“Ohhh Instagram…my dear friend, we’ve been together for a while now, and you keep changing. However, I haven’t seen a benefit in being with you. So I think it may be time to break up?”
HOLD UP! Now is definitely not the time to be considering a “break up” with Instagram. Especially because 90% of Instagram users follow at least one business. You don’t want to leave that on the table. Not only have their new features increased engagement and exposure within the platform, but the introduction of Instagram Reels, videos, and other tools are providing businesses, brands, and individuals new avenues for more exposure.
Over the years, Instagram has constantly been evolving how the platform can be used. More recently, Instagram has made UI and UX updates to their platform such as changing where features are located and adding in features for example, Instagram Reels.
Reels are short, entertaining videos on Instagram where you can express your creativity and bring your brand to life. Sometimes it’s not the big changes that can affect how you use the application. It’s the smaller, unseen, or overlooked tweaks that matter the most.
With platforms constantly updating, we understand it can be hard to keep up. We’ve compiled together our top three favorite tips and trick features that can help you enhance your brand’s presence and discoverability by using Instagram Reels.
Tip #1: Spot a Trending Song
When scrolling through your Instagram feed, I know a few of us tend to get stuck seeing multiple Reels using the same sound. Nine times out of ten, usually this means a song is beginning to trend or is already trending. The critical component is knowing where or when to recognize this.
At the bottom of the Instagram Reel, look below the user and the caption. There, you’ll find the sound or music choice used. Do you notice a little white arrow? That’s the main key to the formula. This means that the algorithm has noticed an uptick in usage and users within the platform are using and interacting with it more than they are with other sounds. Scrolling through a feed can be tedious, but thankfully the Instagram Creators account compiles a list with trending songs weekly.
Tip #2: Keyword Discoverability
Instagram has shifted. Gone are the days when you have to specifically search by a hashtag on Instagram to find a post or inspiration. That’s right— you can just search a keyword phrase.
Before this update, you were only able to search or see posts with those keywords if it was an established hashtag.
Now, you can search for whatever your heart desires. Simply put into the search bar words such as dog, marketing, bedroom decor ideas, and the list goes on! How this search works is a little bit of a mystery, but regardless it improves the overall UX of Instagram. Currently, the keyword feature seems to only apply to static posts and regular videos, unfortunately not Instagram Reels. However, we’re predicting that this will be added to Reels before we know it.
Being able to do a keyword search, allows your personal brand or business to be discovered easier than ever before. However, keep in mind to still use hashtags and when writing the caption for your post make use of the details you’re using to explain it.
Tip #3: Music & Sounds as a Business
Are you set up as a business account on Instagram? If so, you probably don’t have full access to all of the trending, viral-ready songs, sounds, or music due to copyright laws. However, we have a workaround option for you:
Switch your business account over to the entrepreneur category!
- Select ‘Edit profile’.
- Scroll down to your account type, and select ‘Category’.
- Type in ‘entrepreneur’ and click the checkmark to save.
- If you’d prefer not to have it displayed on your profile, you can also go back into category settings and select ‘turn off display category label’.
- Head back to your profile and ensure everything is “a-okay”
Keep in mind that sometimes there are inconsistencies within the platform and that the option above may not work for you/your account. If this happens, there are ways you can create and use your own audio instead! Either way, switching your account’s Instagram category has zero effect on your profile. Now go enjoy creating those viral trends on Reels and adding trending songs to your Instagram stories!
Consistency & Strategy is Key!
While each of these tips can increase your presence, it’s not a guarantee. Having a thoroughly thought out and strategically developed social media content strategy in place; is the cherry on top of all the amazing goodness underneath (aka your content). Especially with Instagram as it’s one of the best platforms to grow an organic following, while Facebook is nearly an entire pay-to-play market. It’s essentially the only viable solution to keep organic growth traction alive, which is why these tips are paramount to follow.
Truly there is so much in the works within the social platforms it may be hard to keep up! If you haven’t already check out this Rebel blog by Creative Strategy Specialist, Caitlin Redmond on TikTok marketing; if you haven’t started using the platform. It might be time to take the dive in! Businesses looking to launch their content strategies forward should keep an eye on what all social platforms have to offer, not just the ones within the Metaverse.
Don’t know where to start or feel overwhelmed?
Don’t stress, we can help you develop a kickass social media marketing strategy that will elevate your business to the next level.
