We have almost left the first quarter of 2022 behind. So far, we have been able to identify dozens of tactics that have already been proven with the test and learn methodology.
Some of these tactics, which will undoubtedly enable you to engage with your audience, are evergreen, and some are closely linked to emerging Instagram follower engagement trends in 2022.
Ready to see your Instagram follower engagement metrics skyrocket? Let’s crack on!
Increase Instagram Follower Engagement with These 8 Tactics
- Carousel Posts Are an Engagement Gold Mine
According to the report of HubSpot, carousel posts are one of the most engaging types of content, bringing in an average of 23.2 comments and 933.7 likes per post according to datas.
Carousel posts gained popularity in 2020 and today they have become the most engaged type along with video content, and it’s not for nothing.
First things first, carousel posts are highly informative, visually appealing, and interactive. Your audience is swiping through multiple images rather than just looking at one image or passively watching a video. The act of swiping paves the way for engagement.
You can share up to 10 pictures, infographics and videos in a single post with this trendy format!
Quick takeaway: Carousel posts are one unified story, not individual IMAGES put together – In order to increase your Instagram follower engagement, make sure to keep your message and CTA clear and keep a consistent brand voice.
- Great Content without CTA?
What content you created! Well… What should your followers do now? If you end your caption without indicating the next step, your whole effort may go down the drain.
Ultimately, the desire to increase Instagram follower engagement stems from the goal of converting your potential customers.
But conversion doesn’t always have to be a subscribe, purchase, go to website etc. However, if you want to increase your Instagram follower engagement, ask genuine questions you really want to know. In this way, you will not only create Instagram follower engagement but also have regularly conducted target audience analysis.
Quick takeaway: Finish off your caption with a clear call to action that offers the next steps.
- Leverage Interactive Features
Stories are one of the most catchy and fun ways to engage with your customers. The only challenging part of Instagram Stories is that you have to create content that can grab your audience’s attention fast because they are visible at the top of the feed for only 24 hours.
You can get creative in Instagram Stories and benefit from a wide range of content types. Some examples are:
- Contests and giveaways
- Asking questions
- Creating polls
- Promoting new posts
- Showcasing your brand’s achievements
- Directing to your store or website
- Setting stories that you want to keep on Highlights
- Announcing new products
- Giving tutorials with photos or videos
- Using IGTV
- Going live
Quick takeaway: don’t look like you’re asking questions just to increase Instagram follower engagement. It’s social media, right? Then be social!
- How About Emojis? 🥳
They’re absolutely fun and make organizations relatable.
Emojis not only make your content visually appealing but also help humanize your brand. Today, people want to see humanized brands, not so-called “serious” corporates.
At this point, emojis are one of the most effective ways to create that feeling and thus create engagement.
Quick takeaway: According to a report, including 11 or more emojis in your post can have a significant, negative impact on engagement. Keep it less than 5!
- Spread Your Word Through Memes
When planning your Instagram content to increase Instagram follower engagement there is another crucial content type to be aware of: Memes.
Instagram memes are taking over Instagram. Users and brands use them to convey a relatable sentiment with their target audience.
Yet, many brands are still fearful of using memes, as they think that it will make them juvenile or unprofessional.
On the contrary, memes make your words visually appealing and attractive. Also, with restrained use of them, you will catch more eyes and increase your Instagram follower engagement!
Quick takeaway: When it comes to engagement, whether you’re doing a B2B or B2C business, a blog post, let’s say, you share isn’t very shareable for most people — but a meme that really captures your audience and is relatable can be shared pretty easily.
- Turn Customers Into Advocates with User-Generated Content (UGC)
User-Generated Content (UGC) is more powerful than you think. The reason is clear, people love to see other customers’ experiences and are positively affected if they see that your brand is a loved brand for someone else.
They are more likely to get engaged and also consume your products or services after they see a warm interaction between your brand and a reliable customer. Here are some of the results from a study by TurnTo Networks that makes the importance of UGC clearer:
- 24% of female shoppers consider UGC to be the most influential marketing tool
- 61% of customers report UGC encourages them to engage with brands
- 73% say UGC increases their purchasing confidence
- 63% of shoppers believe UGC creates a more authentic shopping experience
- Shoppers under 30 says that a greater influence of UGC in purchasing decisions versus older respondents.
- Of those aged 18-29, 97% report UGC has an extreme influence.
- Benefit from Tweets!
It may seem ironic, but you are probably aware that a lot of tweet quotes have been shared on Instagram lately. Repurposing tweets is the new trend to state your opinion on Instagram.
Maybe you don’t have Twitter as it’s not logical for your business to be there but don’t worry– there are piles of templates you use to make it look like a genuine tweet!
Quick takeaway: of course, as always: content is king! Therefore, aside from the format, the tweets you quoted should be inspiring and groundbreaking within your industry.
- #UseBrandedHashtags
Hashtags are the magic of Instagram. You can use them just to categorize your post. Users can make hashtag-specific searches on Instagram to find specific posts and profiles that are related to their interests.
According to a research, content with more than 11 hashtags gets more engagement.
However, some find it over-exaggerated to put that many hashtags on a post. If you agree, you can also use related hashtags inside the post text to make them a part of your sharing.
Quick takeaway: #Avoid #being #a #hashtag #crazy #you #dont #wanna #look #spammy
Bear these tips in mind, you will definitely create a solid and colorful social media strategy. Therefore, you will be able to create a genuine relationship with your potential customers. After all this said and done… It will be impossible to take your eyes off your Instagram follower engagement. You’re good to go!
