{"id":32512,"date":"2023-05-16T23:25:39","date_gmt":"2023-05-16T23:25:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/?p=32512"},"modified":"2023-05-16T23:25:39","modified_gmt":"2023-05-16T23:25:39","slug":"instagram-engagement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/blog\/instagram-engagement\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Increase your Engagement on Instagram"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you feel like your brand\u2019s Instagram engagement could use a boost lately, you\u2019re not alone.<\/p>\n

In 2023, organic Instagram engagement rates have dipped below the rates for previous years. But that doesn\u2019t mean there aren\u2019t opportunities to turn that engagement around for your brand.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s go over what a good engagement rate on Instagram is in 2023 and ways to increase it using a mix of reliable and creative tactics.<\/p>\n

What is a Good Engagement Rate on Instagram?<\/h2>\n

Before you can work on ways to improve your engagement, you have to know what a good engagement rate on Instagram is these days.<\/p>\n

At Rival IQ, we define engagement as measurable interaction on social media posts, which includes likes, comments, favorites, retweets, shares, and reactions. Engagement rate is calculated based on all these interactions divided by total follower count.<\/p>\n

Engagement rate = measurable interaction \/ total follower count<\/b><\/p>\n

According to our 2023 Social Media Industry Benchmark Report<\/a>, the median engagement rate on Instagram is 0.47% across all industries.<\/p>\n

While every industry performs differently on the platform, 0.47% is considered a good Instagram engagement rate in 2023. You can use this number as a benchmark as you set out to improve your rate or you can dive into the specific rates for your industry. Using competitive benchmarks<\/a> to measure your social performance and engagement rates helps you better understand where you stand within your industry and against similar brands.<\/p>\n

8 Ways to Increase Your Engagement on Instagram<\/h2>\n

Now that you have a better idea of what to aim for when it comes to organic engagement, let\u2019s go over the different ways to boost your brand\u2019s engagement rates on Instagram.<\/p>\n

1. Use Reels<\/h3>\n

There\u2019s no denying it \u2014 Reels are officially the most engaging post type on Instagram<\/a>. As Instagram continues to prioritize video to keep up with TikTok and YouTube, Reels have made their way into people\u2019s feeds more than ever.<\/p>\n

And brands that have already made Reels a major part of their Instagram strategy are seeing the benefits. Case in point: Using Reels helped Kwik Trip become one of the top convenience stores on social media<\/a> and earn seven times more engagement than its other posts.<\/p>\n

\"Reels<\/p>\n

If you haven\u2019t created a Reel yet for your brand, don\u2019t think you need to be a world-class videographer to get started. Rest assured, creating short-form videos on social media doesn\u2019t need to be fancy or highly produced. All you need is a phone to capture quick, lo-fi videos, and a sense of what trending audio, song, or text to use with it.<\/p>\n

2. Create community-first content<\/h3>\n

It can be easy to forget the social element of social media, but that\u2019s exactly what marketers need to prioritize in 2023 if you want to increase your Instagram engagement.<\/p>\n

Whether you manage social for a sports team or a beauty product, your followers are part of your community. They want to feel involved and they want to see themselves in your content. If you want to see a community-led strategy in action, take notes from Live Tinted<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In a recent conversation with Live Tinted\u2019s Brand Marketing Manager, Aya Diaz<\/a>, the marketer shared that when it comes to social content, the beauty brand prioritizes its loyal community. The small but mighty social team does this by \u201ccreating the content they want to see, answering the questions they have, and making sure the content we create is addressing product questions,\u201d she said. Diaz added that the brand\u2019s goal is to \u201cmake [our audience] feel heard and seen in the way of representation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Live Tinted takes its community\u2019s voice, feedback, and opinions into consideration not only for its content creation process but also for its product development which helps strengthen that trust and connection even more.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

Putting its community\u2019s needs at the forefront is clearly working for the beauty brand. It has an above-average engagement rate by follower of 1.9%, which is seven times greater than the median rate for health and beauty brands.<\/p>\n

Not only does this community-inspired strategy come through in the content creation process, but the brand also makes it a priority to have thoughtful, engaged interactions with followers.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe thing we never want to do is make [followers] feel like they\u2019re having a one-way conversation when they\u2019re commenting or messaging us,\u201d Diaz shared. \u201cIf we see people comment or ask the same question over and over again, [we will] make a video that addresses it and invites feedback.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

Sometimes the most effective engagement strategy is the most simple: Have conversations with your followers, listen to their feedback, and create content that they want to see.<\/p>\n

3. Tap into UGC<\/h3>\n

User-generated content is a goldmine for busy marketers.<\/p>\n

User-generated content, or UGC, is a great way to keep your content calendar full no matter how busy you get. When you keep a file full of UGC content that you\u2019ve been tagged or mentioned in, you never have to worry about running out of content \u2014 even during your busiest weeks.<\/p>\n

But UGC isn\u2019t just a time saver. The format is also a good way to get a lift in engagement. Because UGC doesn\u2019t look like branded content, it helps build social proof and trust in your brand. If a user sees your product being used in an organic way by a real person, it can spark their curiosity more than a post that was clearly created by your brand. When someone stumbles upon your UGC in their explore tab or feed, it can lead to profile visits, new followers, and even website clicks.<\/p>\n

The Reel below from Pley Beauty<\/a>, is a video Pley reshared from one of its followers. The video generated an engagement rate of 4.37% which is 18 times greater than the median rate for health and beauty brands. It also gave the brand an engagement rate lift that was more than double the rate compared to the average for similar posts.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Your customers and followers can be a great source of content ideas and inspiration. Keep an eye on your tags and mentions to make sure you\u2019re staying engaged with users and can stay on top of UGC opportunities.<\/p>\n

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