Here is a three part strategy to help you build a long-term content strategy that works! By building an Instagram content strategy you can alleviate burnout and make sure your posts never fall flat.
Step #1: What Content Do You Love to Make
This is very important to figure out when creating your strategy. This is because it is easier to continue doing something that you actually enjoy rather than forcing something you don’t. This will allow you to be consistent over time and feel less overwhelmed.
Take a long hard look at yourself as a creator and really decide what your strengths and weaknesses are. Are you better at being “live” on stories? Do you enjoy writing funny captions and creating graphics? Whatever your preferences are run with them and it will be much easier for you to naturally create content for your Instagram which in turn will create less burnout.
Step #2: What Content Performs Well With Your Audience
It is important to remember that success on Instagram is subjective and just because something works for one company does not mean it will work for another. The success of content really depends on your audience and their preferences. Here is a list of the popular types of content to consider when creating your Instagram strategy.
Carousels
Instagram’s carousel feature has proven to be very effective for business accounts. It is especially useful for educational purposes. A great strategy for educational posts using the carousel feature is to have a graphic with text overlay that answers a question/solves a problem. The goal is for your audience to find your content relatable/important and share it to their stories to create organic growth for your company. With a carousel graphic you want each image to be able to also be used as a stand alone graphic for the purpose of sharing.
Reels
Your instagram reels feed is organized by interest versus posts and stories which are organized by the accounts you follow. This allows your reels to reach a different audience than your other content normally does.
There are a few ways to use reels in an effective marketing strategy. The first would be to find out what is trending and put your own spin on it while tying it back to your business in some way. You can also use trending audio, which will allow your reels to reach a larger audience. Creating your own audio by talking directly to the camera has also become popular.
When creating a reel your approach should be different to creating a story or post. With a story/post you are talking to your loyal audience who knows you and your company. A reel on the other hand can show up on just about any feed which means that you need to catch your audience’s attention in the very beginning and keep them engaged the entire time.
Tutorials have also been effective when your goal is to reach a certain audience and educate/ solve a problem for them.
Tweet Graphics
Tweet graphics, or graphics designed to look like a tweet are very popular on Instagram. This type of content is shorter and easier for many people to consume. Since it is shorter it is more likely to be added to others’ stories if they like/relate to your quote. This type of graphic is also good if you want to share a quote that you may have heard from someone else that you think your audience or others in your industry would appreciate and relate to.
Memes
The use of memes has grown in popularity on Instagram over the past several years. Memes allow you to post funny content that can be niche to your market all the way up to a general pop culture reference. Memes are usually funny, highly shareable, and relatable which tends to do well on social media.
Creating a meme is very easy which means that just about anyone can do it! When creating your own meme make sure to choose a pop-culture reference that your followers are able to relate to. By doing this you will more than likely create a relatable meme that will be shared that in turn will organically grow your audience.
When creating your meme, although pop-culture references are the most popular, you are able to use other formats as well. For example you can use an image of your team, celebrities, or even yourself as long as you are able to make it niche and funny to your market.
Photos Combined with Long Captions
This approach works well when your caption is a candid explanation of you and your company. Showing this type of vulnerability online allows you to build a trust and bond with your followers that you may not otherwise get. Sharing something personal online is always uncomfortable but this allows your audience to also know that you are trusting them and they will be more willing to reciprocate. Longer captions also let you connect on a deeper level with your audience then other posts and this helps them to connect with you.
Step #3: Determine Availability of Time
Once you have decided what type of content you enjoy posting and want to post you then must begin planning on when you will post. It is easy to get your thoughts and ideas for future posting together in a list or calendar format once you know what type of content you will be posting. The hard part is now coming up with the time to execute all of your amazing ideas.
Time management is always a key asset in any business but when it comes to creating a lasting content strategy it may be your most important. You will want to take a look at the content calendar that you just created and compare it to your work calendar and then create a schedule for content innovation, creation, and execution. It may take a few weeks for you to get the hang of this new way of thinking and working but eventually you will be able to optimize your time and complete your content in a timely manner. Once you have finished the innovation and creation portion of your content your last task is to execute. The most effective way to do this would be to schedule your posts out for a certain amount of time, ideally 1-3 months in advance, through a scheduling software. Your other option would be to lay out all of your pre-planned content on a calendar per month and everyday go in and manually post your content.
Conclusion
When building an Instagram content strategy that lasts you first need to figure out what type of content you enjoy making. Next you must figure out what type of content performs best with your audience. Lastly, you must use the information from those first two steps and decide what type of content would be best for your Instagram. You will then need to create that content and post it to your account in a consistent manner. By following these steps you are guaranteed to build a successful Instagram content strategy that will last.