Take your Instagram presence from a gallery of pretty pictures, to a platform where you can build relationships, earn valuable feedback, and most importantly, earn leads.

 

In the 2nd part of our series on earning more Instagram engagement, we will cover 2 more tactics that you can use to not only earn more likes, comments, and follows… But, they will also allow you to gain valuable feedback, as well as brand awareness from outside of your typical niche!

 

That said, if you’re looking to maximize the potential of your social media marketing efforts, continue reading for 2 more techniques that you can use to earn Instagram engagement. 

 

– You can check out part 1 of this series here – How to Earn More Engagement on Instagram Part 1

 

Asking Your Followers Questions

Despite being easily overlooked, the first method to earn more Instagram engagement that we’ll be covering today can be quite effective – Asking your followers questions!

 

For many business owners, it can be easy to fall into a routine of posting social media content that is 100% promotional. But, if you want to earn Instagram engagement, you should treat Instagram as a platform to spark a conversation, instead of a platform built solely for you to broadcast a message.

 

For example, let’s say that you ran a strength training gym in Burnaby. In this scenario, Instagram posts on new gym equipment or posts that provide exercise education may be valuable, but these posts fail to encourage 2-way communication. 

 

So, instead of simply sharing content with the intent to educate or entertain, remember to ask your audience questions, and to start conversations!

 

For example, after updating your followers on new gym equipment, you can ask your followers what they would like to see added to your gym next. By taking the extra step to ask your  followers a direct question, you can give your Instagram a boost of engagement. Plus, by asking a question, not only can you begin to build a closer relationship with your followers, but you can also get direct feedback to improve your products, or your services.

 

While asking a question may seem simple, this small detail can lead to more engagement, AND conversations that lead to incredibly valuable feedback. So, if asking your audience a question is something that you’ve overlooked, you should get started today!

 

 

 

 

Participating in Trends

Pop culture and current events may feel irrelevant to your business… But, the next Instagram engagement tactic that we’ll be covering today actually takes advantage of them – Participating in trends!

For the most part, asking questions will encourage engagement from your existing followers, but, if you want to earn engagement from a new audience, participating in a trend is a great way for you to showcase your business to people who may be unfamiliar with it.

 

For example, let’s continue with our previous scenario, and say that you’re the owner of a Burnaby strength training gym. By participating in a trend, you can introduce your business to an audience outside of your niche by aligning your Instagram content with a popular event or current news. So, in this scenario, you could align your content with almost anything related to sports or fitness!

 

For example, influencer/celebrity boxing has exploded in popularity, and the legendary Mike Tyson is set to fight Jake Paul, an internet-celebrity-turned-boxer. As the owner of a strength training gym, this fight is essentially an opportunity for you to build brand awareness amongst a new audience of Mike Tyson and Jake Paul fans.

 

With that being said, In this scenario, you can connect your business to the boxing match by creating strength training tutorials that cover each fighter’s unique style, or signature moves. By relating your Instagram content to a topic buzzing with popularity, not only can you reach an audience outside of your typical target market, but you can also earn more engagement.

 

However, you can also participate in trends from outside of your industry to earn more Instagram engagement!

 

For example, hip-hop fans have spent the last few months discussing the beef between Drake and Kendrick Lamar. While strength training and hip-hop may have little in common, this could have been an opportunity for you to earn more Instagram engagement, even if this trend comes from  an unrelated event in pop culture! 

 

For example, amongst rap fans, Drake is known for having a music catalog filled with love songs and soft emotions. Meanwhile, Kendrick Lamar is known for having a music catalog filled with raw lyricism and songs that detail a rougher lifestyle. So, in this scenario, you could take advantage of this trend by creating an Instagram reel that pokes fun at people who listen to Drake at the gym, versus people who listen to Kendrick Lamar.

 

By connecting your business to a trend from outside of your industry, you can earn more Instagram engagement by reaching an audience that is not only new to your business, but also likely to have a strong opinion about the trend that you’re taking advantage of.

 

With that being said, if you want to earn more Instagram engagement for your business, you should always keep an eye out for trends from within your industry, and outside of it. That way, you can be ready to take advantage of ANY opportunity that comes your way!

 

 

 

 

In conclusion, in the final part of our series on earning more Instagram engagement, we expanded on the previous tactics we discussed in part 1, and walked through the importance of asking your followers questions, and participating in trends from both inside and outside of your industry. So, now that we’ve covered a grand total of 5 methods that you can use to earn more engagement on Instagram, you should be well-equipped to level up and optimize your social media presence. 

 

That being said, if you’re looking to outsource your Social Media Management to a team of marketing experts, we would love to help! To learn more about our Social Media Management services, contact us today!