Success on social media is largely correlated to one sole platform: Instagram. While other platforms are important, Instagram is the primary medium for anyone looking to build their brand and grow a following. In today’s episode of the Be Better podcast, Kim and Donald are joined by the founder of The Marketing Hunters, Ruben Alvarez, to discuss Instagram best practices, tips, and how you can use it with success.
Why is Instagram so important?
Every platform has a unique ability to brand its user, but Instagram (at least for now) carries more weight and credibility than other platforms.
Instagram’s influence developed because it went uncompeted for years. However, due to Tik Tok, that influence is slowly being chipped away.
Common Instagram mistakes:
Don’t assume: What some people do to find success won’t automatically work for you.
Not using new tools and technology within the platform before it’s past the early adoption point.
Instagram is entirely perception-based, meaning once someone starts commenting, more people will follow. Do things that encourage commenters.
Master the Instagram Reel:
Ruben’s major tip: Create more videos. Every popular video has a three-second hook to draw the audience, and you should master yours.
Almost every single video you first create will look stupid to you, but keep going.
As you refine your skills, you’ll be able to make more professional videos while retaining the creativity and authenticity you had in the beginning.
Decide on your brand before making content.
Understand what you’re comfortable creating, and recognizing that boundary will prevent you from creating content that compromises your brand and values.
Remember, content needs to entertain. You can take simple steps to make your content more watchable and entertaining.
Do things the way you want, but your content should resonate with the people watching it.
When you follow a variety of people, you’ll see inspiration and ideas that can help you think of more content to grow your brand.
Ruben’s advice for his younger self? Adopt faster; you never know if you’re going to get one or 10,000 followers as a result. With branding, you should never compete with anyone. If you’re trying to grow an account, do things differently than other people.
Be Better Episode Resources:
Connect with Ruben on Instagram at @iamrubenalvarez
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