Today, I will discuss the importance of increasing your Instagram engagement. Instagram is one of the most sought-after trendy social media platforms in the world.

Approximately 1 billion people use Instagram each month, which accounts for around 13% of the global population.

Additionally, 8 in 10 (80%) of Instagram users follow one or more businesses, and more than 70% of users have purchased an item they first saw on Instagram.

All these stats point to one vital insight: Instagram is a goldmine for entrepreneurs, businesses, and marketers. The question is, how can you measure your success on Instagram?

Focusing on your follower count would be a superficial exercise; however, your Instagram engagement is a much healthier metric.

This post aims to measure your Instagram success. It outlines how to calculate your engagement rate and provides top tips for enhancing and amplifying your Instagram marketing efforts.

Measuring Instagram Engagement Rate.

Simply put, an Instagram engagement rate is the total number of comments and likes per post divided by the total number of followers.

Engagement rates are sound metrics to monitor because they indicate how often your followers interact with your content, prompting you to focus on essential data rather than relying on superficial measures, such as the number of followers you have.

Before delving deeper, it is essential to remember that measuring Instagram engagement involves calculating the sum of comments and likes per post, dividing it by the total number of followers, and then multiplying the result by 100.

When expressed as an equation, it looks something like
(Comments + Likes Per post) x 100 Total number of followers
The following example is designed to help you calculate your Instagram engagement rate.

Assuming that you have around 64k followers on Instagram and, on average, you receive approximately 33 comments and 735 likes per post. Using the above equation, you need to get the total of the two numbers, which adds to a combined total of 768 engagements.

The next step is to divide the total engagement, 768, by the number of followers, 64,000, and then multiply the result by 100.
768/64,000 =0.012
0.012 x 100= 1,2

Your Instagram engagement rate of 1.2%

Instagram engagement rate is a simple concept with an equally straightforward formula.

What is a Good Instagram Engagement Rate?

Before examining the engagement rates, it is essential to clarify one point: there is no universally optimal engagement rate. Idyllic engagement rates are subject to various factors, so there is no one-size-fits-all solution.

Now that that is out of the way, you can examine various engagement rates and use those statistics to inform your analysis of engagement rate metrics.

The average engagement rates range from 1% to 5%.

To determine your industry’s average engagement rate, conduct research; however, the reference range serves as a useful baseline average.

Moving on swiftly while keeping this inference range in mind, and recognizing that it is not cast in stone, for instance, if your engagement rate is 0.90%, then you are doing quite well.

You want to aim higher, and in most cases, you will be looking for an engagement rate of 1-3%. 5% or higher percentages represent very high engagement.

Methods of Increasing Your Instagram Engagement Rate.

Increasing your Instagram engagement rate is juicy stuff, given that the definition of what an Instagram engagement rate is, and how to calculate it, is covered.

The essence of this article, where possible, is to offer top tips for boosting your Instagram engagement rate and provide real-life examples that can inspire your content.

If you have been stuck and confused about increasing engagement, Instagram offers several alternatives, and you can utilize many effective strategies. It fundamentally boils down to executing five things.

1. Time your post.
   2. Use the right hashtags and captions.
   3. Leveraging the power of Instagram stories.
   4. Holding contests and giveaways.
   5. Using omnichannel marketing to boost Instagram presence.

This article provides a profound exploration of strategies and outlines the steps necessary to benefit from each and fully maximize your Instagram engagement.

When it comes down to it, improving your Instagram profile and activity is the key to increasing your engagement rate.

Improving Your Instagram Engagement Rate.

To use Instagram optimally, you need to tailor your content to your target audience. To double your engagement rate, you must engage.

Posting regularly, engaging with other profiles, and responding to users’ comments and messages can help you enhance your Instagram presence.

The tips shared herein all relate to optimizing content, and it is worth remembering this as a rule of thumb.

 Instagram engagement Timing.

One of the main objectives of Instagram content will be to reach as many users as possible without fatiguing them with excessive content.

