Advanced Instagram Content Strategies: Tactics To Make Your Instagram Work Better For You

Advanced Instagram users need advanced Instagram content strategies.

That’s the truth for anyone who has seen firsthand what a goldmine Instagram can be.

There’s so much opportunity for small businesses on the platform to grow that it’s almost unbelievable.

Even for B2B brands, whose owners tend to avoid Instagram because they feel decision-makers aren’t there.

However, 84% of C-level and VP-level buyers base their decisions on social media, making Instagram a great opportunity for B2B brands.

With the growth potential present, it’s not tough to see great results as long as you have a well-thought-out strategy in place.

But eventually, your Instagram may grow stagnant, despite all the advantages.

When that happens, you need to learn what to do to make it expand again.

Basic strategies can only take you so far before you need these advanced Instagram content strategies.

Beginners Shouldn’t Jump To These Advanced Instagram Content Strategies

When you first get started with your Instagram, advanced Instagram content strategies like these might seem tempting.

I mean, who doesn’t want to do what the big accounts do to make sure their profiles keep bringing them results?

It makes sense that you’d want to jump to the tools that should do more for your brand.

However, you’re going to struggle with many of these advanced Instagram content strategies until you’ve taken the time to find out what works for your brand.

Simply put; advanced Instagram content strategies aren’t for beginners. They exist for those who have leveled-up beyond what simple strategies can impact. If you aren’t running an Instagram account that’s already experienced an initial… Click To Tweet

These strategies require an insight into your audience and what they care about.

You need to understand how the basic strategies impact your growth.

And, most importantly, you need to master those basic strategies to the point that their impact dwindles, and you need something more.

Once your Instagram has seen its initial growth spike, you’re ready to move to these advanced Instagram content strategies.

Use These Advanced Instagram Content Strategies To Exceed Your Expectations

As you grow used to Instagram, your expectations of what it can do for your brand might level-off.

That doesn’t mean you don’t see potential there but rather that you may not see how much further it can go.

If that describes you, you’re in a good spot.

You’ve gotten far from the days of just starting your account.

Instagram can take brands so much further than many of them realize. They start to see organic engagement and reach drop and get discouraged. But all of that changes when you figure out how to produce content that the network wants to… Click To Tweet

But that doesn’t mean there’s no further you can go.

There are advanced Instagram content strategies that can take you even further.

By learning them and implementing them you can destroy any of your expectations of Instagram’s limits.

Let’s take a look at some advanced Instagram content strategies that can change the game for you.

Increasing Your Exposure

Exposure is one of the core necessities of any social network.

And Instagram is notorious for its declining organic exposure.

However, for advanced users, there are some content strategies to hack Instagram’s exposure.

One of the best advanced Instagram content strategies that work with the algorithm (instead of trying to beat it) is the carousel post.

By now you likely know how to make a carousel post that your audience will enjoy.

You’ve probably also found a way to tell the best stories you can with them.

But you may not know how these little gems allow you additional exposure.

Algorithmically, Instagram doesn’t tend to favor post types.

It usually presents your audience with the kinds of posts they most often interact with.

That’s why a balanced content set is important to your Instagram feed.

Rule number one about algorithms: learn to work with them instead of trying to game them if you want them to work in your favor. Click To Tweet

The carousel, on the other hand, does earn a little favoritism from the algorithm.

When your audience scrolls past one of your posts without interacting with it, it’s a little disappointing.

Using a carousel, though, the user will see the next slide of your post the next time they open the app.

A move like that is a second chance on the same bit of content.

While you can’t expect to use carousels for every post, using them in a reasonable mix gives you more chances to get in front of your audience.

In other words, you’re getting more exposure to every carousel you post.

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Benefit From Paid Ads

Paid ads are nothing new in digital marketing.

They should be a part of every complete online marketing strategy.

However, Instagram is one of the best places to put your paid advertising dollar.

The platform offers more bang for the buck than most other available platforms.

