With Instagram, more and more people now have a platform to share their travel experiences and inspire the world. There are many nomadic influencers on Instagram who partner with numerous brands to create gorgeous travel content in exchange for free gear and trips.
If you want to bypass the competition and over-saturation of travel Instagram accounts, you got to differentiate yourself from the crowd. With 200 million active users, you still have the chance to make it big on Instagram.
Many Instagrammers in their quest to grow their followers tend to focus solely on the algorithm side of things instead of trying to actually connect with people. Beating the algorithm can only take you so far. For a bigger and sustainable growth, you need to provide your followers with content they are valuable to them.
Here are some tips on how to connect with your followers while also keeping the algorithm in mind.
Content is The King
Since Instagram is a visual platform, you need to wow everyone with your imagery or video clips. Focusing on content may be less important for people who are already popular outside Instagram. But if you’re just starting out, creating beautiful photos is paramount to get more Instagram followers.
Make use of the Instagram video editor to optimize your photos and videos. You can also hire a photographer to take a few professional photos, which you can use as promotional imagery for your travel account. Do not forget to geotag the location on your content as this is a searchable feature similar to a hashtag.
However, it’s important to realize that your photos won’t be perfect from the start. There will always be a learning curve attached to any new venture. Keeping practicing and posting consistently, and you will soon get the hang of it.
If you want to keep your audience hooked to your content till the last second and lead them to your desired CTA, end your videos with an outro. VideoCreek’s outro maker allows you to create professionally designed outro online for free!
Post Consistently
Instagram’s algorithm likes people who post often, so posting every day will definitely help you grow. But if that’s too much a burden, try posting at least 5 to 6 times a week. You can make do with stories on days that you don’t post.
One great way to keep your profile relevant is scheduling posts in advance. This makes your account more likely to appear in searches and lets followers know that you have a lot to offer them. Try devising a daily, weekly, and monthly content plan and schedule it into your calendar for posting.
Just like other brands, travel bloggers can also use hashtags to reach new users and get more Instagram followers. Hashtags make it easier for users to search and explore, so using the relevant keywords is extremely crucial.
Websites like IconoSquare make it easier to find hashtags that will help get your profile noticed in search results. You can check the relevance and popularity of the hashtags you want to use before posting.
Travel brands can begin by making enticing hashtags for their business and include them in their every post. Another way of getting your brand’s hashtag noticed is by promoting a special offer and inviting followers to use your hashtags in relevant photos and videos.
Post At The Right Time
Considering the fact that Instagram post gets about 20-30% of its total engagement in the first 2 hours, its pertinent to post at the right time.
If you have a business or creative account, Instagram provides you an insight into when your followers are most active on the site. Make sure to post around the same time so you can maximize the engagement in your post in the first 2 hours.
Engage With Your Followers
Everyone likes a little attention, so win your followers over by commenting on their posts. Even when you’re showered with tons of questions regarding your offerings, try to be as responsive as possible and answer their queries.
People like to know that there is a real person behind the social account. Hence, the more personable and relatable you are towards your audience, the higher is their chance of following you. So be proactive in your responses and leverage the extensive reach of the platform.
Be careful not to limit yourself to responding only to positive commentary. It is also important to address the negative comments that you receive in an honest and empathetic manner.
Organize Contests and Giveaways
Organizing contests or giveaways is an exciting way to reach out to more people who don’t follow you. You can keep the entry requirement as simple as tagging someone in the comments or sharing your posts and stories in their own accounts.
However, if not properly organized, these contests can look very spammy and disingenuous. You may disappoint your followers if your prize does not commensurate with the hype you’ve created. Similarly, too many entries or sharing requirements can also annoy them.
Keep in mind not to ask too much from your followers as it will only turn them off. Although you have your own goals for the giveaway, you should also make sure to provide value to the people who enter instead of just spamming.
Follow Other Brands
Following other travel brands, as well as popular influencers, will help you stay updated with the latest trend. However, instead of passively following other travelers, use it to your advantage by observing how other travel brands interact with their followers, what video editing software they use, and what posts create the most buzz.
Don’t hesitate to follow smaller accounts. They are more likely to check their notifications and follow you back. Commenting and connecting with their posts will boost your own visibility.
As you gain a fair number of followers, it will add to your company’s credibility and encourage others to follow you as well.
Measure the effectiveness of Your Campaign
Instagram offers an Ads Manager tool that lets you track the performance of your ad campaigns, both from your desktop and mobile device. The insights gained will help you realize what’s working for you and what’s not. You can then adjust and improve your future campaigns accordingly.
Some of the above strategies might seem overwhelming at first, but they’re very effective in growing your Instagram followers organically. With consistent planning and effort, you’ll reach your goal in no time!
Satyakam Pradhan is an Independent Computer Networking Professional from Cuttack, Odisha, India. Satyakam completed his graduation from Bhubanananda Orissa School Of Engineering. He regularly writes topics about technology, gadgets and computer for IndiasStuffs.com
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