The do’s and don’ts for succeeding on Instagram as an artist
Many now regard Instagram as the most influential social media platform out there. It has been the fastest growing social network of 2018 so far and looks set to only increase its influence globally into 2019 and beyond. As the most artistic of the social platforms, it comes as no surprise that artists are now putting more emphasis than ever on their Instagram campaigns. Like all social networks, Instagram is only beneficial to those who know how to use it most effectively.
Though the platform is primarily focused on visual content, often the captions provided can make a great deal of difference. As long as the image reaches a certain quality standard, it will be the caption that really drives engagement. The wording of your bio is also important as it is the last thing people will view before deciding whether or not to hit the follow button. To make a great bio, research which kind of bios are working well for your competitors. You may want to keep your bio short and sweet, or you may want to make it a bulleted list. After you’ve written your bio, make sure it is aesthetically pleasing and formats correctly.
Don’t forget to utilise the link option for your bio and include your most relevant link for your audience to connect with. This link should not remain the same forever, you should always be introducing new campaigns and driving your audience towards different content. For example, when you drop a new track you will want to include a link in your bio for your fans to quickly access it.
Instagram is primarily focused on creativity. Without offering exciting content that is pleasing to look at, you will struggle to achieve the level of engagement you desire. Make sure that the quality of your images is up to scratch in order to make your profile look the best it can possibly be. Even one low-resolution image on your profile can lower the aesthetic to a non-pleasing level. Remember to think outside the box and share your experiences. If you’re travelling, your audience will want to know and will be keen to see images from your trip.
Remember, Instagram should not solely be for sales. If you’ve released a new track, post about it, but don’t focus all of your content on selling yourself. If your audience feels that you are constantly promoting, they will quickly lose interest in you. An example of this is posting multiple times about your latest track and asking your audience to listen to it. Break up your promotional content with some aesthetic imagery that your audience will enjoy. In order to make sure you’re not promoting too often, step back and take a look at your profile objectively. You may also want to ask for the opinions of those around you to see if they find your profile interesting or too promotional.
Another key aspect of performing well on Instagram is your use of stories. Too many artists fail to post often enough using stories. The beneficial aspect of stories is that your fans must actually choose to watch them, meaning that you cannot ever really over-spam. Although viewers may be put off watching a story that is extremely long, you can post a great deal of content in a short period of time without aggravating your audience. Stories are great for keeping your audience up to date on what you’re up to day to day. Plus, stories do not need to be as well-thought-out as main posts. That being said, providing dynamic stories with gifs and text always provides a more exciting experience for viewers. If you manage to provide quality stories, it is much more likely that viewers will watch until the end and engage with any links provided.
Although you will want to publish content as often as possible (without spamming), be careful not to let the overall quality of your posts drop. When content is rushed it can often become less thought-out and of a lower quality than usual. This can be more damaging to your brand than not publishing anything at all. Aim to publish one post a day but make sure that the one post is of a high standard. This way you keep your profile active while also maintaining quality.
Lastly, don’t underestimate the value of engaging with fans. Even simply liking comments can make other fans much more likely to also engage with a particular piece of content. Responding to some of the best comments is the best thing you can do as it lets your other fans know that they could get a response if they comment. Receiving more comments makes you look more popular causing a chain reaction and drawing more attention to your brand. Increased comments also make your content much more likely to be seen by a large number of people.
Like all social media platforms, you will only feel the benefits of Instagram if you use the platform effectively. This requires a certain level of time and dedication but should be made a priority in your strategy. If you’re not achieving the results you had hoped, take a step back and assess how you could improve your Instagram presence. Even if you are generating a huge volume of engagement, there will still always be room for improvement. Set aside time to improve your strategy and you will soon see your results improving exponentially.
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