Category: Social Media

8 Ways to Optimise Your Instagram Hashtags (updated 2023)

Post author By The Comma Creative
Post date 2021-09-16

Instagram hashtags remain a powerful tool for expanding your reach, connecting with your target audience, and fostering engagement. A well-crafted Instagram hashtag strategy doesn’t just cast a wide net; it casts the right net, capturing the attention of the ideal users for your business. In this comprehensive guide, we will delve deep into eight tips to optimise your Instagram hashtags, enabling you to reach your target market effectively and elevate your engagement to new heights.

1. Check Your Instagram Hashtag Analytics

Before diving into the world of hashtags, it’s essential to assess the performance of the hashtags you’ve used in the past. This analysis provides valuable insights into which hashtags have resonated with your audience and driven engagement. By examining your Instagram hashtag analytics, you can determine what hashtags to reuse in the future. Pay attention to the following metrics:

Impressions: Measure how many times your post was viewed due to a specific hashtag.
Reach: Assess the unique accounts that viewed your post through a hashtag.
Engagement: Analyse the likes, comments, and overall interaction generated by each hashtag.

By leveraging these insights, you can fine-tune your hashtag strategy and ensure that you’re targeting the right audience.

2. Aim for the Top Posts in Hashtags

Earning a spot in the top posts for a hashtag is akin to hitting a home run in the world of Instagram. It can significantly boost your visibility and expose your content to a broader audience. To secure a place among the top posts, two key factors come into play:

a. Engagement QuantityThe quantity of engagement your post receives plays a pivotal role. The more likes and comments your post accumulates, the higher the chances of it reaching the top posts section. Instagram’s algorithm interprets this rapid engagement as a sign of high-quality, engaging content.

b. Engagement SpeedSpeed is of the essence when aiming for the top posts. Top posts are typically determined within the first 24 hours of posting. Hence, generating a substantial amount of likes and comments shortly after posting sends a strong signal to Instagram that your content is both engaging and relevant.

To achieve this, consider engaging with your audience, responding to comments promptly, and encouraging interactions to drive your content to the top.

3. Include Your Branded Hashtag in Your Instagram Profile

Instagram now allows you to add clickable hashtags to your profile bio. This feature presents a golden opportunity to create an Instagram bio that not only tells your story but also directs visitors to your website or promotional campaigns. Integrating your branded hashtag in your bio makes it more functional and versatile. You can utilise hashtags to:

Promote your Instagram community.
Highlight your branded content.
Announce ongoing Instagram campaigns and contests.

By making your branded hashtag easily accessible through your bio, you encourage users to explore and engage with your branded content, fostering a sense of community around your brand.

4. Post Your Hashtags in the First Comment

Posting your hashtags in the first comment of your Instagram post is a clever strategy that allows your caption to take centre stage while preserving the discoverability of your content. This approach keeps your caption clean and uncluttered while still capitalising on the engagement opportunities hashtags offer.

After posting your content, swiftly add a comment containing your chosen hashtags. This way, you maintain a visually appealing aesthetic without sacrificing the benefits of hashtag-driven discoverability.

5. Add Hashtags to Your Instagram Stories

Instagram Stories have become a dynamic and popular format for engaging with your audience. Adding hashtags to your stories is a fantastic way to enhance the discoverability of your content. Each Instagram story allows you to include up to 10 hashtags, including one clickable hashtag sticker. Here’s how to make the most of this feature:

Use relevant and trending hashtags related to your content.
Incorporate a clickable hashtag sticker that complements your story.
Experiment with different hashtag combinations to see which ones drive the most engagement.

By integrating hashtags into your Instagram Stories, you give your content an additional chance to be discovered by a broader and more diverse audience.

6. Entice Your Followers to Follow Your Brand Hashtag

For brands and businesses, encouraging followers to follow your branded hashtag opens up a remarkable opportunity. When users follow your branded hashtag, your content can appear twice in their feed—once as they follow your profile and once again through the hashtag. This dual presence doubles your chances of engagement and brand exposure.

To entice your followers to follow your brand hashtag:

Showcase the value of your hashtag by consistently sharing engaging and relevant content under it.
Run campaigns and contests that revolve around user-generated content using your branded hashtag.
Promote your hashtag across your social media channels and marketing materials to raise awareness.

By making your brand hashtag an integral part of your community, you create a more immersive and engaging brand experience for your audience.

7. Run Hashtag-Based Campaigns and Promotions

User-generated content (UGC) contests and campaigns are all the rage for a reason—they’re entertaining, boost engagement, and expand your reach to new audiences. Leveraging branded hashtags in these campaigns can be highly effective. Here’s how to do it:

Encourage your audience to tag relevant content with your branded hashtag.
Consider creating campaign-specific hashtags to categorise and collect UGC.
Use UGC to create a sense of community and showcase your brand’s authenticity.

