How to Create an Instagram Strategy for Your Brand

You’re probably thinking, Instagram….why would you need a strategy for that? Well, what if I told you that it is a powerful marketing tool, and having an instagram strategy in place will SAVE you hours of time and help your business?

Having no instagram strategy is like cooking without a recipe. It takes longer, can be confusing and chances are – you’ll mess it up and have to start again. With your strategy in place, you know exactly what you are doing and why.

We’re all about making life uncomplicated here at Kady Creative HQ. More time on things we love like creating killer brands and websites, and less headaches over Instagram performance!

Your Instagram should be an extension of your brand and a great marketing tool to show your dream clients what you can do! You can track the performance and make any tweaks along the way, stepping up and taking control of your Instagram marketing vs what I like to call hope marketing (having no plan in place and hoping for the best).

Now, who’s with me?!

Be Consistently Consistent!

The aim of the game here is to have a consistent feed. Consistent with your brand and consistent with the overall theme of your feed. If someone decides to follow you because you’re an expert food stylist – that’s what they expect!

If you suddenly start posting images of your house renovations or BMX riding – be prepared to lose your followers. People follow accounts for a specific reason. Beautiful architecture / Luxury Escapes / Vegan Baking. If that’s what they’ve signed up for, then that is what they expect.

The point of branding is to reinforce your brand aesthetic and your brand message every time they see it. This makes your brand recognisable but more importantly trusted.

Instagram Strategy 101: Timing is everything

To reinforce the consistent look of your Instagram account, you need consistent messaging. Consistent messaging helps build trust and shows your expertise in a particular area. Think about specific hashtags you can use to promote themes for your account. For example, if you’re a health food blogger, you could have a theme of #TuesdayHealthTips and every Tuesday you use this hashtag with a custom graphic to share your knowledge on health. Not only does this allow for consistent messaging, but it also gives gives you a plan for every week. You will be able to prepare 10 graphics at once and you are set for 10 weeks of #TuesadayHealthTips.

First step to planning: Themes

A great way to plan your Instagram is around themes. Theming your content ensures consistency, reinforces brand-specific messages and helps you categorise, plan and schedule for weeks/months ahead. For example, you might start with 3-4 themes per week, and on days or posts that aren’t your ‘theme’, you could use imagery from Pinterest which acts as a brand moodboard.

To help get you started, answer the following question and brainstorm some themes for your brand:

Think about what your users want.

• Can you run a weekly giveaway?
• Can you feature other accounts to your audience e.g., have a #FridayFeature? You could use this hashtag to feature other accounts that have the same target audience. The great thing about this, is that the account may then feature you back giving you, even more, exposure
• Can you post helpful tips and tricks? Eg start a hashtag #tuesdaytricks which allows you to give expert tips and reinforces you as an authority in your field.
• Can you post motivational quotes if it applies to your business?

A strategy is essential when using Instagram for your business. It’s a visual representation of your brand and takes all the unnecessary stress out of running your feed in real time. No more worrying about whether this photo is on brand, or rushing to create posts for tomorrow.

You could literally plan and implement your strategy in 2-3 hrs and be done for the month!

Happy Planning x