5 Instagram Secrets That Top Marketing Brands Don’t Want You To Know About

To win on Instagram, take advantage of these 5 Instagram secrets that top brand marketers don’t want you to know about…

#1 Hashtags unlock the masses

Using hashtags properly is a crucial tactic to master in order to achieve Instagram success. Maybe Hashtags are not the biggest Instagram secret, but the real secret is knowing how to use them effectively… There are 3 different types of hashtags—general, specific, and trending—that can be implemented:

A general hashtag is something that is broad yet relevant for the image you are posting. For example, if you’re Starbucks and you post a picture of a latte, appropriate hashtags would be #coffee #mornings #happy. Using general hashtags is a good way to get new followers since users browsing the photos marked with these words will stumble upon your content.

Specific hashtags are ones that you devise and use in your marketing to make it easier for your fans to group and share your content. For example, if you want people to post images from an event, create a specific hashtag and promote it: #YourBrandEvent2014

Trending hashtags can be a great source of new followers due to the sheer number of people clicking on photos with these tags when something takes off on the platform of over 150 million monthly active users. The problem is that trending hashtags are rarely relevant for brands, often representing pop culture happenings and widespread news reports. If you decide to use a trending hashtag in your marketing, be sure to understand the true meaning behind the tag. Trending hashtags could have multiple meanings/uses or even indicate a strong opinion of values that may not align with your brand.

How to Use Hashtags

Hashtag use has evolved over time. Click on over to Instasize.com for some up to date best practices on

how to use #hashtags

#2 Believe the hype: teasing works

Instagram isn’t the place for a hard sell; you don’t want to be too direct. Instead of straight-up telling your followers about a new product or promotion, post an intriguing photo or video that hints at your announcement without actually giving it away. A clever execution will have your followers guessing and speculating. Pique the curiosity of your followers to earn their attention and respect.

#3 Your fans = your content

Your Instagram followers can be a great source of material featuring your brand or product. However, sharing your fan’s photos without giving them credit is not advised. Since Instagram is a platform for publishing original work (lacking a “retweet” or “reblog” feature), you should always obtain written permission from the creator before sharing their photo on your account. Read more about reposting and attribution here.  

#4 Instagrammers need to feel special

It’s no secret that we all want to feel special.  Be sure to post exclusive content to Instagram. People go to different social networks for different reasons, and identifying the right content to publish on each one is important. Reward fans with fresh and varied content on each of the social platforms that you use to market your brand; it’ll give people a reason to stick around. Each social network has its optimal use, and you should strive to deliver the right material on each of them instead of blasting out the same content everywhere. Read how Red Bull approaches social across the major platforms here.

#5 Instagram + #YourEvent = success

Don’t let your even be a secret! Bring offline content into the Instagram world by promoting a specific hashtag during your event or promotion. Not only will this hashtag establish an inventory of shareable content, but it enables friends of your followers and other newcomers to easily link directly to your brand’s efforts.