If you follow trends of Instagram, you're definitely was shocked by the principal IG algorithm change of 2018. I'm mean the exclusion of chronological feed. So Instagram users see only relevant publications, that may catch their interest. Yeah, the change has definitely improved the user's feed, but the commercial accs are still wondering: how to act to reach the readers. All common-sensible SMM specialists are still working on the best publishing strategy. Everybody is eager to know the best time to post on Instagram. So it's been an experience, that helped to draw a conclusion on the best time and frequency of Instagram publications.

“Does higher publications frequency triggers higher ER?“

A study by Union Metrics says, there's no difference in ER (engagement rate) if you post often or not. The guys were analyzing 55 brands and their IG posting activity for several months. The results made us think harder on the ultimate posting strategy on Instagram.

Density Over Frequency

It's obvious, that every acc has a specific period of time while new content is ready. Let me explain my thought by the example. Imagine that you have an account of a fashion brand. The hottest time for publication is a creation of the new collection, right? It attracts the user's attention and the audience is ready for hundreds of publications in a short period of time. But the time goes and there's a moment when you really don't have that much material to publish. A common mistake is that people anxiously stick to the determined publications schedule and try to fill the blank space with really non-relevant and uninteresting for target audience publications. SMM specialists advise finding your own and agile schedule and think about density rather than frequency. It's essential to provide only appropriate content for your fans, it's not necessary to post as frequent as you can to save your ER. You won't raise ER by frequent posting. Do you understand?

Quality Over Quantity

There's no need to state, that pictures ant text of high-quality is a must for every IG page. Imagine that you have a cozy coffee shop with great desserts. You have a nice flow of clients and before even buying anything they crown around glass-case with amazing fancy cakes. Will they buy anything if cakes are messy or sloppy? Don't think so, buddy. So your IG page is your official showcase for every visitor. It doesn't matter what you are selling or offering. Visual plus text content should be excellent every time.

Of course, you can tell me, you don't have a pro photographer for a constant base of amazing photos. So you mix mobile photos and pro ones. Heigh-ho, buddy. Every SMM specialist will tell you, that it's a crime to post low-quality content because you don't have a lot of quality photos. Find a pro photographer, make 500+ photos, plan your publications and take your time for IG experiments. Do not over spam, and remember, that content quality is always more valuable than the content quantity.

Ask Fans

A great specialist from time to time has a lack of ideas and needs a fresh eye. You produce content for your fans, right? Why don't you ask what they aspire to see on your IG account? Do you know, what is interesting for them? How often to post on Instagram? Don't be silly, use this opportunity and never be afraid of negative feedback. You know, every negative feedback is a chance for the company to be better.

Our favorite network has great chance to create polls or questions via Instagram Stories. Excellent moment! Ask your fans everything you need. Marketing issues can be easily checked with the active followers.

It's time to carry out experiments!

I know, that you are familiar with Instagram Insights – is a homy service, that has lots of metrics. The majority of them will be available to business profiles.

Analytics data (account):

• Followers number: users followed the account.
• Impressions: all posts views.
• Media outreach: unique users who have seen your posts.
• Profile views: times your profile has been viewed.
• Links: clicks on the link in the profile description.
• Clicks on “call” and “e-mail”: clicks for buttons “call” or “email” in the profile description.
• Tags: posts in which your profile is tagged.
• Branded: posts on IG with branded tags.

Analytics data (audience):

• Gender: classification of followers by gender.
• Age: classification of followers by age, divided into categories: 13–17, 18–24, 25–34, 35–44, 45–54, 55–64, 65+.
• Geography: Top 5 cities and countries of acc followers.
• The activity of followers: day and time.

All these data are great helpers in the analysis of your SMM strategy success.

Happy Holidays!
Lots of love,
Toolzu.