Instagram Strategy for Artists

Instagram is constantly changing, which means your strategy should be too.

Reach New Audiences on Instagram

If you’re serious about your Instagram strategy, the first step is to focus on reaching new audiences.

Instagram Tactics for Reaching New Audiences:

1. Instagram Collaborator Post: Tap into new audiences by co-authoring a feed post or Reel with another Instagram user.
2. Instagram Reels: Consistently share Reels that align with your niche. Include music and 10-15 relevant hashtags in your captions to help the Instagram Reels algorithm categorize your content. Always share a preview to your Instagram feed and your Story to boost your reach.
3. Instagram Carousel Posts: Carousel posts are the perfect format for sharing educational or insightful content – from step-by-step guides to personalized recommendations – and they’re super shareable. More shares = greater reach.
4. Add a Keyword to Your Instagram Name Field: Add a commonly searched term to your Instagram name field to increase your profile visibility via the Explore Page.
5. Giveaways: Hosting a giveaway is a real fast-pass for boosting reach, mainly when the entry requirements include tagging friends or sharing a post on stories.

Convert Profile Visitors into Instagram Followers

Once you’ve successfully reached new audiences on Instagram, the next step is to convert them into followers.

Instagram Tactics for Converting Visitors into Followers:

1. Feed Aesthetic: First impressions count! Curating a grid that showcases your content themes and values is still one of the best ways to convert visitors to followers.  
2. Content Niche: A clear and consistent niche convinces visitors that your content aligns with their interests. The more prominent your niche is, the more likely people will follow your account.
3. Stories Highlights: Instagram Stories Highlights are right at the top of your Instagram profile, making them great for giving a quick preview of what your day-to-day content is all about. Ensure your highlights are current, reflect your main content themes, and visually support your brand.

Build Community on Instagram

You’ve successfully reached new users and converted them into followers. Now you’ve got to make sure you keep them.

Instagram Tactics for Community Building:

1. Instagram Stories: Stories are designed to be informal and interactive, making them the perfect channel for conversational content. Show up on camera to help humanize your brand. Experiment with Close Friends lists to serve exclusive content to hyper-engaged users.
2. Comments: Take time to reply to comments and encourage conversations – add a call to action to your Instagram captions and use the Pinned Comments feature to help shape the dialogue.
3. Instagram Live: Live broadcasts are direct and unedited, making them the perfect channel to connect with your audience on a more personal level. Plus, you can now schedule Instagram Lives, which is great for building hype and boosting view counts.
4. Memes: In 2022, memes are vital for connecting with your community and generating engagement. From cute animals to funny TV show clips, the meme reigns supreme. If you’re looking for inspiration, consider what your audience loves – or hates – and consider how these sentiments could play out as text overlays on trending visuals.
5. Guides: Instagram Guides is a relatively underused tool in the Instagram arsenal but great for community building. Guides can be used to provide a valuable service to your community – from travel guides, and product picks to curated lists of educational posts.

It may feel like managing many different content types, but you don’t have to cover everything at once.

You can split deliverables into weekly and monthly requirements for a more digestible Instagram strategy.

For example, you could aim to deliver the following every week:
2-3 x Feed posts
1-2 x Instagram Reels
4-6 x Instagram Stories

And then deliver the following at a lower frequency, perhaps monthly:
1 x Live broadcast
1 x Guides
1-2 x Collabs

You can dial it down to fit your capacity if this feels too much.
Alternatively, you could scale up each output if you have more time to dedicate to content creation.  

Whatever approach you take, the most crucial element is to focus on quality, community-focused content that supports your niche.

Ready to take your Instagram strategy to the next level?

We're here to help :) In Enge, we can help you grow your brand awareness and engagement on Instagram.
If you have any questions, just email me at joanna@goenge.com

Enjoy Instagramming!