OUR BLOG
How To Grow Your Instagram Following (And Why It Matters)!

How To Grow Your Instagram Following (And Why It Matters)!

Social Media
What's so important about social media?
For most of us over a certain age, Social Media was not a part of our growing up. I know this will shock some of you, but many of us managed to live our entire childhood without computers, cell phones, or the internet! However, those simpler days have passed and we are now firmly in the age of technology. That means your business has to be too! Social media is becoming an integral part of advertising for many businesses, including the auto industry. Don’t just take my word for it though.
  • Facebook has an average 1.65 billion active users a month
  • Twitter has an average of 310 million active users a month
  • Instagram has over 400 million active users a month.
(Source: https://blog.hootsuite.com/social-media-statistics-for-social-media-managers/)
 
Tips For A Better Following
While there are many social media platforms, this blog post is focused on Instagram and growing your following. With these easy tips, you can do it (even those of us who are technology/social media challenged).
1. Link Your Social Media Accounts
This one is easy! Be sure to link your Instagram account to your other social media accounts like Twitter and Facebook. Why? Your Facebook and Twitter followers will be able to see your Instagram posts and hopefully follow you there as well! More people who follow you, the more likes you can get, and the more likes your picture has the more visibility Instagram will give your post.
2. Give People A Reason To Want To Follow Your Business
This seems really simple, but it can be harder than you think. Car dealers have a healthy sense of humor, so use it! Make your Instagram account fun to follow. Think of the Trunk Monkey or Car Badger commercials, and think about what you enjoy seeing as you scroll through Facebook or Instagram.  
3. Consistency is Key
To build a loyal following, you have to be consistent. Let’s face it, we are all creatures of habit. We all follow our regular routines and if those routines have to deviate, we don’t like it one bit! If you are going to post daily or weekly, keep a regular schedule. Loyal followers will begin to expect your posts!
4. Review What Works and What Doesn't
Give the followers what they want, and make people look forward to seeing your next post. Go back and review your posts. Which ones did well? What made those posts different? What do your followers want to see? Capitalize on that!
5. Choose Your Hashtags Wisely
Hashtags can draw people to your business or leave a bad taste in their mouth. Always use hashtags that are relevant to what you're sharing. Trust me, there is nothing more frustrating than searching #pugs and a car comes up, even if i love that car it's not what I was looking for. The same thing goes when I search #vehicle and getting a picture of a pineapple! http://hashtagify.me/hashtag/vehicle is a great website to find hashtags for your #dealership. Don't forget to make your own hashtag too, #ABCMotors!
6. Photo Quality and Editing
Instagram is all about sharing images, make sure the pictures you post are good quality! Ask yourself the following questions: Is the subject in focus? Is this a good angle? Would people want to see this picture? Would this attract my attention? There are filters you can ad to the pictures, but typically the pictures with the most likes don't have filters at all. Make sure to check the background of the picture, and any reflections! Trust me, you'll thank me later!
7. Be Engaged
Remember when your folks told you to be nice? How about “treat others as you want to be treated”? Don't just post your picture and be done, make sure engage with followers, pictures, and other accounts. Those people will notice and will hopefully like or follow you too. Also, when one of your followers’ comments on your post, reply to them! It's social media, be social. 
 
The world of social media can be intimidating, so don’t feel like you have to be an expert to benefit from it! Focus on how you can utilize social media to reach more people and get your product and services in front of them. You can describe a vehicle to me all day and I can appreciate your words, but show me a picture of that gorgeous vehicle and you can make me fall in love!
 
If you liked this blog, don't forget to read the others!
 
Top