Being visible on Instagram is now more important than ever

So we are 3 weeks into the lockdown in the midst of a situation none of us had prepared for nor had experience of. Even my Grandma, who has recently turned 100, has told me that even living through WWII could not have prepared her or anyone else for living like this.

So as we settle into this (temporary) new way of living and adjust the way we work and live, it has become apparent very quickly how much we all miss contact with others aside from those we share our homes with and especially for those who are living alone.

Visibility on Instagram is much more than just showing up on Instagram Stories or in IGTV however, now more than ever those glimpses of real life people appearing on Instagram is really proving to be a source of support for people. To see a face and to hear a voice from a friendly face is a real tonic.

Visibility on Instagram ( and social media in general) is a combination of elements. It’s your ability to get your audience’s attention, to pique people’s interest in your account and your business and to make your content as discoverable as possible.

Being visible is all about capitalising on all the different ways that your target audience could find out about you on Instagram. And right now in the midst of this crisis, if you are running a business, being able to remain present & visible will be an integral part of your ‘survival’ strategy. It means your community that you have grown on Instagram can help to support you through these difficult times.

Instagram are reporting that usage on the platform is up by 40% and people are flocking to the platform seeking positivity, inspiration and to be entertained by those amazing memes that are giving us all the much needed laughs.

So here are some tips & ideas to get you thinking about how you can be more visible:

Instagram Stories - commit to posting on Stories, talk to camera a couple of times a week to give people that chance to see a face and hear your voice. If your business is still able to trade during this period make your community aware that you are still working & they can still order from you/ work with you.

IGTV - start creating some IGTV videos. Share some tips or tutorials, preview them to your main grid and share them on Stories to maximise the potential views

Provide value - create content that adds value to your followers as this is the content that they will choose to share with their followers and makes your account and your business more discoverable. It may be tips and advice, it might be memes & quotes but valuable content is always the content that is shared most.

Behind the Scenes - your business and your brand is more than just the products/ services that you sell. You are your brand. You are you business’ best ambassador. Bring your personality to your account. Get on camera in your Stories and let people know how you are doing

Grid Posts - write engaging captions that spark conversations with your followers. Use your account to spread messages of positivity - we all need this right now

Engage - comment on your followers posts, share their posts to your Stories. Spend time nurturing your community. Being visible will reassure your followers that although life is certainly not normal at the moment, normality will resume once more at some point

Collaborate - working together with another account on Instagram who shares your values & is aligned to what you do is a great way way to offer something new to your followers & to increase your visibility. You could host a joint Insta Live, host an online event, host a Q&A. Be featured in a post or be tagged in a Story

Instagram Shopping - if you are still able to trade online ensure your Instagram Shop is set up & up to date and keep customer aware of changes to fulfilment and delivery lead times

But most importantly, being more visible will provide your community with a chance to connect with you and those connections, small flashes of human interaction, will mean so much right now.