Wondering how to grow an engaged following full of people who LOVE your content and feel like a genuine community? Here are some of the 5 best practices for engaging on Instagram!

1. Respond to all comments

Be sure to respond to all comments on your posts. Try to stay on the app when you post and respond to all comments. By doing so, people are more likely to continue to engage with your future posts when they know that you take the time to show that you care and will actually respond and engage with them.

2. Comment and like content on relevant accounts

Find accounts that are similar to your own or are your ideal clients. Like their photos, read their captions and post genuine thought out comments. Don’t just say “great” or “nice”, take time and type out a thoughtful comment. These accounts will take notice and may choose to check out your page and engage with your posts or maybe choose to follow you!

3. Engage with relevant hashtags

Take a few minutes to seek out new accounts by using relevant hashtags. Find hashtags that your ideal client would be using and target those accounts. Engage with those profiles, in a genuine way of course, and you may even discover some amazing accounts that you will choose to follow and grow your connections!

4. Engage with stories

If you’re watching someone’s story, send them a DM if you like what they are sharing or even send a fun emoji just to show that you enjoyed their content! If they do a poll or ask a question- answer! Not only is this great for engagement but this is the fun part and definitely makes social media more “social”!

5. Be authentic and build connections!

I know I probably sound like a broken record, but the most important key to success on Instagram is being authentic! Share authentic posts and engage with your followers in an authentic way. Think through your comments to others, build connections and make social media social again! Sending a DM to someone you have been chatting with via comments or whose content really resonates with you is another great way to take your connections to the next level!

So there you have it, the 5 best practices for engaging on Instagram, go out there and start getting more social on social media! If you are still feeling stuck on how to grow an engaged audience, shoot me an email at karacahillva@gmail.com or fill out my contact form and let’s get a strategy in place to help you grow!