Instagram is one of those social media apps that seems to be constant. It is tough to miss and tends to see a lot of use among brands and businesses because of the attention and engagement on the photo and video sharing platform.
This is very true for small or local brands that may not have a lot of online following yet and who need to find that first set of followers and people who will help them grow. There are many different strategies for using Instagram, but the essential thing that needs to be addressed is the type of person following you.
This is why we invited Dhariana Lozano in this edition of #ChampsTalk to discuss how to develop the right Instagram strategy for your brand.
She is a social media coach who helps women and others create amazing strategies!
We are Live! on #ChampsTalk – Chat Session with @DhariLo | Social Media Coach and Consultant
Topic of discussion: How to Come Up With the Right Instagram Strategy for Your Brand
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.#SocialChamp #Instagram #ChatSession pic.twitter.com/pcdbVEp6Pb— Social Champ (@SocialChampSays) October 27, 2021
We're so excited to have you here @DhariLo!
Let's kick off with our first question: What type of objectives can a brand achieve by being active on Instagram?🤔#ChampsTalk pic.twitter.com/KJR9GCSHLI
— Social Champ (@SocialChampSays) October 27, 2021
Excited to be here! #ChampsTalk https://t.co/O3bqZCDwQj
— Dhariana Lozano NYC Social Media Consultant (@DhariLo) October 27, 2021
A1: Some objectives a brand can achieve by being on instagram being active on #Instagram are:
✔️Building deeper connections with your customers
✔️Expressing your brand voice
✔️Generating leads and sales from the platform
#ChampsTalk— Dhariana Lozano NYC Social Media Consultant (@DhariLo) October 27, 2021
Question 2: What are the best practices to increase your account following and engagement on Instagram?#ChampsTalk pic.twitter.com/JsvFGSuTSK
— Social Champ (@SocialChampSays) October 27, 2021
A2: Increasing your Instagram following & engagement isn't always about 1 specific task. You need the pieces to work together. My advice:
✔️Test new content
✔️Engage w/your target audience
✔️Review analytics so you can repeat what works
✔️Have a strategy & stick to it#ChampsTalk— Dhariana Lozano NYC Social Media Consultant (@DhariLo) October 27, 2021
Question 3: What type of content should a brand promote on Instagram? 📈 pic.twitter.com/GtyANsaIOb
— Social Champ (@SocialChampSays) October 27, 2021
A3: The type of content a brand should promote on Instagram should be based on their specific objectives. In general I suggest putting budget behind content that organically performs well, content that tells your brand's story and posts about your products or services#ChampsTalk
— Dhariana Lozano NYC Social Media Consultant (@DhariLo) October 27, 2021
Question 4: What is more beneficial for a business, an individual account, a business account, or a creator account, and what are their distinct features? 🤳 pic.twitter.com/emFWxOMyKY
— Social Champ (@SocialChampSays) October 27, 2021
The type of account that is most beneficial for a business to have on Instagram is a business account. Business accounts give you access to analytics that will help you grow your account. There are also special features (like shops and specific buttons).#ChampsTalk
— Dhariana Lozano NYC Social Media Consultant (@DhariLo) October 27, 2021
Question 5: How important is an account audit in terms of setting goals and creating an Instagram marketing strategy? 🧮✅ pic.twitter.com/3h318vJTS5
— Social Champ (@SocialChampSays) October 27, 2021
A5: An account audit in terms of setting goals and creating an Instagram marketing strategy is essential! Make sure your bio is clear and links are up to date. Also pay attention to which pieces of content perform well. #ChampsTalk https://t.co/aXSyq9J5FV
— Dhariana Lozano NYC Social Media Consultant (@DhariLo) October 27, 2021
Question 6: How can brands utilize Instagram Analytics to plan their content marketing strategy?#ChampsTalk pic.twitter.com/Cn7ZaWt7vy
— Social Champ (@SocialChampSays) October 27, 2021
A6: Brands can utilize Instagram Analytics to plan their content marketing strategy by paying attention to the top pieces of content and which periods of time your account performance is up. Take a look at what you posted in order to recreate that momentum
#ChampsTalk https://t.co/DrTshNuulY— Dhariana Lozano NYC Social Media Consultant (@DhariLo) October 27, 2021
Question 7: What are the best practices to promote your content to a specific target audience on Instagram? 🔊 #ChampsTalk pic.twitter.com/WdeLy1vxEB
— Social Champ (@SocialChampSays) October 27, 2021
A7 [1/2]: To promote your content to a specific target audience on Instagram, you should get clear on who they are. This gives you insight on where they might be "hanging out" online.
#ChampsTalk https://t.co/8i06R1TJvh— Dhariana Lozano NYC Social Media Consultant (@DhariLo) October 27, 2021
A7 [2/2]: Interact with the accounts & take hints about the type of content they like to see based on who they follow.
