152 – 7 Tips for Instagram in 2022

Elaine Tan Comeau 0:00

It's time to create better, create better family health, business and self.

Announcer 0:03

Welcome to Elaine's Kitchen Table. This is where we share tips about business and parenting. Being a mom of three CEO of the award winning company, Easy Daysies speaker and educator, you're going to learn the tips and secrets of successful and incredible people. Elaine wants you to be inspired, challenged and motivated. And that person you want your kids to grow up to be. This is real talk for real life.

Elaine Tan Comeau 0:28

Hi, welcome to Elaine's Kitchen Table where we talk about how to create better how to create better self help family and business that rhymes kind of kind of? Well, as you know, I have this podcast because I love sharing what I'm learning sharing what other people's have other people have learned in their journeys. And so during these past months, I was actually checking out I was doing some studying for because I love to do the research on how to make Instagram better for my own personal businesses. And so I thought, hey, why not share what I have learned? Are you ready, Ryan, because you have businesses

Ron Comeau 1:07

too. And here's the funny thing, we we've done over 150 episodes of this podcast. And we pride ourselves on mostly doing timeless information. Instagram, social media is not timeless, it's at the time. So occasionally we'd like to update it. So this is, for this year, what we found is working the best.

Elaine Tan Comeau 1:27

Yes, and some of this stuff, I still have to input as well, because I love Instagram is my favorite social media platform. So I thought I'm gonna share what I'm learning here with you. And so I've done the research and looking at different experts. And here's my top seven tips that I'm going to share right here right now. So number one, make your stories interactive. And so what I'm talking about here is you know, when you're sharing that clickers right up on the top, you see all those little bubbles with the mean tap on them. And it's a quick stories, either just a flat image or a video. So to make them interactive, add a poll, add a quiz at a question. Because Instagram will share even more when you're doing that. And Instagram will share your next story to those who already interacted with it last time. So you're gonna show up more often?

Ron Comeau 2:24

Well, that's worth the price of admission right there. And you get put to the front of the line for storage. Right, right. And I think one clue is if Instagram keeps adding more features somewhere like they've added the way to do polls and a story and whatnot. The reason they keep adding more features, because they want you to use them and use that use that part of the of the app. So it's a good clip.

Elaine Tan Comeau 2:45

Okay, here at tip go on with the story. Tip, I'm going to share a tip number two. Now, here's one and I heard this right from the mouth of the man who created Instagram. And he was sharing tips on his story about how to, you know play with the algorithms because they change all the time. But his tip for Instagram is to post less. What that's right, is getting it what you're talking about Kevin posts less but share more stories. He is He was saying something like you can post like me twice a week. But make sure you share our story every day. And he's saying you know posting less. This allows your posts to perform better if you post less, so increase your story shares and post

Ron Comeau 3:35

less. So that's very interesting, because one thing we've tried to do with the content on your blog and whatnot, your Easy Daysies blog, Elaine's Kitchen Table, the Elaine's Kitchen Table and that type of stuff is a lot of people will try to create content, create content, create content, even with this podcast to where as we learned, you know, you should spend 20% of your time creating content and 80% of your time promoting that content you've already created. Because nobody put it this way. If you create a piece of content, and two months later, you forgot that you made it. The chances are the people who didn't make it are going to forget it existed too. So they need constant reminders. We often think that everybody sees and ingest everything we make. That's far from the truth. So revisiting it is very important. I think what he's saying do a couple of posts and a lot of stories is along the same line. Yeah,

Elaine Tan Comeau 4:30

because we need to share your stories. People are gonna click on to your profile, and then they'll see your posts as well. Yeah, for sure. And re reuse your content right you've created you took the time to make some great posts, share them on your stories, and make them pop up again. So yeah,

Ron Comeau 4:48

like I like I like any advice that creates less anxiety, and less

Elaine Tan Comeau 4:53

and less work right, you've done the work. Let's revisit it and reshare it for sure. And number three He is a piece that algorithms. And by using things like carousels, and using those, like I mentioned before, making your stories interactive by adding the polls and the quizzes and whatnot. So using long headings and videos, because Instagram loves it when people spend time on your posts and your stories, so if they are able to flip through your pictures or watch the whole video or real, the better, the longer they stay, the better for your share your poster story. So definitely do that. Any comments on that?

Ron Comeau 5:43

Sounds good to me.

Elaine Tan Comeau 5:46

So was that number four? Is that four?

Ron Comeau 5:49

I thought that was three.

Elaine Tan Comeau 5:53

Okay, maybe it was? I don't know. Okay. Yeah, that was three. Number four, is get rid of your ghost followers. That means, you know, it's wonderful to have these all these people follow you. But the way to make sure that your posts and your profile is more authentic and showing higher engagement is people who aren't engaged in your stories and your posts. And you don't mind either know who they are. Or they might seem like spam followers, you can actually delete them as followers. And this actually increases your engagement on your profile. Does that make sense? Well,

Ron Comeau 6:41

I've learned about how right away because when I heard that, but yeah, so you're saying Delete? Do you tell? If someone is not is not engaged?

Elaine Tan Comeau 6:49

I guess if so if you have less followers, and you see people that are unknown to you, or you don't know who they are. I don't know. Like, this is something that was interesting to me is I actually wrote it down because I read it somewhere and like, okay, that makes sense, right? Because let's say for numbers sake, if you had 100 followers, and all 100 of them were always engaged and liked all your and left comments, while those are engaged, it shows that your profiles very engaged.

