Instagram tips Archives - Clairemont Communications

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.

You’re scrolling through your Instagram feed one day when you notice that a post from two days ago is at the top. You feel a little confused, maybe even betrayed, and you can’t figure out why change is so inevitable with social media. After all, you were just getting used to the old way.

You discover that in March, Instagram announced its new algorithm dictating how posts appear on the feeds, and you wonder how this will affect your marketing strategies.

Here’s the scoop. The new algorithm was created to show content that it is most relevant to users, not necessarily to help businesses with their advertising or profiles.

When Instagram created the new algorithm, it did so knowing that people miss 70 percent of their feeds when posts are displayed chronologically. Timeliness is still a factor, but now feeds also incorporate another factor: the user’s interaction with content. Instagram’s algorithm uses your activity to determine what types of posts you will value most based on previous likes, comments and shares.

But fear not; this doesn’t mean that businesses can’t leverage this shift as an advantage. In fact, with a few tips, the new Instagram algorithm can help increase your engagement with your target audience.

1) Use this opportunity to target and convert your niche followers. It may be tempting to use Instagram for mass marketing with broad hashtags and giant giveaways, but as Forbes advises, finding and keeping up with your target audience will help improve and maintain your brand. When you use hashtags, posts and giveaways, make them relevant and narrow them down to target your hot leads (those already prone to purchase or “convert” to an action) to maximize visibility.

2) Maximize influencer marketing. Now is the time to leverage strategic influencers to engage with you and promote you to their followers. This could be as simple as having that loyal customer snap a picture in your location and tag it to get a discount. People trust their friends’ opinions, and this is a good way to create genuine interest in your content without having to go the mass giveaway route!

3) Focus on the quality of the content you are posting. While the algorithm still considers timeliness, stop stressing over finding the “golden hour” of posting and spend more time making sure your content is worthwhile. As Instagram pointed out, users don’t have to worry about missing their favorite people’s posts anymore; the post they missed while they were sleeping will be waiting for them if it is something they find interesting.

4) Take advantage of other new Instagram features. If you’re still worried about the new algorithm, remember that Instagram is growing quickly and adding new features you can use, from going “live” to posting multiple photos at a time. Check out these tips from Hootsuite for monthly updates on the new features you can use!

Check out more tips to leverage Instagram Slideshows!

Written by Haley McDougal, rising senior at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Clairemont Communications

Tag: Instagram tips

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