If you have already been marketing your company on Instagram, I’m sure that by now you have seen the powerful engagement that your posts can get.  In many cases (or, let’s be honest, most cases) your engagement is probably way higher than that of your Facebook Page posts.

But…maybe you are missing a couple of tricks.

As everyone wants to be getting the optimum result out of their marketing efforts, I want to share with you 8 Instagram marketing ideas that you can easily work into your campaigns to enhance your engagement and success rate.

Without further ado – let’s jump in!

*Reward Your Followers: Reach out to the people that follow you and engage with your content. Offer them special discounts or even just a thank you.  Kind words and outreach like this from a brand can make all the difference in how your new followers will engage with you!

*Showcase Your Products and Services: Instagram is visual, so don’t forget to show your most important asset: your products and services.  Show them being used, show their packaging, post how to use videos, answer questions.  This is your time – show off!  Just make it fun and interesting.

*Highlight Your Creation Process: Do you manufacture your product in a special way?  Do you deliver your service in a unique way?  Tell the visual story – your audience is interested!

*Show Multiple Uses for Your Product/Service: Illustrate how your product or service can be used in different situations by different users.  This will enhance your opportunities of engagement with your audience.

*Let Your Location Be Accessible: What I mean by this is showcase your bricks and mortar store or your offices.  Show your staff at work, answering customer calls, packing orders, having clients meetings, at the watercooler.  All of this humanizes your brand and sets your audience’s expectations on what your brand really looks like.

*Use Hashtags…The Right Way: Hashtags are very important when it comes to Instagram, just use the right amount.  I usually suggest using 4-6 tops, but just make sure that you keep them relevant and use keywords which your target audience will use to locate information similar to what you are posting.  Hashtags are a great tool to building your relevant network on Instagram.

*Don’t Forget Video: So many new, and old, Instagram users forget all about the opportunity to post a 15 second video.  Don’t forget this!  This is a powerful engagement tool and allows you to have the opportunity to speak directly to your audience.  Use it wisely and have fun!

*Consistency Holds the Key to Success: I can’t leave this off the list.  Make sure that you have a plan in place of how many times that you would like to post per week, when you want to post – and stick to it.  Posting ten pictures in a day, then nothing for two months does not a successful campaign make.

These 8 tips are easy for you to integrate into your Instagram approach and will bring you lots of attention in a little amount of time.  Remember: have fun and think outside of the box.  While this is an extension of traditional marketing, make sure that the content that you are sharing is relevant to the target audience that you are trying to reach!