When we first started our Instagram account, we knew nothing about the social media platform. We were tired of the declining engagement on Facebook, and thought, “what the hell, let’s see what Instagram can do for our business.” Truth be told, there were many Instagram mistakes that were made.
We posted content that was specifically about what we had done that day and didn’t understand how to gain new followers. Honestly, we had no clue what we were doing.
But when we started paying attention and “getting serious” about Instagram so that we could create an income from it – we implemented a strategic plan. And it really worked!
Suddenly our Instagram had authority, it had legitimacy, a professional feel and a really clear purpose.
Time and time again, we see business owners making the same mistakes we did back then. So today, we wanted to share the seven most common Instagram mistakes and how you can fix them right away!
Mistake #1 Your Account Is Set To Private
Weird. That’s the vibe we get when we see a private account that wants to gain followers. Think about it…why would someone want to click request to follow when they don’t know what they will find?
Don't make your Instagram account private. People need to see what you're posting before they follow you! Click To TweetIf you have photos that you want to remain private, then create a new account for your business.
To ensure your account is not private, head to your profile, and below your profile photo, click “Edit your profile.” Then scroll down and ensure “Photos are private” is unchecked.
Mistake #2 Your Profile Is Not Optimized
Imagine this…someone finds one of your awesome images in their feed. They look at who posted it, thinking, “this person must have a KILLER feed, I’m gonna check them out!”
And then they click over to your Instagram profile and get confused.
Your profile bio doesn’t say anything about who you are, or what you do. Your photos are random and don’t seem to have a common theme. And your bio photo is some grainy iPhone selfie that hardly shows your face.
This is the exact moment they decide to swipe away from your profile because they had no reason to follow you.
There are 4 main elements to your profile:
- The Username
- The Profile Photo
- The Bio
- Call To Action (Url link)
These are SO important that we’ve decided to write an entire blog post about how to create a killer Instagram profile that converts.
Mistake #3 You Post Low Quality Images
Posting bad quality photos on Instagram is unacceptable. Posts that are grainy, blurry, and dark no longer cut it. You can’t put minimal effort into your Instagram and expect it to turn into a profitable enterprise.
The goal is to make people feel like your posts are so awesome, that they have to come back and look at it twice. They will heart it, like it and comment on it because it’s THAT epic.
Post epic visual content on Instagram to attract more followers. Click To TweetUse editing apps such as PicTapGo or Vsco to clean up your images before you post them. Even if it is just brightening your photo, and adding a bit of sharpening, it will make the word of a difference.
Mistake #4 You Don’t Post Consistently
You’re probably feeling guilty just reading that headline. Social media often gives the illusion that some creatives have this picture perfect life where everyday is “Instagram worthy,” but that just isn’t true (at least for us!)
Posting consistently is hard. It pushes you to be creative. Especially when there are days when there just isn’t anything interesting worth posting. You must be prepared for those days.
Plan your Instagram content in advance so you can relax on days you have nothing interesting to photograph. Click To TweetShoot photos throughout the week that you may want to post on Instagram. You can organize them in the Dropbox app so you always have access to them.
Remember: consistency builds trust and trust ultimately means business.
Mistake #5 You Hate Hashtags And Don’t Use Them
Their ugly, and maybe even spammy looking. We get it. But, that doesn’t mean they don’t work! Hashtags make it easy for you to categorize and organize your posts for people to find. If you add a hashtag to a photo, any time a person searches that keyword, your photo will show up.
That is powerful.
We believe in them so much that we’ve decided to dedicate an entire blog post to finding the best hashtags for your business.
Mistake #6 You Don’t Respond To Comments
Instagram is a SOCIAL media platform, therefore you must be social. The purpose of using Instagram is to engage and inform your followers. Ignoring comments makes it seem like you don’t appreciate their connection.
This is something even we have been working on. It can get overwhelming as your account continues to grow, however this is a huge Instagram mistake that you want to avoid.
To prevent this, simply respond to your comments and use the “@username (handle)” to tag them. Then they’ll get a notification which will remind them of you! This will encourage your followers to keep coming back to scroll through your feed.
