Social media technologies are expanding the whole world, and nowadays, the orientation in these instruments of promotion is required on every continent and in every country. When you buy 50 Instagram likes or 100 followers, it is possible to choose a region where the resources will be coming from. Nigeria, being one of the most important cultural centers and developed states in Africa, of course, has a lot of influencers and businesses who drive their efforts on social platforms. Indeed some tendencies are specific for each state and region, but there are versatile tips that can help you increase the engagement rate wherever you are.

1. Embrace the location

Some think that location tagging doesn’t matter a lot to Instagram influencers. But many users build their careers exploiting what they have in close access. People appreciate it a lot when you give them highly valuable information and discover new destinations around your city or town. The whole country is at your service. For sure, each corner of Nigeria has something interesting and engaging to offer, so your task as a blogger is to provide motivating and relevant content that would make your viewers want to follow your steps. 

Along with actually tagging the geolocation, you should also describe your destination in the text of your post or cover it in Stories, IGTV, or so. By providing your personal experience and opinion about the place, you can heat up the discussion and gather more attention markers like views, likes, reactions, etc.

2. Don’t mind the numbers

Indeed, a gradual increase in your audience is expected, but instead of focusing on follower count, you should concentrate on improving the experience of your current audience. It is much better for your rating to have fewer subscribers if they are active and engaged rather than being proud of many followers who don’t interact with your content. Make sure that you are ready for a bigger audience when you are aiming for more engagement – you have to be able to react to more inquiries in your direct and more comments, as well as interpreting a more significant amount of information. 

Tip: If you want to establish your reputation on the platform and beat the competition, you can use paid services to increase your follower count. But you still will have to create a trustworthy and effective strategy that will drive your account forward. 

3. Provide great content

A vital part of your success on Instagram is the quality of your visuals. And everything else too. With the current level of competition in practically every niche, bloggers have to put effort into creating the most original and valuable content for their audience. No defined mixture makes a perfect material for posting on Instagram. You have to research your industry, see which topics are most appreciated and actively discussed among the target group, and rely on your charisma and ability to be the leader of opinions. Please pay attention to the visual qualities of your content and improve your gear when it is possible. Seek for original ideas around you and always aim for authentic posts that will reflect your personality and help you to begin an effective conversation with your viewers. 

4. Use all the instruments that Instagram offers you

Instagram has one of the widest ranges for posting. Such diversity of post formats gives bloggers the freedom to experiment and try out new strategies. Here are the formats of Instagram that you can work on:

Regular feed posts. These photos and videos are uploaded to your profile and remain there until you decide to delete them. Here you can add up to ten files and write extended captions, which are great for your relationship with the followers. Here it would be best if you shared a lot of personalized content 

Stories. The most powerful thing on this network. Stories are a bomb that can seriously improve your position in ratings. With various stickers, you can quickly increase your engagement, playing games and simply sharing things on the spur of the moment. 

IGTV. As the regular post videos have a limit of one minute, IGTV is a place for storage for longer videos – workshops, interviews, curated content from other platforms, and so on. 

Reels. The new format of content on Instagram somewhat mimics the typical content from Tik Tok. 30-second looped videos with added music. 

Instagram Live. A live session that is perfect for communication and nurturing a community among your audience. 

5. Communication first of all

The most powerful lever for better engagement is to be open for communication with your audience because this is why they come to social media – they want to talk and connect. Provide interesting topics for discussions, throw in the news from the industry and address your viewers honestly and sincerely. Use fun and relaxing themes to establish a supporting strategy for your fans. Memes and good jokes related to the industry or taken from trends can significantly assist your arsenal for gaining more engagement. 

6. Keep a steady schedule 

Users online also prefer having a consistent flow of content that they like. Posting frequently creates an addiction for your content, and many people will be expecting your new material, checking your profile, and watching all your uploads carefully. Planning is also beneficial for your time management – with various auto-posting tools. You can rely on the machinery and spend quality time with your family and friends or search for new content ideas. The recommended frequency of posting on Instagram varies depending on the format:

Feed posts should be shared 2-3 times a week, sometimes less. 

Stories – it would be better to post them every day, given you have enough high-quality material. 

IGTV, Live – once a week at least 

Reels – preferably once in 2 days or more often. 

7. Be yourself

Nowadays, many celebrities from social media are accused of being fake and dishonest with their audiences. So today, people highly evaluate bloggers who don’t try to be who they aren’t and who share genuine content. Simply being who you are can generate the most engagement and provide you the love of the fans. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes and meet dire circumstances. Everybody fails, especially at the beginning of their career. But being open-hearted and authentic with your followers will help you create a strong bond with the community and expand it. Also, personalized content is much easier to create!

Conclusion

 Increasing engagement on Instagram is a challenging task, and it depends on many factors. To create a decent strategy, you have to count in the information about your target group, collect data about the state of the industry you want to occupy and the competition you are about to meet there. The powerful tactic that drives a lot of engagement is based on good knowledge of these. 

Specifically, in Nigeria, you must have a clue about the society that you live in and what is the hottest buzz around. Being on the edge of news will enhance your position in ratings and keep up with the interests of your viewers.

SOURCE: TRIBUNE