Telling your brand's story through images and video helps create richer brand experiences. To effectively tap into the power of visual storytelling, you need a curated Instagram feed. Instagram satisfies the craving for the immediate and the visual. With 1 billion people using Instagram every month, it’s not surprising that there are 25 million business profiles on Instagram. With those incredible numbers, it shouldn't come as a surprise that Instagram has become a powerful marketing tool.
However, posting now and then isn’t enough to make the most of Instagram's influence. Curating an Instagram feed with the aim to optimise engagement requires work. As you have mere seconds to capture interest on Instagram, you need a feed that stands out.
In order to achieve this, you need to dedicate the time and attention to curate an Instagram feed that ticks all the boxes for your target audience.
Curious? Here are a few tips on how you can get the most out of a curated Instagram feed.
Instagram Feed Tip #1: Establish a cohesive brand image
The trick to crafting a cohesive brand image through Instagram is consistency. Now, this doesn’t mean repetition. It simply means picking a theme and sticking to it. Pick an area that’s relevant to your brand or service, and opt for images that relate to one another.
Next, ensure that the images and videos you select complement each. An impactful feed features images that work together harmoniously with each bearing a piece of a story that gradually builds and constructs an overarching brand image. Above all, the goal is to pull in content that complements and aligns with each other to create consistency.
Strategically opt for color themes and design touches that work well together. Think about how your images will appear in a grid formation and ask yourself – do these posts complement each other? A feed comprised of sporadic and ill-matched images not only appears unprofessional and messy, but it also makes your profile forgettable. Think about the immediately obvious details which stand out. Be mindful of the composition, tone and logo placement to make a strong first impression.
Instagram Feed Tip #2: Know how often to post
You now know that you should post consistently for best results, but how often is that? For example, your brand might post consistently, but only once a week. Users' feeds are filled with new content by the minute. If you're only posting once a week, users may never even see what you have to offer.
To grab their attention, consistency is key. However, you also need to post new content to your curated Instagram feed often. Ideally, post one to three times each day. You don't have to go overboard, but offering a daily dose of quality content to your audience keeps them engaged.
The one crucial component to remember is to always opt for quality over quantity. If you only have one great post a day, then stick with that over three lower quality posts that don't fit your brand's tone/image. Create a posting a schedule to make this much easier to accomplish.
Instagram Feed Tip #3: Add your Instagram content to your website
To get the most out of your content, you're going to want to follow this Instagram feed tip. Make sure that you're repurposing your content by adding it to your website, typically on your home page.
By adding your content to your website, you encourage website visitors to follow you on Instagram. You also make your website fresh, interesting, and up-to-date.
Here's an example of a tour company posting their Instagram feed on their website. They encourage website visitors to use their hashtag for a chance to be included. This helps the brand generate content for their social media accounts and their website.
Here's another example from the official website for tourism in Albany, New York.
Both examples were built with Curator, a free and affordable social media aggregator.
Instagram Feed Tip #4: Target interested users
One of the best things about Instagram is it's an established community and you can tap into that existing community by connecting with related users and brands. Engage millions of users across the world by posting content on Instagram that's interesting to them and using relevant hashtags.
No matter what industry you're in, a curated Instagram feed filled with consistent and relevant content helps you transform your feed into a source of interest and inspiration.
So, if you're an outdoors brand, you need to think about what your audience will be interested in. For instance, reposting images of unusual camping spots across the world will immediately appeal to your desired audience.
Remember, Instagram isn't just about pretty pictures. Users want those images to be meaningful to them. Curate content from other users/influencers in your industry. Curate content from other relevant brands. The more useful the content is, the more loyal of a following you'll create.
Work carefully on your strategy to discover what content appeals to your audience most. Pay attention to comments and what content users engage with most. Then, give your audience what they want.
Instagram Feed Tip #5: Skip the hard sell
Nothing turns off your audience more than trying for the hard sell. Many brands make this tragic mistake and it hurts their reputations. A curated Instagram feed isn't the place to push a product or sale. It's not the place to bash the competition either.
While you can definitely share a new product launch or an upcoming sale, this should never be the majority of your posts. In fact, these should seem more like sidenotes than the purpose of your curated Instagram feed.
Your audience isn't interested in buying from you right away. While that may sound counterproductive to the purpose of building an engaged audience, customer experience is everything. The first step is building a relationship.
You build a relationship with potential new customers by building trust. Show them you care more about their needs than your bottom line. Skip the hard sell and offer them content that helps make their lives easier and better. As you build this trust through Instagram, your audience goes beyond Instagram to check out your website.
From there, they opt to buy from you versus the competition. Why? You were the brand that took the time to help them. You cared more about their needs. Now that they trust you, they'll trust you enough to buy from you.
Even if they don't need anything right now, they'll share your content and help you build your brand's reach even faster.
Instagram Feed Tip #6: Switch up your feed to keep things interesting
Social media app Buffer's Instagram account has a cohesive, fun color scheme, but their photos aren't all the same. They post photographs as well as graphic designs.
Investing in a curated Instagram feed is a big step towards investing in your audience. This seemingly simple feed is crucial to establishing a positive brand image.
By focusing on curating content versus simply selling, you'll drive more traffic and engagement to your brand. Instagram has the audience you need. You just have to leverage it.
Therefore, it's pertinent that you pick an aggregator that you can rely on. This will help you curate the best content without all the hassle or stress. Make the most of your Instagram feed with a reliable aggregator like Curator. Check out Curator's features to find out how your brand can start benefiting from a curated Instagram feed today!