#ChampsTalk— Dhariana Lozano NYC Social Media Consultant (@DhariLo) October 27, 2021
Question 8: How effective is influencer marketing on Instagram? Should brands include it in their Social Media Strategies? 🎯 #ChampsTalk pic.twitter.com/FA8gHVkJbB
— Social Champ (@SocialChampSays) October 27, 2021
A8: Influencer marketing on Instagram should absolutely be included into social media strategies for business. It is one of the fastest ways to grow your following with targeted customers. Make sure the influencers have a legit audience of people who fit your target
#ChampsTalk https://t.co/ydHXCOjOuz— Dhariana Lozano NYC Social Media Consultant (@DhariLo) October 27, 2021
Question 9: What makes content on Instagram attractive to users? Is it visuals, captions, or all about the hashtags you’ve used? #⃣ #ChampsTalk pic.twitter.com/5sjXA8E78z
— Social Champ (@SocialChampSays) October 27, 2021
A9: What makes content on Instagram attractive to users will change from brand to brand. It goes back to having a clear view of your audience. Do they prefer videos? Maybe they like Stories more? This is why it's important to use all features and test content types#ChampsTalk https://t.co/eAigbuvsw3
— Dhariana Lozano NYC Social Media Consultant (@DhariLo) October 27, 2021
Question 10: How helpful are Instagram stories when it comes to engagement and reach? 🚀#ChampsTalk pic.twitter.com/7XtWGGPn5C
— Social Champ (@SocialChampSays) October 27, 2021
A10: With every account I've worked with using Instagram Stories consistently helps with engagement and reach on your Instagram account as a whole. Stories can be very casual so don't overthink! Takes customers behind the scenes, use stickers, run polls and have fun!#ChampsTalk https://t.co/wa9bevHl3H
— Dhariana Lozano NYC Social Media Consultant (@DhariLo) October 27, 2021
Question 11: How can a brand identify the best time to post on Instagram for maximum reach and engagement? ⌚️#ChampsTalk pic.twitter.com/Fa29AwpVWW
— Social Champ (@SocialChampSays) October 27, 2021
A11: To identify the best time to post on Instagram for maximum reach and engagement look at your analytics. Under the insights > followers tab you can see average times your audience is on – but don't be afraid to try times that are different from that as well.
#ChampsTalk https://t.co/bjc9JAnrN5— Dhariana Lozano NYC Social Media Consultant (@DhariLo) October 27, 2021
Here's a screenshot! #ChampsTalk pic.twitter.com/1K38rFHI8S
— Dhariana Lozano NYC Social Media Consultant (@DhariLo) October 27, 2021
Question 12: Lastly, who do you think we should invite next on #ChampsTalk? 😁 pic.twitter.com/nj2yJBJEEy
— Social Champ (@SocialChampSays) October 27, 2021
A12: Next on #ChampsTalk you should have @marissapick! She is an amazing B2B social media consultant and a colleague of mine since the start 🙂 https://t.co/RN2txVNfci
— Dhariana Lozano NYC Social Media Consultant (@DhariLo) October 27, 2021
Thank you @DhariLo for such an amazing recommendation! @marissapick We would love to have you on #ChampsTalk 👋
— Social Champ (@SocialChampSays) October 27, 2021
And that's a wrap! Thank you so much @DhariLo for an awesome session today!
Your Instagram strategies were extremely helpful 😄
I am certain the audience had as much of a great time as we did! #ChampsTalk pic.twitter.com/oHaWG9QyNi
— Social Champ (@SocialChampSays) October 27, 2021
Thank you so much for having me! If anyone has any questions feel free to ask. #ChampsTalk https://t.co/CtDekVddFR
— Dhariana Lozano NYC Social Media Consultant (@DhariLo) October 27, 2021
Hi Dhariana, thanks for doing this chat with SocialChamp. Quick question:
Which niches are best suited for Instagram marketing? As I assume for some it's a waste of time to promote there. thanks! #champstalk— Nikola Roza (@NikolaRoza) October 27, 2021
Great question. The short answer is you don't really know until you try. If your content is good then you can reach your audience. At the end of the day the people working in any industry are still people.
— Dhariana Lozano NYC Social Media Consultant (@DhariLo) October 27, 2021
What is the best way to discover niche-relevant hashtags? @SocialChampSays @DhariLo #ChampsTalk
— Fahad Ahmed (@Fahad_Ahmed94) October 27, 2021
Research! There are tools out there like @TryFlick that can help make that process easier. You can also manually search through Instagram itself which is tedious but can be really insightful #ChampsTalk
— Dhariana Lozano NYC Social Media Consultant (@DhariLo) October 27, 2021
How important are reels on Instagram for brands? Do you think a brand should invest resources to film a reel? @DhariLo @SocialChampSays #ChampsTalk
— Marium Fahim Khan (@marium_fahim) October 27, 2021
If there is budget for it, yes! If there is capacity I always suggest trying and using all the tools and content formats available on Instagram to see what works for your account. If you don't have budget you can test them by keeping them simple (using templates etc) #ChampsTalk
— Dhariana Lozano NYC Social Media Consultant (@DhariLo) October 27, 2021
Do you think buying followers is the right path for small businesses? Is there any benefit of buying followers? @DhariLo @SocialChampSays #ChampsTalk
— Tahniat Alam (@tahniatalam) October 27, 2021
Don't do it!! There are better ways to spend money on social media than buying followers. Put money behind organic content, hire help for an hour or two a week to interact with accounts, influencer campaigns, etc. #ChampsTalk
— Dhariana Lozano NYC Social Media Consultant (@DhariLo) October 27, 2021
We would like to thank Dhariana for taking the time for us and educating our audience on Instagram Strategy!