9 Instagram Practices Business Owners Should Refrain From

Instagram offers vast opportunities for business owners, yet it’s easy to falter in its complex landscape. This blog highlights 9 key mistakes to avoid.

If you want to grow a genuine following for your business on Instagram…stop doing these 9 things!

1. Only Using In-feed Single Image Posts

Long gone are the days when Instagram was just a platform to post single images. At the time of writing this article, Instagram offers a number of different sharing options including; Posts, Stories, Lives, IGTV and Reels.

Instagram has confirmed that, ‘Users who use all of Instagram’s features have a better chance of engaging with audiences and building a strong following.’ So if you’re only sharing single image posts, that’s likely why your account isn’t growing. Taking some time to learn what kind of content performs best in each feature will help you master them efficiently.

2. Posting and Ghosting

I mean, this one is pretty self-explanatory. You can’t expect to grow an engaged following on Instagram if you’re only showing up to post once every few weeks.

Now this doesn’t mean that you need to be posting multiple times a day either. But sticking to a regular posting schedule and sharing valuable content will go a long way to helping you create a bigger audience.

3. Engagement Pods/Groups

An engagement group or engagement pod is a group of people that agree to engage on each other’s posts in order to try and trick the Instagram algorithm into exposing their content to more people.

So why is this a no-no? To be blunt, it’s a massive waste of your time! You’re spending valuable time engaging and commenting on your pod’s content when you could be using that time to engage with people in your target market who could actually become legitimate followers and customers!

On top of that – Instagram’s algorithm is pretty dang smart. Getting the same amount of inauthentic engagement on every post creates a red flag for the algorithm and over time Instagram will show your content to less and less people. Yikes!

4. The Follow/Unfollow Method

Ok enough’s enough we gotta stop using this method to try and “grow” an audience!

If you don’t know what the ‘Follow/Unfollow’ Method is, basically what you do is go through and follow a whole bunch of accounts all at once in the hopes that they’ll follow you back. If they do follow you back, you then promptly unfollow them.

Here’s the thing – everyone on Instagram is trying to grow a genuine audience (well for the most part anyway!) so following an account with the only purpose of getting a follow back is kinda lame. You want your followers to genuinely want to follow you and be a part of your journey. Not follow you because they feel obligated to. No-no!

5. Failing to optimise your bio

The bio section of your Instagram profile is your digital handshake, offering a crucial first impression that can either captivate potential followers or leave them scrolling past.

A well-crafted bio succinctly conveys your brand’s essence and unique value proposition, inviting viewers into your world. Make sure your bio includes clear, concise language that reflects your brand voice, incorporates relevant keywords for discoverability, and uses a compelling call-to-action that guides visitors to your website, shop, or latest offer.

Including a link to a landing page or a link tree can also maximise the utility of this space, directing traffic effectively to various facets of your business.

6. Not focusing on converting followers into leads

While we’re on the subject of CTA’s (calls to action) another Instagram no-no is failing to convert your new followers into leads. There’s no use in having thousands of followers if none of them are turning into clients or customers. So make sure you include a clear call to action in every Instagram post.

Sometimes that will just be asking your followers to engage with you in the comments. Other times you can tell them about your freebie or lead magnet and how they can download it. Or you can simply ask them to join your mailing list (though you’ll have more success with this if you offer something of value in exchange).

7. Not having a true understanding of your niche or target market

Your niche or target market will inform everything that you share with your audience. You should never be stuck for ideas about what to post because everything you share should come from a place of educating or inspiring your market.

When you love what you do and you’re in alignment with your target market, your enthusiasm and passion will naturally shine through and attract your ideal clients to you. If you’ve just picked a niche or market simply because you think it’ll be profitable for you, it’ll be a real drag trying to think up content to share.

8. Inconsistent Branding

Inconsistent branding can quickly dilute your message and confuse your audience. A cohesive brand image and voice are paramount in carving out a distinct identity amidst the digital noise, fostering recognition and trust with your followers. This consistency extends beyond mere aesthetics; it encompasses your brand’s values, tone, and the overall narrative you wish to convey.

To maintain this crucial consistency, establish a style guide that outlines your brand’s color palette, typography, and imagery styles, and ensure all content aligns with your brand’s personality and messaging.

9. Failing to Have a Content Strategy

Neglecting a strategic approach to Instagram content, such as posting sporadically without clear goals, can hinder engagement and growth. A successful content strategy should align with brand values and audience interests, adapting to trends and feedback for continuous relevance. Incorporating diverse content types like interactive polls, behind-the-scenes footage, and educational posts can invigorate your feed, deepen audience connections, and drive engagement effectively.

Bonus Tip! Don’t focus on the numbers…

While it’s nice to have 5000,10,000 or a gazillion followers…if no-ones engaging with your content, what’s the point? I see lots of Instagram accounts with thousands of followers who only average 10 ‘likes’ per post!

To be real with you, it’s much better to have a smaller number of followers who really love your brand! Even if it’s only a few hundred people to begin with. Forget about how many followers you have – start looking at your engagement rates instead.

Are you guilty of using any of these methods to try and grow your instagram account? What will you try and do differently from now on?

Let’s work together to create an Instagram strategy that will help you grow your business. Book a meeting:

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