Jacqueline Raw - Dominate Instagram This Lockdown2020-04-10 As the second-largest social media platform in South Africa (and growing quickly!), cracking the Instagram code has never been more critical. According to Jacqueline Raw, owner and founder of Ycagel, Instagram is an ever-evolving platform. "Instagram stays close to what their users want and have a keen eye on their competitors; a key factor that has contributed to the platform's growing popularity. It is also for this reason that if you intend winning on social media in the next couple of months (and especially during this lockdown period), you need to ensure you are featuring on Instagram!" From leveraging stories, creating the right content and owning IGTV (IGTV is a standalone video application by Instagram for Android and iOS smartphones); there are many ways to build a brand through Instagram. Jacqui adds that those things aside, there is a single biggest missed opportunity on Instagram - the strategic use of hashtags! "Using hashtags strategically to reach new audiences and engage your current followers is a massive opportunity and when done right, is one of the single biggest contributors to your organic growth." "Hashtags are like art museums," Jacqui explains. "Some are huge like the Hermitage in Russia and others are as small as the Irma Steyn Museum in our home country. The size of the museum is dictated by the amount of pieces of art it has on display. The same rings true for a hashtag. The more images attached to one specific hashtag the bigger, more relevant that hashtag becomes." She adds that each hashtag 'museum' displays its own set of 'artwork'. "Understanding this and then going on to select the right hashtag for your business or brand is incredibly crucial in your Instagram strategy." Jacqui however cautions that selecting popular hashtags in hopes of gaining exposure, will simply put your 'artwork' up in a museum against gazillion pieces of other content. "And then, what are your chances of being seen - really?" So if you don't go for the popular ones, how do you select hashtags? Jacqui offers three top tips:
For more info, email Jacqui y.cagel@live.co.za |
|
||