10 Best Instagram Practices to Help You Maximize Brand Presence

There are roughly 1.440 billion users on Instagram, making it one of the most active social media sites. It's a massive loss for a brand if they don't have any presence on the platform.

However, being on Instagram is more than just making a profile and ending things there. Brands should have a purpose and strategy behind their Instagram account and provide value to their followers.

To help you grow your Instagram presence, build a connection with your audience, and drive engagement, you can follow these 10 best practices that prove helpful for brands.

Upload High-Quality Images That Are Consistent With Your Brand

There are various formats on Instagram now, but high-quality images will always be at the platform's core. With millions of beautiful visuals to compete with, you can't post blurry or dark photos and expect to get your audience's attention. It pays to put extra effort into photography and graphic design.

In addition, your visuals must align with your branding. Choose colors, elements, and design styles that aren't just attractive to your followers but give your feed a consistent look. It can confuse your audience when your in-feed posts don't tie in with one another.

Be Consistent With Your Posts

You want your audience to see you as a reliable brand, and one of the best ways to build trust is by being consistent with your posts. However, it's easier said than done. That's where planning comes in. When you develop and schedule your posts ahead of time, you can stay on track and churn out content regularly.

To avoid burnout, be realistic about how many times you post in a week. You can then plot your posting schedule on a content calendar and create your posts in batches. That way, you stay organized and never run out of content to post.

Determine Your Target Audience and Listen to Their Needs

There are billions of users on Instagram, and it's impossible to cater to everyone. For that reason, brands must determine a target audience and focus on that group. You can identify yours by thinking about who your ideal customer is. Narrow it by location, gender, age, and interest, and leave out those who don't fit the bill.

Once you've identified your target audience, it's time to learn about their wants and needs. You can observe their words and behavior or dig through the abundance of data on Instagram Insights. Once you know your audience, you can optimize your social media strategy and see better performance on the platform.

Measure Your Performance

You will only know if your social media strategy is working if you measure your performance. That’s a very effective way to be able to make the necessary adjustments to achieve your goals. Fortunately, Instagram Insights provides various metrics you can track.

You should keep an eye on impressions and reach because they'll tell you how many users viewed your content and how many times. Engagement is crucial, too, because it shows you if your followers care about your posts. Your follower growth rate is another vital metric. It lets you know how fast you're gaining or losing followers.

Post at the Right Time

Instagram's ever-changing algorithm can be tricky to navigate, but good timing has always been one of the best ways to maximize visibility and drive engagement. When you time your posts while your followers are active, you're more likely to get likes, comments, and shares.

You can check Instagram Insights to determine the best time to post. In the "Your audience" section, you'll see various information about your followers, including their most active times. It tells you which days they spend the most time on the app and when they're most active daily.

Keep Up With the Changes on Instagram

Instagram aims to be the best social media platform for creators and businesses, so they're constantly improving the app. It's crucial to keep up with these features and maximize them to get ahead of your competitors.

Reels and Stories are some of the newest formats on the platform, so it would benefit brands to use them. They're a great way to connect with your audience and boost engagement. Instagram Shopping is another feature that can help businesses increase sales. It allows your customers to discover and learn more about your products and purchase them directly on the app.

Host Engaging Giveaways

Giveaways and challenges are some of the best ways to encourage audience participation without spending too much money. They're also great for giving back to your community and thanking them for their support. You can make giveaways more effective by rewarding your audience with prizes you know they'll enjoy.

It's also crucial to identify your goals for the giveaway and craft mechanics that support them. If you want to expand your following, you can ask your target audience to follow your account and tag at least three friends. If you're working on driving engagement, tell them to like, comment, and reshare the post.

Partner With the Right Influencers

There are many benefits to working with influencers. They can help you gain credibility and expose your products or services to a larger audience. You can generate lots of interest when you partner with an influencer in an Instagram takeover or giveaway.

But that doesn't mean all influencers are a fit for your brand. You must be careful who you partner with to achieve your desired results. Your chosen influencer must share the same values and goals as your brand so that the partnership looks authentic and not forced or gimmicky. Their influence must also be within the same industry or niche. Otherwise, you can't reach your target audience.

Use Instagram Ads

Despite how much Instagram has evolved through the years, traditional ad strategies remain effective. Paid Instagram ads can get your content in front of the right people beyond those who are already following you.

What's great about Instagram ads is that you can customize your target audience by location, gender, age, and interest, making the ad worth your money.

The Bottom Line

Creating a powerful brand presence on Instagram can be challenging, given the amount of competition on the app. But these best practices can help you grow your following, increase engagement, and build a loyal community that will support you.