“An error doesn’t become a mistake until you refuse to correct it.”– Orlando Battista
Is your reach on Instagram suffering? Is the number of your followers not growing? All this indicates one thing: you are not playing your cards right and making common Instagram mistakes.
Agreed, mastering social media isn’t easy, especially in today’s period when thousands of new influencers are flowing in every day. However, there’s a high possibility that you are making mistakes that are affecting your growth on Instagram.
What Instagram mistakes could you be making and how to avoid them?
Some might argue that mistakes are unavoidable. We, at DYT, would politely like to disagree. There are some that every creator could definitely avoid. And to help you with them, we compiled a list of common mistakes. These are little things that cost new influencers dearly.
1. Irregular posts
Consistency is key when it comes to staying relevant on Instagram because the popularity of this platform is really fragile. One day you are trending and the very next day you might be struggling for bare minimum likes. Hence, it is important to post regularly to stay fresh in your followers’ minds.
However, posting regularly doesn’t mean posting daily. You should choose a few days in the week for uploading a picture or video. Figure out the time and day when the engagement is high, and plan your content accordingly. 6:30 PM and 10:00 PM are considered the peak traffic times, but it may vary depending upon your niche.
2. Poor quality pictures or videos
Let’s admit it once and for all!
Instagram is a visual medium, and aesthetic pictures/videos matter a lot here. That doesn’t mean you have to beautify every aspect of the shot. It will make you look superficial. Instead, invest in a good quality camera that captures the rawness of whatever you are aiming to show.
Then tweak it a little with minimal editing.
The target for clear and crisp images clicked in proper lighting. Some influencers follow a theme, but it is totally your call and depends upon the type of content you are posting. Theme editing makes more sense if you have a photography or flat lay page. Bright colours work well for fashion and food pages. Check out these tips on how to click eye-catching pictures for Instagram.
3. Ignoring hashtags
Hashtags increase the visibility of your post and make it discoverable to those who are not following you. In turn, they will follow you if they like your content. Hence, you are able to reach out to potential users with hashtags. You can write them either in captions or in comments.
Use a combination of specific and generic hashtags. Specific ones have fewer audiences, but they are more targeted, and leads generated through them are more likely to convert into followers. On the other hand, generic or trending hashtags have wide popularity and thus keep you relevant (more tips on how to use the right hashtags).
4. Keeping profile private
As mentioned before, Instagram is a visual medium. Users judge you based on the content you post and decide whether they want to follow you or not. If your profile is private, new people won’t be very intrigued to follow you because they can’t see anything!
More than that, people hesitate from tapping the follow button on private profiles. Plus, the following request has to be accepted, which can take any amount of time, from a minute to an hour to a day.
So, if you want to be a creator, keep a public profile. Seriously, it’s going to be 2022 and we really shouldn’t be telling you this.
5. Blank Instagram bio
An Instagram bio is the first thing a person checks when he/she clicks on your profile. It must reflect what your content is about. Utilise this space wisely and keep it as crisp as possible.
Mention your name, location, genre, contact details, and what a person can expect on your page. Put your blog’s link, website address, e-commerce page link or any other relevant URL in the website space.
6. Poorly written captions
Although pictures and videos are the “stars of the show” on Instagram, captions are also important to a large extent. They provide context for the visuals and help in stirring up conversation.
Without a caption, users won’t understand the intent behind the picture and will scroll away. However, avoid writing long or too complicated sentences. Keep your captions short and simple. Also, add a question or call-to-action to drive engagement.
For more tips on engaging captions, hop here.
What other mistakes to steer clear of on Instagram?
Instagram is a social platform. Thus, staying active and alert is really critical here. Inactive and inconsistent pages usually get side-lined or forgotten easily by users. So be proactive and take full advantage of all the features it has to offer.
Don’t take a peek inside our detailed guide on how to be an influencer and everything you need as a new creator.
That’s it, folks!
