30 hacks to grow your insta - part 1
Hey babes, how is it going?
I'm doing good!
I’ve spent the last few days creating this amazing guide with 30 tips on how to master Instagram. It’s a very comprehensive guide that starts with how to get your profile and bio looking gorgeous, the importance of adding certain infos right at the beginning, tackles all the ins and outs of the apps and ends with how to get LOOOOOOTS of engagement!
There's tons of interesting stuff to help you create gorgeous and relevant content, so I really hope you enjoy it!
Also, I didn't want this email to be huge so I’ve divided the guide into 5-mini-guides, so keep an eye on your inbox every Wednesday so you don't miss a thing!
Let's get this party started!
1.Skip lines in your bio
Instagram offers very little space for your bio, so it’s a perfectionist’s job.
In order to write the perfect Instagram bio, the trick is to do it in a web browser from your desktop computer. This way you get to add line breaks so your info isn't all scrambled in one ridiculous block of text.
All you have to do is open your profile on your computer and edit it. You can write your bio straight into the box, add emojis, hit enter to create a new paragraph, and click on “Send” once you’re done.
Break awaaaay from bios with no breaks!
2. Add links to other profiles or hashtags in your bio
Did you know you can add clickable content in your bio? Yep, it's totally possible!
When you add a # or @ before a word or profile, other users can click on them to see more.
This comes in super handy if you’re managing a second account or running a campaign with a hashtag.
And if you still don’t have a hashtag of your own I just have to ask: why the hell not?! :P
3. Find the right alignment for your bio
One way to make your bio look more attractive for profile visitors is to get the perfect alignment and word spacing.
This is a trick that involves a bit of trial and error, but the results are totally worth it. Just remember that you have a 150-character limit, so be careful not to compromise your brand by being confusing or not saying enough.
All you have to do is open your profile on your computer, copy the blank spaces between the arrows >>?????????<<, go to Edit Profile, work on your bio and paste the spaces wherever you want them to go. If they’re not perfectly aligned, just add or remove spaces until you achieve the perfect result!
4. Special characters
Some Instagram profiles have cute special characters, like proto-emojis, like the sun, stars, pencils. You know what I’m talking about.
You can find them in word processing programs such as Microsoft Word or Google Docs. This is how you add them to your bio:
Open a word document
Start typing your bio and when you want to add special characters, go to “ Insert” and then “Special Characters”
This is where you look for icons like little arrows or zodiac symbols
Fonts like Wingdings, Wingdings 2 e Wingdings 3 also have cool icons
Open Instagram on your desktop and edit your profile from there
Copy and paste the text you wrote on the document and save once it’s ready!
Easy, right?
5. Appear on more search results and even on the Explore page
Your name shows up on Instagram searches, which means you can change it to words that describe your job or type of profile. Instead of “ Luciana Levy” in the “Name” field, I use "Luciana Levy | Instagram Tips".
By including keywords in you name, your chances of ending up on the Explore page are way bigger.
6.Transform your feed in a shopping page
If you’re frustrated because you can’t link outside Instagram, you’re not alone.
But services like Linktr.ee or Bit.ly offer the perfect solution to redirect traffic from your Instagram profile to wherever you want, including your online shop.
And that’s it for today!
As I said, don’t forget to check your inbox because this is just the part 1 of 5!
And if you want to get deeper into Instagram marketing, my online training is still up for sale. There’s an online class and a free editorial calendar as a free bonus! It’s a document with 365 days of ideas for posts so you’ll never run out of subject. So head over to my website because there are still spots for USD??? And they’re limitied!
7.Reorganise your Instagram Highlights
Your Highlights are like your lookbook or your brand's portfolio. It’s where you’re going to gather and showcase your best content beforehand in your profile.
And since the four first ones are the ones that are going to be visible, they must be the most relevant ones. That’s why you have to prioritise your space. But as you update each Highlight, they change orders. The last one to be update goes to the front. In case you feel it’s important to change the order of your Highlights, there’s an easy way to do this:
How to change the order of your Highlights on Instagram:
● Tap and hold the Highlight you want to bring to the front
● Select “Edit Highlight”
● Go to the “Archive” tab to access all your archived Stories
● Add any story to your Highlights
● Repeat the first step
● Remove the story you have just added
● This will make Instagram understand that that was the last Highlight you’ve edited and that will bring it to the front
8.Change your Instagram Highlights Icons without publishing them to your Stories
Your Highlights icons can help you get your audience’s attention (a lot!), and will make them want to see more of your Stories content. And that’s why you want your Highlights’ icons to match your aesthetics and/or your brand’s aesthetics. You will also want people know upfront what those Highlights are all about.
When Instagram first launched the tool, the cover had to be an image previously uploaded to your Stories. So in order to change the cover you had to upload it and leave it there for you audience to see it for 24h. What a lot of people don’t know yet is that this is no longer necessary.
How to change your Highlights icon
● Tap and hold the Highlight
● Select “Edit Highlight”
● On the top of the page, select “Edit Cover”
● Below the current icon you will see images from your phone’s archives
● Select the image you want to use and save
This is a very useful trick, especially if you’re using cute icons!
9. Use presets to edit your photos
If you want to attract more followers and build a uniform brand on Instagram, it’s important to have a strong and recognizable aesthetic on your grid and Stories. This is especially important for brands that sell products.
Presets for photo editing apps are amazing because with one click, you save a lot of time and give your Instagram a professional look.
The easiest way is to use VSCO, because the app offers a lot of editing and filter options so you can save as favorites. No wonder it’s the brands’ and influencers darling <3.
Another option is using Lightroom and its presents. I have a few presets that I’ve made myself and you can purchase on my shop. I love editing my own photos, I’ve been doing it for years! Seriously, with one click your pictures will get vibrant colors and beautiful lighting that you didn’t even know you could achieve.
10. Create grid art
Grid art is a fun way of using Instagram. The trick is to plan your posts and strack photos vertically, like a puzzle, so you can visualize how your grid is going to look like. You can use an app to plan your publications beforehand or use Photoshop, if you’re an artistic person that likes playing around with design (which is my case).
I created my own Puzzle Grid that I use as a form of therapy (I swear!). It comes and goes on my profile, and a lot of people have asked me to share it with them. So it is now available in my shop.