Every social network and marketing channel needs to be reviewed from time to time. It’s easy to get lost in the whirlwind of content creation and lose perspective on your own account. It’s good to pause occasionally, look back at your content and results, and give it all a little refresh.
Outdated Tactics to Avoid
If you haven’t changed your Instagram strategy in a year, it’s probably outdated. First, it’s important to mention some practices that are no longer effective and may even damage your reputation:
- Follow/Unfollow Method: Following many accounts, hoping they’ll follow you back, and then unfollowing them later. This strategy is considered spammy and disrespectful to other creators.
- Engagement Groups: These groups of people agree to engage with each other’s posts to increase engagement rates. However, Instagram can track this behavior and penalize your account.
- Untargeted Giveaways: Giveaways that require people to follow many accounts to participate are essentially the same as buying followers. These followers are often only interested in winning and won’t engage with your content in the long term.
- Random Commenting: Commenting on random accounts’ posts to get them to follow you back is not an effective strategy. Instead, focus on genuine engagement with your target audience.
These tactics can be perceived as spammy and inauthentic, which can deter potential followers and customers.
Why is an Instagram Audit Important?
An audit will help you:
- Identify strengths and weaknesses of your account
- Understand what works and what doesn’t
- Discover new growth opportunities
- Optimize your strategy for better results
Instagram Audit
1. Profile Analysis
Start with a thorough review of your profile:
- Is your bio up-to-date and engaging?
- Is your profile picture set up correctly?
- Are you effectively using the link in your bio?
- Are your Highlights current and relevant?
2. Content Evaluation
Review your last 20-30 posts and focus on:
- Consistency of visual style
- Quality and relevance of content
- Ratio of different post types (photos, videos, Reels, carousels)
- Posting frequency
3. Performance Analysis
Use Instagram Insights to determine:
- Which posts have the highest engagement
- Best times for posting
- Demographic data of your audience
- Follower growth rate
4. Hashtag Strategy Review
Check:
- Relevance of used hashtags
- Performance of posts with different hashtags
- Whether you’re using a mix of popular and niche hashtags
5. Audience Interaction Assessment
Look at:
- How quickly and often you respond to comments
- Quality of your responses
- Level of engagement in conversations in your industry
How to Use Audit Results to Improve Your Strategy
Based on the audit findings, you can:
Optimize Your Profile
- Update your bio to better reflect your brand and offerings
- Create new, relevant Highlights
Improve Content Strategy
- Focus on content types with the highest engagement
- Experiment with new formats, especially Reels
- Adjust posting frequency based on analysis of best times
Refine Hashtag Strategy
- Create a list of effective hashtags for different types of posts
- Combine popular and niche hashtags for better reach
Enhance Audience Interaction
- Set up a system for quick and consistent responses to comments
- Actively engage in relevant conversations in your industry
Set Measurable Goals
- Establish specific KPIs for follower growth, engagement rate, and conversions
- Regularly monitor progress and adjust strategy as needed
3 Steps to Effectively Grow and Convert Your Instagram Audience
In today’s digital era, Instagram is not just a platform for sharing photos but a powerful tool for brand building and customer acquisition. The key to success is strategic use of all its features. Let’s look at three proven steps that will help you expand your reach, engage your audience, and convert viewers into loyal followers and potential clients.
1. Reach New Audiences with Reels
Reels are a great way to reach new Instagram users. When creating Reels, remember to:
- Create engaging and valuable content
- Always add a clear call to action (CTA)
- You can insert the CTA as text on the screen or speak it within the video
- CTA examples: “For more tips, follow me @yourbrand” or “Click the link in bio for a free e-book”
2. Build Relationships with Stories
Instagram Stories are an excellent tool for maintaining audience attention:
- Post Stories regularly for continuous presence
- Use the colored ring around your profile photo to attract new visitors
- Create engaging content that gives people a reason to follow you
3. Showcase Your Best Offers with Highlights
Highlights are a great way to show off the best of your profile:
- Create Highlights for favorite blog posts, products, or free offers
- Use consistent, branded cover images for a professional look
- Limit Highlight names to one word (e.g., “Freebies”, “Blog”, “Products”)
Regular Instagram audits are key to maintaining an effective marketing strategy. At Brunch, we believe that a data-driven approach combined with creativity is the path to success.
Need help conducting a comprehensive audit of your Instagram account or implementing a new strategy? We’re here for you. Contact us, and together we’ll take your Instagram presence to a new level.
