Instagram engagement: how to engage your target with your B2B brand
Instagram engagement is an expression widely adopted by social media professionals to define the key factor that governs the Instagram algorithm.
The magic of audience interaction on Instagram
The days when you published a post and it was seen by all your contacts have long gone down in history. Today some photos become very popular and others disappear from your followers' feeds within minutes. Although Instagram has never confirmed the existence of engagement as an algorithm factor, the truth is that there has to be a guideline that this social network follows to decide if a certain post will be seen by many users or just by a few.
In this article we explain some of the secrets of Instagram engagement. Not only to reach a wider audience, but above all to make your target connect with your brand. The end goal is always to achieve your sales goals.
Engagement ratio
We call the engagement ratio the value of the interactions achieved by an Instagram post. These can be likes, comments, video views, private messages, reactions and responses to stories, shared content, tagged posts, etc.
How to calculate your Instagram engagement rate
Instagram engagement rate is calculated in a simple way. It is a simple sum of the number of likes, comments, reactions, etc., divided by the number of followers of the account.
The different social media management tools that are used in digital marketing campaigns, such as Hootsuite, Metricool, Facebook Business Manager, etc., offer slightly different calculations of the engagement ratio among them but are always internally consistent. In any case, the most important thing when optimising Instagram and other social networks is always continuous improvement.
How to increase your audience loyalty
Post regularly
Just like in any other social network, to grow your brand on Instagram you have to publish regularly. The data shows that brands that post more often perform better, but this doesn't mean you should post just for the sake of it. The content has to be interesting for your target. It is better to publish fewer posts and capture their interest.
Get the most out of Instagram stories
Instagram stories are already established among users, and more than 500 million people view them regularly every day. Resources like polls, questions, or quizzes are a great way to boost audience interactions. Use them to educate your target about your products and services or gather information about their opinions, preferences and tastes.
Promote the creation of content about your brand
Create a hashtag that your followers can use to share their good experiences with your brand. Customers will feel more connected and engaged.
Mention, react, share
You can’t just wait for your audience’s interaction. Your B2B brand also has to mention other users, react to their posts or even share the stories or positive publications in which they mention you.
Use video, also live video
Videos generate more engagement than photos, and live video generates maximum user interaction. This format is especially suitable for products and services of a certain complexity, as B2B industrial products and services usually are. You can use it to launch a new product, show your facilities, hold a webinar or tutorial, etc.
Make the most of your bio link
You can’t include any links in your Instagram posts. So you should make the most of the link that you can include in your biography. Update it frequently, depending on your strategic objectives. In your post texts, guide your audience towards the bio link so they can subscribe to a newsletter, buy a product or service, etc. There are tools that make it easy to include several links in the same space.
Also use the 150 characters available in the bio text to create a strong call to action.
Post carousels
In a single Instagram post you can publish up to 10 photos or videos. This solution can be practical for presenting a product from different angles, colours, step-by-step instructions, before and after photos, etc.
Use emojis
Including emojis in the texts of the posts multiplies the reads, likes and comments. In short, it increases engagement on Instagram.
Connect with human beings
A B2B Instagram account must be authentic and original. Try to avoid stock images and focus on the people who are part of your company. Human beings connect with other human beings.
Avoid excessive promotion
Related to the previous point, your content on Instagram should not be excessively promotional.
Invest in digital advertising campaigns
Advertising campaigns are one of the legs that sustain a B2B strategy on Instagram, since they allow you to access users beyond your brand's followers. Instagram ads must be very well segmented to reach your target. Their content must be interesting and encourage interaction.
