Liz Papagni — May 26, 2017 
When marketing to Generation Z and Millennials, Instagram is an invaluable tool. The numbers are clear: this is where your target market spends their time on social media. And they love their brands and influencers on Instagram, too. Now, it’s up to you to figure out how to drive higher engagement on Instagram.
Like Back
No one wants to have a one-sided conversation, right? When you put your brand out there on Instagram but don’t take the time to interact with your followers, your fans will start to feel like you’re not even part of the conversation.
Always take some time to look through posts—particularly those that tag your company—and respond by commenting, liking, and sharing.
Just Ask
Sometimes all you need to do is simply ask, and you will receive the engagement you’re looking for. You can ask a question with your comment and invite followers to answer, with answers as simple as “true,” “false,” “agree,” or “disagree,” or you can give your fans an actual platform to share their thoughts and feelings.
One way to really get your fans going is to ask for their advice. When you ask followers, “What would you do?” they won’t be able to resist sharing their experiences.
Be Funny
Provocative posts are more likely to get likes and shares, so step out on a limb with a funny or shocking post on occasion.
Of course, humor on social media doesn’t always go as planned, so you can’t simply throw a post at the wall and hope it sticks. Your funny and provocative posts should be planned, vetted by staff members, and tested on a small audience before sharing with the world. Maybe that takes some of the spontaneity out of the process, but you can rest easy that you’re moving forward with inoffensive content.
Host a Takeover
Influencer marketing is hot right now, and for good reason. Consumers tend to trust the word of an influencer more than the word of a brand—simply because brands are supposed to think they’re awesome, right?
When you have an influencer on your side, their fans are likely to follow. Let that influencer take over your Instagram for a day, and watch your engagement soar. The best part is, those who find you on takeover day are likely to stick around to see what else you have to offer.
Use Hashtags
Hashtags have been around for so long that they kind of seem like the dinosaurs of social media. They’re still here for a reason, though: they work. Of course, you want to make sure you’re using popular and relevant hashtags if you want new people to find you.
Proprietary hashtags are fun for the sake of originality and recognition, but keep in mind that many users won’t be searching for your creative hashtag. Instead, they’ll be looking up the latest challenge, searching for #ThrowbackThursday, or seeking out the latest trends. Those are the hashtags to snag if you want higher engagement on Instagram.
Remember: social media is supposed to be social, and that’s what Millennials and Generation Z expect. You can prompt all the engagement in the world, but they won’t keep talking to you if you don’t talk back.
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