<ul><li>Have you done hashtag research to find the best keywords to ensure optimal reach?</li><li>Are you using all hashtags available to you?</li><li>Should you be using all hashtags?</li><li>Does your caption connect with your audience?</li><li>Is it humanizing?</li><li>Are your captions too short or too long to read?</li><li>Should they be that long/short?</li><li>Are you encouraging followers to like and comment on your content in a non spammy way?</li><li>Are you tagging influencers/brands that could potentially boost your post’s engagement?</li><li>Are you adding a link in your bio when promoting a webpage?</li></ul>

Optimize your post structure

<ul><li>Are you trying to build brand awareness?</li><li>Generate visibility and leads?</li><li>Generate ideas for content?</li><li>Share your insight, ideas and articles?</li><li>Get informed on industry news and trending topics?</li></ul>Whichever the case, you’ll need to have clear goals to formulate an appropriate strategy, who to follow, and what kind of information to share.

Have a clear purpose  

<ul><li>Are you using a personal Instagram page or a business page?</li><li>Do you have the correct contact information on your business page? (Email, physical location, business phone number)</li><li>Have you linked Instagram to your Facebook business page?</li></ul>You can achieve the above by simply connecting your two profiles together.

Setup the proper account

<ul><li>Does it connect to your company or brand?</li><li>Is it something that’s easy to remember?</li><li>Will it come up in search results? (Instagram and Google)</li><li>Are you using a consistent handle across all social media?</li></ul>This will be the username that your audience will know you by on Instagram. Make sure it is easy to remember and relevant to what you’re trying to achieve.

Create a memorable username

<ul><li>Are you using the correct dimensions?</li><li>For your profile picture</li><li>For your Instagram Stories feed</li><li>For organic Instagram posts</li><li>Do you have a relevant profile picture?</li></ul>Instagram is an image/video based platform. All the content is guided to draw attention to the video or picture. Make sure to use the correct dimensions in the applicable spots.

Post relevant images and videos

<ul><li>How consistently are you posting? Everyday? Multiple times a day?</li><li>What are you posting?</li><li>Is it products your business offers?</li><li>User generated content?</li><li>Are you optimizing your posts to achieve your overall purpose?</li><li>Using hashtags the proper hashtags</li><li>Text that encourages engagement</li><li>Is there a tool you can use to automate this process?</li></ul>There isn’t a limit on how often you should be posting on Instagram. However, if your content isn’t engaging, Instagram’s algorithm will start ‘hiding’ your content from your followers.

Define what you’re posting

<ul><li>Is it overly branded content?</li><li>Are you heavily pushing for a sale on Instagram?</li><li>Is it content your audience will use to generate trust with you?</li></ul>On Instagram, you ultimately want more followers, high engagement, and traffic back to your site. This is only possible if you post content your audience will trust.

Define your content

<ul><li>Are you liking and commenting on your follower’s content?</li><li>Do you encourage conversation/commenting on your posts?</li></ul>In today’s world, engagement means everything. How would you feel if your favorite musician liked your post on Instagram? With that same mentality, your audience looks up to you.

Engage with followers

<ul><li>Do you have an influencer marketing strategy on Instagram?</li><li>Have you connected with any potential influencers?</li><li>What tools are you using to find influencers in your niche on Instagram?</li><li>Are you tagging influencers/brand and encouraging them to like/comment on your post?</li></ul>If you promote great content, chances are, influencers will encourage and promote it. However, you still need to get under their radar.

Are you tapping into any influencers on Instagram?

It comes down to two things: creating content and interaction. Without content, there’s nothing to interact your audience with. Without interaction, your content wouldn’t be optimized.

The key to Instagram success 

<ul><li>Have you included a link back to your site?</li><li>Did you include a description of your brand and what your business is about?</li><li>Possibly add achievements/highlights that attract new followers</li></ul>This is your chance to share any relevant information you would like visitors to see. You want to highlight why someone should follow your account.

Fill out your Instagram bio

With over 800 million active users on Instagram, it’s a no brainer for businesses to expand their marketing efforts to the platform. If you’re oblivious on how to use Instagram for your business…

Define what you’re posting

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Posting Valuable Content Consistently

24. Check out LinkedIn‘s Content Marketing Score & Trending Content Resources