Perfecting Instagram is a necessary component to successful social media strategies. Follow these tips for ways to improve your organization’s Instagram account.

What even is an Instagram? Created in 2010, it has become one of the most prominent social media networks on the globe and has only continued to grow in popularity since is foundation. With over one billion users, its ability to influence large groups at any given time makes it one of, if not the most, important social media network that any successful organization must utilize.

If you aren’t quite sure how to tackle such an impressive network, fear not! Follow these tips and tricks to both engage and build your Instagram following to aid the success of your organization.

1. Utilize the story feature!

Instagram recently released a feature called “Insta-stories” in order to compete with Snapchat. With this feature, you have the ability to upload a multitude of photos that remain visible to followers for 24 hours. Additionally, these stories can be pinned at the top of the page so they can be viewed after the 24 hour expiration date.

Highlight important information that you want to project to your following so they can easily recognize and access it on your Instagram page.

For example, if you are doing giveaways, highlight them at the stop of the screen so followers can look back on old contests and winners.

Depending on your organization, you can get really creative with this feature! If you have offices in a multiple of cities, they all should have access to the account and when they post stories of things relevant to that city, it can be highlighted at the top of the page.

Another interesting part of this Instagram feature is that the user can choose the cover photo for the highlight. It can be an actual photo or a user generated graphic, so get creative!

2. Encourage user interaction!

Engage, Engage, Engage! Encourage followers to interact with posts. One easy tip is to caption the photo by saying “tag a friend.” Not only will this generate interaction with your followers and the post, it will also attract people who may not already follow the account. This helps get the word out about your organization.

Responding to user comments is another great way to generate interaction. Commenting back and tagging others is a great way to create a forum for discussion amongst users and increase your following.

Check out this blog post to learn more about follower interaction: https://later.com/blog/how-to-increase-instagram-engagement/3

Another great tip is to use Insta-stories to ask your followers questions. This makes them feel like their opinion is valued. Followers must feel as though their voice is heard and this is a great way to get their feedback.

You can also find out a lot about what their interests are and therefore what you should post about. This is easy and free research, take advantage!

3. Visual appeal!

Visual appeal is an extremely important part of a successful Instagram! Followers want to see eye-catching and interesting photos. Make sure you are putting your best foot forward as Instagram is the easiest way to show them what you’re really about.

These photos should be high-quality! Use a professional camera or photographer to grasp the important moments you want to share. After all, Instagram is about capturing one moment in time and sharing it with others. The more visually appealing the photo, the more likely people will be drawn to your account.

These are some easy tips on how to improve your Instagram account. Take advantage of the free advertising and get your followers engaged!