4 Simple Ways to Grow Your Brand on Instagram…

This story originally appeared on Personal Branding Blog

Having a smart mobile marketing strategy is an important part of building your personal brand online. Leveraging your social networks to their fullest potential is also important for visibility.

Instagram is one of the most widely used networks today that can help build a larger audience and following online, making it a must-engage tool for brands. Posting relevant images, ads and videos that your audience will love is just one part of the success formula.

Related: 15 Tips to Grow a Social-Media Audience for Your Startup

Utilizing the right hashtags and descriptions can be very effective in getting your brand seen on Instagram, and this involves careful attention to quality and a targeted message. Here are several ways your business can stand out from the rest:

1. Choose the right username.

Ensure that sure your brand name matches your other online properties as closely as possible such as your name or your branded company name. This will increase your chances of being seen and eliminates any confusion for your audience. A professional head shot or branded logo is also essential for recognition online.

2. Create outstanding visual content. 

In the midst of thousands of images and videos being posted each second on Instagram it is important to create professional photos and short videos that stand out to your audience. Depending on your niche people generally want to see what’s going on in your world, what products or services you’re working on, how to do something or look a certain way, the best places to travel, ect.

Related: 8 Unconventional Ways to Grow Your Instagram Following

3. Follow the guidelines.

Avoid keeping your brand from being banned or blocked by knowing the rules of Instagram. Because the social network is subject to spam they have strict policies in place that need to be followed in order to preserve your brand’s reputation online. This includes purchasing followers or making too many promotional posts.

4. Invest in advertising.

Social media is all about conversation, and today you can “sell” to your audience with posts that are promoted yet look similar to your regular posts. Many brands are getting more followers and engagement from these ads, which can be either an image or video.

Related: 7 Marketing Tips to Help Grow Your Brand on Instagram

In today’s mobile world Instagram is a top tool to use to bring more visibility to your personal brand as well as a place where people can be directed to your website and other online properties. There are many tools and apps available to help you create and schedule your content, most of which are free to use as well as a direct connection to Facebook for their advertising program.