Recently, Facebook has published a guide on assisting Instagram creators to get the most out of the platform. While it’s safe to assume that most creators out there already have a good command of the platform, it is worth noting how the finer details and nuances of the platform could affect IG creators. It comes straight from the horse’s mouth so any pointers here are well worth taking a note off.

Any regular SMT reader or anyone worth their salt in building an Instagram following would’ve probably known of these four items to keep in mind when communicating on Instagram

• Keeping it real
• Engage in creative storytelling
• Frequent and creative posts
• Get closer to your fans

Apart from the common pointers however, Facebook has included a few additional items to take note off when creating on the social media platform.

“Post at least once across Stories, Feed, Live and IGTV per week”

While it is common knowledge to post across all areas within the platform, the salient thing to note here is Facebook making a note of promoting only a minimum of one post per week, and not more.

“@mention fans and also remember to use the questions sticker in Stories to get your fans involved”

User engagement doesn’t get any better than this. Users can choose from a variety of filters, stickers and emojis, to name a few, all with the purpose of getting users to create a deeper connection and be more engaged on the platform. It is a great way to maximise story performance, and create headway in generating interactions with your users using direct prompts such as this.

“Make your fans see beyond the screen and feel like they’re with you during the moment.”

Share your moment with your fans, whether its a road trip, a reaction to a current moment, your favourite coffee shop, doing so would add a more authentic touch, which would bring you closer to your followers as they get a glimpse of your daily life. This is also another thing to consider if you’re stumped for ideas on what to post for Stories.

Upload longer stories

“You can now post longer videos to stories, recording past 15 seconds and up to 1 minute. It’s also now easier to upload multiple photos and videos at once.”

Using the Instagram camera, a thumbnail tray now appears at the bottom to tell you how many videos you’ve recorded

“Every 15 seconds of recorded or uploaded media is turned into its own video, and you can record up to four videos for a total duration of 1 minute in a single session.”

Instagram added the capability of selecting multiple images or videos from your camera roll with the ‘Select Multiple’ icon on the top right corner of your camera roll. Select up to 10 photos or videos which will then be transformed into their individual stories frames.

This now give users the ability to share longer stories and messages which greatly enhances the engagement potential.

Branded content

As influencer marketing enforces its stronghold on Instagram, being relevant and authentic are two key points that every IG user should bear in mind. The latter two points also apply to brands – businesses should collaborate with influencers whose content fits align with their strategy and tone of voice, taking advantage of an influencers’ target audience and creating a genuine image which speaks to them.

Promoting IGTV content

Specifically, Facebook suggests the following promotion schedule for any upcoming IGTV releases:

1. Three days before – Share behind-the-scenes content from your upcoming video on Stories.
2. Two days before – Post a countdown sticker to your Stories to create anticipation among users.
3. While uploading – Post a preview of your IGTV video on your Feed.
4. 1-10 minutes after – Use the IGTV share sticker in your Stories.
5. 1-10 minutes after – Post the permalink to your IGTV video across Facebook and other social apps.
6. 1 day after – Go Live and discuss reactions and/or comments regarding your IGTV video

While it is only a rough guide, this can be a useful outline to promote anything on the platform. Tailor the outline to suit your campaign and find out what works best for the campaign you’re seeking to boost.

Speak with us here and let us help you determine what works best for you!