💾 + 🟣 + 🔝
How often do I post? When should I post? What should I post? I was getting these questions from almost every business I was working with. It appears Instagram was hearing them too because in October, 2024, they released their best practices. The best practices are recommendations for creators and professional accounts to guide creators with “best practices, personalized tips, and education reels to help [them] understand how to grow [their] audience and strengthen [their] content on Instagram” (36). They specifically focus on the categories of Creation, Engagement, Reach, Monetization, and Guidelines. Today, I am taking a deeper look into the categories and, hopefully, give you some insight on how to grow on Instagram!
How to View the Best Practices.
To view Instagram’s best practices, follow this flow on your mobile phone: Instagram app > Profile icon on lower right of screen > professional dashboard > your tools > best practices > choose from the categories.
If you are unable to access the practices, chances are you are not utilizing a professional account. Switching to a professional account has many benefits including business tools, advertising, contact details, post scheduling, product tagging, and more!
🦄 Creation.
The first category of the best practices is creation. Creation is where Instagram will recommend ways to help your content stand out.
Here is what Instagram recommends . . .
One. Make creating reels part of your routine.
Two. Capture attention with photos.
Three. Make your first three seconds of your reel count.
Four. Check your timing for reels to be 60-90 seconds long.
Five. Try trending audio.
Six. Only use relevant hashtags.
Seven. Keep the videos high resolution.
💍 Engagement.
Engagement focuses on how to encourage more interactions between you and your audience.
Here is what Instagram recommends . . .
One. Focus on deeper engagement.
Two. Make your content relatable enough to share.
Three. Reply to comments within a couple of days.
Four. Tune in to your audience.
🙋🏼♀️ Reach.
Reach is all about understanding the algorithm and understanding how to get more views.
Here is what Instagram recommends . . .
One. Understand how people see your content.
Two. Post when your followers are active.
Three. Track long-term follower growth.
Four. Remember that it is okay for your reach to vary.
💵 Monetization.
Monetization best practices will help you discover how your content can earn you money.
Here is what Instagram recommends . . .
One. Understand there are three ways to earn: from fans, from brands, and from Instagram.
Two. Check your dashboard to see if you are eligible to monetize.
Three. Understand what you can realistically offer your audience.
✋🏼 Guidelines.
Guidelines keep you on the path toward growth.
Here is what Instagram recommends . . .
One. Avoid sharing your reels when they have a third party watermark on them.
Two. Refrain from taking credit for content that is not yours.
Three. Do not mislead or direct people to engage in a way that is artificial.
Three. Always follow Instagram’s Community Standards [https://help.instagram.com/477434105621119/?helpref=uf_share] (37).
Where to Go Next.
Start creating as soon as you can. Why?
Because creating allows you to feel appreciation for what is around you, it allows you to express yourself, pushes you out of your comfort zone to promote growth, and helps decrease stress (38).
🌀 Sometimes it will be messy.
👎🏼 Sometimes you won’t like the outcome.
🛑 Sometimes you have blockages.
When these times arrive and you are ready to make a change . . .
🦄 Preserve through the mess with my content creation.
📋 Change the outcome to what you are wanting with my social media management packages.
👩🏽💻 Overcome the blockages with my course, Social Media Management: The Course.
Thanks for visiting Alice-Hilton. Share this blog with someone who is doing great. We hope you leave here feeling like you have emerged into the beautiful butterfly that you are.
AND, YOU ARE DOING GREAT 🦋.