Be Successful On Instagram

In all of my posts about Instagram, I spend a lot of time explaining what you should do to see success. Whether it’s best practices or tips and shortcuts, there are a lot of ways to use Instagram effectively. However, there are a lot of things you might be doing which will actually hinder your success.

Here are the things NOT to do on Instagram:

Don’t use an awkward username

Unfortunately, the search function within Instagram isn’t as powerful as other sites. If you make your username (and even your “real” name) hard to find, people won’t be able to find and follow you. Instead, use the same username as your Twitter handle and make your name something easy to recognize, whether it’s your real name or your business name.

Don’t set your profile to private

Unless you are using Instagram solely for personal reasons and don’t want to network, do NOT set your account to Private. Instead, set your account to Public so that new followers can see what you post and what you’re about. You will gain followers much more quickly if they can see your content and don’t have to wait for approval.

Don’t be a lurker

Instagram is all about interaction and sharing posts. Unless you’re brand new to the platform, don’t lurk in the shadows. Instead, post regularly and like/comment on others’ posts as frequently as possible. Be engaging and you’ll create better relationships with other Instagram users.

Don’t post without a caption

No matter how awesome your image is, it needs a caption. Posts with captions get higher levels of engagement and they allow you to interact with your audience. Tell people what the photo is, share a quote, ask a question. Whatever it is, find something relevant to include on your posts.

Don’t overuse or misuse hashtags

Hashtags are extremely important on Instagram and should be used on every post to increase reach. However, using more than 7-10 hashtags is overkill. Choose 5-7 relevant hashtags to include in your caption. Don’t use popular hashtags like #tagforlikes or #onedirection or #love if they have absolutely nothing to do with your post. Using inappropriate hashtags to show up in popular searches won’t help you reach new followers – you’ll actually end up alienating possible followers.

Don’t ignore your followers’ comments

When people take the time to comment on your posts or ask questions, do not ignore them! Make sure you check your notifications regularly to stay on top of comments. Then respond (using their @username to notify them) and thank them or answer their question. When used regularly, comments will significantly impact your relationship with your audience.

Don’t steal other Instagram users’ content

Just because you like someone else’s photo doesn’t mean you can post it as your own. If you want to utilize user generated content (UGC) in your strategy, have users tag you or use hashtags on their posts. When reposting, always, always, always provide proper attribution. There are some third-party apps which will allow you to repost another user’s post to your account while giving proper attribution to the original user.

Don’t use images from Google searches

Instagram is a place to share your own content, not share generic Google search result images. If you want to share a motivational quote, put the quote on top of one of your own images. This isn’t Facebook or Google+, use your own images and get creative!

Don’t overdo the selfies

I get it, we all love a good selfie. But one good selfie is enough. Unless you’re Kim Kardashian – nope, not even then – you don’t need a selfie a day. And definitely not multiple selfies a day! Want to show off your outfit, show off your outfit. Want to show off your vacation spot, show off the scenery. If you’re using Instagram to grow your business, a bunch of selfies won’t help you.

Source: maximizesocialbusiness

About LaraNet: We are a web design firm focused to help you to grow your business and communicate with your customers and prospects using two simple but powerful tools: 1) Interactive Website and 2) Internet Marketing Strategy on social networks like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc …
Whether you want to work with just a web page, or launch or improve your presence on Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn or communicate with your customers through newsletters, or improve the location of your business in the search engines through Search Engine Optimization, or start marketing your products or services online, in LaraNet we can help you.

Keywords: Website designer in Houston, Web Designer in Houston, Web Site Developer in Houston, Webmaster in Houston, Internet Marketing Agency in Houston, Website Consultant in Houston, Enrique Antonio Lara Vidales, LaraNet, Web Design in Houston, Website Development in Houston, Open Source Content Management, Internet Marketing Services, Houston Small Business Websites, Integrated Internet Marketing, Content Marketing Specialist, Community Manager Specialist, Houston Internet Marketing for Small Business