With an excellent ROI and a budget-friendly model, paid ads make an excellent advanced Instagram content strategy.

And there are multiple places to purchase an ad, most that are barely distinguishable from a standard feed post.

Take a quick look at the different types of paid ads Instagram supports.

Stories Ads

Instagram stories are used by over 500,000 people every day.

That’s a lot of eyeballs to get a paid ad in front of.

Stories ads look just like any other story post, apart from the “sponsored” indicator and a swipe-up link.

Creating them is the same as creating any story post as well.

You can use filters and AR effects, text, stickers, and anything else that you’d normally include in a story post.

Those help you keep your stories ads natural for your target audience.

Feed Ads

Feed ads are the sponsored posts that come up among the rest of your feed content.

They’re not often obvious until you see the indicator that they’re an ad.

However, there is one more major factor that sets them apart from regular posts.

Each feed ad has a call-to-action attached to it.

Through those CTAs, you can include just about any action you’d like your users to take.

Including redirecting them to a landing page on your site.

I advise using posts that see a lot of traction to convert to a feed ad.

When you do, you offer something that was designed to look natural to your audience.

Those feed ads won’t jar your audience with their presence, and they’re more likely to draw in good attention.

That makes them more likely to earn conversions on their call-to-action as well.

Shoppable Ads

On an Instagram post that you display a product in, you can tag that product.

When you do, that product becomes shoppable.

Provided you have your Instagram store set up, clicking that tagged product will bring up a product description that gives your audience the chance to buy that product.

From there, they can also view the rest of your store and see what else you have to offer.

Because it gives you the chance at an instant sale, this kind of paid ad has an easy to measure ROI.

Adding them to your strategy allows you to earn customers directly from the ad and immediately see how valuable it can be.

Collection Ads

Instagram offers an option to share collections of products as an ad.

These paid ads allow you to share products with your audience that they can instantly purchase from you within Instagram.

As an advanced Instagram content strategy, this is one of the few that can result in an immediate sale.

Posting an image that contains several of your products, you can then tag those products in the image.

They can also click through to the rest of your products as well.

It’s a great way to get people interested in what you have to offer and make an instant decision.

That offers you a great way to expand your client base from Instagram without a wait.

Explore Ads

Explore ads are an interesting way to purchase ad space.

Based on the name, it sounds like you’d be buying a featured spot on the explore page.

However, that’s not how they work.

Instead of blatantly displaying your ad in a place that’s easy to skip, Instagram includes your posts in the explore feed your audience decides to view.

When they choose a post (and its related feed) your paid ad comes up immediately after that first post.

This allows you exposure to people who are looking for something new.

You also get another chance to bring people back to your brand to become your clients.

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Advanced Instagram Content Strategies For Videos

Video is a major content type on Instagram.

Video has shown to do incredibly well at earning Instagram engagement.

Therefore, anyone interested in advanced Instagram content strategies needs to know how to produce better Instagram videos.

Across all your Instagram videos, there are a few key things advanced users need to remember.

They’re universal rules that make every video you produce on the platform more successful.

Tell Unique Stories

The idea that your stories should be something special isn’t a new concept to you.

Your Instagram content must only be the highest quality you can produce if you want it to earn success for you.

With that in mind, ask yourself these three questions before you make any video for Instagram.

  1. What makes video the right choice?
  2. Why is Instagram the platform?
  3. Is this story right for right now?

If you have a great answer to all three questions, you have a video worth adding to your content.

Compelling answers are a must.

They’re the best indicator of a compelling story.

Start With The Most Engaging Clip First

People have short attention spans.

The more you can do to capture attention, the better.

At the beginning of every video, include a short bit of the most interesting part of your video.

Think in terms of what people would want to see twice.

If you can open a loop or provide something truly engaging, you’re going to get them watching.

Use Captions When You Can

Not everyone can add captions to their videos.

While the number of apps to assist with this process is growing, it’s not perfected yet.

But, for those who can, this is a big deal to getting people focused on your content.

