Instagram has gained tremendous popularity over the last several years. It is popular with people of all sorts of demographics and from all walks of life. In the case with Instagram, the number of followers that you acquire is what is most important.
Number of followers equals Instagram success
It is important to be aware here that there is a lot more to Instagram than just the number of followers you can acquire. However, your number of followers is one of the important measurements (or metrics) of the social media tool. If you have a large number of followers, other people will have the perception that you (and your business) are a success. That lends itself to your professional credibility and trustworthiness.
A strong number of followers also gives you the confidence that your message is being received by other people online and it allows you to increase your reach to a large number of good-quality connections. It also goes a long way to strengthening your relationship with your target audience, which is essential to your success.
Appropriate use of hashtags: When it comes to gaining increase exposure and visibility, hashtags are a great way to do that. However, it is very important that you don't get carried away when it comes to using hashtags. The reason that you don't want to overdo it with hashtags is that your target audience will not appreciate it and they may not stick with you as a result. There are some guidelines that you should follow when using hashtags so that you get the best results possible from your target audience members.
Use very specific hashtags
Customize the hashtag to the particular social media channel that you are using
Make sure that your hashtags are strong but not promotional
Make your hashtags clear and concise
Don't use too many hashtags
Create an event: Putting together an event in which you gather influencers, brand ambassadors, loyal followers, etc., is an excellent way to increase your Instagram followers. The results of such an event can be multifaceted, such as acquiring an increased number of followers, building increased brand awareness, and increasing engagement with your target audience members.
Run and appropriate contest: People love contests, especially if they win a prize that they feel was worth their effort to participate. A contest can generate a lot of buzz about your business, make people feel excited about being involved, and build relationships that are solid and enduring. It is important for you to provide incentives that are worthwhile. Some of the ways in which you can get people involved in your contest is by getting them to "like" the contest, getting them to make comments on your contest (people love to voice their opinions and to feel that their opinions are important to you), and other creative ways to get people involved.
Get loyal followers involved: Another really good way to gain Instagram followers is by getting loyal followers involved. Let them help you to run your event or contest. Give them a voice and make them feel that you truly value their participation. There are many benefits to doing this, such as giving your brand an emotional/human feeling, making your reach wider, increasing your reputation, increasing your traffic, and making more people aware of your brand.
Connect with a social online community: Having a sense of belonging to a community is critical to your ever-increasing success as a business person. Not only is it important to be a part of a social community but it is also essential that you interact with the members of that community (or communities). You will want to interact in the following ways:
Share your story: Everyone has a story (probably more than one). Share yours because it will resonate with the other members of your social community. If people can relate to what you are sharing, you will be successful at forming relationships with them. That is critical to your success.
Make sure that others want to share your content: It is one thing to write top-quality content but it is another thing entirely to get people to want to share the content that you have shared with them. If your content is shared, you will be able to engage a larger number of people and thus increase your Instagram followers.
Clearly understand the reasons behind your social community: It is extremely important for you to have a clear understanding of why you needed to build your social community. There are so many reasons but each one is important and each one should be in your head at all times.
Post content in a way that makes sense: From the beginning, you have had a marketing strategy that makes sense for your business. It is part of your business plan and you need to follow that roadmap so that you can achieve the milestones that you have set out to accomplish. Buy Followers What was important in the beginning is still just as important for your business.
Get involved with other people on Instagram: It isn't enough to have established an Instagram account. You need to interact with people. That means that you need to "like" the photos that other people are posting and leave comments. Get involved in the discussion. It is critical to your success.
Pose questions: Just like on other social media channels, you should ask questions on Instagram. Ask thought-provoking questions that make people want to jump in and start interacting. That is exactly how you form relationships.
Conclusion
Instagram is one of several effective social media tools that you should consider leveraging for your business. With Instagram, it is all about the number of followers that you can acquire. The fact is that without a large number of followers, you and your business will become obscure. You need to gain a foothold with the tool and become popular so that your business will become more successful. It is important to understand what needs to be done so that you can bring your business to the next level.
Michael Cohn is the founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of CompuKol Communications. He has over 25 years of experience in IT and web technologies. Mr. Cohn spent a significant amount of time at a major telecommunications company, where his main focus was on initiating and leading synergy efforts across all business units by dramatically improving efficiency, online collaboration, and the company's Intranet capabilities, which accelerated gains in business productivity. He also reduced company travel and travel costs by introducing and implementing various collaboration technologies.
His expertise includes business analysis; project management; management of global cross-matrix teams; systems engineering and analysis, architecture, prototyping and integration; technology evaluation and assessment; systems development; performance evaluation; and management of off-shore development.
Mr. Cohn earned a Master's degree in project management from George Washington University in Washington, DC; and a Master's degree in computer science and a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, NJ.
Mr. Cohn is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
