Instagram is an important marketing tool that can be used to represent the visual identity of your business.

With a user following of over 400 million, any business not using it could be missing out on advertising opportunities on this ever-increasing social media platform. Gaining followers on Instagram can be a difficult and seemingly slow task, but these dos and don’ts are good place to start.

DO THIS

DO: Add a hashtag. Hashtags are a powerful tool that categorize photos. Use hashtags that are popular yet relevant to your business or theme of the picture.

DO: Be social. Instagram, after all, is a social network. Be sure to engage with people in your target audience. Like and comment on target users’ photos and regularly find new people to follow.

DO: Post consistently. Have a schedule and goal in mind for when you are posting, why you are posting, and for whom. Consistency is key to growing your follower count.

DO: Promote your Instagram on your website, other social media accounts and marketing materials.

DON’T DO THIS

DON’T: Post in the wee hours of the night or your post has a high possibility of being missed.

DON’T: Choose quantity over quality. Posting too many times a day or posting blurry photos can be seen as spam.

DON’T: Beg for followers or ask for a follow on a comment.

DON’T: Use DSLR photos. Instagram is intended for instant photos from mobile devices not professionally taken pictures.

If you have any questions or comments about utilizing Instagram, or about any other brand-related topic, feel free to send them our way.

You can connect with the Young Company team at 949-376-8404 or sarah@youngcompany.com.

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