- My new business, Jamal's Cookies is struggling to grow
its Instagram presence,
but I think I just discovered the secret
to building engagement on Instagram.
I read this blog post from HubSpot with 41 hacks
for increasing my following, showcasing my business
and developing my Instagram marketing strategy.
So I picked out six of my favorite features,
and I'm gonna see if they can really grow my Instagram.
Feature number one, reels.
Turns out, Instagram encourages users to create reels
to qualify for recommendations within its algorithm.
Time to go beyond civil image posts
and get creative with video.
Reels are short videos of up to 90 seconds
that can be used to entertain, inform,
and entice your audience, boosting awareness and reach.
And the options are endless.
I could showcase my products,
give a behind the scenes sneak peek into my business,
or just get absolutely silly with it.
For example, GoPro uses sometimes hair raising
user generated content in their reels
to show how their products are used in the wild
and inspire others.
So I'm gonna get started by clicking the plus icon
and choosing reels.
I could record a new video,
but I think I'm gonna use prerecorded content
for this particular reel.
Maybe a recipe tutorial
to get people's taste buds a tingling.
It is that time of year, after all.
I can edit my video right here inside of the Instagram app
at effects, text, stickers, audio, music,
or even remix other users' reels.
But what if I need a little more inspiration
to create a shareable reel?
Well, it's even easier to make a reel using a template.
Let's take a look at some of the options.
Maybe this one.
Now I can add my own content to it to make it my own,
which is super cool.
There are so much inspiration out there.
Save your favorite templates, reuse audio,
or even remix someone else's reel with your own take.
And don't forget, you can add subtitles for your audio
to increase accessibility.
Include a snappy caption,
a few choice hashtags to help users find your content,
and that all important call to action.
Now, if you're feeling like you still need some reels help,
I'm using HubSpot's Instagram for business guide,
which includes advice, tricks,
and templates to help you up your reel game.
Check it out in the description below.
So posting more reels should result
in plenty of engagement, comments and shares,
and help to build my following.
But what if I wanna create a deeper,
more personal connection with my followers?
Broadcast channels are one of Instagram's newest features
and allows you to create a private group
for you and your follower.
Essentially, it's a group messaging tool
where you can post behind the scenes content,
voice notes, run polls,
and engage on a more personal level with your audience.
Channels are great for strengthening your community
and boosting engagement as users feel like they're a part
of an exclusive club.
Followers can't send messages in channels,
but they can react to yours
and voting polls giving you extra insight
into what your audience wants to see more of.
For example, Karen X is a director
who shares amazing behind the scenes info
on how she makes her videos in her broadcast channel.
So let's give it a try.
I'm gonna create a broadcast channel
by tapping on the messages icon in the top right of my feat.
Then tap the new message icon
and choose Create broadcast channel.
I can even segment my content with different channels,
making it super easy for my followers
to enjoy the content they love.
And unlike stories which disappear after 24 hours,
post and broadcast channels can be engaged with
and shared again and again and again.
Just an FYI though,
not everyone has access to this feature yet,
and you need at least 10,000 followers
to create a broadcast channel.
Okay, so what if I don't have time to post new content
but still want to give my followers a quick update?
Well, let's try out feature number three
and drop an Instagram note.
Insta notes are another little personal touch I can add
to my profile, kinda like a status update.
I can share my thoughts, pose a question,
comment on current events in the cookie world.
Announce offers or promos
or build anticipation for an upcoming post or project.
Creating a note is super easy.
Just go to Instagram Messenger
and click the little plus above your profile picture.
Then simply share your latest thought as a note
up to 60 characters.
And for the boomers out there that remember MySpace,
this is a nice callback
because you can even add your favorite song to your note.
Pretty cool.
But this isn't just for the boomers among us.
According to Instagram,
Gen Z and teens are posting more than 10 times
the amount of notes as other users.
So go ahead and share those thoughts.
So I still need to grow my audience even more.
How can I step outside my bubble to reach new followers?
Hmm.
Well, I think it's time for a good old fashioned collab.
Collaboration posts could be a powerful way
to boost my falling, increasing engagement
and building my credibility on Instagram.
