by Marianna Muscat | Jul 17, 2018 | Instagram, Social Media Marketing
Getting the hang of any social media marketing platform usually involves a bit of trial-and-error. If you are trying to grow your brand on Instagram, here are some of the top pitfalls to avoid:
Not Understanding the Algorithm
Instagram’s algorithm used to be chronological, but to many a brands’ dismay, this has been changed. Nowadays when you post a picture, it’s initially only posted to about 10% of your followers; if it gets a good number of likes and comments within the first hour or so, then it will be shown to the rest of your followers.
What this means for your brand is that you should be posting pictures that people will double tap on and you should be writing captions that encourage comments. You could, for example, ask your followers a question. Just be sure that you’re engaging with your audience on Instagram and replying to people who took the time to answer your question.
Not Being Consistent with Your Content
The sad truth is that most of your brand’s followers don’t care about you personally; they only follow you for the content and services you provide. If you start changing the type or style of content that you are posting, they may be inclined to unfollow you. Your followers are there for the type of content you posted when they started following you.
Need help with your social media marketing? WSI OMS can help you. Contact us for more information today.
by Francois Muscat | Jul 11, 2018 | Instagram, Social Media Marketing
Want to be Insta-famous? Of course, you do! Being famous on Instagram can help you make more money. Here are a few tips to help you get more followers on one of the most popular social media platforms:
Go after Relevant Followers
One of the most common pieces of advice is to find very popular Instagrammers in your niche and start commenting on their pictures and liking their pictures. The idea behind this is that their followers will start noticing you and be inclined to check out your page. But, this is only half of the piece of the puzzle.
Instagram has an algorithm that looks at how many likes and comments you get when the picture first gets published. If your followers are mostly within your industry and they like and comment on your pictures, it will be more beneficial than a lot of likes from people who aren’t in your industry at all. This way, your picture has a better chance of going viral and getting featured on the discovery page, which will lead to more followers.
Post Visual and Emotional Content Consistently
If people aren’t bonding with your content and it’s not visual and emotional, they’re not going to keep following you and commenting on your content. If your content is visually appealing and you’re doing it consistently, people will keep following you.
Need help with your social media marketing strategy? WSI OMS can help you. Contact us for more information today.
by Francois Muscat | Oct 18, 2017 | Instagram, Social Media Marketing
Instagram has changed a lot over the past few years. Some brands are making a few avoidable mistakes. The social media marketing gurus at WSI OMS point out some of the top ones:
Not having a cohesive visual strategy
If you are selling visual products, then you need to have a cohesive theme on your page. You don’t want to be posting memes one day, pastel coloured nature pictures the next, and wacky upbeat photos a few days later. Consider your brand, your corporate colours, and what you want to achieve from your Instagram page. Using a specific filter and consistent photo editing techniques can help you create a golden thread throughout all of your Instagram posts.
Ignoring Instagram Stories
Getting started with Instagram stories can be a bit intimidating, but this feature is so useful that companies can no longer ignore it. In June 2017, Instagram Stories was being used by 250 million people every day, far eclipsing Snapchat, which has 166 million total users.
The feature has also evolved and changed a bit over the past few years. After you have finished broadcasting a live video on Instagram Stories, you have the option to share it to your story for 24 hours before it disappears (you can also choose to discard it immediately).
Brands can use Instagram Stories in smart ways, for example by encouraging signups to an event or webinar by posting a link at the end of the video, by including location tags and hashtags (which are searchable), and by creating exclusive Instagram content that would encourage more people to follow you on this platform.
Need help with your Instagram marketing? Then contact WSI OMS today.
by Marianna Muscat | Sep 5, 2017 | Instagram
Instagram, the most popular photo-sharing application on the web, has come a long way since its inception in 2010. It is now considered by many to be among the top 5 social media marketing apps out there – and is a must for businesses looking to increase website traffic and online conversions. Read on for some helpful advice in terms of using Instagram to your advantage, increasing sales, developing your company’s reputation, and growing your following.
Create Shopable Content
Did you know that Instagram now gives you the option to link products to your images? Therefore, if an individual wants to learn more about the product, or wants to buy it, he or she can do so with one simple click! Others who don’t can simply enjoy the image posted for its aesthetic value.
Share User Generated Content
This is a great tip for all social media marketing platforms, not just Instagram! Studies have shown that consumers feel more at ease about a brand if the brand shares content that features real people as opposed to celebrities or stock photos.
Get in Touch with Influencers
In order to increase sales, you will also need to increase the number of followers on your Instagram page simultaneously. A good way to do this is to work with a few influencers who are relevant to your business in some way. By simply mentioning your brand or your products / services, they are likely to generate an impressive amount of new followers for you!
Do you want to take your social media marketing efforts to the next level? If so, you will need the right online marketing agency on your side. Enter WSI OMS. With a focus on social media marketing, content marketing and SEO, we can help to make a real name for your business within the digital realm. Contact us today for more information about our extensive range of services.
by Francois Muscat | May 30, 2017 | Instagram, Social Media Marketing
Instagram is a mobile photography application that Facebook bought for $1 billion in 2012. Let’s see how it all started and lead to the BIG take over and how the company is doing now.
This is 139 facts and stats about the app that shook the mobile photography world.
Click the image above to find out more about facts and stats about Instagram
by Francois Muscat | May 22, 2017 | Instagram, Social Media Marketing, Twitter
Hashtags have become commonplace in social media marketing, making it easier for you to reach specific audiences and encourage more engagement from both your followers and your potential soon-to-be followers. However, using hashtags isn’t as clear-cut as it may seem. Here are four of the biggest hashtag mistakes that businesses are making on Twitter and Instagram:
- Making them too long
Hashtags always make more of an impact when they are short and sweet. For example, #weloveshoes is going to get a better response than #headoverheelsinlovewithshoes. Not only is it easier to read, it leaves you with more available characters with which to grab your audience’s attention in the form of a catchy sentence of two, or valuable information about the product.
- Not doing proper research
Once you have come up with a hashtag that you want to use, type it into the search bar before you go for it. The chances are quite high that it is already in use, so you will need to establish whether you want to join/add to the current conversation that is being had… or use a different hashtag and start a conversation all of your own that is unique to your brand.
- Using too many
While hashtags are great for targeting the right audience, using too many can be overwhelming and annoying – and it can also make you come across as desperate. Play it safe by using a maximum of 2 hashtags per post.
- Not promoting your hashtag
So, you’ve come up with an awesome hashtag? Great stuff! Now don’t forget to promote it! Ultimately, it won’t have much of an impact on your digital marketing strategy if nobody knows that it exists. Remember, you don’t just have to promote your new hashtag online – you can (and should) do it offline too. For example, you can include it in flyers, on your billboard ads and even on your business cards.
Want to know more about social media marketing and how WSI OMS can help you with your online advertising (content marketing, SEO, link building, PPC, etc.)? Then be sure to get in touch with us today.