When followers see that you like to engage, they are more likely to engage too.
Mistake #7 You Don’t Use Instagram Stories
This is a relatively new feature that Instagram offers, but it’s time to jump on it! People love to see behind the scenes of your daily business routine. Instagram stories is the perfect place to share those types of photos. You can even share short video snippets of things you are working on.
Share a tour of your office, your morning routine, some of your favorite office supplies…you get the idea! Invite them in, and share your story. No pun intended.
Before you go too crazy posting, make sure your content is relevant to your Instagram feed.
I really need to start using the instagram stories! This post is the kick I need :)
Super helpful!!! Can’t wait to read the hashtag blog post!
great tips! luckily i don’t think I’m making any of these but they are a great reminder!
I feel like my Instagram has such a mess lately… I think I’m mostly lacking inspiration and I find it difficult to have a cohesive theme. I think I need to start taking it more seriously, up my photography game and post more consistently!
This was a great read! I just started my Insta/Blog and was wondering how important it was to individually comment back to each person. Thanks for all the tips!
Xo, Alex
http://www.alexandrachristineblog.com
Sometimes if people start saying the same thing we just tag them in a group reply to say thank you. Although, when you reply to them individually, it makes them feel special and appreciated :)
So I’ve decided to post new articles less on my blog and focus more on promoting, increasing how many times I’m posting on Instagram as well, and it’s working wonderfully well.
I do need to work on responding to comments though, once it gets crowded I just stop responding unless a question is asked.
And I need to try out Instagram stories too :-)
Great info!! Thank you so much for the hlep!
Mistake #4 right here! The m you for sharing!
OMG I’ve done all of these! I think you nailed it lol. Following on Instagram!
Alix | http://www.apintsizedlife.com
Thanks for all these tips. Definitely need to get into posting more regularly.
Good tips. I really need to get better at responding to comments! I just got a new planner for 2017 to plan out my time on social media better, so I’m motivated to get in the groove with it!
Great tips! And with the new update it’s even easier to engage and reply!
My biggest issue is consistency. Some weeks, I’m able to post twice a day, every day and then other weeks, I have nothing to post at all. I also don’t tend to respond to Instagram comments simply because they’re always the same generic comment over and over again. If it’s a real genuine comment or they’re asking a question then I absolutely answer. But I mainly only answer on my blog, Facebook, and Twitter. And I don’t think I’ll ever be into the Instagram stories haha that’s a snapchat thing to me. I was so mad when Instagram took it!
Hello there! Thank you for all the great tips, 4 and 7 are my two biggest mistakes I guess… I’ll try to get better :-)
Looks like I am doing pretty good. I need to use Instagram stories though and I also need to do a better job planning out my content when I am NOT traveling. Thanks for the tips
These are all great tips! I just starting using Insta Stories – still trying to figure it all out!
I already apply all these tips, except Insta stories. I’m still hooked on Snapchat, and I feel lazy to be posting on both.
I’m totally guilty when it comes to answering comments. Thanks for bringing these amazing ideas up. All of this is so true.
Great tips! Please feel free to check us out @companybox1! We’d love to hear your feedback.
The information you have provided has been so helpful already and I have just been reading for 20 minutes! Thank you! Although I knew a few of the tips, it further validates that I need to step my game up! Thank you :)
@powerdesigshalifax
I have never even attempted an instagram story… but now that I have read your article… I will check this feature out ☺ @shannan.RN
I just recently made a lot of the tweaks you mentioned here so seeing that I’m on the right track is awesome. I am now fine tuning my message and my look. The things that don’t fit the feel, I put in a story. I wasn’t really using those before but I am learning. Thanks for the post and I feel like I’m heading in the right direction.
This post really helps me. These are common mistakes which we make. Thanks for sharing their fixing.
Keep it up!
This post really helps me. These are common mistakes which we make. Thanks for sharing their fixing.
Keep it up!
These 7 Instagram mistakes are genuine. Thanks for sharing the method if fixing. Keep it up!