Creating a strategy that generates engagement on Instagram.

When it comes to being successful on Instagram, engagement is king. Whether it’s a comment, a repost or a share, getting your audience to engage with your content is the biggest indicator to Instagram that you are posting content that people want to see. 

If you aren’t achieving the engagement you need for your account to grow, then now is a good time to review your content and find a new strategy that will help you generate engagement and increase your following.

Reviewing your content 

The first step to finding out why you aren’t getting engagement on your Instagram account is reviewing your content. 

Whether you’re using the in-app analytics or an external tool like Sprout Social, checking how your posts are performing is key to finding out what already works for your brand. Key metrics that you should be checking for your account are the monthly engagements, engagement rate, and best-performing posts from the last month.  

Once you’ve collected this data, you can start to build a strategy that incorporates more of the content that you already know works for your business and the niche you operate in. 

Engaging ideas 

Although there is a range of content that can generate engagement for every area of business, over the years, I’ve found that certain types of posts are better at creating engagement than others.

Here’s a quick overview of what is working well at the moment: 

• Educational carousels including infographics, quick tips and tutorials

• Behind-the-scenes reels and relatable content 

• Shareable reels and carousels with trending music 

• Interactive stories 

• Comparison carousels for tools 

• Serialised reel content 

• Niche-specific memes 

• UGC from customers. Think unboxings and products in the real world 

• Monthly templates that will have a high save rate. 

Content creation and planning  

Consistency is very important when it comes to creating content for Instagram, and that not only includes the look and feel of your posts, but also the volume of posts that go out every week. 

Posting regularly indicates to Instagram that you are an active account and that they should be pushing your content into your followers’ feeds. Ideally, you should be posting two to three times a week at a minimum across static content and reels, as well as regular stories throughout the week. Stories are often overlooked in content planning, but if you use them right, they can add another level of engagement to your account. 

To make sure that you are posting regularly, I’d recommend setting up a content calendar. Easy ways to do this are either directly in your usual diary by adding items for the social media posts you want to go out, or creating a Google Sheet where you can plan out content week by week and draft your captions before you go to post.  

If you don’t have access to professional design tools like InDesign, Canva will also be your best friend for creating consistent content, and you can get started with either the app or the web version for free. 

Building your community 

Posting and ghosting (a.k.a posting your content and exiting the app) could be quietly damaging your account. If you only post on Instagram and don’t interact with other accounts by liking posts, reposting, sharing, or leaving meaningful comments, then you could be hurting your own engagement. Spending time looking at content that other creators in your space, including your competitors, are posting can also be key for finding new trends and types of content that are working in your industry.  

Building community means having an engaged group of people that keep coming back to your content again and again, whether they’re looking for entertainment, educational posts or something else. Your community is really key to raising your profile on Instagram. 

Too busy running your business to spend time working on your Instagram profile? This is where the Chapter II team comes in! We can support you with your Instagram engagement as well as your wider social media strategy, to give you peace of mind that your brand is being taken care of online. Get in touch with us today to book a chat with the team.