10 Instagram Marketing Strategies Guaranteed to Grow ANY Business (PROVEN & PROFITABLE)

Summary

This video script offers a comprehensive guide to revamping your Instagram marketing strategy. It covers optimizing your bio, utilizing story highlights, and understanding the Instagram algorithm. The speaker shares insights on content types, posting frequency, and the best times for maximum engagement. Additionally, it touches on the importance of captions, hashtags, and engaging with other accounts to grow your audience. Sponsored by HubSpot, the video also promotes a free social media trends report for further strategy enhancement.

Takeaways

• 🔍 Instagram's algorithm is designed to find and show enjoyable content to users, so optimizing your content for your audience is crucial.
• 📝 Optimizing your Instagram bio with a clear name, USP, and CTA can help attract followers and guide them to the next step in your marketing funnel.
• 🌟 Using story Highlights to showcase your best work, introduce yourself, and offer lead magnets can drive traffic and establish expertise.
• 📈 Posting a variety of content types, including text, graphics, carousels, videos, reels, and stories, can help increase engagement and reach.
• ⏰ The best time to post on Instagram is when your followers are most active, which can be found in your account insights or estimated based on general guidelines.
• 🔗 Engaging with other relevant accounts through following, liking, and commenting can train the algorithm and expose your account to a larger audience.
• 📱 Utilizing video content offers flexibility and the opportunity to repurpose content across multiple platforms.
• 📈 Consistency in posting is more important than frequency; maintaining a regular schedule can lead to growth and engagement.
• 📊 Including relevant keywords in captions can signal to the algorithm and audience what your content is about, aiding in discovery.
• 🏷 While the effectiveness of hashtags is debated, using a mix of big, medium, and small hashtags relevant to your niche can serve as an 'insurance policy' for content discovery.

Q & A

What has changed in Instagram marketing strategies recently?

Recent changes in Instagram marketing strategies are due to shifts in the platform's algorithm and user behavior. What used to work a few months ago may not be as effective now, requiring updated tactics to succeed.

What is the primary goal of the Instagram algorithm?

The Instagram algorithm aims to find content that users might enjoy and show them as much of this enjoyable content as possible to keep them engaged and on the platform for extended periods.

How can optimizing your Instagram bio help grow your account?

Optimizing your Instagram bio provides clarity about who your account is for, potentially increasing followers by making it clear what you do and why you're worth following. It's an opportunity to showcase your USP (unique selling proposition) and give a CTA (call to action).

What are Story Highlights and how can they benefit an Instagram account?

Story Highlights are a feature that allows users to condense some of their best and most important work on their profile, driving traffic to offers and the business. They can be used for introductions, showcasing work, and providing lead magnets.

What kind of content is currently performing well on Instagram?

While Reels have gained attention, a mix of text and graphic-based posts, single images, and carousel-style posts are effective. Video content offers flexibility and the ability to repurpose across different platforms.

What is the recommended posting frequency for an Instagram account?

A recommended posting frequency includes at least one feed post per day, creating stories two to three times a day, going live once or twice a week, and producing 3 to 7 reels a week for optimal growth and engagement.

What is the best time to post on Instagram according to the script?

The best time to post on Instagram is when your followers are most active, which can be found through account insights. Generally, mornings around 8:00 or 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., and afternoons around 3:00 p.m. on weekdays are suggested times.

How can engaging with other accounts in your niche help your Instagram growth?

Engaging with other accounts in your niche, known as 'fan fishing,' can train the algorithm to show your content to the right audience and put your account in front of potential followers, leading to growth.

Why are captions important in Instagram marketing?

Captions are crucial for providing context, including keywords for algorithm optimization, offering CTAs (calls to action), and engaging with the audience through polls. They help in keeping the content focused and driving user interaction.

What is the current stance on using hashtags in Instagram marketing?

Hashtags are still considered a good 'insurance policy' in Instagram marketing. While their effectiveness is debated, using a mix of big, medium, and small relevant hashtags can potentially help increase reach without causing harm.

How does the script suggest using HubSpot's social media trends report?

The script suggests using HubSpot's social media trends report to gain insights into current trends, such as AI usage in marketing and community building, to create a winning social media strategy.