Many people watch videos in places where it isn’t appropriate to turn their Instagram volume up.

Others are hearing impaired and captions create accessibility.

Both make the idea of using captions a truly advanced Instagram content strategy.

Adding them allows everyone to have access to what you’re saying.

Create A Video Series

Though this is typically an IGTV strategy, using it for other video locations on Instagram is a genius move.

Setting up a series of videos throughout a day’s worth of stories or a week’s worth of feed videos is as easy as announcing them.

You can even use this strategy with Instagram’s Reels.

Series videos may be one of the most advanced Instagram content strategies around.

It sets people up to come back to your content at a later time or stick with it for longer.

That helps you build engagement and trust more efficiently.

Tease Your Longer Videos

Any time you’re using a longer video format, like IGTV or IG Live, tease the content in advance.

You can share clips of the upcoming video or post “commercials” for the event you’re holding live.

That’s going to generate interest among your audience and get them curious about what you’re releasing.

When you finally release it, they’ll be there to find out what all the hype was about.

Provided your content can back up the hype, this is a great way to get more engagement and exposure from your videos.

Don’t hesitate to use other platforms to cross-promote as well.

Doing so spreads the word further, increasing your odds of a large audience.

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Encourage Text Messaging

You’re probably familiar with the different ways you can use Instagram to create solid connections.

From DMs to sharing your audience’s content, there are a ton of ways to show your audience you care about what they have to say.

However, there is one unique way that isn’t quite as known, and you may not be familiar with it.

One of the most advanced Instagram content strategies for creating connections is to encourage your audience to text you.

Instagram bios feature a place for your phone number to live among your contact information.

Adding one allows you to choose how your audience can tap a call-to-action to use it.

It’s standard to select “Call” as the option because it makes the sales process easier.

Many small businesses focus on that sales process in every element of their online marketing.

Adding the option for your audience to text you directly is the most personal form of communication you can offer. It demonstrates that you value your audience and the thoughts they want to share. Click To Tweet

But selecting “Text” can change everything for you.

There’s also a growing trend to add the text message number directly to the bio.

Let your audience see your number, unhidden behind safety nets.

Allowing your audience to connect directly on this personal level shows them how much you value what they have to say.

This sends a message – loud and clear – that you’re there for them whenever they need you.

Not just through Instagram.

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An Advanced Bio-Link Content Strategy

Your bio link is the only clickable link you can add in the entirety of Instagram.

By now, you’re aware of the value you can bring to the table through it.

However, when you’re ready to take it a step further, you can add a link that gives your audience a choice of paths.

You’ve likely heard of services like LinkTr.ee or Later’s LinkIn.Bio.

These services allow you to add multiple link destinations to your Instagram bio link.

That allows you to earn more content exposure from that single link.

The more you can get from your bio link the better. Don't hesitate to find ways to expand what your bio link can do for you so you can drive more traffic through your Instagram page. Click To Tweet

But using an external service like these doesn’t help boost your web traffic.

It also doesn’t help assure you get the boost to your SEO since anyone who clicks to your social media or YouTube channel bypasses your website.

The alternative solution is among the best advanced Instagram content strategies.

Create a landing page on your website that provides the same function those external services do.

Use your site to take your audience to all of your content outlets, allowing them to find you everywhere.

And, by adding your own branded link-shortening service, you can even use the same short link method that makes external services so popular.

All while earning the benefits for your brand.

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Advanced Instagram Content Strategies Used Well Will Help You Grow

If you’ve made it to the phase of your Instagram marketing where you need advanced Instagram strategies like these, you’ve already come a long way.

However, as you implement these ideas, you’ll find there’s a lot further you can still go.

Once you start to see how much Instagram can still provide you, you’ll get why people still love it for growing their brand.

And you’ll start to earn the kind of growth that will excite you all over again.

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Advanced Instagram Content Strategies: Tactics To Make Your Instagram Work Better For You

by Michael McNew Read in 11 min