These campaigns not only drive engagement but also generate valuable user-generated content that you can repurpose for your marketing efforts, further extending the life and impact of your campaigns.

8. Avoid Using Banned Hashtags on Instagram

Last but not least, it’s crucial to steer clear of banned hashtags on Instagram. Banned hashtags are those flagged and “disabled” by Instagram for violating community guidelines. Using these hashtags can lead to your content being hidden from search results, severely limiting your brand exposure.

To ensure you’re not using banned hashtags, stay informed and periodically review your hashtag list. Instagram updates its list of banned hashtags regularly, so vigilance is essential to safeguard your brand’s reputation and visibility.

Instagram hashtags remain a potent tool for growing followers and engagement in 2023. To optimise your hashtag strategy, focus on data-driven decisions, aim for top posts, utilise branded hashtags, strategically place hashtags in your posts, and harness the power of Instagram Stories. Additionally, encourage followers to engage with your brand hashtag, run hashtag-based campaigns, and always steer clear of banned hashtags. By implementing these tips, you can navigate the ever-changing landscape of Instagram hashtags effectively and drive meaningful growth for your brand and engagement with your audience.

Tags Marketing Strategy, Social Media

Blog Social Media Social Media Advertising

What Agencies Won’t Tell You About Social Media Advertising?

Post author By The Comma Creative
Post date 2021-09-01

You can do so much more than showing your post to more audiences and get more exposure.

Introduction to Social Media Advertising

Social media advertising, also referred as social media marketing (SMM), are one of the most straightforward marketing tools for small businesses and start-ups to get hold of.

While social media ads are often being compared to search engine ads, we see them differently.

We often use social media ads before Google Ads for new businesses or those without a substantial online presence. Social media ads are more similar to traditional marketing which repeatedly broadcast your brand and products to the public. These messages will create brand awareness amongst those who have seen the ads.

As the brand becomes more well known, Google Ads is the harvester that we use. Search engine ads can collect those audiences who are actively searching for a relevant result.

If we are putting social media ads onto the customer-based brand equity model, social media ads are the bottom two levels – brand identity and brand meaning – that build a brand before customers are willing to interact with a brand.

Misconceptions to Social Media Advertising (or Digital Marketing in general)

The ultimate goal of all marketing and advertising campaigns is to increase sales. However, the time required to reach a significant difference in conversion is not as instant as it seems.

We often regard this issue to the “instant” nature of our lives currently. Because our computers, the Internet and our lives generally are more convenient than before, most of us are used to the culture of instant gratification that extends to the expectation in influences of digital marketing.

Yet, the building and maintenance of a brand is never an overnight wonder. It requires long-term dedication before a significant change can be seen. And this seemingly old school understanding of perseverance is a characteristic that is much needed in digital marketing.

The effects of social media advertising require time to be seen and more effort to maintain. One example that marketing schools and myself love to use is Coca-Cola. The iconic brand stood firm over the decades because of its branding, not because of innovative products. Coca-Cola was not conservative on any marketing, spending up to 60% of its revenue on marketing to maintain its brand awareness.,

So, what didn’t other agencies tell you?

Over our time in the industry, we have clients that previously worked with other digital marketing companies. And we have very mixed feedback from them in understanding social media advertisements.

Benefits that they can bring

To describe some of those, we would love to use an Aussie word: “dodgy”.

Because of the general lack of understanding in digital marketing, some agencies take advantage of such to promote their business. One of such is making false claims.

Some agencies will say that they can double your sales with social media adverts. While this sounds appealing, it is not a reasonable claim in most cases.

The general lack of digital marketing facts forces most digital marketers to continually test and trial for an optimised marketing campaign. And these come down to the variables in a scientific experiment:

Independent variables
Dependent variables
Controlled variables

The independent variables in social media advertisements are our copywriting, images and videos. And the dependent variables are the ad’s responses, including impressions, likes, comments and other engagements.

On the other hand, sales are mostly referred to as “conversions” in social media advertisements. However, conversions are often not direct from social media advertisements that are not dependent on the ad.

Making claims on something that is not directly related to a campaign is not a fraud, but definitely, an action that requires more research and understanding of social media advertising and their abilities.

More often than not, these claims are used as bait for customers. Concluding the experiences of our clients, we have not seen many successful cases in reaching their claims.

Use of advertisement budget

It is undeniable that advertising needs money. But, most of the time, is your money being used in the right place?

Yes, the fees you are paying to the agencies shall include their working hours and the expertise and experience. But it does not mean that you have to spend huge sums.

