Whether you’re a solopreneur, working in a small startup, or a large international company, you cannot go wrong with marketing your business on Instagram, but you need to know how to build an effective Instagram content strategy. According to Instagram’s official data, 90% of users follow at least one business on their Instagram profiles. 

B2C marketing has become very prominent on Instagram; and businesses of all industries and scales manage to market and sell their products through content marketing. Additional research suggests that 70% of users discover new products through content on Instagram; with 36% stating they would purchase from brands they identify with. 

Writing good quality content for Instagram can increase your brand’s appeal substantially and lead to better lead generation and reach going forward. Let’s go into more details on how you can build an effective Instagram content strategy in 2021 and the benefits of doing so.

Advantages of Writing an Instagram Content Strategy

Why should you focus your content marketing efforts on Instagram over other social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter, or even TikTok? According to HubSpot, 71% of 18-29 US adults use Instagram, with 70% using Instagram to discover new brands to follow and purchase from. 

Instagram is a widely popular platform thanks to how accessible and short-form its content is. With the right hashtags and writing approach, you can penetrate a new market and successfully build an audience on Instagram without relying on paid advertisement. If we were to break down the most important benefits of marketing on Instagram, the list would include:

• Ability to directly communicate with your audience
• Increase traffic and conversion rates on your website
• Ability to adapt your content to industry trends and increase your reach
• Gain access to valuable user-generated content (UGC)
• Improve your overall sales and revenue generation

Writing Tips to Help you Build an Effective Content Strategy

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1 – Set up Your Business Account on Instagram

Before you start marketing your products and services on Instagram, you should set up a dedicated account to do so. Opening a business account on Instagram is important since it contains more features than traditional accounts. The features you will gain access to this include:

• Primary and secondary inbox (for direct messaging purposes)
• Instagram Ad Manager (for targeted advertisement)
• The Instagram Insights (for analytics)
• Instagram Shopping (for sales)
• Ability to set up a CTA and contact info on your profile page

With a business account under your name, you will have access to a much wider range of content management and analytics tools. Additionally, EssaySupply offers writing and formatting services when it comes to creating your profile bio to maximize readability and appeal for anyone visiting your profile. Include information such as your email address; phone number; and PO box (if you have it) – forgo your address beyond the country/city you live in.

2 – Choose the Right Writing Tools for your Content

Given that Instagram is reliant on short-form content paired with attractive visuals; you should choose a few writing tools to start with. These will help you create better content intended for digital marketing, especially for Instagram.

Google Docs – a multi-purpose platform that you can use to write content, create simple graphics; and organize your content publishing with

Evernote – writing tool meant for short-form content writing, ideal for Instagram given its cross-platform synchronization between desktop and smartphone devices

Canva – visual content tool akin to a simplified version of Microsoft Office; great for Instagram thanks to its range of trending graphical effects and icons

Gimp – another visual tool similar to Adobe Photoshop which will allow you to create great graphical content for Instagram to match your writing

Hemingway Editor – given how Instagram is reliant on short-form content; this tool will help you improve your writing’s legibility before publishing

Semrush – a popular SEO platform that can find the right keywords for you to include in your post descriptions

While not every tool will suit your Instagram content, you should go through all of them and pick the ones that fit your content strategy. Once you assemble a good content writing stack to work with; you can proceed to write original content for Instagram marketing purposes.

3 – Find the Right Hashtags for your Content

Hashtags are an extremely important part of marketing your brand on Instagram. The platform categorizes content based on hashtags and using the right ones will ensure that your content is seen by a lot of people. That’s why tools such as Tags Finder and All-Hashtag should find their way into your toolset; and you should use them daily. 

Use as many trending hashtags in your industry as possible to increase the reach of your posts. However, avoid using tags unrelated to your content, as trending as they may be. Using the wrong hashtags (for example, #nailart when your content is makeup-oriented) will penalize your page and mark your content as spam. Look for the most fitting and trending hashtags for your content and more people will be able to enjoy your writing as a result.

4 – Reach out to Influencers on Instagram

Influencer marketing is a big part of what makes writing a content strategy for Instagram valuable. According to reports, 70% of teens trust influencers more than celebrities or traditional advertisements, with 49% of users depending on influencer recommendations for purchase decisions. Micro and macro-influencers across the world are willing to work with brands such as your own to promote their products and services. 

You can increase the reach of your content exponentially if you work with influencers who share your passion for the industry. Look for influencers on Instagram and reach out to them through direct messages. Ask whether cooperation would be possible between you and how would that look like. While not every influencer will respond positively to your offer, those that do will become valuable parts of your content strategy on Instagram.

