Instagram is a great platform for businesses to build their customer base and to convert followers into paying customers. But it requires a distinct marketing strategy. There are several tips and tricks to increase engagement on your Instagram account. These include incorporating user-generated content, creating branded hashtags, and more.

When deciding on what type of content to share, consider the goals of your Instagram campaign. For instance, do you want to drive traffic to your website? Are you launching a new product or service? If so, create a promotional offer to drive first-time sales. It is also important to promote your account to other social media channels.

If you are new to social media, start by setting goals and objectives. Identify your target audience and their age, interests, and pain points. For example, your target audience might be millennials.

Using branded hashtags can help you organize content and make it more discoverable. But it’s important to keep them short. Adding more than 11 hashtags may look unprofessional. It’s best to use hashtags related to your business, and it’s also a good idea to incorporate hashtags that are used by your competitors.

In addition to user-generated content, brands can promote their brand by featuring other influencers in their posts. By doing so, you can increase awareness of your brand and build a community around it. For example, athleisure brand Athleta uses the hashtag #PowerofShe. The tag fits the company’s mission of empowering women.

Another way to engage your audiences is through contests. This allows you to get feedback from your audience, which can help you improve your marketing strategy. For this, you’ll need to determine what kind of contest you want to run, as well as the hashtags to use. For more information on these, check out Social Media Examiner’s article, “How to win an Instagram contest.”

In addition to these tips, it is essential to experiment with different content types. This is the easiest way to find out which ones work for your business. You can try out polls, quizzes, and more. You can also test out different functions of the platform, such as adding a QR code or generating an image. By doing so, you can learn more about how your Instagram marketing strategies are working.

A strong call-to-action (CTA) is essential in driving Instagram traffic. You can also combine your CTA with a URL to drive users to your website or to your landing page. You can add a custom color to your QR codes and emoji patterns.

It’s also a good idea to create an editorial calendar to help you manage your Instagram account. This will allow you to stay on track and save you time. You can also use polls, quizzes, and other forms of content to interact with your followers.

It’s also important to take note of what hashtags get the most interaction. This will help you determine the most effective hashtags to use. It can also help you learn which hashtags are most popular for your competitors.