Social media advertisements are so beloved by marketers, mostly because of its ability to dial down to a particular demographic group. Such allows some of the most effective uses of marketing budgets that the world has ever seen.

For example, selling baby formula for different ages is more accurate with social media ads. These platforms can help marketers match individual advertisements to new parents, parents with older kids, or even couples expecting a newborn.

The marketers’ expertise and experience can help pinpoint the best audience for your social media ads that maximise your advertising budget’s effectiveness.

Some agencies without the knowledge will spend a huge budget to maximise reach and impression of the ads. With a highly extended reach, more exposure can lead to more conversion. But it also means your advertising budget is not generating the performance that you should be expecting.

Remarketing

Remarketing is a relatively new concept to advertising benefitted by the trail of data we left.

A common case that you will experience remarketing is when you visit a website recently, you will soon begin to notice advertisements from that particular brand.

Remarketing is an excellent marketing method as those who see a retargeted ad are 43% more likely to become a conversion (or sales for easier understanding).

Yet, retargeting is neither simple to set up nor easy to execute. And most agencies will not mention remarketing in most times.

Valuable statistics for your business

Your social media advertisements’ traffic and impression can often provide insightful statistics for your business in both online and offline performance.

Some of those statistics include:

Age
Gender
Location
Interest
Affinity to other markets
In-market
Operating System

While the source of these statistics is limited to your online audience, the numbers still served as significant references to your brand’s performance and offered insights to new business opportunities.

With the use of insights tools in social media and website tags, like Google Tag and Facebook Pixel, these statistics should be readily available to social media agencies. However, it is totally up to their willingness to share with their clients and enjoy a better success for both parties.

How to choose your next social media advertising agency?

Honesty and trustworthiness should be the most sought after characteristics when you look for your next social media agency.

These characteristics are a great foundation of the relationship with the agency and the credibility of the agency.

While significant growth should not be expected within a year, you should be able to see some changes in three months. If no positive change was seen, or even showing negative issues, it is best to find another agency.

Most of the time, agencies should not be hesitant in sharing statistics to you as those are data specifically from your business. And administrator access to your social media page should also be welcomed by the agency.

Even if you do not know how to read such statistics or use a business social media account, you shall still access those aspects.

Still, looking for a social media marketing agency? The Comma Creative is here to help.

Tags Digital Advertising, Digital Marketing, Social Media

Blog Branding Lead Generation Search Engine Advertising Search Engine Optimisation Social Media

As a Local Business, How to Get Found Easier?

Post author By The Comma Creative
Post date 2021-09-01

A key characteristic of physical businesses is its reach, or the lack of it. The nature of requiring customers to visit a place to purchase products or receive services places a geographical boundary on the potential customer base of a local business. The rise of search engines allows customers to find local business easier, and provides local businesses a different way to get the words out. For instance, when finding a place for dinner, it is common to see people searching “restaurants near me” or “Chinese restaurants nearby”.

Restaurants are only one of the examples that can be benefitted by this searching behaviour. A method, known as “local SEO”, improves search engine ranking in the local area of the business to increase exposure and potentially gain more customers. Unlike short term advertising campaigns, such as Instagram ads or billboards, local SEO is a long term marketing investment that supports your other promotion channels.

Aspects of Local SEO

Local SEO is an essential strategy for businesses looking to attract customers in their geographic area. It encompasses various aspects of digital marketing to create a comprehensive campaign that enhances visibility and encourages purchase consideration. Here’s a deeper look into the facets of Local SEO:

Google My Business

GMB stands as a cornerstone of local SEO, offering a platform for businesses to present crucial information directly in search results. It’s the primary tool for users to find a business’s location, hours, services, and more. Optimizing your GMB profile involves regular updates such as adjusting business hours during public holidays, providing appointment links, and actively responding to customer reviews. These actions not only signal that your business is operational but also show attentiveness to customer needs. As a critical touchpoint for potential customers to learn about your business, a well-maintained GMB profile can significantly boost consumer confidence and drive foot traffic.

Online Reviews

Online reviews play a crucial role in shaping the reputation and success of businesses in the digital age. They serve as a key component of holistic public relations management, influencing potential customers’ perceptions and decisions. With the internet being the first stop for many customers seeking to learn about a business, managing online reviews across various platforms is essential for maintaining a positive online presence.

Google Reviews: These are among the most visible and influential for customers searching for information about your business. Google’s algorithms prioritize displaying highly regarded reviews, making it imperative for businesses to actively manage their online reputation on this platform. Responding to negative reviews in a timely and constructive manner is crucial to mitigating their impact and demonstrating to potential customers that your business values feedback and strives to improve.

