Are you new to Instagram? Are you hoping to make your mark sooner rather than later? Are you willing to do whatever it takes to grow your following, engage with your audience, and become known as one of the top influencers in your space?
While enthusiasm is a good thing, it will only get you so far on Instagram. And that’s why you need a solid foundation on which to build.
These Instagram marketing tips for beginners will put you on the right path to success:
1. Carve Out a Niche
You can’t be everything to everyone on Instagram, so it’s critical to carve out your niche early on. As an individual, this is often more difficult than a brand, but either way it’s a step you need to take. Are you going to post primarily about fitness? How about travel? Or maybe business?
Carve out your niche early on, as doing so will give you a clear idea of the direction you want to go.
2. Get Used to All Types of Visual Content
There is no shortage of the types of visual content you can share on Instagram. You are only limited by your own creativity.
From selfies to videos, from infographics to behind the scene looks, you shouldn’t hold yourself back. Get creative, see what resonates with your audience, and continue to publish the type of content that engages your audience.
3. Give Yourself a Head Start
Getting your first 100+ Instagram followers can be difficult. This is particularly true if you’re building from the ground up with nothing to stand on, such as an individual without a personal brand.
There are steps you can take to give yourself a head start, such as buying followers. You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars to make progress. In fact, $10 is typically enough to score you all the followers you need to feel good about your direction.
Getting started is as simple as finding a service, like ViralRace, that is designed to help you boost your follower count without having to put in any work. Just remember that some services are better than others. You want to choose one that provides high quality, real followers. Spam bots aren’t going to do you any good. In fact, this could lead to your account being suspended, which is never a good thing for an Instagram user.
4. Take Your Time
You’re so excited about growing your Instagram account that you go post crazy. Day one you publish five new posts, and then follow it up with 10 the next day. It feels good, but you’re going too fast.
Take your time, as you don’t want to overwhelm anyone who visits your profile. Also, if you post too much at once, you’re not giving yourself a real chance to see what works and what doesn’t.
As a general rule of thumb, post once or twice a day for the first few weeks. This helps you build a solid foundation on which you can expand from in the future.
5. Research Hashtags
You’re looking for every way possible to drive people to your Instagram profile. While posting high quality photos and engaging captions will help, it’s not the only thing you should do.
Hashtags are important to your success, as this is one of the many ways people will find your Instagram account. As time goes by, you’ll find that hashtags that once generated interest are no longer as powerful. So, don’t shy away from adjusting your approach.
6. Engage from Day One
Don’t focus so much time and energy on your own profile that you forget that there are other people on Instagram. Engage with people in your space, such as by commenting on and liking their photos. And of course, don’t be shy about reaching out to ask for help. For example, they may be willing to partake in a cross promotion that benefits the both of you.
There is more to social media than doing what’s best for you. If you give, such as by commenting on other posts, you will receive a lot in return. Give it a try. You’ll like what you see.
MIstakes to Avoid
With the tips above guiding you, you’ll feel good about your early days on Instagram. You should at least have a basic idea of how to implement a marketing strategy that yields results.
But as you do these things, there are some mistakes you want to avoid. Keep these out of your Instagram life:
- Posting the same type of content, time after time
- Making it all about you, as opposed to posting and engaging
- Neglecting to answer comments
- Forgetting to use hashtags
These mistakes seem easy enough to avoid, but with so much happening, both on Instagram and off, you’re likely to make one of them. If you do, it won’t kill your Instagram account, but it will definitely slow you down from growing.
Final Thoughts
Your first day on Instagram will be tricky, as you don’t know exactly what you want to do or how to do it. But by the next day, things will begin to settle down. And then a few months down the road, you’ll have a clear direction and strategy in place.
The key to future success with Instagram marketing is to get all the right details in place upfront. This way, you don’t look back and wonder what went wrong.
Even the most popular Instagram influencers in the world started in the same place as you. There was a time when they had no followers and little idea of what they were doing. But over time, this all changed and they eventually obtained the traction they were seeking.
If you’re an Instagram beginner, let this advice give you the confidence needed to take the bull by the horns. There is nothing complicated about Instagram marketing. As long as you have a plan and follow it, good things will happen.