Six Strategies for Gaining Instagram Followers

As Instagram continues its meteoric rise in both monthly user base and saturation metrics, it makes sense for businesses to get on board. Statistics show that engagement rate on Instagram is much higher than either Facebook or Twitter. Not making Instagram a part of your marketing campaign is a mistake your business cannot afford to make.

With that in mind, here are a few strategies on how to grow your Instagram following:

Post Daily

Get into a regular flow when posting to Instagram, but don’t inundate your followers with content. A few times a day is probably the ideal number. Quality content combined with consistency will do more to drive up your number of followers than flooding their feeds will.

Share on a regular basis so you can discover what works best for you and your business. Provide creative, engaging content, and you’ll be rewarded with not only more supporters, but followers that are interested in your content.

Promote User Content

A great way to promote user content is to take fantastic content from other creators, and put it on your Instagram account. Be sure to give credit to the original producer of the material, though. Show off the unique and uncommon stories your users have to tell, and when you do, make sure to add hashtags that point back to your business.

Photo Contest

Photo contests are a fun way to share your brand while gathering photos from followers under a theme. Be sure to get involved in the contest yourself while sharing it across multiple platforms. But don’t be in a hurry. Allow users time to hear about the contest and participate.

Make sure the rules are clear and concise, so you avoid confusion with the contest. If you’re unsure of how to proceed, find a business to partner up and double the audience.

Understand Hashtags

Hashtags are an essential part of Instagram, and using the right hashtag can make the difference between a post that falls flat and one that shoots to the top of your followers feeds.

To determine the appropriate hashtags to use, peruse the content of those similar to your own. You can search for and record hashtags that are relevant to your brand, then use them in your content to drive traffic to your business.

Filter Selection

Instagram filters are fun, but also a little confusing. Which ones should you use to drive views and engagement? Pay attention to the responses you receive depending on the filter you use. Some tend to lead to more views, while others may contribute to a higher number of comments. Play around with them and find the ones that work best for your business.

Engage

Really engage with your followers. A list of all the greatest tips and tricks will be helpful, but they’re never going to compete with rolling up your sleeves and getting dirty on the platform. Be intentional about leaving thoughtful, engaging comments, like photos that strike you as meaningful.

Find new people to follow on a regular basis, interact with them, and respond to their questions and comments. Doing so will result in natural and organic growth for your Instagram platform.

Gaining followings on other social media networks can feel like you’re beating your head against a wall, but that doesn’t have to be the case with Instagram. Create engaging, quality content and connect with your followers.

The way you engage with your followers will have a direct impact on how your account increases. If you’re willing to help others, word will spread, and growth will occur. For additional help, you can check out DFY’s lead generation system.

Optimize Your Website for Mobile Users

Today’s marketplace is becoming more and more mobile, as stats suggest that nearly fifty percent of commerce is completed via a mobile device. What does that mean for you and your business? It’s time to optimize your website and make it mobile friendly.

The key term you need to remember is mobile. Mobile visitors are looking for a streamlined version of your site. They do not want to see a lot of useless information like staff bios and mission statements. Their goal is to get in, get the information they need, and get out.

Here are a few things to consider when designing your website for mobile devices.

1. Keep it Simple

Simplify your sight. Then simplify it again. Then again. Your goal here is to strip out as much useless information as possible. Put yourself in the shoes of your target customer. What are they looking to accomplish?

You only have so much real estate to work with, so it’s essential that you provide visitors the information they want as concisely as possible. Drive the sales process by keeping your mobile site succinct and straightforward.

2. Branding

Optimizing your site for mobile web pages doesn’t mean it ceases to be your site. Find clever ways to incorporate your branding into your mobile site. Remember, this is still a brand touchpoint, so you want to be sure to promote and reflect your brand.

Use similar themes and colors across your platforms to provide a consistent experience for your customers. You want them to have a similar experience on the mobile site, as they would have on your standard site.

3.  Avoid Text Entry

While there is some business that will not be able to get away from this no matter how much they try, you’ll want your site to avoid requiring customers to enter data. Instead, try using checklists, dropdowns, or pre-populated menus.

4. Scroll on Through

Try to avoid implementing ‘pinch and zoom’ sites, as most users become frustrated with the experience this provides. Instead, focus on offering a smooth and pleasant scrolling experience, with a standard menu, and plenty of space between buttons. When creating your mobile site, keep in mind that visitors will be using their fingers, instead of a mouse pointer.

5. Scale it Down

You’ve dedicated days and weeks to create an impeccable experience for your users on your standard website. The UI is beautiful, and the site is flawless. The only problem is that it doesn’t scale to mobile.

