How Authors Can Grow An Engaged Audience on Instagram

If you’re struggling to grow your audience on Instagram or if you’re just starting out and can’t get the engagement you’re looking for, there is hope! 

I know it can feel frustrating or downright impossible to build the audience that you want and need on Instagram. But there are a few changes that you can make now to see the growth and engagement that you’re looking for. 

Let’s dig into four tips that you can put into practice today. 

Have a Solid Content Plan 

When it comes to Instagram, content is king. Everything is built on a solid content plan and being intentional with what we share. You know that your book, your information, your stories, and insights are valuable. But your readers may not know that yet. Your content provides the proof they need to establish the know, like, and trust factors you need so they will follow and buy from you. 

A solid content plan doesn’t mean giving everything away or spending hours a day on Instagram. It means narrowing down on specific topics and questions that your book addresses and talking about similar interests you share with your readers. When your readers see the helpful information you share, they will want more.

Optimize Your Profile 

Optimizing your profile means you are providing Instagram’s algorithm with the information it needs to put you in front of the right people. It makes your profile searchable and discoverable. 

There are only two areas on your profile that Instagram draws keywords from: your user name and your profile name. The key is to have one with your name and the other with what you are offering. 

For example, if you take a look at my profile you’ll see that my user name is mixtusmedia and my profile name is Social Media for Authors. When someone searches for our company name we will show up, and when someone searches for help with social media we will show up.  

Brainstorm some keywords that describe your services, your genre, what you offer, etc. Put those into the name section to make sure Instagram can find you and direct the right people to your profile. 

Use the Right Hashtags 

Hashtags are always changing. That’s why it’s important to know how to do hashtag research. A big mistake many authors make is using hashtags where there are millions of posts using that hashtag. Big hashtags do not mean bigger reach. When we use hashtags that have over 500,000 to several million users, our posts will be buried and not seen. And when we use hashtags with less than 5,000 posts, we know that people aren’t using them so they won’t be seen. 

I recommend using hashtags that are used between 5,000 - 500,000 posts. This ensures we will have a good collection of hashtags that will make sure our posts are seen and not buried or overlooked. 

Start Creating Reels 

I know the idea of reels might make our introverted author hearts want to hide under a blanket and eat a sleeve of Oreos. I get it! But truly, reels are the key to growing on Instagram. 

When Instagram rolls out a new feature, we know that they will be putting a big emphasis on it. If we want to see big growth and added engagement, we will want to start playing with it to see how we can incorporate that into our strategy. Reels are Instagram’s version of TikTok - they are 15 to 30 second videos. Does it mean we have to go all in and do crazy dances? No! Try it out and see how it works for you. 

A coaching client of mine recently tried reels and in less than an hour she had over 1,500 views. She has less than 500 followers and saw a big bump in her engagement and audience growth by simply incorporating reels into her strategy. 

Seeing significant growth does require strategy and effort - but it’s well worth it! You have an opportunity to connect with readers all over the world. It’s an incredible opportunity. 

If you’re looking for more guidance and want to know what to post to reach your goals on Instagram, I’ve got something for you. Download my FREE Instagram Posting Formula - it’s a game changer!