As 2021 is now in full swing, it’s not too late to begin thinking differently to the new kind of world we are all getting used to. Here are a few online changes and thoughts about your favorite platforms that you may be advertising on.
Search Optimize for Instagram
In November 2020, it was announced that Instagram would become more search-friendly. Rather than rely solely on hashtags, if you search for a keyword in the IG search bar, relevant videos, profiles, and posts should populate. Its time to start optimizing your Instagram account and those of your clients for IG search.
The main tip for Instagram to categorize your account, you want to consistently post content that’s relevant to your topic or niche. For instance, if you run an Instagram account for your millennial coaching business, you’ll want to focus on posting content about coaching to that age group and avoid content that strays into an unrelated category. Other tips to help you show up in search within your category is following other accounts in your niche and adding relevant keywords to your name in your bio.
Video
When it comes to video on Instagram, I have found that 15-second content pieces outperform 30-second content pieces, as the Instagram Reel preview is limited to 15 seconds before people need to click See More. I advise creating Instagram Reels content that is 15 seconds long so that the full video plays on Preview mode.
Make sure that you add text to your video content to increase watch time and engagement. Also, add a caption or coupon code to encourage your followers to save and share your content.
More Human
As all in-person contact will be limited, any traditional operation that can be turned into an online process will do so. This change is loved by some and hated by others as it affects the way we’re used to doing business. This makes it even more important that the online version of your product or service is delivered at its highest quality and standard.
This shift toward contactless shopping allows online stores to thrive even more in 2021. With Instagram and Facebook already beginning to integrate in-app purchasing, the steps required to convert a user/visitor to a customer will be reduced. The difference between ‘scrolling’ and ‘shopping’ will be significantly blurred.
People will always connect with people. This is human nature. Brands should be personified in a way that reveals who and what they stand for.
Use faces more, create more videos, and talk about what matters to your target niche.
Now that Facebook has removed the 20% rule from its platform, we are seeing more advertisers playing with larger, bolder text ads. Think about how popular quote cards have been on Instagram for many content creators. Why not play with some of those same styles for your ads? Try it out.