Ashad RehmanWe live in an age and day where recognition is highly important. If you are a business that aspires to flourish, you need a certain level of social exposure which you can’t simply garner by staying rooted to run-of-the-mill, cliched digital marketing strategies of yore. We all want to stand above the competition and the only way we can is by creating an effective social awareness among your worldwide audiences. Do you seek the perfect exposure for your product/service? Do you want to maximize your following on Instagram? Do you wish people to see who you are or what you are capable of?
If so, Instagram is a potent platform that can offer you the edge you need. It has more than a billion accounts and is one of the fastest growing platforms. But even though it is such a magnanimous platform, it makes many of us wonder how we can give ourselves or our brand the exposure it deserves.
Instagram has a popular feature known as the “Instagram Explore Page.”
Do you wish to invest little effort and get maximum exposure in return on Instagram? This feature can help you achieve that and so much more in a brief period of time.
But before we talk about how you can make yourself appear on the Instagram explore page, let’s learn what the Instagram Explore Page is all about and how it functions. While we are at that, I will also discuss the importance of businesses appearing on the Instagram Explore Page.
What is Instagram’s, Explore Page?
Fun Fact: Do you know that Instagram has 800 million monthly users and 60% of them are always online.
In the world of social media marketing (specifically Instagram), if you want to put yourself into the limelight where your target customers can see you clearly, an Instagram’s Explore page is your best bet.
In simpler terms, Instagram’s Explore page expands your follower circle exponentially. The page works differently for different users. How is Instagram’s Explore page a gold mine for brands and businesses?
Whenever one of your followers likes a post you have published on your Instagram account, the same post starts appearing on your follower’s follower’s Instagram’s Explore page. As a result, a chain reaction is triggered wherein other individuals start liking your post and give a push to your exposure.
This way you get better engagement and more likes on your product/services. You also get the opportunity to sell newer products and connect with more users to expand your customer circle.
Before you know it, you have many new individuals following your Instagram account. And in just over a month, you will have thousands of followers. And in 3 months’ time, you will become a micro influencer.
How Does It Work?
Fun Fact: Did you know that 95 million photos are shared on Instagram every day?
Previously, Instagram had a Popular Page which opened a window into the lives of different celebrities actively sharing their moments on Instagram. However, the big downside of the Instagram Popular page was that it become quite less trendy as it was just considered a celebrity cove. Only people who were obsessed with gleaning a sneak-peak into the lives of their favorite celebrities would open Instagram.
With the introduction to Instagram’s Explore Page, things took a sharp turn. The algorithm behind Instagram’s Explore Page allowed users to explore content which they literally craved. Based on their previous interactions and engagements, the platform shaped itself differently for every individual. It caters to the requirement of every individual in the best possible way.
Showing things based on user interest transformed Instagram into a very realistic platform.
The 6 Step Formula to Hacking Instagram’s Explore Page for Business
Step # 1: Attract the Right Followers to Your Instagram Account
When sharing content on your Instagram account, you need to do your diligent research to determine what your targeted customers are seeking. It is because Instagram leverages the power of smart algorithms which are capable of extracting information based on your social media feeds.
Relevancy is the key when it comes to attracting the right followers to your business account.
Here’s what you need to do; you need to become an empath and put yourself into the shoes of your audience. Then you need to ask yourself the following questions:
- What elements associated with your product/service are entertaining for your client?
- Who is your target audience and what do they look like? What are their preferences?
- Who are your followers and which other business accounts are they following?
- What is the type of content which they engage themselves with or open up to?
Step # 2: Optimize Your Shared Content with Relevant Popular Hashtags
Fun Fact: Do you know that brands which have at least one hashtag have more than 12.6% more engagement, as compared to those which have no hashtags at all
Using the right hashtags for your Instagram posts is just one thing; knowing which hashtags are popular within your respective business is another. If you want to get maximum likes on your Instagram post, you need to work on your hashtag strategies. You need to find a mix of branded and unbranded hashtags and use them within your Instagram content. In this way, you will also reach new audiences.
So how much is too much or how much is too little?
You can use as much as up to 30 hashtags in a single post. While the right number of hashtags come around to 11, TrackMaven has declared that an optimal number is 9 if someone aims to increase engagement. You can also perform various tests on a single post and track through analytics. Certain hashtags have a better response rate as compared to others, as there is a greater audience influx on them.
