2023 Instagram Strategy: Reels, Stories + More!
2022 summarized by pop culture: “my money don’t jiggle jiggle, it folds,” Elon Musk buys Twitter, goodbye Queen Elizabeth, Kim K’s Marilyn dress drama, and…Wordle?! Remember that?
A lot has happened this past year and as usual, that applies to Instagram as well. If the last time you looked at your social media strategy was sometime this past summer (or even way back in 2021, whoops!) we’re sorry to inform you that your tactics may be outdated. To help you prepare for the new year and your best Instagram year yet, here’s everything you need to know for a killer 2023 Instagram Strategy!
General Social Media Marketing Strategy for Instagram
1. Set Clear Goals With Your ICA In Mind
As with any marketing strategy, you need to know what your goals are. Do you want to reach a certain number of individuals? Are you looking to build community and engagement? Is your goal to increase CTR?
Start your 2023 Instagram strategy off by refreshing your social media goals. Take a look at your overarching business goals and then assess how social media can help you reach them. Get extremely specific with who you’re targeting and remember to watch out for these five goal-setting mistakes!
2. Optimize Your Bio
It’s 2023 and if you haven’t optimized your bio yet, please get on it.
- Make your username more memorable by simplifying the handle and omitting any confusing characters or numbers
- Include essential keywords in your business name or bio description. This will help you show up in search.
- Select an appropriate category for your business.
- Use keywords to explain to your audience what your small business product or service does
3. Batch Your Content & Schedule Posts Out In Advance
Here at SLG, we love batching content. It saves so much time and really helps you get into the creative flow. Plus, once you schedule it all out, it’s completely off your plate and you can focus on other tasks. For specific time-saving content creation tips, check out this post.
4. Diversify your content strategy
Instagram has previously said that they want you to use as many different features as possible. That means Stories, Reels, regular feed posts, carousels, and lives. Of course, you want to tailor your strategy to what your audience likes, but we recommend leaning heavily on Reels and Carousels as they tend to get the biggest reach and most saves/shares.
5. Learn To Write Effective Captions
Copywriting is at the core of every social media marketing strategy. With attention times getting shorter and people scrolling at even faster rates, you really only have a few seconds to hook them in. Hack your way to better captions with this caption formula!
Instagram Reels Strategy for 2023
6. Use Trending Audio
Surprise surprise! Trending audio is still one of the most important parts of Reels performance.Choose an audio sound that has the rising arrow sign next to it with fewer than 10,000 plays or follow us on Instagram for biweekly roundups of trending sounds you can use.
7. Make (More) Reels
This might sound like a no-brainer, but the more you make, the more likely that at least one is going to get picked up by the algorithm. We strive for every other content piece to be a Reel but you should work at a pace that is sustainable for you.
8. Lead With Educational & Value-Driven Content
We love memes as much as the next person but unless your Instagram account is meant for entertainment, educational and value-driven content give visitors more of a reason to follow.
9. Integrate Storytelling
Storytelling is going to be huge in 2023 so give it a try! Whether you do this by looking directly into the camera and telling a story or do so through a voiceover, leverage storytelling for more engaging content.
10. Try A Template Or Create Your Own
Instagram launched Reels templates earlier this year so that creators would have an easier time making content. Take advantage of trending formulas or create your own for a chance to go viral.
Stories, Carousels, and More
11. Use Interactive Stickers On Stories
You already know this but take it as a friendly reminder to continue to use Stories tools to make your content more engaging. Use interactive stickers and strong CTAs for even more community building on the most personal feature that Instagram has to offer.
12. Add Rich Media To Your Content
Instagram recently launched the ability to add music to static feed posts! Make your content more interactive with music and captions. By enticing all of your viewers’ senses, you can keep them on your content for longer.
13. Pin Your Best Posts
The first three spots on your Instagram grid are prime real estate. Use your first three posts to showcase what your business is about to highlight your best-performing content!
14. Collaborate For More Reach
Social media is all about community. Build yours by collaborating with similar influencers or brands to share audiences and expand your reach.
15. Try Going Live
We know that going live can be daunting but it really doesn’t have to be a big deal! Instagram is going to continue to expand their live streaming options so give it a try in this new year. Get started with a simple Q&A, showcase some product demos, or host a workshop/class!
Which of these Instagram strategies are you most excited to try out? Are there any other strategies that we missed? Share them in the comments below!
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