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How to keep the user on your Instagram account for longer

Feb 10, 2024, Update: Feb 10, 2024, author: Powderbrows.com / Holistic PMU
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"Being authentic is critical to succeeding in Instagram marketing. However, behind every engaging post is a well-thought-out strategy to grab and keep user attention. This article explores the tactics that help keep followers engaged with your profile longer."

1. Background


This article draws from interviews with 56 pigmentation artists specializing in procedures such as powder brows, hairstrokes, microblading, and lip blush. Among these artists, 44 are based in EU countries, 9 in the UK, and 3 in the US. These interviews were part of a research project focusing on customer acquisition, social media advertising, customer retention, and satisfaction. The research, conducted mainly between 2021 and 2024, with several ongoing studies, aims to understand the dynamics of customer interactions and advertising effectiveness in the digital space. The insights gathered from these interviews were analyzed and organized by two senior digital media marketing professionals from powderbrows.io, the marketing division of the Powderbrows.com Research Center.

This article outlines fundamental strategies for engaging visitors and retaining them longer on Instagram profiles, thereby enhancing overall engagement. This focus is critical in the beauty industry context, where visual appeal and direct customer interaction play pivotal roles in building a brand's online presence. Through expert analysis and practical insights, we aim to provide actionable advice for artists and brands looking to leverage Instagram more effectively for their marketing efforts.

2. Instagram Algorithms


Understanding the Instagram Algorithms: Enhancing Engagement

Instagram is a pivotal platform for promoting PMU (Permanent Makeup) services like powder brows, making it crucial to grasp the workings of its algorithm, particularly after the updates in 2023. The algorithm's primary goal is to present users with content they find appealing, using various metrics to decide the visibility of posts in one's feed. Notably, the duration a user spends on a post, reel, or story is a significant factor that clearly indicates their interest.

When your content - be it photos, videos, or stories - consistently engages users, causing them to spend more time with it, the algorithm interprets this as a sign of your content's attractiveness and relevance. This understanding prompts it to increase the visibility of your posts to those users and others with similar preferences.

The emphasis on time spent on content underscores the importance of crafting high-quality content that captivates and retains the audience's attention. Such engagement suggests to Instagram that users are not just passively scrolling but are actively interacting with your content, making it a critical strategy for boosting your presence on the platform.

3. ”Time Spent" as a Metric


"Time Spent" as a Crucial Metric on Instagram

On Instagram, user interactions are assessed using likes, comments, shares, saves, views, and, notably, the duration users spend viewing a post or story. These elements collectively influence the engagement rate of your content. A higher engagement rate indicates to Instagram that your content is engaging and valuable, which may result in higher placement in your followers' feeds and possibly feature on the Explore page.

Instagram aims to retain users on the platform for as long as possible. Therefore, the Instagram algorithm favors content that effectively engages users, encouraging them to spend more time on the platform. The focus should be on developing high-quality, engaging content that captures and retains your audience's attention, encouraging them to interact with your posts. This approach aligns with Instagram's objectives, enhancing the visibility and impact of your content.

4. Caption tactics


Utilize the Entire Space for Photo Captions

A powerful method to retain a viewer's attention on Instagram lies in crafting compelling and engaging captions. A meticulously written caption has the power to captivate your audience, prompting them to spend more time on your post, which in turn, boosts their engagement with your content. This strategy is a cornerstone in the playbook of many successful Instagram influencers and artists, leading to substantial organic growth. The ability to tell a story or convey a message effectively through captions can transform a simple photo into a conversation starter, deepening the connection with your audience and encouraging active participation.

How to Craft Engaging Caption Stories

Transforming a picture into a narrative experience significantly enhances its impact. Whether it's a client's transformative journey, the intricate details of crafting perfect Powder Brows, or your personal evolution as an artist, sharing these narratives fosters a deeper connection with your audience. The power of storytelling in captions lies in its ability to bring a static image to life, offering context and emotion that resonates with viewers.