Step # 3: Interact with Individuals Who Are Following You
In social media, posts that get high engagement are the ones that become more prominent. Same is the case with Instagram. When a certain post gets heightened engagement, it starts appearing on Instagram’s Explore page of your followers. Hence as a brand, your end-goal should be to create engagement.
Engagements not only increase your reach but also establish an essence of loyalty among customers. Audiences feel more satisfied when you show that you really care about them and value them.
Here’s what you can do to get a good amount of engagement on your Instagram posts. Start liking and commenting on posts which are published by other followers on Instagram. Just like in Facebook, Instagram favors posts that have more comments in comparison with those that solicit fewer likes. Therefore, it is a great strategy to seek out followers who bother to comment instead of just clicking on a heart.
Step # 4: Publish Your Unique Instagram Post at the Right Time
Fun Fact: Do you know that more than 50% of Instagram individuals follow brands, which distills down to the fact that Instagram is the best place to connect with audiences
Irrespective of the type of social media platform you use, unique content will readily trend anywhere and everywhere. Sometimes, brands take the element of uniqueness and use it in the most absurd ways. Do remember! When you are using unique elements, create the perfect relevancy of your post to the brand.
While adding a unique element is one thing; make sure that you do not compromise on the quality of your content. Excellent quality content decides where your Instagram post shows up on the Instagram Explore page.
As far as the timing is concerned, SproutSocial reveals that the best time for posting on Instagram is:
- The best time to post on Instagram is Wednesday at 3 p.m., Thursday at 5 a.m., 11 a.m., and 3 to 4 p.m. and Friday at 5 a.m.
- Thursday is the best day to post on Instagram.
- The safest times to post to Instagram are Tuesday through Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Sunday is the least engaging day for Instagram.
Step # 5: Encourage Actions Using Powerful Captions
Who doesn’t want audiences to take specific actions when they are interacting with your Instagram posts? If you are eager to get some attention, make use of powerful captions in your Instagram posts. Captions can contain a compelling description or a catchy tagline sending a message about the image. You can also add powerful call-to-actions (CTAs), which may encourage followers to engage with your post.
Some individuals publish their posts with open-ended questions, while others leverage an advertising catch. However, if there is one thing which is common in every Instagram caption, it is the use of hashtags.
We have seen that many Instagram accounts have acquired success by sharing funny pictures. However, I believe that is an unethical practice when you are running a full-fledged business. The reason why you shouldn’t share funny content on your account is that it attracts all the wrong type of audiences. And when you start marketing your service or product, all you get is a lot of noise which ultimately pushes back potential clients and customers.
In comparison, businesses that leverage the power of interactive CTAs are more likely to convert followers and get their hands on better-paying clients. See how beautifully Starbucks has marketed its latte in this Instagram post, and it didn’t even use any CTA. Yet, a simple elegant image remains the focal attraction.
Step # 6: Gain Additional Influence from Customers and Brands
The best way to increase influence on your brand is to tag other influencers in your Instagram posts. Tagging influencers is a great option because it helps you expand your reach on social media. Tagging potential influencers genuinely help you build authentic connections with other potential influencers.
For instance, you are visiting a cafe and suddenly you learn about this amazing guy wearing a shirt from your brand. You click his picture in the cafe and tag the guy as well as the cafe within your post. This way you will cultivate a genuine relationship with the CAFE and the INFLUENCER at the same time.
Moreover, you are also displaying an act of care where you are showing that you care about customers.
Some interactive ways to get more influence on your brand is by:
- Asking different brands directly to visit their location and promote your product.
- Asking different influencers to test your product and post a review about it.
- Mention brand names and influencer names and highlight them in your content.
- Start following new companies and give them the opportunity to market you.
The power of influential marketing is vast. It gives your brand an ultimate power and the perfect strength.
There are more than a billion Instagram accounts circulating the platform; hence, getting yourself ranked on the Instagram Explore page can sound like a cumbersome task. However, recent developments in the algorithm of Instagram has revealed that the Explore Page for every Instagram account is different.
Based on the choices an individual make, Instagram accounts are shaping their preferences accordingly. This feature has now allowed businesses to push videos and images on top of the search results.
It’s totally fine if you are not that savvy with social media marketing. We believe you are a man who wishes to maintain his focus on the businesses. At Branex, we are a digital marketing agency in London which is highly skilled in strategizing your social media influence. So, when was the last time you saw your vanity metrics crunching some amazing & powerful numbers? Connect with Us. Let’s discuss.
Add comment