Struggling on Insta? Follow these 12 steps.

Your user-friendly roadmap for creating a personal brand or business profile.

Ever browsed through Instagram and wondered,” Why is their content all over while mine gets barely seen?” 

Major spoiler alert: It’s not just that your content should look pretty -the main concern is about understanding the algorithm.

If you are creating a personal brand, operating a business, or thinking of becoming a person who is involved in content creation, enhancing your Instagram from the beginning is imperative for growth.

User-Friendly Step-by-Step Guide

Here’s a detailed, user-friendly step-by-step guide to make your Instagram stand distinctive from others, boost organic reach, and engage the correct audience.

STEP 1- Decide your niche and goal

Before doing anything, ask yourself these questions:

• Are you making use of Instagram for business or for individual progress?
• What’s your goal? 

(For example: Fashion, fitness, beauty education)

TIP- Choose one clear  niche to create a loyal and ideal audience

STEP 2-Build a clear username and display name

Your username (@handle) and display name are necessary for the visibility of your search.

What are the things that you should consider while making a choice for our username?

1. The  username should be short, memorable, and relevant
2. It must be your brand or business name
3. You should avoid using numbers or symbols unless they’re a part of your brand

For the name that is displayed (the bold text in your profile) must include keywords that are related to your niche or business. Instagram algorithm behind search also reads this.

To cite an example:

Username:@Superdigitals

Display Name: Super Digitals| Marketing Tips

STEP 3- SWITCH TO PROFESSIONAL ACCOUNT

The initial part is to switch your account to business to get access to Insights, to run campaigns, and to include contact options.

HOW TO DO THIS:

Go to settings > account type and tools > Switch to professional account  

If you do this, you will be able to:

1. Track your performance through insights
2. Insert a Contact button
3. Promotion of posts through ads
4. Present your category under your name

STEP 4- BIO SHOULD BE MADE SO THAT IT IS POLISHED AND ATTRACTIVE

You are given 150 characters to describe yourself in the bio on Instagram. Make them worth reading that just increase your engagement with the audience.

An appealing bio consists of-

1. Brief information about what you do
2. Tell who you help by providing solutions
3. Include your unique proposition that makes you stand out from others
4. Clear CTAs (Call to Action) 

Use line breaks and emojis, and other elements to make it attractive and visually strong.

Example of Bio is –

Helping creators expand their audience 

Strategy|branding|Expansion

DM for Free guidance on content creation

Join us for faster growth

Your BIO is a pitch, and you should make sure it tells people why they should follow you.

STEP 5- Never Miss LINK IN BIO

Instagram allows you to have one link in your bio, so it must be the one that has a strong impact on the audience.

OPTIONS FOR LINKS ARE-

1. Link to your website if you have one
2. If you have more than one link, then use Link tools like 

• Linktree
• Beacons
• Taplink

Tip- Make use of this link to track clicks and conversions. These link tools help in doing this so that you know what brings traffic.

STEP 6-YOUR PROFILE PICTURE SHOULD BE OF HIGH QUALITY

Your profile picture is the first visual interaction with your audience. It has a strong influence on whether someone will click your profile.

For business– Use your logo

For individual- Apply a clear headshot with a clear background

Your picture must be bright, cropped, and recognizable.

Avoid collage and group images.

STEP 7- STRUCTURE INSTAGRAM CONTENT WITH  HIGHLIGHTS

Instagram stories disappear after 24 hours, but you have the option of highlights that keep them in your account permanently.

Create Highlights:

1. Post information like FAQs, pricing, services, etc.
2. Post testimonials from your clients
3. Introduce your team members 
4. Add tips and tutorials

Make use of different AI tools to generate images to match aesthetics

STEP 8- CHECKLIST FOR VISUALS TO BE POSTED ON INSTAGRAM

1. Don’t mix too many colors
2. Don’t ignore alignment
3. Headline must be less than 5 words
4. Big, legible Fonts
5. Focus on a  single visual

STEP 9- CHOOSE YOUR VISUAL THEME WISELY

Your Instagram should feel like a brand story that connects you with your audience.

Here’s what you should know-

1. Stick to 2 to 3 colors for your brand 
2. Choose between the fonts that you will be using
3. Use an editing filter that is consistent for photos.

This will help your feed look professional and make your brand recognizable instantly.

STEP 10- EMPHASIZE ON CAROUSEL OR REEL

Instagram gives preference to video content and saves/shares. Reels are short videos that help boost the reach. Use trending audios, hooks in the first three seconds, and suitable call to actions.

Carousels that mean multi-image posts incline your saves and shares, which is what is considered by an Instagram algorithm.

Ideas for content for reels and carousels:

• Tutorials
• Myth vs fact 
• Personalised stories
• Memes

Content should be made weekly and posted according to the content calendar that you make for accurate scheduling.

STEP 11- BUILD A HASHTAG STRATEGY AND KEYWORDS

Hashtag helps in making your profile discoverable.

Use a mix of hashtags like:

• Hashtag related to your niche(eg:#yogaforbeginners)
• Hashtags related to community(e.g: #womenwhocreate)
• Hashtags related to your brand(e.g: #superdigitals)
• Hashtags related to mid volume(e.g. #10k-500kposts)

You should avoid using banned hashtags. Do not copy and paste the hashtags.

THE INSTAGRAM ALGORITHM CONSIDERS KEYWORDS IMPORTANT

KEYWORDS WILL HELP IN:

1. Getting organic traffic
2. Improve visibility in search results, reels feed.

STEP 12- INTERACT WITH YOUR AUDIENCE

Instagram is in favour of two-way communication. It’s not always about posting but also engaging with your created audience.

Do these things regularly:

1. Revert to the DMs and comments
2. Leave meaningful replies 
3. Post polls, sliders, and questions.
4. Tag followers

Go live and collaborate with creators to create a positive impact.

STEP 13- KEEP A TRACK OF YOUR INSIGHTS

Tracking your performance plays an imperative role in the optimization of your content.

Review your insights weekly:

1. Which post got the maximum reach?
2. Which content brought the maximum followers? 
3. What is the time when your audience is active?

Use these insights in tailoring your content: 

1. By bringing changes in your timing of content
2. Double the content that drives results and increase your followers
3. Test new ideas

FINAL OPINION:

Be consistent with your content by posting it  2 to 3 times a week.

1. Don’t forget to add call to actions (eg, Save this for later)
2. Don’t miss Instagram trends and actively participate in them(watch reels to find trending music)
3. Focus on connections and conversions
4. Give a reason to your followers to stay

Your Instagram progress is not a mystery-it’s a procedure. 

Start your journey with these 12 steps, and you will be on the track to establishing a profile that gets seen, shared, and appreciated.