Instagram Marketing Strategy For 2024. We discuss the pros and cons of Instagram, and the importance of a good Instagram marketing strategy and take you step by step through the entire process. Together we ensure that your account will grow quickly. Which is the best way to Get Instagram Followers?
The Pros and Cons of Instagram
In principle, Instagram is interesting for any company that offers visual content. This platform, with more than 700 million users worldwide, provides more interaction with your followers and shows what you stand for through visual material.
Instagram also has the following additional benefits:
- Visual content works well: it is scientifically proven that visual content is processed faster than text.
- Advertising is possible: which will help you grow even faster on Instagram.
- The millennial segment is growing every year: reach this target group through Instagram.
- Hashtags make your content visible, which means you can reach the right target group more quickly.
However, there are also some disadvantages to having a business Instagram account:
- Time-consuming job: you have to work on it weekly or monthly and have to keep triggering your followers with visual content.
- There is not much room for additional information: the platform only offers a short bio where you can enter your information.
- You cannot include a URL with posts: this makes it harder to link to a specific page.
Decide for yourself whether Instagram is the platform you want to invest your time in the coming months and ask yourself whether your target group also uses Instagram. Do you have an older target group? Then you can better look at Facebook. Do you have a young target group? Then take a look at the possibilities of TikTok.
Why choose an Instagram marketing strategy?
Which results in fewer followers, likes, and comments. In this way, your reach on Instagram will never increase.
An Instagram marketing strategy helps with that for a common thread. You can always look back at the plan when you don’t know what to post or when. Even when multiple people manage the account, you ensure that everyone is on the same page.
Creating an Instagram strategy step by step
You can also use Instagram with your company to increase your reach and show your visual portfolio. But how do you ensure that your Instagram strategy fits in well with your marketing and branding? In the following paragraphs, we will explain step by step how to set up an Instagram strategy, and we will go through all kinds of important components. Such as creating an Instagram content strategy and an Instagram hashtags strategy.
Step 1. Clearly define the objective
The first step for your Instagram strategy is to clearly visualize your goals. You can use Instagram for different goals, such as:
- Inspire people about your product or service
- Selling as many products as possible
- Show more personality so you can build a closer bond
- You want to share tips and knowledge so that people see you as an expert
Choose up to 2 goals for your Instagram account from the list above or goals you have created yourself. Focusing on too many different things can be confusing for clients.
Using these 2 objectives, you will move on to step 2 of this strategy.
Step 2. Instagram content strategy
There are many opportunities for businesses on Instagram. It is important to have a clear overview of the different types of content that you can use on your account:
- Instagram post: Post a video or photo with a description of up to 2200 characters. This content will be posted to your followers’ feeds and visible on your account.
- Instagram video (formerly IGTV): this is for longer videos, these can also be seen on your account, under a separate tab.
- Instagram stories: share a vertical photo, short video, or link that people can see for 24 hours. This is mainly used for updates and news and is then no longer visible on your account unless you save it and use it for your highlights.
- Instagram Reels: This is for short videos (similar to TikTok videos), these can also be seen on your account, possibly under a separate tab.
Now that you know the different types of content there are, you can create an overview of the types of content you want to use on Instagram.
Now we are going to work on the content of this content, for this, you need your goals from step 1. Create 3 content pillars for yourself that fit these goals and describe the topics that you will post on this account. You should see these as themes that the Instagram algorithm can read to place your content with the right target group. Three examples of content pillars are for example; information about the products, examples of how you can use the products, and useful tips.
The idea is that you never deviate from these three pillars and that you do not post the same pillar one after the other. If you posted about a new product yesterday, do not go into another product for the next post, but post a handy tip. This way you keep your account balanced and ensure that you do not bore your users with only advertising-like posts.
Step 3. Instagram hashtag strategy
By applying a smart mix of popular hashtags within your niche, hashtags that your target group often uses and your hashtags, the Instagram algorithm ensures that you are visible faster
For each post, follow these steps for a strong Instagram hashtag strategy:
- Start your hashtag series with 2 personal hashtags. These are hashtags where all posts of your company can be found, think of a hashtag with your company name or your motto.
- Then, post 4 to 6 hashtags that describe your services or hashtags that are popular within your niche.
- Then place 3 to 5 hashtags that your target audience often searches for. You can investigate this by doing keyword research.
- End your hashtag series with a few hashtags that are relevant to the post itself. Make sure you don’t go over 16 hashtags.
Change your hashtags per post and see what works best for your account. It is good to do new hashtag research every six months so that you ensure that your hashtags remain relevant.
Step 4. What do you post when?
Make a schedule for yourself with what kind of content (and which pillar) you post when. Do this for a whole month, so that you know for sure that your content is well balanced. You can do this in Excel, but also in a Word document or on paper. It looks like this, for example:
Tuesday, February 11: in-feed post – pillar: products – photo of shampoo – “ text with post including hashtags ” – 11:00
As you can see, there is also time. Do you want to know what the right times are for your Instagram account to post content? Then take a look at this blog.
Want to make sure all your content is posted at the right time? Use an online planner.
Step 5. Paid or organic growth
Finally, you need to decide whether you want to invest in your account or grow it organically. If you choose to invest, you can choose to delve into Instagram ads or work with fake followers to kickstart your account.
If you prefer to keep it free, delve into the many online tips on how to grow your Instagram account organically.
Step 5.5. Analyze and optimize
Your content strategy is never finished. After you have posted for 2 months, it is time for an analysis moment. Use Instagram Analytics to see which posts did well, where there is room for improvement, and which hashtags were most successful. Based on this information, you can continue to fine-tune your content strategy and hashtags strategy.
Are you also going to work on your Instagram marketing strategy? Then follow the steps above to get more useful information about the Instagram algorithm.