Utilizing AI tools such as Chat GPT or Jasper.ai can streamline the process of crafting compelling captions. You can generate a foundational narrative by inputting the key facts and the intended message of your story into these platforms. Although the initial output may lean towards formality, it is a solid base you can refine. Personalizing the AI-generated content by infusing your unique voice and perspective transforms these narratives, making them more relatable and engaging to your audience. This blend of AI efficiency and personal touch ensures that your captions capture attention and hearten engagement and connection.

Incorporate Hashtags in the First Comment

While Instagram permits up to 2200 characters in a photo caption, utilizing this space to its fullest can significantly enhance the engagement and appeal of your post. Transforming your Instagram content into compelling narratives captures the audience's attention and increases the duration they spend engaging with your content.

A vital strategy in maximizing post discoverability involves the use of hashtags. It's crucial to clarify a common misconception: hashtags need not be embedded within the caption to be effective. Placing your selected hashtags in the first comment of your post is an equally effective strategy. This approach keeps your caption neat and reader-focused, allowing the narrative to shine without the distraction of hashtags. By separating hashtags from the main caption, you ensure that your storytelling remains the centerpiece of your post while still leveraging hashtags for their discoverability benefits.

5. Carousel Posts


Creating a Visual Story for Enhanced Engagement

Carousel posts on Instagram offer a unique way to share a series of up to 10 photos or videos within a single post. This format invites users to interact with your content by swiping through the series, making the experience more engaging and dynamic than static single-image posts. By utilizing Carousel posts, you're given the narrative space to craft a visual story that can add significant depth and context to your content, which often translates into higher engagement from your audience.

For artists specializing in Powder Brows, Carousel posts present an invaluable opportunity to showcase the intricacies of their work and the transformation process in a detailed manner. This format allows you to guide your audience through every step of the journey—starting from the initial sketching phase, moving through the pigment application process, and culminating in revealing the finished brows. Each segment of the Carousel can act as a chapter in your visual narrative, drawing your audience deeper into the transformation story and encouraging them to engage further by swiping through to the end.

Employing Carousel posts effectively can showcase your skills and the quality of your work and tell a compelling story that resonates with your audience. This will make your Instagram profile not just a portfolio of your work but a dynamic storytelling platform.

The Art of the Cliffhanger

The “cliffhanger” technique, widely recognized in film and television storytelling, involves ending a narrative segment with unresolved suspense, compelling the audience to return for the resolution. This method captures attention and builds anticipation, ensuring viewers remain engaged and eager for more.

Applying the cliffhanger concept to Instagram's Carousel posts can increase viewer engagement. Each photo in the Carousel should aim to intrigue viewers, prompting curiosity about the following image and motivating them to continue swiping through the series. For example, beginning your Carousel with a 'before' image of a client sets the stage for a transformation story, with each subsequent image revealing a part of the process and escalating anticipation towards the final reveal in the last image.

It's crucial to remember that while Carousel posts can include up to 10 images or videos, not every story necessitates the maximum count. A concise narrative, typically unfolded in 3 to 5 slides, can often be more impactful, maintaining the audience's interest without overwhelming them. Each slide should contribute something new and valuable to the viewer, avoiding redundancy and ensuring the story progresses meaningfully. Successfully managing this balance, some artists effectively utilize all 10 slots available in Carousel posts, showcasing their work's breadth and depth without diluting the storytelling impact.

6. Interlinking Content


Interlinking, or cross-promotion among various Instagram content types, is a strategic approach to prolong audience engagement on your profile. This method involves creating a cohesive network of related content - posts, stories, and reels - that encourages viewers to explore more deeply, increasing their interaction with your offerings.

This technique can be likened to “link building” in SEO, where each interconnected piece of content forms a pathway enticing the viewer to delve further into your Instagram world. Such sustained engagement signals to the Instagram algorithm the high value of your content, potentially leading to broader promotion and visibility within the platform.

