Instagram basics: 5 signs you’re doing it right
So you're posting on Instagram (or thinking about it). But you’ve no idea whether you’re doing it right or if you’re showing up like a bit of a social media dinosaur making prehistoric mistakes.
We’ve got your back. Read on to either give yourself a pat on the back or to sneakily swipe the things you need to change to get your instagram marketing on track.
Shall we dive in (and make it snappy)?!
#1 - You never put links in the captions or the comments
Instagram doesn’t make links in captions or comments clickable - so when you pop a link there, it’s useless. Nobody can click it. And it’s really tricky to copy and paste it. So most people will give up, scroll on by, and never visit the link you wanted them to click.
So how do you get around it?
You can use a tool like Linktree or Metricool to build a link-in-bio page. This allows people who land on your page to find the most important links for your business.
You can also share links in your stories by using the link sticker. You’ll be invited to paste in the link and customise the clickable words. Take advantage of the customisable text and change it to a CTA like ‘book your class’ or ‘grab your free guide’.
Finally, you can invite people to comment for the link and then DM them. This can be very effective as every comment counts as an interaction which tells the algorithm the content is performing well. You can use a tool to automate this such as ManyChat or Metricool Flows. Or DM people manually if you’d rather limit the tech.
#2 - You record videos in portrait
Instagram wants you to use portrait videos so they fill the full space. If you try to post landscape content, it’ll let you - but it’ll fill the space around it with a black background. This kind of content typically has its reach gets penalised - which is a shame given how good reels are for increasing your visibility when you do them right.
#3 - You repurpose your content to get the maximum from it
One piece of content can be repurposed in multiple different ways. Maybe you posted a banging caption with a reel and it bombed. Maybe it took off and was a huge success. Either way, grab the caption and try it again in a different format. Maybe you turn it into a carousel or you make a spin off post talking into one aspect of it in more detail.
Go back over your older content and see which posts performed well. Only a small portion of your followers will have seen it and even the ones who did likely don’t even remember it. Repurpose them and share them again - either tweaked or exactly as they were.
Messaging takes a while to sink in so beating the same drum over and over again is actually effective (not lazy).
#4 - You show your face
Yes, there are faceless Instagram accounts but you work with dogs and people. This is a job that requires an enormous amount of trust - and so showing your face once in a while can make a big difference.
Letting people get to know you a bit, hear your voice, and see you goes a long way.
If the very idea of filming yourself feels hideous, use photos. You can also use b-roll footage and lay a hook over the top of it. That could be you just walking outside, feeding your dogs, or sitting on the sofa. It doesn’t need to be long - in fact, the shorter the better for b-roll footage.
#5 - You batch create (so you don’t lose your life to it)
Getting your content done in batches can help you stay consistent and save you time. For example, you could set aside an hour to work through some Underdogs Content Club Templates and bash out 3 posts.
If you're doing down the lens video content, you could answer a bunch of questions to the camera. You don't have to do them one at a time. You could just run the tape and answer the five questions, and chop them up into five different reels.
So, how did you do?
If you’d like some help making social media feel lighter then Underdogs Content Club is made for you. Every month, you get a drop of new templates, content ideas, hooks and prompts - so you’re never starting from scratch.
You get customisable carousels, infographics, memes and reel templates every month. And they’re all perfectly sized and professionally designed - so you won’t be getting penalised for black space or AI-generated content.
Plus you get a full suite of fresh content ideas each month, complete with prompts to help you make them your own - so you’ll never become a carbon copy of another content club member.
Sign up here for just £30 and give it a try.