Outlines

00:00

📈 Instagram Marketing Strategies for Growth

The paragraph discusses the evolution of Instagram marketing strategies and the need to adapt to new tactics for better results. It introduces a guide to the current best practices, including content optimization, posting times, and engagement strategies. The speaker promises to reveal the most effective types of content to post, the optimal times for posting, and strategies to increase engagement and followers. The paragraph also mentions working with major companies and teases insights into the Instagram algorithm, with a sponsorship acknowledgment to HubSpot.

05:00

🔍 Understanding the Instagram Algorithm

This section delves into the workings of the Instagram algorithm, emphasizing its role in content discovery and user engagement. It suggests optimizing the Instagram bio and using story Highlights to showcase expertise and drive traffic. The speaker advises on the content of the bio, including a clear name, a unique selling proposition, social proof, and a call to action. The paragraph also touches on the importance of posting engaging content and the types of content that perform well, such as video, carousel posts, and stories. It concludes with a mention of a free social media trends report by HubSpot, offering insights into AI in marketing and community building.

10:01

📅 Best Times to Post on Instagram

The paragraph focuses on the best content formats and posting times to maximize visibility on Instagram. It reassures that various content types, including text and graphics, can be effective and suggests using carousel posts for higher engagement. The speaker advises on the frequency of posting, recommending daily feed posts, regular stories, live sessions, and a healthy number of reels per week. The best time to post is revealed to be when the majority of followers are active, with general guidelines provided for those without access to insights data. The paragraph also introduces 'fan fishing' as a strategy to engage with larger accounts' audiences and emphasizes the importance of genuine engagement over spam-like interactions.

📝 The Power of Captions and Hashtags

This final paragraph highlights the importance of captions and hashtags in Instagram marketing. It discusses the role of captions in providing context, using keywords, and including calls to action. The speaker also touches on the use of polls in captions for engagement and market research. The paragraph addresses the ongoing debate about the effectiveness of hashtags, suggesting they serve as an 'insurance policy' for growth. It advises on the strategic use of a mix of big, medium, and small hashtags directly in post captions. The paragraph concludes with a call to action to implement proven marketing strategies for broader business growth, with a reference to an additional video resource.

Keywords

💡Instagram marketing strategy

Instagram marketing strategy refers to the methods and tactics used to promote a brand, product, or service on Instagram. The video emphasizes that what worked in the past may not be effective currently due to platform changes. The strategy involves understanding the latest trends and algorithms to grow followers and engagement.

💡Algorithm

The Instagram algorithm is a set of rules that determine the order of posts in a user's feed. The video explains that understanding this algorithm is crucial for optimizing content to reach more people. It's described as straightforward, focusing on showing enjoyable content to keep users engaged on the platform.

💡Optimize

Optimizing, in the context of the video, means adjusting content and account settings to align with Instagram's algorithm preferences, thereby increasing the visibility of posts. This includes optimizing the bio, using relevant keywords, and posting content that appeals to the target audience.

💡Engagement

Engagement on Instagram refers to user interactions with content, such as likes, comments, shares, and saves. The video discusses strategies to increase engagement, which is vital for improving the performance of posts and growing a following.

💡Content format

Content format refers to the type or style of media posted on Instagram, such as images, videos, reels, or stories. The video suggests that finding a format that works for the creator is key to growth, and it's not limited to reels, despite their popularity.

💡Posting schedule

A posting schedule is a planned timetable for publishing content on Instagram. The video stresses the importance of consistency and suggests specific times and frequencies for posting different types of content to maximize reach and engagement.

💡Story Highlights

Story Highlights on Instagram allow users to feature and organize their stories on their profile, making them permanently accessible. The video recommends using Highlights to showcase important content, such as introductions, best work, and lead magnets.

💡Fan fishing

Fan fishing is a strategy mentioned in the video where one engages with other relevant accounts in their niche to attract their followers. This is done by genuinely commenting and interacting with content from similar accounts to draw attention and potentially gain new followers.

💡Hashtags

Hashtags are metadata tags used on Instagram to classify content and make it discoverable under specific topics. The video discusses the ongoing debate about their effectiveness but suggests they can serve as an 'insurance policy' for increasing the discoverability of posts.