Crafting a Narrative Across Different Content Formats

For practitioners specializing in Powder Brows, leveraging the interlinking strategy can weave an engaging narrative around their services. Initiating this journey could involve a reel that captures the transformative process, intentionally leaving specific questions unanswered to spark curiosity. This curiosity is then addressed in a subsequent post that delves into the specifics, providing the sought-after details and enriching the viewer's understanding.

The most effective application of interlinking typically navigates from stories to reels and posts. A strategically placed Instagram story can be a compelling teaser for an upcoming post, building anticipation among your audience. It can also direct followers to a reel, ensuring that the content remains accessible and continues to engage viewers over time.

7. Account Growth in the New Era


In the landscape of Instagram marketing, recent shifts in the platform's algorithms have fundamentally altered the approach to account growth, setting new benchmarks for success. These changes are particularly impactful for accounts in niche markets, such as those managed by pigmentation artists, where the follower count may not reach the tens of thousands.

Rethinking Traditional Growth Strategies

Traditional growth strategies - such as optimizing posting times, curating hashtags, and crafting "power phrases" in-text - have seen a significant decline in their effectiveness for smaller accounts. The reach of posts from these accounts tends to be inherently limited, making such tactics far less influential than previously believed. This revelation challenges the validity of training programs and "secret strategies" that promise substantial growth based solely on these metrics. Investing time and resources into these methods may not yield the expected return on investment for artists and professionals working to expand their Instagram presence.

Embracing a New Paradigm

The landscape in 2024 demands a recalibration of expectations and strategies. Instagram's algorithm updates underscore a clear message: growth on the platform requires a sustained commitment to excellence in content creation and a willingness to invest in paid advertising. High-quality posts that resonate with your audience are more crucial than ever. Content must capture attention and engage viewers, encouraging interaction that transcends superficial engagement metrics.

The Role of Paid Advertising

A substantial marketing budget for paid advertising managed through Facebook Business accounts has become an indispensable tool for those serious about growing their Instagram presence. Paid campaigns allow for targeted reach, ensuring that your content is seen by users most likely to engage with your work. This approach enables pigmentation artists and other niche professionals to bypass some of the limitations imposed by organic reach constraints, offering a direct pathway to increased visibility and engagement.

8. Conclusions


In this article, we discuss strategies for keeping visitors on your Instagram profile for a longer time, increasing the engagement of your posts and enhancing the overall growth of your Instagram account.

To enhance your Instagram account's growth and engagement, consider these direct strategies.

Focus on creating high-quality content that engages users, as the Instagram algorithm prioritizes content that keeps users on the platform longer. Incorporate captivating photos, videos, or stories that encourage viewers to spend more time with your posts.

Utilize the caption space to craft compelling narratives that resonate with your audience. A well-written caption can significantly increase viewers' time on your post, boosting engagement and organic growth.

When using hashtags, please place them in the first comment rather than the caption. This keeps your captions clean and focused on your story while leveraging hashtags for discoverability.

Employ Carousel posts to narrate a visual story showcasing your work process or transformations. This format encourages users to engage more deeply by swiping through your content, enhancing their overall engagement.

Apply the “cliffhanger” technique within Carousel posts to create suspense and encourage viewers to swipe through all images. Start with a 'before' photo and gradually reveal the transformation, keeping viewers intrigued.

Interlink your content across different Instagram formats—posts, stories, and reels—to create a cohesive narrative that encourages viewers to explore more of your content. This cross-promotion strategy can significantly prolong audience engagement on your profile.

Accept that account growth in 2024 requires continuous effort, high-quality posts, and a substantial marketing budget for paid advertising through Facebook Business accounts. Traditional strategies like optimizing posting times and curating hashtags have diminished effectiveness for smaller accounts.
 
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Comments
 
Tammy
Saturday, Feb 10, 2024

Once again I must say a very useful article. I have read so much from this site, I joined, and a total fan of this. Really like it!


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