Errors happen. Instagram mistakes unfortunately happen to everyone.
Read on to discover the 13 most common mistakes brands make on social to avoid the unique humiliation that comes with Instagram fraud, and more importantly, how to avoid them.
1. Buying likes and followers
There’s a shortcut to getting more likes and followers: go on a shopping spree.
True. Just like you can hire guests for your Japanese wedding, you can actually buy friends for your Instagram account.
The problem is… when you buy likes and followers, you get quantity, not quality. Sure your numbers may look good, but what’s the point if your target audience is full of robots that say nothing of value? (No offense, robots – please don’t come for me at night.)
The same goes for paying for automated outgoing comments. What’s the point if you don’t have a real connection with your fans?
Successful social media brands are those that connect with real people. Your money is better used to target ads to lookalike audiences or run a contest to increase followers who are genuinely interested in what you do.
For more ideas on increasing engagement, check out our tips for getting more Instagram followers here.
2. Using low quality images
Instagram is a visual medium. So if you’re going to post something, it’s nice – or at least interesting! – he has to look.
E.g: immortality gross close-up beans.
Even if you don’t have professional photography skills or access to a top-notch camera, try shooting with natural light or a neutral background.
It’s really better not to post any photos at all than a bad one. But with so many great tools out there for photo editing and graphic design, there’s really no excuse for posting something sloppy.
Check out our step-by-step photo editing guide and the latest Instagram photo trends to help guide your Insta-photography journey.
3. Posting too much or too little
Finding the right number of posts on Instagram or any social media platform is truly a delicate dance: a social soft shoe if you will.
Too few posts and you risk being seen untouched or forgotten. Too many posts and you can seem desperate or annoying.
So what’s the right amount to post on Instagram? You can check out the latest data here, but keep in mind that the sweet spot has changed over time as user habits evolve. It also depends on your own personal brand and your fans.
Posting a few times a day may be appropriate for a news feed, but a few times a week for a makeup brand may make more sense.
So, track when your followers are online, pay attention to analytics, and experiment with your positioning program to discover what their content endpoint is.
You can even automate your planning using the Moyens I/O control panel to truly explore your options. Maybe your fan base likes a bit of midnight action, who knows?
4. Ignoring analytics
Speaking of analytics: Another big mistake marketers make on Instagram is ignoring data.
To identify trends and growth, you must obsessively monitor the metrics that are important.
Think of it like football players watching the tape of the match they won. How will you avoid being handled next time? How are you going to copy that, um, big… area… dunk?
How can you repeat your achievements if you are trying to increase your participation rate but not tracking your stats? Also, have I ever watched a football game? At least one of these questions can be answered with Moyens I/O Analytics.
5. Using too many hashtags
Anyone who’s ever been to an all-you-can-eat sushi bar knows that it’s possible to experience too much of a good thing.
Hashtags are a great way for Instagram users to find your content. It’s also a great way to make your content look like direct spam.
Joyful to be Use up to 30 hashtags, but the most common number of hashtags you’ll see on Instagram is one to three per post. AdEspresso suggests up to 11 is acceptable. You’ll have to experiment to see what works best for you.
Check out our guide to mastering your Instagram hashtag game here.
6. Posting boring content
In Instagram’s public court, the biggest Insta crime is posting boring or spammy content.
If you want users to interact with your brand, you need to give them something to interact with. Don’t just post to advertise. Create posts that they might be interested in, engaging, informative or entertaining.
Value your followers for commenting, liking and sharing…and ideally build a deeper relationship with your brand. Providing quality content will also give new people a reason to start following you.
For example, this fake sprinkler company account I created here wouldn’t go very far with such bland content. Instead, the fake social media manager should try asking a question, hosting a contest, sharing using posts, or creating a sprinkler-themed meme.
For more specific tips on creating engaging content for sprinkler companies and beyond, check out our 101 guide to social engagement.
7. Lack of strategic plan
Want to drive traffic to your website? Are you hoping to grow your followers? Want to sell more on your Instagram Store?
Success is difficult if you don’t know what you are trying to achieve.
If you hop in the car to embark on a journey with no destination in mind, you may have a great adventure…but you may find yourself in a spooky town with only one gas station and a hotel that attracts bedbugs.
Choose a goal to get started and create a strategic plan to get there. That way, you’ll have something to guide every decision and a way to measure your growth.
8. Inconsistent branding
Your Instagram account is only one part of the entire brand ecosystem.
You probably have a website, other social media pages, and maybe even a real store. All these elements should have a consistent connection that ties them together to make sure your brand is strong and clear.
Your logo should be on every profile. Each element should share a similar visual style and editorial tone.
Imagine how confusing it would be for luxury brand Louis Vuitton to pair their luxury website (screenshot on the left) with an Instagram account like the one in the image on the right:
Depending on your audience for each platform, there may be slight differences in the types of content you share or your interactions – maybe you’re all about Twitter memes – but overall, all your platforms should feel connected.
9. Inconsistent visuals
I know we love the internet on Moyens I/O, but you remember the books, right? With every post you make, you add another page to your brand’s overall story.
Does this story make sense when you look at your brand’s Instagram profile page? What does the “grid” as a whole say?
Here are two different versions of the Instagram profile of a very fake clothing boutique.
On the left is a jumbled image—some corporate headshots, some stock footage, some product shots, all in different styles. On the right, the images all have the same color palette and work together to create one solid visual representation of a brand.
If there is more than one contributor to social content, create a style guide to help everyone understand the visual task. You can also use the Moyens I/O collaborative Planner to review each other’s work before it’s published to make sure everyone is on the same page. (Am I obsessed with books? Why not marry one!)
10. Not checking spelling
Spelling mistakes are part of life on the internet. Even professional writers can errors sometimes mistakes.
But a minor spelling or grammatical error can make an otherwise polished text look careless. So, do a quick fix on your social sharing process and take a second look at your posts before they go up (perhaps even using Moyens I/O Planner!), so they don’t look like this:
11. Not Using Instagram Stories
Social media marketers already have enough on their hands, I know. (And now Instagram is throwing Reels at you? Hoo boy.)
But if you’re not taking advantage of Instagram Stories, you’re wasting your opportunity to reach 500 million users using this part of the Instagram platform.
New to stories? Here’s our step-by-step guide to publishing. You can also check out these ideas for building your Instagram Stories audience and some great apps to help make your content stand out.
12. Not interacting with followers
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: social media is a conversation, not a feed.
If you’re not engaging with your followers, you’re wasting your platform. Every time a user comments or asks a question, it’s an opportunity to build rapport and create a positive experience. It’s time to chat.
13. Sharing weird links
Instagram doesn’t hyperlink URLs in comments, so posting a long, cumbersome link just seems messy – and like you don’t know what you’re doing. Plus, let’s be realistic: no one’s going to type this into their browser.
Brands with 10,000 followers can add links to their Instagram Stories. Those who do not have this luxury often use the “link in bio” trick.
Another option for brands that link frequently is to build a comprehensive link. This is the URL that shows all your recently referenced links in one place.
Sites like Campsite or Linktree are two great options. You can also create a specific page directly on your website that hosts all your current links.
If you’re guilty of some (or all) of the above-mentioned Instagram bullshit, don’t beat yourself up about it. The thing about a digital platform is it’s never too late to fix course. Turn your Insta-bugs into Insta-tunities and take your brand’s social presence to new heights.
Save time managing your Instagram presence using Moyens I/O. From a single dashboard, you can schedule posts and Stories directly to Instagram, engage with viewers, measure performance, and run all your other social media profiles. Try it for free today.
