How to Increase your Instagram Engagement in 2022
Are you wondering how to increase your engagement on Instagram in 2022?
Well, I’ve got you covered.
If you're planning on becoming a content creator/influencer on Instagram, you know it takes more than just sharing a pretty picture nowadays.
Ready to discover what content gets the most engagement on Instagram in 2022? Here are 10 tried-and-tested ways to increase your Instagram engagement rate.
But first, what is a good engagement rate?
Your Instagram engagement rate is the number of likes and comments you receive per post, divided by the number of followers you have, multiplied by 100. A result of anywhere from one to three is pretty good, while anything above three is considered an above average engagement rate.
1. Gain clarity on what you offer
In order to share content your audience wants to engage with, you need to have complete clarity on your niche and personal branding.
I always ask myself before sharing anything to Instagram: what kind of value will my audience take away from this? Is it entertaining, educational or inspirational? If your audience isn’t going to take something away from it, then why are you sharing it?
For example, if a beauty influencer is sharing a photo from a family birthday, how will that benefit their audience? What will it teach them about beauty?
Remember you’re not running a personal account for friends & family as an influencer.
2. Post when your audience is most engaged
It goes without saying that you should always be posting at your optimal times! This means publishing your content when the majority of your audience is online and ready to engage with your content.
If you’ve switched over to a business/creator account, you can check your audiences most active times by going to your professional dashboard or insights > audience.
3. Implement SEO practices
Instagram SEO (search engine optimization) means optimizing your Instagram content to be discovered in search results – including those on the Instagram app. SEO plays a significant role in both reach and discovery on the platform.
How can you implement SEO?
Write descriptive & relevant captions. You can now search on Instagram using keywords found in captions. For example, if you search "girls night out inspiration” it will show you posts that include those keywords in their caption.
Add keywords to your profile name. You can incorporate your niche keywords into your name or username — since both are searchable on Instagram.
5. Consistently upload reels
Reels are being prioritized over any other content type on Instagram. This doesn’t mean you should only be posting reels, but it means your strategy should definitely include them.
Short-form videos like reels help reach a wider audience (including those who don’t even follow your account). Instagram wants its users to upload reels, which means it's going to reward those who do. It When your audience shares and saves your reels, it signals to the algorithm that they’re valuable and it pushes your reels out to more eyes.
6. Show your personality (and face) on Stories
Stories are where you’re going to connect and build trust with your audience. I know how intimidating it can be starting out and showing your face everyday, but the first step to getting comfortable on camera is being uncomfortable.
YOU are what’s unique about your account and YOU are what’s going to set you apart. Showing your face makes you memorable and tells your audience “hey, I’m a real person! I’m just like you”. Our brains are naturally drawn towards faces.
When you continue to show up for your community and show how relatable you are, you become a trusted source. Plus, when you add your personality into the mix, it humanizes your brand. It’s 2022 and people value authenticity over perfection.
Showing your personality and face on camera feels weird and vulnerable to begin with, but with consistency and perseverance, like anything, it becomes a lot easier overtime. In my influencer course, The Art Of Influence, we even have a lesson dedicated to getting comfortable on camera because it’s so important.
7. Include Call to Actions In Your Captions
Call to actions (CTAs) continue to be one of the best ways to generate engagement on posts. The goal of a CTA is to drive your audience to take an action. A direct question in your caption is a sure way to get more Instagram engagement. However, you don't want your audience to think you’re just fishing for comments. For example, if you share a selfie asking your followers what their favourite TV show is, it can look like you’re only on the hunt for comments.
Whereas if you share a genuine post and follow it up with a relevant question, your community is more likely to respond in your comments. You can be creative with your questions; ask for advice, recommendations (restaurants, vacation spots, books), or what type of content they want to see from you.
8. Cross-post on multiple platforms
Cross-posting content means posting the same content to different platforms to reach a wider audience. Why? Because what may not work on one platform, might work on the other. Being able to build an audience on multiple platforms gives you a lot more power as a creator and you’ll even be able to cross-promote your content.
Here are some ways you can cross-post content on social media:
Create a TikTok account—save the videos you create there (just make sure it’s without the TikTok watermark as IG will shadowban those) and share it on Instagram. You could even post your Instagram photos onto TikTok as a photo post.
Share your Instagram posts & reels to Pinterest and make sure to link it, so that when people see it on Pinterest, it will leads back to your account.
Share your videos on Twitter and again, that content will get clicks and views and will lead back to your page.
9. Go live
I know I know, going live can be scary but the benefits are truly amazing.
It gives you the opportunity to chat with your audience in real-time and create a direct, unedited channel for them to engage with. You’re developing real conversations, and on social media today, it’s all about being real and transparent. You’re creating a conversation and making people feel like they’re part of your day (which they are!)
It can help also help expand your reach because live stories are placed in front of regular stories and, hence, get more visibility.
P.s. you can plan your live out by using the practice feature!
10. Use the collaboration feature
In 2021, Instagram launched its new feature Instagram Collabs, giving users the ability to co-author content with other accounts.
The original creator (with a public account) can tag another account (public or private) as a collaborator. The collaborating account can accept or deny the request, and if accepted the post will show up on their profile.
By using Instagram collabs you’re essentially getting your post out there to two sets of audiences; yours and your collaborator. This can massively boost your audience engagement and maximize your visibility meaning new people can discover your profile – hello new followers!
You’re also more likely to amass more likes, comments, saves, and shares – all the good stuff that maximizes engagement.
Want more?
If you want more tips on growing as an influencer on Instagram, check out my free online masterclass on growing & landing paid brand deals.
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