Ron Comeau 7:19

Whereas 100 followers chasing someone with 100 followers,

Elaine Tan Comeau 7:23

I'm just, I'm just using, isn't it? Okay? So if you had 100 followers, and only five of them, were liking your posts.

Ron Comeau 7:29

So let's say you had 100,000 and only 5000?

Elaine Tan Comeau 7:32

Yes. So they're saying you didn't delete those people. And it actually bumps you up as a more authentically engaged. So

Ron Comeau 7:42

basically, I'm saying to you that they probably they know, don't have a way to sort by engagement. Yeah. And you can start from the bottom. Yeah,

Elaine Tan Comeau 7:49

like, for example, like, sometimes you'll see someone who's saying there as an influencer, and maybe they have 100 150,000 followers, and then you'll see that there likes or two lights or so it might not be as authentic. And the engagement is definitely not there. So it makes sense. Okay, so that's for number five, or was that number?

Ron Comeau 8:15

Yes, this is number five. Number five.

Elaine Tan Comeau 8:18

Thank you there. Okay. Number five is encourage activity and meaningful activity. That means get them to visit your website, you know, like, have, you want to share content where people want to share what you were sharing. So that means Oh, my gosh, look at this awesome recipe for this. I got to share it with other busy moms. And so they're gonna share it. So share meaningful content that represents what your profile is all about, right? How are you sharing tips for something? Well, you want it to be so great, that dream and I want other people to see it and say I gotta share this too. And so they're going to do that. So making or you can say, hey, I, this is easy recipes for back to school. The link is in my bio, so that they're going to want to go to your website. So that, you know, it's there's always activity, but because you're sharing meaningful content.

Ron Comeau 9:20

So yeah, that makes sense. Because I think Instagram wants engagement. They want people I think sort of happened when it was a single image posting app, which it was for a while. Over time, people treat it like it's a museum where they are putting stuff on display for other people to see. And they're trying to make all their posts perfect. Like, back in the day, you'd see people trying to have a pattern of colors or, or textures in their posts. When you look at when you look at them all it makes this pleasing pattern. And that's really sort of like perfection being the enemy of progress. Whereas what Instagram wants us to just be real be yourself, share your everyday life not not just perfectly curated highlights, and have other people relate to you. So I think that's why they're funneling it that way. So engagement means that people are like, Well, yeah, I relate to that.

Elaine Tan Comeau 10:13

Yes. And I mean, well, I don't know. I don't follow up people's lives. And I'm not saying that. Maybe that's not what you mean, either. But me what you're saying is, share relatable things to your audience, like, if you are meaning to share tips for easier family life? Go ahead, share what you discovered, right? Yeah, I think that's very important. Number six of seven is. This was interesting to me. And it's about your headlines, your bio. So customize your headline with key words, what Right? Like, what is that, like? I never needed to

Ron Comeau 10:56

do that. And this has nothing to do with any posts or user stories,

Elaine Tan Comeau 10:59

your bio. So you want to in words, you know, your name field that the scripture about you. They're sharing, they're sharing that you can add hashtags. They're like specific tags, keywords that are niche to your audience. Do not use punctuation or numbers there. And, you know, that was really interesting to me, because I haven't looked at my bio. But now I am going to because this is interesting to me. Yeah. So

Ron Comeau 11:31

by the time your listener hears this, they should go check out your Instagram at Elaine tan Comeau and see what you've done there. Because you're saying you can actually put a hashtag or Easy Daysies? Yeah, put a hashtag in your bio, and it's searchable. Yeah,

Elaine Tan Comeau 11:46

I do not use keywords. Who knew like that? I mean, I think I have keywords there. Because I am you I have mom. And I know

Ron Comeau 11:53

you do have keywords go

Elaine Tan Comeau 11:54

see speaker. But yeah, so that is really interesting. But I never knew you could put a hashtag in there. And someone else had told me that I was actually talking about Instagram expert, and he said, you know, make sure you have a call to action there. So that people are are clicking on to your website link as well. So giving something away, so that they will click on to get that freebie that is going to benefit them. Which leads me then to my last point, which is number seven. And that is having an email list. What Of course you've heard this before, right. And sometimes when you hear things before, it's probably the time to take it as it's time to get that done. So having an email list of funnel your followers to get that email list, offering something free that will be in exchange for their email to get that free gift and gratitude to them. Because you're sharing something that will benefit them. And they will exchange by giving that email list, I mean that email to you to build your list.

Ron Comeau 13:06

Yeah, I believe if you are running a business and using Instagram, to advertise your business, the most dangerous thing you could do is 100% rely on Instagram, for your business. Because the algorithms do change all the time. They'll frustrate people who have been having great success with using Instagram one certain way. And suddenly, the next day, it's switched to another way and it takes time to figure out how to make it work. So relying on it 100% would be very treacherous idea.

Elaine Tan Comeau 13:38

Yes. And yeah, this is the reason I was actually researching about Instagram myself, is because that change happened to me. And I'm like, Hey, where did it all let interaction go? And, and so that's why I had hundreds of, you know, things going on before and I'm like, Okay, now it's down what's going on? So I hope that this research helps you and just to tag on to what Ron was saying. Yes, be so careful. Like you might say, Hey, I have you know, 5000 followers 10,000 followers. In on Instagram, you don't own that you don't but you do own your email list. So work on that. So I hope you learned something from this share, because I I definitely did. That's why I write them down. And I just want to say thank you. Thank you so much for listening today and I hope you take one of those seven, and work on that for you today. Have a great day. Talk to you soon. Bye bye