Instagram's platform is fun to use—but perhaps what gives it lasting power is its ability to adapt based on what its audience wants.
Sometimes that evolution entails borrowing what other platforms (ahem, Snapchat) are doing—but modifying it so that people will actually want to use it.
One thing is for sure: Instagram knows how its users like to consume content. That's why it's a no-brainer for brands in any industry to be using the platform—especially if they're trying to grow their audience.
Here are five must-know features and updates that communicators can use to make the most of their Instagram presence:
1. Audience and engagement metrics
When you register your account as a business, you gain access to handy metrics regarding who's following you and how your account is performing.
You can analyze and track things like:
- How many people have taken action on your account over a period of time
- How many profile visits you've received
- The total number of times all of your posts have been seen
- A breakdown of how your promotions performed
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You can also learn things about your audience, such as:
- Top city and country locations
- Age range
- Gender
- Average times your followers are on Instagram in a typical day
- Days of the week your followers are most active
This information can inform you of the best time of day to post, what types of content generate the most engagement, who your audience members are and where they're located — all things that can help you refine your Instagram strategy.
2. Hashtags
When you use hashtag on a post you share on Instagram, that content is placed on another page of posts and stories that use that same hashtag. This helps users who are searching or following that particular hashtag to find posts that are relevant to their interests and likely to engage them.
On the other side of the coin, hashtags can also help you discover content users share that might be relevant to your brand. This makes it a lot easier to find content that showcases some of these day-in-the-life moments that a business's Instagram feed is perfectly suited for sharing.
3. Instagram stories
Posting videos in your stories is a great way to further humanize your brand and build even more genuine connections with your audience members.
People love video content, and with Instagram Stories you get the chance to give the people what they want. However, don't just post random videos. Show your audience who your team is, what a day in the office looks like, and even what your team does when it's outside the office.
Not all Instagram Stories must be videos, though. You can use stories to share updates when you have an exciting announcement, an event coming up or new content on your website you want your audience to know about.
Stories makes it easy to incorporate GIFs, fonts and colors that make your posts fun and engaging. If you have more than 10,000 followers, you can add the "swipe up" option and link directly to your content.
4. IGTV
Instagram's newest feature, IGTV, allows users to upload long-form videos up to one hour in length.
From a business standpoint, why not embrace this offering and see what it can do for your company? Post tutorials, answer frequently asked questions or provide a step-by-step guide to something crucial to what your business does. Just keep in mind that these longer videos may require higher production values than traditional videos on Instagram, so make sure you have the resources for the quality you're after.
5. Instagram's algorithm
A couple years ago, Instagram moved away from real-time posts. Instead, users see images that Instagram's algorithm believes they'll be more inclined to like based on their previous engagement history. The same applies to stories. If you consistently view certain people's stories, Instagram will be move theirs to the top of your list.
A lot of brands and influencers didn't love this development because it made their posts harder to see. Individual users didn't like it because it often presented old posts before newer ones from the accounts they follow.
As a result, Instagram has started to make some changes to ensure newer posts do appear higher in users' feeds. While this is good news for a lot of users, it's also a reminder that Instagram changes things up pretty frequently. Brands need to stay on top of the platform's algorithm updates if they want to keep getting their content to the right people at the right time.
Natalie Slyman works for Influence & Co., a full-service content marketing and PR firm. A version of this article originally appeared on the Influence & Co. blog.
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