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Most brands have leveraged Instagram so customers can share and interact with content about goods and services. According to a 2023 Social Pilot report, there are over 25 million businesses that utilize Instagram for product promotions.
Doing so enables brands to increase audience reach and generate new leads. Notably, ReportLinker reveals that 44% of consumers use Instagram weekly to make a purchase.
That said, there are some blunders to stay away from to ensure that you can successfully engage with your target audience and earn a profit.
For instance, not capitalizing on trends like Instagram Reels, which a Forbes article titled ‘2023 Marketing Trends’ states has become increasingly popular, can be detrimental to catching consumers’ attention.
Below, this article will expound more on the five common Instagram mistakes you need to avoid.
1. Forgetting about hashtags
Hashtags are a critical component of Instagram marketing. To illustrate, a 2023 Rival IQ report on social media success shares that brands in nearly every industry yielded top engagement rates from holiday-hashtagged posts.
As such, use hashtags that can help consumers identify what your post is about. For one, you can utilize your set of branded hashtags.
You can likewise describe what product or service is featured in the photo or mention the location in which it was taken. Ultimately, hashtags are necessary to help consumers better understand what your brand offers.
2. Publishing false content
Fake news about products and services are quite common on social media platforms. As our previous post mentioned, numerous marketers or business owners tend to make false promises on their Facebook pages, for instance.
Although publishing such content can come from the desire to boost traffic, it can backfire and cause customers to lose trust in the business—the same applies to Instagram.
Interestingly, according to an article by Ayima on fake advertising, Instagram has developed more features in collaboration with leading fact-checkers to circumvent the spread of misinformation.
This is because when brands post fake adverts, these can cause potential harm to consumers by playing on their beliefs and insecurities. So with that, make sure to vet that all your information—whether they’re to be used on Reels or on regular posts—comes from credible sources.
3. Ignoring collaborations with influencers
Nowadays, individuals turn to influencers for advice and product recommendations. Case in point, a study published in Bloomberg shows that 37% of consumers trust social media influencers over brands.
So on that note, create a list of influencers who are a good fit for your business and share your same values. Apart from that, your brand’s domain should be aligned with the interests of an influencer’s followers. If you’re a skincare brand, for example, then research an individual whose followers are interested in beauty.
This way, their followers already have an existing interest in the kind of products or services your business offers.
4. Underestimating the power of Instagram Reels
According to the referenced Rival IQ report, Reels have dethroned the ever-popular carousel on Instagram as the most engaging post type—and with good reason. These are bite-size clips where brands can feature catchy, memorable, and shareable content about their goods and services.
Now, as an Entrepreneur write-up on the benefits of Reels points out, the platform’s algorithm encourages creators to build off of one another’s posts. So to use Instagram Reels to your advantage, consider adding trending music with a similar design to your own content.
5. Not tracking Instagram metrics
Not tracking your Instagram metrics can be detrimental to your digital marketing strategy. As shared by a 2022 Retail Dive feature on Instagram users, businesses need to leverage the platform’s analytics as this lets them gather key metrics and compare engagement across ads and posts.
You can start by tapping the Insights button on your profile to view metrics such as profile visits, website clicks, and how people have interacted with your posts. By identifying and understanding how your content has been performing, you can craft better marketing campaigns on the platform moving forward.
Conclusion
Harnessing the power of Instagram is crucial in any digital marketing plan. Hopefully, this article has shown you the mistakes you need to avoid to effectively use the platform and pursue business success.
Article specially penned for artclip.ca
by Marina Jean Stuart