by Jeanne Takenaka, @JeanneTakenaka
How can an author use Instagram effectively?
As an author, doing social media well can feel daunting. I’m not a pro when it comes to social media, but I’ve learned a few tips and tricks about using Instagram over the past few years. Here are some big-picture tips that may help you.
1. Understand Instagram’s “mindset.” This site is about encouraging relationship. They reward members who take time to engage with those who comment on their posts. When one of our posts is shared, Instagram rewards this with giving it greater exposure. When we engage with others’ posts, they’re more likely to also engage with ours.
Hint: Do not post lots of “Buy this!” Posts. These don’t encourage relationship. Instagram’s algorithm will bury these.
2. People want authenticity. Be real in your posts, think about the brand you’re conveying, the message you want others to take from your posts. Humor? Books? Nature? History? Fashion? Food? Figure out your brand and your message and implement these into your posts. Create posts that highlight your personality and your brand.
3. Find a way to encourage people to engage—I usually begin my posts with a question and then go into what I want to share. Since Instagram only shows a few words above the “more …”, start with something that hooks viewers and encourages engagement.
4. Encourage engagement by going to the accounts of those who liked your post and return the favor. Taking time to visit those who liked your post will build relationship over time. When appropriate, leave a comment.
5. Spend some time on Instagram; their algorithm considers this. If you get onto Instagram, share a post, and then dash off again, you’re not engaging. So take a few minutes before and after you post your content, like or/and comment on others’ posts, either in your feed or from those who have engaged with your posts.
6. More is not always better. From Jenn DePaula with Mixtus Media: remove followers who don’t engage with you or who are taking up space in your followers. In a way, it’s a percentages game. If you have a ton of followers who never like or comment on your posts, Instagram considers this and figures your posts don’t have significance. As a result “they” don’t give precedence to showing your stuff. If you have fewer followers but more engagements, your posts will gain more exposure.
7. Engagement and platform are about more than the numbers. It takes time to grow! Don’t be discouraged. Growing a platform is about building relationships, not just the number of followers you have.
Here are sites that share information about using Instagram effectively:
Mixtus Media Follow them on Instagram. They are genius in their presentations of information!
Later—a scheduling app that shares informative blogs. Their emails are full of great information and suggestions for growing on Instagram.
Hootsuite—blogs and emails are very informative!
Kat Coroy—her free classes give enough information to get started. And, of course, she offers more in-depth content in her paid courses.
It takes time to become savvy with different forms of social media. Take time to learn, but make sure you spend more time writing! Next time, I’ll share some Instagram Nitty Gritty tips.
Award-winning aspiring novelist, Jeanne Takenaka, writes contemporary inspirational fiction that tackles real-life issues with a heart to draw women closer to God and those around them. She lives near the mountains in Colorado with her amazing husband and two exuberant boy-men. She loves being God’s girl—always learning about His grace, hanging out with friends and enjoying a great cup of coffee. When she’s not writing you can find her with a camera in her hand, looking for #alittlebitofpretty in her days. You can connect with her on her website, on Facebook, and on Twitter.