With more than one billion active users today, Instagram remains one of the world’s biggest social media platforms. The sheer number of users on Instagram means many people could be doing business with you. But before you grow your business on Instagram, you’ll need to create a profile that attracts your ideal audience. In this article, we’ll show you why your feed is an essential part of your Instagram profile and how you can use it to grow your business.

What is an Instagram Feed?

According to Instagram’s official website: “An Instagram Feed is a place where you can share and connect with the people and things you care about. When you open Instagram or refresh your feed, the photos and videos we think you care about most will appear towards the top of your feed. In addition to seeing content from people and hashtags you follow, you may also see suggested accounts that are relevant to your interests.” In other words, your feed shows users what you care about with the kind of content you post.

Why the Instagram Feed still matters

No business starts an Instagram account to have zero views or engagement with its content. When a user opens Instagram, the feed will be the first thing they see and, in most cases, engage with. On average its users spend 30 minutes a day on Instagram, so you want to be seen in the feed to give your brand the best chance at getting likes, shares, saves, and most importantly, sales. It’s the beating heart of the platform and that is why you need to care about your feed.

So, how does the Instagram Feed work?

Like you, Instagram too has business goals to achieve. One of these goals is to encourage people to spend as much time on the platform as possible. To achieve this, Instagram uses signals (in other words, the ‘algorithm’) to determine what posts appear on a user’s feed. These signals include:

1. The time a post was uploaded
2. Previous engagements with a user
3. The likelihood a user would find the content useful

How to make the Instagram Feed work for you

Now that you know what the Instagram Feed is and how it works. It’s time to learn how you can use it to grow your business.

Create engaging content for the Instagram Feed

You’ve just learned that Instagram uses the likelihood that a user would find a piece of content useful as a signal to determine what shows up on their feed. This means you need to create engaging and meaningful content. Creating this kind of content starts with understanding your target audience. Because when you know who you’re trying to attract, it becomes easier to create useful content that drives likes, comments, and shares.

Use hashtags and geo-tags to improve discoverability 

Instagram has two main tags you can use on your posts that appear on the feed. These are hashtags and geo-tags. Hashtags help users discover new accounts that post content around the interest they follow. As a business looking to grow, you need to use these hashtags so other people, aside from your existing followers, can find you. For a business with a physical location, using the geo-tag is a no-brainer. With a geo-tag, you can show your location in posts that appear on the feed. This helps local users in your area find you when looking for a solution you provide.

Publish regularly to Instagram and track what works

A recent change to Instagram’s API – the connection it makes available to third-party social media management tools like Metigy – means that businesses can now post content directly from one tool. This is great news because businesses that would previously post spontaneously, and potentially miss posting opportunities, are now able to schedule Instagram content ahead of time. Publishing on a frequent basis increases the chances of maintaining consistent engagement with your audience and supports Instagram’s signals. Start posting to your Instagram feed today with a free trial of Metigy’s social media scheduling calendar and management tool – click here to try it for free. Already a Metigy user? Log in and explore Instagram Content Publishing today.