Expert Instagram Content Management Tips

Looking for Instagram content management tips? There is no doubt that Instagram is a powerful social media network but managing the platform’s aggressive content demands can be overwhelming. Though content can be challenging to manage sometimes a bit of organization and a few savvy tips from inspiring content creators can be useful. In this post, we’ll share Instagram content management tips from experts who actually manage real IG brands. Let’s dig in and see what the pros have to say.

Be Flexible for Big Timely News

Niall Harbison, Founder of Happy Doggo also builds and manages large social media accounts. Niall experience growth hacking Instagram accounts makes him and excellent source for content management tips. Here’s some valuable insight from Niall.

While you might have a rigid content schedule that is optimized for peak times be sure to be completely flexible if something happens in your niche. Post-real-time content or news as quickly as you can (while maintaining the editorial quality of course) as a first-mover advantage is a big deal. If the content is big and timely enough and gets lots of traction don’t be shy to back it up with additional posts. The algorithms are smart enough to notice the reaction to the timely content and will reward you with a much bigger reach.

Using live content to match up with things like TV / Sports / News events captures the user with the second screen experience. You will quickly notice a huge increase in reach/engagement and organic followers if your content is good enough and timely.

I remember once filming a great sunset in a city where our news site was operating and sharing it on live and getting 50,000 viewers. Anybody could have looked out the window to see the same thing but it was made for tagging friends who were abroad or at work. This simple act is all about being fluid enough with your small team to capture those moments on the fly. The video resulted in 2000 new followers. Note: The goal is to help content managers and/ brand managers be more productive. The tip does not have to be complex but we’d really appreciate a personal anecdote or story behind the tip

Sell Without Selling

According to Fahad Ahmed, Community Manager for Social Champ which is a social media management tool, use techniques like sell without selling. Fahad explains this awesome content tip in greater detail below.

Sell Without Selling

That is the tip that helps us grow Social Champ on all social networks including Instagram.

Here’s how this tip work.

Users consider Instagram (pretty much every social media network) as a channel where they follow their interests. They follow brands, not because of an enhanced sense of loyalty but because they like the content posted by the brand.

So what’s selling without selling?

It’s simple: Do not push offers into the face of your audience. Rather, be that cool friend that tells a joke, recommends awesome stuff, and in general, help the users have an unobstructed experience.

What does this mean for any brand on Instagram?

Post content that retains the users’ interest in your brand. build the persona of a friend rather than a salesperson. If you need a tutorial, go check out Starbucks ‘ Instagram. Rather than pushing offers and discounts, they simply announce the availability of a seasonal drink with an eye-catching image. They leave it to the users to check out the recipe and prices. As a result, this hook compels a sizable audience to try out the drink and post pictures on their Instagram with a brand tag or hashtag.

This subtle selling without selling ensures Starbuck retains its persona of a brand preferred by everyone without having to post offers and coupons. This can be applied to any brand in both the product and services side of the game. Be the friend that entertains and offers good advice (in the form of issue-focused content), and you will see your Instagram presence grow exponentially.

Use IG Helper Extension

According to Brian Lim, Founder, and CEO of iHeartRaves, using extensions can help you with Instagram. iHeartRaves is a curator of all-over print clothing and world leaders in festival fashion. They currently gross about $30M a year and have been featured in the Inc. 5000 six years in a row. Brian Lim was featured on ABC’s Shark Tank and received a deal from Mark Cuban & Daymond John. This is what Brandon would like to share

We use the IG Helper extension on Chrome that allows us to download all our user-generated content directly from the Instagram website on desktop. It even saves with the username already in the title. This is valuable because it ensures we are able to leverage every piece of content that comes our way

Availability of the Right Content

According to Sanket Shah, CEO of InVideo, it is important for a content team to maintain a repository of articles with broader topics on a particular business organization, product, and other aspects. InVideo is a video creation platform that helps users transform content into some amazing videos in minutes. Take a look at Sanket’s Instagram content management tip below:

The most important factors in content management that I have faced so far are:

– Availability of the right content
– The right content publishing schedule

Availability of content is one major concern as it is not always possible to create new content whenever there is a new requirement. Therefore, to overcome this limitation, it is important for a content team to maintain a repository of articles with broader topics on their particular business organization, product, and other aspects. These pieces can be later used at any point. All that needs to be done is minor editing and you’ll have a ready piece to publish immediately.

