Most bloggers on Instagram do not even have blogs! Modern bloggers do not believe in the power of words. Well, we are not saying that the text content of blogs is not relevant. With the advent of image-heavy platforms like Instagram and Pinterest, long articles and features take a backseat. Great images with a high resolution have been replacing word-form content for a long time now. Look at Instagram accounts like the_salty_blonde and wihitneybearr. They are successfully reaching out to thousands of people each day with their unique posts, without writing extensively about their styles or fashion choices.
Hashtags speak louder than words
The Instagram fashion club has its own hashtags. The leading hashtags of 2017 include #ootd, #outfitoftheday, #fashionista, #instafashion, #runwayfashion, #streetstyle and #streetfashion. These are your regular high volume keywords. They can give you a lot of traffic, but since hundred other Instagram accounts, both business and private, are using them as well you may find a tough competition.
You can move towards more niche fashion tags like #summerbeachwear, #crochetfashion, #bikinibods, #casualmomstyle and many other low volume keywords. They generate small amounts of traffic, but they are highly accurate as well. Therefore, you will get quality traffic with much less competition as compared to your high volume keywords.
Big brands can easily stick to high volume keywords. Brands include Instagram influences like the Kardashians and Hadids. If you are a small, niche fashion house making your own statements each day, try to find hashtags and keywords that fit your brand image. Find low volume long-tailed keywords to describe images and longer hashtags to filter in relevant traffic.
Schedule your posts from beforehand
Posting a couple of pictures is quite standard for a new brand on the platform. However, that does not mean you have to take 1-2 new pictures every day. Sometimes it is a budget constraint, while most commonly, it is a time constraint for most people. In fact, taking a series of shots of different related subjects makes more sense than composing 1-2 pictures each day. You need not worry about models and photographers. You can use your iPhone as your professional photographer, use still-life compositions for lifestyle and fashion products and use professional editing tools to create the Instagram effect.
Use business-friendly filters
Did you know? On Instagram, certain filters like Mayfair and Vintage have more likelihood of getting you more followers? When you are a new user, your followers count for Instagram can be dwindling. Start with unique posts and Gramista to boost your followership. You can use listening tools like Hootsuite to find out what your potential followers and consumers. Listening tools are advantageous for new entrepreneurs since they have to know their potential market to be able to sell their products.
How to engage influencers in your marketing plan?
Instagram can give your brand 25% more engagement than any other social platform. Now, this will happen if you can market your products correctly. For example – you are selling women’s shoes, how will you introduce your products on Instagram with a bang? Working all by yourself will not get you enough attention. You need to find a fashion partner. Working with influencers has its own perks. To find the right influencer for you, you can check out sites like Websta. It catalogs all popular Instagram users related to your niche.
Here are a few things you have to do –
- Find people who are interested in shoes or showcase shoes in their accounts. (make a list of at least ten people)
- Find their link or contact on their “contact” page.
- Send the first name on your list a formal email or direct message on Instagram with your proposal. Do not push or bribe. Ask if they would be willing to accept a sample of your product for review.
- Wait for a week. Send a follow-up email.
- If you do not get any reply from one influencer, move on to the next one on your list.
Getting ready-made images from other accounts
If you are particularly in love with a picture posted by an influencer, you can ask their permission to repost it. There are a few copyright issues that you will have to keep in mind.
- You can make minimal changes to the photos.
- You can make changes to filter choices.
- You can add your brand name and watermark only after giving the original poster their due credit for the photo.
Easiest way to get new content for your account
An easier way to bypass these legalities is to hold a contest. However, this only works if you have a strong followership on Instagram already. Ask for photo contests with particular hashtags. It will make sure you get new content almost every day and keep your brand name visible too, without a huge marketing budget. Do not use stock images from Shutterstock or Getty Images if you are running out of fresh content. Try playing with your keywords a little; this will give you a broader perspective of your potential market. It will also broaden the reach of your account and campaigns.
Always add a CTA
Do not forget to add a call to actions on or beside your images. Adding new stories every week will increase your brand reach by over 30%. More people are into Instagram videos and live stories than the regular feed. Use fresh photos and videos to link to your fashion site. Paste your URL on the top and add your stickers, filters, and emojis to keep things interesting.
All in all, as a brand, you need to keep your audience engaged. You cannot stay inactive for a month and hope to find your followership as high as the day you left them. Just like any other social networking platform, people forget about brands, events, and celebs very easily once they are on Instagram. You need to stay visible, active and engage with your followers on a regular basis to steer a steady flow of traffic from your Insta account to your website.
Author bio: Harris is a leading blog writer and content marketing professional with thousands of real Instagram followers for his postings.
