After you have found a trending audio, tap on the track to see exactly how many times the audio has been used. It’s best to hop on a trending audio
early–20,000 uses or less (the less the better)--and ride the momentum as it gains in popularity.
You can also follow social media marketers/managers/coaches on IG who find and share trending audio. Some
are really good at identifying trending audio early! Here are a few accounts I’ve been using to find trending audio: @shannonmckinstrie, and @smallbusinessgrowthclub.
Hack: You can get the IG algorithm to show you more trending audio by scrolling through Reels quickly until you see the upward
arrow–then stop, watch, and interact with those Reels. The IG algorithm will realize you want to see more Reels with trending audio.
Keep it simple!
A lot of creators and social media
professionals say that the sweet spot for Reel length is only 5-7 seconds! So, short and snappy! Keep this in mind, and it will help you simplify your content and reduce the amount of time and effort you spend creating your Reels.
A lot of social media coaches say that your next Reel is already in your camera roll. Find a good audio, write up a snappy hook and caption, and share.
Don’t let me discourage you from creating longer form content though! Some audio and trends require longer, more produced videos (think the Wes Anderson trend from earlier this
year), or you may have a high-value tutorial or message for your audience. These still have an important place in your social content, but sprinkle them here and there so you aren’t constantly bogged down creating longer content.
Show up daily and consistently
There are plenty of blog posts and articles out there that tell you the peak times to post your content.
What is the best
approach?
Even seasoned social media marketing professionals will acknowledge that social media is largely chaos and posting content is a gamble.
While there are good tips and tricks out there, the best way for you to figure out what time you should post your content is to relentlessly experiment, then look at the data. Instagram Insights will tell you when your audience is most active. Use that as your guide.
So, time to experiment! But marry your experimentation with consistency. Post and interact regularly–daily is best! This is where a social media content calendar will come in handy.
Interact! Interact! Interact!
Instagram wants you to actively interact with your followers. Don’t just post and walk away!
The more you interact, the more the algorithm will make your content
discoverable–and the more your followers (and potential customers) will feel like you are a person, not just some disinterested business.
Make sure you reply to comments and messages in a timely
manner as well!
Move over Hashtags. Hello, Keywords!
Wait, WHAT?! This was big news to me!
Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri apparently announced last year that hashtags are no longer an important
factor in increasing discoverability and reach. Instead of throwing 8 to 12 hashtags in your captions–which is now considered spammy–start incorporating more descriptive SEO keywords into your posts.
You can keep using hashtags, just in case; just put them at the end of a very well thought-out and worded caption.
Now go create!
Not every Reel you create will hit the jackpot, but don’t let that discourage you! Keep showing up, and focus on creating simple, valuable content.
Happy Creating, friends!
Craving more Instagram tips, check out this article: How to create content for Instagram that drives engagement
