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ATA Seminar Recap: ‘Instagram Growth in 5 Steps’
Michelle Scheuermann shared strategies to help retailers increase followers on their Instagram business accounts.
Photo Credit: ATA
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Author: Cassie Gasaway
ATA 2021 Online presented nine free prerecorded seminars and 11 free live seminars during its four-day run in mid-January. Michelle Scheuermann, editor of Archery Wire, presented her live seminar in the MyATA Learning Center on Jan. 15. Her presentation was titled “Instagram Growth in 5 Steps.”
Scheuermann, who manages 10 Instagram business accounts, shared the setbacks and challenges she regularly endures on Instagram, and discussed her top tips and techniques with ATA viewers. She also assigned “homework” to help viewers take actionable, measurable, and more productive steps for improving their Instagram accounts. We’ll share Scheuermann’s key takeaways and tell you how to find her presentation and other content from ATA 2021 Online. To maximize the benefits of her seminar, watch for Scheuermann’s bonus tip, homework assignments, Q&A session, and other gems.
Choose an attention-grabbing name and bio to encourage people to look at your page. Photo Credit: Michelle Scheuermann
Step 1: Begin at the Beginning (Build Your Profile)
“Start with a great photo,” Scheuermann said. “People love to see your eyes.”
Once you find an eye-catching photo, focus on your name (not your username). Your Instagram name is the small line of text under your statistics. The Instagram name is searchable for users, so pick something people would type when searching for your business. For example, “San Antonio’s largest archery shop.” Then, improve your bio.
Step 2: Growth Strategy Challenge (Analyze Your Feeds)
“First, you need to be authentic,” Scheuermann’s said. “No one wants to see highly curated feeds anymore. Don’t be phony. Be relatable. Perfection is boring.”
If your Instagram page is stagnant, Scheuermann encourages you to mix it up. Be unpredictable. Use photos, memes, stories, live feeds, and carousel posts (multiple photos in one post). She loves carousel posts because Instagram serves followers the same post but with a different image if a user didn’t interact with the first photo. That gives you two or three chances to catch a user’s attention.
Strive to deliver what your audience wants, and check your stats to see how they react to what you post. It’s easy to learn if your posts are exciting and engaging.
Try to post at least six times weekly when you're trying to gain followers. Photo Credit: ATA
Step 3: When & What to Post
“When posting, you have to educate, motivate and captivate,” Scheuermann said. “Social media is all about storytelling, and those are the three key ingredients.”
Show people things they find exciting, and show your excitement for it too. “(That’s) gold,” Scheuermann said.
Consider these guidelines for posting frequency. To achieve growth, post six or more times weekly. To maintain your current audience, post three to five times weekly.
Step 4: Analyze Your Hashtag Strategy
“Hashtags are mandatory if you want to be found on Instagram,” Scheuermann said. “People search for you with hashtags.”
Scheuermann suggests capitalizing each word in your hashtag to increase its readability. For example, #YourBrandName. Use 12 to 15 hashtags per post, even though Instagram allows 30.
Not sure which hashtags to use? Browse your competitors’ pages for ideas. Also, post hashtags that focus on your niche, are image-specific, relevant to your topic, and give users the bigger picture.
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Attendees can review Scheuermann's content calendar for ideas. Photo Credit: Michelle Scheuermann
Step 5: Create Thumb-Stopping Content
“How do you get noticed on (your followers’ feeds) in a few scrolls or minutes?” Scheuermann asked. “It needs to be eye-catching. You have to offer a clear focal point. (Ask yourself if) it’s unexpected, and if it piques curiosity.”
Scheuermann gave attendees a document titled “30 Days of Instagram Content Calendar Ideas” to spark ideas for social-medial pages.
Watch the Video Recording!
Scheuermann’s seminar was a live event, and the video recording isn’t yet available. You can, however, view the ATA’s on-demand Show content. Just log into your MyATA member dashboard and click “MyATA Learning Center.”
ATA 2021 Online exhibitor content will be available through Monday, Feb. 15. Educational content, the floorplan, and exhibitor profiles are also available, including videos, contact information, and product showcases. All Show Specials ended at the conclusion of the Online Show on Jan. 15.
Check back regularly for Scheuermann’s ATA presentation and to download her “30 Days of Instagram Content Calendar Ideas” document.
Questions? Please contact the ATA Trade Show and membership office at (866) 266-2776.
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