Social media marketing is a modern cornerstone in online marketing. Social media allows you to reach potentially millions of people as long as you know how to take advantage of these platforms. If you are using Instagram for your business, you should know that there are some key tips to follow which will increase engagement, help your Instagram account gain followers, and keep your account from making any major mistakes. The following are 4 Instagram tips that you must follow for your business.

Tip #1: Follow and interact with relevant high-profile accounts

You can gain some exposure for your account in an organic way by following and then interacting with some relevant high profile accounts on Instagram. For example, if your business sells beauty products such as makeup and lotions, you should follow high-profile Instagram accounts related to beauty. But don’t just follow these accounts—interact with them, too! Like their posts and most importantly, comment on them so that people can see your username. This could lead to the high profile account engaging with you, which will lead to even more clicks onto your account page.

Tip #2: Learn how to take appealing photos and videos

Instagram is a photo and video based social media platform, so your account needs to look appealing from a visual standpoint. You will need to learn how to take photos and videos that appeal to your target demographic. To use the beauty example, most high profile beauty accounts use softer colors such as pastels for backgrounds, and have a focus on detail-oriented shots of beauty products, make-up looks, and so on. Make sure that the content you create is similar to what is popular with your demographic, while also standing out due to high quality photos and interesting filters.

Tip #3: Create a cohesive brand image

People who follow Instagram accounts do so because they like the overall aesthetic cultivated by the account. In order to gain followers this way, you’ll need a cohesive brand image that you stick with for every post. For instance, if your beauty makeup brand tends to post softer colors with lots of pinks and blues and romantic-style filters, then suddenly posting images that go against that aesthetic will not be cohesive with your brand image. You don’t always have to stick to the visual script—sometimes posting something drastically different can catch people’s attention!—but make sure your brand image is, on a whole, cohesive.

Tip #4: Use the right hashtags

Hashtags are how people will find your Instagram posts through the search feature on Instagram. You should aim to use about 3 to 8 hashtags per regular post, but there will be occasions where using more (about 15) is appropriate. Make sure that you only use relevant hashtags; for instance, if you are posting an eyeshadow palette from your business, do not tag it “lipstick” unless you are specifically mentioning lipstick in the copy of your post.

Remember to keep the above tips in mind when using Instagram for your business! For more great social media tips, follow Annek Marketing Group on Instagram @annekmarketinggroup