Apparently, Instagram is one of the most popularly used social networking websites. This also makes it a great spot for online marketing. Is your business too marketing on Instagram? Then I have something to tell you that you really need to know. What is Instagram Etiquette? And what are some tips you need to know about it? Read on to find out. Photo sharing social networking platform Instagram was launched in 2010. Since then, it has only been expanding and growing in popularity. Its user base majorly constitutes teenagers and young adults. Moreover, it is a great platform for marketing. It is also the main platform for influencers.
From commoners to celebrities, entrepreneurs, and so—many use Instagram. Is yours also a business that uses Instagram for marketing? Then you must know Instagram Etiquette.
It contains certain rules and regulations that you need to follow on Instagram. If you don’t follow these guidelines, Instagram may shadow-ban your account. Even worse, it can also block and suspend your account if it thinks you are violating their rules.
It’s not uncommon that people on Instagram find their accounts shadow-banned or suspended suddenly. And they might not even know what they did wrong until it’s too late. So, you need to make sure that the same doesn’t happen to you.
Instagram Etiquette: Things You Should Know
# Don’t add to the noise, provide value
It’s true that for effective social media marketing, one needs to be active and post regularly. However, here also, quality supersedes quantity. This implies that you shouldn’t post on your Instagram account just for the sake of it. It is important to make sure that your content provides actual value to your followers.
There are many accounts out there on Instagram that’d post anything to keep appearing in the feed. This can get annoying for the followers. Such thoughtless posting adds to the noise. And this makes it difficult for people to concentrate on actually valuable content. Hence, such a practice can lead to instant unfollow. Moreover, there is a great chance your account may be deemed as a spam account. For that, you could get shadow-banned or even blocked.
Therefore, avoid posting content just for the sake of it as it just adds to the noise. Instead, focus more on providing value to your followers.
# When reposting, NEVER forget credits
Reposting others’ content is a common practice on Instagram. And there is nothing exactly wrong with this concept. However, it is important to make sure that you give due credits to the original creator.
For example, you liked some technology-related videos. You find it very helpful so you shared it on your Instagram account for your followers. Now, your intentions might not be bad. But since you uploaded that video without giving the due credits to the original creator, it may leave an impression that you’re claiming to be that. Naturally, this is unfair to the person who originally made and posted it.
Moreover, if this gets spotted by the original poster, they may report you which is apparently bad for your account. And not only Instagram but your own followers might think that your steal content.
And these were all of the main reasons why giving due credits is important while reposting someone else’s content.
# Take permission from the OP before reposting
Only giving due credits is not enough. There is more to reposting in Instagram Etiquette. You can’t repost anything you find even when you are giving credits. It is important to first take permission to repost from the person who originally created the post.
If they allow you to do so, you can post it. But if they say no, respectfully accept it and move on.
If you don’t follow this, your account can get banned by Instagram. So, keep that in mind.
# Don’t use banned hashtags
There are certain hashtags tags that Instagram has banned. Upon using those hashtags on Instagram, the app can suspend your account.
But how would you know what hashtags are banned? You can simply search it on Google and find what hashtags you shouldn’t use.
Moreover, you should also research the hashtags that you use to make sure that they are not banned and are not harming your Instagram account.
# Your interactions should be human
Automation is great for marketing. However, in some places, it better to be human. It can be tempting to use bots and other types of automation to grow your Instagram account by commenting and messaging in big numbers. However, this kind of activity might make Instagram notice you for all the wrong reasons. Hence, Instagram could shadow-ban (or even suspend) your account.
Therefore, in case of Instagram, it is best to stay away from automation and do everything humanly.
# Research and post only credible content
It is tempting to post content that creates buzz since it can bring you a lot of likes and comments—even if it is misleading and misinforming. However, it is best to not give in to such temptations.
You must be aware of how Donald Trump, the ex-President of the USA, got his accounts permanently suspended by various social media platforms including Instagram. If this happened to him (for all the right reasons though), it can happen to you too.
Now you might not spread misinformation on purpose like that. But Instagram won’t be very understanding. Hence, it may very well ban your account.
Therefore, it is important to research your content thoroughly. It will help you make sure that the information you are posting is credible, legitimate, and is not misinforming or misleading in any way.
Conclusion
Instagram can be a great place for your business to do marketing. However, it is important to tread this path with care. For that, you need to be familiar with Instagram Etiquettes as mentioned above. It all comes down to prioritizing quality, keeping it real, being humane, and giving due credits to the original content creators. It is also very important to research your content thoroughly so as to make sure that you don’t misinform people.
