Instagram growth mistakes you should avoid
Sometimes the dream to have more likes, more followers and engagement, leads us to make some mistakes.
If you want to grow your business audience or become an Instagram influencer, then keep reading to avoid making crucial mistakes that may affect your IG growth!
IG Mistake #1: Not showing your human side.
Some of the most successful brands show their “humanity” on their social media accounts. The reason platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube are so successful is because they urge two-way conversations with customers and followers & fans like to talk to real people, not just brands.
That’s why it’s in your brand’s best interest to show the human side in social media interactions and posts.
What if I don´t want to show my face? You can still make it “human”, showing some behind the scenes, and engaging with followers. Just remember to be yourself, and make sure your followers can see there is a real person behind the brand!
IG Mistake #2 Posting low-quality photos.
Instagram is a social media platform primarily focused on visual content.
Especially when you are a company or a brand, low-quality photos are a big Instagram mistake, seeing that this can give a first impression of a “non-professional” or “non-quality” brand.
And you don’t need special & expensive equipment for this. Nowadays you can get great pictures using just your phone!
In the same way, if you are not using pictures, but just graphics, be sure they are grabbing the attention of your potential clients. You can use these IG templates to have an amazing eye-pleasing feed in seconds!
IG Mistake #3 Using Bots.
It is true that bots can help bring you followers, but these are FAKE followers!! Most of the time the followers are empty and non-engaging. They don’t have an interest in you, so they are not going to engage with your content or buy your amazing products.
The best way to increase followers organically is to actually interact, and be a human behind the brand.
IG Mistake #4 Not listing a website/ Link.
Another little but common mistake is not writing a useful link in your bio!
You can just show your blog link or any kind of business page so you have more chances to bring traffic.
But what if you want to have several links? You can just do a “landing page” inside your blog. Just add a new page to your website, and add the most relevant links for your audience.
What if I don’t have a blog yet? Try Linktree (you can use it for free, but is not so customizable unless you pay!) But I really recommend having your own blog, because at the end you will pay more for these apps than what you pay monthly for your blog (With my hosting I pay less than the monthly fee!)
IG Mistake #5 Not engaging with your followers.
This is a BIG social mistake seeing that Instagram is first and foremost a social network (a community).
It is not just a place for your company to chase customers. Social networks are about creating connections. Your followers, as well as customers, will appreciate your help and value.
It would build a strong brand-customer relationship, which means, more trust in you, and your brand will appear more human.
IG Mistake #6 Purchasing Fake Followers.
In recent years, the trend of buying Instagram followers is becoming more and more popular. Numbers created by buying followers only look good at first view.
But as with bots, you will notice that these followers are not engaging with your content.
Isn’t it better to have 100 engaged followers that are genuinely interested in your brand, interested in your content and products, rather than 10000 that don’t care about you?
(The answer is a BIG YES!!)
IG Mistake #7 Not putting your location on your account if you are a local business.
Make sure to write your location if you are a local based business. That shows the authenticity of the business.
And even if you are only online, this can build more trust and you can create more affinity with people who are from your same place, or have some relation with it if you think is relevant.
IG Mistake #8 Posting without purpose.
A solid marketing strategy is an essential part of any business.
If you simply post photos and hope for the best, your followers may not get your point of view and may have a difficult time getting your message.
You should post content with a solid strategy. Think about what you want to achieve with the kind of content that you are posting on IG. What is your main goal?
If you have already a business strategy, review it and determine where Instagram fits in with the other work you are doing.
IG Mistake #9 Following more people than follow you.
Forget about the #FollowForFollow strategy (when you follow a loooot of people just waiting they follow you back, and they may not even be interested in your content.
Imagine an account with 98 followers, and following 5640 … That does seem a little bit suspicious for your potential customers.
Just act naturally, and follow the accounts that may interest you or potential clients’ profiles, so you can learn more about your target audience.
A “normal” relation between followers & following comes of as more reputable and shows that you are not desperate for followers.
IG Mistake #10 Not have a consistent looking feed.
Your Instagram profile can be the first impression or portfolio of your business. If it’s full of unrelated pictures, shot in low light, or inconsistent content, then it means you may be losing followers.
By using the same consistent graphics, same filters, or using the same colors and fonts, you will seem a real and more trustworthy brand.
Don’t know how to start? I have created beautiful and easy-to-use IG templates for you!
IG Mistake #11 Not being consistent.
This is a BIG one. And a difficult one to overcome (and more if you are a busy mom!)
Remember that if you want to increase followers and engagement, you should be posting and engaging regularly.
If you can post once a day great, if not, try 3 times per week (which is my favorite!) If you only post weekly, it will be slower, but the important thing is not to abandon your account! You can schedule your IG posts with Tailwind or Planoly (that´s the one I use! And you can use it for free! YAY!)
If you don’t have my freebie yet, you can get it here! I tell you what I do daily to grow my IG account (without posting every day!)
IG Mistake #12 Not posting at the right time.
Timing on Instagram is very important.
There are so many opinions about what are the best times to post.
But at the end, each niche is a world. Depending on your target audience, you will see the best times of posting can change compared with other kinds of audiences.
Start posting and engaging at different times of the day, and check when do you have the most engagement.
IG Mistake #13 Boring or empty Bio Part.
Some accounts put the minimum amount of effort into their bio, and that’s a big mistake you don’t want to do!
A good bio make can make a good first impression on potential followers. It´s there where you can explain what you do or who you help with your business in few words.
So don’t leave it empty!
IG Mistake #14 Using Hashtags in the wrong way.
Hashtags are the KEY while posting content on Instagram.
IG users can follow hashtags, and they search by hashtags. So they make your content appear to the right audience.
BUT you should only use hashtags when they are relevant for your posts. If your posts are full of irrelevant hashtags, users will be more likely to just ignore them. So don’t use any hashtag just because is “trending”!!
IG Mistake #15 Posting too many products or sponsored content.
If you have an online shop or some sponsors, there is no such need to mention them every single time when you post an image. Followers may be interested in your products, but they will be even more if you nurture them with other kind of content.
Don’t think only about generating profit instead of concentrating on the value you bring to your audience.
To sum up, have in mind always that followers are not only a number.
They are real people who may like your content and may feel connected to you if you give them value and help them solve their problems.
