Guest Blog By Arvind Baliga, Founder of QMocha, an Instagram post performance and analytics platform that tracks 21 key content attributes such as best time to post, topics, colors, hashtags and emojis and provides your account a comprehensive report card. Receive 30% off when using our promo code SOCIALSTYLES30. (Note: this is an affiliate link and Social Styles receives a small commission for any sign-ups generated. We only endorse products and services that we have used ourselves and fully support.
Instagram is the go-to social media platform for wellness marketing. The basic functionality and style of this platform are great for letting wellness brands show their personalities and highlight their values. But as Instagram continues to grow in popularity, so too does the level of competition on it.
Finding ways to improve your Instagram strategy is essential today. Other brands are always looking for the most relevant hashtags, influencer opportunities, and other innovative ways to improve their visibility.
So, how do you stay competitive with your wellness marketing and improve your Instagram post performance?
It requires the right strategies and a reasonable understanding of what works and doesn’t work on Instagram. Instagram is arguably the most powerful social media platform wellness brands have at their disposal. Here are five tips brands should follow if they want to improve their visibility and engagement.
1. Refine Your Color Palette
The color palette you use determines the personality and feel of your brand. Bright, modern colors are fun and friendly, while darker tones may highlight a more serious tone.
Most brands don’t venture too far out of their defined color palette. Sure, they may experiment with new colors around holidays and other events. But the main colors that their brand is known for always stay the same.
If you’re just getting started, see what posts performed well. You may be able to determine what colors resonate with your customer base.
Once you have picked your dominant color, try variations of secondary and complementary colors in your future posts to refine your color palette further.
2. Find the Right Filter
Just like the color palette you choose, brightness and contrast play a major role in determining the mood of your posts. Instagram makes it easy for you to set the mood thanks to the many filters you can choose from.
You should come up with a distinct look and feel for your posts based on your goals. Here are a few ways you can use some of the most popular filters:
- Clarendon – adds light to lighter areas and darkness to darker areas. This is a great filter for selfies, or if you want to increase saturation and contrast.
- Juno – perfect for product shots because it highlights reds and yellows and makes your picture stand out.
- Ludwig – a minimalists dream. This filter works well with portraits, architecture, and shapes.
- Lark – looking for a washed-out and brighter look? Lark is exactly what you need. This filter creates a calm look for your photos.
- Gingham – want to remove color, saturation, and add a white vignette? That’s what Gingham does.
- Aden – retro-looking and warm filter creates a softer look for your photos. It’s great for wholesome brands.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with filters. Every filter is modifiable from the settings menu. You may find that you like a default filter or a modified version of one. There’s nothing wrong with either option.
3. Show Your Face
Faces matter, and smiles always win in marketing. This may sound cheesy, but there’s research backing it. A smile is one of the most recognizable and positive emotional signals. And in one study, it led to more sales 75% of the time.
Why would you even try and challenge that kind of success? Smiling is healthy, positive, and a good image for almost every brand.
You must take advantage of this fact in your wellness marketing. Use smiling models in posts where it makes sense. This simple strategy can improve your post engagement, and it makes your brand seem fun and friendly.
4. Stay on Topic
Instagram has no shortage of topics. You can find a hashtag for virtually everything—and I mean that.
Whether you’re marketing a wellness product, service, or highlighting a new initiative, you should always keep your posts on topic.
It’s easy to lose track of what you’re posting about when you’re truly passionate about something.
So, take the time to understand what your wellness marketing goals are on Instagram.
Group your posts by topic and see which ones engage your audience. If you can nail that, then you will increase your chances of identifying and engaging with your target audience.
5. Keep Your Captions Relevant to Your Audience
Instagram is a visual medium, but we often forget that the caption is just as important as the image. Sort your posts by length and mood to see what performs best for your brand. The results may surprise you.
Every brand is different. Motivational brands may see more success with long-form posts, while a product company may not. Instagram posting strategies aren’t one-size-fits-all.
It was this idea that inspired me to create QMocha, which is a powerful tool that breaks down your posts and shows you what the similarities between your most popular posts and what your users don’t engage with at all. This is all completed using machine learning.
Find Your Image on Instagram
How does your brand stand out on Instagram?
The approaches I mentioned, combined with QMocha, allow you to experiment with fresh ideas. That way, you can see if different types, styles, or approaches will perform better for you. This is a great way for you to validate what is and isn’t working. There’s really no better way to create a concrete content plan for wellness brands.
Remember, your brand is unique. Let your Instagram posts capture what makes your brand so special in the first place.
Receive 30% off a QMocha subscription with promo code SOCIALSTYLES30.