All I have to do is work together with another brand, user,
or influencer to create a collaboration post
and share the same content on both our feeds,
doubling up on visibility and compiling comments and likes
into one place.
Collaboration is obviously key here,
so I'll need to pick a partnership
that has a complimentary demographic
or an audience with a similar interest.
We could probably collab on a giveaway,
some kind of partnership or a cross promo
to raise awareness.
Take Borough 22, for example.
This specialist donut bakery
teamed up with a local delivery service
to make sure their gluten-free vegan treats
are head delivered with love.
To create a collaboration post,
only to make sure that myself
and the other person I'm working with
both have public accounts
that allow tagging in our privacy settings.
I can do that by clicking on Settings and privacy,
then checking Tags and mentions
and allow tags from everyone.
Then all I have to do is create a post as usual
tap Tag people,
and then click the button that says, Invite Collaborators.
Pretty easy.
Now, all these features are helping me to grow my following,
but I'm still not seeing that translate directly into sales.
So how do I increase conversions from Instagram?
One of the challenges for businesses on Instagram
is the fact that you can't actually add links
to Instagram post subscriptions,
hence the phrase, link in bio.
But what if there was a way for users to make a purchase
directly for my Instagram with one click?
Well, there is.
So let's give shoppable posts a try.
When you're scrolling,
you don't always wanna have to check a business profile,
click the link in their bio,
and then have to find what it is
that caught your eye through scrolling.
A far more effective solution is to include tagged products
in your posts so users can see it, want it,
and get it in just a few clicks.
Now, there are a few requirements
before you can set up shoppable posts.
First, I'll need an Instagram business account,
my own website domain
and my Insta profile must be connected to my Facebook page.
From there, I can use my Meta commerce manager account
to create a shop catalog
and add products to my Insta shop,
making them taggable in posts.
Now, it's just a matter of clicking tag product
whenever I create a shoppable post.
And as always, Instagram is all about the visual,
so I'm gonna make sure my shoppable posts
are extra enticing.
Personally, I like to use Canva to create bold
and impactful product images.
If you want a video about that,
definitely let us know in the comments below.
But how do I know if any of this is actually
as effective as possible?
Well, we can check how effective
each of these new features are
by looking at my Instagram analytics
via the professional dashboard.
There are a whole load of data insights
to be found right here on Instagram
to help me see which posts are actually doing the best
and what my audience is engaging with, and why.
If you have a business Instagram account,
you'll find your professional dashboard
right there on your profile.
Let's click through and check it out.
Here I can browse a whole load of useful data and insights,
help measure performance and improve my strategy.
And there's a great inspiration section too.
I can also check the info on any post
by clicking the See Insights button.
So on my professional dashboard, I can check likes,
comments, followers, as well as engagement rate
and other stats.
Pretty nifty.
All these insights can help me analyze my IG performance
so I can see which posts and reels
work best for my audience, tweak my content and copy,
and make my call to actions even more effective.
And if I keep testing out the other six features
we've looked at today,
I should have plenty of data to work with
to really optimize my Instagram strategy.
And the crazy thing is there are even more features, hacks,
and tips to be found in that blog post that I mentioned.
So whether you're just throwing out
or wanting to level up on IG,
dive into Instagram features
and find brand new ways to connect with your followers,
boost your engagement, and elevate your presence.
For even more tips on how to crush your Instagram game,
check out the blog posts
as well as HubSpot's free Instagram for business guide.
You can check out both in the description below.
And don't forget to like, share, and subscribe
for even more marketing insights.
I'm curious which features you guys
are starting to incorporate into your own strategy.
So be sure to leave that in the comments as well.
Now, if you'll excuse me,
I'm gonna go do a collaboration post with Beyonce.
I've been in her DMs for the past several weeks.
I think she's gonna respond any minute now,
so I need to be ready.
Until then, I'll see you next time.
- I can find this client info.
- Have you heard of HubSpot?
HubSpot is a CRM platform,
so it shares its data across every application.
Every team can stay aligned.
No outta sync spreadsheets or dueling databases.
HubSpot, grow better.
(bright music)