Instagram has managed to blossom into an extremely diverse platform, allowing influencers of any size to create an array of interesting content. With 280 million active users in the US alone, Instagram can also be an extremely competitive platform. Therefore, it is important for influencers to receive engagement on all of their posts as a keen way to improve their prospects. As such, Netinfluencer has the top 10 ways you can increase your engagement on Instagram for no extra cost. 

What is Instagram?

Instagram is the world’s most popular photo-sharing platform, seeing immense growth after its few months of launch. In fact, when the app was first released in October 2010, it amassed 25,000 users in one day. Originally, the app was built as a hub for users to post and edit their favorite photos, particularly ones taken on smartphones. Instagram aimed to quickly build conversation and traction, something that is a key asset to any social media platform.

In 2012, Instagram was at its peak and was quickly acquired by social media giant Facebook. Mark Zuckerberg famously bought Instagram for $1 billion in cash and stock, with reports stating that he made the deal because he was intimidated by Instagram’s success. The photo-sharing app continues to see profitable success as time goes on with data suggesting that the app will be worth $100 billion by the end of 2022. 

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Why is engagement important on Instagram?

Engagement is an indisputable element of Instagram’s success, allowing the app’s algorithm to promote an assortment of active accounts to potential viewers.  When someone interacts with a specific Instagram profile, it helps to create a wider sense of community on the platform. Thus, this helps to boost both visibility and engagement as a whole. 

On Instagram, various actions can be considered as engagement. These are

• Linking photos
• Commenting on posts
• Saving photos
• Following other users
• Messaging other users

How to measure engagement on Instagram

An engagement rate is essentially a quantitative expression of qualitative data. Although there are many tools available to calculate an influencer’s engagement rate, it can also be discovered through a simple formula.

First, you add both the likes and comments received on one singular post. This total must then be divided by the number of followers you have on that designated account. Finally, multiply that number by 100 to receive an accurate percentage. 

With regard to photos, the average engagement rate is 0.81%. Whereas with video content, this number decreases to 0.61%. 

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10 ways to gain more engagement for free

As Instagram continues to be a successful platform for many influencers, it can be difficult to increase engagement rates in an affordable way. Here are just 10 simple ways you can boost engagement on Instagram.

1.  Use Instagram Stories on a regular basis

Instagram Stories have been an integral part of the app’s success. When this feature launched in 2016, it quickly became apparent that Instagram was dedicated to competing against platforms such as Snapchat. This short-form format allows influencers to ask questions, post photos, and videos, as well as implement fun stickers. As such, followers can engage with the stories in a quicker fashion compared to standard posts. This content either disappears after 24 hours or can be added to a highlight reel, helping to streamline an influencer’s content.

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2. Create education infographics

Social justice campaigns are extremely popular on social media as they help to inform a wide variety of audiences about the important cultural affairs occurring around the world. Infographics are visual representations of data that have been organized in an easy-to-read format. Thus, these posts can help influencers better educate their audiences and help them become respected figures in specific fields and niches. 

3. Use CTAs in your captions

A CTA, or Call To Action, is used to prompt more engagement on a post. CTAs can help draw followers from one platform to another, creating a more collective experience for the viewer. Influencers can use CTA to draw traction to important donation links or to other projects they have completed. This also ensures that your followers are kept up to date with all of your current content.

4. Post more personable pictures

Although it is important that influencers maintain a sense of privacy and professionalism, posting a few personal posts every once in a while can really do wonders for engagement. Whether it’s a family photo or a holiday snap, this type of content helps both followers and brands learn a little more about you. Thus, more suitable opportunities and brand deals may occur as a result.

5. Share posts that inspire you

Sharing another creator’s posts can also increase your own engagement rate. If you see a post that melts your heart or induces feelings of passion, feel free to share it on your own platform. This can encourage your followers to do the same as well as promote a sense of community across your social media platforms. 

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6. Post carousels 

Instagram’s carousel feature allows influencers to upload up to 10 photos and videos in one single post. This feature is very effective for engagement as it allows influencers to tell a story through a set of cohesive posts. It also allows creators to post various pieces of content in one go, without clogging their followers’ feed. 

7.  Supply a business contact email

If you are serious about becoming a full-time influencer, it is wise that you treat your social media platforms as if they are a part of your business strategy. A separate email for business purposes can help brands reach you easily and quickly, In turn, you can secure a plethora of profitable opportunities without having to scroll through endless comments or DMs. Moreover, a business contact email can help separate your personal profile and your business profile, which can help create a better work-life balance for more established influencers.

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8. Post video content as well as photos

In 2021, Instagram conducted a study that expressed that 91% of active users watched videos on the platform on a weekly basis. It is important that influencers adhere to this trend and use video content as a way to appeal to their wider audience. These videos can be between 3 seconds and 10-minutes, giving you a large playing field to experiment with different types of video content.

9. Use Instagram Live

When using Instagram Live, the platform will boost your content in a number of ways. Your followers will receive a push notification as well as placing your stream ahead in the stories queue on your followers’ feed. Thus, this is a simple way to gain engagement quickly. Plus, livestreaming can help you connect with fans and other viewers in a much more amicable way. Using this feature, you can enable badges, which allow your followers to pay a subscription fee in order to further support your content.

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10. Experiment with different filters

Filters often cause a lot of controversy within the social media sphere. However, Instagram has a wide range of fun filters that can entertain and inspire your followers. For example, the effects gallery allows you to experiment with a range of quirky filters for your Instagram Stories. Filters such as Retro Film, give each post a more vintage feel, helping to give each post a more nostalgic feel. 

At the beginning of 2022, Instagram was the most downloaded app across the world. This proves that this innovative platform is able to attract both creators and followers en masse. With a wide variety of features, influencers have the ability to create an abundance of content on one platform. To discover how Instagram can boost your brand’s visibility and engagement, visit our website.