Instagram Explore Page in 5 Steps
It’s no question that Instagram has become a very common tool in the marketer’s toolbox. You can thank the introduction of hashtags, the easy share-ability, the far-reaching opportunities, and the adage that a picture is worth a thousand words for its rise in popularity. However, figuring out why Instagram has become so popular is a lot easier than figuring out the algorithm and how to use it to land a spot on the explore page.
That’s where we come in!
The it Crowd Marketing will gladly help guide you through the world of social media, but for today, let’s start with 5 tips that you can accomplish today on your own:
Use Hashtags and Location Tags
One of the simplest ways to land your post on Instagram’s explore tab is by using relevant hashtags and location tags in your posts. Although Instagram allows up to 30 hashtags per post, too many can cause your content to come across as spammy. The optimum number of hashtags per post is between 9 and 11. When it comes to tagging a location, think big! Tag a nearby big city or event in the area. You can add tags by entering a location and by adding tag stickers to the image itself.
2. Know Your Audience
This piece of advice is key to every aspect of marketing, advertising, and sales. You have to know who you’re communicating with to be effective. Instagram sorts posts by relevancy to the user. Instagram wants to show users content that it believes that users want to see/interact with. You can complete social listening by studying what content appears on your company’s explore page and try to mirror some of the content styles.
3. Schedule Posts for Optimal Times
If you have an Instagram Business Account, then you can look at your account’s analytics to see what times and dates your posts are receiving the most engagements. If there isn’t much data to go by, you can also look up other studies on the best posting times. Make sure to pay close attention to the results surrounding your ‘optimal times’ as they may change. Regularly play around with your posting schedules to know what is and isn’t working for you.
4. Get Brands/Influencers to Interact with Posts
Business tip 101: make friends with people who have influence. Not sure how to spark those friendships? Start by following them without the expectation of them following you back. Interact with their posts, increasing the chance of your name standing out in the sea of their followers. Then you can send them a direct message introducing yourself. In the message (or in a separate DM or email), mention that you would like them to check out your product/service/company or whatever it might be. Make sure that you provide a reason or two on why it would be relevant to them and/or worth their time.
5. Turn Post Notifications On
One aspect of Instagram’s algorithm that many don’t know is that Instagram is measuring how quickly posts accumulate likes and comments. That being said, the quicker you can run up your engagement numbers, the more likely you are to end up on the explore page. The most effective way of achieving fast engagements is to encourage followers to turn on post notifications by using ‘stay in-the-know’ phrasing. You may be surprised by what a clear call to action can accomplish.
By: Miranda Hardesty Hoffpauir