💡CTA (Call to Action)

A Call to Action (CTA) is a prompt encouraging users to take a specific action, such as following an account, leaving a comment, or visiting a website. The video advises using clear and direct CTAs in captions to guide viewers and increase engagement.

💡Insights

Insights on Instagram refer to analytics that provide data on account performance, including follower activity and the best times to post. The video mentions using insights to determine when most followers are active, which can inform the best posting times for optimal visibility.

Highlights

Instagram marketing strategies have evolved, and past tactics may not be as effective as they once were.

The presenter will share actionable strategies for immediate improvements in Instagram marketing.

Content type and posting time significantly influence the success of Instagram campaigns.

Optimizing your Instagram bio is crucial for defining your account's purpose and attracting followers.

Story Highlights can be used to showcase your best work and drive traffic to business offers.

The Instagram algorithm's primary goal is to surface enjoyable content to keep users engaged on the platform.

HubSpot's free social media trends report offers insights into effective social media strategies.

Various content formats, including text, graphics, and videos, can be successful on Instagram.

Consistency in posting is more important than frequency for growing an Instagram following.

The best time to post on Instagram is when your followers are most active, which can be determined through account insights.

Engaging with other relevant accounts through likes and comments can help train the algorithm and attract your ideal audience.

Captions are essential for providing context, including keywords, and directing viewers with calls to action.

Hashtags, while debated, can serve as an 'insurance policy' for increasing the reach of your posts.

Using proven marketing strategies is key to accelerating growth on Instagram and for your entire business.

Transcripts

[Music]

