With more than 1bn monthly active users, Instagram has quickly grown to become one of the most popular platforms out there and probably is one of the most promising for businesses and marketers.
As important as your website homepage, your Instagram account is the best approach to let others know who you are and what you do. But the simple fact of “just existing on Instagram” won’t make you successful – the important key is how you create your Instagram Marketing Strategy and what you do to stand out from the crowd. Keep in mind that there are more than 8 million business profiles on Instagram, so the need for differentiation should be one of your main goals.
When crafting your Instagram Marketing Strategy, start by … analyzing your competitors’ Instagram accounts! Gathering information about your competitors’ content and moves on Instagram will setup a valuable foundation for your strategies – you’ll notice what they are doing well/or not and what you think you could improve, having in mind your competitors’ examples.
Start analyzing your competition Instagram accounts
Identify your main competitors and start monitoring their moves and how they choose to present their businesses on Instagram
1. What type of content do they post?
Nowadays, it is more important than ever to deliver high-quality content on Instagram. The Instagram algorithm makes the game even harder for brands to stands out – that’s why you need to have a strategy for your posts.
Analyzing your biggest competitors’ Instagram account can give you a better idea about what you should post, what type of content will work better, and what your audience wants to see. Remember that your competitors’ audience is also your target audience so that you can take notes from your competitors’ posts examples.
Video vs. Pictures
Taking insight analyses on @samsung and @huawai Instagram posts, we noticed that the two brands are focusing on delivering content in different ways. When it comes to what the audience likes to engage in, in this case, there are more advantages in posting a picture, especially a photo taken by a fan of the brand – it creates a sense of belonging to the community and makes you double-tap to show you appreciation.
When it comes to content, KEEP IT SIMPLE, build a strong Instagram aesthetic for your brand, avoid posting similar things, and try not to bore your audience with long videos.
2. How often they post?
Wondering how often you should post on Instagram? Watch your biggest competitors’ profiles and see their post frequency.
Remember that the more frequently you post on Instagram, the more likes you’ll get. Plus, being more active on Instagram increases engagement and also help you to earn followers faster.
Important hint: Look at the time between their posts
3. Do they use hashtags?
Hashtags are trendy on Instagram and can help you to gain visibility and to attract new followers. Find the most used # in your domain and keep on eye on your competitors’ hashtags strategy. Noticed that don’t use hashtags? That’s also part of a strategy.
4. How competitors interact with the audience?
Are your competitors engaging in conversations with the audience? Do they respond to comments?
How your competitors interact with the audience could give you an example of how you can improve your interaction with your audience.
5. What is their engagement rate?
Seeing the way your competitors’ audience engage with their posts can give you an overview of what you should do to improve your engagement. Start monitoring the number of likes and comments your competitors receive for each post and keep on eye on their number of followers.
Monitoring your competitors’ Instagram accounts can help you to elaborate on a better strategy that will push you one step ahead of the competition. Gathering insights on their Instagram activity, as well as on their weaknesses and strengths on this social media channel, can have a significant impact on your image, brand awareness, engagement, and the revenue of your business.
Sign in for free on Competitors App to start tracking all your competitors’ moves on Instagram.
