Tag: instagram marketing

2022 recent Instagram updates

Olivia NolesBlog, Marketing, Social Media + Influencer Engagement, , , ,

Instagram is constantly changing and evolving to compete with other social media platforms and meet all the wants and needs of its users. As the app continues to change, your strategy needs to continue to change as well. Keep reading to learn the 2022 recent Instagram updates and how your strategy should change.

Instagram updates app to have multiple feeds

A recent Instagram update that will launch in 2022 is multiple feeds, similar to the layout that TikTok uses. The Instagram feed options include: “Following,” “Favorites” and “Home.” Following includes only accounts users actually follow and is chronological, a setting users have been begging Instagram to bring back. Favorites is a smaller, more curated feed that includes only accounts users have gone through and personally favorited. Home is “the Instagram you know today,” meaning all of the above along with Instagram’s recommended content for you, like curated ads and suggested users.

Shoppable posts take priority in the Instagram algorithm

Instagram wants the app to be a one-stop shop. Users find the product on the app, then they can immediately buy it on the app. Instagram is adding additional incentives to shoppers, such as discounts and money off to encourage users to shop in the app.

If you are a business that sells products, look into utilizing the shoppable posts feature on Instagram. There are pros and cons to this feature, but a major pro is that the algorithm currently pushes shoppable content more than non-shoppable content.

All accounts can use the link feature

Another recent Instagram update is allowing all accounts to have the ability to link on stories. When Instagram launched the links feature, it was only available to users with 10k followers. Now, all accounts can link to external sites on Instagram stories.

A business should use Instagram stories to link to any external content it wants its audience to see. For example, blogs, websites, products, menus, reviews, events- the list goes on and on.

You can now search for content on Instagram

Like Pinterest, Instagram has rolled out the ability to search content based on keywords rather than just hashtags, locations and users. That means that when writing captions, you need to consider which keywords you are factoring in along with your hashtag strategy.

Instagram is primarily focusing on video

As mentioned in a previous blog post, Instagram has announced that it is no longer just a photo-sharing app. Since this announcement, Instagram has prioritized Reels by pushing them to new audiences and adding a monetization option for creators.

Reels is currently the best way to grow on Instagram. Any time Instagram launches a new feature or content format, the algorithm pushes that content to follow the agenda Instagram has. Because of this, businesses and creators trying to grow should use new features, like Reels, whenever possible.

Tips for growing on Instagram via Reels:

  • Use trending sounds: Trending sounds are those with an arrow beside them in the Instagram app. Some business accounts may not have access to all trending sounds due to usage rights.
  • Content trends: If you cannot use trending sounds, try trending styles of content instead. Finding current trends requires spending some time consuming short-form video content. When you see a common theme, think of how you can spin it to your niche.
  • Play around with how you post Reels: There is a theory that Reels posted only to the Reels page are pushed to new audiences while Reels posted on your feed are pushed to your followers. Another theory is that Reels are discoverable for a longer period of time when sharing to the feed, and that Reels shared only to the Reels tab experience a spike in reach that ultimately levels off and gets no views after roughly an hour. We recommend testing out both options over a period of time and seeing what works best for your account.
  • Share Reels on Facebook too: When posting a Reel, there is an option to also post the Reel to Facebook. Just like the other posting options, we reccomend playing around with this feature and seeing what works best for your account.

Instagram is adding Reel features similar to TikTok

Instagram has added the ability to respond to a comment with a video on Reels. The comment will appear as a sticker on the new video, and the new video will be pinned in the comments of the original Reel. This is a very popular feature on TikTok and a great way to earn more views for both videos since viewers that have only seen the comment response will wonder what the original post was.

Need help launching your own Instagram account for your business or organization? Reach out to us; we’d love to help!

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Why Instagram’s “Swipe Up” Works

Cherith AndesBlog, Public Relations, Social Media + Influencer Engagement, , , ,

Confession time. We at Clairemont Communications aren’t immune. We have all been responsive to well-placed marketing ads — not the least of which are Instagram’s Story ads.

Story ads wield serious marketing clout. According to VidMob, 60 percent of millennials watch Stories, and one in four millennials and Gen Z-ers consult Stories for products to buy. Social Media Today noted that, “Facebook also found that Stories placement lead to a 35 percent increase in brand outcomes.”

That’s a noteworthy sales heft.

So what makes Instagram Story ads so effective?