The second factor, schedule, requires a foreseeable plan. You need to understand the frequency that needs to be maintained in your particular field to stay in touch with your audience and keep them posted regarding new developments with your organization or product/service. While creating this schedule you also need to consider the special events. This includes your product’s specification as well as your organization’s.. Divide your week into different halves and plan the type of content according to that. This can also help you save some major time that goes on deciding the next post’s content and optimize your content team’s daily proceedings.

Profile Your Audience

According to Marcin Stryjecki, SEO Project Manager and Chief Commercial Officer at Booksy, always use a business account for your Instagram and optimize your profile to show a professional image. Here is Marcin’s Content Management tip below:

First and foremost, always always use a business account for your Instagram to show a professional image. Next, optimise your profile, including a great, professional profile picture. Now, we get onto the nuts and bolts – you need to profile your audience and take the time to properly understand who they are, what they do and what they want – without this, you can’t possibly hope to achieve anything. Once you’ve done all of this, you need to create a strong and consistent ‘look’ in order to maintain brand image and avoid confusing people.

Needless to say, great visuals are of paramount importance with Instagram but, that’s only half the battle. You also need to put a lot of work into your photo captions. The main thing with Instagram for business is to create clearly defined goals – what do you want to do and, how do you intend to do it? As with any kind of marketing tool, you need to put a proper strategy in place to help you to achieve your end goal and make The ‘Gram work for you.

Focus on Behind-the-Scenes Content

According to Mike Nemeroff, CEO & Co-Founder of Rush Order Tees, focusing on behind-the-scenes was the game-changer for them on Instagram. Here is Mike’s content management tip below:

The game-changer for us with Instagram was focusing on behind-the-scenes content. Not only is this type of content easier to produce, but it also helps our brand keep from getting lost among the other ads and sponsored content posts that come into a person’s feed. Don’t underestimate how interesting your business looks from behind-the-scenes; novelty and a chance to peek behind the curtain count for a lot among interested followers.

Use Common Questions to Create Evergreen Content

According to Charlotte Sheridan, director of The Small Biz Expert which is a social media agency located in London, using common questions when creating content is very useful for brands. Charlotte has around 20 years of experience in this field and has a useful tip to share regarding content management:

All too often social media managers spend time trying to find new content ideas. A great base is to look at the questions your audience is asking. Look at comments on previous posts, ask your sales teams what customers often ask, look at the FAQ on your website. Try and get at least ten common questions, whether they are about delivery times, how you deliver your services or how you work.

This allows you to create a series of evergreen content that can always plug any content gaps, and can easily be repurposed with different images. It’s a great way to ensure that you have ready-to-go content whenever you are a little low on ideas.

Refresh them every six months.

Instagram as a Digital Magazine

According to Himanshu Shrivastava, Marketing Manager for DesignBro which is a Netherlands-based creative
marketplace startup, use your Instagram Profile as a Digital Magazine. Himanshu is experienced and awarded as a Digital Marketing professional. He has spent half a decade in advertising agencies, working with some of the top brands such as Tata Motors, Epigamia, UHG, Zensar Technologies & Tata Housing. This is what Himanshu would like to share with our Audience 

In the current age where the internet is filled with complicated strategies and industry jargons to confuse marketers, I believe an approach to content management should be rather simple. After working with clients across industries over the years, one tip that I would like to share is to consider your Instagram profile as a digital magazine. Simple right? If there are too many ads in the magazine, the audience will not like it and the same goes for your account.

