15 Instagram Engagement Tactics for Small Businesses

You would be surprised to know that there are over 25 million brand accounts on Instagram, which signifies your competition is tough.

Plus, if you are a newly established brand on this social media platform, understanding how to generate real and organic engagement is necessary. 

No matter how nice your post is, if no one likes, comments, or shares it, everything will be useless. 

To connect your Instagram efforts to tangible business objectives, you only need to increase your brand’s Instagram engagement rate. 

Let's find out everything about Instagram engagement and tips to achieve it.

What Is A Good Engagement Rate On Instagram? 

Before you find out how to get more engagement on Instagram, let's define a good engagement rate. Your engagement rate measures the amount of interaction your posts receive from your followers or reach. 

However, to be precise, most social media marketing experts believe that a good engagement rate is between 1% to 5%.

How To Calculate Instagram Engagement?

There are different ways you can calculate Instagram engagement. After you consider it, you will be able to know what changes you can make to increase Instagram Engagement. 

The easiest way to calculate it is by taking the total number of post engagements, dividing it by the number of followers, and multiplying by 100. 

In other words, you can calculate it by using this formula: Engagement rate = (Interactions / Audience) x 100.

How To Boost Your Instagram Engagement?

Engagement plays a crucial role when aiming to build your Instagram community. Without engagement, you will be just another profile in a crowd of millions. 

Are you wondering how you can start building your Instagram engagement? Here are a few tips to help.

1. Create More Reels

Did you know that Instagram reels have 2.35 billion active users? If you are not using reels, you are missing out. Use Instagram reels to expose your material to a larger audience than just the current followers. 

Posting reels can draw visitors to your profile, creating opportunities for engagement. 

2. Improve Your Instagram SEO

One of the best and most effective Instagram engagement tactics for small businesses that can be followed is paying attention to Instagram SEO. When you understand the algorithm, it can help your material to become visible for a long time. 

You must invest your time and effort in Instagram SEO as it can help your content appear when users search using specific keywords. 

3. Understand Your Audience Preference

It is challenging to create content if you do not know who it is intended for. Hence, among the Instagram Engagement Strategies, you must focus on understanding your audience preferences. 

The demographics of your targeted audience will influence the kind of material you post, your brand voice, and even the best days and times to publish. You can get this information by relying on Instagram analytics. 

4. Post Regularly At Optimal Times

Brands need to be consistent in posting content to generate quality engagement. Committing to a consistent posting schedule will keep your followers intrigued. 

For example, if your audience is from a particular country, then make sure to post when they are not asleep or else you will receive little to no engagement at all.

5. Create Instagram Carousels For Product Showcase

Next comes this way to build engagement that you can follow. Once you have learned how to create visually striking photos, consider sharing a few that include carousels. 

The carousels posted on Instagram work well for increasing interaction and making your followers more engaged. 

6. Upload User Generated Content

Social media is a dialogue instead of a broadcast. You can gain organic Instagram engagement by reposting or sharing user-generated materials. For example, if someone mentions your brand on their profile, share a post about it. 

This way, your audience will be obliged to tag you because you paid them attention. Some other ways of gathering user-generated content are using branded hashtags.

7. Share Authentic Content

One proven tactic for small businesses to improve engagement is sharing authentic content. You do not need to be flawlessly polished, just real. For this, you can tell your audiences about your real experiences, failures, successes, and some spicy secrets. 

Telling stories is seen as a great way to connect with the audience and increase Instagram engagement. 

8. Enhance Your Images With Advanced Editing

As Instagram is a visually rich platform, it is important to make your content look appealing to boost your Instagram engagement. This does not mean you have to hone your photography skills. 

However, it is important to produce unique photos that entice followers to like, comment, or share. With so many tools available, you can add some flair while maintaining Instagram aesthetics. 

9. Write Stronger Captions

Instagram captions have a great character limit of around 2,200. Even if short and sweet is not always the worst option, when you have a compelling narrative to share, make sure to feel free enough to share it all. 

Using good captions, regardless of their length, can help highlight your brand's personality. It can also provide context and increase Instagram engagement. 

10. Post Savable And Shareable Content

When generating good engagement and gaining new followers, you must post savable and shareable content. As people get interested in your posts and share them with their followers, this is a potent interaction that creates engagement. 

To promote saves, you can provide a call-to-action that reads, "Save this post" on your posts.

11. Host Instagram Lives

One of the exciting methods to increase your Instagram engagement rate is by hosting Instagram Lives. You may get a chance to talk with your followers and make announcements in real-time. 

Not only that, you can resolve their queries, make them feel seen, and create an intimate environment. 

12. Engage Via DMs and Comments

You can drive engagement on Instagram by engaging with the audiences through Direct Messages and comments. Besides replying to their comments, you must respond to their private messages, too. 

When you create a conversation, your followers may feel seen and heard, which will encourage them to stay connected with you for a long time.

13.  Experiment With Content Types

The right approach boosts the chances of engagement, you should become as experimental as possible. For instance, if you have not tried reels yet, get started. 

Or you can invite a lucky follower to join you on Instagram Live. If it works out in your favor, you may get lucky. But if it fails, you may know what not to do again.

14. Build Brand Authority With Topical Content

To get real engagement on Instagram, you must keep track of the trending hashtags and popular audio to use in your posts. 

You should use a popular meme or trend and put it together to share it when the topic is still trendy to grab your audience's attention.

15. Use Relevant Hashtags And Location Tags

Lastly, there are Instagram Engagement Tips that suggest using hashtags. The greater the reach of the hashtags, the more engagement is possible. Make sure to pick trendy and relatable ones to make your posts appear on the targeted audience's timeline. 

How To Make Your Small Business Successful on Instagram? 

Now that you have learned about Instagram engagement find out how you can make your small business successful on Instagram. 

• Make sure that your Instagram profile is created properly, with an appealing profile picture, a bio describing your business, and links to other social media networks. 

• Remember to post regularly and not when it is convenient for you.

• Avoid posting ads as relatable and not sales can help you beat the competitors behind.

Final Thoughts

Surviving the competitive edge on social media platforms like Instagram can be tricky and challenging, but it is not impossible at all. By following the above-mentioned tips, you can build a thriving Instagram presence. 

Also, remember that success is not an overnight journey. You must be patient and consistent to gain long-term engagement growth.

However, there is a trusted online platform that can give you overnight success in terms of gaining real Instagram likes, followers, and engagement. It is none other than GPC.FM brings you this opportunity. 

So, you can see, there is a possibility for instant growth. Why not opting for it?

FAQs

1. What drives engagement on Instagram?

Instagram is full of visuals, quotes, and repurposed Tweets. And all of these are excellent for increasing interaction.

2. How to increase Instagram engagement for my business?

You can increase Instagram engagement for business by posting on scheduled times, using high-quality content, relevant hashtags and keywords besides focusing on Instagram algorithms.  

3. How can I get real and organic Instagram engagement?

You can get real engagement on Instagram if you focus on posting consistently, following the user-generated content, and connecting with the followers occasionally.

4. What is the best way to build engagement on Instagram?

The best way to build Instagram engagement is to create genuine content that seeks to connect and resonate with your audience.

5. How do I grow my brand on Instagram?

You can easily grow your brand on Instagram by getting real-time insights, sharing contact information, and engaging with your community. These practices can turn your Instagram into a key channel to grow your small business.