Someone once said, “A watched pot never boils”—meaning, stop looking at the progress—it’ll happen without your peeking. Obviously, they have not been in the kitchen with social media for long. For best results you can’t set it and forget it. It’s best to have thoughtful preparation (and frequent peeks), to make sure you’re hitting the right notes with your audience.
So we recommend serving-up something they can’t get enough of: engaging Instagram posts and video content. While each industry has nuances, and there are frequent changes to algorithms and other tactics social media platforms use to share content, significant organic growth can happen.
Organically, it takes a few key ingredients and a little time to get traction with your key clients. However, we’ve found that combining engaging, consistent (and frequent) content such as Reels, engaging with potential partners, and monitoring and responding to followers can be the magic sauce for raising your Instagram numbers.
Ingredients for Instagram Success:
Post 1 x a Day on Each of Your Social Channels
It’s important to keep up a steady and consistent presence on your Instagram account. In the same vein, the posts should be varied across the social channels—so a user sees something new when they visit each of your organization’s social accounts. Otherwise, they are seeing the same exact content everywhere they go—which can discourage followers from wanting to view more content, and may even unfollow you.
Follow Like-Minded Partners/Influencers
Instagram will often give you suggestions on who to follow from your organization’s page. Aim to accept at least 5–10 of those suggestions a day if appropriate. The logic behind this is that the followers of those accounts are more likely to convert on your page. Customize the posts to reflect different subsets of potential clientele to optimize. Tag profiles of partners who can be a complement to your organization and its offerings. Also follow those who have an even-parallel with your organization’s core values. The partner is more likely to do the same when their time comes to make and share content (yours or theirs).
Video Reely Works: Engage on Reels/Stories
Video drives engagement. In fact, short videos of less than 20 seconds get the most, based on studies. To engage further and grow your audience with video, you can also go live with other like-minded organizations, which is mutually beneficial from the engagement coming in from both audience segments. The urgency and fun of a live stream during peak hours for your industry/audience can do wonders for your numbers.
Create Carousels of Content 1 x Week
Carousel posts drive amazing engagement! (People like swiping through, to see if there is something that hits them, and what’s behind the next swipe! Users love to see different options—allowing them interaction investment time, as they peruse the 5-slide catalog. It also starts to draw you a picture of how they feel about your product lines, new styles or colors, sales promotions, and more. Because we see them sliding the carousel, it already means they’re interested, on some level, in your message. Having options, such as reading a different client success story, learning about multiple types of giving programs, or seeing images about an entirely new line of products they’d like to try) takes an investment of their time. Their selections and actions on the given call-to-action or images can help you guide your audience through a customized funnel that makes sense to them personally, based on their choices. From there, each step of their journey gives us even more insight to the specific drivers that piqued (and held) that initial interest in your organization.
DM and Respond to All Comments and Messages
One missed message, concern, or unanswered comment could mean lost funding opportunities—big and small. It’s important to check on your account, see how your users are sharing their thoughts, and to take the time to interact on behalf of your organization. To go one further, make a habit of engaging on the organizational Instagram pages that your entity follows.You are being proactive—and your followers, donors, and clients can feel and appreciate that. When content resonates and followers feel they are heard, they are more inclined to share and recommend your content down the line.
Cook-time For Best Results
Adding in some elbow grease is all part of how this delicious recipe is made, so here is an estimate of the time it takes to serve up hundreds, or even thousands, of new organic followers.
6 hours a week is needed for this recipe to work:
- 3 on content creation
- 1 on scheduling posts and set-up
- 2 on engaging and responding to those who engage in messenger or influencer/partners outreach
Deliver Sustainable Content Your Followers Crave
Like your grandma’s best dishes, anything worth cooking up takes time, a little love, and lots of attention. But, that’s also why everyone asks for seconds—and thirds. Showing your audience that you appreciate their time investment by enticing their senses with creative content on a regular basis is a tried and true recipe for creating a sustainable, growing follower base. Bon appetit!
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We know social media management and monitoring can take up a lot of your valuable time. If you’d like Trillion to help you reach your social media goals, contact us now or call 908.219.4703.
