Instagram Organic Marketing Guide 2022: Three Steps to Success
Instagram is evolving quicker than ever. Don’t get left behind this year.
Ready to make 2022 the year of better content for you or your brand? We’ve got you covered! Being a marketer nowadays is filled with its fair share of constraints. Between the growing pressure to increase budgets and the limited targeting options, the days of trouble-free marketing are far behind us. Admittedly, it’s probably for the better. But despite these challenges, there is still plenty to look forward to, particularly with Instagram’s latest updates.
Over the last 12 months, Insta has unveiled new and buzz-worthy features that have elevated the social platform from a photo-sharing app to a versatile online space. While you might have brushed off these tools in the past for marketing purposes, now is certainly the time to get on board. With competition greater than ever before, it’s essential to use every feature to your advantage.
As the 4th most-used social platform, it’s also crucial that businesses take into account the evolving changes to Instagram and consumer preferences. Reels, Instagram Collabs, Playback and Guides have all made their way onto the Instagram platform recently and can easily be used to build your brand’s awareness. It is our hope that every marketer will learn a bit more about these new tools and make better use of them for your 2022 marketing strategy. So, let’s get started!
Here are the top three steps to a successful Instagram marketing strategy…
Step 1: Focus on new audiences
The trick to getting new audiences begins and ends at your level of visibility. Your Instagram account must stay active and present at all times to remain relevant in 2022. This involves cultivating an engaging content calendar, scheduling posts in advance, and shying away from fake Instagram followers. In essence, you want to create an authentic online community that is both aesthetically pleasing and genuine in every aspect. Let’s face it — followers don’t like to be deceived.
Luckily, there are a number of techniques that can boost your brand’s visibility. Quality videos or enticing contest giveaways always attract a visual following. However, the best way to expand your audience in 2022 is through micro-influencers. Depending on your budget, we recommend hiring a few niche influencers that will showcase your products or services to target audiences each month. Thanks to their vast level of reach, influencers make it easier to grab the interest of new followers more than organic searches.
Keep in mind, you want influencers to emulate your brand. You’ll quickly see that not every type of influencer will be a perfect match. Even if they have 100K followers, it doesn’t mean they’ll attract the target audience you’re looking for. That is why it’s always important to find influencers that are relatable as well as post content that resonates with your intended audience.
What should I post on Instagram 2022?
Now that Instagram is no longer just a “square photo-sharing app,” marketers have come to appreciate its multifaceted capabilities. While viewers soak up the content, marketers work behind the scenes to develop Insta campaigns and creative posts that drive consumer engagement. From carousel images to videos, Instagram remains one of the top sources for establishing your brand. In fact, 9 out of 10 users watch instagram videos weekly. Having this knowledge along with the right marketing strategy, businesses can quickly increase sales through this platform.
How do you pull this off effectively? By displaying the types of content that consumers enjoy. According to Sprout Social Index, Images and Videos still dominate the category of consumer engagement, with Text-based posts and Stories following shortly behind. These statistics highlight exactly what you should be posting on Instagram in 2022 to leverage your brand amongst competitors.
Image source: Sprout Social
If you want people to see your content and increase engagement as a whole, these are the other tactics you need to consider in 2022:
- Instagram Reels
- Instagram Collabs
- Step-by-step guides
- Giveaways
Top recommendation for 2022
Now that the Explore Page has become a go-to destination for content discovery, it’s important for brand’s to increase their chances of landing there. Although Insta’s algorithm decides which content gets seen, you can increase your odds in 2022 by adding a keyword to your Instagram Name Field. Not only will this heighten your like-ability of being on a potential followers’ Explore Page, it will also help you to optimize as a brand.
Step 2: Turn viewers into followers
Attracting an audience is actually the easy part. The next step involves converting viewers into followers, which requires a little more finesse. In all reality, every brand, whether large or small, should make it a priority in 2022 to convert engaged eyes into loyal followers. However, this can only be achieved if your brand value aligns with that of viewers. Since 1 in 2 people use Instagram to discover new brands, it’s vital to get your business in front of the right eyes. Maintaining a strong social presence will increase your ability to turn first-time customers into repeat customers.
Here are some of our favorite tactics for getting viewers to hang around:
- Feed aesthetic: As cliche as it sounds, a good first impression can work wonders. Develop a grid space that highlights your content and develops a cohesive theme.
- Niche content: When viewers lay eyes on an Insta account, it can often be love at first sight. If your content is clear and consistent with your brand’s values, the more people will follow your account.
- Stories Highlights: This Insta feature is actually a great way for potential followers to get a feel for what you’ll be posting, both now and in the future. On top of that, statistics show that 58% of users say they are more interested in a brand after seeing a Story.
Bottom line: don’t underestimate the value of Stories in 2022. This Instagram tool is proven to turn viewers into followers as well as increase ad revenues!
Image source: Hootsuite
Step 3: Practice better engagement
In 2022, it’s all about creating happy followers. Once you’ve secured a wider audience, you’ll want to keep them around. How do you make this happen? Simple — develop an engaging community space. In years past, this consisted of responding to comments or including call-to-action content on your captions. While we admit these strategies work great, don’t be hesitant to get more personal in 2022.
What’s more, you can increase your brands’ relatability with behind-the-scenes content. Hop on Instagram Live from time to time to give followers a direct, unfiltered look at your business. You can now schedule Instagram Lives to hype up a product reveal or have a sit down interview with a CEO. We’ve even seen Guides, in particular, have major success this year by providing vital health information and invaluable resources for community members.
All in all, the more you engage, the more your followers will feel at home and want to stay.
Don’t know where to start? Spruce up your feed
Instagram recently shared its tips for creating content that shines, and one of our favorite points mentioned was consistency. Since Insta is a very aesthetically-driven platform, it’s important for every business to develop a congruous feed. Take a moment to look at your existing grid. Does it need a little TLC? Spend some time in the first quarter to give your content better creative direction and style in 2022. While you’re at it, consider experimenting with a few of the new features mentioned above!
We hope this guide was helpful and informative!
Thanks for reading our updated Instagram Guide for 2022. Be sure to clap or comment if this information was helpful in improving your marketing strategy this year. Now that you’ve mastered the art of Instagram, take a look at our blog post on the Best Practices for Running Facebook Ads in 2022. We offer great insights on Facebook’s latest transformation to the metaverse and what that means for advertising in the future.
