Instagram has proven time and again to be a massive platform for marketers. The Sprout Social Index puts it as one of the big three social media platforms – and it has a much higher engagement rate than other media forms.
In other words, you need to start building a following on Instagram right away. It may take time, but with the right approach, anything is possible. You’ll have many things to focus on during your growth stage, but today we’re talking about one specific point: trust. Building trust on Instagram is vital if you want users to follow your account and engage with your posts. Unfortunately, there are loads of untrustworthy and unsafe Instagram accounts out there, so you’re fighting an uphill battle to prove your credibility.
What can you do to build trust with Instagram users? Start by focusing on these three ideas:
Avoid Spam Posting
If you continuously spam on Instagram, people will think you’re a dodgy account. This includes spamming random content, commenting under everyone’s posts and so on. Yes, regular posting is the key to making money on Instagram and building a brand – but it must be done organically. Post good and valuable content. If you are going to comment under other brands’ posts, do so naturally and without promoting yourself.
It is outrageously easy to spot spammy brands on Insta and people don’t trust them. The last thing you need is for users to think you’re one of these entities. Post naturally and like a normal human to build trust.
Keep Your Account Secure
You must learn how to protect your Instagram account from hackers. An unprotected account can easily be manipulated or broken into by outside sources. From here, hackers could post spam content through your account or DM users asking dodgy things. All it takes is one person to spot this behaviour and call you out, leading to many other users steering clear of your brand.
People can’t trust accounts that look like they’re been hacked or compromised. It’s very hard to come back from this as users will always wonder if you’re truly operating alone or you’ve been hacked again. Keep your account secure and use things like 2FA and regular password resetting to avoid security breaches.
Make Your Name Short And Sweet
What’s one of the easiest ways to be put off by an Instagram account? That’s right, seeing a long username filled with loads of numbers. It screams “untrustworthy”, so you stay well away and avoid interacting with that brand.
Keep this in mind when coming up with your account name. Ideally, it should be short, sweet and reflective of your brand. If you can’t use your brand name, try to add small things like “IG” or “Insta” to the end. Never run an account with a long name full of numbers as it’s impossible to build trust this way.
To summarise, if you post regularly and avoid spam tactics, keep your account secure and choose a professional account name, you’ll start building trust with users. The end goal is to verify your account, but this takes time as you need to grow a following. If you can finally get that verification tick, then you’ve unlocked the easiest way to build trust on Instagram.
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