Marketing through social media.

[Leonore Johnson]

"Instagram is undeniably one of the most important social channels around, and we’re positive that any marketer not yet using it is missing out on something big. Whether you manage the social media of a big corporation, a small business, or you’re using it to promote your own personal brand, incorporating Instagram into your marketing strategy is a must!" [or so rumors say]

For someone new to Instagram and Social media in general I'd like to know how I can grow my Instagram follower numbers.

ALSO,Is there software I could use to automate the process or do I have to do manually, myself?

 

[AllUpHere]

I've got a feeling someone might be along soon to tell us about some software you can use.

 

[Strent12]

The go to social media automation platform is buffer.

As for growing your users it depends on what your business is? An easy way is to take really interesting photos and tag people, and that will hopefully get you shares.

One of the easiest ones is motivational photos around some topic whether it be business or life or whatever, those tend to get decent traction.

If you want to go really hardcore in automating and growing your followers in instagram and you're a bit technical then google "How I Eat For Free in NYC Using Python, Automation, Artificial Intelligence, and Instagram"

 

[intheTRADE]

I've got a feeling someone might be along soon to tell us about some software you can use.

I think you may be right...

 

[Julia Sta Romana]

The weird thing with Instagram is it doesn't play nice with social media tools. And believe me, I've tried. Most don't post reliably, they're not really "automatic", and the data they claim to have access to is next to nothing. Best to do things manually.

 

[Mark T Jones]

"Instagram is undeniably one of the most important social channels around, and we’re positive that any marketer not yet using it is missing out on something big. Whether you manage the social media of a big corporation, a small business, or you’re using it to promote your own personal brand, incorporating Instagram into your marketing strategy is a must!" [or so rumors say]

?

Whoever told you that wasn't doing you any favours, and was almost certainly promoting an Instagram-related service.

 

[antropy]

The go to social media automation platform is buffer.

I concur, we use Buffer all the time and it is very useful indeed. Alex

 

[AllUpHere]

Using software to run your social media is the best indication there is that you don't understand how to get the best from social media.

 

[Victoria_V]

Hootsuite is an excellent tool for analysing and scheduling. But what I like the most is that you can target your content or set restrictions if you don't want a specific group of people to see it. It's not available for all social media platforms, but definitely worth your attention.

 

[AndrewJhnsn333]

he go to social media automation platform is buffer.

I also heard about Buffer as an excellent tool for social media marketing. They have beneficial newsletters with SMM advice, so you can subscribe to receive their letters.
Talking about Instagram automation, check SocialCaptain, Instavast, Instamber or Instazood.

 

[FreddieBanks]

Using software to run your social media is the best indication there is that you don't understand how to get the best from social media.

I have to disagree. I know where you are coming from, but there are still a lot of things that can be automated. It saves a lot of time and energy, lots of actions you do on IG, for example, don't require any thought process. For example, greeting new followers on DM (which is super useful). Why do it manually, when you can set up a simple program, which can do that for you.

 

[Victoria_V]

ALSO,Is there software I could use to automate the process or do I have to do manually, myself?

You can also use an app like Planoly (there are many similar apps and platforms to choose from) if you're just looking for a scheduling tool and something to help you automate the process. It has a number of super useful features which will definitely save you a lot of time allowing you to step up your Instagram game.

 

[TheoNe]

In my experience, incorporating a 'call to action' into every post can have a positive effect on the growth of your Instagram. More often than not, when you ask people to do something, they will actually do it.

I would start with asking everyone who sees your latest post to 'like' it. This approach works best if you use a funny picture or something related when starting off. You can then progress on to asking your followers to 'tag' in their friends who might like or agree with a picture or statement you have posted.

In terms of software - the Buffer scheduling software works best with Instagram.

I hope this helps.

 

[Adira]

Participate actively in a conversation that is popular. It will help you to find new followers. Apart from that, use hashtags to tell your story, added some descriptive caption with your images and video.

 

[CharlotteS]

In terms of automation, for posting we use a mixture of Plann and Hootsuite.

However, I would suggest that you avoid automated follower bots like the plague. It's not authentic engagement, Instagram doesn't like it and it's obvious to a user from a mile off.

It is time consuming to build up a follower base, however taking the time to really get into the mindset of your customers does help - think about locations they are likely to be in, topics that are relevant to them, and other brands they are likely to engage with. This helps to better understand what hashtags you should use, and how to find the best users to engage with.

Obviously ads can help to speed things up, and depending on your niche, sponsored stories can work really well though it takes time to really get them right.

 

[Corina]

There are a couple of tools to use, however, you should probably know that using an automated software to grow followers is against Instagram rules and you would be risking getting your account blocked. There are also plenty of disadvantages with them.

I have used Social Captain - which was great in the beginning, but after a couple of months the percentage of follower increase was falling, also even though it managed to get me over 1.5k followers over just 2 months - the engagement was very poor - which proved the poor quality of followers...

The next one was Instazood, which was recommended to me by a friend - the result was exactly the same.

I have then switched to Combin - it's a slightly more manual process, which allows you to be more critical over whom to follow or what photo to like. This app does a basic thing of following a certain amount of accounts that fit a criteria set by you. It does it gradually, one by one, therefore the risk of being blocked is minimum, also taking into account that the amount of accounts followed at once is not that big, it gives you the opportunity to untick the ones that look spammy or irrelevant. It's the least automated one, but therefore, the most efficient in my opinion.

The best advice though for running and growing your social media is to spend some time on it and engage with your audience, there's no point in having 10k followers that aren't even interested in your product or service.

 

[Chris Ashdown]

Spend your time improving your sites rather than wasting time on these new toys like facebook , instagram or any other social media, the results per hour of work are appaling, where working on your site can increase sales massively

 

[Corina]

Spend your time improving your sites rather than wasting time on these new toys like facebook , instagram or any other social media, the results per hour of work are appaling, where working on your site can increase sales massively

If by result you mean sales, then yes, you're right. However the the main objective for being on "these new toys" is primarily brand awareness and building your brand reputation, voice/personality - which is actually the first step in the marketing funnel. It's a good investment for a long term strategy that will help you gain brand ambassadors in a couple of years. If you're using social media to increase your sales (in short-term) - then you're using it wrong.

 

[answerpoint]

The go to social media automation platform is buffer.

 

[sakshispeaks]

Instagram is a great place to help people grow their brand. Yes there are some automation tools like buffer which help you with schedule posts on your accounts etc. Focus on content. Content is king.

 

[Mollie Rhodes]

To grow your Instagram followers, you need to follow them first. Provide creatives which are informative as well as interesting to see and read.
Share unique and trending content on Instagram. Use stories to share your images.
Messages and replies to comment also work.

 

[mikespencer]

I agree, I use Buffer all the time too. It is very useful for job.

 

[StevePoster]

For someone new to Instagram and Social media, they must establish themselves in reaching popular influencers in their field by offering their masterpiece so that it will be shared in different networks.

 

[NathanGrieve]

I find it difficult to drive clicks with insta. For brands it is a tool often used for authenticity. Buyers may check your instagram account before purchasing etc..

 

[Dotzo.networks]

Yes, Instagram is most useful in increasing traffic, its the place to recognize your brand. Most importantly you should be regular in Social media marketing

 

[fisicx]

Yes, Instagram is most useful in increasing traffic

It depends on your business. If you sell horse manure it's probably not so good. Not sure what brand of horse it comes out of.

 

[philipking2019]

Yes, they are suitable for all social media platforms. You should pay more attention to your business type and find the right platform for your own business. Then, keep it on. You will win!