Need help with Instagram? We’re sharing some of the top secrets industry experts use to boost their Insta!
Help with instagram
We’ve covered the benefits of social media marketing for our followers (see the link on the right). But after some particular requests for help with Instagram, we’re sharing some of our biggest secrets with you.
What is the rule of six?
Cast your mind back to 2020 and the UK Government’s rule of six. No, we can’t remember what it was all about either. Something to do with the number of people you could meet at the pub??
What we do remember is that we used its title to help some of our biggest clients boost their Instagram.
The number six is not a hard and fast rule, but it DOES work. The number refers to the number of accounts/people you should do each of the following with every day:
- Follow 6 new accounts/people
- Like 6 posts from people you don’t follow
- Like 6 posts from people you already follow
- Comment on 6 posts from people your don’t follow, with a minimum of 6 words in your comments
- Comment on 6 posts from people you already follow, with a minimum of 6 words in your comments
Why six of each?
Regularly engaging with other Instagram users is a perfect way to boost your account. But it can seem like such a massive task to busy business owners. So, while the Government rule of six was around, six felt like an excellent way to keep our clients focused on the task. Sticking do just six each should only take around 30 minutes per day, too. The feedback was positive. That’s because the amount of time felt manageable for those who like to manage their company social media themselves.
Of course, you can spend longer engaging in this way. And the rule of six can become the rule of 12. But that’ll take longer. And if you can’t keep it up, there’s a chance that the ever-changing algorithm will penalise you dropping the time you spend on the app. Although, you can follow up to around 50 people in one go and it doesn’t take long at all – and it can support your growth if they’re the right people.
Why does it help with Instagram?
Put the mystical algorithm aside for a moment and think of Insta accounts as friends.
If you ignored your friends for long enough, eventually they’d blank you right back!
Regardless of your content, you can’t just post it and expect the masses to come to you. Unless you are Kim Kardashian or Love Island contestant! IG accounts, just like your friends, like to receive your love and attention to keep them engaged and interested.
Does it work for other social channels?
Engagement will work on any social media channel. The results will differ on each one, but you’ve got to remember that there are people behind social media accounts. And in the same way that you nurture personal relationships, you must nurture online ones to ensure their survival.
It doesn’t need to take hours and hours, but you should check in and talk! And if you feel overwhelmed at the thought of doing it yourself, that’s where the benefits of outsourcing some or all of your marketing come in!
What if I want an employee to do it for me?
Ever feel like you just can’t watch?
Ok, this can be tricky, depending on your point of view and your (and their) level of corporate communications experience.
You’d need to be able to trust the agency you chose for your social media marketing, right? In the same way, you need to trust your employees if they’re doing this for you.
They may know Instagram or Twitter inside out, but do they understand your brand tone of voice? (“What the heck is my brand’s tone of voice?” we hear you cry – this will help explain). And are they well-equipped to grasp the nuances of the different aspects of your industry?
You don’t have to spend long on Google to find some pretty shocking examples of social media posts that 100% bombed a company’s reputation. And they’ve usually been blamed on an inexperienced staff member (we feel for them and we cringe because we’ve all got to start somewhere, right?)…
Does the rule apply to my employees?
You can engage with employees on social media, totally. But more to the point – are they engaging with you? The bigger your business, the more reach you can achieve by getting employees on board with boosting your social media channels. We have some guidance on social media training for employees – for anyone struggling with that – here!
One final secret to help with Instagram
Here’s one last juicy top tip: DO NOT ASK YOUR FAMILY/FRIENDS/EMPLOYEES TO FOLLOW YOUR BUSINESS SOCIAL ACCOUNTS – unless they are committed to engaging/liking/sharing/commenting on your posts. If they follow your accounts but ignore you, social media algorithms will view them as any other unengaged followers – the more of them you have, the more your posts will be bumped from the view of your intended audience!
If you are unsure where to start with your Instagram, or need help with your overall social media marketing, drop us a line, and we’d be happy to help.