Every year, Instagram becomes a more important tool for marketers. Facebook has long been the focus of social media campaigns, but it is no longer the only pillar of an effective strategy. Long popular with younger users, Instagram has now solidified its position within the cultural mainstream. It also provides unique and valuable marketing opportunities to companies that familiarize themselves with the platform and master the art of engaging users.

Here are the eleven essential methods to drive up your engagement Instagram.

Make Content Saveable

The only thing better than creating a video users love to watch is creating a video they decide to watch again and again. When users can save your content, you’re encouraging further engagement on Instagram.

Make Your Posts Consistently

On a platform as fast-moving and dynamic as Instagram, posting once a month just doesn’t cut it. Consistent posts are key to making the most of the platform. The repetitive messaging will stick with consumers, and your brand recognition will go through the roof.

Avoid “Salesiness”

Heavy handed sales tactics are rarely a good idea, but they’re especially harmful on social media platforms. A clumsy, preachy tone will only hurt your engagement Instagram. People respond to content they find helpful or amusing, while they’ll ignore an obvious sales pitch.

Hashtag You Brand

Hashtags are the main way users navigate Instagram. By creating hashtags related to your brand, you help drive the conversation around your products.

Create Instagram Stories

While static, lasting photos have long been Instagram’s claim to fame, recent years have seen the fast-expiring, short-term stories steal the show. Users enjoy the stories’ personal, laidback feel. By posting a daily story, you help keep your brand on the minds of potential customers.

Use Stickers In Stories

Instagram stories can include much more than mere photos or videos. By inserting stickers, you can ask questions or conduct polls with your followers. You can even include quizzes and countdowns for key offers or promotions. Getting creative with stickers is a great way to encourage responses and drive engagement Instagram.

Use Captions For Videos

Lots of folks flip absent-mindedly through Instagram with their phone’s volume turned off. This means they’re missing the brilliant messaging you’ve included in your videos’ voiceovers. By interesting captions and subtitles, you make sure your message gets through, even when the video is muted.

Use SEO

Lots of folks mistakenly believe that SEO is for blogs and web pages, not social media. In reality, you can use SEO techniques to optimize your Instagram posts and beat out the competition. People search for products on Instagram just like they do on the internet. By optimizing your content, you help bring your brand to the fore.

Go Heavy On The Emojis

As silly as it might seem, people respond very positively to emojis. In recent years, they’ve become so ubiquitous that their absence can make your content seem overbearing, overly-serious, and even intimidating.

Include Calls To Action

Passive content will prove ineffective, no matter how many eyeballs it attracts. If you want your posts to drive engagement, you need them to push your followers into action.

Test And Analyze

Never leave a single deviation to your strategy unanalyzed. Track your engagement and look out for how different techniques alter your outcomes. You can only find out what works best for your brand through extensive trial and error.

Instagram marketing might not be brain surgery, but there are certain best practices that you’d be foolish not to follow. Take these tips to heart if you’re intent on increasing you Instagram engagement.