Do It Right on Instagram: Setting Up Your Instagram Profile for Success

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Setting up your Instagram profile for success involves doing certain things right up front. Here’s your cheat sheet to setting it up correctly.

Make sure to choose short Instagram profile handle that contains your main keyword. For example, ours is @saymemarketing
Don’t put up a plain and boring (or worse, unrelated profile picture). Use a human picture if you can, faces make the brand relatable and believable. If you have any brand colours, include them, possibly as backgrounds.
When you select your name, include your main keyword. Your Instagram profile is searchable and Instagram SEO is a thing. Including keywords in your profile name will make your profile pop up when people make related searches. It also helps Instagram correctly identify and categorize your account.
Craft your Instagram bio carefully. You have approximately 4 lines to put your best foot forward. In your bio, start with what you do, followed by a line stating why you’re unique, then one on why you should be trusted (social proof) and lastly leave a call to action or CTA such as DM us, shop now, book your slot, etc. Avoid hashtags in your bio as they encourage people to click out of your profile.
In the link section, add no more than two links and keep your most important money-link as your first link.
Do add a contact option such as email or WhatsApp since it adds human authenticity to your brand. If you also add an action button, you can actually make your follow button larger and get more followers. To make your follow button larger, go to edit profile and add an email contact, then also add a book now button and link it to your chosen scheduler (such as Freshia which is free to start). Adding an extra book now button makes your follow button larger and encourages more followers.
Prime your account to start off by following more people at first in order to connect.
Build at least 3 highlights to begin with. At least 3 are a must for all profiles. At the beginning, if you can do nothing else, start with a About us highlight, a services highlight and a testimonials highlight.
Then post at least 9 pieces of content so your profile looks complete at first glance. The content you post should be diverse in style and message, but should stay on brand in terms of font colours, etc.

Start your Instagram profile correctly and you will have already increased your changes for viral growth in 2024. And in case you’re wondering what and how to post thereafter, here’s a Instagram ‘what to post and how many times’ blueprint to make it easier for you to DIY your marketing or hire a social media agency armed with precise requirements and deliverables.

Single static posts – 2 to 3 per week

Carousel posts of at least 3 slides – 1 to 3 posts per week.

Instagram reels – 3 to 7 per week (and these same ones can be repurposed as YouTube shorts or TikToks)

Instagram stories – post 3 to 5 per day at intervals as the Instagram algorithm is currently offering them the most reach. Include links and hashtags,

Instagram lives – 1 to 2 per month

Instagram collabs – if you can get good ones, 1 to 4 per month

DMs – 15 to 20 per day, though some experts suggest that up to 30 a day is safe

Comments – This may sound tedious but it is part of a robust Instagram strategy that works. Aim for 30 to 90 comments per day, and genuine comments, not frivolous ones.

For all of these, add captions of no more than 200 words, and a minimum of 10 words.

This blog is part of BlogChatter’s A2Z challenge.

SayMe