your Instagram marketing strategy isn't

working as well as you want right now

because things have changed and what

used to work even a few months ago is

dramatically different than the

strategies and tactics that we're seeing

succeed on the platform right now the

good news is that I'm going to clear all

that up for you today by showing you

what's actually working and giving you

actionable strategies that you can apply

right now to grow faster and get

instantly better results for you your

business or any business you want to

apply this to here's what we're going to

cover I'll show you the best kind of

content to post because not all content

is created equal and I'll give you the

best time to post it so that your

content has the best chance of success

possible I'll also give you proven and

profitable strategies to increase

engagement get more followers so much

more essentially you're getting a behind

the scenes look at the exact same

strategies I use whenever I'm creating

social media marketing campaigns for

companies like meta Amazon Google Adobe

canva Logitech and many more so with

that said let's Dive Right In starting

with a quick look at how the Instagram

algorithm works so you can use it to

your advantage also a big thank thank

you to HubSpot for sponsoring this video

but more on that

later as fancy and complicated as the

Instagram algorithm might sound

sometimes it's actually pretty

straightforward so if your account isn't

growing as fast as you were hoping or

your content isn't getting the reach

that you expected it's usually just

because the algorithm is having a hard

time doing its job but don't worry

because once you know what the algorithm

is looking for you can simply follow the

rest of the tips that I'm going to be

giving you throughout this video in

order to make the algorithm work to your

advantage you see the algorithm only has

two jobs number one to find content for

people that they might enjoy and number

two to show them as much of this

enjoyable content as possible so they

stay on the platform forever and ever

and

ever so the secret then is to help the

algorithm by being clear about who your

account is for and then optimizing your

content for your fans followers and

audience because if they like it then so

will the algorithm and one of the best

first steps that you can take to do do

this is to optimize your

bio if you want to grow your Instagram

account then you need to give people a

reason to follow you and your bio is the

perfect place to make that happen first

make sure your name is clear but you

also might want to include a relevant

title or keyword or some kind of a

statement to help people instantly

understand what you do then use the

first line to describe what you do think

of this as a good opportunity to

showcase your USP or unique selling

proposition use the second line to

describe why you're worth following if

you have any social proof you can put it

here otherwise you can give someone

another reason like daily tips on XYZ or

content designed to help you ABC all

these letters for the third line out of

CTA or call to action that tells people

what to do next and then use the link in

your bio to send people to the next step

in your marketing funnel or customer

Journey whatever you want them to do

next another easy win in the bio

department is to use story

Highlights Highlights are an easy place

to condent some of your best and most

important work as well as Drive traffic

to your offers and to your business aim

for three to four story highlights and

see if you can create a highlight for

each one of the following categories

first a highlight about who you are what

you do some kind of introduction or

indoctrination into your world next a

highlight reel of your best work these

could be a portfolio uh results case

studies testimonials anything that

actually shows that you know what you're

doing third showcasing some of your best

pieces of content is a pretty good idea

here as it'll further establish you as

an expert or authority on the subject

and then finally consider adding a story

highlight that offers a lead Magnet or

something that you can use to get them

onto an email newsletter okay next I'm

going to share with you what kind of

content is working best on the platform

right now and after that I've got some

really important info to share around

what is the best time to post in order

to make sure that your content gets seen

by as many people as possible but first

I've got something to share with you

that I think you're really going to find

helpful you see HubSpot recently came

out with their value packed and

completely free social media trends

report to help you create a winning

social media strategy by giving you an

exclusive look into how people engage

across social both personally and

professionally for example if you're

curious about how AI is disrupting

marketing then you'll be interested to

hear that 71% of social media marketers

are now using AI tools and that 87%

marketers believe that using AI tools is

crucial to a successful social media

strategy this year another popular topic

and Trend taking over right now is

community building and 86% of social

media marketers say building an active

online community is crucial to a

successful social media strategy now

that customers are expecting more

engagement and support on social than

ever before there's also insights on the

increased use of social for research the

impact of social media shopping and an

expert panel with insights from other

social media thought leaders and the

best part is it's completely free so

make sure to click the link down in the

descriptions below this video to

download your free copy of HubSpot

social media trends report today now

let's talk about what kind of content to

post and the best time to post it

[Music]

when it comes to what kind of content to

post or what format to use I've got some

good news for you especially if you're

scared to post videos or have heard that

reals are the only way to grow because

while it's no secret that reals have

indeed been getting a lot of attention

over these past few years they're not

the only way to grow and to get

attention the real secret to consistent

and predictable growth is to find a

style and content format that works for

you so here's how I think of it and

break it down for people text and

graphic based posts work just fine

single are good but if you can create

Carousel style posts you're likely to

see an uptick in engagement and growth

for most of your content you want to

stay focused around a single area or

Niche but stories are a really good

opportunity to go off topic and talk

about things and themes that are outside

of your Niche or primary area of focus

the part about staying focused is really

important so I'm going to show you how

to train the algorithm to attract more

of your ideal followers in just a minute

if you can do video though then do video

reals stories lives if you're up for it

video just gives you a ton of

flexibility and you also have the power

to repurpose your content on other

platforms like Facebook and Tik Tok and

YouTube even Twitter Pinterest and

Linkedin as for how much and how often

you should be posting the fact is more

really is better but consistency is the

most important thing of all is you don't

want to make a bunch of posts burn

yourself out and then disappear for 6

months a solid schedule to stick to

that's going to deliver some serious

growth and engagement is posting a feed

post at least once a day making it a

carousel if you really want to up your

game creating short quick easy and

unfiltered stories two to three times a

day going live once or twice a week can

provide an additional boost and then

creating anywhere from 3 to seven reels

a week is a really healthy

number all right brace yourself for this

one because it's going to sound pretty

silly at first but I promise I'm going

to give you some more context and show

you how this all works in just a second

the best time to post on Instagram is

the time that most of your followers are

online I know that was deep and the way

to see that is by going to your profile

clicking insights then followers and

scrolling down to the bottom to find

most active times but if you're just

getting started you don't have that many

followers yet or you just can't find

that section in your account then there

are some really helpful guidelines that

you can follow for most people most of

the time you really can't go wrong by

posting around 8: or 9:00 a.m. if you're

going to post two or three times a day

then post your second one at 11:00 a.m.

