The 5 Areas of Your Instagram You Need to Improve
Profile Name
Your profile name is searchable! Many people think this spot should only include your name, but you actually want to include what people will be searching to find you. Are you a photographer, a nutritionist, a fashionista? Whatever those keywords are - that’s what you put in this area. If your name fits too - even better! For example, “Louisville Wedding Photographer” is going to pick up anyone searching Louisville, wedding, or photographer - and that’s exactly who you are, but they will not find you if you only have John Smith filled in that spot.
Bio
This may be harsh…but talk like an adult. You would never introduce yourself to someone and say, “Hi, wife, book-lover, UK fan, and worshipper of the sun.” Think about this as if you were at a cocktail party and someone says, “What do you do for a living?” You would answer, “I help entrepreneurs improve their digital visibility through social content and media pitching.” And that’s exactly what my Instagram bio says.
Think of your bio as the billboard for your business. You control this real estate. You don’t need to appeal to everyone, just your ideal clients. It should begin with an action statement, for example:
I help
I design
I train
I create
Followed up by a description of who you work with:
families
small businesses
non-profits
engaged couples
Finally, ending with the result they would be looking for:
who desire to take control of their health.
that are growing their business.
looking to document their memories.
needing a complete graphic overhaul.
URL
The precious URL space. It is the ONE place you can drive followers and potential clients to convert into a customer. Linktree recently crashed and everyone that had a Linktree account had broken links. Which should further reiterate to you that you need to be driving traffic to your own website, not Linktree.
You can use the last line of your bio to direct people to go to your URL, but it needs to be enticing. For example, you could offer a free download or free tips at your URL and direct people to it with the last line of your bio saying: “Sign up for free tips ⤵️”
Suggested for You
You know how when you follow someone, Instagram drops down a row of suggested accounts for you also to follow? This is a powerful tool that many aren’t taking advantage of it. This is part of Instagram’s algorithm so there isn’t an exact science, but you need to be following people that are similar to you. The only way Instagram can learn who to suggest next is by looking at similar accounts, so if you are a calligraphy artist - follow other calligraphers, this way Instagram will suggest you as well the next time someone follows another calligrapher.
Hashtags
I’m sure most people know that you can use 30 hashtags on Instagram. So why aren’t you doing it? You can easily “hide” your hashtags deep in your caption or in the first comment. Research your hashtags to make sure you are hitting the appropriate target market.