Daily Habits to Ignite Your Growth on Instagram
So, you're looking to grow your Instagram account organically... You've come to the right place! We are your go-to gals for all things social media marketing. Instagram is ever-evolving, and you have to be willing to devote A TON of time to learn about the algorithm, your audience, and how to create quality content. This all takes a daily devotion on your end, BUT - we have all of the faith in the world that you can do it.
In this post, Alyssa, the NOAH: Social Media Management founder, will be highlighting the daily habits that help her stay on top on Instagram and beat the algorithm time and time again. Let's go…..!
Every single morning, my routine is the same. I roll out of bed, say a quick prayer, wash my face, and make a mad dash to my kitchen to brew my morning coffee. (Is anyone else a Nespresso junkie?!) After that, I write out a list of to-do's that are most important for that day.
My morning routine is when I set up my intention for the day. In the same way, there are foundational habits that will help you make the most out of your time on Instagram.
Mindless scrolling won’t get you anywhere, but if you follow these habits consistently, you’ll be one hundred steps closer to growing your ‘gram and increasing your sales!
HABIT #1: SHARE SOMETHING VALUABLE
Ask yourself: “What type of content does my target audience want to see today/this week/this month?”
Focus on creating content that will hit the 4 "E"s. What are the 4 Instagram "E"s? The four “E”s you need to build a highly engaged audience on social media are....
Emotion, Education, Entertainment, and (a common) Enemy.
Below are questions you can ask yourself to make sure you are hitting all four!
𝗘𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
How do people feel when they come into contact with your content?
𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
What do you want your audience to learn from you?
𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁
How do you engage your audience and why will they come back for more?
𝗘𝗻𝗲𝗺𝘆
What is your audience’s common enemy? Unite your audience with a common enemy! Think plastic, fast fashion, women’s pay equality, etc.
Aim to post once to your feed each day and 10x to your stories. This will allow your audience to get used to seeing your content in your feed, and thus resulting in trust between your audience and your brand.
HABIT #2: SPREAD THE LOVE
Everyone knows that age-old golden rule “you should treat others how you’d like to be treated”. But did you know that the same applies to your Instagram engagement strategy?!
If you want people to like, comment, and share your content, then you need to make sure you’re spreading that same love around. Find content to engage with both in your feed and by exploring hashtags relevant to your target audience.
Doing this daily will guarantee an increase in your overall engagement rate, but it will also start to build a community of followers that is stronger than you could ever imagine.
HABIT #3: RESPOND TO YOUR DMs
The most intimate form of conversation on Instagram happens in direct messages, also known as "DMs". This is where real relationships with your audience are solidified.
As a brand or content creator on Instagram, it is important to keep up with what your followers want and respond to their questions or comments in a timely manner.
Of course, this is just a common customer service courtesy—but there’s more.
On platforms like Facebook and Instagram, you actually get rewarded for a track record of timely responses with a badge that says “Very responsive to messages.” This badge is for pages that have a response rate of 90 percent or more and a response time of fewer than 15 minutes.
Take time every single day to personally respond to your DMs. Bonus points if you respond with a voice or video message!
HABIT #4: CHECK YOUR INSIGHTS
You guys, if you want to grow your social media accounts, taking a look at your analytics regularly is essential.
Social analytics can help you target the right audience, improve your content strategy, and reach new audiences!!
This data is the best way to understand who your audience is, when they’re most active, and what type of content they engage with the most. This level of insight is super important for creating a content strategy that drives results for your brand — without it, you’re essentially working in the dark.
HABIT #5: KEEP A RUNNING LIST OF IDEAS
Write down your ideas, friends! It doesn’t matter if it’s just a quick thought or something you want to explore in the future.
You can also get ideas from your followers or clients by asking them what kinds of content they would like to see from you.
Here are a few ways to do that:
Send out short surveys to your current clients or super fan followers
Host a live Q&A on Instagram Live
Ask for input across all of your other social media platforms
Ask your friends and family
HABIT #6: REPURPOSE CONTENT ACROSS MULTIPLE PLATFORMS
Coming up with new ideas for content each week or month can be really tough. Our solution? If you have great content, show it off. And we don’t just mean on your website — we mean everywhere. For example, if you have a blog, share it across multiple platforms. Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook — you can even send it via email to your client list.
Repurposing content isn’t just limited to new content, though. If you have old content that’s still relevant, don’t be afraid to share it! Maybe a topic you wrote about last year is gaining traction again or you’re getting a lot of questions again about something you’ve shared in the past. No matter the case, reuse and recycle (#noshame)!
HABIT #7: KEEP UP WITH INDUSTRY TRENDS
It is important to stay informed on the latest trends in your field. This will help you build credibility and value, as well as show that you know where your field is heading in the future.
Let's take a look at some easy ways that will guarantee you're ahead of the game and on top of your industry's latest trends.
Subscribe to blogs and email newsletters from others in your niche/industry - *hint* you can subscribe to our newsletter here!
Listen to podcasts and watch informative YouTube videos from others that live in your industry
Find Facebook groups to join that support those in your industry
Find a mentor! If you're in the social media marketing industry - you know who to call 😉!!
Successful brands/creators spend time every day keeping up with the latest news and developments in their field, so make time in your day for these strategies.
DOWNLOAD OUR SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER DAILY CHECKLIST HERE!
I hope this post informed you on how important it is to create daily habits if you want to see long-term growth on your Instagram account. If you have questions or are interested in learning more about how we can assist you here at NOAH, don't hesitate to send us a message!