  • Hyper-Targeting: Much like Facebook ads, Instagram Story ads allow you to choose objectives based on where your targeted customer falls in the sales funnel. (Just trying to make a first impression? Seeking to close the deal with a warm customer?) You are able to customize your audience based on demographic, psychographic and behaviors, and of course, maximize the Facebook pixel to create effective look-alike audiences.
  • Re-Targeting: Similarly to a well-placed Facebook ad strategy, Instagram Story ads can leverage your website traffic and target buyers who were browsing your products … but just didn’t purchase. It has worked. Yours truly may or may not have bought a sweatshirt that kept magically popping up in her Instagram Story ad sequence.
  • Visual Appeal: The marketing adage states that “diners eat with their eyes first.” The same applies to almost any product. Instagram’s Story ad platform allows for a highly visual medium designed to tout your product (and a strong call to action).
  • Ease: This one is the clincher. Literally, all one must do is swipe up to connect to the product page. At that point, add the item to your cart, punch in a credit card number (or approve Apple Pay) and mailing address, and wait for your purchase to arrive. No typing in URLs. No Google searches. Just suh-wipe up.

To prove our point, here are a few guilty pleasures that each of our team members recently purchased on an impulse via Instagram Story ads.

KELLI

“I bought this ice roller when Ashley Streicher (@streicherhair) posted a video of her rolling her face after a night out in an effort to de-puff and look fresh. This spoke to me. I keep it in the freezer and use most mornings – whether or not I’ve had that extra glass of wine the previous night!”

TRACY 

“I purchased this via a blogger on Instagram just hours after my favorite coffee mug shattered on the floor. Right place at the right time.”

CHERITH“Soooo … I often begin my workday from the bed after the alarm, checking emails and social media accounts. I have a big love for Friends, and when this classic joke showed up on my Instagram feed (How did they know!?), I just did the swipe thing before I was even fully awake.”

TAYLOR

“My recent impulse buy was this sweatshirt. I purchased it because everything on the website was 50 percent off, and the woman running the company is suspending the store until June.” (SCORE!)

Looking to learn how social media marketing can work for you?

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Mastering Insta’s New Algorithm

Cherith AndesBlog, Marketing, Social Media + Influencer Engagement, , , , , ,

In March of 2018, Instagram launched an announcement that uprooted the Instagram community.

Article from Huffington Post

For the last two years, Instagram has operated on an engagement-based algorithm, prioritizing posts that received the highest engagement. Instagram posited that this system allowed its users to enjoy content that mattered most to them. (Sound familiar? *cough* Facebook *cough*) However, Insta fans revolted, claiming that the algorithm violated the platform’s real-time dynamic and forced businesses into paid strategies.

The Change

After two years, Instagram took the hint. The revamped algorithm that launched in late March unveiled two major changes.

1. “New Posts” Button

In the past, Instagram utilized an auto-refresh function that interrupted the user’s experience by unexpectedly bumping him or her to the top of the feed. Now, with the New Post button, users have the option to refresh their feeds at will or simply continue scrolling through posts. Notably, this button is still being tested and slowly offered to users. While not earth-shattering, the adjustment eliminated a common thorn in the side of the Insta community.

2. Newer Posts at Top of Feed

Of more import, Instagram will now give priority to “newer posts.” While not a complete return to chronological feeds, the algorithm accounts for the post’s recency, ensuring that your feed isn’t clogged with stale posts from days past. Instead, users have access to current updates with an opportunity to engage in a more real-time dynamic.

What Does This Mean for Businesses?

Pay attention to when your audience is online and active. It matters again! For business accounts, this data is readily available within Instagram’s Insights function. (Incidentally, it also provides additional demographic data to inform target marketing.) By no means disregard the types of content that have garnered strong engagement in the past. Simply include timing into your equation to maximize efficacy.

Best Times to Post

As a bonus tip, research from Sprout Social pinpointed these as the best times to post on Instagram:

  • Wednesday: 3 p.m.
  • Thursday: 5 a.m., 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.
  • Friday: 5 a.m.
  • “Safe times” to post are 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Tuesday – Friday, with Sunday securing the least engagement.

Keep an eye on analytics and a heart for genuine, meaningful content to continue growing your Instagram. And remember, treat it like a coffee-shop date: real, personal conversations held at a convenient time for the other party.

Looking for more tips? Learn how to take an Insta-worthy photo!

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How Insta’s New API Affects You

Cherith AndesBlog, Marketing, Social Media + Influencer Engagement, , , ,

Instagram has risen as a cornerstone of social media marketing since its inception in 2010. So the sudden and unexpected retirement of its current API in early April shook the marketing and app development industry.

Back up. What now?

