Propel Platform Hacks – Instagram Edition

With over 9 million users in Australia alone, it’s highly likely that your customers are logging onto Instagram and doing it regularly! Instagram really should be a part of your business’ social media strategy. But, for the novice, the platform can seem overwhelming!

“How many times a day should I post?”

“I’m rubbish at taking photos.”

“How do I know what works and what doesn’t?”

These are all questions we hear pretty regularly at Propel Digital, and fair enough! The platform can appear to be a bit of a beast! But, with a few simple hacks, you can quite easily transform the way you use Instagram to benefit your small business.

1) Make the most of Instagram Stories

Let’s be honest, we were all a bit dubious about Instastories when they first launched in Nov 2016. At the time, we were all about its rival, Snapchat! But within one short year, Instastory usage had surpassed Snapchat by over 150 million users worldwide!

So, it’s safe to say that Instastories are going nowhere! And why should they? They’re GREAT! Instastories are the perfect way to create short, sharp and punchy content. They don’t have to be overly polished, which means you can post more frequently and share more ‘to-the-minute’ updates about your business with your customers.

2) Try using some third party apps to up your photography game

As we all know, Instagram is a visual platform! Generally, the only reason you stop scrolling through your feed is when you see a thumb-stopping image or video! But, that doesn’t mean you have to be a professional photographer to get that kind of reaction.

While outsourcing your content creation is always an option, there are a few great apps that can help you improve your own iPhone photography. Look into VSCO, Boomerang& Plann to take your feed to the next level.

If you still need more content (who doesn’t?) there are also some amazing stock photo websites that are perfect for Instagram, which can help you to supplement your feed when you’re running low.

3) Capitlise on platform updates!

Platform updates are happening all the time with Instagram – so, it’s important to stay abreast to the latest changes to make sure you stay ahead of the game! Perhaps the two biggest platform updates of late are Business Profiles and Instagram Shopping.

Switching to an Instagram Business profile means that you can check in on the analytics of your posts, add direct call to actions (such as a click to call button) to your profile and check metrics in relation to your Insatgram stories.

With Instagram’s latest Shopping update, it really has never been easier to see true conversion results from the platform! With one simple click, a customer can see the name and pricing of items on your website and follow through to make a purchase.

4) Use all of Instagram’s features

When Social Media platforms like Facebook or Instagram launch a new feature, they want you to use it. Not only does it help extend the reach of their new-shiny product, but it also helps them get insights into how it’s being used and any bugs that may occur. As a bit of a reward for using their new toys, their algorithms will ensure that you receive increased reach and engagement.

So, what does this mean for you? Well, if you’re only posting photo posts on Instagram, you’re not doing yourself any favours! Start experimenting with carousel posts, or create a poll in your Instagram Stories! Instagram is constantly coming out with new features, so even if you don’t love them, it’s worth trying them out to boost your performance in the algorithm!

Want to learn more about how you can take your Instagram account even further? Time to get in touch! We’d love to set up a complimentary one-on-one to see what the Propel Digital team could do for you.