Every piece of content needs to add value to the reader while being relatable and fun. Like a magazine, you can insert the product in there to promote, but it has to showcase the benefit to followers. If you follow this tip, you can plan what’s my this month’s issue will entail? You can then decide the content theme you want to implement and create a calendar accordingly. In my experience, the reliability quotient of content affects the overall performance most. That’s why, ensuring you have a theme, riding on trends and developing topical content helps you garner more engagement

Use Tools for Maximum Visibility

According to Ron, a digital marketing specialist and social media planner for our clients at Thrive Agency – a digital marketing agency based in Arlington. If you want to know what’s trending on Instagram use different tools for maximum content visibility. This is what Ron has to share regarding Content Management.

When it comes to Instagram content planning and strategy, don’t rely on your stock knowledge. There are tools that you can use to see what is trending on Instagram for maximum content visibility. Don’t forget to use Instagram Insights to help you determine which kinds of posts work best for your audiences—then, based on these data, improve your content.

You can also take a look at Instagram insights to determine when is suitable for you to post every day to maximize your reach – this is very crucial! Understand your audiences and provide them with meaningful content.

Lastly, always remember to be persistent with your posting on Instagram! This tip is valuable because viral marketing is big now on social media such as Instagram and Tiktok. You have to join the bandwagon and milk that to your advantage. For example, the Karen meme became a hit last year. Creating content that somehow relates to that meme can give you higher visibility – because the Instagram algorithm simply works like this! This is advantageous and can provide you with profile visits, especially from people who are not following you.

Use Instagram Stories to Engage your Audience

According to Dr. Saksham Sharda, Chief Information Officer at Outgrow.co. Outgrow is an Interactive Content and Informatics Company that has been ranked #1 B2B Tech Company in New York. It has also been the G2 Crowd Market Leader in the industry 8 times in a row. In 2020, Outgrow’s co-founders were listed as Forbes’ Top Young Entrepreneurs under 30.

Dr. Saksham Sharda specializes in data collection, analysis, filtering, and transfer by the means of widgets and applets. Interactive, cultural, and trending widgets designed by him have been featured on TrendHunter, Alibaba, ProductHunt, New York Marketing Association, FactoryBerlin, Digimarcon Silicon Valley, and at The European Affiliate Summit. This is what Dr. Saksham Sharda like to share about Instagram Content Management

Use quizzes, calculators, and contests in your Instagram stories to engage with your audience. A fitness influencer can have a quiz like “Which fitness plan suits you best”, this allows his audience to find personalized plans for themselves. In return, the influencer is able to collect helpful marketing data in order to further develop his influential style.

Leverage Instagram Stories

According to Dana Schmidt, VP of Strategy at Slice Communications, brands should not forget to leverage Instagram stories. Let’s dive into Dana’s detailed Instagram content management tip below.

Don’t sleep on Instagram Stories! One of the biggest missed opportunities I’ve noticed on Instagram is when a brand carefully curates their Instagram Grid, investing time and energy into crafting the most aesthetically pleasing gallery – but they’re not leveraging Stories. Stories are a place to really engage with your audience and further develop your brand’s personality.

Make sure you’re using Stories to share user-generated content and spotlight your most loyal fans. No UGC today? No problem. Find third-party content from trusted publications and organizations that align with your brand’s voice and values. Your followers will appreciate the resources you’re providing. According to Instagram, one-third of the most-viewed Stories are posted by businesses – so make sure you’re meeting your the audience where they are.

Take Advantage of Algorithm Hacks

According to Taylor Ryan, CEO of a marketing and growth hacking agency called Klint Marketing, use friends and groups of colleagues to like and comment on super important posts. Here’s more insight from Taylor below.

Ask a group of colleagues and friends to like and comment on super-important posts…within the first hour (that last bit is crucial). Instagram’s algorithm judges how popular your post is within the first hour of posting. If it deems it to be something people are interested in, it displays it to more people.

