1.   No specific Instagram strategy

Simply posting pictures and reaching users - that doesn't work on Instagram. Companies need an Instagram strategy from the very beginning that:

• pursues concrete goals, and
• addresses a defined target group.

Only when business owners know who they want to address with their content and what they want to encourage users to do, they can post relevant articles in the app that generate reach and attention.

What does this look like in practice? For example, if companies want to direct more followers to their landing page, they should post carefully created content - so-called captions - under their pictures and provide them with a call-to-action. If they want to increase the awareness of their brand, they can cooperate with high-reach Instagram accounts and influencers, among others.

2. No link in the Instagram profile

One mistake many businesses make is not having a link to their website on their Instagram profile. However, traffic on a website is the basic requirement for users to make a purchase. Certainly, there are some renowned brands where users make purchases directly via the Instagram app. As a rule, however, they first visit a company's website to find out more about the products - and then make a purchase.

Business owners therefore need a link to the website in their Instagram profile. They can add the link in their bio by integrating it into the text field "Website" under "Edit profile". Businesses do not necessarily have to link their Instagram account to their website. They should send users to where they want to generate a conversion. This could be the following, for example:

• a product page,
• a download link or
• a landing page

3. Post the same photos repeatedly

Innovative and attention-grabbing content is a challenge. After some time on Instagram, companies have promoted their products, given insights into their daily work, and posted entertaining pictures. And then? Many accounts then start posting pictures and videos again. However, loyal users in particular notice this immediately. They want to see new posts on social media every day. They want to be entertained and informed. That is the reason why they follow a brand on Instagram.

Companies should therefore not make the mistake of relying on duplicate content. To keep collecting new ideas for their social media marketing, they need a sophisticated strategy for their Instagram marketing, as already mentioned in point 1. This automatically generates new ideas for posts. Business owners can experiment with content, especially at the start of their Instagram account. As you publish content, you can detect what kind of content your followers prefer:

• Photos,
• Memes,
• Quotes,
• Reels,
• Stories and
• IGTV videos

4. Do not reply to user comments

Social media is not directly a ranking factor for Google. However, comments under a post on Instagram can show the search engine that a brand's content is particularly relevant for users. As a rule, Google becomes aware of the comments under a picture, starting from 50 comments.

To get more interaction for content, companies should therefore respond to every user comment - as directly as possible. It does not matter whether the comment is about a specific question, praise, a hint, or criticism. Companies should always respond to it. This way, they not only show Google that the post is relevant. They also show their followers that their opinion is important to them and you can build trust with them this way.

For companies that have several thousand followers, responding to comments can of course take a lot of time. However, the effort is worth it. Comments are the metric by which users, Instagram and Google define the importance of an account. Business owners should use this for themselves.

5. Focus on quantity, not quality

On Instagram, the quality of content determines whether an account becomes successful or not. The photo- and video-sharing social media app requires regular posts which should always meet high standards. Because you can only attract the attention of users with convincing content.

The approach of posting as often as possible is not wrong. As a rule, the social network rewards Instagram marketing that includes several posts and stories every day. If business owners do not have the resources to publish outstanding photos several times a day, they should focus on one high-quality post per day. Instagram Stories require a little more attention. They require multiple photos and videos per day to reach users. Unlike posts, however, they are usually generated more quickly. Because with Stories, followers do not expect a glossy look, but a real, unadorned insight into the everyday life of companies.

6. No hashtag strategy

A study by AgoraPulse found that there is a correlation between hashtags and engagement in the form of comments and likes. Hashtags are therefore indispensable for successful Instagram marketing. Above all, these two factors are relevant in social media marketing:

Number of hashtags

Instagram allows up to 30 hashtags per post. However, businesses do not necessarily need to take advantage of this number. They should only ensure that they use 11 or more hashtags. The reason: a study found that this number of hashtags is particularly effective for a post. While no hashtags generate an engagement of 18 percent per 1,000 followers, 11 and more hashtags come to 79.5 percent interaction ratio.

Relevance of the hashtags

Companies should pay particular attention to the tip of using relevant hashtags for their content in their Instagram marketing strategy. They should not only use hashtags that appeal to the right target group. It is also important to find hashtags that are relevant to their own company or industry and are in the context of the post. The hashtags should have a search volume between 5,000 and 500,000. It is true that popular hashtags with a higher search volume are easier to discover. However, they have a decisive disadvantage: they have more competition. Thus, there is a risk that a carefully created post will not receive attention, likes and comments.

Do you avoid these six mistakes in your Instagram strategy, but need an additional boost to take your Online Marketing strategy to the next level? We as an influencer marketing agency are happy to advise you!