“API” stands for “application program interface,” basically a language for third-party apps to interact with Instagram. Third-party apps leverage the API to complete functionalities like commenting, scheduling and gleaning analytics. Notably, Instagram had already slated its current API to retire in July. However, in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica breach, Facebook — Instagram’s parent company — deprecated the API unexpectedly in early April in order to block “malicious third parties” from using the API to scrape user data.

Image from Instagram.com.

Two Major Instagram Changes

1. Limits rate of data collection.

Instagram limited the amount of times a third-party app can “ping” Instagram for data about users. It was reduced from 5,000 calls (or pings) per hour to 200.

2. Limits public content.

Third-party apps can no longer access public media or read a user’s own profile on the user’s behalf. Previously, apps could “listen” and respond to posts notated by hashtags or location. Effective immediately, apps can no longer respond and soon will also be unable to collect media based on hashtags or location. In addition, identifying information, like a user’s full name, followers and those they follow will be blocked from third-party apps.

What Does This Mean?

Plain (or “plainer”) language, please.

Agorapulse co-founder Emeric Ernoult predicts that the individual user won’t experience much of a change. However, businesses that use third-party social apps, such as Later, Simply Measured or Agorapulse, should connect with their app developers to confirm if any capabilities or data functionalities have changed.

For example, the new API blocks audience-growth services, like follow/unfollow bots, and tools that analyze your followers and the followers of other accounts. As Matt Smith from Later points out, marketers and businesses won’t be able to see the rate at which they gain/lose followers or the timing of follower changes.

In addition, only business accounts on Instagram will be able to post or delete comments via a community management tool. And Instagram will limit search functions on apps, allowing accounts to search only via hashtag rather than by users or posts you have liked.

Arm yourself with updated knowledge on the functionalities of your third-party apps under the new API. You can then adjust your marketing strategy, reassign roles or collect data differently to continue to grow a vibrant, successful Instagram presence.

Beef up your social strategy with a few of our Instagram tips!

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How To Host An Instagram Giveaway

Clairemont InternBlog, Marketing, Social Media + Influencer Engagement, , , ,

Insta giveaways can pack a punch, but if not carefully thought out, your business could run the risk of making an Instagram flop and losing time and resources. But have no fear. We’ve pulled together five steps to host the best Instagram giveaway yet:

Plan the Product

What can you offer that will be of value to your followers/customers? Is it an experience, a hallmark product you have in stock or a gift card to your location? Keep in mind, the larger dollar value behind the product, the more potential followership you can gain.

Plan the Timeline

Creating a timeline for your Instagram giveaway will prevent stress while the giveaway is live on your account. First, decide if you want to promote the giveaway on your Instagram account before the giveaway goes live. Then, choose your start date and time. Check your Insta business stats to choose a post time that garners the highest fan engagement. Consider posting a giveaway reminder, such as a promo on your Insta story or a second Insta feed post. A reminder serves to reach followers that might not have seen the giveaway when it was originally posted. Finally, choose the giveaway end date and when you’ll announce the winner(s). Most giveaways perform well when hosted over the course of a few days.

Plan the Announcement Photo

Spend time planning how you will display the product up for grabs. Include telltale words, like “giveaway,” somewhere in the actual photo, making a simple connection when your followers see the post at first glance. Promote the photo across other social media platforms,  encouraging followers from other social media sites to visit your Instagram page.

Plan the Caption

Instagram has specific guidelines for hosting giveaways. Make sure that your giveaway meets all of the requirements of Instagram. Requirements for entering the giveaway might include liking the photo, following your account, liking your last five photos, etc. Again, reference Insta’s rules, which prohibit encouraging people “to tag themselves in photos if they aren’t in the photo.” A finalized Instagram caption will typically follow this sequence: 1. Announcing your business is hosting a giveaway and what is being given. 2. Your requirements to enter the giveaway. 3. Instagram official terms (age requirement, location requirement, etc.).

Plan and Announce the Winner

It’s time to pick a winner! We suggest using sites like Rafflecopter or Random Name Picker to select a winner at random. Broadcasting this selection process via Instagram stories or Instagram Live will allow your followers to see that the giveaway winner was randomly selected and not specifically chosen. To announce the winner you can change the original caption of the giveaway photo and tag the winner to claim their prize, post a dedicated Instagram photo or broadcast the winner on an Instagram Live or story.

Time to get busy! While you’re planning, check out our post on how to take an Instagram-worthy photo to become a rockstar at taking photos for your feed.

Written by Clairemont intern, Kennedy Norton, a junior at North Carolina State University.

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