Instagram content strategy by hubspot

Instagram now has a billion active users. The rise in the popularity of this app has led us to conclude one thing, and that is content is slowly shifting from an editorial format to a visual one. Here is a list of things to keep in mind while making content on Instagram

Pick up content that is already trending

If you notice that there is a hot topic or trend that is being discussed widely by a large audience then it makes sense to make content relating to that particular topic, given its current acceleration it raises the chance of your content being shared and garnering a larger audience.

Choose appropriate media

Most people use Instagram not to comprehensively understand or study something but to get some quick entertainment or information. It is highly likely that posts that contain a lot of text won’t do as well as posts that have eye-catching graphics and illustrations. Your content goes a long way when you choose the appropriate media to render your material. How you  say something is just as important as what you  say.

Make the content interactive

Another strategy to apply in order to get more engagement is by ensuring your content is as interactive and stimulating as can be. You can do so by incorporating basic gif(s), polls, and questionnaires. There are multiple other ways to incorporate relevant interactive elements, that can be figured out by doing a little research in your relevant field. What this does essentially is it increases the shareability of your content which directly translates to more attention and audience.

Experiment constantly and consistently

The thing about the social media landscape is that it is highly dynamic and changes constantly. The best way to navigate an uncertain landscape is to experiment with the content you produce. Experimenting also keeps you from stagnation and becoming irrelevant. Moreover, it might also result in you  setting a trend. As you keep experimenting you will equip yourself with a deeper sense of what works well and what does not. When boundaries can be pushed and when they should be adhered to.

Consider the length of the content carefully

It goes without saying that the audience of Instagram have a preference towards content that is shorter and is bite sized. The app is geared to promote such content and also attract an audience that responds to it. Considering this, it is advantageous to carefully calibrate the optimum length for the video and other visuals. Different kinds of content have different optimum lengths that can be found out after a little research. (This could be an invaluable data point)

Put yourself in the audience’s shoes

Keeping your audience at the centre of the content is always an efficient strategy, and is one that can be adopted for the long term. The more your content is consumer centric, the more engaging and relatable it is.

This also is another way to increase the shareability of the content and boost it’s reach.