and the third one at 3:00 p.m. Mondays

to Fridays are usually best and Sunday

is typically the worst performer the

times suggested are meant to be in your

local time zone or if you're attracting

an international audience then use the

local time zone where most of your

followers are you can also look at other

industry leaders and big accounts in

your Niche to see what days and times

they're posting their content actually

while we're on the topic of looking at

your competitors and colleagues in the

space we might as well talk about the

next Point as well which is how to train

the Instagram algorithm to work for

you if you remember back at the

beginning when I said the algorithm only

has two jobs number one to content for

people that they might enjoy well this

is where you can help the algorithm

connect people with your content by

training it warming it up a little bit

essentially showing the algorithm what

your account is all about now you

already did some of this by optimizing

your bio but you can take this a step

further by going out there and following

liking and commenting on other relevant

and related accounts in your space for

example if you're in the fitness

industry well you should be following

other Fitness accounts engaging with

their content commenting on their posts

see saving some maybe even sharing some

to your stories not only does this help

train the algorithm but it also has the

added benefit of putting your account in

front of their followers which gives you

even more opportunities to attract your

ideal audience using a little something

I call fan fishing it's not as weird as

it

sounds fan fishing takes advantage of

the fact that there are larger Instagram

accounts out there who have already

spent time and money and energy building

up an audience of your ideal followers

and 10 minutes a day engaging with and

commenting on other relevant accounts in

your Niche is all it takes for a solid

fan fishing strategy to pay off the key

here though is to provide real and

genuine comments engage in actual

conversations and show yourself off as

the amazing value providing person I

know you are following everyone in the

space and then simply copying and

pasting comments like I agree this is

great is only going to get you so far

and people can see through that kind of

nonsense from a mile away so this is one

of those things that you either want to

do it right or don't bother doing it at

all and if you don't want to do it at

all well that's cool with me because

there are still many more things that

you can do to boost your growth

including one of the most important but

least talked about things of all

captions captions also known as the

little word things that appear beside

below or over your posts are one of the

most underrated tools available to you

as someone who is trying to grow your

brand and business first because of

keywords and the fact that you can

include relevant and important keywords

throughout your captions and content

which further helps to Signal the

algorithm as well as your ideal audience

about what your content is about

keywords also help keep you on track as

you know what you should and need to be

talking about rather than spiraling off

in a million different directions next

story your captions are a great place to

provide added context to your post and

often the captions aren't just a nice to

have thing but are completely necessary

to help make whatever you just posted

make sense H look at that cat third a

CTA also known as a call to action

something that provides your viewer with

the next step to take or next move to

make next action that they should be

doing for example follow for more or

send me a DM as for ctas the only thing

to avoid is probably the most common one

of all which is linkoln bio you are so

much better off asking people to leave a

comment or DM you for more info than the

generic Lincoln bio CTA fourth polls in

captions a relatively new feature that

allows you to put a poll right there in

the captions it's powerful stuff and an

incredibly important market research and

engagement boosting tool fifth has TS a

topic we should probably break out into

its own section now is there's still so

much confusion and misinformation around

this

topic so the big question about hashtags

is do they still work and the big answer

to that big question is yes kind of I

mean not like a ton some people don't

even really use them at all they're

doing fine but they're still good sort

of anyway the truth is this one's kind

of messy but it's also one of the best

opportunities to talk about a marketing

strategy I call do as I did not as do

what this means is that often people

will look at big accounts in their space

notice they're not using any hashtags at

all they're not even writing captions

certainly not good ones and they're not

following any other proven piece of

advice and yet their accounts are huge

well my friend that's usually because

what they're doing now is dramatically

different from what they did to get

where they are the fact is there are

different strategies for every stage of

the game and while the debate is still

out on just how useful hashtags actually

are there does seem to be some agreement

that at the very least they're a good

insurance policy as in they might help

but they definitely don't hurt so here's

how to use them first find anywhere from

5 to 15 different hashtags that are

relevant to your account then try to

make sure you've got at least a few from

each category of big hashtags medium and

small a big hashtag would be something

like business which is going to appeal

to Millions medium one might be digital

marketing tips which is going to appeal

to a much smaller segment and then a

small one would be something like

Instagram marketing tactics more

directly related to your specific Niche

brand business or offer next and this

Point's important make sure to put these

hashtags in the actual captions part of

the post and not as a comment below it

or it's not going to have any positive

impact at all all that said the real

secret to accelerating your growth not

just on Instagram but for your entire

business and brand is to make sure that

you're using proven and profitable

marketing strategies and principles

things that are actually going to work

to get you more customers and make you

more sales so to help you with that

linked up a video right here that you're

going to be able to tap or click or

whatever you got to do to get in there

I'll see you in there in just a second