The foundation of every Instagram strategy is determining how frequently to post. It’s also a delicate effort of balance. You don’t want to post so little that no one sees your content but you also don’t want to post too often that Instagram thinks you’re a spam account. On top of that, you also have to consider how much time and energy you realistically have to dedicate to the platform.
This article will provide you with advice on how often you should post on Instagram as you construct your social media marketing strategy, whether you have a social media team or you’re a mighty entrepreneurial team of one.
To get the best advice for how often to publish on Instagram, look at what Instagram has publicly shared, Shopify’s own approach and spoke with a top-tier merchant.
Instagram’s official statement
Instagram isn’t always forthcoming with tips on how to optimise your strategy for its algorithm although it does provide some guidance on occasion. Instagram’s @Creators account hosted a Q&A with the Head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, where he was asked the best way to grow an account in 2021.
He emphasised the necessity of using videos and hashtags but also emphasised the importance of maintaining a “healthy feed.” By healthy feed he meant posting a couple of feeds a week and a couple of Stories per day
That advice implies that while your feed is crucial, posting your Story more regularly is just as vital, if not more so. It’s a great pace to aim for and one that allows room for experimentation.
Adam also discussed Instagram’s ranking system, which determines what it shows its users. According to a blog post he published in June 2021, the way Instagram displays content is determined by a number of algorithms, classifiers and processes, each with its own purpose. That system looks at information such as how many likes a post has and how many times a user has interacted with your account in the past.
It’s a system that’s always changing, which can be frustrating for businesses.
Instagram can not guarantee consistent reach. In the Q&A, Adam stated that Instagram would love to maintain a consistent reach. But, even if Instagram didn’t modify how ranking works, people’s interests change. There’s increased rivalry because more individuals are joining Instagram and sharing more. That goes back to Adam’s advice, which, in essence, is to be consistent in your posting strategy.
A consistent rhythm is key
The most crucial piece of Instagram posting advice is that consistency is more vital than volume, especially when you’re first getting started.
According to a study, the average number of feed posts per week among Instagram users was four. However, this is higher for business accounts, which posted an average of 1.56 times per day to their main feed. As well, 20% of business accounts posted to their Story at least once per week.
In addition, if we can learn something from this research and Adam’s comments is that posting one feed post and two Stories every day is a good bet for increasing engagement. Whether you are able to start at that pace depends on how much time, experience and personnel you have.
Rather than jumping into the deep end straight away, focus on a consistent posting schedule that makes sense for you and your business at this time.
We have noticed a marked increase in engagement once we started posting once a day. That can sound daunting, especially if you’re handling all your social accounts on top of all the other work it takes to keep a business running. Here are some tips to get your rhythm going.
1. Begin with the doable
Instead of diving right in, focus on a consistent posting schedule that makes sense for you and your business right now. That might look more like three feed posts per week and three Stories per week.
2. Make a content schedule
If you want to spread out your posts, no matter how many you have, scheduling days is an excellent idea. For instance, maybe you post a feed photo on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and a Story on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
Sharing your posts not only pleases the algorithm but it also offers your audience a sense of when fresh content is coming and allows each post to breathe so that they don’t compete for likes and comments.
3. Apps can help you save time
You can plan posts in advance using Instagram management applications like Sked, Later or Hootsuite to make things easier. That way, you can create your posts in bulk ahead of time and not have to worry about checking in and coming up with new content every day. And keep it up—dropping off for a week or two isn’t the end of the world but could potentially lower your ranking in Instagram’s eyes because it also rewards how recent a post is.
You can increase your cadence and aim for everyday content as you gain more familiarity with scheduling and coming up with high-quality post ideas.
Final takeaways
When it comes to how often to post on Instagram, consistency reigns supreme and this rule applies to more than simply your posting frequency.
Developing and maintaining a posting schedule will help you or your team develop a habit, let your audience know when to anticipate new content, and keep you in touch with trends and your own metrics. Plus, the more you’re able to post, the more room you have to experiment.
To succeed on Instagram, you must consistently post high-quality content that people enjoy interacting with. Exactly what that content will depend on your business and what resonates with your customers and you need to be prepared for it to change sometimes.
One of the most essential things to do is to experiment, to try new things and to attempt to figure out what is currently resonating with your audience. Because it might be different than it was half a year or a year ago. Experimenting with new formats, like video, as well as using hashtags, thoughtful captions and geotagging locations can all help boost your content.
Monitor your metrics to see what works, what doesn’t and what your customers respond to the most.
How we can help
As a business owner, it’s critical to communicate with potential and existing customers across multiple platforms so that they can learn more about your business. There are several platforms to choose from, each with its own set of tweaks and improvements. And every now and then, a new platform or strategy emerges as the next big thing. It’s difficult to keep up with them, especially when you’re running your own business every day. Why not reach out to the social media specialists at Top4 Marketing? Allow us to handle your social media accounts and we’ll boost your business’ online visibility and earnings. We’ll develop a social media campaign to bring your most relevant clients to your website if you don’t already have one! Get in touch with us!
To find out how we can help you with your Website + Marketing, using our unique location marketing platform called Top4, get in touch today at www.top4marketing.com
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