Ever since the introduction of Instagram, the possibilities of bringing people together through this platform have expanded immeasurably. Businesses are looking for ways to create communities on social media to raise brand awareness and increase conversion rates.
An Instagram community that places trust in your brand is one of the most valuable things you can wish for, but, it might not be easily attainable without a proper plan. To build a community, you need to put your focus on retention.
Instagram community is a product of successful engagement—social media don’t reward passivity and thrive on interaction. Read below as we share some tips on how to build a strong Instagram community.
Start By Setting Goals
First off, a campaign without goals is destined to fall short. This is why it’s important to define goals for your Instagram growth from the start to pave a path to social media success. At the start of your campaign, you should set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) goals.
Proper leverage of social media requires creativity and communication, putting the accent on ROI analysis during the goal-setting stages might hinder your performance.
Humanize your brand
Your Instagram account is a visual representation of your character and your brand’s message. You don’t have to crack the Instagram code to figure out that followers don’t want their feed to overflood with posts that scream sales.
Start with the bio, a quick and witty bio that represents your brand will certainly pique the interest of followers. Use your brand as a logo and make it easily recognizable. Make your brand’s value known through visual content and you will reach out to the audience that shares your values.
Speaking of content, try to find your own niche and incorporate it into your daily posts. This can range from a filter that always features in your visual content or a hashtag that carries the message of your brand.
To build a strong community your values must align with the values of your followers, evoke positive thoughts and look to form a bond with your audience rather than viewing them as potential customers.
Leverage user-generated content
When your community puts trust in your brand, it’s time for reciprocity. If you have a new line of products coming up, why not task your followers with the review duties. Let your followers create content where they share their opinions on your brand and products through their own Instagram accounts and strengthen the already existing bond even further
To expand on this topic, you can also incorporate user testimonials that provide your other followers with information about the value your brand brings to the daily lives of your loyal followers.
Spark up the conversation
As mentioned previously, passivity on social media is simply not beneficial. Active interaction with your community is crucial to success on social media. Troubleshoot problems that occurred in a timely manner, provide feedback, and, to some extent, you can even treat your Instagram account as a customer support service.
You don’t have to limit your commenting reach just to your posts. You should also consider commenting on your followers’ posts and even competitors. This might feel repetitive, but it’s definitely worthwhile if you are keen on building a strong social media community.
Frequent the comment section to show your followers that you care about their experiences with your brand and products.
Make interactive content
Quizzes and polls are extremely fun features that allow you to incorporate your followers into your content creation. Allow your followers to share their opinions on specific topics and incentivize them to tag their friends with posts such as tag your friend who is X, Y, or Z.
Offer more to your community
Award your most loyal followers with discounts and loyalty programs, offer special promotions on products for followers only, and consider coupon referral programs to significantly boost retention.
Furthermore, you can also contribute to a social cause that will further propel your brand’s reach and incentivize other socially conscientious Instagram users to join in on your social campaign.
Final thoughts
Building a strong Instagram community is not an easy task, but the benefits it brings are tremendous. A tight community built on trust and reciprocity will drive more traffic your way and increase the rate of retention as it’s cheaper than acquisition. Go over our guide and build a community that is going to last.
