Tips for Interacting with Business and Personal Profiles on Instagram to Boost Your Brand

Part of running a successful Instagram account is interacting with other users. From business profiles to personal profiles, prioritizing interactions will help with engagement. But how should you handle these interactions?

We’ve gathered the most important advice for all your Instagram comments, regrams, and other interactions.

Tips for Sharing Others’ Content

One of the best ways to interact with other profiles on Instagram is by reposting or “regramming” their content. When you regram, you share someone’s content. Think of it as the Instagram equivalent of retweeting on Twitter. Importantly, there are some best practices to keep in mind before doing this.

• Don’t Overdo It

  Your Instagram feed should not over-rely on regramming. Be sure to include plenty of original posts in addition to your shared content.

• Always Ask for Permission

  Before sharing or regramming any content, always ask for permission. This is as simple as sending a direct message.

• Tag the Original Poster

  When you regram something, you should always give credit to the original account. So, tag them and mention them in your caption.

• Don’t Edit, Especially without Asking

  Generally speaking, you shouldn’t edit the content that you are reposting. If there is a good reason to edit the post, be sure to ask for permission.

• Follow Your Brand Image

  As you decide what content to share, make sure that it fits your brand image. You are hopefully already looking for content that matches your values and niche, but don’t forget about matching aesthetics as well.

Tips for Encouraging Comments

People commenting on your content is a very crucial interaction. It signals to Instagram’s algorithms that your content is popular. It also saves you the need to find profiles to comment on.

The following are some good ways that you can encourage comments on your content.

• Ask a Question

  One of the simplest methods of getting comments is to ask a question, whether multiple-choice or open-ended. This applies to feed posts and Stories alike.

• Run a Contest

  Another great option is to run a contest and make commenting on your post an entry requirement.

Tips for Responding to Comments

You want to respond to the comments that people make on your Instagram profile. At the very least, like them, but ideally, you should actually respond, especially if your brand is still small enough to not have an overwhelming number of comments. As you respond to comments, keep these tips in mind.

• Reply within a Few Hours

  Do your best to respond to comments within just a few hours. When you reply quickly, you show your followers that you value their feedback. A realistic goal is to aim for responses within every few hours but try to minimize the response time when possible.

• Always Be Polite

  As with any other communication with the public, always be polite and respectful in your responses to Instagram comments.

• Be Personal

  Use your response to comments as a chance to show how personable your brand is. Remember that your goal is to build relationships with your followers.

• Keep It Short

  Stick to short responses, as this will help the conversation flow. You can even use emojis to save yourself time and keep things light.

What Profiles to Interact With

We mentioned sharing other people’s content or “regramming,” but you should also comment on and like other people’s posts. But the question many marketers or brands have is which profiles they should be interacting with. Whose posts should you regram? What posts or Stories should you comment on?

• People Who Will Get Value from Your Business

  The biggest category of people to interact with is those who will get value from your business. If they are already getting value from your business, then you should definitely interact with them. But you can also look for those who could get value.

• Relevant Brands

  You may not realize it, but you should also be interacting with content from other brands. This works best if the brand is relevant to your industry but not a direct competitor. But even a few interactions with direct competitors can work well – just keep things professional and friendly.

Tips for Commenting on Other People’s Content

When you comment on someone else’s content, you don’t want to be salesy. Your goal is to build a relationship and boost engagement, not to directly sell your product or service. You want to be genuine and personable.

For example, consider you have a pet-related business, such as a pet store or you offer pet grooming services. You could comment on animal-related profiles, such as pages dedicated to specific animals or people who own popular pets. Then, leave comments about how cute their animals are, how they made you smile, or how you love that breed.

There should be zero mention of sales or even your brand in these comments. The brand mention comes from your Instagram account name. Your goal with these comments is to offer support and appreciation for the posts. You are trying to build connections, both with the profile you comment on and with others who see your comment.

• Follow Their Tone

  When commenting on another profile’s content, try to match their tone. If their profile seems lighthearted, follow suit. If they seem more serious, then make sure your comments have a similar tone.

Be Consistent with Interactions

Regardless of the type of interactions you have on Instagram, make them consistent. Consistently respond to people’s comments on your posts. Get in the habit of sharing other peoples’ posts and commenting on them regularly. This will help you build relationships on Instagram.

Conclusion

The more interactions you have on Instagram, the more engagement you build. This helps you expand your reach and turn followers into customers.

To get the most from each interaction, you will want to follow some best practices. From asking permission before sharing someone else’s content to responding promptly to comments, the above tips will get you on the right track. Use the tips to improve your interactions and therefore boost your brand’s online reputation.