When you post to Instagram, you want to make sure you are adding value to your customers, rather than just selling a product. You want people to want to follow you. Consider your overall theme and goals for your store. What is it you want to provide your followers – inspiration, beauty, education, laughs, ideas, etc.
- Have a consistent brand personality and stick to it. If it’s sell, sell, sell all the time, or if your feed is inconsistent or bland, it can be hard to build a following.
- Genuine interaction is essential too. Large followings will not always equal massive sales. Your account can have 10,000 followers, but if you only get 50 likes per post, something is off. It is better to have 1,000 true fans who are genuinely engaged and purchase your products than thousands that only like your photos.
- Ask your audience questions. Take the time to get to know them. Be interested in who they are and encourage them to engage with you. Take time to engage back, respond to every comment you receive.
- Take the time to write high-quality captions and schedule your posts at times that your target audience is online. Write longer captions that have more emotion to them. Create a story for your brand and allow your followers the chance to follow along.
- Use hashtags that have 500,000 or fewer posts. Don’t use the same set of hashtags on every single post. Mix it up and tailor them to each post.
- Avoid stock photos. Use lifestyle photos of girls using your products in real life!
Don’t focus on the numbers and don’t get discouraged. Building a following takes time, but if you follow these tips you’ll end up with true fans rather than an audience who has no interest in purchasing your product. Keep moving forward and build your boutique!