5 – Leverage Different Types of Content

You can post two types of content on Instagram – images and videos. Both are accompanied by hashtags and written content that elaborates on the multimedia you’ve published. You can write different types of content to accompany your images and videos to engage your followers. Some content types you should explore in your content strategy include:

• Asking followers for their opinions or feedback
• Sharing an inspirational story accompanied by an image/video
• Offering a sneak-peek at your office space
• Creating a tutorial for something related to your business
• Joining a trending movement or cause
• Sharing content generated by users of your products/services

Of course, these are only a few content types you can take advantage of on Instagram. People who follow brands on Instagram love seeing creative content worth their time. In turn, this will lead them to buy your products, advocate for your brand and continue following your content in the future.

6 – Take Advantage of Instagram Stories

Instagram Stories is a feature unique to Instagram as it allows you to create short-form content with a 24h expiration date. Their value lies in the fact that anyone who follows your page will see them front and center as soon as they open Instagram. Based on statistics, 60% of businesses using Instagram Stories combine them with hashtags, mentions, and polls to increase audience engagement. When it comes to Instagram, the more interactive your content the better the response from your audience will be.

You can use Instagram Stories to make announcements in the form of images and videos, post tips or inspirational content, or simply say “Hi”. You can also host giveaways, Q&A sessions, and other forms of interactive events through the feature. Instagram’s users love engaging with the pages they follow, and Instagram Stories are a very direct way of doing that. 

7 – Speak to your Followers Directly as Much as Possible

The best type of content you can get on Instagram relates to your followers and their interactions with your posts. Once people start commenting on your posts, make sure to respond to each person individually with meaningful writing. Failing to respond to people who took the time to comment on your posts or share them is a waste from a content marketing perspective.

Thank them for their time, answer the questions they post and simply be friendly with everyone. Don’t be defensive or accusatory and stay positive and professional throughout your interactions. People need to see that you are a reliable, collected brand which they can rely on for more content and quality products. Likewise, this will help you gain brand advocates and supporters even beyond Instagram followers through word of mouth.

Content Strategy Writing Mistakes to Keep in Mind

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Now that we’ve covered writing tips that can help you craft a better Instagram content strategy, let’s also address the other side of the coin. Mainly, what should you avoid doing to maintain good reach and market penetration on Instagram? 

Posting Content Without a Clear Schedule

Creating and adhering to a content calendar will allow you to space out your created content throughout the week. Tools such as Google Calendar are suitable for scheduling your Instagram content to create a more systematic content strategy. Avoid publishing content sporadically and without proper planning to make an impact.

Low-Quality Multimedia Content

It’s important to reiterate how multimedia-oriented Instagram is. Posting low-quality photos and videos with pixelation, poor lighting, and amateur graphical effects won’t help your cause. Make sure that the multimedia you post on Instagram is of high quality, entirely original, and that it accurately reflects the writing you attached below.

Lack of Calls to Action or Audience Engagement

Writing a call to action for your audience to follow up on is very important in Instagram content marketing. You can have the best photos on your page and work with the most famous influencers but without a CTA, it won’t matter. Invite your followers to share, like, and tag your content on Instagram, as well as visit your website for more info.

Spamming Followers with Sales Offers via DMs

Speaking of sales, you shouldn’t abuse the follower base you’ve gained on Instagram. Promote your sales offers on Instagram, professionally and without relying on clickbait. Avoid directly messaging your followers individually, especially to sell items or services. Instead, announce promotions, discounts, and coupons officially on your page.

Conclusion – Making Good use of Instagram’s Features

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The secret is to build an effective Instagram content strategy and to make good use of its built-in features. Features such as Instagram Stories, reliance on hashtags, as well as an emphasis on multimedia should be taken into account. 

By combining these elements and adding an original personal touch to your content, you will be able to attract a sizable audience on Instagram. Make sure to interact with the audience you gather around your brand as much as possible through comments, user-generated content, and live Q&A sessions. You will slowly build a style of content unique to your brand and with that, your follower numbers will continue to grow organically.

About the Author

Jessica Fender who is the author of “How to Build an Effective Instagram Content Strategy – 7 Top Writing Tips” is an independent blogger, marketing consultant and a comb-shaped marketer.

She is keen on creating innovative and customer-friendly strategies for business growth. Featured on Freelancer.com and also on Addicted2Success. 

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