However, there are two crucial things you need to know if you are serious about stepping up your Instagram game.

1. When to post
2. 2. How often to post

Based on research, the best times to post on Instagram on weekdays are around midday and in the evenings, with success achieved in both periods.

The reason is that most users check Instagram from mobile and are inclined to avoid browsing during work hours. Wednesday is the best day to post, and Sunday registers the lowest engagement.

The research also revealed that significant brand postings averaged 1.5 per day; therefore, it is recommended to post on Instagram 1-3 times per day.

Of course, you will need a wealth of content to achieve this and maintain the pace of maximizing your Instagram engagement.

Using Hashtags & Captions

Hashtags are an excellent feature that can help increase your Instagram engagement rate, and they can help you to;

-Reach a broader audience
-Gain more followers
-Gain more likes

You are wondering how to find hashtags that improve Instagram engagement! Research holds the key to plenty of hashtags. Look at what your competitors, audience, and, to an extent, Instagram influencers are posting, and pick out hashtags that are most popular in your niche.

For instance, if you were selling headphones, your first task would be to visit Instagram, explore the platform, and check out the #headphones hashtag.

Review the recent top posts and identify which hashtags yield the highest engagement. Many businesses have branded hashtags.

If any of your competitors deploy branded hashtags, you can try using them to gain a better understanding of the types of Instagram content that interest them the most.

Instagram hashtags hold immense potential to attract a whole new wave of users to your Instagram account, and therefore, it is crucial to choose your hashtags carefully.

Fortunately, there are tools, such as TagBlender, InstagramTags, and Seekmetrics, that can help you find popular Instagram hashtags.

Remember that while you can use 30 hashtags per post on Instagram, you do not need to fill your caption with hashtags.

Captions

Carefully chosen captions for your content can spike your Instagram engagement rate. Captions help provide additional context and engage and delight your audience.

There is plenty of room to experiment with captions, try different tactics, and determine what works best for you.

Advantages of Instagram Stories

A staggering 500 million people use Instagram stories. Although Instagram Stories are not used to calculate engagement rates, they are crucial for boosting them.

Instagram stories can help you retain the attention of your existing followers, provide more personable and spontaneous content, and even redirect your followers to other Instagram posts or your store.

Users interacting with individual accounts are much more likely to see the content again, which is due to the Instagram algorithm. Instagram stories are a marvelous feature that you can utilize to maintain a high engagement rate on Instagram.

Videos

Do not be afraid of videos, as Instagram users love them. As a matter of fact, in 2018, the number of videos created on Instagram increased by 80% year over year.

Many businesses and marketers consider video content an integral part of a successful Instagram strategy. However, creating video content can be daunting, especially if it is your first time.

Contests & Giveaways.

People love free stuff, and this rings true in many quarters. However, this article aims to examine and highlight the impact of free content on you and your account.

Running contests and giveaways allows you to tap into that joyous feeling that results from a person having a chance to win something.

Look at it this way: you have engaged an audience in your content. The next step is to identify a prize that interests your audience and promote it to them in exchange for their engagement.

Ordinarily, businesses ask folks to like their account, tag their friends, or like a photo to enter, all of which work to spike their Instagram engagement.

Contests and giveaways could be a great option to increase your Instagram engagement.

Omnichannel Marketing.

You can not rely solely on your existing Instagram presence to boost your Instagram engagement rates.

Omnichannel marketing involves engaging an audience on various platforms. Leverage all your marketing clout to attract engaged users to your Instagram content.

To get omnichannel marketing rolling, start with low-hanging fruit, like pairing some Instagram content with a relevant blog post (your blog post).

Please do all you can to ensure your audience receives content they enjoy, and your Instagram engagement rates improve soon. It’s sure to hit the roof.

In sum, now the cat is out of the bag; you know what Instagram engagement is and how to measure and improve it.

You are all set for success on Instagram. Be creative and produce unique content that stands out from others; enjoy the process.

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