inside out.
The secret with analytics is to test different Instagram content styles and track what works. For example, you could try variations in visual styles, caption lengths, or the phrases you use in a call-to-action on your Instagram posts.
For Instagram ads, you want to monitor things like click-through rates, audience response, and return on ad spend. You can monitor these metrics on Instagram's own platform or via Brandwatch.
Once you've compiled all the data, make small changes based on your findings and update your overall strategy. If you're not sure what actually influenced your results, test one small element at a time to find out.
Finally, keep notes on your changes and results. This will help you spot patterns and make better decisions about future content and campaigns.
Frequently asked questions
To boost your Instagram engagement you'll need a mix of Instagram best practices – including specific strategies, regular posting, and smart content creation choices that align with your business goals.
Let's end with a few key questions that we haven't already covered.
How can user-generated content (USG) boost engagement?
USG can be great for engagement since it feels real and authentic. This can build trust around your brand, and make others more likely to follow and engage since your brand now feeds more relatable.
The types of this UGC are wide-ranging and can include anything from requesting people leave stories in the comments about how they use your products to asking people to share your products in their own photos or Stories. The latter can then be reposted to your own channel (with permission) for added engagement.
What's the 5-3-1 rule, and how does it apply to posting on Instagram?
The 5-3-1 rule has gained a lot of traction due to its reliability in building followers. The idea is that if you like five photos, and comment on three, you will gain one new follower for your efforts. It's why you often see brands commenting under viral videos or liking posts that feature their products. It's an interesting Instagram marketing strategy, as the idea is that keeping up engagement across other users' accounts will attract more followers to your own Instagram page and ultimately boost engagement.
What types of content perform best with Instagram users?
User-generated content performs remarkably well – it actually gets 4x higher click-through rates compared to other marketing content. This is why it's a great practice to share Instagram Stories and posts from customers that feature your products.
Behind-the-scenes content and employee spotlights help humanize your brand. These posts typically see 20% higher engagement than polished promotional content.
Educational posts like tips, tutorials, and how-to guides provide value and encourage saves and shares.
How can posting Instagram Stories and Reels lead to business growth?
Reels can be used for all sorts of purposes, as they can both educate and entertain. The short-form video format tends to grab attention in more ways than a still image, and trending audio can increase discoverability because the algorithm is more likely to suggest your video to others if it contains audio that's already going viral.
On the other hand, Stories work really well for time-sensitive content like flash sales or event coverage. You can also add interactive elements like polls and questions to boost engagement.
Share product tutorials and quick tips in Story format to provide quick value to viewers.
How do captions apply to Instagram best practices?
Most Instagram best practices for creating engaging content tend to focus on the format of the post or making the most of exciting new features, but let's not forget that captions should still be included in your Instagram strategy too. In fact, getting them just right can definitely boost engagement.
As a rule, it's good to start captions with a hook – this could be asking a question or sharing an interesting fact to grab attention.
Then, break up long captions with line breaks or emojis for better readability. But remember, keep important information in the first 125 characters before the "more" cut-off.
Finally, finish with a clear call to action that drives that all-important engagement – something like "Save this post" or "Tag a friend who needs to see this" should do the trick. Calls to action are particularly important in Instagram ads or an Instagram marketing campaign, where a prompt to "Take the quiz" or similar could easily lead you to a new customer.