The platform judges the level of interest by the number of comments that are longer than 5-6 words, and the number of likes and shares. Now, obviously, you can’t start spamming everyone you know for every Instagram post you put out, but if it’s really important it’s well worth jump-starting it so you get your content in front of more eyeballs.

Repurpose Video Content Across Social

According to Cari Casas, Social Media Coordinator, Herrman and Herrman PLLC, making content fit for different platforms is vital to the success of any digital marketing campaign. Take a look at Cari’s Content Management tip below:

One tip for improving Instagram content strategy is to create video content that your team can easily repurpose across several social media platforms. With the immense popularity of TikTok and IG Reels growing still in 2021, making content fit for those platforms is vital to the success of any digital marketing campaign. These videos are also relatively easy to use across other social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.

Develop a Micro-Influencer Strategy

According to Alex Membrillo, CEO of Cardinal Digital Marketing, developing a Micro-Influencer Strategy can help reach a niche market. Here’s is Alex’s Content Management tip below:

Develop a Micro-Influencer Strategy for your Instagram Content:

Your Instagram content strategy should focus less on the masses and more on reaching targeted niches and audience segments. For instance, brands are looking for “real people” to be influencers.

Termed as “micro-influencers”, these are people with smaller Instagram followings than your typical celebrity (or influencer), but can reach a niche market. Many brands are moving away from mass-appeal marketing and are looking for niche influencers that better represent their buyers. For example, brands may choose to engage with “real” moms opposed to celebrity moms.

To connect with micro-influencers in your niche, begin with research. Explore relevant hashtags and users who like and follow brands connected with your market. Then, delve deeper into selecting active Instagram users who align with your brand and have a micro-influencer type following.

The other route to take is to use platforms, such as Upfluence and Tribe Growth, that connect brands with influencers. There are various options that can help your company find relevant Instagram influencers.

Identify your Purpose

According to Tim Clarke, Director of Sales at SEO Blog, having a purpose for any content you publish is a must. Take a look at Tim’s Instagram Content Management tip below:

*Identify your purpose* — this is where you want to start at any content management tip.

Whether working alone or in an organization, you must have a purpose for any content you publish. You will have a clear picture and advantage by knowing your reason or the meaning behind your content being published and marketed to start with. In addition, having a purpose will give you the privilege to start planning. Begin by building a content strategy with your purpose. It is so much easier to identifying and understand your target audience when you know your purpose.

Instagram is not for personal use anymore. It is now a global platform that allows brands to socialize their content, gain the new talent, display products and encourage their audience. I advise setting up your content management to focus on what matters that builds your goal. Whether you use Instagram for your brand awareness or post your products, you must choose your goal-setting framework.

Based on my experience, it is crucial to set actionable, attainable goals and stick to them. Encourage your audience by constantly uploading ideas, knowledge, and engaging questions to interact with the audience. Any editor or content manager needs to know what you are trying to achieve to align your business goals. Ideally, efficient content management truly helps show interest in the content and customer responsiveness, so always decide what’s essential for you.

By identifying the goals for content management, it is easier to start planning and organizing content. In addition, small things like visual style, voice, frequency, and themes are more consistent when you have a purpose. Aside from that, you will gain customer insights that will help you tailor your content is best suited for your goals.

Add the Right Tags

According to Andreyana Kulina, Digital Marketing Specialist at Brosix, adding the right tags can help more people engage with your posts. Here is Andreyana’s Content Management tip:

Adding the right tags can help more people engage with your posts. What I’ve found to be effective is to describe the picture or video with popular tags as well as tags that best describe our business. In this I link up tags that are relevant to us with those that are popular with our target audience. I also try to avoid overdoing it, as it’s often a big turn off when you see a post with dozens and dozens of tags. It’s much better to be strategic and purposeful, as people notice this.

