7 Tips to Use Instagram Like a Pro: Strategies for Influencers and Businesses

Are you looking to take your Instagram game to the next level? With over 1 billion monthly active users, Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms. It’s a powerful tool that can be used by influencers and businesses alike to reach new audiences and grow their brands. But how do you make sure you’re using it to its fullest potential?

In this article, we’ll go over seven tips and tricks that will help you become an Instagram pro. We’ll dive into the app’s features, versions, pros and cons, and more. By following these tips, you’ll be able to maximize your reach on the platform and grow your brand identity. So let's get started!

Utilize All Versions of the App

Instagram comes in three different versions: the standard version, Instagram Lite, and Instagram Kids. Each version offers different features that can be used for different purposes depending on your goals for the platform.

Standard Version

This version is best for influencers and businesses looking to maximize their reach on the app. It offers all of Instagram’s features such as Stories, Reels, IGTV, Live streaming, Shopping tags, etc., making it easy to engage with followers while also expanding your reach.

Instagram Lite

This version is best for users with slow internet connections or limited storage space on their devices as it takes up less space than the standard version. It also uses less data while still offering many of the same features as the standard version including Stories, Reels, etc., making it a great option for users who don’t have access to fast internet speeds or large amounts of storage space.

Instagram Kids

This version is specifically designed for children under 13 years old who are not allowed to have an account on the regular app due to privacy laws in some countries. It offers a more age-appropriate experience with kid-friendly content and parental controls that allow parents to monitor their child’s activity on the app more closely.

Take Advantage of Stories

Instagram Stories are a great way to engage with your followers and create content that is more personal and relatable. It’s also a great way to showcase products and services, as well as promote your brand. You can use stories to share behind-the-scenes content, highlight important announcements, or even host interactive Q&As.

To make your stories stand out, you can use features like polls and quizzes to engage with your audience or add music or text to make them more interactive. You can also use the “Highlight” feature to save stories for longer than 24 hours so that they are visible on your profile for longer periods of time.

Make Use of IGTV

IGTV is a great way to produce longer-form content on Instagram such as tutorials, interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, etc., that can be used to engage with followers and expand your reach on the platform. It’s also a great way for businesses to promote their products and services in an engaging way that is more likely to grab attention from potential customers.
To get started with IGTV, simply click the camera icon at the top of the app and start recording a video up to 10 minutes long (or 60 minutes if you have a verified account). IGTV videos can be shared through other platforms such as YouTube or Facebook, making it easy to expand your reach even further.

Leverage Live Streaming

Live streaming is a powerful tool on Instagram to engage with followers in real-time while expanding your reach on the platform. To get started, click the camera icon at the top of the app and select "Go Live" from the menu. You can then start streaming live video up to one hour in length, depending on your account type.

Personal accounts are limited to one hour, while business accounts are unlimited. During this time, you can interact directly with viewers in real-time through comments and direct messages, making it easy for influencers and businesses to grow their brand identity quickly.

Make Shopping Easier with Shopping Tags

Shopping tags make it easier than ever for businesses on Instagram to showcase their products without leaving the app. Simply add shopping tags directly onto posts or stories featuring products from your store so that viewers can easily click through for more information about each item without having to leave Instagram. This makes it easier for customers who may be interested in purchasing items directly from within the app instead of being directed elsewhere, where they may not complete their purchase due to distractions or added steps involved in going through an external website/storefront versus completing their purchase within Instagram itself.

Optimize Posts by Using Hashtags Effectively

Hashtags are an essential part of any successful Instagram strategy as they allow users to discover new content related specifically to topics they care about most, leading them back into interacting with brands they may not have previously interacted with before. By using relevant hashtags, posts featuring those hashtags will now appear higher up in search results for those topics/keywords, leading more potential customers/followers to discover them organically from within search results themselves. This allows influencers and businesses alike an opportunity to connect better with existing audiences organically, creating better relationships through organic interactions instead of forcing ads upon them, potentially leading to negative experiences.

Analyze Performance Through Insights

Insights provide valuable data about how each post performs so that you can adjust strategies accordingly if needed, such as testing different hashtags or types of content. Insights also provide data surrounding follower demographics, such as age group, location, gender, etc., which helps influencers adjust their content accordingly based on who they are targeting specifically, as well as what types of posts perform best among certain age groups/locations, etc.

This helps maximize performance by allowing changes in strategies based on facts and data provided within insights, providing key pieces missing towards forming winning strategies when trying to reach larger audiences successfully over time.

By following these tips, you'll be able to maximize your reach on Instagram while growing your brand identity quickly too! Remember, consistency is key when developing successful strategies over time, so make sure to keep posting regularly and engaging whenever possible. Good luck!