How to improve your engagement on Instagram!

So lets get right to it…

How to improve your engagement on Instagram:

1. Pick the most optimal times to be on Instagram!

I know many of you are extremely busy and don’t have time to literally sit on Instagram all day. So you can take a look at your business analytics and see what the most popular times your audience is using Instagram. Checking these popular times will not only help you decide which time to post but when you should be engaging with your audience. Be more strategic with your time and scroll through your feed/stories at this time to catch the most people! For example, for me the most optimal time is 12 pm and I make it a point to be active at that time to interact/build relationships.

Why is it important? Because you are more likely to get quick interaction vs. you leaving comments at 2 am when no one is on. LOL

2. Scroll through stories intentionally.

Have you ever caught yourself just watching insta stories for way too long? Yeah, me too! I changed that habit by being more aware of what I was watching and asking myself these questions:

“Do I find what this person posted funny/entertaining?

“Can I relate to this person?”

“Do I want to learn something from them?”

“Can they learn something from me”

I’ll give you an example for all these questions and how you can build a relationship with someone:

“Do I find what this person posted funny/entertaining?

Suzy Q posted a video on her instastory of her dog doing something hilarious.

You can either A) go to the next story or B) REPLY “omg that’s hilarious”

“Can I relate to this person?”

Suzy Q posted a quote that really resonates with you. Let her know that!

“Do I want to learn something from them?”

Suzy Q posted a mask she uses at night and you’ve never seen it before. Ask her about it.

“Can they learn something from me”

Suzy Q posted a poll asking for help on getting rid of acne scars. If you have some remedies, let her know.

Now I get that all of this seems super simple and you’re like Liz that’s easy. Well, you are so right, it’s so simple and easy! All you have to do is start a conversation with someone and not just once, several several times to build rapport.

So now that simple reply you made about her dog doing something funny is now a full blown convo on how you both love dogs.

3. Scroll through your feed with a purpose.

This is very similar to #2 but can be approached slightly different. Set aside a time frame and a goal every time you jump on. For example, I will scroll through my feed for 30 minutes and I want to engage with at least 30 accounts.

When you scroll, read captions carefully and give a thoughtful response.

Captions can sometimes disclose how someone has been feeling, struggles they are going through, something they’re really excited about, etc etc. If this is the case you want to make sure that person knows you actually took the time to read that caption!

Quick story: One time I was scrolling and someone posted a picture of their dog. I left a comment saying “omg how cute is he!” Well it turns out her caption said that she had lost her dog and was extremely sad!! I deleted the comment quickly.

Sometimes you can come across as insensitive or insincere if you are trying just to comment on as many things as you can  without really trying to grasp what the picture is about.

Also, if someone is asking a question in their caption and you have an answer, then leave your answer in the comments! Trust me it will make a difference since so many people don’t already do this!

4. Respond to every comment on your picture!

If you are getting hundreds of comments like @desiperkins then you are excused. However, if you are not,  you can make the time to respond to people!

At the end of the day as a blogger/influencer your audience is your most important asset, so acknowledge them! When responding to comments I always go to that persons profile and show them some love as well.

Different ways you can reply to comments:

1. thank them
2. give them a compliment back
3. refer to something you saw on their story/feed
4. ask a question

Personally 3 & 4 are the best ways to engage but you can’t do this with every single person. I choose based on the relationship I have with this person & the length/thought put into the comment.

Lets just say for this example I am following this person and would like to establish an ongoing relationship.

For example, Suzy Q leaves me a comment “omg liz you look great in that dress.”

My reply: Thank you so much Suzy. I saw you weren’t feeling well from your insta stories. Are you feeling better?

Obviously if you’re not following this person you can’t see their feed/stories.

An alternative reply ” Thank you suzy! I got this dress from Forever 21 it was so cheap too!  It just opens it up for a follow up comment. I would do this for someone maybe that consistently leaves comments but I’m not following them.

5. Be a genuine person.

Wow such great advice right?! Well, sometimes people get so caught up that they forget how to treat people. Just remember, treat people the way you want to be treated.

I’ve seen some bloggers leave the exact same comment on multiple profiles. Like the exact same. Do you know how off putting that is?

Use Instagram as a way to truly engage with people and build relationships because that’s what it’s all about. Girls constantly ask me, “How can I get more comments on my pictures?” Almost 9 out of 10 times, this person doesn’t put any extra effort or time to engage with the people that follow her or that she follows.

 

Did I just make Instagram sound like a job? Well guys, it totally is. You need to put in work to get results. By applying all of these tips you can help increase your engagement rate which is very important as a blogger/influencer.

I hope this information was useful and you are able to take some of these tips and apply them!

As always, thank you for stopping by.

It’s been real.

 

xoxo

Liz-Laugh-Love