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<\/p>\nInstagram has evolved far beyond a fun way to share photos or promote your brand. With its ever-evolving features and interactive elements, Instagram is a primary marketing tool for brands across all industries.<\/p>\n
To take full advantage of the platform\u2019s powerful brand marketing capabilities, there are several Instagram best practices social media marketers should keep in mind for 2023. From working with creators to prioritizing video content, there are plenty of tactics to focus your Instagram marketing on, whether you\u2019re starting from scratch or have plans to take your brand\u2019s Instagram strategy to new heights.<\/p>\n
Below, we\u2019ve rounded up 11 Instagram best practices for 2023 so you can make sure your brand is ready to stay ahead of the competition.<\/p>\n
Your audience drives everything on Instagram so it only makes sense to create content that\u2019s tailored to their interests and desires. But to do that, you need to understand who your audience is and what type of content they engage with.<\/p>\n
Start by taking a look at your audience demographics. What is the average age and gender of your followers? What about their geography? You should also have an idea of what your followers\u2019 interests are. Compare what you know about your audience to your current content and see what\u2019s performing well. By tracking which posts perform well, you can also gain insight into what your followers are engaging with, whether that\u2019s static meme posts or inspirational Reels.<\/p>\n
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For example, in our analysis of a food brand on Instagram, we can see that the brand\u2019s most common post type is a Reel but carousels generate the highest engagement<\/a>. This could mean that the brand\u2019s audience prefers to scroll through images rather than watch a video.<\/p>\n Stay tapped into what your audience engages with so you can serve them the content they want more of.<\/p>\n Pro tip:<\/b> If you\u2019re starting from scratch, you can even ask your audience what type of content they want to see. Use questions or polls in your Instagram Stories to interact and get their input.<\/p>\n According to the 2022 Instagram Trends Report<\/a>, which surveyed Gen Z users ages 13-24, four out of five agree that social media and other online celebrities have more influence on culture than traditional celebrities. The report also found that \u201c83% believe that creators have as much influence as online influencers, if not more.\u201d<\/p>\n The difference between a creator and an influencer is subtle but important to note. Traditional influencers use their personal brand to influence their audience to purchase products. Creators, on the other hand, are solely focused on creating content. Think Reels or TikTok videos. While a creator may naturally influence people who follow them, their primary goal is simply to create content.<\/p>\n Gen Z\u2019s inclination toward authenticity<\/a> demonstrates why digital creators have garnered more credibility than traditional celebrities or influencers these days: it\u2019s all about being real. Creators seamlessly incorporate products into their content which gives them a natural and relatable vibe.<\/p>\n So, how does this translate for social media marketers planning their 2023 Instagram strategy? While the data above is especially important if your brand\u2019s primary audience falls into the Gen Z category, this report also points to a larger trend of leaning on online creators to create content.<\/p>\n If you want to dip your toes into working with creators, consider micro influencers. While the industry definition of a micro influencer varies, a micro influencer is typically considered someone with a following anywhere between 10,000 and 50,000. If you don\u2019t have the budget or a product to create a full-fledged micro influencer marketing strategy<\/a> just yet, take advantage of user-generated content by staying tapped into the accounts your audience is interested in.<\/p>\n Keeping up with a consistent posting schedule has always been important and will continue to be a top Instagram marketing best practice in 2023. When it comes to exactly how often to post<\/a>, we recommend posting at least four times per week on Instagram. According to our 2022 Social Media Benchmark Report<\/a>, the average brand posts on Instagram about 4.5 times per week.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re thinking, \u201cI don\u2019t have the time\/energy\/resources to post on Instagram nearly every day!\u201d<\/i> that\u2019s okay. You don\u2019t necessarily need to post on Instagram daily to make an impact. In fact, the top 25% of brands on Instagram post about 3.5 times per week, which is less than the median brand. Every brand is different, but the key is consistency. Find a cadence that makes sense for your brand based on when and how often your audience is engaged with your content, and stick to it.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve found that the best time to post on Instagram<\/a> can vary depending on the industry. But to really understand what works best for your brand, dig into Instagram Insights to see when your audience is most engaged with your page.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve identified a posting frequency that works, stick to a schedule to maintain steady engagement. Consider using tools to help you stay on track like a content calendar and a social media scheduling platform<\/a>.<\/p>\n You don\u2019t have to be a social media industry veteran to know that Instagram is always evolving. From new features to algorithm changes, savvy social media marketers must be able to adapt quickly to incorporate new features into an existing strategy. And something to prioritize in 2023 is Instagram\u2019s TikTok-like feature, Reels.<\/p>\n Instagram has made a point to prioritize video content in order to keep up with its competitors, TikTok and YouTube and the interactive element is not showing signs of slowing down on the app anytime soon. Plus, as of mid-2022, any new video (under 15 minutes) posted on Instagram is automatically shared as a Reel<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you need inspiration for your Reels strategy<\/a>, look to the higher education industry. Colleges and universities don\u2019t shy away from using Reels to share a captivating look into campus life. The University of Iowa, the top-performing school overall according to our Higher Education Social Media Engagement Report<\/a>, has embraced Reels to position its school as a desirable option for prospective students \u2014 and has generated incredible engagement rates as a result. One of the school\u2019s most successful Instagram posts was this Reel which generated an engagement rate 46 times higher than the median Instagram engagement rate.<\/p>\n And the best part about Reels is you don\u2019t have to reinvent the wheel when it comes to content creation. If you\u2019re already creating videos on TikTok, you can easily reshare those on Instagram. Top convenience store Kwik Trip gets the most out of this strategy by reposting successful TikToks as Reels \u2014 that end up performing just as well.<\/p>\n Plus, because reels can be discovered in multiple places throughout the app \u2014 in the main feed, a dedicated tab on your profile, and on the Explore page \u2014 there\u2019s an even greater chance they\u2019ll reach more users.<\/p>\n While we\u2019ve found that photos, specifically carousels, still perform well on the platform, Instagram\u2019s focus on video elements is a sign that video should be incorporated into your Instagram marketing strategy in 2023 if it isn\u2019t already.<\/p>\nInstagram Best Practice #2: Leverage creators and micro influencers<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nInstagram Best Practice #3: Post content consistently<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nInstagram Best Practice #4: Embrace Reels<\/h2>\n
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