Does your audience hang out on Instagram? Then, fo’sure you want them to know about your latest blog post. It’s important to promote your blog on Instagram to get those gorgeous eyeballs reading your blog.
But Instagram is different from LinkedIn and Facebook.
There, it’s easy to share a link to your blog. Just cut and paste and you’re done.
Instagram only has one place for you to share a link, and that’s your bio. (Unless you have more than 10,000 followers, then you can use the swipe up feature.)
When it comes to outbound links, Instagram is like an awesome party and all your friends are there. But because there’s only one outbound link allowed, it’s like the doors are locked and you can only leave to party on your website via a hard-to-find side exit.
If you have fewer than 10,000 followers, you’re stuck with your bio.
This means your audience can’t simply click to read your post. They need to take indirect action to get to your blog post. Either via your bio or by closing Instagram and checking out your website. That’s a little clunky.
But, because your gorgeous audience is on Instagram, you still want them to be aware that you have a new blog post published.
So let’s dive into how you can do it.
1. Ask your audience for input
On your Instagram stories, tell people you’re writing a post about your subject. Invite them to ask questions. This will give you great ideas for content. Plus you can shout out these contributors when it is published.
2. Tease that your blog post is coming
Using Instagram stories, make a video talking about your work on the blog and how you are excited to share it soon. Bit screen shy? Never mind. Show a screengrab of your blog in draft process.
3. It’s published – Instagram story (again)
Share your favourite part of the blog and how it will help people struggling with {the problem you solve}. Don’t give them the solution—they gotta hit your blog up for that gold.
4. Tag yourself in your Insta story
Because the link is in your bio, you want people to tap that easily, the best way is to tag yourself in your Insta story. Sounds weird, I know. You can use a cute sticker to show people where to tap to access it. A minor thing, but making it easier for your reader means it’s more likely they’ll click to read it.
5. Use a dedicated landing page
Whether it is a website page or a service like Linktree, a dedicated landing page for Instagram users takes them directly to your recent blog articles as well as any other links to stuff you’ve shared recently on the ‘gram. (Sounds obvious, but update the links before you publish, duh.)
6. Create a scroll-stopping post
Don’t leave it to stories. Create a post in your feed about your new blog article. It’s worth investing in an amazing image to get attention.
7. Go abstract
Use a pretty, but less obvious image that doesn’t directly relate to your blog post. Then you can use a clever caption to explain the connection. A good source is artistic pages sharing gorgeous affirmations. You don’t need to ask prior permission, simply share the post and tag them both in the image and in your caption. (This one below is from@thepositiveway8).
8. Craft your caption carefully
Write a compelling caption that gives your fans the sizzle not the sausage—don’t give away the whole story—leave them racing to your blog to get the good advice you’re sharing.
9. Repurpose
Don’t just share it once! Your audience may have missed your first post. A week, a fortnight and a month later, create three new posts about your blog and share different content from each—a quote, a statistic or a fun fact.
10. User generated content as a follow up
Hit your Insta stories (yes, again). Share reader comments and feedback on your blog after it’s published. Answer a question you are asked or thank someone for a helpful point or comment.
11. Share and be shared
Regularly share blog posts from others in your network and ask them to share yours on their feeds too (if you are close buddies, send them a DM asking them to share). But be cool about it, don’t go spamming randoms asking them to talk up your blog.
12. Take it offline
Promote your newsletter regularly on Instagram. By encouraging readers to join your list, you get to reach them via email where you share your blogs as they are published. Too easy.
13. Update your hashtags
Mix in ten new blog-specific hashtags with your usual hashtag set. Avoid hashtags with over one million posts—they won’t drive traffic because the sheer volume will drown you out the moment you hit publish.
Wanna promote your blog on Instagram but worried this is too much?
Don’t worry that you’re overloading your audience with blog specific content. Remember you only get about 5% engagement on Instagram, so not all readers will see every single Instagram post or story about your blog. Of course, you’ll be using Instagram for other activity too, so there’ll still be diversity in your content.
Give it a try and track your blog numbers—the analytics will tell you if your Instagram efforts are working.
Happy blogging!
Kate
