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Instagram is a powerful tool that can help your business convert more traffic, as long as you avoid these common mistakes.

Instagram is becoming an increasingly popular social media platform as a way for brands to connect with potential customers and share content on a more visual medium. But what many businesses don’t realize is that there is so much more to Instagram than just posting pictures daily. Posting content should be just one facet of your overall Instagram marketing strategy.

We address some of the top mistakes that brands make when it comes to Instagram, and what you can do to fix them.

Not Using Instagram Stories

While there are brands who are killing it with their stories, most brands are still missing out on this key feature on Instagram. For starters, you can use location tags and hashtags within your stories which is an added way for non-followers to discover your account. For brands trying to attract local business, this is a great way to attract new followers as your location tagged story can also be pulled into the city-based stories, thus casting your net even wider.

Additionally, you can hyperlink directly to your site from Instagram stories. This is a valuable tool to get users to your website instantly.
And last but not least, Instagram stories are a great way to increase overall engagement for your brand. With fun tools like filters, boomerang and of course video, you can let your brand’s personality shine through and create a deeper connection with your followers.

Lack Of Engagement

When using Instagram for your brand, it’s easy to just focus on your bottom line that you forget one critical component: engagement.
Your audience engages with your brand on a daily basis, so why shouldn’t you do the same? You should be liking other people’s posts, commenting on images, and responding to stories. This not only helps your brand “network” on Instagram, but it also shows that your brand is active and engaged, which in turn can help you build your community.

Not Posting Quality Content

Instagram is a very visual medium, which means that your content needs to be visually appealing as well. Posting blurry photos, or the same image over and over again will not resonate with your audience. Having a visual content strategy is key for successful audience engagement and ensures your content does not get stale. Pro Tip: Use a free photo editing platform like Canva to create new graphics for your brand.

Skipping Out On Paid Ads

Paid advertising is another great way to promote your brand on Instagram. One benefit of using ads is that you can curate content tailored to a specific audience in mind. This helps to ensure you are getting the right message across to the right people.

Posting Infrequently

This may seem like an obvious one, but brands who don’t post consistently on Instagram are missing out on major opportunities to gain exposure to potential followers. Just like it’s important to have a visual content strategy, it’s also important to have a posting strategy. Creating a content calendar can be key to ensuring brands say on track when it comes to Instagram content.

By avoiding these common mistakes, your brand can expect to see overall growth and audience engagement on Instagram.

Got an Instagram tip you want to share? Tell us in the comments below.