Here are the latest stats on Instagram.

• Are you posting the average number of times per month?
• What percentage of your content is videos?
• Are you collaborating with influencers or like minded strategic partners?

Call Your Computer Lady today if you want to up your social media game!

More research

While videos make up only 34% of Instagram content, they reach 49% more audience than carousels or photos. They are shared more often so more people and new people see your content.  Your Computer Lady can convert your photos into a video with music, movement and an eye-catching design.

Carousels are an excellent way to give your clients how-to guides. Each image is a step in the process so they can follow along with the instructions. Then the carousels are re-useable in Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, your eNews, your blog! Big bang for your buck!

Use carousels to tell a story. Show the progress on a project. Start with Before photos and move through the work to the completion. Do a Case Study. Demonstrate your product.

Hashtags aren’t as powerful as they were. Don’t abandon them just yet. Cut down on the number of tags you use, however. In a recent study, posts with no hashtags saw a 23% better reach than posts loaded with hashtags.

Posts with mentions (@name) double your reach and get 30% more engagement. Mention strategic partners, organizations or influencers.

Longer captions (over 300 characters) get more comments. You have to start with a strong hook to grab the reader’s attention then lead them through the story to make your point. There is more for readers to get involved with in a longer post. Don’t forget the Call to Action in the caption too!

Videos between 60 and 90 seconds perform the best. They get shared more often and create the most engagement. That time frame lets you tell a good story and make your Call to Action. You can add more punch with a strong caption when you post the video.

The number of posts per week have less impact that the quality of your posts. Mix posts types. Focus on what your audience wants to hear, not what you want to say.

Engagement Rates (audience interactions as % of reach) are the most important stat for Instagram. For B2B marketers, it’s a tough game. Compare your numbers to:

• Education (8.4%)
• Travel and healthcare (7.8%)
• Retail and Sports come in at 7.8%. 

Social Media is to introduce your company to new prospects with credibility and to build relationships, not make big sales. Balance your effort and costs with your returns.

Source: Social Pilot