If you run a business, you can reach an even wider audience with smart social media marketing and advertising. By targeting Facebook and Instagram using the right strategies, you’ll gain more visibility, generate more traffic, and earn more conversions.

In this blog, we’ll focus on Instagram. If you’ve been struggling to get seen by your target audience, it’s possible that your Instagram profile simply isn’t up to par. In some cases, little tweaks here and there fail to achieve the intended outcome until the profile is revamped from scratch.

How can you do this? We’ll show you the way. Keep reading for a closer look at the right way to revamp your Instagram business profile and actually earn some followers. We’ll also share critical Instagram optimisation tips that will give your profile greater visibility in your competitive industry.

Let’s begin.

1. Understand Your Audience

Many brands make the mistake of creating Instagram business profiles without taking the time to understand the kind of content their audience is looking for.

This is the first and most critical mistake you can make. If your profile doesn’t resonate with your audience, it’ll go in vain (no matter how hard you try). You may be checking all the conventional boxes off the list, but your audience will fail to take an interest in what you have to say or offer.

Perform in-depth audience research to develop a better understanding of audience preferences, likes, dislikes, expectations, search patterns, and buying habits.

Let’s say you run a modern clothing store in Canberra, and your target audience comprises sophisticated, fashion-forward, and chic women. If your Instagram profile is too flashy or tacky, your audience will head towards the nearest exit.

From the colour scheme of the posts to the content to the engagement style, everything needs to be catered to your audience.

This little step will help you launch a profile that appeals to your audience. Once this box is checked off the list, the rest of the cards will start falling into place.

2. Optimise Like a Seasoned Pro

Woods Bagot, an architecture studio, has one of the most masterful Instagram business profiles we’ve ever come across.

Aesthetically speaking, the brand maintains a cohesive, appealing, and balanced profile. However, that’s not what catches our eye. The meat of the matter is their stellar optimisation.

Let’s consider an example. In their latest post, Woods Bagot showcases one of their recent projects. What stands out to us? The keywords.

The brand has expertly incorporated keywords into the content (“tower architecture”, “hospitality architecture”, etc.) and added high-ranking hashtags towards the end.

If you want your content to stand out, research the top keywords for your local industry on a weekly basis. This will help you incorporate trends into your keyword plan.

Your Instagram business profile should also be optimised for search intent. Add a primary keyword to your username and name. Strategically insert primary and secondary keywords into your bio to further improve your rankings.

For improved reach across the entirety of your audience (including visually-impaired users), add alt text to each post. This is a sentence-long description of your images for people who cannot understand or consume Instagram’s visual content.

Writing alt text is an excellent practice that increases social media accessibility and inclusivity. Your profile will also gain more traction and become visible to a wider audience.

Instagram rewards brands that make the platform a better community. When your content is accessible to all, not just a handful of people, Instagram will give your profile precedence over other brands in your local industry.

Recommended Read: 5 Instagram Marketing Strategies for 2023

3. Reels Are the Future

Instagram posts are still relevant. However, reels have taken over at an unprecedented speed. Since reels were introduced in mid-2021, they have become the most popular type of content consumed on Instagram.

Short, engaging, and exciting, reels appeal to all types of audiences and have a resounding impact. If you want to reach more people and convert visitors into followers, create power-packed reels that resonate with your audience and bring something new to the table.

Avoid old trends. Instead, create something new and unique. In 2023, we’re seeing a lot of brands come up with spectacular reels that steal the show. If you want to further maximise reach, schedule your posts around the time your audience is most active.

View account insights for a closer look at all the metrics. You can track follower growth rate, engagement rate by followers and reach, website traffic, engagement per follower, story engagement, link clicks per post, comments per post, and a wide range of other metrics.

The more closely you analyse these and restructure your profile and content accordingly, the better. Track and analyse insights every week for optimal performance.

4. A/B Test Your Profile

A/B testing is the recipe for a successful Instagram profile. As a brand, you must display the most appealing and effective version of your content to your audience.

Whether you’re working on your Instagram bio, selecting a profile picture, writing a caption, creating a story, or doing anything else, make sure you run different versions by your audience to understand what works best.

Also known as split testing, A/B testing will help you improve user engagement, reduce bounce rate, boost conversions, and strengthen your brand identity. If you’re confused about how to get started, consult professionals who can guide you.

Recommended Read: SEO Strategies for Increasing Organic Instagram Traffic

5. Improve Your Customer Service

In 2023, people aren’t just looking to connect with other people on Instagram. They also want to connect with brands. If your business doesn’t provide exceptional customer service to your audience, you’ll fail to earn high conversions.

When a curious visitor DMs you on Instagram or leaves a comment on your post, you should provide a speedy, insightful, thoughtful, and personalised response. This is a great way to begin and establish a good customer-brand relationship. You’ll earn more followers, build trust, and grow your Instagram profile.

Ready to start implementing these Instagram optimisation tips? At TocToc, we provide professional social media marketing services to clients across Canberra and Sydney.

Our team starts by reviewing your Instagram profile and posts to analyse your performance. We identify strengths, weaknesses, and areas of improvement. Our team discusses the most effective and relevant social media optimisation strategies for your business and rolls out the right action plan accordingly.

From creating evergreen posts to optimising social media content with keywords to actively engaging with your audience, we check off all the boxes. Our campaigns help clients generate more social media traffic and conversions. If you’re unhappy with your social media performance, TocToc will help you get back on track and stay on track.

Call us to get started. We also specialise in digital marketing, search engine optimisation (SEO), content marketing, web design and development, app development, and email marketing.