Instagram is undoubtedly one of the most powerful marketing platforms out there. But it can only work wonders if you know what you’re doing.
In this article, we shall cover a couple of not-so-common Instagram marketing hacks that can generate leads, increase engagement, and drive conversions and sales. If you’re looking for new tactics to win on Instagram, then consider following the tips.
Table of Contents
- Provide and request shoutouts
- Share content from other users
- Conduct public Q&As on Instagram stories
- Host giveaways with other brands
- Let influencers take over your Instagram profile
- Put a creative spin on your Instagram Marketing initiatives
5 Effective Instagram Marketing Hacks
1. Provide and request shoutouts
You don’t always need to talk about your brand.
When you mention other brands and talk about how awesome they are or the things you appreciate about them, they could reciprocate and mention your brand as well.
That’s a win-win for both you and the other company, of course.
Since you’re pretty much helping grow each other’s brand visibility.
Share the shoutouts on your Instagram feed.
You can also ask permission from the other brands and users to use the shoutouts for your User-Generated Content (UGC) campaigns and Instagram Stories.
Canon does this by asking Instagram users to share a shoutout post using the hashtag #mycanonstory in their description of images taken with Canon cameras.
Leverage shoutouts to reach more Instagram audiences.
For example, repost another company’s carousel post about quick tips on writing amazing content, if your company provides content marketing services.
Add a shoutout, tag the other company, and provide proper attribution.
If you have a bank of shoutout posts and other interaction posts for social media ready for posting, streamline publishing them with the social media marketing platform Vista Social.
The platform lets you schedule your posts for auto-publishing easily. You can also add your posts to a queue or schedule them to publish in bulk, saving you from time-consuming, manual work.
Instagram shoutouts can help you, and the other brands increase your following and improve credibility.
2. Share content from other users
Sharing or reposting content from other Instagram users helps amplify your IG marketing initiatives.
Sounds crazy, right? Not if you do it correctly.
With the right strategy, reposting other brands’ content can get your business more exposure.
Most brands are likely to reciprocate and promote your posts if you tag them in your posts promoting their content.
Some companies might even promote your content without prompting, hoping you’ll promote theirs in return. It’s a strategic way to expose your brand to a bigger yet relevant audience.
You can even take this tactic to the next level by setting up an affiliate marketing program that lets affiliates earn commissions when they post your IG posts and links and get others to act on your offers.
Leverage popular affiliate marketing software to simplify and streamline running your affiliate programs.
You can manually repost content from other Instagram users by going to the feed and sharing the content or using third-party apps that let you select specific accounts and the content you want to post.
Reposting apps can also tag the original profile automatically, ensuring proper attribution.
Add your content reposting initiatives to your content tracking strategy to see how well they work for your Instagram marketing efforts.
3. Conduct Public Q&As on Instagram Stories
If you want your Instagram posts to be more interactive, turn to a simple solution: Question and Answer (Q&A) sessions on IG Stories.
Doing so helps you interact, connect, and engage your audience better.
IG Stories make direct interactions possible and in a more engaging way too.
Ask questions that entice your target audience to respond, such as “Who is your favorite NBA player of all time?” or “What item from our latest collection do you want to get on a giveaway?”
If you work in a particular industry or niche or target a specific audience group such as project teams, you can ask more pointed questions such as “Hive vs. Clickup: What is the best project management software for your team?”
Hosting Q&As makes your company seem more relatable, helping you build trust with potential customers.
You can also host Q&As for entertainment or to interact casually with your followers. You don’t have to focus only on serious, in-depth questions.
The key is to use Q&As to boost your Instagram audience interactions and, in turn, engagements, conversions, and sales.
4. Host giveaways with other brands
Instagram contests and giveaways receive 3.5 times more likes and 64 more comments than an average post.
Take this to the next level by running Instagram contests and giveaways with other businesses. It can help amplify your brand and content promotions and lead generation efforts (among others).
For instance, host a giveaway that asks IG followers to like your and the other brand’s posts and tag other people for a chance to win a prize.
It’s one way of exposing both your brands to more potential customers, helping raise awareness and engagement with Instagram audiences.
Host joint giveaways and contests with companies that are not direct competitors or even influencers working within your industry.
For example, if you provide Search Engine Optimization (SEO) services, conduct a contest with a graphic design agency.
Participants can win all-access passes to a social media graphic design masterclass from the other company and your company’s webinar on buying SEO articles like a pro.
You can also promote your IG contests across channels, such as using Mailchimp to automate sending emails to your email subscribers to inform contacts of your Instagram giveaway.
Another option is to use viral Instagram hashtags to increase the visibility of your posts. If that doesn’t work, you can collaborate with other brands by organizing cross-promotion giveaways to expose both of your companies to each other’s audiences. Your collaborative effort can increase your engagement opportunities and widen your reach.
5. Let influencers take over your Instagram profile
If you want to work with influencers, or if you already do, conduct a takeover.
Takeovers let you collaborate with other Instagram users and influencers to boost your IG marketing and engagement efforts.
For example, you can give influencers working in your industry or niche free rein over your specific product, service, or brand promotions for a day.
An influencer takeover is a brilliant idea to get more eyeballs to your brand and IG feeds. It lets you tap into the influencer’s following, build trust, and grow your following, and Influencers can get the same benefits.
Put a creative spin on your Instagram marketing initiatives
Don’t limit your efforts to outdated Instagram marketing practices.
Consider new approaches and think outside the box when developing your IG marketing strategy, beginning with the five tips in this guide.
While it can take some trial and error to adopt new strategies and make them work for you, the rewards can be more than worth your time and effort down the line.
