Why Engagement is More Important Than Followers on Instagram

The Instagram Follower Frenzy

Instagram has grown into one of the world’s largest social media platforms, with over one billion active users. As a result, it has become a hub for online marketers to reach new audiences and connect with potential customers. Instagram boasts of an eager and loyal community of people who are constantly seeking fresh and exciting content. However, in the quest for online marketing success, many businesses make the mistake of obsessing over their follower count. This is a common problem because many people incorrectly assume the volume of followers equates to the volume of engagement. But the reality is that having many followers does not always mean they are actively engaging with your content.

What is Engagement?

Engagement is all about how involved and invested followers are with a brand’s content. This includes likes, comments, shares, and even full-blown conversions directly from this social media platform. The entire point of building social media communities is to create relationships with your followers, provide them with valuable content, and offer products and services which benefit their lives. In this sense, engagement should always be the main focus over the number of followers.

The Benefits of Engagement Over Followers

Here are some reasons why engagement should be seen as being more important than the total number of Instagram followers:

Increased visibility: When users engage with an Instagram post, it increases the likelihood that their followers will see the same post. Not only does it help increase overall reach, but engagement builds an online community that promotes and shares your content. A group of followers who share and discuss content means a higher chance of Instagram’s algorithm placing your post in a prime location like its explore page, ultimately providing even more exposure for the brand.

Brand loyalty: Engaging with followers creates a sense of community. Customers who feel represented and heard are more likely to be loyal to the brand and become repeat customers. Engagement on Instagram provides a clear indication of what works and what doesn’t, while simultaneously establishing a rhythm of feedback, allowing a brand to adjust easily based on their follower’s preferences.

Complete brand authenticity: The total number of followers can easily be tampered with by buying followers or using bot services. This type of artificial boost may make the account look good on the surface, but when a business prioritizes engagement, they are showing that in reality, they seek to create an involved community. By doing so, it ensures their Instagram presence is authentic and trustworthy.

Ways to Increase Your Instagram Engagement Through Organic Means

Some great ways to connect with users on Instagram are: Discover additional details about the topic by accessing this carefully selected external resource. Explore this related article, dive even deeper into the subject and enhance your learning experience.

Direct messages: In the same way direct mail marketing can deliver a more personalized message, direct messages are a more tailored way to connect with potential and existing followers. Brands should use a friendly tone and establish a relationship first before anything else. Thus, frequent personal messaging is vital to building user interest, leading to a higher likelihood of conversions.

Contests: Contests offer a fun and interactive way to engage with users and reward their loyalty. The promotion and contest-related hashtags should be added to the post and through a quality photo, the brand can gain more exposure and users to follow their account.

Valuable insights: People are always seeking information that will benefit them in some way. By sharing educational content and valuable insights, a brand establishes itself as an authority in the field, giving its followers a reason to engage with new and exciting content that they otherwise wouldn’t have come across.

Conclusion

Having many followers on Instagram is great to have. However, the shiny appearance of the number of followers can be deceiving. The true value is in garnering engagement with these followers through direct communication, entertaining contests, and sharing valuable insights that hold their attention. Brands need to focus on building a loyal, engaged community on Instagram, which will lead to more conversions, more exposure, and ultimately more success in the long term.

Expand your knowledge on the topic with the related posts we’ve set aside for you. Enjoy:

Check out this informative content

Learn from this helpful document

Investigate this valuable study

Discover this in-depth article