Ten powerful tips to increase Instagram engagement in 2020

Judging from the first four months of this year, it seems that most of us will have to make our 2020 plans, predictions and projections all over again. It will be interesting to see how and if the most recent worldwide health situation will influence social networks and to what extent. Since Instagram’s parent company (Facebook) got quite serious accusations regarding privacy, some social media experts were questioning the possibility for Instagram to experience similar ordeals during 2020. However, many marketers are confident that despite everything that’s been going on lately, Instagram will remain the fastest-growing and among the most visited social networks in the world.

Instagram was a huge hit amongst young generations, with 85% of teenagers using it more than any other social platform in 2019. The duration of time spent on Instagram for ages 18 to 24 surpassed other networks, while older generations who used it less, increased both visits and duration within the last year by more than 23%. However, Instagram entrepreneurs should keep a close eye on their followers and be prepared to react upon any change in their preferences by altering marketing strategies and ad-buying decisions (you can check out HowSociable).

Increasing the number of Instagram followers will remain the most important activity for many creators and business users in 2020. With one billion monthly users, it seems easy. Unfortunately, followers are getting more experienced and demanding, network algorithms are getting smarter and competition more creative, so it’s not as easy as it seems.

Suggestions such as making longer captions or IGTV series and posting regularly are useful, but it takes a lot of energy and time with no guarantee that the number of followers will increase in the near future. That’s why many Instagrammers, even the biggest names in the game, are willing to invest and strategically buy, from time to time, a certain number of followers.

Another useful tactic to gain more followers is to increase engagement. Besides doing the obvious, such as being creative and unique, there are always a few new tricks you can try, usually after the latest algorithm changes. This list with ten not-so-common ways might help you to raise your profile’s followers and refresh your Instagram business strategy.

Make your post good enough to be saved

The more likes and comments you get, the more people will see your post as a suggestion. This is how the algorithm used to work, until the recent update with new “save posts for later” option. Using the “save post” option sends information that the person likes and wants to see this and probably other posts from a particular creator.

Make captions with the question marks

A high engagement rate on the post, especially immediately after it was uploaded, means more visibility. Comments received soon after publishing will push the post up on the explore page, particularly if they are long and meaningful. So, ask your followers to give you their opinion on the photo or topic. If they respond, you’ll notice a huge difference in visibility.

Use polls and engagement bars for stories

Another positive way to challenge your followers, especially if you prefer uploading stories more than posts, is to ask them to participate in polls. Since there is no option to like stories, you can put up a poll after every four or five stories, with a simple yet interesting question. The reach should automatically go up, as well as for future stories.

Use hashtags for stories

Believe it or not, hashtags can do wonders for stories, and using only one is more than enough. If you find this controversial, try it and find out if the number of views increases. It’s easy to test it because there is a way to see the number of people who viewed the story under a certain hashtag. In some cases, people got over 300% more views on stories with hashtags than they do on those without them.

Use a series of photos on one post

The carousel post is a line of images or videos or a mix of both. Creative users can tell the whole story or make a presentation, with various information in one carousel. Carousel posts are not very popular because it takes more effort to make them, and also many creators claim that these posts won’t bring more likes. However, every swipe will be counted as a signal of higher engagement, similar to what likes do, even if the total number of real likes is low.

Link stories with posts

After posting on Instagram feed, you can also share it by linking it to the story. Clicking on the story will redirect the person to the original post, meaning more chance to like, comment or save it. Simple yet effective.

The power of the hashtag

Hashtags are important and powerful. But it’s not the same if you always use identical tags. Try to make a list with relevant hashtags, new ones, that haven’t been used too many times by other creators.

Organise contests

Good old giveaways are popular again. Or, they’ll just always be popular. Even the smallest prizes will do the trick, as people love receiving gifts.

Connect with big influencers

Comment on their posts and start communication by making a good point or a clever observation. These people know how to play this game so you can learn a lot from them or find inspiration and ideas for your own work.

Invite big influencers to comment on your posts

Once you have established a relationship with popular influencers in your niche, they’ll probably comment on your posts even if you don’t invite them to do so. Most Instagrammers support the community and each other.

Reply to every comment

It’s essential and necessary. Every creator should care for its followers and value their engagement. It’s an elementary rule, and respecting it can ultimately bring many benefits.

You can try a few or all of the suggested tips and tricks and find which one works best for you and your profile. Don’t hesitate to search for new strategies, learn how to use them, or to introduce new things to your Instagram routine.

The editorial unit