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We’ve got you covered with 8 of the hottest Instagram tips for 2023.
Bella Foxwell
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In 2023, Instagram is still one of the best platforms to use to grow your business and reach new customers.
With 35% of Instagram’s 1.2 billion monthly active users set to make a purchase on the platform this year, brands and business owners have a big opportunity.
But how can they leverage the app strategically without getting distracted by short-term tactics and “growth hacks”?
We’ve got you covered with 8 of the hottest Instagram tips for 2023.
Instagram Reels aren’t the only way to grow your account and reach new audiences in 2023. But they are a great way.
If you cast your mind back to the summer of 2022, you might remember that Instagram had a bit of an identity crisis. Images got bigger, Reels dominated the feed, and many of us found ourselves in ‘Dark Mode’ involuntarily. It was a strange couple of months during which Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri received huge backlash for trying to turn Instagram into TikTok.
While Instagram reversed almost all of the changes it had started to roll out, one thing remains true in 2023: videos are as important as photos and Instagram is striving for a balance between the two. Here’s what Mosseri had to say at the end of January:
“To the degree that there is more video on Instagram over time, it’s going to be because that’s what’s driving overall engagement more. But photos are always going to be an important part of what we do.”
So what does this mean for creators and small business owners trying to grow on Instagram?
Keep sharing photos as before—but definitely incorporate more video, too. Instagram encourages the consumption, and rewards the creation of, Reels. The more consistently you publish them, the better your chances of increased reach and discovery.
And since Reels are so quick and easy to make, you’d be mad not to create more of them in 2023.
You can turn literally any idea you have into an Instagram Reel. For example:
Where some people get stuck is they think of Reels as time-consuming, overwhelming ‘video’. Why not think of them as ‘moving images’ instead like this one from interior designer Emma Diaz?
Reels really can be that simple! A short (3-5 second) moving photo with text added over the top.
And of course, don’t forget to keep sharing photos.
There’s a difference between ‘ok’ Instagram carousels and really good Instagram carousels, and the latter should be your focus if you want to grow on Instagram in 2023.
Because here’s the thing—no matter what kind of business owner or content creator you are, you can almost certainly include carousels in your content strategy. They’re not reserved exclusively for service-based business owners or thought leaders.
So what distinguishes an ‘ok’ carousel from a really good carousel?
A really good carousel has a brilliant hook and insights (or experiences) that go deeper than surface level information anyone could find with a quick Google search.
For example this carousel about the do’s and don’ts of starting your own online business.
It’s great for 5 reasons:
When Reels first launched on Instagram in 2020, everyone rushed to publish, publish, publish and forgot the importance of two-way engagement.
While publishing great content is important, it isn’t necessarily the fastest way to grow on Instagram. Some people strike lucky, of course, making a ‘viral’ post that generates thousands of followers and a spike in engagement.
But for most people, most of the time, quality content isn’t enough. What fans the flames of engagement is… engagement!
Spending dedicated time each day commenting on other people’s content, replying to poll/question/quiz stickers on Stories, and responding to direct messages.
The reason this is so important is because it helps the algorithm rank your content properly. For example, if you engage regularly with lots of people that share your ideal customer’s demographics and interests, many of them will reciprocate. They will comment, save, and like your content.
This engagement tells the Instagram algorithm that your ideal customer enjoys your content and teaches it to show more of your content to them (and people like them, with similar interests) in the future.
Sure, you could publish content and hope that engagement comes to you. But why not accelerate your success in 2023 by being a bit more proactive? Engagement breeds engagement, so the more willing you are to be a curious, interested Instagrammer, the more people will return the favor!
If you’ve never made a habit of going Live before, 2023 is the year to give it a go.
Because Instagram Live is still the best way for brands to connect with their followers, offering the kind of unedited, intimate experience that isn’t possible with static photos or carefully edited Reels.
And once you start streaming, you’ll not only jump to the top of the Stories feed but your followers will also be notified. This is a huge advantage when you consider that usually only 10% of your audience sees your content at any given time.
Find out more about how to incorporate video into your Instagram strategy to boost reach and engagement.
One of the hottest Instagram tips for 2023 is to be more experimental.
To achieve this, look to other industries for inspiration—for example, McDonald's. They recently shared this behind-the-scenes style Reel featuring one of their employees, the head of archival.
The Reel wasn’t produced in a studio or edited to give a glossy finish. It was filmed on a phone and features real employees sharing stories about the history of the business.
This just goes to show that you don’t need a big budget or expert video capabilities to create compelling Instagram content. In lots of cases, the less glossy and more relatable, the better. It humanizes a business, strengthens trust with consumers, and builds vested interest in the brand’s journey.
What type of content could you create that’s a little bit out of your comfort zone? It might be a behind-the-scenes Reel, it might be an educational carousel, it might be personal content.
Review your Instagram goals and brainstorm some ideas for experimental content that maps back to those. You never know—with a bit of bravery and experimentation, 2023 might be your best year on Instagram yet!
With nearly 40% of young Americans 18-24 using TikTok and Instagram as their search engine of choice, it’s no surprise that Instagram’s been working on improving its search functionality in the last couple of years.
They want to make Instagram Search more than just a way to find accounts and hashtags. They want to provide an immersive experience that makes it easier for users to go deep into their interests.
So what does this mean for you?
Here are a 2 best practices to help your Instagram account get discovered by more people in 2023:
When it comes to hashtags, Instagram says to put these in captions—not comments—if you want your posts to be found in Search.
As well as including searchable keywords in your bio, make sure this section of your profile captures people’s attention and convinces them to hit follow.
For example, Emma Griffin’s bio. In the bold name section she has the keyword ‘copywriter’ as well as ‘anti-hustle’ to differentiate herself from the competition.
She uses the rest of the space wisely, breaking up the information into three sections:
There’s no unnecessary information about Emma’s hobbies or interests like ‘coffee lover’ or ‘dog obsessive’. She focuses on her audience, what matters to them, and makes it really easy for them to take action and subscribe to her email list (by downloading the free checklist).
One of our hottest and most underrated Instagram tips for 2023 is to take advantage of Instagram Story stickers.
These stickers, particularly the poll and question stickers, are fantastic tools to build your community, conduct market research, and increase overall engagement.
But you’ve got to be smart with how you use them.
Here 4 top tips to use Story stickers strategically:
Finally, don’t forget to use stickers regularly. People may not respond in the beginning and that’s ok. With time and consistency, they’ll gradually start to engage more and more.
Hey! I'm Bella. Super curious about any new feature released on social media platforms. I do have a preference for Instagram, even though each platform has its specificity ;)
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