How Can You Start Networking On Instagram?
“Instagram has around 815 million users across the world.”
“Around 59% of the adults in the United States use Instagram daily.”
With these statistics, it's clear that - if your business isn't on Instagram, you are missing out on a large number of potential customers. So the first thing you should do is create your business account on Instagram.
This reminds us of a common misconception- "having an Instagram account is enough to grow your business online". To be honest, that's not enough. It takes lots of effort to make your Instagram account customer-converting. Keeping everything else aside, you should first focus on Instagram networking.
Networking is one of the most underrated yet effective methods to grow on Instagram. But what does the term “networking” actually mean? That’s what we are going to understand today. Here in this blog, we'll learn basic to advanced level details about networking on Instagram.
In addition, we'll also share the top nine tactics to kickstart your Instagram networking journey. So without making you wait any longer, let's get straight to our first topic. Here we go!
What Does Networking Mean?
Networking is the establishment and maintenance of contacts. It’s one of the best Instagram growth hacks, you’ll find on the internet. Networking can be done both online and offline. In our case, it’s obviously online because we are talking about Instagram, which works online. When it comes to networking, it can help you boost your business growth.
Networking is giving and take. Not only do you have to benefit from it, but so does your network. By "network", we mean your potential customers, existing followers, and other target users. Let’s understand this give-and-take theory of networking with an example.
Suppose, you're looking to increase your customer base. With your Instagram social networking, you can target more potential customers and convert them into paying clients. That’s the care of “take”. In the case of “give” - if someone in your network is looking for quality service (similar to those you offer), the intention is to provide them with it. The purpose of networking is very simple: “share and grow.”
Why Network on Instagram?
You often hear that a good Instagram network is indispensable for Instagram growth. However, maintaining and expanding it plays an equally important role in a business strategy. But why should you network on Instagram? Well, there are various reasons for that. Let’s have a look at some of the primary ones:
Opportunity to Improve
A big advantage of Instagram social networking is the possibility to get free advice. Think, for example, of an artist or writer in your network who can give you good advice. When you have a good network of industry people, you can improve your skills while gaining more exposure.
Opportunities
Since Instagram has around 1.386 billion users, networking on it becomes more important to do business. A good network offers opportunities for getting new customers. This means the larger the network, the more potential customers you can target and convert!
Moreover, you’ll also get the opportunity to learn Instagram growth hacks from your fellow industry mates. Therefore, if you haven’t started networking yet, this blog is your sign to begin.
New Insights
Having a large and broad network ensures that you develop a broader view of your business and life. This also applies to connections with people from other countries. You experience different cultures and mindsets of different people, on Instagram. This will allow you to gain new insights on both a business and personal level.
So these were some of the reasons why it’s important for an Instagram user to network. If you have just started your journey on Instagram or want to improve your Instagram growth - there’s a chance that networking might appear a hassle to you. We are here to make it easier for you. Keep reading to learn how to network on Instagram like a pro.
How do You Network on Instagram - 9 Remarkable Tactics That Always Works
Do you want to get started with Networking Instagram but have no idea where to begin? Don’t worry, we have got your back. Below we have shared the top nine expert tactics to grow your business and network on Instagram. Go have a look:
#1 Post Stories More Frequently
Stories' is an excellent addition to the list of several other features of Instagram and it stays for 24 hours. But it still remains a great way to show your brand to your target audience.
Approximately, 58% of Instagram users say - “they became more interested in a product or brand after seeing one or more Stories”.
In your story you can post product pictures, videos, and add captions and music to create a perfect presentation of your business. Make sure your stories are fascinating to hold the viewer. Because it just takes a short finger movement and the visitor is already gone. A successful story will help your business grow by allowing potential customers to see everything from brand values to products and services. This increases your chance of networking on Instagram more conveniently.
To really get the most out of your Instagram stories, use the handy insights tab. By clicking on the viewer’s tab on your story, you can see how many clicks, profile visits, impressions, and followers you've gotten after your story is published.
#2 Publish at The Right Time
Every company has a different audience. Your followers’ activity on Instagram can be totally different from others. So it’s important to understand the Instagram usage of your followers. For that, look at your insights section. There you will find some informative details about your followers and the time when they are most active. You can get a larger number of followers from Instagram SMM Panel.
