Instagram has gone through so many changes since it was launched in 2010 as a photo-sharing platform, with a photo shared by its co-founder of South Beach Harbor at Pier 38 as the very first photo ever shared on it. And because of its evolving nature, today’s Instagram marketing best practice could be tomorrow’s mistake. That’s why, as a marketer or a business owner, you need to stay updated with the latest Instagram practices.
We created this list of common Instagram marketing mistakes that beginners make so you can make sure to avoid them in the future.
1. Posting without a content strategy
Consistency is key in Instagram marketing as well as in everything else. Having a schedule of content will ensure consistency as well as time-saving.
A content strategy will also make sure that your Instagram marketing efforts are efficacious and aligned with your marketing objectives, and it will also enable you to measure and track your success.
2. Not keeping up with Instagram’s latest features.
Instagram’s new features always carry an opportunity to leverage. Things like Reels, visual replies on Reels, subscriptions, and story auto-captions are all features that could put your content ahead of the competitors if used early in the trend, and they will also help you get further reach and engagement.
3. Not making your content accessible and inclusive.
15% of the world’s population lives with some kind of disability. People with disabilities can be included in your Instagram marketing efforts if you prioritize accessibility.
The most important tip to making your content more accessible is to use alt text to describe the visuals in your post, which can help you reach the visually impaired. It can also appear if your photo isn’t loading correctly, and for videos, make sure to add subtitles or captions to all audio-only videos.
You should also consider using fewer emojis in your content, especially as bullet points, and make sure to include hashtags in your comments if you use a lot of them, as they are read out loud by visually impaired screen readers and can be distracting.
Another tip is to avoid posting important information like discounts or events exclusively in your stories; they’re still not accessible by screen readers.
4. Not knowing how to use Hashtags
Hashtags are an important Instagram marketing tool to get more reach through appearing on the pages of the hashtags. There are many online lists that include the top used hashtags on Instagram, but this won’t necessarily work for you.
Popular hashtags are used on so many daily posts that it decreases the chance of you getting found on them. Instagram actually recommends using hashtags with different levels of popularity in your posts for the best results. Your mix can include popular hashtags such as #love, daily hashtags such as #monday_morning, geo hashtags such as #saudi_arabia, product or service specific hashtags such as #web_development_agency and also your company name #alphagraphics.
5. Disregarding Instagram analytics
One of the best ways to determine your Instagram marketing’s successes and failures is to look at your analytics. By thoroughly evaluating them, you can get valuable feedback to help you enhance your social media strategy.
Through analytics, you can follow up to a year’s worth of Instagram feed posts and stories to discover which worked best and filter by metrics like likes, reach, comments, and more.
6. Not having a link in Bio
For many businesses, increasing website traffic is the ultimate marketing objective, so including a website link and a call to action in your Instagram bio is a great choice.
Having one clickable link in your bio is a great Instagram feature that you have to make the most out of. It’s your choice whether you want to add a link to your website, product, form, or other social media.
Conclusion
Instagram is a major marketing tool, so our advice is to take your time with trial and error to find the most efficient practices for your business so that you can leverage its full power.
Keep in mind that it’s normal to make mistakes while finding your way around Instagram marketing. Just learn from your mistakes and keep evolving.
