Having attracted more than 400 million users already, there is no doubt that Instagram is a smash hit social networking site. There are two main reasons why it is so – Number one, it targets mobile users who can access the Internet from their handheld devices at any time. Number two, it capitalizes on the fact that people are more attracted to visual content (photos and videos) than the traditional text content. True it is, people spare a very short attention time to any sort of promotional content, hardly about 4-5 seconds. So, if at all you want to make your visitors stay, you should make your images and videos more engaging. In this article, you will learn how to create images that can keep your visitors engaged and improve their trust on your brand.

Post customer photos to give a personal touch to your brand

Remember, successful social media marketing is all about getting your customers involved. Whether you have gained thousands of followers from a source like Digitalauthority – Buy Instagram followers and likes or you want to attract them through visual content marketing, you have options. What better way to get them engaged than including them in your photos? If you are in the fashion industry, upload images of your customers flaunting any of your branded clothing, and if you are a restaurant owner, post photos of your customers sampling your specialty dishes and so on. By doing so, you not only drive more engagement from your target audience, but also entice them to share your images on their timeline and be noticed by their friends circle as well. So, that gives you a great opportunity to go viral on Instagram.

 

Post behind-the-scenes photos to let your customers know what you do. From birthday celebrations to work-at-night scenes to ‘performer of the month’ prize distributions, customers love all sorts of ‘behind-the-scene’ photos. Posting a simple image of your team would help develop your customer’s trust on your brand, that is, even without meeting you. By upload photos of your customer support team, preferably with a caption, you let your target audience know what kind of support they can get after making a purchase. In short, employee photos give them the opportunity to know you better and it can help establish a personal connection with your team/brand.

 

Procure active participation by running contests.

Instagram contests are a great option to drive more visitors and procure active participation from them. The most successful contests are the ones that involve asking visitors to share brand-specific photos and hashtags to enter the contest. The secret of asking visitors to include your hashtags is that, when they click on it, they can view your complete gallery of images showcasing your products/services. Remember, Instagram contests are thrilling, fun, and exciting. Whether your audiences win or not, the thrill of participating itself will keep them engaged.

 

Use specific colors or themes in your product photos.

The most popular product photos on Instagram are the ones that have a common color or theme. To make the best out of your image promotion, use colors pertaining to your brand. For example, take the case of the image below, in which the brand has used blue to present its product (soft-drink) in a better light. Prefer posting a stack of items instead of one (like how it’s seen in the below example).

Post screen shots of customer testimonials

Once you have built a loyal following on Instagram, the next step is to sustain and grow, and become the #1 brand in your niche industry. When your target audiences are watching your activities, it makes sense to post screen shots of the best customer testimonials you’ve received about your services. This will help develop your customers’ trust and relationship with your brand.

 

Wrapping it up

These are some of the simplest ways to drive more engagement on your Instagram account. No matter what kind of photo or video you post, make sure it is interesting, engaging, and appealing to your visitors.