The insights you’ll get will help you perform network marketing on Instagram more efficiently. To increase your account engagement, it’s best to post when your followers are most active. You can post at different times of the day, to know the time frame when your audience is most active.
#3 Make Efficient Use of Your Bio
Your bio is often the first thing people see when they visit your Instagram profile. So you have to use it well. Hashtags related to your business will help attract relevant people to your page. You should also have a brief description of who you are and what you do.
However, what many companies forget or don't realize is that - “Instagram bio also offers enough space for details like promotions and CTAs. For example, you can write about free shipping or a 50% discount on a second purchase.
In addition, make sure your bio has a clear CTA button (Call-to-action button). A call to action button encourages your visitors to communicate directly with your business. Just like call-to-action is important in a blog, it’s important in your Instagram bio too.
#4 Make Proper Use of Hashtags
Whether it's a business owner or a regular Instagram user, every Instagram user knows what hashtags are. Even if they don’t know the details, we all know they are great for engagement. These Instagram "keywords" can ensure that your post is shared with the right customers.
Hashtags are a great way to make your brand attractive while improving visibility on the "explore" page. When it comes to hashtags, there’s a high chance that you might use the wrong ones. Therefore, try researching the relevant hashtags and collect them aside. This way everyone who’s working on your profile will know which hashtags to use.
#5 Share Customer Testimonials
It's one thing when you praise your products or services. But it's another when your customers praise and recommend them to others. Customer testimonials show how your customers have benefited from your products and services. Therefore, collect as many customer testimonials and reviews about your products as you can. After that, share them as posts or stories every now and then.
#6 Consider Instagram SEO
You should know that SEO in search engines is linked to Instagram. Just like on Twitter or Facebook, you can access your Instagram posts too from the search results. You can use keywords, hashtags, and ALT texts, to rank your posts in search engines.
Instagram allows users to add ALT text or an alternative description to the posts. This way people with visibility problems can also understand what the post is about. The Instagram algorithm also has an image recognition factor. Therefore using ALT text can help you index your profile quickly and easily (which also means a good ranking on the explore page).
#7 Create a Publishing Calendar
Many people think that - “the more they post, the more visible their profile will be”. But this assumption is far away from reality. Posting is linked to engagement and visibility, but posting too much isn’t going to benefit you in any way. This is the reason why it’s important to create a publishing calendar.
On average, the best times to post are at noon or at night. It's because, at that time, your audience is more likely to use Instagram. Therefore when you post at that time, most of your followers will interact with it, increasing your chances to perform network marketing on Instagram. Here are some tips to follow when creating your calendar.
- Check your insight section, the time in which your followers react the most.
- Do not publish several posts at the same time
- Make at least five posts per day, and plan them accordingly for upcoming days
- Never recycle posts from other social networks, especially Facebook
- Do not publish for the sake of publishing. Post content with a publishing strategy.
#8 While DMing Use 'Clickbait'
The average person sees more than 3,000 media messages per day. If you want people to read your message, distinguish your message from the rest. You can do this, for example, by adding a title or click bait to your messages. Clickbait encourages users to click on your chat box and read your message.
However, make sure you don't overuse the Clickbait technique. It's about making the reader curious. And the title must be aligned with the message. Your message also has to live up to the promise from the title.
#9 Focus on Making Your Post Informative
Your information and messages on social media can be looked back on for years. Think about what you share, before posting! Don't post if you're angry, indignant, sad, or overjoyed. Delete messages that, in hindsight, should not have been posted or have a negative effect on your reputation.
Don't post anything about politics, religion, gender, race, or other sensitive topics. The chance that you will repel a potential customer or entire population group, is always present.
So these were the top nine Instagram networking and growth tactics. Make sure you try them out and share your experience with us in the comment section.
Wrapping up
To wrap up this blog, here’s everything we have learned so far: what is networking on Instagram, why networking is important and the top nine expert tactics to grow your network and business on Instagram.
If you stay consistent with the strategies we have shared, you’ll definitely receive great results. However, these tactics are organic and therefore they will take time to work. So you have to stay patient with the results.