Since Instagram is the most frequently accessed social network among US users, brands cannot afford not to use it, but it is not enough to create an Instagram profile for your brand and leave it at that. Your presence on the platform should serve a purpose and provide some sort of commercial value.

Consistent, high-quality visuals

When it comes to Instagram, visuals are everything. A badly shot image or poorly designed graphic won't cut it. You need high-quality images and videos that stand out and immediately engage your audience.

Use colour and filters wisely so that your images not only look great, but also provide a consistent look and feel across your Instagram page. Ideally, you should stick to a colour combination and visual style that suits your brand image.

Post consistently at the best times.

One of Instagram's most important best practices is to post consistently. Instagram users want to see new content on a regular basis.

If your brand only posts once in a while, you may find that your followers migrate to other competitors' pages ......

...to get the content they are looking for.

Research has shown that there is no real sweet spot for how often a brand should post.

You may find that posting once a day is just as effective as posting multiple times a day.

Doing hashtag research

This step is crucial if you want your posts to be seen by a wider audience and for you to get more engagement. Choosing the right hashtags for your posts can mean the difference between being seen by hundreds of people and thousands. You will need to use a mix of industry-specific subject tags; this indicates that subject tags are being used so you will have visibility, but the subject tags will not be so large that your post will be overshadowed by competing content. It's also important to use a variety of hashtags to mix things up. If you use the same set of hashtags over and over again, you run the risk of them becoming stale and your content may be shadow banned (blocked).

Hashtags help you reach a larger audience by improving visibility.

When users search for hashtags on Instagram, they will find all of the content that has been tagged with that particular hashtag.

Leveraging Search Engine Optimisation

Creating an SEO strategy for your Instagram profile is becoming increasingly important. In a similar way that Google reads your website to find meta descriptions and keywords, Instagram reads your profile to help you rank for keyword searches. Ideally, for example, your account name should reflect your company name or industry name. The key here is to brainstorm what keywords people will search for on Instagram and then put those words in your profile.

Include a call-to-action (CTA) in your posts.

Just like any other type of marketing content, it's a good idea to include a call-to-action button in most Instagram posts.

Well-worded CTAs help drive traffic to your website or landing page, encouraging interaction and engagement with your brand and other users.

There are several different call-to-action phrases you can use to encourage your followers to engage.

CTA：

1. Ask them to tag someone.
2. Ask a question. 
3. Invite your audience to tell you something.

Make Instagram work for your brand. If you're an entrepreneur or small business owner who is just starting your online marketing journey, check out Start Page by JarveePro for small businesses.