Now that you have garnered followers on Instagram it is time to effectively and efficiently manage them.
Managing Instagram followers means:
- Interacting with your current followers consistently
- Growing your Instagram following and gaining new followers
- Maintaining a happy, engaged community
- Following or unfollowing other Instagram accounts
- Blocking trolls and handling spam
*Note* managing Instagram followers doesn’t mean trying disingenuous strategies like Instagram automation or buying followers.
Whether you are starting out on Instagram or already have a large Instagram following, it’s important to develop these 10 tips for effective and efficient management of your Instagram followers.
Let’s go!
1. Post-high-quality, engaging content
Only post thoughtful and appealing content in order to keep your current followers engaged and to attract new followers.
Make sure to:
- Choose high-quality visuals that represent your brand, its goals and values
- Create infographics or design elements
- Edit your photos to give a professional feel
- Get to know the Instagram presets for Instagram. Make sure to give a consistent feel and look
- Write captivating Instagram options.
Protip: create a content calendar to organize the planning, creation, and posting of your content
2. Interaction with your followers creates a sense of community – make sure to interact!
Get social! Manage your brand’s Instagram followers by engaging in conversations with your followers and creating a sense of community. This means responding quickly to questions and comments. Don’t leave your followers or potential followers. Answer in a timely manner.
With an Instagram Business Account, you can manage direct messages in an efficient way with the quick reply function which has canned replies ready to go.
3. Welcome your new followers!
Don’t forget about your new followers! Manage your followers with a welcome message! If you already have a large following, you can take time to craft an introductory Instagram post and program it in your calendar. This is an opportunity to introduce your brand and what they can expect on Instagram. This is a great strategy when you are not able to welcome those thousands of new followers personally.
4. Write captions that encourage interaction
Many brands often ask questions in their captions. Followers are encouraged to answer the questions in the comments. This is where a conversation can happen between brands and their followers. This is also an opportunity to show your personality and to speak to followers at a more personal level.
5. Encourage mentions and hashtags
Your caption can also encourage your followers to use your Instagram content to interact with their friends. Hashtags, geotags, and mentions can expand the conversation.
Old Navy for example is celebrating AAPI Heritage month with the hashtag #aapiheritagemonth and mentions encouraging others to display how they are celebrating.
6. Trolls, Spam, and Bots
Manage and moderate offensive comments by trolls and limit spam./
Follow these three tips:
● Report users who troll your account or who you suspect are bots
● Moderate frequently
● Create a social media policy so your brand’s team knows how to respond to trolls.
Make sure to update your settings automatically to hide offensive comments. You can also hide words or phrases that you’d like to hide using the manual filter option.
7. Track your growth and performance
It’s important to track your follower growth and monitor post performance. Tracking data will help you get to know who your audience is on Instagram and whether your account is gaining new followers. This is where Instagram analytics come in! Using tools, like Instagram Insights, will help your brand find useful data such as:
● Followers demographics
● How many accounts found your Instagram account
● How many clicks your website got from Instagram
● Interactions with your account on each day of the week
What’s more, you can use this data to track the content that receives the most engagement from your audience. You can look for patterns perhaps videos get more engagement or perhaps when you use geotags.
8. Use your own branded hashtags
Along with incorporating the popular Instagram hashtags into your post, creating a branded hashtag can encourage users to participate in a conversation with your brand. This also encourages followers to use your branded hashtags when using or talking about your products.
9. Make the most of Instagram Highlights
Instagram Highlights, the permanent and grouped Instagram Stories that appear below the bio section. This section can be used to post content that is useful to new followers. This is also a space where new products can be announced.
10. Be flexible and adapt
Keeping up with social media trends is important, but keeping up with what’s happening around the world is just as important when it comes to managing Instagram followers well. Keep your ear to the ground. Make sure to review your posts and avoid insensitive topics.
Brands can also turn to live streaming on Instagram Live or InstagramTV to engage with followers.
These are 10 steps to managing your Instagram followers efficiently and effectively.
Do you still feel a bit whelmed? We’re here to help you with your social media so you can focus on your brand.
