What was once a fledgling platform perceived as having little utility, has now become the fastest growing social media platform over the past two years. Its scope is only rivalled at this point by LinkedIn, Google Plus, Twitter and Facebook, which makes it a prime target for those who wish to expand their brand’s recognition or gain added exposure for their causes. While no social media strategy provides instant gratification, there are several tricks that Instagram users can employ to grow their audience and bring additional recognition to their pages. In the following article, we will discuss these strategies so that you can enact them accordingly.

Daily Imagery

Instagram is a platform that is built upon multimedia and sharing, so it only makes sense that your brand needs to have daily updates – preferably in the form of photos or excellent imagery that subtly conveys your brand’s message. The creation and/or posting of any image takes very little time (Instagram’s photo-editing options makes this even easier), which means that any page can be quickly pinging a website‘s new products, a community event or an appropriate scene from the time they first sign up for Instagram. Many people use the monthly calendar feature, a Photo a Day, which lets brands create calendars with specific images for each day of the month.

Utilize Hashtags

Initially released on Twitter some years ago, many other social networking platforms – including Instagram – have embraced the concept of the hashtag. The hashtag allows posts to be categorized into niche interests, which users can peruse by clicking on a given hashtag. All recent posts on the social network with any given hashtag will be visible to users, which means that those who browse hashtags that are used by your Instagram page will be more likely to see it. Perfect for added marketing potential and a brand-related way to engage in broader conversations, the hashtag can quickly be used in any post and only enhances your page’s presence.

Be Intimate

Instagram’s photo-based role in social media makes it the perfect platform through which details and behind-the-scenes action of your brand can be posted and shared with users. Nobody wants to seem cold and distant; users who are pinging a website to their Instagram page may be noticed, but a personal photo with a URL in the description can gain much more exposure. The human element has never been more important in a world of seemingly cold, dead technology – augment your brand’s chances for success through the occasional use of personal appeals, unique imagery and dialogue with your fan base.

Don’t Forget About the Others

If you want to build your social media presence on Instagram, then what better way to do so than through the use of other existing social media profiles? More than eighty percent of social media users report that they use more than one social media network at least once per week, which means that you could be missing valuable Instagram users on other networks if you do not promote your brand’s profile. Through direct sharing and/or the API provided by Instagram, anyone can quickly link their Instagram profile to other social media sites and let the world know that their brand is active and alive on Instagram.