Remember that people will view your site on smaller screens, and since most users will see it on a smartphone, both landscape and portrait mode are important. With nearly five hundred different screen sizes, you’ll want to come up with a mobile-optimized landing page.

6. Easy Interaction

This one we touched on briefly, but it should go without saying that your users want to be able to interact with your mobile site without a lot of hassle. With that in mind, consider some of the actions that can make  for an better mobile experience..

You can include links to things like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, maps, email, LinkedIn, and a multitude of other areas. Make it easy for your customers to find and connect with you.

Remember that you want to provide a seamless, simple, easy to use experience for your customers. Make sure your page is optimized for web usage and does not lead users to a blank loading page or an inconsistent site.

Develop a mobile strategy, put it into place and optimize your website for mobile users. DFY’s lead generation system can help.

A Halt in Traffic: Lack of Reviews is Effecting Your Business and Here’s Why

Reviews are a great way for your customers to get an idea of what your customer service is like. Through reviews they know what services your offer, how well you offer them, and the quality of your products without even leaving their home. Reviews are also a valuable tool for a business to know what their customers think about them. It’s a convenient way to get honest feedback of your services and find out what you need to fix to keep your customers satisfied. What your customers say about you is just as much advertising for your business as any marketing strategy you could employ. It’s unfiltered, honest, and sometimes a bit dramatic. While reviews can be loud and sometimes deceiving, no reviews at all can garner the same effect. Are no reviews better than bad reviews? Read ahead to find out. Is your business good or bad? No one knows… 90% of consumers read online reviews before visiting a business. If there are no reviews, there’s no way for a potential consumer to know whether your business is worth visiting or not. Google has made it convenient to avoid businesses that have a bad reputation without setting foot near their actual establishment. Ensuring good customer service, professionalism, and reliability are now easier than ever. While this has made the shopping process easier on the consumer, the same can’t be said for businesses. Why would a customer visit a business with no online reviews when they can find a place that people can confirm they will have a good experience? Place yourself in the mindset of a consumer. When you’re looking for a product or service, chances are you are not in the mood to experiment with quality and service. A business with a lack of reviews leaves much to the imagination. Unfortunately, reviews are one of those things that without them, people will stay away. How do you get more reviews to establish the authenticity and reliability that you know your business has? Encourage customers who buy a product to review your business at the check-out counter or shopping cart Follow-up with a customer to see how they like their product or service and ask permission to publish their responses or quotes Customers can’t trust your business As with anything, rather than jump into something they know nothing about, customers like to do a little research about a business before they visit. They want to know all about who you are, what you do, and how you do it. It’s fair to say you wouldn’t hand your money over to a stranger. Neither would a potential customer trust a business they know nothing about. For instance, if you’re looking to get your wedding cake made, an online review of a local bakery could go a long way. What does this bakery offer? What do their cakes taste like? Are the bakers experienced in making what I want? Will they deliver on time? You’re not going to go to a bakery that has no reviews. What if you get stuck with a cake that looks terrible or tastes… not like cake? Your customer is the same. 72% of customers say that positive reviews make them trust a local business more an 88% of customers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. Don’t make the review process a chore It’s common for people to think “I had a good experience with this company. I don’t feel compelled to write a positive review because if my experience wasn’t positive, then I would let people know about it”. This mentality follows the idea that people are more likely to post negative reviews rather than positive ones. You need to encourage your customers to move away from this mentality and share their good experiences, just as they share the bad. Just because there are no positive reviews doesn’t mean there are no positive experiences—but your customers don’t know that. Increase the amount of positive reviews for your company by making the review process as easy and attractive as possible: Send a direct link to your profile on review sites Encourage your customer to rate your company on Facebook Provide incentive for posting a review Create a memorable customer service experience worth sharing A few reviews are better than no reviews. Make it a point to share your positive reviews across social media platforms for maximum visibility. The importance of online reviews Business that are “comfortable” with their following and can’t complain about their profits tend to ignore online reviews. They are satisfied with what they can see in front of them, but they have no idea how the internet could ruin their reputation or stunt them from growth. Online reviews influence: Buying decisions Online rankings Conversion rates Customers are likely to spend 31% more on a business with “excellent” reviews. Businesses that neglect the importance of online reviews are missing out on profits. They’re not necessarily losing money but they could be making a lot more. There will always be competitors. Online reviews affect how you fare against local competition and can keep you aware of your shortcomings. The more honest reviews you have, the more your product will sell because customers must find out for themselves if what is being said is true. These reviews are sincere and show that your company has nothing to hide. Click here for my done-for-you system to discover more about the power of online reviews and the success of your business or to learn more about successful internet-marketing strategies.