Not all tips and strategies are created equal. Some can decrease and/or limit your growth on social media! In worst-case scenarios, some frowned-upon strategies can even get you banned from social media giants like Instagram! As a digital marketing agency in McAllen, we’ve seen a few of these used on brands. We’ve even seen the repercussions. So, before starting your company’s Instagram account, take a look at these three very common practices to avoid!
First Mistake: Buying Followers and/or Likes
The idea of having a certain number of followers to have an impact has been around for years and has led to many people purchasing their likes and followers. This can be expensive. Although you’ll be getting the attention you wanted, doing this can also bring several repercussions, including:
Limited growth – Yes, these fake accounts will increase your follower count, but they won’t engage, unless you buy those, too! Without engagement, Instagram won’t organically assist you with new followers. Engagement is key and with it comes discovery. Instagram will promote accounts that push engagement.
Being blacklisted from companies – If you’re looking to become an Instagram socialite that works with companies, then buying followers and likes will hurt your reputation in the long run. Companies use Instagram audit tools that consider several factors:
- Followers with an avatar or posts
- Accounts followed vs. the followed ratio
- Number of posts
- Number of likes received vs. the number of likes ratio
Most tools will use these criteria as a base to establish the audience score of an Instagram account. A failing grade will get you passed up on any cross-promotions or brand sponsorships.
Second Mistake: Sporadic Posting
You’ll need a game plan when posting on Instagram, and this is crucial with a new account because you’re introducing your brand to the world and users will decide to follow you based on how and how much you start posting. Posting consistently (two to three times a day) at first is the norm. After gaining 1,000 to 5,000 followers, you can start posting three to five times a week.
Third Mistake: Lacking Engagement
Likes are great, but have you ever had people tag their friends in a post or leave tons of comments because they loved your product? Seeing so much engagement urges others to do the same, whether it’s sharing or saving a post or profile and/or website visits. You can get an in-depth look into your engagement via post insights, and Instagram rewards engagement by showcasing posts on their “Discovery” page.
Let’s Help You Grow
If you’re reading this, then you came to the right place because our digital marketing agency in McAllen can help. We understand how social media works and are always following the latest trends. If you need a more in-depth look at how social media can help your business, then contact us today to get started.