Know and Be in your Audience’s Shoes

According to Tyler Garns, Founder, and CEO at Box Out Marketing, knowing your audience makes your content management effective and hassle-free. Take a look at Tyler’s content management tip below:

As a marketing expert, I have had my fair share of experiences regarding Instagram content management. Though it may look easy, it’s not. It requires a lot of patience, creativity, and effort to make your contentment management effective and hassle-free.

Here’s one tip:

Know and be in your audience’s shoes. In this way, you would what exactly they want to see with your content. It will also help if you know the words they usually use related to your brand so you can use them during content creation. Also, if your posts are relatable to your audience, they will find it more interesting, thus wanting more from your account.

Find Additional Tools for your Content

According to Carrie Mok, Content Marketing Editor at EPM Digital, finding additional tools for your content takes the hard work out and makes your content look consistent for you. Here is Carrie’s content management tip below:

My greatest tip for content management for Instagram is to find additional tools to take the hard work out of making your content look consistent for you. I would definitely start by looking at Planoly for this. What sets Planoly apart is that it is an excellent tool for helping you to curate your Instagram grid to ensure that your feed and profile is consistent with your brand look, and also looks naturally engaging and visually appealing to any visitors.

You can drag and drop photos to test how it looks on your grid, as well as organize your stories in draft mode. You can then easily automate posting once you’ve decided on the order, taking uploading off of your hands. I use it regularly for our own Instagram account as well as for our clients, adding in planned post ideas, to ensure everything looks cohesive for the brand. It really saves me a lot of time, as well as providing an easy way for stakeholders to visualize the posts all in one
place.

Have a Proper SEO Strategy

According to Ed Cravo, Co-founder and Head of Marketing at Groundbreaker, having a proper SEO strategy make your important keywords rank and drive qualified leads. Ed is a marketing and sales leader with 11 years of experience in digital marketing, sales, recruiting, and building new services and products. Take a look at Ed’s content management tip below:

It’s no longer good enough to create a website and publish content.. Today, if you want to rank for important keywords that drive qualified leads, you need a proper SEO strategy. High quality content is the key. Quality content is as important as quantity. Creating awesome content that educates, informs, and engages consumers through the entire customer life cycle is where it all starts. Make sure you have the right keywords on your contents. In order for search engines to include you in keyword searches, those keywords need to be present throughout your contents.

Remember, including your location in your keywords is a great way to make sure you reach customers specifically interested in the market you serve. By targeting these informational keywords, you can present searchers with helpful content to build brand awareness, and grow your lead list. Another critical component of your content is your headline. Use compelling headlines to win the click. The right headline will ensure that your content marketing efforts aren’t wasted. Lastly, the post should include a call to action that converts casual readers into leads.

Batch Produce Content

According to Chloe Sisson, Outreach Coordinator at Zen Media, a PR Agency, batch-producing content ensures that you have all the content you need to keep your feed the way you want it. Here is Chloe’s content management tip below:

My biggest tip for content management on Instagram is to batch produce content. This is the best way to ensure that you have all the content you need to keep your feed the way you want it. You will always have the content you want to post readily available when the date comes. Instagram is a visual app, so it’s important to post content that is aesthetically pleasing. People will definitely consider your feed as a whole when they decide to click that follow button.

I post content on my personal Instagram to promote my blog. This summer, I took lots of pictures while I was on vacation. This ensured that I had lots of content once I went back to school in the fall. Batch producing content really simplifies the posting process. You can take a day or a few to create content, then spend a day planning out your feed. When the day comes, all you have to do is click the post button!

Conclusion

Instagram is a tough place to be. With so many new trends popping up every day, it’s hard for content managers to keep their posts fresh and interesting. It takes hours of research just to figure out the best way forward with posting on this social media platform–even then, that might not work! But with the tips and tricks stated, you will be able to be on top of your content management game!

If you need help keeping your posts engaging or want some advice about what type of content will do well in today’s environment, get in touch with us. Our team would love to chat with you about how we can make sure your brand gets seen by as many people as possible because after all, there are no shortages of competition when it comes down to who has the most engagement.