How can I increase my Instagram engagement rate in 2023?
With one billion active users every month, Instagram has secured itself as a go-to social media platform for businesses of all sizes.
Instagram allows businesses to directly interact with their customers and build strong connections through highly creative visuals, engaging stories and captivating content, leading to stronger customer relationships and enhanced brand awareness.
Not only is Instagram a great tool for identifying new target audiences, but it’s also an ideal platform for marketing campaigns; the flexibility that it offers can make your marketing goals a reality.
Using features such as analytics, automated tracking and integrated ads makes it easier than ever for businesses to measure their performance in real-time – which is invaluable in today’s constantly changing climate.
You know what they say – a picture is worth a thousand words, so why not open up your Instagram account and make the most of it?
There’s no doubt that Instagram could be the difference between keeping up with the competition or getting left behind.
So c’mon, let us help you break the internet like Kim K!
How is an engagement rate calculated?
People often think that Instagram engagement rates are solely based on follower count, but there’s so much more to the story.
Here are the Instagram insights used to calculate your Instagram average engagement rate:
- Comments
- Likes
- Shares
- Post impressions
- Followers and growth
- Account mentions (e.g. when a user tags your account)
- Click-throughs
- Direct messages (DMs)
- Branded hashtags
Based on metrics like these, engagement = interactions/audience x 100
This figure indicates the percentage of users who not only see your content but also interact with it in some way.
If you want to see your average Instagram engagement rate for a particular post rather than your account overall, you can simply refer to the post’s performance statistics, available on all Instagram business accounts.
This will show you metrics like how many people liked your post, how many people followed you through that post, saved the post, shared your post to their story, and more.
What is a good Instagram engagement rate?
Now that you know how it’s all calculated, you might be asking yourself, ‘what is a good engagement rate on Instagram?’
While there is no hard and fast rule. most marketing professionals would agree that 1% – 5% is a good engagement rate.
Keep in mind, however, that the average and median engagement rates will vary between industries.
Make things simple with an Instagram engagement rate calculator
If you want to calculate your brand’s Instagram engagement rate without having to do the maths yourself, you have plenty of social media analytics tools to choose from.
For example, Hype Auditor is a free Instagram engagement calculator that simply requires you to type your Instagram handle into the search bar to get your answer.
How to increase Instagram engagement rate
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Post regularly
Regular Instagram posting plays an important role in increasing your engagement rate. Not only does it help keep your brand at the top of people’s minds, but it also speaks to how often viewers can expect content from you in the future.
The more consistent you are with Instagram posts, the better your chances that followers will interact with and pay attention to your page.
You can even look at your Instagram insights to see what day and time your followers are most active. Strategically timed Instagram posts allow for greater reach and ultimately higher engagement rates, allowing you to leverage your Instagram presence effectively. Write strong captions
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Engage with your audience
Instagram has revolutionised the marketing world as we know it, bringing brands and customers closer together than ever before.And when it comes to increasing your Instagram engagement rate, engaging with your audience is the key.
A great way to do this is to make polls asking them what they would like to see from you and suggesting they ‘pick one’ or ‘vote now’.
Posting stories or providing a behind-the-scenes or ‘day in the life’ with Instagram live are also great ways to start meaningful conversations with your followers. This allows you to show off your brand’s personality while increasing your chances of staying at the top of your followers’ minds.
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Respond to your followers
Poor customer service is a huge red flag to potential and current customers.
Even if it’s negative, it’s important to check your DMs and respond to comments on your posts. This shows your audience that you care about what they think and are actively trying to ensure they have a positive experience with your brand.
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Experiment with Instagram reels
For businesses and individuals looking to increase their Instagram engagement rate, video posts are a great way to reach more people – especially when you start experimenting with Instagram Reels.
With Reels, you’re able to create entertaining video content and share it across the platform – promoting your brand further than just your follower list.
Be sure to make use of trends and popular sounds and make sure to include an eye-catching thumbnail to encourage people to watch,
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Cater to your target audience
To increase engagement rates on your Instagram page, it is important to cater to your target audience.
Knowing who follows you through in-app statistics can help immensely while creating content. This information can show age, gender and even the location of followers, which helps to ensure that the content posted is appealing and likely to resonate with the people who will see it.
Knowing who your audience is can also help explain your audience engagement rate.
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Use clear calls to action (CTAs)
An important, yet often overlooked way of increasing engagement on Instagram posts is by implementing clear and effective calls to action (CTAs).
It’s one thing to view your post, but it’s another to act on it.
Not only can CTAs help direct users to take part in fun competitions or promotions, but it also gives them something tangible to interact with.
Rather than simply reading a post and moving on, prompting users to comment, like, or share helps make them feel more connected to your brand.
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Use hashtags
Using hashtags is a great way to give your Instagram post added reach. Not only do they make your content more visible, but they also help populate related searches and provide important context to visitors.
When crafted thoughtfully, hashtags can help you capture the interest of a specific target audience and get your content out in front of people who are actively looking for related topics.
Researching the most active hashtags relating to the topic of your posts is a smart move that allows you to connect with potential customers and strengthen the engagement rate on each post.
So don’t forget- put those hashtags in play and watch your Instagram presence grow!
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Regularly track performance
Keeping an eye on your engagement rate is key to increasing it and gaining traction on Instagram.
Tracking your performance allows you to identify which posts, stories and reels are connecting with your audience – this information can help you create content that truly resonates with the people and increases the chance of garnering more likes, comments, followers and overall engagement.
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Create targeted Instagram Ads
If you’re looking for some serious engagement on Instagram, then utilising the power of Instagram Ads is an absolute must.
Not only will these Ads allow you to put your brand in front of more people, but also gives you the opportunity to make sure that your content is seen regularly when the organic algorithm isn’t working in your favour.
Plus, each Ad should contain a clear ‘call-to-action’ so your audience knows exactly what you want them to do after they view your ad.
Ready to supercharge your Instagram Engagement? Call in the pros!
First Page is a top-rated digital marketing agency in the APAC region, and our Instagram marketing team is second to none.
We will get to know your business inside and out before creating a bulletproof Instagram marketing strategy that is designed to get you awesome outcomes – and fast.
And the best part?
You won’t have to pay if we don’t give you results!
Simply contact us to get the ball rolling.