Other Review Platforms: Depending on the nature of the business, reviews on other platforms like Zomato (for restaurants), Yelp, TripAdvisor, or Yellowpages can also significantly influence your online reputation. While these reviews might be less visible compared to those on Google, they still contribute to the overall perception of your business. Actively monitoring and managing reviews across these platforms ensures a consistent and positive online presence.

Social Media Profiles

The role of social media in the contemporary customer journey cannot be overstated. Many customers now look to social media platforms to gauge a business’s reputation and quality before deciding to visit or make a purchase. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter have become integral to local SEO strategies, not only for their potential to reach a wide audience but also because they offer customers a platform to share their experiences and reviews. Engaging with customers on social media, whether by responding to reviews, comments, or messages, is vital for fostering a positive online reputation and building trust with your audience.

While Google said that it does not take social media links as backlinks for SEO, the content available about an address and a business also demonstrates the business’s trustworthiness to Google. This trustworthiness, eventually, will positively influence search engine performance.

Schema Integration

Schema integration, or the use of structured data, is a powerful SEO strategy that enhances a website’s visibility and clarity for search engines. By implementing Schema markup, businesses can organize and present their information in a way that is easily and rapidly comprehensible to search engines. This method not only facilitates a better understanding of the business details but also significantly improves the way this information is displayed in search results.

Structured data for a local business can encompass a wide range of information. At its core, it includes basic details such as the business name, address, and contact information. However, Schema markup allows for the inclusion of much more nuanced details, such as:

Customer reviews and ratings, which can enhance trust and credibility directly within search results.
Business hours, including special hours for holidays or events, ensuring customers have accurate, up-to-date information.
Social media profiles, which provide additional avenues for customer engagement and verification of the business’s online presence.
Alternative names or aliases the business may be known under, improving brand recognition and searchability.

By embedding this structured data into a website’s HTML, businesses enable search engines to validate the accuracy of their information more effectively. This not only aids in improving the accuracy of search results but also allows for the presentation of richer information directly in the search engine results pages (SERPs). Enhanced listings, such as rich snippets, knowledge graphs, or local pack listings, make a business more visible and appealing to potential customers, often leading to improved click-through rates and brand consideration.

Furthermore, Schema markup can significantly impact local SEO by ensuring that a business’s details are consistently and correctly represented across the web. This consistency helps in building a strong local presence, making it easier for customers to find and choose a business when searching for local services or products.

Schema integration is a crucial component of a comprehensive SEO strategy, particularly for local businesses. By providing search engines with structured, detailed information about a business, companies can improve their search visibility, enhance the user experience for potential customers, and ultimately encourage greater brand consideration and interaction.

Building Content for your Business

Building content for your business is a critical strategy in today’s digital marketing landscape, where informed customers often research extensively online before making a purchase decision. This strategy, known as content marketing, involves creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and engage a clearly defined audience, ultimately aiming to drive profitable customer action.

Importance of Content Marketing

Content marketing stands out as a vital tool for businesses looking to improve conversion rates. It leverages various forms of content, including search engine optimized articles, engaging social media posts, informative reviews, and helpful Q&A segments, to educate and influence potential customers at different stages of their buying journey.

Strategies for Effective Content Marketing:

Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Creating content that is optimized for search engines is crucial. It involves using targeted keywords, crafting informative and valuable content, and ensuring your website is structured in a way that search engines can easily crawl and index. SEO helps improve your site’s visibility in search results, making it more likely for potential customers to find your business.

Social Media Engagement: Social media platforms offer a powerful medium for sharing content and engaging with your audience. Regular posts, stories, and updates can help keep your brand top-of-mind, while also providing a platform for sharing customer testimonials, reviews, and user-generated content that can enhance your brand’s credibility.

Quality and Informative Content: The core of content marketing is the quality of the content itself. Whether it’s articles, blog posts, videos, or infographics, your content should provide value to your audience, answering their questions, solving their problems, and offering insights that are relevant to their interests and needs.

Customer Reviews and Testimonials: Encouraging customers to share their experiences with your products or services can provide authentic content that resonates with potential buyers. Reviews and testimonials can be featured on your website, social media, and other marketing channels to build trust and credibility.

Interactive Content: Engaging your audience with interactive content such as quizzes, surveys, and interactive infographics can provide a more dynamic content experience. This not only helps in keeping the audience engaged but also in gathering valuable insights about their preferences and behaviors.

By focusing on creating and distributing high-quality, informative content, businesses can effectively reach and engage their target audience, build trust and credibility, and ultimately drive conversions. Content marketing is not just about selling your products or services; it’s about establishing your brand as a trusted authority in your industry, contributing to long-term business growth and success.