Do Reels really matter? Or should TikTok be your go-to platform? What can the new Instagram Guides tool mean for your business? Read all about the quick wins to boost your social media strategy in 2021!
#1 Jump on the ‘Reel’ bandwagon
If you didn’t aboard the ‘Reels’ train yet, quickly buy your one way ticket and get on it! We dare to call the Reels function on Instagram a major growth hack in 2021.
Why? A Reels video can be discovered in many places: on the Instagram feed, the discovery page, the Instagram wall and on the separate Reel tab in home screen navigation. The result? More eyes on your content.
Reels is constantly reinventing itself to your needs via new and improved video editing tools. Voice-overs for demos and walkthroughs for example could be a great feature for a brand that needs videos with more explanation or information, on top of the video images.
Quick win tip
Keep videos under 15 seconds, as they will automatically play in the Instagram feed. If your video is longer than 15 seconds, your audience will get to see the “watch more” button, which could result in lower view ratings.
#2 Information and education as a growth engagement driver
Lots of information to be found on the internet, and therefore on social media. It’s not easy to break through this clutter. But once you manage to engage your content with interesting content for your readers, you’re in! Two major tools can weigh into that:
- The – maybe underrated – Instagram carousel post is a great tool to publish easily shareable and educational content. With likes disappearing, shareable and saveable content will become even more important in 2021.
- A brand new way to share and consume content on Instagram: meet Instagram Guides! First only available for a minimum of creator accounts, it is now available to everyone.
Quick win tip
Think: an extensive list of tips and tricks or an in-depth how-to guide on Instagram. Offer additional information that inspires your audience to share your content with their followers.
#3 Video content will remain ‘big’ in 2021
Video is here to stay, on any platform or in any format. Think: Reels on Instagram, TikTok videos, YouTube… How to implement the right video strategy in 2021?
Step 1: define your audience.
Step 2: Tap into them where they’re most comfortable.
Does your audience exist mainly of Gen Z? Then you may want to consider TikTok. But if you already have an active and engaged audience on Instagram, IGTV or the short Reels videos are the way to go.
Quick win tip
Video content doesn’t equal more work. Cleverly repurpose your video content from one platform to another.
#4 Memes are here to stay
One does not simply… make memes.
When done right, memes provided the comic relief we all need on social media. Besides their fun factor, they’re also a tactical way to grow your audience and boost engagement.
The best memes are shared with friends, reposted on stories and saved for later. So it makes sense to spend time coming up with original memes that have the potential to go viral.
#5 Tell your story on every platform
Stories remain a vital part of your marketing strategy this year (and afterwards!). Let’s look at the evolution of the story tool: 150 million users were telling their stories in 2016. Now there are 500 million users posting stories on the daily on Instagram.
But this year it’s time to think further than Instagram: there are lots of new story opportunities on many platforms. Instagram still rules the roost though, so it’s worth putting in the time to nail down your Instagram Stories content in 2021.
#6 Go live or go home
2020 is without a doubt the year of virtual events. But what about live virtual events? Live content will continue to fill our feeds, being a main feature on most social media platforms: LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.
Quick win tip
Why not tap into the network of the brand and create some sort of competition for the community to watch?
#7 Use data storytelling on social
It was almost impossible to miss on your feed towards the end of the year: brands hopping on the trend of data storytelling. Not only to bring their current audience together, but also to reach new and larger ones.
There are many ways to use data storytelling for your brand or business’ social media. Use your own analytics. Which of your Instagram posts had the most likes? Which products had the most sales? Or why not roundup your top 5 most-liked posts or products and re-share them?
#8 Hash to the tag
The hashtag: it may look like a simple symbol, but watch out: it’s so more than that. A lot of brands or businesses are so used to this crazy sign, they forget about its importance.
Once more an effective way to get more eyes on your content. A targeted hashtag on your posts and stories is one of the best ways to get discovered by new audiences on Instagram. A post with at least one Instagram hashtag results in 12.6% more engagement than posts without hashtags. So don’t forget to integrate (or continue) your hashtag strategy in 2021.
Note: There’s a difference between community hashtags and a branded hashtag. The community hashtag increases the reach of your message, branded hashtags are designed to connect themes for you and your audience. They can be used to promote a campaign or collect user-generated content.
Quick win tip
It’s recommended to use a variety of hashtags on your posts, so your posts can reach different communities.
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