Have you hit a plateau on your Instagram follower count? Or is this number intensely stagnated to the point where the marginal increase hardly makes a difference?
This issue could be due to several reasons. For starters, it could be the quality of the content (or lack thereof). Your followers may be tired of seeing the same or similar things over and over again.
This fatigue may cause them to gloss over your posts resulting in a decline in the audience engagement, thereby causing the premature demise of your marketing strategies. This drop in the user engagement levels may also restrict the reach of your post.
Clearly, now is the time for you to reinvent your Instagram marketing!
Here are some actionable ways in which you can boost your Instagram presence:
Partner With Influencers
It can be challenging to capture a long list of followers organically. And, of course, you cannot go and buy a string of bot or sketchy accounts as followers.
Fortunately, tapping into the influencer market can be an exceptional growth hack to grow your Instagram following. This trick is even more effective in the fashion industry!
Influencer marketing offers you a unique opportunity to get into the limelight of someone else’s brand. In the process, you can borrow some of their followers who may be interested in your products.
You can share a collection or the entire wardrobe with a social media influencer and ask them to give you a shoutout in return. Of course, anybody who loves what you have in store is bound to check you out! Alternatively, you can ask them to share reviews or carry out a takeover of your account where they talk about all your fashionable products!
Leverage Instagram Stories
Instagram Stories may have only been around for a couple of years, but it has emerged as a powerful tool for editing and creating content. Instagram Stories are available only for a period of 24 hours, and hence, you should make every second of it count, because when done right, you can enjoy its benefits for days, if not weeks, to come!
You can use Instagram Stories to share exclusive content. Is your brand conducting a photoshoot on a new set of products? Share all the behind-the-scenes action! Are you hosting a fashion week? Let your followers stay up to date on all the happenings.
Apart from this, you may also use it to advertise your fashion wares or connect with followers on a human level.
Use Highlights to Build Collections
Instagram Stories may only last 24 hours, but Highlights live on forever!
You can use Instagram Highlights to build and develop collections that are pinned to your Instagram profile until you remove them. These highlights can be extremely useful in curating a user experience that speaks volumes about your brand. Take a look at the Instagram handles of Forever21, Balenciaga, and Dior, and you can get a clear picture of how you can use it to market your brand.
Create dedicated collections and follow a consistent naming practice, such as Spring 2019, Fall 2020, and so on, to help those browsing through your brand offerings. You can even use Instagram Story Highlights to create themed icon sets and new products in the line. For the former, you can use cool tags, such as Inspiration, FAQ, New In, Spotted, What’s Trending, etc.
Make Use of #Hashtags
Whether you put in all your efforts to make a video or capture the perfect moment – your post is essentially useless if it cannot be discovered.
How can you ensure that Instagram users stumble upon your posts and eventually to your profile?
The answer is simple – through hashtags.
You should invest in researching hashtags that relate to your industry and brand. Observe what the competitors and influencers are posting, and identify the pattern. Once you have figured it, try them in your posts – monitor which keywords get engagement from your followers. Make use of a blend of narrow and generic hashtags to maintain your audience’s interests.
Involve Customers in the Marketing Activities
You will be surprised to see the effect user-generated content may have on getting new followers! Hence, recycle user-generated content to boost your marketing activities!
Most followers would be more than eager to share their experience to get featured on brand pages and earn a mini-influencer status.
Similarly, repost photos and content that users may have posted while tagging your brand. Make it a priority to respond to comments on your posts, and make every interaction enjoyable. Maintain a personal, raw, authentic, and human touch while talking to your followers. In the process, you will gain more respect and authority as a brand.
Encourage User to Shop Through the Feed
If your revenue is trickling down due to poor conversion, you need to work harder to redirect your traffic to where it matters most – your store!
Whenever you are sharing product images, make sure to find ways to help the user locate it on your website. Unfortunately, Instagram does not allow link-sharing in posts. However, you can share the SKU code and use the store link in your bio.
On the other hand, Instagram offers direct opportunities for users to shop directly on the social media platform. This is a better alternative as you can now transform your Instagram account into a storefront! It acts as an extension of your eStore and shared instant access to the product details, pricing, and other information that a buyer may seek. Accounts can also include captivating CTA buttons and clickable prices.
Do bear in mind that being overly promotional may seem off-putting for your clients. Hence, use these features sparingly.
Final Thoughts
Instagram is a great way for fashion brands to build and gain a stellar reputation. As a fashion brand, you must create your authentic style rather than aping a different brand. Be creative, and the platform will reward you accordingly!
The platform is busy and fast-paced, with no room for stagnation. With the above tips, you can break out from the rut and keep things moving.