5 Hacks to Make Instagram Easier
Instagram can be overwhelming. Most of you aren't necessarily stressed with how it works, but with everything that you THINK you need to do and manage every single day. This week I went LIVE in the @dearfoundher Facebook community, sharing five (but I actually shared ten) Instagram Hacks to make your life easier when using the platform. Check them out here and then watch the full video as I expand on each of them. Looking for more social media tips? Grab my Six Simple Tips for Social Media Success here.
Use a 'Business' or 'Creator' profile. This allows for perks that a 'Personal' account doesn't have. You'll have access to insights, call-to-action buttons, plug-ins and even automated posting (with the 'Business') account. The one thing that is a bummer about a ‘Business’ profile is that you won’t get all of the licensed music to use. BUT, the one thing you will get us automatic posting options—-which will make your life SO MUCH EASIER. I go into detail about both of these options in the live video!
Set SAVED REPLIES. This is my FAVORITE IG hack! When you set up saved replies, you're able to engage quicker with followers. You can type one word out and populate with an entire automated reply vs. typing the entire thing or copying and pasting every time. I outline EXACTLY how to do this in the video.
Save posts so that you can reshare them. You may not know, but you can have a successful Instagram account that’s comprised 80% of shared content—-be sure that you tag people and give credit where it is due! Make it easy on yourself to remember which content you want to share. When you’re scrolling, see that little book mark underneath the posts on the right? Tap it and posts that you love will be saved. Later on, you can go back and share them on your own account.
Need to find the return button to write your caption? Need a line break when writing a caption but can't find the return button? Hit the '123' button on your phone's keyboard and look down and to the right.
Record your stories and reels using the HANDSFREE feature. This makes recording less clumsy and easier to control. If you need help finding the ‘handsfree’ option, simply go to create a story or reel. On the icons on the right (or left on some accounts) click the down arrow and more options will appear. Select ‘handsfree.’
Clean up your feed without losing your insights. If you have a post that didn’t perform as well, or served a timely purpose, you can hide it from your feed. When you do this, you don’t lose the insights or engagement as you would if you simply deleted it. Hide posts that you don’t want to show on your feed anymore with the archive feature when you hit the three dots in the top right on the post. Looking to remove a video from your feed? Click the three dots and select: Remove from Profile Feed.
Answer DMs from your desktop. For longer replies that need more attention, it is a lot easier to answer from your computer vs. their phone.
USE THE LINK STICKER. This is the best gift that Instagram gave small businesses in 2021... MAKE SURE TO USE IT! I explain why and how in the video.
Follow your favorite hashtags. Did you know that just like following a person, brand or business, you can also follow a hashtag? Pick a few that resonate with you and your business, put them in the search box and then follow them. You’ll be served content that is specific to you and your business, making it easier to find relatable content to share.
Use polls and stickers to make your stories sticky. During the live, one of the members of the Dear FoundHer… community shared that since she started doing silly polls and asking questions in her stories (when I shared this tip two months ago), she has seen a huge lift in her story views. Keep in mind, they DON’T have to have anything to do with your business—-let your personality shine through and share things that you care about.
Don’t forget to check out the replay of my LIVE video this week where you can get more details on all of these options.
Did you find these tips helpful? Tell me which ones you’ve used and which ones are working for you! I would love to hear your success stories. Many of you have asked more from me to help grow your business. In early 2022 I’ll be holding my first small business workshop. I would love some feedback as I create the curriculum as I plan to bring you EXACTLY what you need to help your business grow. Please take a second to fill out this form.
Please follow @lindsaypinchuk on Instagram for more small business tips and for news as to when my podcast, Dear FoundHer is going to drop in January.
